The Question Is

by Kenna Shaw Reed

  “Bittersweet, memories, that is all I’m taking with me …” Sienna hummed as she left.

  Seth

  “You are having the day off and going to the doctor – you’ve hardly eaten anything since you arrived and you need to keep up your strength.” Grace intended to leave early to go straight to the office, but Seth knew they needed a doctor. Every time she stood up she felt either nauseous or light headed. Luckily, she seemed perfectly fine lying down in bed with him.

  As quickly as she turned his life upside down by leaving, she returned and now they were planning their future together.

  “Marry me,” the words slipped out before he thought about them.

  “Ask me again when you mean it,” Grace joked, kissing his chest.

  He did, bringing her breakfast in bed – which she couldn’t eat – he gave her a ring made from paper with red hearts drawn all over it. “I promise if you say ‘yes’, I’ll replace this with whatever ring you want. Will you marry me?”

  “Oh Seth,” she started crying, “Yes, oh, Seth, yes I’ll marry you.”

  Crazy woman – she refused to replace the paper ring until it was a gold band. “I don’t need diamonds, all I want is forever with you.”

  Their parents were confused, but cautiously accepted their engagement. Most of his friends expected something happened after the reunion and were happy for him. Only Joe and Joanna remained skeptical but tried to be supportive.

  Other people in her firm worked remotely – her request was approved if she could travel to clients and spend a week each month in the city. Seth started looking into a unit to rent or buy for them. If he was going to make a serious go of his business, it would make sense to start building a base closer to the money and large clients.

  “Darby, Grace moving in. Add her name to papers?” Trying to tell Darby by text about Grace moving in and wanting to be involved in the guardianship arrangements was met with a single word response “kk”.

  All they needed to do was find out why she wasn’t getting better. His stomach tightened at the thought of anything happening to Grace now they were finally together.

  “Come on in Grace, I haven’t seen you in years,” one of the benefits of a small town was their doctor had watched them all grow up. After listening to Grace’s symptoms, he asked, “Is there a chance you could be pregnant?”

  “No, I’m late but,” Grace’s eyes filled with tears, “I’ve taken the stick tests and a blood test.”

  “How late are you?”

  “I don’t know – I’ve never been regular.”

  “Why don’t we try the tests again,” he handed her a bottle.

  “What’s the point,” she looked at Seth. All he could do was stroke her hand trying to comfort her as his own nerves were frayed.

  “Tests are only accurate after ovulation. If you don’t know your dates, well, the tests need something to work with.”

  Seth held Grace’s paper engagement ring as she left the room.

  Grace

  She shouldn’t be so nervous – it wasn’t as if she didn’t know how to do the test. No, her nerves were from getting her hopes up again. This time, Seth sat in the other room and she knew that he wanted a baby as much as he also wanted to find out what was wrong with her.

  The last days had been the best of her life with the freedom to openly love the man she never truly stopped loving. Every plan they made together was about building the future they both wanted.

  If they arranged the license this week, they could be married in little over one month.

  Children – well, the social worker agreed to add Grace’s name to all the forms for Darby. Talk about having an instant family!

  What if she got her hopes up again and the test was negative.

  What if it was positive? For the first time in years, she prayed.

  Seth

  “If I remember correctly, it has been twelve years since the first time I kissed you and about ten years since I told you that I loved you and suggested to my mother that you would one day be her daughter.”

  Their guests laughed as Seth continued, “It hasn’t been an easy road for us – and at times I’m sure no one was taking bets on us getting here today.”

  Grace smiled as he said, “Some people will say we should have taken more time with a longer engagement.” Most of their friends shared looks. “We have the rest of our lives together to prove you wrong.”

  “My darling wife, I waited years to marry you and the only thing I regret is that tonight while the rest of us toast with champagne, the best you can do is sparkling water.”

  Grace rose and kissed him. She did that a lot lately. He put a protective arm around her while the significance of what he said started to filter through. The first to react were the mothers. His mother screamed first, closely followed by Grace’s mother.

  “Now everyone will think we had to get married,” Grace whispered before they kissed, again.

  “We did, I wasn’t going to wait another ten years for you to say ‘yes’.”

  To their assembled guests, he said, “I’d like you all to be the first to know that my beautiful bride is expecting our first of what I hope will be a football team of babies.”

  Is this “The End?”

  Are you curious about how the other story lines ended? That’s the beauty of Choose Your Own Romances. One happily ever after is never enough!

  Go back to My girl and remember how Grace saved Seth’s company while staying true to Sienna

  Go to Once is never and watch as Grace falls in love again with Seth as they work closely together.

  Or to One is not enough when Grace started to realize she could have everything her heart desired.

  Or go straight to one of the other endings

  Run through rainbows can only mean Sienna

  While Partner in pleasure is when Seth is by her side

  Or perhaps the answer to the Question is Whatever makes her happy

  Think you are finished? Wait, there’s more

  Whatever makes her happy

  Sienna

  Sienna opened the door to their honeymoon suite, choking down tears as she remembered how she planned this to be the site of her proposal – the place where their most cherished memories would be made. For the rest of their lives together, they would remember this room and this moment.

  Now the smell of flowers and the gift basket would forever be linked with her naivety, gullibility and foolish trust in a woman who betrayed her and then lied.

  She couldn’t stay in the room, the bed far too large and the spa too inviting. Everything here designed for romance and seduction. Nothing screamed “recently dumped and single”.

  At least there were worse places to nurse her wounds in. She tried not to think about Grace. Where did she go – was Seth with her? Enough about them, she needed to drink and not alone.

  The piano player started early on Friday nights. After a few drinks at the bar, she started harmonizing with him.

  “Every good piano player needs a gorgeous woman to sing to, how about it?” he invited Sienna up to drown her sorrows in song instead of the bottle.

  “No, no,” she begged off but with the crowd’s encouragement, she took the spare microphone and tested it.

  “Any special requests?” he asked, as she shrugged.

  “How about you start with some old classics and if I forget the words, the audience can fill in the gaps.” She used to sing at the university bar but gave up to spend more time with Grace. Until tonight, she had forgotten how much she loved to perform – especially against the tones of the baby grand piano.

  “You’ve got a great voice, where have you been hiding it?” he asked during their break.

  “Long story – girl breaks up with boy and then falls in love with girl. Girl and girl were happy together for many years until one girl found the other girl’s pregnancy tests.”

  “Messy.”

  “Look, I love singing and this has been fun, but I’m n
ot up for any love songs tonight.”

  “No problems, I’ve always thought that music was the cheapest form of therapy.”

  She laughed for the first time since finding the tests.

  Grace

  “I want to talk to you,” he finally answered her call.

  “Why would I want to do that.”

  She took a deep breath, “Because I owe you the truth and you deserve having me tell you face to face.”

  “Coffee X coffee shop near your office. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes and I’ll wait for ten.”

  Grace sighed as she realized it didn’t matter what she wore or said. For months, even years, he loved her and watched as she left him for another lover. She was finally ready to admit she loved him back and wanted a life with him.

  But, she couldn’t leave Sienna. Loving Seth didn’t mean she stopped loving Sienna.

  Instead of feeling loved and cherish by two people, she hurt and lost both.

  By the time he arrived, two coffees waited for them.

  “You shouldn’t have,” he dropped into the seat opposite her. “I guess it is the nicest thing you’ve done for me – other than planning to raise my child without me.”

  “Seth, I could tell you that I’m sorry all day but until I tell you what I am sorry for, it wouldn’t mean a thing.”

  “You’ve got until I finish my coffee.”

  She avoided his eyes, instead, looking over his shoulder through the window where people happily walked by.

  “For a year or so, Sienna and I have done nothing but fight – I wanted us to get married and start looking into having a family. It isn’t as easy as you would think, and we needed to agree how and when.”

  “I feel so sorry for you,” his sarcasm didn’t help.

  “The night of the reunion, I’d started up again and she wasn’t speaking to me. Hanging out with everyone, I started to think how different my life would be if I stayed in town. Then we started talking and reconnecting and the kiss.” She reached out, trying to hold his hand. Instead, he crossed his arms and sat back in his chair as far from her as he possibly could.

  “I don’t regret that night – being with you again,” she pleaded.

  “So good, you went back to her the next day.”

  “That’s the thing. I thought how I felt for Sienna would change, but nothing did. I still loved her – she is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

  “Then what are you doing here with me? What were you doing with me in my bed?” he threw at her.

  “I couldn’t throw it all away because of one night with you.”

  “We were more than a one-night stand and you know it,” he fidgeted in his chair and she knew she was running out of time.

  “If I had been pregnant, then we would have had a lot of tough conversations – but I’m sure she would have come around.”

  “Where was I in this picture? Or wasn’t I needed anymore?”

  “I would have told you. I promise, I wanted to tell you.”

  “What if she made you choose.”

  “Between the two of you?”

  “Between the baby and her?”

  This time Grace didn’t let him push her away, “Are you kidding me? I would never have hurt the baby, our baby.”

  Talking quicker, “I wanted the baby and I wanted you.”

  “Then why didn’t you tell me.”

  “I don’t know – I had been travelling and thought I was just tired or struggling with different food and time zones. I went to the chemist and they asked if I could be pregnant. None of the over-the-counter tests were positive but I kept hoping.” She looked away, tears filling her eyes as she remembered the doctor’s office. “I finally got a blood test and it came back negative as well.”

  “You should have told me.”

  “I hadn’t told you when I thought I was – I was scared of how you’d react. What if you told me to get rid of it …”

  “I would never …”

  “Or if you demanded I break up with Sienna and run away with you.”

  “I guess …”

  “I needed to find out the truth before I could share it with you – and once the tests came back and there was no baby, Seth, I couldn’t tell you. I had to grieve all on my own.”

  “Grace, you wanted your say, and you’ve had it. We are over. Seriously, I can’t forgive you for this. We talked every day – and even when you knew how I felt about you.”

  “I’m sorry, I know I hurt you.”

  “That’s crap – you don’t know anything about me. For a start how many relationships do you think I’ve had since you ran away to university? Two and both self destructed because no matter how perfect they were, they couldn’t live up to my memory of you.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not going to happen again.”

  “Seth, when I said that I love you it was the truth. But until I sorted out my relationship with Sienna, I wasn’t free to love you in the way you deserve. Now I know we can have it.”

  “Sure,” his voice thick with sarcasm, “You me and Sienna. That messed up sort of relationship might work in the city but not here and not with me.”

  “Seth, when I said, ‘I love you’, it was the truth.”

  “Oh, you love me, but …”

  “I should have walked away after the reunion, but I couldn’t. When you rang and needed my help – I couldn’t say ‘no’ to you. I’ve never been able to resist you in any way. But getting involved with you again was cruel – to both of us – and unfair to Sienna. She hasn’t deserved any of this.”

  “You love her.”

  “I love both of you.”

  “How’s that working out for you. You lied to her about me, and you lied to me about the baby. Looks like your version of love isn’t working out for anyone.”

  “I love both of you,” she said again. As he flinched, she knew he still felt the same.

  “We were going away for the weekend and now,” Grace couldn’t stop the tears she had no right to shed, “Sienna was going to propose.” Grace fingered the box, “I don’t know where she has gone but I needed to apologize to you first and then I’m going to find her.”

  The coffee sloshed over the side as Seth pushed his cup away to stand up, “It would be easier if I could hate you as the bitch who ruined my life. The truth is, I never want to see you again. You and your company can deal with my business manager.”

  “Seth, I love you,” she called after him, wishing he would turn and give her one glance good bye.

  He didn’t.

  “Allie, it’s Grace, please I need you to tell me where Sienna planned to take me this weekend.”

  “You are kidding! Have you any idea how she is right now?”

  “No, I don’t, and I won’t unless you help me.”

  “Find someone who cares.”

  The same conversation repeated with most of their friends. Sienna sobbed to Allie who told others, warning them against helping Grace.

  “Mum, it’s Grace. I was wondering if you knew about this weekend.”

  “Darling, of course – we talked to Sienna during the week. It sounds like she has a lovely weekend planned.”

  “Well, I had something come up this morning and said I’d meet her there. She isn’t answering her phone and I don’t know where to go.”

  “Is everything okay? I thought you and Seth were back together and then Sienna rang asking us – well some very personal questions.”

  “Mummy,” Grace started to cry, she had to tell someone who would understand, “Everything fell apart. Yes, Seth and I sort of got together at the reunion, and I was confused. You might not want to hear it, but I love them both. Sienna found out about Seth and now she is not going to propose but she has gone off for the weekend on her own.”

  “Darling, don’t you think you need all need some space and time to think things through.”

  “I have thought about it – it’s all I’ve been thinking abo
ut since the reunion. I need Sienna to forgive me and I need Seth in my life.”

  “Are you sure,” the calm and soothing voice was annoying.

  “If you asked me yesterday, I wouldn’t know what to say. Now I need to talk to both of them and sort things out.”

  “Grace, the only reason your father and I haven’t been supportive is because we suspected you still had unfinished business with Seth. All we want is for you to be happy. I’ll text you the address – the rest is up to you.”

  “Thank you, mummy.”

  “Grace, good luck. They both love you and are hurting. Be gentle with them.”

  “Reception hours 8:00am until 6:00pm. Please call again during business hours.”

  The sign on the office door didn’t help. Sienna still hadn’t answered her calls. Going home to collect her suitcase took over an hour and by the time she arrived at the address it was dark. If she couldn’t find either Sienna or a staff member her only option was to sleep in her car.

  The loose gravel crunched under her feet as she wandered around the resort. Walking past love seats looking over small ponds, a small walk bridge filled with lockets placed by lovers. Even a wooden swing hanging from an old large tree, just waiting for a lover to push their partner. Tears continued to flow. Sienna picked the most beautiful setting for a romantic weekend. What she wouldn’t give for another chance, to go back and spend every moment loving her.

  The only lights came from a glass, oval building. Tables with white napery and filled with dinner guests enjoying the view, food and entertainment.

  The baby grand piano set on a small stage. A beautiful brunette sat next to the pianist, even from outside her voice rang true and clear – with an undertone of sadness.

  Sienna.