Page 83 of Tattoo My Heart
“Cal,” my stepmother squealed in delight when she saw me walking inside the house through the side door. “What are you doing here this early?” She grabbed me in a big hug, reminding me how much I do like her.
Now, as I stand in the backyard, I regret not spending more time visiting here. It is beautiful and the parents are welcoming. I know they’d be happy to see me more often.
This reminds me that I need to talk to them about me and Evie. I don’t foresee any issues with it, but I want to give them a heads up, as a courtesy.
“Well, son,” my father speaks from right behind me. “Are you going to tell us what all this is about before Liz loses her damn mind over here?”
“Oh, William,” his wife lets out a nervous giggle. “It’s not like that.” She tries to play it cool. “But you are making me nervous, Cal. What is happening? When is your date coming?”
She takes a breather from her questions to look around us in awe.
“Are you about to propose?”
I bust out laughing. “What?”
“Well,” she spreads her arms wide to encompass the width of the yard. “Look at what you’ve done with the place. It all looks so romantic. I can’t believe you’re just doing it for us for the party.”
The laughter bubbling in my chest is now dying down. It’s too soon to ask Evie to marry me, and I’ve never envisioned any grand gestures when I would eventually propose to anyone when the time came. But now that her mother put the idea into my head, I can’t shake it off.
It won’t happen this weekend, but, depending on where our relationship takes us…
Actually, there is no doubt in my mind that it will happen.Evelyn Prenticehas the best ring to it.
“Evelyn said that…” Liz starts, making my brain short circuit on the spot just from hearing her name.
“Speaking of Evie,” I cut her mom off. “I need to talk to you guys about something.”
The worried look on both the parents’ faces is a picture of instant worry. It’s something I’ll have to remember to laugh about later.
“Cal, please don’t tell me you two are fighting,” Liz pleads with me. “I was hoping you’d get along at some point. It’s been years now since I married your father. I don’t understand what the problem is. Do you hate her?”
“I love her.”
Instant silence cloaks the yard. The only sound still unstoppable is coming from the gentle waves out on the water. They barely reach the shore as the nature is getting ready to turn in for the night.
Liz reaches blindly for my dad’s hand while the palm of her other hand is pressed to her chest.
“Say what now?” My dad clears his voice in an attempt to clear the shock from his head.
“Liz,” I turn to look at my father’s wife. “Me and Evie reconnected in the last couple of months, and…”
“This is amazing,” she squeals. She lets go of my dad, only to fly straight into my arms. “I am so happy!”
“You are?”
After giving me one last healthy squeeze, she takes a step back to look at me. Her face is now serious and her eyes are glassy from unshed tears.
“Evie being with someone who I love like a son is a dream come true, Cal. She is stubborn and reckless at times…”
“Don’t I know it,” I mumble in the corner of my mouth, making Liz chuckle.
“Evie is also very tender hearted,” she adds. “She would never admit that. She thinks she’s tough.”
“She is amazing,” I make sure to say.
Liz drops her chin on her interlaced fingers, so much joy and happiness reflected in her yes.
“Just take good care of her, Cal.”
