Chapter 35
Rex
I stopped at the door when I heard the news that was being spoken about in the house. It was the same subject that Charlie and I had just had outside. Did Rose know that it was my child that we were discussing?
It didn’t seem to be the case when she got this horrified look on her face. It occurred to me then that she wasn’t ready to tell people or me that she was pregnant. She had told her brother from what sounded like out of need and now she was telling her mom. Rose wasn’t going to let it go that long without a man named and it seemed like I was there at the right time. This was my baby and I wanted to be in it’ life, as well as the mother. I loved Sherry and something that I thought may be done between us, I now realized that it was going to be okay to do it here. With her father and her mother present, no pressure.
“What news is this?”
“Rex, I just heard the best news that I have heard in a long time. It seems as though I won’t have to wait on you boys to bring me grandchildren any longer.”
I looked to Charlie and he tried to look shocked. I think he was, but only because Rose knew now as well.
“What? Sherry is pregnant?”
He looked to his sister, a question of why she said anything in his eyes that he couldn’t erase. “Well that is good news.”
“It is son, isn’t it?! I didn’t know why you wanted to come home and have everyone here Sherry, but it was a good idea. Now I am starting to see why and I am glad you called.”
She looked down and her face turned red. I don’t think she wanted me or Charlie to know that we were here because of her. I could see that Charlie was piecing it all together and he looked nervous. He didn’t want Rosalyn to know that I was going to be the father, but it was something that was going to come out anyways. It was all about to come out and I took a deep breath, readying myself for it.
“It wasn’t for this mother. I thought that it would be nice to have dinner. I didn’t want it to come out like this.” Sherry was looking at her father who was rather surprised about the whole thing. I didn’t blame him. I was still shocked and this was my second time hearing it.
“So who is the lucky man? When are we going to meet him?”
Sherry looked to me with a question in her eyes and it was then that she realized she hadn’t told me. I could see it in her expression and she looked down like she wasn’t sure what to say. I could have stood there and let her figure it out, but I figured it was best to start with the truth. It was always the right way to go.
“I am the father. We were going to say something later, together, but you know how Sherry likes to let the cat out of the bag early.”
Her smile was worth the looks I was getting from everyone in the kitchen. This was truly going to be a night to remember, yet it is so different then how I saw it all happening. I had really thought that it would be best to put it out there. Now I wasn’t so sure.
“You, Rex?”
It was Rosalyn that spoke up first and I could tell that she was very surprised that I was the one. None of them knew of our relationship and I could see that everyone there was trying to process it. Sherry was the only one that really looked at me then and I could tell that I had put her in an even stranger position. Charlie was practically shaking with fury next to me. I told him that I was going to do right by her and it started right now, right here in front of all of her family.
“Yes Sherry and I have been seeing each other since she got back. I don’t know what happened, but we fell in love and as they say it, the rest is history.”
There wasn’t a sound made in the house. I could hear only the slow tick of the timer on the oven. I looked to what was making the noise and I saw that there was only another minute left before the buzzer went off. It felt like that was how much time I had get it all out in the open and come here to do what I had decided I was going to do before I heard about this news.
“Sherry, you didn’t say anything!? What a bit of news we are getting today. I am speechless! I really and truly don’t know what to say right now.”
“Me either mother. This was not supposed to go down like this.”
“I have more to say Sherry and I would like to share this moment with the rest of your family.”
“Share what?”
“The moment that I ask you to marry me.”
Her face was the perfect sight of innocence and confusion. She had not seen that coming, of that I was clear, but it was perfect to see her in such a way. She smiled at me and it was then that I remembered the lump in my jacket pocket that was a constant reminder of what I had planned to do tonight.
I took it out and opened up the box, hearing a gasp from Rosalyn’s direction. Kneeling on the kitchen floor, I asked her again. This time I did it the right way and stared up into her beautiful face. I needed the answer that was at her lips and I kneeled there, waiting to hear the words that I ached to hear.
She was like her mother, not able to come up with much to say and I don’t know why it looked so good on her. She as blushing and like me a moment ago, all eyes was now on her, waiting to see what her answer would be. I know what I wanted it to be.
“Are you serious Rex? I mean, we haven’t really talked about any of this before. Are you sure you are ready for this?”
Rosalyn shook her head. “Child, what are you doing? Answer this man.”
She looked at Rosalyn and she was even more spooked than before. “I will. I am. I just. I didn’t see this coming is all. We haven’t talked about this before and it is coming as quite a shock right now at the moment.”
“So what do you say Sherry? Are you going to give me an answer and make me the happiest man on Earth?”
“Yes Rex. I will marry you.”
I stood up and embraced her. It had been literally weeks and weeks since I had been able to do it and she felt so right in my arms. It was the feeling that I had missed so completely before, but now she was mine and I was never going to let her go.
There were congratulations all around and I looked at Charlie once I was done hugging Sherry to me. I waited for him to say anything, I knew what he was thinking, but he just kind of grinned and patted me on the back.
“Welcome to the family Rex, though you have been a part of our family for a long time now.”
“Yes you have Rex. I can’t believe this news! My daughter is getting married and she is going to have a baby! I couldn’t be happier, really.”
The two women embraced and her father slapped me on the back as well. I could tell that he was feeling more like his son than his wife, still not sure. I had always looked up to him, he was a good man and maybe the announcement wouldn’t have been so unwelcomed if it hadn’t been following an announcement of the fact that I had knocked her up as well.
“You better take care of her Rex. She will always be my little girl.”
“Of course, Sir. I will spend my life making her happy.”
“Good, you are a good man and she couldn’t have picked better. I just wish that there was a slower engagement in our future. The women are going to froth this up in now time. How quickly are you two going to get married?”
We hadn’t talked about it, at all. I hadn’t spoken to his daughter in several weeks, but I knew what my answer to that question was.
“I am going to marry her as soon as she will let me. Tomorrow if possible.”
The older man grinned and told me that it was a good answer. Sherry overheard the conversation and smiled at me. It was the kind that stuck me in the heart and promised to never let go.
“Tomorrow sounds really good.”
BUZZ