8 Weeks (16 page)

“Yeah, come on in.” He stood off to the side to allow me to pass. When I did he said, “And, son, you can always call me Dad.”

And just like that, my fear turned to relief.

I walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, waiting for him to sit in his chair before looking him in the eye.

Shelly’s father and I had always had an amazing relationship; well, once we got over the initial dating phase and he realized that I truly loved his daughter. Being a single father, he was understandably protective of Shelly, and I’d always respected the job he’d done raising her on his own.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been by to see you before now,” I began, wringing my hands in my lap as I tried to work through everything I wanted to say to the man who’d been like a second father to me. “At first I was too ashamed, and then I was simply too embarrassed. I betrayed Shelly, but I also let you and my family down, and I’m truly sorry for that. I know you expected more of me… To treat your daughter with dignity and respect, and I failed at that, but I promise you it was never my intent. I love Shelly, I always will, and I’ve been doing everything I can to try and convince her of that.”

Chuck settled back into his chair and looked at me thoughtfully.

“I’ll admit when Shelly first came home that night, devastated, I wanted to string you up by your balls for what you’d done, but after she calmed down and explained things I settled down a bit. I still wanted to hurt you, but a little less maniacally. Once she told me that she wanted a divorce, but you convinced her to go on these dates with you, so you can prove her that you belong together, I realized that you were still the boy who loved my daughter implicitly.”

I nodded my agreement, eager for him to understand that I was still that guy.

“I don’t know if you’ve convinced Shelly not to go through with the divorce; my girl can be stubborn when she sets her mind to things, but I do believe that you’re doing everything you can, and no matter the outcome, you can be confident that you have,” he paused and leaned forward, settling his arms on his knees. “When my Gina passed away, leaving me with a toddler and no experience in raising little girls, I didn’t know how I was going to manage. But, somehow, Shelly and I figured it out, and I couldn’t be prouder of the woman she’s become. You had a part in helping her grow into who she is today, and I’ll always be grateful to you for loving her the way you do, but, Cal, if she decides that she can’t forgive you and she wants that divorce, you’re going to have to let her go.”

I felt sick at the thought, and as much as didn’t want to believe that divorce was going to be Shelly’s final decision, I wasn’t a fool enough to realize it was a strong possibility.

“Yes, sir, I understand that, and as much as I’d hate to let her go, I will. I want her to be happy, and if she can’t be happy with me, I’ll walk away.”

Chuck nodded, his eyes sad.

“I never thought the two of you would be in this place, son, I have to admit… But everyone makes mistakes. It’s what we learn from them, and how we change, that determines the people that we become. You’ll be fine, Cal, no matter what happens.”

“Yes, sir,” I said as I stood, my nerves back in full force. “I’m not giving up yet though. I came here today, not just to apologize to you, but to let you know that for our last date, I plan to recreate my proposal to Shelly. I love her and, over the past few weeks, I’ve done everything I could to show her what our future could look like. Now I want her to know that I’m recommitting myself to her and this marriage, that she can trust me, and that I will spend the rest of my days proving it to her.”

Chuck stood and clapped his hand on my shoulder, leaving it there as he said, “That sounds perfect, son.”

I looked the older man in the eye and gave him my first real smile since I’d arrived.

“I’d like to ask you for her hand in marriage, just like I did before I proposed the first time,” I said sincerely. “I promise to spend the rest of my life making your daughter happy.”

He grinned back at me, and I was taken back to that life-changing night, over six years ago, when we stood in this very spot. “There is no other man that I would trust with my daughter as much as I trust you, Cal. You have my blessing.”

Then he pulled me into his arms and held me tightly.

Chapter 34 – Shelly

I sat at my desk, barely hearing the soft music of Hunter Hayes coming from my speakers as I drifted off into a daydream about being at the concert with Cal. The last few weeks had been amazing, and I had to admit that I was impressed by the dates he had planned so far. I was eager to see what he would pick for our final date this weekend.

I couldn’t believe that it had been eight weeks already. Eight weeks since that horrible night that changed everything about our relationship.

I still didn’t know what I was going to do. I appreciated the effort that Cal had put into winning me over, and I knew that I did still love him; I just wasn’t a hundred percent sure that I could forgive and forget what he’d done. And if I wasn’t one hundred percent, there was no way that I could spend the rest of my life with him.

It was scary to think of my life without Cal. He’d done way more for me than just keep my gas tank full and my coffee stocked. He’d always been my partner in the truest sense of the word, and being apart from him over the past few weeks had really helped me realize that. I missed the way he’d buy my favorite snacks every time he went to the store, sometimes stopping by my office and leaving them on my desk, so I’d walk in to a sweet surprise. He’s also kept a secret stash of chocolate at the shop for whenever I stopped by to see him.

I missed meeting him for lunch, and planning out special meals for us to try together. I missed hanging out with our friends, the group of us enjoying a drink or playing games together. Most of all I missed talking to him every night before I went to bed. We used to just lay in bed, talking about our hopes and dreams before drifting off to sleep.

As much as I loved Sasha and Gaby, Cal had been my best friend for the past eight years. I hated to imagine the rest of my life without him.

“Shelly?” I looked up to see Carlos hovering outside my door. Things had been pretty awkward between us since I’d turned him down, and I hoped we’d be able to move past it soon.

“Yes?” I asked with a smile, hoping to ease the tension a bit.

“Um, someone is here to see you. He asked me to come back and see if you had a minute,” Carlos replied.

“Oh, yes. Please send him back,” I responded, curious about who my visitor could be. I wasn’t expecting anyone today. “Thanks, Carlos.”

A few minutes later I grinned broadly, when Craig poked his head around the corner.

“Hey, Shel, I hope it’s okay for me to stop by,” he said sheepishly as I stood up and rounded my desk to give him a hug.

“Of course it is,” I said, genuinely happy to see him. “You can come by any time. I’m surprised to see you though,” I said with a glance to the clock on the wall. “Shouldn’t you be in school?”

“I’m on lunch. I only have a couple minutes,” he replied as I guided him to the chair in front of my desk.

We sat there for a moment, and when I realized he wasn’t going to say anything without encouragement I asked, “So … what brought you by?”

He flushed and looked down at his hands, before bringing his eyes up to meet mine.

“There’s this girl …”

“Oh goody,” I said with a grin, leaning forward on my desk and clapping my hands together. “What’s she like?”

“She’s cool. She likes poetry and art and stuff. She’s nothing like the girls that hang out at my baseball games; she couldn’t care less about that stuff.”

“What’s the problem?” I asked. Craig was a catch, and I was sure I wasn’t being biased; any girl in her right mind would be excited to catch his attention. “Have you asked her out?”

Craig ran his hands through his hair, his face baffled.

“She said no.”

I tried not to laugh at his shock over a girl telling him no, but he was beyond adorable.

“Don’t give up,” I encouraged. “You said she isn’t like other girls, so you can’t expect her to throw herself at your feet just because you asked her out. If you really want to go out with her, you may have to work a little harder.”

“How do I do that?”

“I don’t know … Pay attention to what she likes to do, maybe show up at a place that she likes to go. You said she likes poetry and art. See if there are any open mic nights, or talk to her friends and see if she likes museums. Do a little research and show her that you are interested in who she is and what she likes,” I suggested.

Craig nodded, his face breaking into a sunny smile. He looked so much like Cal at that age, it made my heart clench.

“Okay, I can do that. Thanks, Shel.”

“Anytime, really. And let me know what happens!”

He stood up, so I got up and went around the desk to pull him into a quick hug before he left.

“Hey, Shel?” he asked before walking out.

“Yeah?”

“I know that you have to make a decision that’s going to work for you, but I really hope you give Cal another shot. And if you don’t, I hope you’ll still see us as your family.”

Touched, I brought my hands up to Craig’s face and promised, “You’ll always be my family.”

Chapter 35 – Cal

“Thank you all so much for coming,” I said to the gang after the last person, Sasha of course, had arrived.

“Of course,” Gaby and Scott said simultaneously.

“What’s up?” TJ asked.

While Sasha just raised her perfectly manicured eyebrow at me.

I looked at all of them, my best friends, seated around the garage and watching me expectantly.

“As all of you know, this Saturday is date number eight. It’s my last chance to convince Shelly that she should trust me, forgive me, and continue to spend the rest of her life with me. If I fail, she is going to file for divorce. That’s a fact. Hell, she would have divorced me eight weeks ago if I hadn’t convinced her to agree to my plan. As promised, if that’s what she decides, I’ll sign the papers willingly. But … I’m going to do whatever I can to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“What are you going to do?” Gaby asked, sadness taking over her pretty face.

“That’s why I’ve called you all here, just like I did six and a half years ago …”

“Are you serious?” This came from Sasha, by far the most cynical of the group.

I nodded and looked around the room at my friends, as what I’m asking begins to register with all of them.

Six and a half years ago, we were all seniors in high school, but even then, I knew that Shelly was the girl that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I began to plan my proposal for the night of our graduation, and I enlisted all of our friends to help me make it as special as possible.

Sasha had been in charge of dressing Shelly, because I figured she’d want to look her best for the night of her engagement. Sasha had taken her shopping for a graduation outfit, and had ensured that she looked amazing for the night that was to come.

Scott and Gaby had been in charge of turning the roof of our gymnasium into a magical place. They’d covered it in twinkling lights, flowers, and candles, and had made it more beautiful than I ever could have imagined it.

TJ had been in charge of getting Shelly to the roof of the gym, where I would be waiting, in the middle of the flowers and twinkling lights, to ask her to marry me.

I still don’t know what he’d said to get her up there; that had always been a secret between the two of them that they had refused to divulge, but the end result was still the same … On the evening of our graduation, I had waited in my suit and tie, breathless and nervous, for Shelly to meet me on the roof. She’d opened the door and stepped out, her eyes surveying the area in awe, before landing on me. Her smile had been wide, but puzzled, and she’d walked toward me slowly. When she’d almost reached me, I dropped to my knee and told her all of the reasons why I needed her in my life forever.

We’d cried together, and she said yes. It was the most amazing night of my life, and all of our friends had been there to help us celebrate.

“You want to recreate that night,” Scott said. “The night you proposed.

“I do,” I replied. “If that doesn’t work … Nothing will.”

“What if she says no?” Gaby asked softly, her face still wrought with worry. Out of all of our friends, she was the one who took things to heart the most. I knew, if Shelly and I divorced, she would take it the hardest out of all of our friends, and I loved her dearly for it.

“If she says no … I’ll deal with it, Gaby. I’ll have no choice. She gave me eight weeks, I can’t ask for more than that,” I answered truthfully. “I’ll never stop loving her, but I’ll have to move on with my life.”

Gaby nodded sadly, a tear running down her cheek. I walked over to her and wiped her face with my palm.

“Happy thoughts, Gabs,” I said with a smile. “I’m not going out without a fight.”

She took a deep breath and nodded, giving me a watery smile.

I turned and looked at each of my friends in the eyes before asking, “Are you all in?”

“You know it, brother,” Scott said. “Gaby and I know where to go and what to get to make the roof look the same as it did that night.”

I turned to TJ.

“Yeah, man … I’ll get her there. You just let me know what time,” TJ said with a grin.

I looked at Sasha, who didn’t look convinced.

“What?” she asked. “You want me to take her shopping? What if
this
isn’t one of the greatest nights of her life, but rather … one of the worst? Do you really want her to remember it forever?”

“No, Sasha, I don’t expect you to help her get dressed up. I couldn’t care less what she is wearing, and you’re right, this night could go either way … Really good, or really bad. I just want you to take her out beforehand and get her something nice. Something that will make her happy, regardless of the outcome of the night. As before, I’ll give you the money … I just want you to make sure she’s happy. I know that you’re still pissed at me, I get it … But you have to know that I love her, and that I always will, regardless of the dumbass mistake that I made.”