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“Now, don’t you talk bad about yourself, Louisa. You were very, very young, and you pulled yourself out of it.”
“I had a lot of help.” I’m hit with a little swell of emotion as I continue, “I’m not sure I could have done it without Caleb.”
“Well, you did do it. And I’m so proud of how far you’ve come.”
She sounds so motherly and sincere that my throat tightens. I have to clear it before I reply. “Thank you. I’ve been doing pretty good lately at not feeling so guilty and not focusing on regrets. Honestly, I’ve been so happy this past year that I haven’t had much time to feel bad. But every once in a while it still hits me. I’ll never like how much I put Caleb through before we got to where we are now.”
When I first got together with Caleb, I was afraid his mother wouldn’t approve of me because she knew how bad I used to be, but she’s never made me feel like she’s anything but thrilled that I’m in a relationship with her son. “I can understand that, but you need to put it out of your mind. He’s not still holding onto it. I promise he’s not.”
“I know he’s not.” I smile as I glance down at the pretty diamond ring on my left hand. Caleb gave it to me three months ago with a simple, heartfelt proposal of marriage.
I said yes, of course.
“He’s amazing,” I add.
“Yes, he is. But you are too, and he’s always seen it. I knew you were going to be special to him the very first time he met you.”
“What?” I’ve been wandering through our cottage as we talk, but now I plop down into a chair in the sunroom. “What do you mean?”
“You were in Paris. He’d just started working for your father, and I knew he was excited about the job. He called me one evening, and I asked him what he did that day. He said you just got into town, so he went with you to paint a bridge or something, and all these tourists stopped by to get their portraits painted.”
I chuckle at the memory. Even with all the amazing days I’ve had with Caleb in the past year, that day in Paris is still one of the best days of my life. “Yes. That’s exactly what happened.”
“He was being real casual about it—like it wasn’t a big deal. But I heard something in his voice, and I knew. Iknew. He kept trying to keep a professional distance, and back then I’m not sure he would have even admitted it to himself, but you were the only one for him from that day forward. No matter what happened, nothing ever changed that.”
I can’t speak immediately. Caleb has told me something similar more than once, but it hits differently coming from his mother. I swallow a couple of times and sniff, and I’m smiling into the phone when I finally say, “Thanks for saying that. He’s been important to me from the very beginning too. It just took me longer to figure things out.”
“But you did. That’s what matters. And I can’t begin to tell you how happy he’s been this past year. You’ve given him that, and I’ll always love you for it.”
“I love you too. And I’ve been happier than I knew I was capable of being, so I think it’s a pretty equal deal.”
“Well, that’s how it’s supposed to be.”
“Exactly.”
We chat for a few more minutes. She asks me about wedding plans and how my work with the community center has been going. I get a text mid-conversation from Caleb that says,All done. He’s on the boat. Heading for airport.
It’s followed up a few seconds later with,Love you.
I reply that I love him back while trying to stay focused on my phone conversation.
A couple of minutes later, his mother tells me that Caleb is calling her, so we end the call.
I’m smiling to myself as I get back to the painting I was working on before the phone rang.
Caleb has been gone for five days, which is longer than his trips usually last, but he’s finally coming home.
Today is going to be a very good day.
* * *
I make a pot of chili in the slow cooker so it will be ready whatever time Caleb arrives this evening. After working on my painting for a few hours, I decide to shower and wash my hair. Washing and drying my long hair is a process, so it keeps me busy for a while. But after I finish and change into a soft, clingy lounge outfit in dark red, I’m ready for Caleb to arrive.
And his flight hasn’t even landed yet.
I give myself a manicure and pedicure. I chat with Brandy and then Davida. By then, he’s finally landed, but the airport is almost an hour away.
I check on my chili, tasting a spoonful and concluding it’s delicious. I vacuum the kitchen and living room. I resist the urge to call Caleb merely to find out where he is and how long it will be before he arrives.
