Page 84 of In This Moment
The conversation this time was about belief in God. “With faith, I never had any reason to fear for my job and walk around terrified of Jack Renton,” Alicia told him. “The Bible says not to worry about those who can kill the body. Because nothing can ever kill the soul.”
Wendell listened, amazed. One of the reasons he had been drawn to Alicia in the first place was that she needed him. She felt safe with him. That would always be true. But this new Alicia, the one with a belief in God as strong as his own... this was a woman he was falling more in love with every day.
He glanced at his office door just as Alicia appeared. Her smile lit up his heart.Here I go, Lord... give me the words.
Classes were out for the day, and the Raise the Bar club meeting had already wrapped up. An unusually warm couple days had melted the snow on the ground so Wendell could ask her the way he had planned.
In the place on campus that belonged to them.
He joined her in the hall and gave her a quick hug. Which was all he’d done since she’d been back in his life. She needed to know he valued her friendship, her character, her faith. The way she loved his children.
And so every time he longed to kiss her, Wendell had waited.
“Hey.” He smiled into her eyes. “How was your day?”
Alicia took a deep breath and looked at the wall, the one with Hamilton’s quote. “This is where I belong.” She turned to him. “You’ll never know how thankful I am that you made this move happen.”
He slipped his hand in his pocket again and felt the box. “You’ll never know how thankful I am that you’rehere.”
They talked about her third-period English class as they walked across campus. Wendell could barely concentrate, barely respond. All he could think about was the ring and the question. It felt like every minute of the past two years had led up to this moment.
“We’re going to the baseball field, right?” Her eyes sparkled.
“Right.” He realized he hadn’t told her where they were going. He had just asked her to meet him at his office after school so they could talk. He grinned at her. “Where else?”
Her coat hung unbuttoned. It was warm enough that neither of them really needed more than a sweater.Perfect weather,Wendell thought. He glanced at the blue sky overhead.Thanks, God. You’ve got every detail here. Now, please... just let her say yes.
They reached the bleachers and Wendell led her to a spot somewhere in the middle. He turned and faced her and without saying a word he took her hands in his.
“Wendell...” Her eyes looked surprised. “Your fingers are freezing!”
He chuckled. “You’re right.” Alicia would understand why soon enough.
“So...” She searched his eyes. Her easy expression told him she had no idea what was coming. “We’re here.” Her smile had never looked more beautiful. “What did you want to talk about?”
“Alicia... I’ve loved you for a very long time now.” He ran his thumbs softly over her knuckles. “I loved you before you left and I loved you every day while you were gone.”
“Me, too.” Happy tears filled her eyes. “I used to dream I was still teaching here. That we could still see each other.” Her smile faded. “I’d wake up and have to feel... the hurt of losing you all over again.”
Wendell nodded. He let her words hang in the air between them for a few seconds. Then he felt his smile fill his face. “Those days are behind us. And now... every night when you’re at our dinner table, I find myself thinking just one thing.”
Understanding started to dawn in her expression. She waited, almost as if she were holding her breath.
“I don’t ever want you to leave again.” He released one of her hands and worked his fingers gently along the side of her face. “I love you, Alicia.”
“I love you, too.”
Then, in a move he had imagined himself making a thousand times, Wendell dropped down to one knee. Not easy on the bleachers, but Wendell was still able to pull it off.
When she seemed to fully realize what was happening, Alicia brought her hands to her face and gasped. Her eyes lit up and tears spilled onto her cheeks. She whispered his name in a way he would remember forever. “Wendell! What are you...”
He pulled the velvet box from his pants pocket and slowly opened the lid. “Alicia, I want you to come for dinner and never go home. I want to live with you and wake up with you and raise my children with you.” Tears welled up in his eyes, too. “I want to serve God with you all the days of my life.”
She was already nodding, crying and laughing and grinning. “I want that, too.”
“So, Alicia Maria Harris”—he held the ring up to her—“will you make me the most grateful man in the world? Will you marry me?”
“Yes!” She bounced up and down a few times, shaking the bleachers with joy. Then she took the box from him, staring at the ring and then back at Wendell. “Yes, Wendell Quinn. I’d marry you today if I could!”
