The first week of December, Ben flew Ella to Napa to pick out her dress and celebrate her birthday.They had an old-fashioned birthday party for her on December 7th.It was really great to spend time with her parents, brothers and sisters, cousins and grandparents.Very little was said about Ben.Ella felt bad about that.It was as if her family was pretending he did not exist.The only time they acknowledged him was to ask if everything was okay after she called to let him know she had arrived safely.
On Saturday, Ella, her mom, Julia, and her sisters spent the entire day trying on wedding dresses.She found the perfect dress, a simple A-line with sleeves and a V-neck.She had a moment of trepidation about wearing white, but Julia reminded her that almost every bride in the world wore white, regardless of their virginal status.Although that might be true, it still felt disingenuous to be pregnant and wearing white.However, Ella loved the dress so much, she made peace with it pretty quickly.She needed a few alterations, and the store promised to rush them.
After the quick weekend visit, Ella was back in Malibu by Sunday.She was surprised how hard it had been to leave Napa.Being back with her mother and sister was so wonderful, and she cried when they dropped her off at the airport.She laughed and blamed it on pregnancy hormones, but in her heart she knew it was so much more.She knew the life she had known for almost twenty years was over, and she wasn’t sure exactly what her future held.She loved Ben and wanted to build a life with him, but she was still unsure if the future she was moving toward was the one she wanted.
For all Ella’s fears, she had to admit that seeing Ben’s smiling face when she got to baggage claim filled her with joy.She had only been gone two nights, but he grabbed her and kissed her like it had been months.At that moment, Ella told herself that as long as they had each other, they would be okay.She hoped and prayed she was right.
The next weekend, Ella and Ben drove down to San Luis for her graduation.She did not tell her parents she was walking.With her wedding in two weeks and then Christmas, they could ill afford to miss the income that Saturday would bring.Ben was the only one in the audience to cheer for Ella as she walked across the stage to receive her diploma.But that was enough.
That night, they dined at their favorite spot, The Moonstone Bar and Grill.This time, Ella enjoyed every bite.Because they had not been able to celebrate her birthday together, Ben had a cake brought out ablaze with twenty candles.After Ben and the waitstaff sang “Happy Birthday,” Ben surprised Ella with one more gift.With the torches burning and the waves rolling ashore, he got down on one knee.
With tears in his eyes, Ben opened the blue velvet box that held a two-carat diamond ring up for Ella’s inspection as he said, “Isabella Maria Santiago, I love you more than life itself.You have brought more beauty and joy into my life in just a few months than in my whole life.I love everything about you.You are gorgeous inside and out.I adore your sweet spirit, your incredible intelligence, and the way you love me.You make me a better man.Will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Ella, who had been momentarily shocked into silence when Ben had first dropped down on one knee in front of her, began nodding her head yes, before her voice found the words tears kept her from saying.Reaching over to throw her arms around his shoulders, Ella managed to eke out a hoarse yes.Ben engulfed Ella and gave her a full-on snog before pulling back long enough to place the ring on her finger.
Later that night as Ella lay in Ben’s arms, she called herself every kind of blessed to have Ben.She could not imagine how her life could get any better.They loved each other so strongly, and in that moment, she was positive their love would conquer any problem they would ever face.What Ella did not yet know was that while life might not get any better, it can always get worse and that love alone cannot hold up a marriage.In the coming months, those were lessons Ella would learn the hard way.
Chapter 20
Malibu, California
In the years to come, Ella would think back on the days leading up to her wedding as the days she loved the most.For the two weeks between her graduation and their wedding, Ben and Ella played tourist all around southern California.They went to museums, studios, and all the cheesy stuff tourists do.Ella loved every minute of it.
Before she knew it, it was December 23.Ben’s parents flew in and picked them up in their plane.Ella had never flown privately before.It was an eye-opening experience.She did not think she would ever get used to how rich Ben and his family were.They did not act the way she expected rich people to act, so it was easy to forget how much money they actually had.They seemed so normal—until they did things like show up in their private plane.
Everyone was excited for the wedding.Ella’s parents were on their best behavior and welcomed Bennett and Poppy with open arms.Her father was still a little cool to Ben, but things were slowly getting better.Because it was going to be a very small wedding, they did not do a rehearsal.Her parents closed the diner, and they had dinner for everyone there.Ben and his family had rented a house near the church.Ella elected to spend her last night as a single woman in her childhood bedroom.
After a wonderful dinner, the two families agreed it would be a good idea to make it an early night.Everyone had been on their best behavior, but there was no need to push it.The longer everyone sat around drinking wine, the more likely the situation might go pear-shaped.It was best to keep the big crowd time to a minimum—at least until the deal was done.That was how Ella found herself reading in her bed by 9:00, when her mom knocked on her door.Putting down her book, Ella called out, “Come in.”
Ella’s mom, dressed in her nightgown and robe, came over and sat on the bed next to Ella.“It is so good to have you back here.I can’t believe after tomorrow, you will be a married woman with a home of your own.You are still so young.”
Ella read her mother’s face.“If you are here to try and talk me out of marrying Ben, let me stop you right there.I love him, and he loves me.I am marrying him.End of discussion.”
Laughing, her mom replied, “You really are just like your father.No, I am not here to try and talk you out of getting married.I know you well enough to know that once your mind is made up, there is no stopping you.I just hope that Ben knows that as well.If not, he is in for a bumpy ride.”
“Well, he does, and he still loves me.”
“I can see that.It is the only reason your father and I have been able to make peace with this.We can see how much Ben loves you and how much you love Ben, but I want you to know that even after tomorrow, you are not stuck.No matter what happens, your father and I will always be here for you.”
“What do you mean, whatever happens?”Ella gave her mom a blank look.
“I mean that I have been a young girl in love.You know I gave up a scholarship to a culinary school in France to become a pastry chef before I married your father.It would have meant leaving him and moving to Paris.I was young and in love and too afraid to strike out on my own.Instead, I took the safe route.We married, and I spent the last twenty-two years having babies and helping your father with the diner.I am not saying we have not had a good life.We have, but I gave up my dream to follow his.I can’t say there haven’t been moments of regret.I have often wondered how different my life would have been had I believed in myself and gotten on that plane.That does not mean I don’t love your father and all of you.I do—with my whole heart.But I still have days I wonder what might have been.I wouldn’t go back and change anything, but you are so smart and talented.I wanted so much more for you than just to be some rich man’s trophy wife.Promise me that you won’t let that happen to you.You have too much potential to move to Arkansas and become a lady who lunches.”
“Mom, I am not going to become some trophy wife.What is that anyway?I am not sure how, but I am still planning on going to Michigan.I haven’t given up on my dreams.They have just taken a slight detour at the moment.”Seeing the look of disbelief in her mother’s eyes, Ella said even more emphatically, “I will.Right now, I am taking it one day at a time.You know we have to go back to Arkansas for Ben to finish his master’s degree by doing his internship with his father’s campaign.After that, who knows what we will do.”
Reaching over to give her daughter a light kiss on the forehead, her mother said, “I hope you are right.Just know that Sophie and I have been talking.Evidently, you are not my only daughter determined to marry and move off and leave me.Paulo is being deployed to Germany for two years.They want to marry before he leaves.She considered going with him, but the first year, he will be doing a lot of off-site training.She is not sure she wants to live in a foreign country by herself.She is considering waiting and moving the second year.If you decide to go to Michigan, she has offered to go with you and help with the baby.Your program is only a year.She will meet Paulo once you finish.”
“What?Sophie and Paulo are engaged?Why has she not told me?”
“Because she did not want to steal your thunder.She will announce it to the family on New Year’s.This is your time.But she and I have talked about this.She is willing to help you if you need her to.”
Ella was grateful her sister was willing to help her, but it was not necessary.“Mother, I am not going to leave Ben and move off to Michigan by myself.”
“If Sophie goes, you won’t be by yourself.I am just saying that you have options if you need them.I know men like Ben.Men with dreams.He is a lot like your father.He is going to expect you to bend your dream and your life to his.I just hope you are stronger than I was when it comes time to fight for your own identity.”
Letting out a long sigh, Ella said, “Once again, Mother, I love Ben.He is nothing like Poppa.He would never ask me to give up my dreams for his.”
Her mother gave her a knowing look, then said, “Okay, just know that love is not always enough.That cheesy saying that love is all you need is a wonderful sentiment, but real life takes so much more.Marriage takes a lot of hard work, and it is full of difficult choices.I hope you are right.I hope Ben values your dreams as much as he does his.But just in case things don’t work out exactly as you think they will, remember this conversation.You are never stuck.If you need us, your family is always here for you.You can come home.You can go to grad school, or you can do a hundred other things.Just make sure you are following your heart’s dreams and not just taking up Ben’s because it is the easy way out.Because if you do, I promise you, someday, you will regret it.”
