Total pages in book: 8
Estimated words: 7335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 37(@200wpm)___ 29(@250wpm)___ 24(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 7335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 37(@200wpm)___ 29(@250wpm)___ 24(@300wpm)
It’s seventh period, about ten minutes left in the day. My ninth graders are taking a test on Of Mice and Men when the door opens, and a Tina Dobrev enters the room, dressed in her band uniform. She was not wearing that earlier today when she was in my eleventh-grade class.
“What’s wrong, Tina?” I ask, getting up from my desk and rushing over to her, worried that something terrible has happened.
“Oh, nothing, Miss Montgomery. I’m supposed to give you this note from Coach Eddie,” she says, handing me a folded piece of paper.
“Oooh,” my ninth graders say.”
“Eyes back on your papers,” I say in my best authoritarian voice.
“See you later, Miss Montgomery. Oh, and stick to the note,” Tina says in a sing-song voice.
“Thank you, Tina,” I manage to say before she’s out the door.
I sit back down behind my desk, open the piece of paper, and read what he has written in his familiar chicken scratch.
Dory-Baby,
Meet me on the football after the last bell… take the Anchor Hall path.
I love you, E
He probably just wants me to watch football practice. There is a scrimmage game on Friday night before the regular season starts the following Friday.
I collect the tests after the bell rings and grab my phone and my purse before leaving my classroom. The Telescope Beach High School’s mascot is the Titan, so everything has a nautical theme. Anchor Hall, Periscope Hall, etcetera, so when I get to Anchor Hall, which is an outdoor corridor, I immediately notice hundreds, maybe thousands, of flowers strewn about the floor. Since they are a mix of Gerber daisies and daffodils, my favorites, I smile.
Then I start noticing people. My brother, Doyle, his wife, Tarah, and my niece, Polly. I wave at them, but they just smile.
Then my grandmother, who lives in Tampa.
“Gran?” I ask, going over to hug her.
“Get on, move on, girl,” she says, winking at me.
Now, I know something is up, because my mom’s dad, who lives in Philadelphia, is standing there. I haven’t seen him since Christmas two years ago. Is this an elaborate proposal? Surely not, we just met two weeks ago.
“Pappy? Tell me, what’s going on?”
“You really don’t know, do you lass?” he asks, his Irish accent thick and familiar.
“No, I don’t,” I murmur. He tucks my hair away from my face on my scarred side. I usually hide it at school since kids can be mean, but no one has ever said anything to me.
“Go on, lass.” I walk further down the hall. My sister, who is in middle school, is practically bouncing up and down next to my parents. She was a surprise. A welcome and well-loved surprise.
“Donna?” She doesn’t say anything, just hands me another piece of paper.
Walk faster, baby. E.
I smile and nod at Donna.
My mom just squeezes my hand, and my dad looks happy and sad at the same time.
“Daddy?”
“Go on, Dorene. You’re almost there, sweet girl.”
Then I get out to the football field. The school’s marching band is there in formation. As soon as my shoes hit the grass, they start playing. It takes me a minute to realize what song they are playing: Hands to Myself by Selena Gomez, the song I sang to him our first night together,
“Dory-Baby, I’ve got a question for you,” he says, coming over to me. The band finishes their song, and tears fill my eyes. I should have known this was what was happening. Edwin gets down on one knee and holds open a ring box.
“Oh, God,” I say as he grabs my hand with his free hand.
“When I met you, Dorene, I knew you were something special. In that first second, I knew; I just didn’t realize how important you’d become or how quickly that would happen. I meant what I said when I said you are my first, my last, and my everything. I want to be your husband; will you be my wife?”
I let my tears fall then. I never thought this would happen to me. That I’d be so comfortable with someone seeing all of me that we’d get to this point. I nod like a mad woman, and he slides the ring on my finger.
“I never thought anyone would ever make me feel beautiful or loved like you have, especially not as fast as this, so yes, Edwin Larroquette, I will marry you.”
“Thank God,” he says, coming to his feet. He pulls me into his arms, kissing me, rather chastely for us, as the band starts to play again and the other students cheer. I laugh, and my mom and grandmother come up to me, giving me hugs. I watch as my dad and brother shake his hand. For the first time, I notice Uncle Joey on the field with his family.
How did he do this? He’s only been here two weeks, and already everybody loves him.