by M. C. Vann
Three… two… one…
Ding ding.
Damn phone.
I backed away and Henry let me go so I could grab my phone. “Sorry, it’s my friends. They’re probably wondering where I am right now. I generally don’t stay out this late.”
“It’s okay. They have every right to be worried,” Henry said, disappointment evident in his tone.
“Hey, I forgot to ask you,” I said, suddenly remembering something I needed to ask him. He would be so touched to hear it. “I was with my niece and nephew the other day … and they really want to see you. I promised them I would ask you when you can visit them.”
“They want to see me?” Henry asked excitedly, his mood suddenly brightened just like I predicted.
“Yeah, they really do. Whenever you’re free, that is.”
“How about this Friday?”
“Henry, it doesn’t have to be that soon.”
“No, I want it to be,” he said sincerely. “I owe it to them. They made me realize how it feels to be a kid again.”
“Are you sure? You don’t have to if you don’t—”
“Yes, Ally. I’m positive. It’s all set,” he eagerly answered. “I’ll come pick you up Friday morning, and then we’ll go pick up Eason and Alexis after.”
“Wait, just one thing, I work this Friday.”
“I’ll talk to Nancy, and I’ll send someone to cover your shift for the day.”
“No, Henry. I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t want Nancy to think I’m that kind of person who would ditch work for—”
“For your boyfriend?” Henry casually finished my sentence.
Boyfriend. Just hearing him uttered the term made my heart quiver. It was surreal.
Henry was my boyfriend. Did it only hit me now? Goodness gracious, Ally. Get a hold of yourself!
“Don’t worry about it, alright? I’ll take care of it. I promise.”
Although I was uneasy about it since I never missed work before, I knew Henry would keep his word.
I trusted him.
CHAPTER TEN
When Friday arrived, my level of excitement soared through the roof. Finding an outfit and look for the day were never so difficult. After ravaging through all my clothes, I finally settled on a pair of denim jeans and a nice gray blouse with a pair of brown flats. Lily, without hesitation, helped me curl my hair into waves when I asked her to.
Before meeting Henry, I wasn’t like this. I didn’t care about what clothes would look good on me and what others thought of me. I was happy the way I was.
But he came into my life so unexpectedly. How could this man have changed me in such little time?
A light knock sounded on the bathroom door while Lily applied the finishing touches to my hair.
“You ready, Ally? Henry’s in the living room waiting,” Adam said with a big smile.
“He’s here already?” I asked, suddenly horrified. My mind tried to grasp the image of Henry — the savvy, rich businessman that he was — sitting in the lame and meager space of our living room.
Adam nodded his head. “Well, aren’t you gorgeous? My girl is really growing up.”
He walked over to embrace me, but Lily stepped in between us, blocking him. “Adam! You’re going to ruin her makeup!”
Adam backed off with his arms raised as if he had just committed a serious crime.
My friends insisted that I go “get my man” by myself and even though I argued that they should go with me, they refused to. Since I didn’t want to keep Henry waiting a second longer, I gave up on them.
I spotted Henry sitting on the couch in a white-collar shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and tan trousers. He was studying his phone so intently that he didn’t even notice me when I walked into the room. I awkwardly cleared my throat, and he finally looked up, a handsome smile creeping onto his lips as he placed his phone into his front pocket.
“Hello, Ally,” he charmingly greeted as he stood up.
“Hi, Henry,” I said as I walked closer to him.
“You look … beautiful, as always.”
I was so flustered that I could barely look at him. I couldn’t even mumble a single “thank you.”
“Let’s go, shall we?” he said.
I nodded my head with a subtle grin.
When we got to Henry’s BMW, he opened the passenger door for me as he always did. It was a habit I wasn’t quite used to yet, but I thanked him, my voice getting lost in the wind as I entered the car. Henry was such a gentleman. What did I ever do to deserve this kind of treatment?
“So where is this place we’re going today?” I asked as he started the engine.
“Be patient, Ally. You’ll find out soon enough,” Henry teased with a lighthearted tone.
“Can you give me at least one hint?”
He pondered my question for a few seconds before he shook his head with a mocking smile. I should have known he wasn’t going to spill anything to me.
Once we pulled into the driveway, Eason and Alexis dashed out of the front door to us. I was so excited to see them that I climbed out of the car before Henry could put the vehicle into park. I skipped around the front of the BMW and wrapped my arms around them, squeezing them tightly. “I missed you two so much!”
“Ally! Henry! So nice to see you,” Eve called out as she approached us.
“Lovely to see you as well, Eve,” Henry spoke affably. “I hope it’s alright that Ally and I take Eason and Alexis out for a day.”
“Of course! It’s not a problem at all,” my sister assured him. “I’ll have more time to run some errands.”
“What kind of errands?” I asked.
“Just some simple things. Oh, and before I forget, Henry, you must stop by for dinner tonight. I’m preparing a very special meal.”
“That’s very nice of you to do,” Henry said. “Thank you.”
“Okay,” Eve sighed. She bent down to her knees to face her children. “You two be good and don’t cause Henry and Auntie Ally any trouble, you understand?”
“Yes, mom,” they answered in unison.
“Bye, Eve,” I called out to my sister as we pulled away from the driveway.
“Are you ready for an adventure today?” Henry enthusiastically asked the kids as they buckled themselves in.
“Yes!” both of them shouted.
“Where are we going?” Eason asked.
“It’s a surprise,” Henry replied. I slightly rolled my eyes, not surprised by his response. “I’m sure you all will find it to be … quite entertaining.”
“I love surprises,” Alexis claimed with wide eyes.
Henry got on the highway and drive north toward the border of Wisconsin and Illinois. About an hour later, he pulled into a big empty parking lot. The kids in the back had both fallen asleep while I, too, could barely keep my eyes open. Then I saw the sign that read “Six Flags: Great America.”
“We’re here! I do hope you all like roller coasters,” Henry said, taking a look at us with a big smile.
Anxiety stirred in my stomach as my eyes stayed fixed on the roller coasters in front of us. I wasn’t the biggest fan of roller coasters. I heard too many horror stories about roller coasters as a kid. Heck, I could hardly go on the Ferris wheel. Even though I had never been on a roller coaster and I vowed to never ride one in my lifetime, I couldn’t show Henry and the kids how afraid I truly was.
It was strange since there were no cars around, literally none at all, especially since it was Friday. They couldn’t be closed, could they?
“I think they’re closed,” I said, desperately hoping I was right. When Henry didn’t reply, I turned to face him. “Isn’t it weird that there aren’t any cars around on a Friday?”
“It is a little,” he agreed but continued driving into the parking space closest to the entrance.
Then it hit me. Henry planned this all along. He reserved the park just for us
.
After Henry had parked the car, the kids climbed out and ran toward the entrance and although I yelled for them to wait for us, they no longer heard me. Henry followed them and I, with a breath of courage, slowly got out as well.
“Are you okay?” Henry asked, and I peered up at him.
I thought he had caught up to the kids already. “Yes, just perfect.”
But from the concerned expression he wore, I knew Henry wasn’t buying it. He saw right through me. There was no denying my reluctance, and Henry could sense it. He always knew how I felt without me having to convey one word. With a comforting smile, he walked over to my side and slowly placed his right hand into my left. His fingers were warm and steady as mine slid in between them.
“So where does everyone want to go?” Henry asked joyfully after we arrived inside the park.
Eason pointed to a ride on the map. “The Raging Bull! Let’s try that one first.”
“Yeah! I want to go on that one too!” Alexis chimed in.
“It’s settled then. Raging Bull, it is,” Henry agreed.
They all walked ahead toward the ride as I examined the map closely to note of what kind of ride it was. When I finally found the Raging Bull, my stomach flipped. It was definitely the biggest roller coaster in the park.
“Come on, Auntie Ally!” Eason called out from far ahead.
“Coming,” I said, trying not to show how terrified I was.
As I caught up to them, Alexis blurted out, “Henry, just so you know, Auntie Ally is afraid of roller coasters.”
“No, I’m not!” I countered like a child. “I just thought you guys might want to try something small first like the Merry-Go-Round. It’s two floors and it’s right ahead of us.”
The kids scrunched up their noses in disgust as if they were too mature for such childish rides.
“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” Henry assured me.
I suppose since he must have spent a fortune on this, I couldn’t just let that money go to waste. “Let’s do this,” I said courageously. Henry lightly chuckled taking amusement in my sudden surge of bravery.
To make matters worse, they picked the last row. Henry and I both sat at the ends of the ride while the kids sat in between us. As the ride ascended to the top agonizingly slow, my heart pounded in my ears while adrenaline coursed through my veins.
One positive thing beside the fear was the view of the landscape from being this high up. Everything was much smaller and oddly, more beautiful. As the ride reached its peak, I closed my eyes and took in one last breath, squeezing onto each bar beside me so hard, my knuckles whitened.
The drop was intense, causing a funny feeling in my stomach. Never in my life had I screamed so loud. Henry and the kids were probably laughing at me throughout the free fall.
How could I have let them persuade me into this?!
If I made it out alive, I — for damn sure — would make them pay for this!
Luckily, I survived.
The rest of the day was filled with more thrilling rides, arcade games, and delicious food. We went on almost all of the roller coaster rides even if I didn’t want to and played all of the carnival games. There was no doubt Eason and Alexis were enjoying every minute of this adventure. As for Henry, it was definitely a rare sight to see him laugh and smile this much.
And I realized today, seeing him this happy and cheerful, seeing him smile this much, touched a part of my soul. His happiness suddenly became important to me.
We returned to Eve’s house for dinner that evening. Eason and Alexis, still full of energy, darted upstairs to wash up for dinner while Eve was in the kitchen, cooking the special dinner she prepared for Henry. I offered to help, but she shooed me away. I was never that good of a cook anyway, so she claimed.
I found Henry observing the old photographs placed on the mantel with his hand behind his back. I grunted in embarrassment when I realized he was looking at a photo of my siblings and me during Halloween. I wore this puffy, light blue Cinderella dress with my hair all in a high bun. Eve was little Red Riding Hood, and Chris was, well … a police officer.
“How old were you?” Henry asked, keeping his eyes fixed on the photo.
“I think about seven or eight years old. I look absolutely hideous.”
“No, you looked adorable.” He turned around to look at me. “You still do.”
The words fell from his lips so smoothly and graciously, making it hard for me not to believe him.
“Do you like going trick or treating?” I asked, changing the subject.
“I never had the opportunity.”
I widened my eyes in astonishment. “What? Really? You never—?”
“My parents didn’t allow it,” he explained with no hint of remorse. “They kept me busy in boarding schools and other studies.”
“I guess you didn’t have to deal with cavities,” I said, looking on the bright side of things.
Henry smiled. “That was a good thing, I suppose.”
He continued to look through the pictures on the fireplace mantel, and I followed suit. Each photo was now only a blur of a memory as I tried to recall them. He stopped on a picture of my family. “Is this your father?”
“Yes, that was my Papa. Well … when he was still healthy and strong.”
“He must have loved you all very much.”
“He did,” I confirmed, swallowing the dry lump in my throat. “He was an amazing father. There were so many things I wanted him to teach me before he passed … like how to fish properly or put on a poker face. But he did teach me a few things like how to plant flowers in a garden … how to laugh at myself … how to accept myself ... But most importantly, he taught me how to forgive and forget.”
“He sounds like an honorable man. I wish I could have met him.”
“He would have liked you,” I told him genuinely. “He would have been skeptical, but there’s no doubt in my mind that he would have liked you.” My gaze moved up to meet his, and for the slightest moment, I noticed that he looked completely taken aback. Had I said something wrong? Before I questioned myself more, Henry continued down the mantel until he reached the last photo.
“And this is Chris … your brother?”
“Yes, that’s him, my older brother,” I replied with a weak smile. We had gone on a camping trip in that photo and he had just tripped into a pile of mud. “Before he got sucked into the wrong side of the law.”
“Do you visit him often?”
“Yeah, I try to. At least once a month if I can.” I sat down on the recliner by the fireplace. “It was hard at first … trying to accept the verdict. I didn’t want to believe it, you know. But now, I’ve come to terms with it … and I’ve accepted that this is how it’s going to be forever. But I’m always hoping he gets out on parole.”
Henry slowly sat on the ottoman in front of me. With his eyes remaining on me, his hands reached out for my mine. He let them rest over mine for a few seconds while he collected his thoughts.
“I hope—” he began but was cut off when Eve walked into the room
“Dinner’s ready,” Eve said. I pulled my hands away and stood up while Henry did the same. She realized she interrupted something and quickly returned to the dining room. I wasn’t used to my sister — or anyone close to me — seeing how affectionate I was with Henry.
“Thank you very much for having me over again,” Henry said after we all sat down.
“My pleasure,” Eve said. “It’s about time Ally brings someone over.”
Eve’s dinner was as delicious as she proclaimed. Tonight’s menu consisted of grilled seasoned pork chops with sides of sautéed sweet red potatoes and blanched broccoli. Eve also prepared a gourmet casserole which I had yet to ask for the recipe. For dessert was one of my favorites, red velvet cake topped with New York vanilla ice cream.
Henry finished all his servings which made Eve very satisfied as she loved being a
good host to her guests.
After dinner and a few exchanges of words, Henry and I bid goodbye to her and the children.
In the car driving back to the city, Henry’s right hand unexpectedly reached over to grab mine, continuing from the time Eve disrupted us.
“Did you have a good time today?” he asked, his eyes on the road.
“Yes, I did. I had a wonderful time. Thank you for everything again,” I said, flushing. “How about you?”
“Hands down, one of the greatest times of my life,” he stated with no hint of fraudulence.
As I looked out the window at the passing lights, I remembered a familiar moment weeks ago. It was the night I left Henry at the dock and took a cab home with the same lights passing by. I never wanted to feel that kind of pain again and to avoid that, I knew I could never leave Henry’s side like before. I never wanted to let him go now that we were together.
A couple minutes had passed and I noticed we weren’t heading toward my apartment. “Henry, this isn’t the way back to my place.”
“I know. I hope you’re ready for another surprise before the night ends.” He turned to glance at me, but it wasn’t enough for me to see his facial reaction.
For some odd reason, I suddenly felt guilty. Henry was giving so much to me, and I didn’t know how to accept his generosity without giving something in return. It felt nice at first, but too much could be a little suffocating. “Henry, you don’t have to treat me like this. I don’t deserve this much from you.”
“No, you do, Ally. Besides, I really want to.”
Henry turned into the airport security at Chicago’s international airport and stopped the car near the runways where the planes landed and departed. I watched as he got out of the car and walked over to my side.
“Ally, remember we don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” Henry reminded me as his left hand extended out for mine.
As I stared up into his bright, green eyes, I knew one thing for sure — he would make sure I was safe and protected. I knew that at this moment, lingering in the deep silence, he would look after me wholeheartedly.