12. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Justin

I convinced Lindsay from the Gazette to let me do a livestream on the paper's website. I know exactly what I need to say, but it's still difficult. I'll have to let everybody inside my life and let them know my weaknesses. Newsflash—there are a lot of them.

Lindsay said it was important that Ana be there with me, and I agreed wholeheartedly. A lot of what I'm going to say will have to do with her, and I want her here for that. There'll be an important announcement at the end.

The paper has a setup for these livestreams, and there are three chairs around a desk. After I make my statement, Lindsay will ask questions.

I'm holding Ana's hand tightly and am not sure I'll let it go anytime soon.

I do some small talk with Lindsay before beginning, and then Ana and I sit next to each other. I'm sweating, but I think it's nerves because all there is before me is a ring light that they use for their livestreams. There are no big, hot studio lights upon me. It's just nerves.

My statement is on a sheet of paper I have in my hands, but I wonder if it's better to let everything come from the heart. Just as we start, I feel Ana's breath near my ear.

"You're going to be great, Justin. I believe in you."

Emboldened by that statement, I clear my throat and wait until I'm told that we're online.

"Hello Woodland Falls. I wanted to make a statement tonight that makes some things clear about my intentions regarding Miss Ana Maria Gonzalez and my campaign for mayor of Woodland Falls."

I start chickening out, but look beside me at the beautiful woman who is in my life and hopefully will become my wife pretty soon.

"I have a story to tell, and I hope you bear with me. After my wife Ellie died, I was filled with grief. But I kept going for my daughter's sake. Three years after that, someone came to replace Mrs. Smithy at the library. When I saw Ana, I was dumbstruck. She was beautiful and she must be smart to work at a library."

I clear my throat once again and keep looking at the camera. I haven't needed my sheet of paper yet.

"That's when I started volunteering at the library. I made sure everything that needed repairing was taken care of, no matter how much it cost or how much labor it took. You see, that way, I could see Ana every single day the library was open."

"The problem was, I was not ready to let go of my wife for the longest time. So, I admired Ana Maria Gonzalez from afar. My mother started bringing my daughter Daisy to the library, and Ana encouraged my child to learn about new adventures in books. Daisy loves her."

"It took me five years to finally realize I couldn't live one more day away from Ana. So I just blurted out, 'Will you marry me?' She laughed in my face, and I didn't know where to hide. Later, she told the 'joke' to my daughter, who said, 'That was no joke.’ My little baby knew Ana was meant to be part of our family."

I take a peek next to me to see Ana bug-eyed and with her mouth open. I use my finger to close it, and she gulps. I return to my storytelling.

"When I saw Ana again, I asked her to marry me one more time. This time, I made a horrible mistake in my desperation to have her in my life. I said, "I'll pay you." She slapped me, of course, and I had to leave in shame. The next day, however, I was informed that I could no longer volunteer at the library. The mayor had pulled some strings and convinced to board to stop me from helping them out."

I took a deep breath. Some of the truths were out, but not all of them.

"That's when I told my brothers I was going to run for mayor. Inside, I convinced myself that the only way I could have Ana was if I asked her to become my campaign manager and my wife. That way, I would have the perfect family to present to Woodland Falls."

I turn to Ana and grab her hands.

"Ana, I'm so sorry. I was just a coward. Like my brother Michael kept telling me, I should have just asked you out. This whole lie has hurt you, and I want to apologize to you for that. I can't say that I would do it perfectly if I had a do-over, but I would certainly try."

I turn to her completely, oblivious to the camera, and say, "Ana Maria Gonzalez, I love you, and I want us to get married today. Can you see yourself sharing a future with me?"

She is silent and tears have been falling down her beautiful face. The silence is killing me inside, but I know I need to give her the time she needs. Finally, she squeezes my hands gently.

"I love you too, Justin. Yes, I'll marry you. When do we leave?"

That's when Lindsay interrupts us and starts asking questions about my claims that the mayor has done things illegally. I tell the viewers about Sam Bower's many manipulations by the mayor and how he even blackmailed my future sister-in-law, Mandy.

I finish by giving them the information the private investigator found on how Mayor Douchebag bribed someone at the telephone company to get him the records of Ana's text messages. When all was said and done, Gene Mitchell was going to be in a ton of trouble.

Wanting desperately to get out of there but knowing this livestream was important, I answered all of Lindsay's questions. We gather outside the Gazette's offices with my family and make immediate arrangements to drive to the next town so Ana and I can get married. Neither of us want to wait.

Green Brooks is a little bigger than Woodland Falls by about five thousand people. We get to their courthouse and get our license. We wait for the judge to marry us. Both Ana and I are nervous. I can see it in her eyes, but we wait with about three other couples.

We didn't have any fancy vows or flowers or even a fancy reception, but neither of us minded those things. I hope to make it up to Ana in every way during our marriage. We lucked out, and that fancy restaurant let my whole family attend without a reservation.

When it came time for the toast, I was a bit scared of what my brothers would say. I saw them talking earlier, and when Michael got up, I realized they'd chosen a representative for them all.

"I love my brother Justin, but when he told me about the cute librarian, I told him to ask her out on a date. Whenever he mentioned the library and the cute girl, I told him to ask the girl out on a date. Five years later, he still hadn't asked her out on a date. You could say he's stubborn, but I'm going to go with chowderhead."

Everyone laughs, and I shoot daggers out of my eyes towards my brother.

"Thankfully, life has a way of helping things along. Justin reached the end of his rope and knew he wanted Ana Maria—that she was the most important thing to come into his life and that he had to put a ring on it."

My family and the other restaurant guests clap at Michael's words, and Ana smiles at me from her seat at my side.

"Ana, we all welcome you with open arms to our family. My brother will make you an amazing husband, and you are Daisy's favorite person in the world. Let's lift our glasses to Mr. and Mrs. Justin Hoffer."

There is shouting and more requests for champagne, but I just clink my glass with my wife and give her a soft kiss on the lips. My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I bring it out to see who is reaching out to me. I got a lot of texts from friends regarding the livestream. I can view those later. The one that I'm waiting for is there. I lean in to whisper into Ana's ear.

"We can have our honeymoon at our favorite bed and breakfast. Unless you want to go back to Woodland Falls?"

"Let's stay here. People will want to talk about the livestream, and I don't want to think about it just yet."

"Okay, let's eat dessert, and then we can make a break for it."

"I don't mind being with your family."

"I have other ideas on what to do on my honeymoon, and they require we be alone and naked in a bedroom somewhere."

"We'll eat fast, then. I love you."

"I love you too, gorgeous."