Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four

Ella

Sunday dinner arrived, and I was trying to wrap my head around the fact that my mom was sitting next to me at the table. The Armstrongs had welcomed her to their home. In fact, Noah's parents had been the ones to suggest that I invite her. It was the day I checked her out of the hospital, so it was nice to come to the Armstrongs' house.

We were halfway through dinner, and things were as normal as possible, when Dylan walked into the house and stopped in front of the table, lifting his arms. "Hello, family."

They all yelled out hellos, and he gave his parents a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

He paused next to me and my mother. "A guy is gone for a couple days and everything changes." He flashed a smile at my mother and said, "Nice to have you, Ms. Klein."

She nodded. "Thank you."

I could tell my mother was out of sorts, but she was still with it enough to talk about one of the recent stories she'd done about some war crimes in Afghanistan. If a stranger had dropped in on us just then, they never would've guessed that she had tried to kill herself only days before.

On impulse, I reached over and put my hand on top of my mother's. She looked at me and smiled. I didn't know where our relationship would go from here, but I was cautiously optimistic that we would build one. I wouldn't worry about not having one with my father. Neither of us had been concerned about it in the past.

Noah tapped his glass with a fork. "Everyone, I have an announcement. But this announcement won't take place here. I have told some of you, but we are all going to drive up to the lookout point."

Butterflies filled my stomach, and I wondered if I knew what that announcement would be. It would be the perfect spot, I reasoned.

His eyes met mine, and I couldn't help but laugh.

He gave me a smug look and took my hand. "You're with me."

I turned back for my mother.

Dylan put his hand up. "Actually, Ms. Klein, would you come with me? Noah asked me if I would come home expressly to be part of this and to chauffeur you."

I was touched that Noah had done all this planning.

The whole family formed a caravan up to the place where Noah and I had shared our first kiss, and maybe where we would have a proposal. Noah ceremoniously gathered the group together, and he and I stood on top of the rock.

"Most of you know what we came to do today," he said, smiling at me. "I have a suspicion that Ella knows. But there is something none of you know." He peered into my eyes. "This is a surprise even for you."

More butterflies filled my stomach. "What is it?"

"Come on," Kayla hollered. "Spit it out."

Noah pointed to her. "There is one person who knows what this first announcement will be. Because she brokered the deal."

Kayla suddenly had a Cheshire cat grin on her face.

"I sold my partnership in the business, and I bought all of this land up here—the land Kayla wanted our family to acquire."

I gasped. "What?"

His family responded with murmurs and laughter.

Noah's father looked aghast. "You had that much money?"

Everyone laughed.

Kayla shushed them. "Let the man tell us the other thing."

Noah, much to my delight, got down on one knee. "Ella, from the day I met you, when I was three, I didn't know what our relationship would be like. But at the age of fifteen, we had our first kiss on this very rock."

"I didn't know that," his mother said, prompting more laughter.

Noah smiled at me. "Through all the ups and downs over the past few years, we were led back to Refuge Falls. Back to this very spot, reminding us what it means to be together. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

I hadn't thought I would cry, but my eyes were misty. "Yes. Of course, yes!"

He pulled me to my feet, and I threw my arms around him. I hardly noticed that everyone was cheering.

I kneeled in front of my brother's grave, wearing my wedding dress. Even though this was a somewhat sad day because I didn't have my brother here, I knew I would look back on it with joy, because I would get to be with my first love forever.

"Hey, bro. I don't know everything about the afterlife, but I know you're there. You're not really in this grave. I just had to stop by and tell you that I think this is going to be a good day; I'm marrying Noah. I love him so much—but you probably already knew that." I laughed quietly. "I haven't even had time to tell you everything, but Mom's here. She's probably going to come see you today. Maybe she already has. Everything is good, bro. We are all finally healing, and I know you would want that. I know that God wants that, and that has been a huge comfort to me."

I straightened and dabbed at my tears, hoping I hadn't ruined my makeup already. "I love you, bro. Now, I'm going to go get myself married."