IT WAS THAT time of year again, and the seniors’ names were written on the window at Mustard Seed. And this time, Dallas Dodge’s name was among them.
Bennett could not possibly have been prouder of his son, or the work he had put in over the past three years to graduate. He had been behind, and it had been a struggle getting here, but he was here, he was doing it.
And so much of Bennett’s own work as a father was done. It was strange. The past three years had been the most defining in his life. They had made him a father. And he had become a husband.
As he sat down in the bleachers at the football field while the graduates readied themselves, Kaylee grabbed hold of his arm, her ring shining in the sunlight.
That weekend at the bed-and-breakfast, he’d eventually gotten around to getting down on one knee and giving her the ring properly. Sometime much, much later in that first day. After he made love to her so many times he’d lost count.
Even now, the memory made him smile. Made his heart beat faster.
That weekend had been important. It had established a foundation for who they were as a couple. After so many years of being friends, it had been...necessary. To find that romance. To find out who they were as a couple, away from everything else.
It had been surprisingly easy. Like everything they’d been holding back for years had just been waiting. Waiting for them to wise up and realize what they both needed.
When their son was called up to the stage, Bennett and Kaylee stood, cheering and clapping, the whole Dodge section making a spectacle as Dallas crossed the stage to collect his diploma. When the ceremony was over, they all met on the field for a barbecue, families and students in black robes milling around. Dallas, for his part, ditched his hat almost immediately. But he held on to that diploma.
He surprised Bennett by crossing the lawn quickly, heading away from his friends and his girlfriend and straight for Kaylee and Bennett. He grabbed hold of Kaylee and gave her a hug. And then, he wrapped his arms around Bennett.
“I love you, Dad,” he said.
Bennett’s chest tightened, emotion almost overwhelming him. “I love you too, son.”
“I’m going to go hang out,” he said, clapping Bennett on the back as he headed back toward his friends. And Bennett just stood there, staring.
“I guess we did it,” he said to Kaylee. “We’re empty nesters.”
“He doesn’t go to school until fall,” Kaylee pointed out.
“Still,” Bennett said, “it was like we were on some kind of accelerated program.”
“We were.”
“I guess so,” he said, rubbing his chest.
“Bennett,” Kaylee said, grabbing his hand and pulling him close. “You don’t have to worry about us being empty nesters for very long.”
Bennett jerked back. “What?”
“I would say that with Dallas not leaving until October, we’re really only going to have an empty house for about five months.”
“Kaylee Dodge,” he said, grabbing hold of her chin and looking at her square in the eye. “Are you telling me what I think you’re telling me?”
“Yes,” she said. “I’m pregnant.”
Bennett picked up his wife and swung her in a circle, kissing her right on the high school football field he should have kissed her on years ago. Back when he’d been too stupid to know she was the one for him.
Back when he’d been too afraid for her to be.
A baby. More family. More love.
Things in his life definitely hadn’t gone according to his plans. And thank God.
Because it had all gone much, much better.
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