Page 132 of Meant to Be

She forced a smile in return, then looked down at the counter again.

“Seriously, Cate. I’m going to need you to be a little more specific here,” I said. “I need a reason.”

“Reasons,”she said.

“Name them.”

She sighed, then said, “I didn’t even finish high school….”

“You’re fixing that. What else?”

“My mom and Chip—”

“Wait,” I said. “Did something happen?”

“Not that I’m aware of,” she said with a shrug. “But what if it does? It could hurt your career.”

“No, it couldn’t.”

“Yes, it could, Joe. Don’t be naïve. Chip could find a way. Besides, it’s just so embarrassing…. My background doesn’t go with yours. You belong with someone more like you—”

I suddenly felt squeamish, remembering what Berry had just confessed to me and wondering if Cate had some kind of women’s intuition. If that was the case, maybe she felt guilty—like she was in Berry’s way. It also occurred to me that maybe Berry or my mother had said something to Cate. Maybe one of them had actually told her that she needed to do this.

Feeling dizzy, I said, “Is this about Berry? Or my mother? Did one of them say something to you?”

She shook her head. “This is my decision, Joe. Not theirs.”

I let out a weary sigh, rubbed my eyes with my hands, and said, “Can we go to counseling? Would that help?”

“No,” she said. “I don’t think so.”

I nodded, unwilling to give up, but knowing that I probably didn’t have a choice. Cate knew her own mind; it was one of the things I loved about her.

I stared at her, overwhelmed by heartbreak, as she took a deep breath and said, “I did want to ask you something…and I’m sure you’ll think it’s a bad idea…. But if you want, I can still go to the wedding with you?”

“Really? You’d still come with me?” I asked. Relief washed over me, not only because I wanted her to be there, but because I still had an opening. A chance to change her mind.

She nodded and said, “Yeah. If you want me to.”

“OfcourseI do.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive.”

She nodded, then said, “What do we tell people? If they ask about the fight in the park?”

“Nobody will ask,” I said. “It’s none of their business, and we don’t owe anyone an explanation.”

“Okay,” she said, nodding.

“Will you wear my ring?” I asked.

She froze up, then said, “I don’t know, Joe.”

“Please?”

“Okay,” she said with a sigh.

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