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Chapter 18
Weeks later
Other people agreed with me that Alec's music was a gift. In the weeks that followed, Alec released the remainder of that worship album. By the time he posted his last song, his channel had over a million subscribers. It hadn't come overnight, but there had been a steady stream of new growth. Alec's songs were being sung in churches all over the world.
He got some hate over it, though. There was just no way to avoid it. He got hateful, hurtful comments about his intentions. He got compared to Kanye West, and he could tell some people who said it meant it as a compliment, and others meant it as an insult. There was just no accounting for people and the hurtful things they could type on their keyboards.
Alec did a better job of ignoring it than I did. He was easygoing about it and had no trouble tuning those things out. So, I did my best to do the same. He constantly inspired me. He focused on the present and the future and he was continually staying busy and creating. He communicated efficiently with people and he didn't waste time.
Which was why I was so surprised that he had not asked me to marry him. All summer, we had been inseparable. Ever since that day when I stitched his aunt's hand, we had been together any chance we got. We talked about getting married, and we made plans about things we would do in the future. We talked about having a small wedding at someone's house rather than a church.
We discussed things we would do as parents—decisions we would make and things we would and wouldn't do in regards to our children.
All this time, we had become a part of each other's lives and we had spoken candidly about plans for our future. But Alec had not asked me to marry him yet. I could not understand it. I thought, based on how he acted the day we took a nap, that he was going to ask me to marry him soon. Likesoonsoon. I was convinced it would happen the next day, or at the latest the next week.
But no. We had been inseparable for over a month since then, and yet there had been no proposal. I played it cool, but I had it all worked up in my mind that I wouldn't be going back to Grover Cleveland school this fall because I'd be too busy with getting married and moving to Galveston. It was now, however, almost time for me to go back.
I knew Alec loved me. He made that clear. But he must have changed his mind about asking me to marry him soon because the summer was almost over, and I still had no fiancé.
I didn't let it get to me. I was patient about it on the outside, but on the inside, I was desperate for him to make it official.
I thought there was a slim chance that it could happen today. Of course, I thought this every time we saw each other. We were going somewhere different today, though, and Alec was being a little sketchy about giving me the details.
He picked me up and we headed out, into the woods. He had bought me a SUV to replace that Jeep. I offered to drive, but he said it was for a picnic and he wanted to take his truck. He had obviously thought it out because there was a picnic basket in the backseat. Seeing as how Alec wasn't normally the type to pack a picnic basket, I knew he had put thought into it. I wondered if there could possibly be a ring in that basket, and I felt a steady surge of anticipation because of it.
We drove for what must have been twenty minutes before I realized where we were. I had gotten a little turned around since we came from my house and not Galveston. But I knew this place. It was a state park. It was beautiful out there, but it surprised me that this was the place he chose since we had shared some history there.
"Oh, here?" I said when we pulled up and I saw the sign. It was the place where we first… where I first gave him my… it was a significant place with significant memories. I had no idea what he was doing, but my heart raced.
"Are you okay with it?" he asked.
"Yeah, definitely," I said, trusting him.
I remembered that night and all the feelings that went with it. I had a few flashes of the aftermath and then I felt Alec's hand touch my arm.
I looked at him. He was so handsome. His hair had grown out a little, and I smiled and reached up to touch the side of it, letting my fingers lace through the hair above his ear.
"I brought you here, Grace, because I thought it was fitting. You taught me an important lesson. Nothing is too ruined to start fresh. Things can be made new. You taught me that. We can have new beginnings and a fresh start with things."
"I wholeheartedly agree with that," I said, nodding. "I would love to have a picnic here with you, Alec. This was a great idea." I smiled at him and grabbed the handle of the door to his truck, assuming that we would get out.
"Don't get out yet. Hang on. I'm still talking to you."
I turned and faced him, and my heart began pounding. Alec had brought me out here to propose to me—I could feel it. I glanced in the backseat, but Alec didn't move to get any ring box out of the picnic basket like I thought he might.
"I thought of this place, and I wanted to make new memories out here. I wanted to start fresh out here."
I nodded. "I agree with that," I said, trying not to seem too eager. "I'm up for it."
He reached out and I gave him my hand. "I know you didn't want to worry about planning or making a big deal with an engagement and wedding, so I just thought I'd take care of all that."
"Okay," I said, not fully getting what he was saying. "Yeah, I'm fine with you asking me to marry you anywhere—even right here in the front seat of your truck."
"Well, then I'm asking you," he said.
He leaned over me and pressed the button to open the dash compartment. It popped open, and I saw a ring box sitting there on top of the owner's manual and his insurance documents. Alec reached in and pulled it out, handing it to me.
"Oh, wow, I was hoping this was what we were doing here, but I thought it was in the picnic basket." I took it from him. I opened it as he spoke.
