Searching For a New Beginning Part 9
Ezra himself can't believe what he had just said to Daisy. Had he basically just asked Daisy to marry him??? He wants to take it back, but he knows he can't. His heart and his mind are have a screaming match at each other. YES! His heart screams. NO! You're not ready! His mind screams back.
Daisy just looks at him. He can tell she is totally and utterly stunned. He doesn't think he's ever seen her speechless before.
"Ezra, are you serious?"
He nervously nods his head yes. He thinks he means yes anyway.
"We can't talk about his here!" She whispers loudly and pulls him to a corner of the room.
"Why not?"
"Why not?! Because!"
Ezra almost laughs at Daisy's awkwardness. "Because why?"
"Because it's your daughter's graduation, that's why."
"So? You're leaving tomorrow. When else are we going to talk about it?"
"When we get home. Now you should be spending time with your daughter." She pushes him away without saying another word.
She sighs deeply and rubs her temples. Marriage? She leans back against the wall. Sure, she had been searching for a relationship with Ezra, but marriage hadn't crossed her mind. At least not this soon anyway. She isn't sure if she'll be able to come up with an answer for him.
*****
Samantha is off playing with her friends and Ezra doesn't feel like disturbing her. He sees Sarah sitting in a chair drinking punch and decides to go talk to her for awhile.
"How's the punch?" he asks sitting down in the chair next to her.
"Needs a little vodka," she jokes finishing it up. "What happened to Daisy?"
"I dunno," he sighs. "I probably just blew it anyway."
"Blew it? Did you two just get into a fight?"
"No." He's not sure if he should tell her or not. She is, after all, the mother of his late wife. But he figures it's ok. She already knows they're in a relationship. "I kinda just popped the question."
Sarah's eyes light up with happiness. "Oh, Ezra! That's wonderful news!" Then she gets a look of sympathy on her face. "Did she say no?"
"She might as well have. She said we'll talk about it when we get home."
"Don't take it too personally, dear. I'm sure this is a big decision for her. You're probably the only person who's ever asked her."
He gives a small smile. "I hope you're right. With Kaylee it was so much easier. She just jumped into my arms and said yes."
"Kaylee was a very different girl. She just went ahead and did things and they always seemed to turn out right."
"Thanks, Sarah," he says graciously.
You're welcome. You're just like a son to me, Ezra. I care about what happens in your life."
He smiles. He had never known she felt that way about him. He always used to figure she was just nice to him because he's the father of her only grandchild.
"Everything will work out for you," she assures him.
*****
The car ride home is long and almost silent. Daisy and Ezra don't say a word to each other. Samantha chatters nonstop about her plans for the summer. Ezra watches the lines on the road as he drives and wonders what Daisy is thinking. Her face is expressionless and she stares out the window. She was never one for showing too much emotion.
After it seems like forever, the car finally rolls into the driveway. Samantha runs into the house eager to change out of her graduation clothes. Daisy slowly climbs out of the car and slams the door behind her.
"Well," Sarah says almost perkily. "I'll go help Samantha." She gives Ezra a little wink and follows the little girl into the house.
"You told her, didn't you?" Daisy asks.
"Yeah," He answers. "I tell her everything."
Silence.
Ezra is waiting for some sort of answer. Yes, no, maybe, ANYTHING! But all Daisy does is stand there awkwardly. He looks at her expectantly hoping she gets the picture.
"Can we take a walk?" she finally asks.
"Sure."
They start out towards the beach. Seems they have all their important talks along the beach. It's low tide and the waves gently lap up against the shore. They sun is just starting to set and the sky is lit with brilliant hues of purple and pink.
"Ezra," Daisy begins. "Are you sure this is what you really want?"
"Yes," he answers immediately. "Peter always taught us to follow our hearts and that's what I'm doing."
"We've only been together a week. And we haven't seen eachother in ten years. How do you know this is for real?"
"You're still the same Daisy. Not as sarcastic, maybe, but you're still the same Daisy that I loved at Horizon. And continued to care about all these years."
"I'm leaving tomorrow morning. I have a life back in Nevada. We live thousands of miles apart."
Ezra's heart is breaking. It sounds like she is saying no. But she can't just come out and say it. She's got to make excuses.
"But you told me before that you could move your accounting firm out here. Or you could find a new job here, if you want."
"I know I said that. But at the time I didn't think we would get in this deep. I can't just leave everything I've worked for behind. And what about Samantha? I've never been good with kids. I'm not ready to be a mother."
"So what are you trying to say?"
"I'm sorry, Ezra. I can't marry you."
Ezra himself can't believe what he had just said to Daisy. Had he basically just asked Daisy to marry him??? He wants to take it back, but he knows he can't. His heart and his mind are have a screaming match at each other. YES! His heart screams. NO! You're not ready! His mind screams back.
Daisy just looks at him. He can tell she is totally and utterly stunned. He doesn't think he's ever seen her speechless before.
"Ezra, are you serious?"
He nervously nods his head yes. He thinks he means yes anyway.
"We can't talk about his here!" She whispers loudly and pulls him to a corner of the room.
"Why not?"
"Why not?! Because!"
Ezra almost laughs at Daisy's awkwardness. "Because why?"
"Because it's your daughter's graduation, that's why."
"So? You're leaving tomorrow. When else are we going to talk about it?"
"When we get home. Now you should be spending time with your daughter." She pushes him away without saying another word.
She sighs deeply and rubs her temples. Marriage? She leans back against the wall. Sure, she had been searching for a relationship with Ezra, but marriage hadn't crossed her mind. At least not this soon anyway. She isn't sure if she'll be able to come up with an answer for him.
*****
Samantha is off playing with her friends and Ezra doesn't feel like disturbing her. He sees Sarah sitting in a chair drinking punch and decides to go talk to her for awhile.
"How's the punch?" he asks sitting down in the chair next to her.
"Needs a little vodka," she jokes finishing it up. "What happened to Daisy?"
"I dunno," he sighs. "I probably just blew it anyway."
"Blew it? Did you two just get into a fight?"
"No." He's not sure if he should tell her or not. She is, after all, the mother of his late wife. But he figures it's ok. She already knows they're in a relationship. "I kinda just popped the question."
Sarah's eyes light up with happiness. "Oh, Ezra! That's wonderful news!" Then she gets a look of sympathy on her face. "Did she say no?"
"She might as well have. She said we'll talk about it when we get home."
"Don't take it too personally, dear. I'm sure this is a big decision for her. You're probably the only person who's ever asked her."
He gives a small smile. "I hope you're right. With Kaylee it was so much easier. She just jumped into my arms and said yes."
"Kaylee was a very different girl. She just went ahead and did things and they always seemed to turn out right."
"Thanks, Sarah," he says graciously.
You're welcome. You're just like a son to me, Ezra. I care about what happens in your life."
He smiles. He had never known she felt that way about him. He always used to figure she was just nice to him because he's the father of her only grandchild.
"Everything will work out for you," she assures him.
*****
The car ride home is long and almost silent. Daisy and Ezra don't say a word to each other. Samantha chatters nonstop about her plans for the summer. Ezra watches the lines on the road as he drives and wonders what Daisy is thinking. Her face is expressionless and she stares out the window. She was never one for showing too much emotion.
After it seems like forever, the car finally rolls into the driveway. Samantha runs into the house eager to change out of her graduation clothes. Daisy slowly climbs out of the car and slams the door behind her.
"Well," Sarah says almost perkily. "I'll go help Samantha." She gives Ezra a little wink and follows the little girl into the house.
"You told her, didn't you?" Daisy asks.
"Yeah," He answers. "I tell her everything."
Silence.
Ezra is waiting for some sort of answer. Yes, no, maybe, ANYTHING! But all Daisy does is stand there awkwardly. He looks at her expectantly hoping she gets the picture.
"Can we take a walk?" she finally asks.
"Sure."
They start out towards the beach. Seems they have all their important talks along the beach. It's low tide and the waves gently lap up against the shore. They sun is just starting to set and the sky is lit with brilliant hues of purple and pink.
"Ezra," Daisy begins. "Are you sure this is what you really want?"
"Yes," he answers immediately. "Peter always taught us to follow our hearts and that's what I'm doing."
"We've only been together a week. And we haven't seen eachother in ten years. How do you know this is for real?"
"You're still the same Daisy. Not as sarcastic, maybe, but you're still the same Daisy that I loved at Horizon. And continued to care about all these years."
"I'm leaving tomorrow morning. I have a life back in Nevada. We live thousands of miles apart."
Ezra's heart is breaking. It sounds like she is saying no. But she can't just come out and say it. She's got to make excuses.
"But you told me before that you could move your accounting firm out here. Or you could find a new job here, if you want."
"I know I said that. But at the time I didn't think we would get in this deep. I can't just leave everything I've worked for behind. And what about Samantha? I've never been good with kids. I'm not ready to be a mother."
"So what are you trying to say?"
"I'm sorry, Ezra. I can't marry you."