Present Day
Isaac walked into the house about thirty minutes before Mandie had to leave for work, ready to hear her out about the adoption thing. Their family had been touched by adoption and he wasn't completely against the idea.
In the fall, Nicki would be off to college and Mandie may even want to stay home with the baby and Lizzie would for sure love that as well. Isaac thought back to how hard it had been to wait to have children. Nicki and Lizzie had been the biggest blessings once they decided it was time.
"Babe?" he called, figuring she'd be in the kitchen.
"Morning, Daddy," Lizzie said from the table, as she ate her frosted flakes.
"Morning, Lizzie. Where's Mom?
"Right here," Mandie said, dressed to the nines in her suit and carrying her briefcase.
Isaac whistled at her, making her blush. "Stop that now. I'm glad you're home. I need to get to the office early."
"Oh. I thought….I thought you wanted to have a certain conversation this morning."
"I know. You're off tonight, right?"
"Yeah."
"So, maybe Lizzie and Nick can stay with your parents tonight and we can have dinner."
"Sure." He leaned down and gave her a kiss and then once more. "I love you."
"I love you too." She kissed the top of Lizzie's head. "And you, bug."
"Bye, Mommy."
"Bye. You be good at school today."
"I will."
BACK TO THE STORY
Mid July
Jonah hugged Ray tighter, not wanting to be separated again.
"I love you, Joe."
"I love you more."
It was super exciting to be heading to college. To finally be moving forward and toward his and Raylinn's future. But it was scary too.
He kissed her once more and smiled. "I'll see you in a few weeks."
They were planning to see each other the week before their classes started when she traveled to Hidden Lake before she was off to Bowling Green.
"Mmhm," she said, forcing herself to pull away from him. "Go, Joe," she said, her voice breaking. "Please, this is just so hard."
"Okay." One more kiss and he got in his car and drove off, refusing to look at her in the mirror.
After he was sure he wasn't going to lose it, he called his parents.
"Hi, Jonah!" Elizabeth said, Hope babbling nearby.
"Hey, Mom. I'm on my way back."
"How are you doing?"
"Please don't ask. I'm not entirely sure I can hold it together if I talk about it."
"Oh, sorry."
"How are you, Mom?"
"I'm hanging in there."
"What's wrong?"
"Well, we will talk when you get home."
"Mom, please. Is it serious?"
"No, babe. Everything is just fine. I promise."
"Okay. Well, I'll see you late tonight then."
"See you then. Drive safe."
"Promise."
Isaac and Mandie worked together at the diner, saving as many tips as they could, knowing a car would be helpful in the coming few years.
After work, they sat in the booth in the back, eating a plate of fries and drinking double chocolate milkshakes while they talked.
"I think she's pregnant," Isaac told Mandie. "She's acting like she had when she was with Hope, just worse."
"That would be great! Another sibling." Mandie wished that she had a sibling. She hated being the only child. "Isaac, when we have kids, let's make sure there is more than one. I really want them to always have someone to play with or tell secrets to."
"Sure. Whatever you want."
"Don't you want to have kids?"
"Sure. Well, honestly, I've never thought much about it. I mean, it's fun having Hope around, so I guess having our own might be kinda cool."
"Yeah."
"Mandie, if you want kids, we will have kids."
"I don't want to have them if my husband doesn't." She pushed the fries away, stuffed her pile of ones in her apron and stood. "I'll see you tomorrow, Isaac."
"You're mad? Seriously?"
"I'm not….crap. I love you, Isaac but this could be a deal breaker for me."
"What? Mandie, I don't understand. Why are we talking about this? We aren't even seventeen. We can't even get married for like ten years. Why is this important now?"
"If you don't know, I….I just don't know what to say."
He watched Mandie walk away, down the sidewalk. They always walked home together and he wasn't going to break that tradition now.
"Wait, Mandie! Please."
He had to run to catch up but once he did, he softly took her hand and stopped her momentum. The tears rolling down her face killed him.
"Why….Mandie, please don't cry. I'm so sorry that I upset you."
"I know we are young, Isaac, but…I want to be a mom. I really do. You and me…if we get married.."
"What do you mean, if?"
"What if we don't? Maybe it's not fair for me to get upset when there is so much that comes before that step."
She started walking again. "Mandie, do you not want to marry me?"
"What if I said, I don't know? Will you hate me?"
"Of course not. I would ask what changed? On our date we made plans. I thought that's what we were doing anyway."
"I love you. I think we need to take a break though."
She wiped her tears and started walking. This time, he let her go and just walked behind her, so he could still make sure she got home safe but give her space at the same time.
Present Day
Isaac put the finishing touches on the prime rib and creamed spinach combo that he made for dinner. Lizzie and Nicki were over at his parents, already asking Elizabeth about the next part in their story.
"Isaac?" Mandie called from the door.
"In the kitchen, sweetheart!" he yelled, wiping his hands on his apron.
"Something smells amazing," she told him, unbuttoning her jacket and hanging it on the back of the chair at the table.
"Prime rib, medium and creamed spinach with garlic."
"Yum. Thank you, babe."
"You are most welcome."
She noticed that he was dressed in a nice pair of black pants and a gray button-down shirt. "You look pretty handsome tonight."
"Well, it's a date. I figured we should dress nice."
"It is." She kissed his cheek. "I love you, Isaac."
"I love you too. Now, have a seat. I'll bring our plates over."
After he prayed, they dug in and started their conversation.
"Remember that summer when we were sixteen, Isaac?"
"Yes, of course. That's then one where you broke my heart."
"Yeah."
"What made you think of that?"
"You told me, "if you want kids, we'll have kids."
"I was an idiot. The girls are amazing and I think this adoption idea is great too."
Mandie burst into tears with relief. "You do?"
"Yes." He pulled her over to his lap and held her tight. "Babe, why the tears?"
"I guess I was worried that maybe deep down, you still felt the way you did that summer."
"Maybe we shouldn't have waited as long to have kids. Then we could have had more biological children. But honestly, children are amazing no matter how they come to be in a family."
"I know Leo is certainly blessed to be in this family."
"That he is."
"CeCe gave me the number to her social worker so that we can get started on it. I really want this, Isaac."
"So do I."
BACK TO THE STORY
The next evening, Isaac and Jonah milled around the kitchen as Elizabeth finished cooking dinner. "So are you pregnant, Mom?" Isaac asked.
She looked at him, surprised. "Well, yes. We were going to tell you both at dinner, but I should have known you'd figure it out."
Hope ran in and attacked Jonah's knees. "JoJo," she said, grinning up at her big brother.
"Hi, Hopie!" He picked her up and kissed her cheeks loudly, making her giggle.
"She sure missed you when you were gone," Elizabeth mentioned. "She'd go into your bedroom and look, expecting you to be there. Jojo?
Jojo?"
"Awww, I missed you too."
"Six weeks is a long time to have you gone," Elizabeth told him with a wink.
"Are you saying you missed me too, Mom?" Jonah asked, kissing her cheek.
"Every day." He hated making her cry, but he loved how much she loved him and Isaac.
"Are you going to be okay when I go to college? I'll be gone for longer than six weeks," he teased.
"I know that, smartie. I'll be fine. After all, I'll still have Isaac here and Hope and a new little one on the way."
Isaac hadn't told anyone that Mandie had cooled things off with him. Mostly because he was going to try to convince her otherwise.
"Is Mandie coming for dinner?" Elizabeth asked.
"No, not tonight," he told her, taking Hope and zooming her around the house like an airplane.
Jack walked in the house as he took another lap around. "Dada!" Hope yelled, clapping her hands and giggling.
"Hey, sweetheart. Hey, Isaac."
"Hi, Dad."
"Um, just so you know, Mandie is on the porch waiting for you. She looks upset."
"She's out there?"
"Yeah. Is she okay?"
"I don't know. She's mad at me right now. I'm kinda surprised she's here."
Jack took Hope and nodded toward the porch. "Maybe go for a walk or something."
"Yeah."
When he walked out, she looked up, her eyes puffy and red.
He leaned against the railing and crossed his arms. And then uncrossed them. And crossed them again. Mandie stood up and rushed forward, thankfully when his arms were uncrossed.
"I'm sorry, Isaac. If we don't have kids, I think I will be okay. Please, I can't lose you."
"Babe, listen to me, okay? I will happily have kids with you. As soon as we have both finished school and get married and have jobs, we will have those babies." He tipped her chin up and gave her a slow, sweet kiss. "I can't lose you either. I need you." She raised up on her toes and kissed him back and then just hugged him. She was so relieved he had taken her back so easily.
"Can we go for a walk? Down to the water? I…I don't want to leave just yet."
"I'd like that," he said, offering his hand.
The next few weeks went by. By the end of August, Raylinn showed up to spend one last week with Jonah.
He took her to dinner, they had meals with his family, babysat Hope while Isaac worked and their parents were out. They spent all the time they could together.
One evening, Jonah took her to their spot by the fire pit on the lake. He had something he wanted to give her and that seemed like the logical place to do it.
As they curled up in the Adirondack chair and watched the stars twinkling overhead, they talked and just held each other, knowing this would be the last time for a while.
"Ray, I have something for you."
"You do?"
"Yeah." He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a little velvet pouch.
She kissed his chin and cheek and then opened it, pouring the contents into her hand. "Joe," she gasped. "You already gave me a promise ring."
"This is an engagement ring," he told her. "I want to marry you. I want us to be together forever."
"You already asked me a couple years ago."
"I know, but now, I feel like it's official," he told her, slipping the ring on her finger. "Will you be my wife?"
"Yes. Of course I will. After Sophomore year?"
"After sophomore year," he confirmed, sealing their pact with a kiss.
