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“Yes, you’re right,” I said. “I haven’t talked to him in over two weeks. I’m not sure what I would even say to him.”
“You’re pregnant. Lead with that. I think he will shit himself.”
I laughed hard. “You’re probably right.”
It was always so good to talk with Kayley. She had that way about her of making everything seem so much simpler. I ended my phone call and sat there on my couch thinking about my next move. I had to call and tell him. Lance deserved to know.
But first, I would have to alert my coach. Starting immediately, her star pitcher was out for the season. That was going to be quite the blow.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Lance
I was in Cleveland. It felt odd being back even though I’d only been gone from it for two weeks. It was becoming a place I was getting used to being, but for some reason did not quite feel like it would ever be home. Not yet…
I’d convinced myself that this was the right thing to do. I had not seen Kat in almost three weeks. I had not heard from her in all that time either. I was going crazy without her in my life. After doing some serious soul searching, I had finally decided that I had to be ok with getting married. It was the only way that I could be with Kat forever. I would have to say goodbye to a few things. Namely, I would have to leave the fire crew I was in and move to a different city, see if I could get on a new ladder. With my experience, I thought I probably could.
Those were a lot of changes I was about to make for the woman I loved. I knew it was the right thing to do. I was parked right in front of Kat’s house waiting, trying to work up the nerve to go inside. I’d been sitting there for about five minutes. We didn’t leave on the best of terms the last time. Would she be excited to see me? I wasn’t sure about that... there were some things said that were hard to take back, mostly said by her about me, but I was willing to look past them. But often the person who said the wrong thing often had the hardest time forgiving themselves even if the offended person openly forgave them.
I was willing to risk it. This would not be comfortable, but it was something I had to do. I wanted to. I needed her in my life.
I strode up to the door and rang the doorbell. When Kat answered, she was shocked to see me. I thought she might slam the door in my face, but she didn’t. Her face softened and she smiled. She looked up at me with that beautiful, sweet smile.
“Hi,” I said. “Would you believe I was just in the neighborhood?”
She giggled. “Well, you have a jet. So…. I would believe that.”
“Ah, was that a rich joke…?” I teased.
Kat leaned forward and whispered. “Maybe a little one.”
I nodded. She motioned for me to come in. So far this was starting off fantastically. It was like we’d never been out of each other’s lives, even for a few weeks. It wasn’t that long, but I spent every single second wishing that this amazing woman was with me in my bed snuggling with me. That made our separation feel like a lifetime.
She motioned for me to have a seat on the couch and sat down across from me. “It’s good to see you,” she said. “I wanted to apologize about the last time. I flew way off the handle. I’m sorry. I have no right to tell you how to live your life.”
I was shocked that she was apologizing so quickly. “Thanks for saying that. I owe you an apology as well. I got rather defensive about it, I guess. That might be the main reason I am here.”
“Oh?” Kat asked. I could see that this had piqued her interest. She was leaning back now and staring at me intently with those amazing eyes. She looked so beautiful.
She was perfect. It felt almost like I hadn’t seen her in many years. I felt my love for her glowing inside of me spreading warmly within my being. I just wanted to walk over and hold her tightly against me. I needed her like I needed my very next breath.
“Yes, I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching and coming to terms with some things, and I’ve realized that I was wrong. I do want to marry you, if you’ll have me of course. I love you and I can’t live without you. My reasons for not wanting marriage are selfish and I’m sorry that I have been so stubborn. The more I think about the idea, the more perfect it seems. I want to see you walking down the aisle. I want to see you in that perfect dress, and I want to declare my love for you in front of everyone. I need to do this. I need you, baby.”
I was on the verge of tears. Pouring my heart out like this was not something that I was used to. It was tough, but it was so gratifying. I just needed to get this off my chest and I realized it had been building up there for so long. I needed to be real with myself, truthful about who I was and what I really wanted. And more importantly, what I needed. Who I needed.
Kat wiped a tear from her own eye. She was looking into me, her gaze was full of sweet emotion and happiness. I felt her pain and heartache which mirrored my own right then. I loved her so much. I’d missed her more than she could ever know.
“You really mean this?” Kat asked me. She wiped the tears from her eyes and straightened herself up to focus on me. I could see exactly how emotional all of this really was for her.
“Yes,” I said. “I mean every word.”
I walked over to her and stooped down on one knee right then. I pulled the ring box from the inside pocket of my jacket and then I opened it up to her. She was now staring at the large rock inside the box, bawling, as I looked into her eyes. I took her hand and held it softy in mine. “Kat Sellers,” I said. “You are my whole world. I can imagine nothing in my life meaning anything without you. Would you give me the greatest honor and become my wife?”
She wiped her eyes and bent down to kiss me on the mouth. “Yes, of course I’ll marry you. I love you so much.” She kissed me again and again.
I took the ring and placed it on her finger. It was a perfect fit. I stood up and she leaped into my arms, wrapping her arms around my neck. I kissed her hard on the mouth, then soft and loving. I held her close to me and remembered how much pain I’d been in without this woman’s amazing embrace. I was making the right decision. I was absolutely doing what I I needed to do. I wanted to do this.
I was home. I was finally happier than I’d ever been in my entire life. And it was all because of this woman.
