She placed the gift in the palm of his hands. “You can open them now.”
He looked down at the small booklet in his hands and, with a smile, said, “You got your passport—that’s perfect.”
“It’s not your real present, but I thought you’d like it,” she admitted.
“No, it’s perfect,” he said. “Thanks.” He kissed her cheek and continued. “Now, for your present…You know, I was planning on giving you this on the slopes of Vail, but since we’re not going to make it there, I had to improvise. I can’t wait any longer to give it to you. I did what I could, but…” He reached into his back pocket for the present.
“What is this all about, Will?” she asked, looking out from under her long dark lashes. She was getting anxious with anticipation.
“Close your eyes. It’s not wrapped.”
She squished her eyes together and declared, “We should make this our tradition. Think about how many trees we could save.”
“OK, it’s our new tradition. You can open them now.”
Sarah opened her eyes to see Will before her. He was on one knee with his hands extended in front of him. Cupped in his palms was a lacquered wooden box, and perched delicately in the black velvet lining was the most beautiful ring Sarah had ever seen.
“Ahh,” she gasped as all the air rushed out of her lungs. She sat looking at it for several seconds in silence. Tears welled in her eyes. “It’s so beautiful.”
The ring had a huge square-cut diamond. It must be four carats, she thought. It was set distinctly in swirling white gold with two emeralds, in descending size, set asymmetrically in one side of the band.
Will pulled the ring from its protective case and caressed her left hand. Then he looked deep into her eyes and declared, “You know that I love you, Sarah. I knew you were the one meant for me before I even laid eyes on you, and I can’t imagine living my life without you. Will you marry me?”
She stared at him in disbelief. “Yes, of course.”
She was still stunned in the moment as Will gently slipped the ring onto the correct finger, kissed her hand, and then kissed her passionately on the lips, as if he had never kissed her before. His kiss was gentle, but oozed with more than desire, more than love. The electricity filled the room. When Will pulled back from the kiss, Sarah opened her eyes, and she swore that the candles were glowing even brighter. Maybe it wasn’t the candles. Maybe it was Will.
He stared into her green eyes with a huge smile on his face. “I thought the emeralds matched your eyes. I had it designed especially for you.”
“I love it. It fits perfectly. How did you get the right size?” she questioned, thinking that Jessica or her mother had to be in on it for him to get the right size and must already know that he was going to ask her.
“I measured your finger while you were sleeping,” he admitted casually as he rose from his proposal stance and sat down next to her, still holding her hand.
“When I was in the hospital?” she asked, confused, knowing he had never left the hospital.
“No,” he said with a slight smirk.
“When?”
“The night before I left for filming in Greece.”
“Oh.” She swallowed as she organized his confession in her head. “So, you’ve been planning this for a while, then?” she asked. “And it’s not just because I almost died?”
“No, I’ve known you were the one since the first time we talked on the phone,” Will declared.
“Wow.” She paused, processing again. “That’s a long time.”
“Yeah,” he said, penetrating her daze.
She bent in to press her lips to his, and they kissed, forgetting about the world outside as they always seemed to do when they were with each other. Will moved gingerly around her. He was keeping his hands to himself, and it was starting to annoy Sarah.
She broke off the kiss, saying, “You know you can touch me. I won’t break.”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he admitted.
“Touch me!” she growled jokingly.
With his eyes locked on hers, he lifted his hand and slowly touched his finger to the tip of her nose. They both broke out laughing.
“Ow! You’re not supposed to make me laugh, Will!” Sarah shrieked.
“Sorry,” he said, leaning down to kiss her side sweetly. His eyes sparkling with adoration, he sat up. “This isn’t exactly how I pictured proposing to you. I was going to ask you to marry me using flares on a private ski run. We were supposed to ride to the top on the lift, and all the lights would suddenly shut off. Then, when you felt all vulnerable swinging forty feet off the ground in the pitch-black, you’d look down to see ‘Marry me?’ lit up in the snow. I had it all arranged. This doesn’t even compare to what I had in my mind. I thought about waiting, but I just couldn’t.”
“This was perfect, more intimate. No one knows but us. It feels right, and I’m glad you didn’t wait,” Sarah admitted, nuzzling next to him.
“Almost no one,” he said under his breath, then kissed her left hand again. “Does your dad hate me or something?” he asked. “It’s been bothering me all day. I mean, he has no problem with Jessica sleeping over every other night in Jeff’s room, but I go upstairs with you, and he’s knocking on the door after ten minutes. Like I would try something right after you get home from the hospital. He must not have a very high opinion of me.”
“I am his daughter.”
“I thought Jessica was like a daughter to him.”
“She was until she started dating Jeff. Now she’s an in-law,” Sarah admitted.
“Double standard?”
“It’s not a perfect world.”
“I would have asked him for your hand, but I was afraid he would say no, and if he had, it wouldn’t have stopped me from asking you, so what’s the point?” He chuckled. “How do you think your parents will react?” he said, pointing to her ring.
“I don’t know. I’m only twenty-one, and before the accident, they thought we had broken up. I haven’t had a chance to talk to them about us yet, but they usually support my decisions—at least to my face. We can find out what they really think in a week from Jess and Jeff. What about your parents?”
“My parents will be happy to hear that you said yes. They already know about the ring. My mom told me where I could buy the candles this afternoon. I had to go to three different stores to find enough,” he admitted. “I explained our relationship to your parents while you were in the hospital. I think they can see how much we care about each other, but they might have a problem with you moving to LA.”
“Wow, I can’t believe I’m moving to LA. That just sounds so wild. I know we’ve talked about it, but to actually move will be surreal.”
“I can’t wait,” he whispered as he began kissing her right below her earlobe.
“Keep doing that. All my pain is gone when you do that,” she uttered, enjoying the feel of his lips on her skin. “I love you, Jonathan Williams,” she softly added.
Will kept Sarah’s pain away for several minutes before pulling back and saying, “I love you too, future Mrs. Williams.”
“That sounds so weird. But I like it.”
“So you’ll change your name?” he asked, wide-eyed. “I know it sounds old-fashioned, but I want you to take my name with no hyphen. To me, it means that you’re committed to being together forever. Will you take my name, Sarah?”
“If it means that much to you, I will,” she vowed. “That’s what everyone will call me anyway.” She didn’t have any strong attachments to the name Austin, and she never really wanted to hyphenate it with anything. Sarah Isabel Austin-Williams didn’t sound right, anyway. “How many first names can one person have?” she thought out loud.
“Thanks,” he whispered with a chuckle before he began kissing her ear. He worked his way around to her lips, and they kissed for several minutes, until they heard the garage door opening. Will anxiously looked around the room at all the glowing candles. “Should I b
low them out?”
“No, leave them. They can deal. I like the candles.”
Zander was talking loud and animatedly as the parents entered the house.
“Sarah? Will?” Kate called.
“Down here,” Sarah yelled back.
They all slowly made their way down the stairs into the candlelit room. Sarah and Will looked over their shoulders as everyone approached from behind the couch.
“Look, Mom!” Sarah squealed excitedly, holding her left hand above her head, though not as high as she would if she weren’t so sore.
“What is it, Sarah?” Kate asked, looking around the room at all the candles.
“Look!” she squealed again, waving her hand in the air. “We’re engaged!”
“Oh my, it’s gorgeous!” Kate took her daughter’s outstretched hand and examined the ring. Tears filled her eyes. “Oh, baby, I’m so happy for you.” She kissed Sarah’s forehead and lovingly caressed the top of Will’s head with her hand. “I’ve got to get my camera,” she added as she scurried upstairs.
“So she said yes, huh? I tried to stall them for you,” Zander admitted.
“Is that what you were doing? I couldn’t understand why you felt the need to talk to every parishioner in the church. I thought maybe it was just a character flaw,” David stated.
“Character flaw? I don’t have any flaws.” Zander chuckled, and the room filled with laughter. Zander kissed Sarah on the cheek and added in a very sincere voice, “Jon’s a lucky man.”
“I’m so happy for you two. I’ve always wanted a daughter.” Lara beamed her dimpled smile at Sarah and then kissed her cheek. She turned to her son and lovingly touched his shoulder. Jon placed his hand on top of hers and grinned up at her.
“Let me see that ring, Sarah,” commanded David. He scrutinized the ring on Sarah’s left hand. “How did my little girl get so old?” He studied his daughter’s face, then turned to Will and offered his hand. “Welcome to the family, Will, or do you prefer Jon? I don’t think I’ve ever asked.”
“Jon is probably easier, especially in public,” he admitted.
When Kate returned with her arms full of cameras. She insisted that such an important event had to be documented.
“I’m wearing yoga pants, Mom. Can’t we do this later?” Sarah questioned.
“It has to be as it happened. You’ll appreciate it more,” Kate declared as she layered Sarah’s hair to cover up the stitches on her scalp and tried arranging the two into the classic poses.She snapped some pictures of Will and Sarah showing off the ring and, without prompting, assured everyone she wouldn’t sell them.
They all chatted for a little while, but as the time was approaching midnight, everyone headed off to bed—everyone except Will and Sarah. They were sitting on Will’s bed—the couch—and stayed awake for a couple of more hours, talking about what to do next and discussing how they would make their very different lives mesh.
On Christmas Day, the house was filled with guests. Jeff and Jessica had returned from Rochester. Plus, joining Sarah’s and Jon’s families for a traditional Christmas dinner were David’s brother, Bob; his daughter, Ronnie; her husband, Nate; and their eighteen-month-old daughter, Lilly. The dinner plans with David’s relatives had been cemented long before the accident, so it wasn’t too much trouble to add six extra people.
The long oak table had been elaborately set with Kate’s best china and linens. The royal-blue-and-white plates rimmed with silver were perfectly placed and beautifully layered on the white damask tablecloth. The long-stemmed crystal water and wine goblets sat, filled in anticipation. Great-Grandma Hanson’s silver was properly positioned, and the candles were lit. The smell of roasted ham and fresh-baked rolls filled the air as they all squished in around the adorned table.
The conversation was abuzz about the engagement. It seemed to be the only topic anyone wanted to talk about, especially Jessica.
“You’ve hardly spent any time together. How could you be ready to make that kind of commitment?” Jessica asked bluntly as she cut up her meat.
Sarah glanced to Will and took a small sip of her wine to gather courage. Then she dropped the bomb. “That’s why we’re moving in together.”
Jeff looked over at his dad and, with a chuckle, said, “Whoa.” That was all he said. He sat back in his chair as if waiting for the backlash to start. He didn’t have to wait long. The silence lasted only several seconds before Kate started the questioning.
“You’re finishing school first, right?” asked Kate. “Or is Will moving here?” She stood up and repositioned a couple of dishes around on the table. She looked like she was struggling to stay in control as she sat down and readjusted her napkin. “Because I can’t believe you would quit school and not finish your degree. You only have a semester left, Sarah.” She glared at her daughter.
“I’m moving to LA with Will,” Sarah confessed unapologetically. “We don’t have everything figured out yet, but I will finish my degree at some point.”
Most of the dinner guests were eating quietly, trying to look like they weren’t listening to the conversation that had taken over the space of the room. Sarah knew this would be a sticky point with her parents. Both Kate and David always stressed the importance of an education, but right now, she didn’t care. Nothing was more important than being with Will.
“What does that mean, Sarah, ‘at some point’? Because your mother and I didn’t pay for you to go to school for three and a half years just so you could drop out right before you graduate. You’re so close to finishing that it doesn’t make sense to quit now. And what about graduate school?” David paused to take a breath and then rattled into his education lecture. “A person without a degree makes half as much as someone who has one. You’re going to regret not finishing for the rest of your life. I’m sure Will—er, Jon—doesn’t want you to quit school.” He looked over at Will accusingly.
Sarah cringed at the surprised expression on Will’s face. “I’ll make sure she finishes her degree, David. I promise,” Will stated, hardening his face.
Sarah slipped her hand into Will’s hand under the table, knowing nothing he said would make a difference. It was best to let them calm down and then address the issue again, later.
“Well, good luck with that,” David said caustically. “She doesn’t seem to listen to reason or tell the truth since she met you.”
That comment was too much for Sarah. “Dad, we can’t fight it anymore. It doesn’t work for us to be apart, and Will has to go back to work in a week and a half in Los Angeles. I will finish my degree. I only have six credits left, and I’ll find a way to get it done. I have to talk to my faculty adviser and see what I can work out. Maybe I can write a thesis paper to get the credit or do it online and just come back to take the final. I’ll have to see what my options are.”
“We’ll talk about this later, Sarah. Let’s just enjoy dinner right now,” David said, looking around the room at all the dinner guests silently staring at their plates.
The conversation started back up after a few minutes of quiet, and everyone joined in, speculating about wedding plans.
After hearing all the details of the engagement, Sarah’s cousin, Ronnie, wanted to know more details about the accident. So after dinner, while the men cleaned up the meal, another Austin family tradition, Kate took out the scrapbook she and Lara had put together at the hospital. It was full of newspaper clippings, pictures of Sarah’s vehicle from the police, and everything Kate had found on the Internet. The Pioneer Press had a full-page spread of the accident, and Sarah was visibly shaken when she read the article. She hadn’t realized that someone died in the pileup.
“It wasn’t your fault, Sarah,” assured Lara. “Witnesses said the driver that died was the one that caused the accident. He crashed into you.”
“Yeah, I remember. He slammed me into the cement barricade,” she said, distracted. Sarah disappeared behind a blank expression, remembering the accident. After several seconds, she ad
ded, “Was anyone else hurt?”
“Not as seriously as you. The woman in the Suburban and the nineteen-year-old in the pickup both walked away. The family in the car that hit the pile last all went to the hospital, but only the ten-year-old had to stay overnight. The boy was fine, though—only a couple of broken bones—and he went home the next day,” answered Kate.
Sarah felt some relief by this answer and returned her attention to the book. She skimmed the next couple of pages until she saw the pictures of her vehicle. “Is that my car?” she asked with alarm, staring at a photo of a red vehicle squashed beyond recognition, its roof removed.
“They used the Jaws of Life to get you out,” explained Jessica. “I saw a clip of it on YouTube. Someone recorded it on their cell phone. It was surreal—kind of like your life is all the time now.” She grinned at Sarah.
“You’re right about that. You’ll have to show me that clip,” said Sarah.
As they finished looking through the scrapbook, Ronnie begged to know the details of Sarah and Will’s beginnings. Sarah had told her about Will, but had never really explained how they had met. So Sarah explained an abbreviated version.
“Do you think Will would sing your birthday song for us?” Ronnie asked.
“I think he would do anything I asked right now,” she admitted as she held up her pinkie finger and drew a circle around it with the index finger of her other hand. “They look like they’re almost done, right? Watch this,” she whispered. “Will, would you sing my birthday song for everyone? I haven’t heard you sing anything since that call from Greece, and Ronnie wants to hear the lyrics,” she called over to him from the living room with a big smile.
He came out of the kitchen with a white dish towel in his hand and looked over at Sarah to assess whether she was serious. His eyes met hers, and a scowl ridge grew between his eyebrows. She looked up at him from under her lashes, and he exhaled, deflated.
With a nod of defeat, he said, “If I can borrow Jeff’s guitar.”
“See?” She giggled, and all the women started laughing, even Lara.
Between the Raindrops Page 21