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She bit the inside of her lip and looked downward. "I'm so sorry I didn't check on you about that lake house," she said. "I hope it went okay." She breathed a heavy sigh, unable to look at me. "I know I should have called to see if you were okay with it. But I'm just… he left me in such a bind that I was overwhelmed." She sighed again. "I'm sorry I couldn’t just give you your money back, Holland. I wish I would have never met that guy."
"Oh, please don't say that," I said, causing her gaze to snap up to mine. She had been talking fast, and I was caught off-guard, so I didn't have time to cut in. But that last statement was too much.
"What?" she said.
"Please don't ever say you wish you wouldn't have met that guy, Garrett."
"Why?"
I blinked at her. She knew nothing.
We moved out of the way of someone else who needed to get to the towels, and I focused on Sophia again once we got situated.
"Soph, my life has completely changed as a result of going to that lake house."
"What?"
I could see her face turn flush, so I smiled, reassuring her. "My life has changed for the better. It was all God's plan. You have no idea. I still live at that house right now. Did you know that?"
"What? What house? No. What?"
"I'm not kidding. I still live in Arkansas. We're here visiting right now for Christmas. This is the first time I've been back to Chicago since I left in May."
"What?" She was dumbfounded, staring at me like her mind was completely blank.
"Seriously," I said, nodding. "Me and Beau got married."
She began coughing. Maybe she gasped and something flew down her throat.
"W-what?" she asked.
I nodded, and she reared back and shoved my shoulder, and I laughed even though it was hard and hurt a little.
"Beau Cameron?" Her eyes were about to pop out of her head.
"Yes," I said, still laughing at how dramatic she was being.
"You mar-ried Beau Cameron? You mar-ried him?"
"Yes," I said, laughing and holding out my hand. On my finger rested a beautiful, simple, round solitaire. I shook a little from excitement as I showed her, but it was easy to steady my hand once she was holding it, inspecting it. She stared up at me, smiling.
"Are you joking right now?" she asked.
"No."
Her smile faded. "I… I don't even know what to say."
"You can start by not feeling bad about the money," I said causing her smile to return. She was dazed, thinking.
"I am jealous, but I'm happy for you, Holland. Beau is… Beau's amazing—how did? Wow, I don't even know what to say. I'm excited for you. I'm just thinking… I'm… I haven't really talked to my mom much. I'm not even sure if she knows about you, but she definitely didn't tell me. I thought Beau had a job lined up back here in Chicago. But you said you live in Arkansas. Do you live there and he lives here, or…" She was utterly confused and taken off guard, saying the first things that came to her mind.
I didn't take it personally when she said she was jealous. I knew it must be hard having a strained relationship with her mother, and honestly, if I wasn't living my life, I would be jealous of me, too. I had God to thank for it, though, and I knew it. I felt for Sophia, and I hugged her.
"Beau and I ran into each other here, at Marble Inn, way back before I left for Arkansas. We connected before I even left, and then we were both at the lake house that summer."
"Does he live there still?" she asked.
I nodded. "We both do. He's working for his uncle, and I'm running my business still."
