Page 75 of Had To Be You

“What?” she demands in a high-pitched squeal. “Liam, are you insane? I can’t accept this.”

“You can and you’re going to. Let me do this for you.”

“Liam…” She hurls herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck. “This is too much. Way too much. Like on a scale of one to ten, it’s one hundred too much.”

“You and your one-to-ten scales. Go sit in it, Ells. See what you think.”

She hurries to the SUV, where I open the driver side door for her and watch her climb in. Her hands wrap tightly around the steering wheel as her eyes roam the interior. Her smile is impossibly bright, and it makes me grin too, because every emotion Ellie feels is contagious.

“You like?” I ask, already knowing the answer to my question.

“I’m obsessed. Thank you, Liam. My heart might burst. I might die on the spot.”

“Please don’t. I’m just getting used to you,” I deadpan.

“Very funny. But I can’t even be cheeky with you because holy mother-of-pickles, you bought me my first car! And a Range Rover at that.”

“No girlfriend of mine shall be car-less. I had to remedy that right away.”

“Well, you did. And then some” she says, flipping her ball cap backwards. She takes my face in her hands and kisses me breathless. “I love it, Liam. And I love you.”

“I love you, too. Drive us to Sammies? I’ll ride shotgun.”

“Get in, my insanely handsome shotgun rider. Let’s go.”

2 months later

“I blame you, you know.”

“Blame me?” Ellie replies to my mother nervously. It’s Sunday and we’ve just arrived at their place, joining them in the backyard. Clearly unsure of where the conversation is going, Ellie shifts her gaze to me with a concerned look on her face.

“Yes, you, sweetheart. I’m completely and totally crossword-obsessed thanks to you.” My mother smiles from where she’s sitting on a deck chair, picking up the crossword book from the table in front of her and waving it in Ellie’s direction. “Come here, you two. Give me a hug.”

“It’s true. She is obsessed,” my dad agrees, as he walks the perimeter of the pool with a net, skimming the surface of the water. “She crosswords all over the house. The deck, in bed, the backyard. I’ve even caught her working on a puzzle while making her Bolognese.” My father shakes his head and laughs, then sets aside the pool net, striding towards us. He greets us after my mother does, hugging me and kissing Ellie on her cheek.

It’s Sunday, and Ellie and I are here to have lunch with my parents. Reluctantly setting her crossword book to the side, my mom excuses herself to the kitchen to get us cold drinks and a few pre-lunch appies. Ellie offers to help her in the kitchen, but my mother insists everything is done, and to sit and enjoy the sunshine.

“Ellie, honey?” My mom hollers from the kitchen window. “Will you look at my crossword and try your hand at the next couple of clues? I’ve been stumped on those all morning, and you are a genius when it comes to solving word puzzles. I could really use your help.”

I watch Ellie shift in her chair, reaching for the book. She’s beautiful. Today she’s wearing a sundress that ends just above her knees and a pair of ankle boots. Her long hair is tied back in a ponytail.

Shifting my focus to my father, I ask, “Dad, any idea on the Yankees game? Do you know what the score is?”

“I haven’t looked, son. Why don’t we check?”

I press a kiss to Ellie’s temple and follow my dad inside, where I can hear my mother and Ellie chat through the kitchen window.

“A flower the shade of lavender. I think the first one is lilacs,” Ellie calls out, reminding me of our New York trip and the lilacs I ordered knowing they were her favorite.

“Yes, you’re right. See honey, I knew you would know the answers. What’s the next one?” My mom asks, catching my gaze from where she stands in the kitchen. There’s a twinkle in her eye, and her smile is a mile wide.

“Broadway musical inspired by T.S. Eliot. Well, I better know the answer to this one. It’s Cats! Only the best musical ever invented,” Ellie calls towards the kitchen, and I can’t help but smile. “This crossword was made for me. It’s all of my favorite things,” Ellie says, while I do my best to swallow a chuckle.

My mom keeps her going. “Of course. How did I not get that one? The answer should have been obvious considering you were just at the production with Liam a few months back. Okay, two more and I think I can take it from there.”

“Famous last words asked in every Bachelor finale episode.” Ellie says, and there’s a pause as I wait for her to answer. “Will you marry me. The answer is will you marry me.” The end of the sentence trails off to a quieter tone in her voice as if she’s deep in thought.

“That’s it. One more, sweetheart. I’ll be right there.”

---