Finding Home

by B. E. Baker

  More cheering.

  “This beautiful woman in front of me captivated me from the very first day I laid eyes on her.”

  I shake my head, my eyes welling with tears. “He’s a liar—I looked absolutely hideous.”

  “Do you believe a single word of that?” he asks the audience.

  Shouts and screams of ‘no’ and ‘no way’ make my boyfriend smile. “It’s total nonsense. She’s always been a stunner. When we met, she had just gotten some bad news. But Beth, she just keeps on going in the face of setbacks, disappointments, and even emergencies that would knock the rest of us down. I’ve seen her find the good in every situation time after time, and it was her idea that I come to you to help me convince the family to amend the House Law.”

  So much cheering. A few audience members scream, “We love you, Cole!”

  He rolls his eyes. “But Beth has been a little hard to pin down. As you’re about to discover, she’s a mega star. She may not think I’m quite good enough for her. So when I ask her a special question, I need you to help me convince her to say yes.”

  The audience cheers and he shakes his head and shushes them. “Did you hear me?” he whispers into the mic. “I need your help. . . when I say! Not right now.”

  They all laugh.

  He finally turns toward me. “I was told I had to do this on one knee, you know, from Holly. She says that’s what they do in America.” He stands up. “But I also heard that you’re looking for a man who is really tall.” He steps toward me. “And if I’m kneeling, how will you know whether I qualify?”

  I laugh. “A fair point.”

  “And also, I don’t want to kneel before you, and I don’t want you to kneel before me. I want to walk through this world for as many days as I’m lucky enough to have, with you by my side. Elizabeth Ruth Graham, please tell me that you’ll marry me.”

  Silence.

  Cole turns toward the audience and waves his hands. They go wild.

  Once they finally quiet down, I lift my microphone. “Don’t I get a look at the ring first?”

  So much laugher.

  He yanks the box out of my hand and opens it. “It’s a family heirloom.”

  “So you’re saying you didn’t even pick this out yourself?” I scrunch up my nose. “It’s a hand-me-down?”

  “She’s so American.” Cole turns toward the audience again. “Maybe I should rethink this.”

  “Marry me, Cole!” a lady on the third row shouts.

  I laugh. “I can’t change where I was born.”

  “But you can choose where to live now that you’re all grown up,” Cole says. “Pick here. Pick me. Pick us.” He waves his hand at the audience again and they cheer even louder.

  I sigh. “You know, we Americans do recycle, so I guess this is okay.”

  I pull the simple solitaire from the box. It’s the biggest diamond I’ve ever seen in my entire life. I slide it on my finger smoothly—a perfect fit. Now it’s my turn to tease the audience. “If I can’t play well tonight, you should blame him. This ridiculously large old rock is going to weigh my hand down something fierce.”

  More laughter.

  “So that’s a yes?” Cole reaches for my hand.

  “Well, you didn’t pick me something new, and the stone is criminally large, but I love you so much, your serene highness, that I’ll marry you anyway.”

  I kiss him then, and he dips me. “You don’t really hate the ring, do you?” he whispers against my ear.

  “I love it,” I say. “Almost as much as I love you.”

  He beams at me.

  This part, I stage whisper into the microphone. “Now get off my stage so I can put on a show for these amazing people.”

  The second he does, I miss him. But that’s okay—I’ll have a lifetime to stand by his side.

  22

  Cole

  I’ve been in awe of Beth’s talent since the very first time I heard her play, but watching my people singing her songs, swaying along with her, my heart is full. Nothing can bring Noel back, but the hole carved out of my heart when he passed away doesn’t ache as much anymore. In some ways, I feel like maybe he sent me this gift of healing—a woman with the same talents that he possessed to fill in the broken parts of our family.

  After the concert finally ends, Beth signs posters and shirts and scraps of paper for what feels like hours. Even with all of today’s excitement, my eyes keep drifting closed, but not Beth. She’s still smiling, chatting, and signing. And smiling, chatting, and signing. The stage has been broken down and the chairs and other decorations stowed away by the time the last fan steps toward her. I exhale softly, delighted that this wonderful night is finally almost over.

  After all, it’s not like I’ve been able to celebrate with my fiancée properly.

  My phone buzzes in my pocket. Who in the world would message me at one-thirty in the morning? I blink to clear my bleary eyes.

  MOM’S NOT ANSWERING, BUT MY WATER JUST BROKE.

  My heart accelerates. Holly isn’t due to have her baby for nine more days. Mom and Dad were planning to fly to the United States for their first ever trip to visit Holly and James in Atlanta three days from now.

  I’M HEADING HOME—BETH HAD A CONCERT HERE IN VADUZ. I PROPOSED, AND SHE SAID YES.

  BIG DAY FOR OUR FAMILY!

  MOM AND DAD AND I WILL GET ON A JET RIGHT NOW.

  Heart eye emojis.

  BE SAFE. AND IF POSSIBLE, HOLD THAT BABY IN FOR A FEW EXTRA HOURS. DO. NOT. PUSH.

  ARE YOU KIDDING?

  NOT REALLY! DON’T YOU WANT YOUR MOM AND BROTHER THERE?

  I WANT THIS BABY OUT, she texts. AND I WANT TO KNOW WHETHER IT’S A BOY OR GIRL. WAITING WAS STUPID. IF WE EVER HAVE ANOTHER ONE, I AM NOT LETTING JAMES TALK ME INTO THIS.

  “I’m so sorry that took so long.” Beth’s arms reach around my waist, and her head tucks up against my chest.

  My heart swells. “I would wait a lot longer than that for you.” I slide my phone into my pocket. “But as it happens, it’s good that you kept me up this late.”

  “It is?” She yawns.

  I yawn too, of course. “Holly just sent me a message.”

  Beth’s eyes widen and her arms drop. She blinks. “And?”

  “I’m about to be an uncle.”

  The smile rolls over her entire face. She claps her hands. “Oh my goodness! Are we leaving right now? Will we get there in time? You have no idea, I know, but can we go? This is so exciting!”

  I can’t help laughing. “We better hurry back to the palace and wake Mom and Dad. I am guessing they’ll want to come with us.”

  “Tell them to throw their stuff in a bag, like, right now!”

  I jog toward my Range Rover. “That’s the idea.”

  My mom is just as excited as Beth, but my parents move quite a bit slower. Beth falls asleep in the front seat of the car, waiting for my parents. We don’t wake her up, so she gets a forty-minute nap on the way to our jet.

  “How long is this flight?” she asks.

  “You tell us,” my mom says. “You’ve made it the most recently, I think.”

  Beth yawns again, setting off another chain reaction. “Oh, right. I was so worried the last time, I didn’t even notice how long it was.”

  I take Beth’s hand and squeeze. “It’s just over nine hours, which means you can get a pretty decent nap on the way.”

  Even though she’s been on the jet once before, it’s still a delight to watch her face when we board our family’s jet. She oohs and ahhs over every little thing. The seats, the size, the view, the snacks, the upholstery on the chairs.

  “It’s a pretty standard private jet,” I say. “The Grand Duke of Luxembourg spent far more than we did.”

  “Ah, well, if it’s more modest than the Grand Duke’s,” Beth says. “Then I’ll stop being impressed immediately. Is he single, did you mention?”

  I roll my eyes.

  After downing two Shirley Temples and a cheese plate, Beth fina
lly conks out. Once she’s asleep, I fall asleep too. I wake up as we’re preparing to land and shake Beth gently. It’s sunrise in Atlanta, and Beth twines her fingers between mine while we watch it together.

  “If you told me last year that I’d find my mom, and be engaged to the man of my dreams, and move to Europe, all in less than nine months, I would never have believed it.”

  I scrunch my nose up. “I’m glad you’re fine with moving, and I’m delighted to hear that I’m the man of your dreams, but I thought you said that Henrietta isn’t your mom.”

  She shakes her head. “She’s not. But the strange thing about being adopted is that I never really considered my mom to be my mom. Not a hundred percent, anyway. I always figured that somewhere, someone was the exact same as me, and she had to give me up, but she was longing to know me.”

  “Really?”

  She smiles. “The combination of watching Brekka and Rob and sweet Baby Ruth, and meeting my own bio mother has taught me that being a mother doesn’t mean that your child is just like you. It doesn’t mean you’ll always agree either, but it does mean that you’ll always stand with or behind them, as they need, and that you’ll give your entire life to shape them into the person they need to become. My mom has always done that, so in a way, this trip has helped me to find my mom, because it helped me appreciate what I already had.”

  “So maybe the biggest threat to our own joy is unrealistic expectations,” I say.

  “Yes, but I also think it’s a lack of gratitude. If we’re content with what we have, we don’t have to always be longing for something else.”

  My fiancée is so smart.

  The second the jet lands, we climb off, and luckily, there’s a car waiting for us. We rush to the hospital, the sleek black sedan pulling around the front just as my phone bings. And Mom’s phone bings. And Dad’s.

  “Oh no,” Mom says. “We’re too late.”

  I shift my phone so that Beth can see. “Holly and James had a little girl. They’re naming her Greta.”

  “We’re not too late,” I say. “We’re right on time. With family, what matters is that you do the best that you can, and you make time for them. That’s what Holly and Greta will always remember.”

  When the nurses let us back to Holly’s room, Mom immediately claims baby Greta, sighing with contentment.

  “James and Paisley,” Beth says. “She is just absolutely gorgeous! I am so happy for both of you!”

  “And I hear that congratulations are in order for you too,” Holly says.

  “Today is your day,” Beth says. “We can talk about us later.”

  “Oh, pish,” Holly says. “I want details. Where and when and what colors will you use?” Only Holly would move on to planning a wedding three seconds after bringing new life into the world.

  She and Beth start discussing details and by the time we head for Beth’s house to drop her at her parents, they’ve worked out most of the big issues. Spring wedding, in Liechtenstein, and between Trig’s, Brekka’s, James’, and our family’s private jets, everyone Beth cares about should able to come to the ceremony without worrying about cost.

  “And for the primary color,” Beth says, “I was thinking a bright, grassy green.”

  “That won’t be easy.” Mom frowns. “No flowers are green.”

  “Lots of big, shiny green foliage—that’s all green. And maybe coral and white accents,” Beth says. “But bright green has always been my favorite.”

  “What were you thinking about the dress?” my mom asks.

  After being deprived of having Holly’s dress custom made, she’s sure to pressure Beth. “Mom, that’s for Beth and her mom to figure out,” I say.

  “I have no idea,” Beth says. “I’m sure I’d love your input—but keep in mind that I’ll be on a much tighter budget than you might be accustomed to following.”

  My mom’s eyes light up. “We would just love to contribute to the wedding in any way we can. Perhaps the gown could be part of our engagement present. There’s a designer in Florence whom I simply adore—”

  “Mom.” I shake my head.

  Beth rests her hand on my hand. “I would be delighted to meet with a designer. Can my mom come along?”

  That’s the last time I try to insert myself into any part of the planning. Mostly, I just express my support and excitement that it’s all coming together. But Mom, she has the time of her life. She and Beth and Beth’s mother make a weekend of it in Florence. They’re still gushing about the majesty of the David when they return.

  “I had no idea it would be so tall,” Beth’s mom says. “I mean, the base alone was taller than me.”

  “It’s quite an experience,” Mom agrees. “And I’m so happy that we found the perfect dress.”

  “Oh.” Beth spins around. “So am I.”

  I grab Beth and pull her close. “Welcome home.” I kiss her squarely on the mouth. “What does it look like?” I murmur.

  Her mother throws a kitchen towel at me. I expect my mother to be horrified, but she only laughs. “You can’t ask about the dress,” my mom says. “It’s supposed to be a surprise.”

  It feels like it takes years before the wedding day finally arrives, but eventually, a year to the day after I first met Beth, it’s time. Mom has outdone herself with the wedding bower, which features every white and coral flower grown within a hundred miles of us, and an abundance of ivy and shiny green leaves all woven together. I’m standing just under the bower, my hands clasped in front of me, but I can’t quite keep from tapping my foot.

  Even now that we’re finally here, I’m impatient to be married to the woman of my dreams.

  But, after what seems like a million years, the wedding march begins on the family’s Fazioli behind the bower. I eagerly eye the aisle. Holly walks down first in a bright green sheath dress with a little pillbox cap on her head. Beth’s sisters, Jennifer and Christine, follow behind her, wearing the same dress and hat as Holly. Beth’s friends Kate and Lauren walk behind the sisters, wearing the exact same dress and hat, but in coral. And finally, Brekka wheels her way down the aisle in the same exact dress and hat, but in white. Geo follows behind her, also in white.

  But where is Beth? My eyes scan the seated crowd, a little nervous.

  I’m about to ask the priest if he has any idea what’s going on when Rob begins his way down the aisle, pushing a stroller in front of him. What in the world? The music finally stops. Has Beth had second thoughts?

  Someone taps my shoulder, and I spin around.

  Just behind the bower was the piano, and I didn’t even think to turn around and see who was playing. Of course it’s my Beth. She’s wearing a silk gown that hugs her every curve from shoulder to hip in the brightest white, but at the top, running down from the bodice all the way around, are deep black streaks. They start out large and taper downward, inconsistent in size and width, as though they were painted on the silk. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.

  Beth reaches out and takes the microphone that’s waiting for the priest. “Could you translate into German for me?” she whispers in my ear.

  I nod and grab the other microphone from the stand meant for us to make our vows.

  “This might not be common for a wedding, but we’re not a normal match.” She glances from one side to the next. “A prince marrying a hair dresser.” Her laughter rings out like the most harmonious bells. “Talk about a fairy tale, but it didn’t start out that way. Both Cole and I had a bumpier start in life. He lost his father when he was very young, and I never had parents who were willing to sacrifice in the ways necessary to raise a child.”

  Beth looks from my parents on the right to hers on the left as I translate.

  “But both of us were lucky enough to have a mother and father who loved us deeply,” she continues, “parents who were devoted to our education, our development, and our future. Even so, as I grew, I always wondered about where I came from. So when I had the chance to learn more about my biological mot
her, I took it. It was a mistake for me to hope and dream about someone else when I had such a wonderful family, but it was that foolishness that led me here. I like to think that maybe God knew what he was doing.”

  Chuckles.

  “If my biological mother hadn’t been such a selfish flake, I wouldn’t have been stranded in Frankfurt that fateful day—a day on which I felt cursed. And if my flat iron hadn’t melted from the European current, I might not have had a breakdown, necessitating Cole stepping in to save me. I also might have looked nice—instead of having mascara running down my face and staining the top of my dress—and a halo of frizzy hair that nearly reached the ceiling.”

  I translate, but this time I add my own commentary. “I should insert here that, in spite of the unfortunate circumstances leading up to our meeting, Beth captivated me from that very first day.”

  She blushes. “But that’s because Cole is less worried about appearances and more worried about the hearts of the people around him. I knew it then, and it has been confirmed to me every day since. And so, to honor the way in which we came together, I want to be married in a gown that represents the beauty in things going wrong. These dark streaks represent the day we met, and how our past has brought us to where we are. Our missteps, our rabbit holes, our mistaken or misguided purpose, they have all helped to write the story of Cole and Beth, a story that I cherish with all my heart.”

  The priest steps toward me.

  “And now I’ll relinquish this to you, gladly.” She hands him the microphone.

  The rest of the ceremony is fairly standard, except the translation moves the other way around, into English from German. “Do you, Elizabeth Ruth Graham, take this man, Cole Michael Alois of Liechtenstein, to be your wedded husband, as long as you both shall live?”

  “I do,” Beth says. “Always and forever.”

  “And do you, Cole Michael Alois of Liechtenstein, take this woman, Elizabeth Ruth Graham, to be your wife, as long as you both shall live?”

  “With joy, I do,” I say.

  “Then I now pronounce you man and wife,” the priest says.