CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I’m a Simple Man, With Big Plans
Ho-ly SHIT!
Aiden pulled up to the Blue estate and sat in his car, staring in awe at the house, which he’d already figured would be an obnoxiously large estate. It was the kind of place that rich people with maids trounced about inside. Regardless, he hadn’t expected to see at least four floors, brick walls, a turret, and a winding cobblestone driveway that seemed to go on for at least half a mile. It was simply breathtaking. The house was surrounded by lush evergreen trees and rested against a hill. By the time he’d parked and made his way up the walkway, he was practically winded, mouth open and gasping for air. It was a gorgeous day, and it had been difficult to keep Addison from sniffing him out to take advantage of the prime weather as a duo.
She’d wanted to go garage sale hunting, visit some second-hand boutiques, and then have dinner at Daniel’s Broiler, but he’d concocted some cockamamie lie to go through with his plans. She resolved to go instead with a couple of her girlfriends, or perhaps one of her sisters. He wasn’t certain she’d believed him when he said he’d promised Tim he’d do a Pac – Man competition but could meet her later for dinner, but he hoped his tall tale at least bought him some time.
Rapping his knuckles against the front door, he waited patiently, taking note at the last second that the damn doorbell was right there off to the side. Nerves shot. Rubbing his hands together, he felt the sweat on them and exhaled deeply. Suddenly, the front door swung open, revealing an older Black woman with shoulder length, salt and pepper, curly hair. Her eyes were just like Addison’s, warm and inviting.
“Hello, you must be Aiden. Come right on in.” The woman stepped graciously aside, a big smile on her face.
“Thank you.” He stood in the foyer, looking up at a large, winding staircase. The place looked like a fancy showroom. “I wanna thank you so much for seeing me last minute.”
The woman smiled at him and nodded, locked the door, then stepped in front of him.
“Of course. Please, follow me.” She led him to a large sitting area. The furniture was all cream in color, which contrasted beautifully with the polished mahogany wood. Expensive looking to say the least, so much so, he was almost afraid to sit down on any of it and leave bits of his clothing behind. “Have a seat.” The woman pointed to a couch while she sat opposite him on a loveseat decorated with a few sleek black pillows. “My husband is on his way down. You didn’t have too much trouble finding the house, did you? Some have mentioned that their navigation devices seem to go on the fritz once they hit the forest.”
She crossed her legs, forcing her light gray flared pants to sway, exposing her matching low heels. She smelled of high class, but there was a kindness in her face, one he could appreciate.
“I found it just fine, thank you so much.”
“Would you like something to drink? I have raspberry tea, cold water of course, and hot tea and coffee, too.”
“Um, you know, some water sounds just fine. Thanks.” She got to her feet and disappeared from the room, the clicking of her shoes against the wooden floor fading until he could no longer hear her. Before he could calm his nerves and buy a moment to pull himself together, a tall man wearing a dark green sweater, loose jeans, and fine leather loafers entered the room. He, too, looked kind, though there was a natural seriousness about the way he moved. Aiden quickly jumped to his feet and extended his hand.
“You must be Addison’s father. I’m Aiden Summers. Nice to meet you.” The man smiled and shook his hand.
“I’m Jim. Nice to meet you as well.” The man’s brow bunched as he looked about the room. “I wonder where Meredith went?”
“Oh, she is getting me something to drink.” The man nodded and made his way over to a chair that looked rather comfortable, the only piece of furniture in the room that wasn’t all cream but a rich burgundy shade. When the older gentleman sat down in the chair, he seemed to almost melt into it, looking like royalty.
“Here you are,” Mrs. Blue said. She handed Aiden a cold glass of water chock full of ice, sprigs of mint, and a thinly sliced lime.
This is the prettiest glass of water I’ve ever seen. Looks like a mojito…
He took a sip; the cold refreshment soothed his throat as it went down. The woman then handed a glass of water to her husband and resumed her seat. Only the sound of the water sloshing about in Mr. Blue’s glass could be heard during a bout of uncomfortable silence.
“Well, I’ll get right to it. I’m here because I love your daughter.” The parents’ facial expressions drew a bit more solemn. “Addison has told me how much you both mean to her. I think that’s great. I, uh, know that things have not always been good, but things are better now and I wanted to make sure, since she loves you both so much I paid you both a visit. You hadn’t met me yet, so with you seeing me in person and talking to me, I am hopeful it make a difference.” He took a deep breath then continued. “I’ve decided to do this without her knowledge, as I explained to you on the phone. The reason being that I love Addison so much, that I want to marry her. I plan to ask her to marry me, but first, I wanted to come here and request for your daughter’s hand in marriage.”
“We don’t know you,” the father said sternly before setting the glass of water down and clasping his hands over his lap. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, Aiden, that’s rare in this day and age, but one visit is not going to make me feel okay about you marrying my daughter. It’s not personal, either, so please don’t be insulted but it’s just that I have to be honest.” Aiden nodded in understanding, determined not to respond and play it cool at this act of resistance. “After what we’ve been through it would take years, quite frankly, for us to be okay with Addison walking down the aisle again. I know though that that’s not realistic.” He chuckled sadly.
“I understand your concerns, Mr. Blue. But Addison is smart. I think you can trust her on this.”
“Yes, she’s a smart woman, a beautiful driven young lady. Any man in his right mind would want to court and marry my daughter as far as I’m concerned. Furthermore, I can’t tell Addison who to marry and commit to, but, in my opinion, she’s too trusting and leaps before she looks. She wears her heart on her sleeve and it has always led to trouble.”
Aiden could see a wave of sorrow come over the man’s face. He couldn’t fault him for being protective of his children and apparently, this Daniel guy had done a real number on not just Addison, but the entire family. He took a sip of his water and gathered his thoughts.
“I can only imagine how badly you feel about what happened to Addison with her ex-husband, Daniel. I’m not Daniel though, Mr. Blue. He and I are two totally different men and though the past should be a lesson to us all, this also means that just as you are not the same as many of your peers, neither am I. I don’t know the man, but I know from what has been shared that he and I are like night and day. For one, I come from humble beginnings.”
“Yes, Addison has told us quite a bit about you,” her mother spoke up. The lady’s voice was just as commanding as her husband’s, but her facial expression was softer. “We don’t judge people by their economic status. We understand what you do for a living. Addison told us a little about your background and your aspirations to move up the corporate ladder. She says you’re brilliant and quite resourceful. She also said that you’ve got a knack for working with people. That’s good, but how you treat our daughter and how you conduct yourself is what we care about most, Aiden. Now, I agree with my husband that we are a bit uneasy and gun-shy where it pertains to Addison, all of our daughters actually, especially when it comes to such things. You and Addison have only been dating for a few months but she basically described a whirlwind romance. That’s fine; sometimes that works, but where I differ with Jim is that I do in fact trust Addison’s judgement. When she married Daniel, she was quite young and naïve, and everyone makes mistakes.” The woman took another sip of her drink that was there upon his arrival. She held it tight as if needing it desperately. “So, I do want to hear more about you. I have a few questions to get the ball rolling.”
“Of course, yes, ask me whatever you want.” Setting his glass down on the table between them, he gave the woman his undivided attention.
“Thank you. First, please tell us what you love about our daughter. Secondly, what you think you can bring to the table, and lastly, why you wish to marry her.”
Clearing his throat, he began, “I love Addison, Mrs. Blue, because she reminded me of who I am.” Emotions he’d suppressed welled within him. “I am going to be real with you. I was going through quite a hurdle when she and I first met. I wasn’t the problem, but I had a family situation that was wreaking havoc in my life. It was stressful and causing me problems. Look, I am not going to beat around the bush and I don’t know if you’ll look down on me for this, but I can’t change anything about it and I won’t apologize for it either. My mother is an alcoholic, okay?” Addison’s mother sported an unreadable expression, almost as though he’d hadn’t said anything important at all. Her husband looked much the same way, and he wasn’t sure what to make of this. But, he’d keep going. Besides, he’d already peeled back the ugly layers. There was no turning back.
“And your father?” the man asked.
“And my father? Well, I don’t know him, Mr. Blue.” This time, he did see a reaction. It wasn’t exaggerated or over the top, but it was a definite look of concern. “I have a brother who I am very close to. I’ve got great friends from all walks of life. I’m college educated and goal-oriented. Most importantly though, I try to treat people right. I like to make people laugh and have a good time.” At this, Mrs. Blue smiled. “Addison came to me looking for work so she could start fresh after not finding much success searching on her own. The more she and I talked… she came into the office, we spoke on the phone… the stronger our connection became and yeah, it did happen fast.”
“Addison explained that when she initially went out with you, she wasn’t searching for another life partner, just a friend, but yes, she too admitted she soon saw you as so much more.”
“I obviously totally agree. I don’t think either one of us knew what hit us. We weren’t opposed to a relationship obviously, but it just happened in a way neither of us expected. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I didn’t know it at the time, but I came to her looking for love, Mr. and Mrs. Blue, and we both got more than we ever bargained for. In her, I see a friend to me… one who loved me enough to show me that I was worth more than I gave myself credit for. I can’t stand selfishness in people. It ticks me off. But your daughter taught me that it was okay to be selfish when it came to my own wellbeing. Addison is… she’s just, so good to me and for me. She’s funny, she’s determined. She’s a great listener, too.”
He smiled sadly as he recalled their big argument in which she’d forced him to come clean and wash his own sins away.
“What I can bring to the table is my heart, my loyalty, my deep respect for her. I can help support her ongoing goals, I can be a shoulder for her to cry on when things get tough and she can count on me to be there when it matters most. I’m stable, I’m good with money, and I’m reasonable. I don’t always say how I feel, but Addison will never question my love for her. I want to marry her because I can’t imagine growing old with anyone else, Mrs. Blue. Even right now, I am itching to go garage hopping with her. She called me wanting to hang out and do just that, but I had to make up something so she wouldn’t catch onto what I was up to. I wanted to see her though, to spend time with her. Not because I enjoy looking at beat up old stuff that nobody wants but her. I don’t actually.” They all laughed at that. “But because I’d be doing it with her… because honestly, I’d do just about anything she asked me to do, as long as I could be by her side.”
Mr. Blue got to his feet and Mrs. Blue followed. The man walked over to him and extended his hand once again, this time with a broad smile.
“I have my concerns, Aiden, but I am willing to give you a chance. You have my permission to ask for my daughter’s hand in marriage.”
They shook on it, and Aiden’s anxiety melted away instantaneously.
Mrs. Blue wrapped her arms around him and hugged tight. Bringing her lips close to his ear, she said, “I trust my daughter will accept your proposal. So I don’t believe I am premature in saying, ‘Welcome to the family’…”
“Ohhh-cean.”
“That’s right. Repeat it.” Addison held up the thick 3x5 card with the word, ‘ocean’, and a picture of a beach.
“Ohhhh-cean. Ohhh-cean. Ocean.” Yirah smiled as he nodded, pleased with his own progress, and rightfully so. After surviving trauma to the brain due to a horrible car accident, the man had to learn again how to walk, eat, and perform many other tasks that the average able-bodied human being took for granted. Saying simple words were undertakings that he now eagerly tackled.
“You’re getting so much better, Yirah.”
“Thanks.” His smile grew broader.
“All right, that’s it for this session.” Addison checked the time on the wall. The large room they sat in was filled with hard bound books, new computers, comfortable chairs, and a movie screen. Golden Farms spared no expense for the clients, and for that, she was grateful. “I will see you on Wednesday, okay?”
“Yes.” The man got to his feet and slid his coat on.
“Okay.” She stood, too, and extended her hand for a shake. “See you then. Be careful and we’ll talk soon.” Grabbing his book bag, the man headed out. Placing her laptop on her thighs, she began to update her notes on the patient’s therapy session. Her short, freshly painted lavender nails raced across the keys and though the process could be tedious and extensive, she loved her job so much, she didn’t dwell on these mundane tasks. She simply did them.
“May I speak to the best speech pathologist at Golden Farms, please? Someone told me I could find her here.” She swung around in the chair and chuckled, catching her boyfriend standing there in a dark brown coat she’d never seen before.
“Hey, handsome! What are you doing here?” She removed her computer from her lap, set it on a table, and hopped to her feet.
“Oh, just left work a bit early and thought I’d swing by.” She went to pull him into a much-needed embrace. Aiden kissed her cheek, then her lips, and held her tight against him.
Damn, I love him so much…
“I’ve got some great news.” His lips curled in a smile as he took her hand and led her to two chairs situated catty-corner from one another.
“Well, I could use some good news. Good news is always good,” she quipped as they took their seats.
“I got the job. I’ve been promoted to manager.”
“Oh my God!” She leapt up from her seat and jumped on his lap. Aiden cracked up as she layered his face with fast kisses. “This is amazing news! I knew you would get it. I could feel it in my heart of hearts! So wonderful. We’ll need to celebrate.” She got up and grabbed her purse. “My treat, let’s go anywhere you want. Let’s invite Tim, Perry, and—”
“Wait a minute. Come here.” His hooked a finger, beckoning her over, his face becoming rather serious. “Sit back on my lap again.” She smirked, wondering what he was up to, but then obliged. Aiden wrapped his arm around her waist and looked into her eyes. Her stomach flipped as she studied his handsome face.
“What?” she asked with a smile. Running his hand along her thigh, she noticed his chest rise and fall several times before he responded.
“I actually didn’t come over here to tell you I had gotten the job. I had planned to stop by before I even knew this. Something happened.” She couldn’t help but feel concerned at his grave tone. “I was called into my boss’s office and told, first and foremost, that he knows all about us.”
She gasped, not prepared for such a revelation. “Oh, shit. What did he say?”
“I wouldn’t say he was angry and I wouldn’t say he was thrilled.”
“Damn it. How’d he find out?”
“My mother.”
She leaned back, unable to believe her ears.
“What the hell?! Oh my God, why would she do that?” She was surprised the man was smiling at her question.
“Believe it or not, she was worried, trying to help. Not concerned about you and me,” he said. “She knew from one of her last conversations with Perry that I was having trouble with Mark at work.”
“Wow… so you think she was trying to fix things?”
“I know she was. And it did help, actually. I mean, according to my boss I already had the job but it gave him some understanding as to why sometimes I’d come in early, dart off, stay late, and so on. It was the only thing actually that concerned him about me. I always worked forty or more hours a week but you know, things like that don’t always look good at work.” She squeezed him tight, a gesture of comfort. “I’m surprised, actually, because my mother doesn’t do things like that, sober or not. Like I told you though, I haven’t spoken to her since she came up to my job and we had that big argument. I still haven’t spoken to her… I need a little more time I guess but I will eventually.”
Running her fingers through his hair, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his forehead, sealing her love for him with a kiss.
“I need to ask you something, Addison.”
“Yeah… sure, baby. Are you okay?”
The man was practically sweating right in front of her eyes.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I lied to you the other day.”
“About what?”
“I wasn’t at a Pac – Man tournament with Tim.”
“Where were you?” her heart beat a little harder, adrenaline pumping. He hadn’t stated anything alarming, right, or had he? His eyes though, they said it all… he was struggling right before her.
“I was at your parents’ home… telling them I wanted to marry you.” Her eyes grew so large, she could feel the strain. Clasping her mouth with both hands, she simply sat there. The speech pathologist was rendered speechless and dumbstruck… “Yeah, so, I need to ask you something.” He wiggled beneath her. Sliding his hand in his pocket, he pulled out a dark red velvet box.
“You didn’t… AIDEN! YOU DIDN’T!”
He chuckled at her words.
“I did… and your parents said yes, Addison. I am convinced they’re going to keep a close eye on me, but they said yes. So now, baby, it’s your turn.” He popped open the box and showed her one of the most gorgeous rings she’d ever seen. A cluster of crystal clear diamonds came together, shaped like a rose. “Addison, will you marry me?”
Tear after tear fell from her eyes as she looked down at the ring, then back into his eyes, then back at the ring. She could no longer feel her arms, her gut, her legs, her feet. It was as if every part of her body had fallen asleep.
“Yes… I will marry you, Aiden.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with all the passion within her, and he met her fire with fire. When they managed to tear away from one another, she extended her hand and watched in awe as he slid the ring onto her finger.
“Perfect fit.”
“Yes… we are the perfect fit, aren’t we?”
He kissed her once more before their fingers intertwined and they simply stared at one another, as if taking each other in and falling in love for the first time…