“Aww, Mom, you’re going to make me cry,” Caleb said, rubbing his eyes. Suddenly, Landon and Xavier were beside him, sharing the camera space so their mother could see all of them.
“Save the tears for the proposal,” Xavier said, slapping him on the back.
“Xavier! Landon!” Daisy cried. “All of my boys together on this very special day. I couldn’t be happier.”
“We’ve got his back, Mom,” Landon said. “One for all and all for one. Always.”
Daisy blew them kisses and said, “Go get engaged, Caleb. The two of you deserve every happiness this world has to offer.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Caleb said. “Love you.” The call disconnected amidst shouts of “I love you” and hand-blown kisses from their mom.
“Good deal,” Xavier said, gripping Caleb’s shoulder. “She’s super proud.”
“And happy,” Landon said. “At the end of the day, if Mama’s happy…”
“Then everyone’s happy,” Caleb and Xavier chimed in, all of them bursting into laughter. It was their truth. Making Daisy smile was always a huge achievement. She had always given so much, yet never asked for anything in return. Caleb hoped to be that solid for Sophia and Lily.
“Now I’m ready,” Caleb said, rubbing his hands together. “What time is it?”
“Time to get things shaking,” Hattie said as she hobbled into the room on Jacques’s arm. She had a wide grin on her face. She was wearing head-to-toe pink, which happened to be her favorite color. In Hattie-isms this meant she’d given her blessing to Caleb and Sophia. “Jacques is on hand to take you to Sophia’s place so you can whisk her away to the falls.” Hattie clapped her hands together.
“Remember, Caleb,” she added, “you’re special. And don’t you ever forget it.”
Overwhelmed with love, Caleb embraced his grandmother. “Thanks for always being in my corner.”
Caleb drove off with Jacques at the wheel of Hattie’s white Bentley, the fanciest car she owned. He had it all planned out. Jacques would drive them to the falls, where Caleb would take her to the prettiest spot, then get down on bended knee and propose.
“You okay back there?” Jacques asked. “Today’s going to change everything in your life, Caleb.”
“You’ve got that right, Jacques. A whole new world forme. Bring it on,” he said, getting more excited the closer they got to Sophia’s house. As the stunning Alaskan scenery whizzed past his window, he felt his enthusiasm building. By the time they pulled up to Sophia’s house, he was practically jumping out of his seat to exit the car.
“I’ll be waiting for the two of you,” Jacques said, tipping his hat to him.
Caleb flashed him a grin and headed to the door. He had timed his arrival down to the minute according to when he’d told Sophia to expect him. He held his arms at his side and shook them to release his nerves. This was going to be a special day for him and Sophia. Of course she might suspect something was up when she saw the Bentley, but she might think it was tied in to her upcoming birthday.
He rapped on the door, turning around to send Jacques a thumbs-up sign. He began whistling as he waited. He knocked again, harder this time. After the third round of knocks the door opened up, revealing a weary-looking Sophia. She was wearing pajamas decorated with heart shapes, big fuzzy slippers, and a long white robe. Her hair was a bit messy, having been placed in a bun that was coming undone.
“Caleb?” she asked, appearing confused by him showing up at her door.
His heart plummeted. “Sophia. Did you forget about our date?”
Sophia’s hand went to cover her mouth. “Oh, no! I’m so sorry.” She looked past him. “Is that Jacques out there? In Hattie’s Bentley?” Her voice was filled with awe.
“Yeah, I had something special planned for us,” Caleb explained, trying to hide his disappointment.
“Come in, but don’t get too close,” Sophia instructed him. “I’m not feeling so hot.”
“I’m not worried about that,” Caleb said. He figured he’d already been exposed to her cold germs. “My immune system is pretty strong.”
Once he was inside, she continued, “Lily got sick last night with a bad cold, and I must’ve gotten her germs. It was a rough night. I totally forgot about today, and I’m so sorry.”
The sad expression that came over her face replaced all of his disappointment. She was sick, and he wanted to take care of both his girls. He swept his hand across her cheek.
“Have you eaten? Why don’t you go sit on the couch and relax while I make you some tea and toast? Or anything else you might like. A burger? Fries? And I can run a bath for you with Epsom salts.”
“You’re incredibly sweet, Caleb. And I’ll take you up on that, since Lily is sleeping at the moment, so I can take a breather.” Her brow furrowed. “Why is Jacques here? What had you planned for our date?”
Caleb hesitated. What should he say? His heart was brimming almost to overflowing. Even though his plan had fallen apart, he still wanted to ask Sophia this monumental question.
