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About a week after his return, Lucas sent me a vague text message, telling me to bring Sophie and meet him downtown later that evening, and to wear one of the dresses he’d brought me from New York. Although I was unclear on what exactly he was planning, I complied, and that day I picked Sophie up from daycare and walked with her to the agreed-upon meeting spot.
“Where are we going, Mommy?” asked Sophie eagerly.
“It’s a surprise, sweetie.”
“A surprise!” Sophie loved surprises. “What is it, tell me!”
“Honey, you know if I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise! Plus, I don’t even know what it is myself.”
Sophie laughed. “That’s true, I guess we’ll find out soon enough!” She squeezed my hand, and I squeezed it back.
Finally, we turned a corner, and there was Lucas, sitting patiently on a bench. When he saw us, his eyes brightened. He immediately stood up.
“Natalie,” he said, pulling me into an embrace. As I hugged him, I inhaled deeply; his cologne was intoxicating. Then, he stepped back and to get a good look at me. “Wow… you look stunning. Absolutely gorgeous.”
“Hey, what about me!” shouted Sophie, causing both Lucas and me to laugh.
“Oh, how could I forget about Sophie?” he said, swooping her into his arms and giving her a big hug. Sophie giggled in delight.
“So, what was it you had planned for us?” I asked.
His eyes widened. “Ah, yes! The main event. Follow me.” Then, with Sophie still in his arms, he swiftly turned around, and I followed the two of them.
We walked only for a matter of minutes, past the restaurant—a part of town I’d opted to avoid those days—and down a tree-lined street, toward the little park where I’d thrown Sophie her third birthday party. Birds twittered passionately, their sounds coalescing to create a dramatic symphony that rendered the whole scene almost magical. I was reminded of why Minnesota was home, and why I had never left.
“Ahem… here we are!” announced Lucas, suddenly coming to a standstill.
I looked around, confused. “The… park?” I asked.
He laughed. “No, silly… look closer.”
I looked around, struggling to make sense of Lucas’s riddle, when, suddenly, Sophie yelled out, “Mommy, over there!”
I looked to where she was pointing. A charming brownstone, about four or five stories, only a few steps from the park entrance. Over the doorway someone had hung an amateurishly crafted, but no less endearing, banner, on which “WELCOME, SOPHIE AND NATALIE!” had been painted in black and gold lettering. I froze.
“Lucas…” I began, but before I could protest, he had grabbed my hand, and the three of us were making our way up the front steps, under the banner, and into the building.
In the entryway, there was a staircase immediately to the left. It was here that Lucas set Sophie down. “Alright, Soph, race you to the third floor!” he shouted, and before I could register what was happening, the two of them were sprinting up the steps, and I followed briskly behind, trying not to ask myself too many questions.
Within a few moments I reached the third floor, where Sophie and Lucas were leaning against a wall. Lucas was panting, and Sophie was laughing at him. Seeing I had arrived, Lucas stood up straight, and reached both his hands into his pockets.
“Alright, Sophie, pick a hand.”
“Left!” she shouted. Lucas pulled his left hand from his pocket and opened it—nothing.
“Ah, nice try… looks like there’s no surprise for today…”
“One more try!” Sophie shouted, so enthusiastically that Lucas laughed.
Lucas feigned contemplation, scratching his chin with his empty left hand. Then, after a beat, he put his left hand back in his pocket. “Alright, Sophie… but just for you. Pick again.”
“Right!” she shouted louder than before, and this time I laughed, too.
It was then that he removed his right hand, which contained a silver key. But rather than giving it to Sophie, he walked past her and handed it directly to me. “Surprise,” he said, placing it softly into my hands.
I looked down at it, then up at him. When I realized what was happening, it took all I had not to break down crying. “Lucas…” I began, but again I was unable to finish my thought, for an impatient Sophie had run up to me and snatched the key from my hand. She turned around, ran to the lone door at the end of the hall, fit the key into the lock, and turned it. Lucas and I caught up to her right as she pushed the door open.
The three of us were standing in the doorway of a generously sized apartment, tastefully furnished with dramatic windows that allowed the golden sunlight to pour into the room. I went over to one of the windows, from which I could see the park and, just over the buildings across from us, the glimmering lake. As I turned around to face Lucas, I noticed something else, too: an easel, canvas, and paints, organized neatly in the corner, overlooking the view.
