Page 91 of When You're Home
“Oh Everhett,” she sighed, her own tears muffling her voice as she began to cry, too.
“At her appointment on Monday, they’re either going to tell her she has cancer, or they’re going to tell her it was a false alarm and they will just keep monitoring things. This is it, though. I know what she’s going to want to do after this, regardless of the diagnosis.”
His mom was aware of Tori’s preventative surgery plans. He knew Tori would be ready, desperate even, to move forward with the surgeries after this, regardless of what the follow up tests revealed.
“If she needs more tests, or surgery, or other treatments… she only has student health insurance,” Rhett whispered, segueing into the real reason he had called his mom.
Anne let out another muffled sob. Rhett listened to her sniffle through the phone before she finally blew her nose and broke the silence.
“I would never want you to make a decision like this under pressure, honey. You two haven’t been together since high school. You haven’t even had a chance to have a real relationship as adults.”
She was right. He knew she was right. And yet, Rhett already knew what he was going to do.
“That said,” her tone softened, “I have loved Tori like my own daughter for years, and I know in my heart that whether you propose to her tomorrow or five years from now, the outcome will be the same. You two were made for each other. There has never been anyone else for you, Everhett, even though I know you both tried your hardest to prove otherwise.”
He exhaled, grateful for his mom’s words that confirmed what he had been thinking about all day.
“Do you want me to drive up and bring the ring to you?” she offered.
The ring. Her mother’s ring, soon to be Tori’s ring. The ring that he had stashed away in the lockbox in his closet when his grandma gave it to him before she died. They weren’t even together when he received the ring, but Rhett knew even then that the ring belonged to the girl he had loved his whole life. It had always been Tori’s ring.
“I love you, Mom. Thank you for listening to me and supporting me.” It was her love and her unwavering faith in their relationship that made Rhett feel like everything was going to work out. “You don’t need to bring me the ring. That won’t matter to Tori.”
“I’m so glad you called me, Everhett. I am always here for you. I know what sort of man I raised, so I already know what you’re going to do, and you have my blessing.”
Chapter 49
Rhett
Hesteppedquietlyintothecabin,tryinghisbestnottorustlethegrocerybagsinhishands.Hewasn’tsureifToriwasstillsleepingornot,butifshewasresting,hedidn’twanttowakeher.
He had quickly grabbed what he needed at the store, anxious to get back to her after spending so much time on the phone with his mom. He set down all the bags, then set to work putting things away. Once done, he crept into the bedroom, thinking he could crawl into bed next to her if she was still napping.
The bed was empty, though, and Rhett didn’t hear any signs of her anywhere else in the cabin. He started to pull out his phone to text her as a sneaking suspicion presented itself in his mind. He walked across the bedroom to the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the lake. With each step, he was more confident he knew where he would find her. When he looked out the windows, he saw her down by the lake, spread out on the bench swing with a pillow cushioned under her head.
She was facing the lake, and the sun made her hair look extra shiny in the light. She looked so beautiful. It was hard for him to believe that she was finally his.
He nervously ran a hand through his hair as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. He was coming to terms with what he had told his mom on the phone less than an hour earlier. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was going to marry Tori. It wasn’t so much of a realization about what was next for them as much as it was a return to a deep sense of knowing.
He knew in his core they were going to be together. He knew in his heart it was only ever going to be her. And now that they were here, he knew he was going to propose to her today.
The only thing he didn’t know was which excuse Tori would grab for first. He felt no hesitation about what he was planning to do, but he did wish he had more time to think through and prepare counterarguments.
It was important he asked her to marry him this weekend. If he waited until after her appointment on Monday, she would think his proposal was conditional. There was literally nothing conditional about his love for her, but he knew her well enough to know that she would let those kinds of thoughts eat away at their relationship. There was no room for doubt. This wasn’t a pity proposal. This was the real deal, all he’d ever wanted, and his one shot to lock things down before both their lives changed forever.
The other reason it needed to be now was because this time had to be different. He deeply regretted not ending things with Chandler a long time ago, especially during the showdown over spring break. He wanted Tori to have unwavering confidence in them and in the fact that their relationship would be different and more than anything he’d ever shared with anyone else. He was so sure about her. He needed her to know that he wasn’t going anywhere for any reason, this time or ever again.
Rhett inhaled, mustering up the confidence he needed. He let himself watch her for a few more moments before he turned around and left the bedroom to join her down by the lake.
They were too young.
They had only been back together for a day.
She was still in school.
He was moving.
Rhett ran through the laundry list of excuses he knew Tori was going to assault him with when he asked her to marry him. A new one popped into his consciousness with each stride as he made his way down the pebbled path toward the bench swing.
