“Ren,I think you should come sit down,” Leyla said, taking my elbow and guiding me to the hard plastic chair where I hunched over. This place could really use Vicky’s touch. People spend hours here worrying about their loved ones and are subjected to this kind of torture. It’s inhumane. I pinched the bridge of my nose, worried about the state of my poor mind if this is what I was concerned with. But it was still a terrible place for family members.
Not to mention a terrible place to be proposed to.
I looked over at my new friend and whispered, “Did I dream it?”
She looked at the men gathered in the room, all of them with the same expression. Dazed and confused. I guess I had my answer.
“Well, I’m not sure what to say. But if you’re asking if Mike just asked you to marry him and you accepted, then, no. You weren’t dreaming.” The few times I’d been with Leyla, she’d always come across as confident, but the curious look in her eyesmade it clear she was wary of what had just transpired. Although I was pretty sure it was she who’d said “I knew it’” earlier.
I sat up straight and looked at Niko, who was worrying his lip. Not only was he concerned about Grammy, but also about what his best friend had just gotten himself into. He wouldn’t meet my gaze, so I shifted my eyes to the Austin brothers, who seemed to be having a conversation without saying a word, with side-eyes and lifted brows.
Looking back at Leyla, I asked, “What have I done?” The tears reappeared, and I was taking large, gulping breaths.
“Hey, hey. That’s it. Deep breaths. In with me. Out with me. Yes, slow it down. I’ve got you,” she said, encouraging me as I tried to mirror her relaxed posture. I nodded when I felt like the fear had subsided minutes later, grateful she had stopped it before it got out of control.
Miles kneeled in front of me, grabbing my hands in his large ones.
“Ren, we’re here. We’re going to figure this out. You, Mike. All of us. Give it tonight, and then you and Mike can speak again in the morning,” he said, the deep, steady cadence of his voice calming me even more.
“Thanks, Miles. Thank you for saying that,” I said, taking one last deep breath and relaxing my tight shoulders.
“Take this,” Niko said, handing me a cup of something hot. “I convinced the nurse to let me get a cup of tea from their break room.”
“That’s so sweet of you, thanks.” I smiled, grateful for this group as I took a sip of the spicy ginger tea. There was nothing like this for me back in Tuscany, and once again, Mike’s proposal was back in the forefront.
“You all must think I’m insane to have said yes,” I said, looking at them.
Leyla’s eyebrows raised, and she bobbed her head from side to side as if saying “well…”
Niko spoke first, and his opinion, as Mike’s best friend, was the one I most wanted.
“Ren, I know Mike. I mean, his penchant for quoting surfing movies is questionable, but he’s a very good man,” he said seriously, making me chuckle. Niko was usually the quietest of the men, so when he spoke, they gave him the floor. No one was hurrying him along, so I sat and waited as well.
“He, he cares for you, that I know. We’ve spoken about it. And while I won’t betray his confidence, I know he’s sincere. Honestly, I don’t know about marriage, though, since you’ve literally just met. The probability of this working out is not great, I imagine. Without thoroughly researching it, I think at least you two need to talk and pray about this more before making a final decision. I’d hate for the stress of this situation to cause you both to make a hasty decision without all the data.”
“Honey, I love your scientific take on this, but it’s not very romantic,” she teased. “And yet, I have to agree with you,” Leyla said warmly. Niko nodded and smiled. Turning to me, she continued. “More words need to be said before coming to a decision for sure.”
“Thank you. Yes, he said we’d talk more when he got to see Grammy again. Could I ask you about Mike? I mean, what if we did this? Got…married?” I could hear the tremor in my voice as I asked Niko the questions buzzing in my head.
“If you’re asking what kind of man you’d be marrying, I’d say Mike is the best man I know.” We all chuckled when Miles and Luke grumbled. Niko ignored them and went on.
“You’ll never find a more giving human being. If he decides this is what he wants, he will fight for you until his last breath. Once Mike Walker opens his heart to you, it’s forever. He will accept you just as you are. No judgment, just unconditionallove.” His eyes filled with tears, and somehow I knew Niko was talking about more than just me.
“I know it's true from the way he treats his grandmother. That speaks volumes to me,” Leyla said, nodding when my eyes pleaded with her for the truth.
“As far as marriage is concerned,” Niko said, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s a huge commitment, Ren, as I’m sure you’re aware of. I don’t know how to give you advice on the two of you getting married so quickly, other than to say, again, that however this plays out, he would be an incredible husband.”
“Eh, he’s alright,” Luke said with a shrug.
Miles smacked him lightly behind the head, and the two brothers exchanged a short slap fight before Leyla stepped in to break them up. Rubbing his head, Luke said, “Just kidding. He’s the kind of guy you can call, day or night. He’s a great friend.”
“I agree. Mike is one of a kind. Goofy, but a true friend,” Miles added with a smirk.
“Who you calling goofy, Austin?”
We all spun around to see Mike walking through the waiting room door, eyes red but peace evident on his face. His shoulders had relaxed, and his posture looked at ease. “Grammy is awake.”
I felt the relief so viscerally that it shocked me. I held my chest and offered a silent prayer of thanks as the friends took turns hugging him.
