Friday evening, Hope Hills, Michigan, U.P.
Kayla Thornton stared down at the ring in his hand and back up into his sky blue eyes, tears filling her own. Oh, how she loved him.
Andrew Shepherd, son of her parent's best friends Faith and Carson, was handsome and smart and kind and perfect for her.
Kayla and Drew had grown up together in the small Upper Peninsula town of Hope Hills, Michigan. Their parents had been friends through high school and college and, therefore, Kayla and Drew and their siblings had as well.
When he graduated high school, Drew left town to attend the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor to study Dentistry and then he went to Dental school.
A year later, Kayla went down to Michigan State University in Lansing to follow in her mother Elizabeth's footsteps to study Elementary Education.
During Kayla's senior year in college, she and her roommate were in a serious car accident. Her roommate hadn't survived. Not only had Kayla felt the survivor's guilt that was typical, but she had also had to deal with the knowledge that her dream of bearing her own children had been ripped away along with her friend's life. She had severe abdominal injuries that led to extensive damage to her uterus and fallopian tubes and a full hysterectomy to stop bleeding.
As Kayla continued to reel over Drew's proposal, her mind fought her heart with the knowledge that Drew didn't know that huge secret. She knew he wanted kids and she had known that since they had started dating, but she hadn't told him and she knew that wasn't fair.
"Kay? You're making me nervous." Drew got up off his knee and sat next to her on the bench that faced the beach of Lake Superior. "Babe, tell me what you're thinking."
"I need time, Drew." Kayla wiped away the tears that had slipped from her eyes. She didn't want to hurt him.
"Time? I thought we were on the same page here. We've been together for two years but I've loved you for so long." He grabbed her hand and held it gently between both of his. "Do you still love me?" he asked, staring at their hands, hoping she would at least confirm that. They said those three words almost everyday.
"Of course I do. That's why I need time." She turned, kissed his lips, lingering as if she were kissing him for the last time, and then walked away.
….
Kayla returned home to her apartment that she shared with her older sister, Olivia, locking the door behind her.
"Kay? What's wrong?"
"He proposed, Liv."
"So those are tears of happiness?
Congratulations!" Kayla shook her head. "You said no? Holy moly."
"I told him I need time." Kayla regretted so much at this point.
"Time? Kay, why?" Liv looked at her for a moment, squinting, using her older sibling mind reading capabilities. "Oh wow. You never told Drew?"
"No."
"Call him."
"What? No. I just need to think."
"Kayla Grace Thornton! You know what Mom and Dad would say if they were standing in this apartment right now?"
"Yes. Mom would stand there, her hands on her hips, and say, Kayla Grace, you made a big mistake. Now you need to fix it. But she wouldn't tell me how."
"And Dad would tell you that keeping that from Drew is going to hurt Drew worse than telling him and dealing with it together would have," Liv told her.
Which was how and why her parents had been married for twenty eight years and barely fought. It was why they still acted like newlyweds and went on twice a week dates. They knew what it took to make a marriage work.
"How do I fix it, Liv? If I tell him now…"
"You don't have a choice, little sister. Drew has to know."
They looked up when they heard a knock on the door. Liv got up and opened the door.
"Is she here? Please, I need to see her."
Liv stepped back and gestured toward the couch. "I'll leave you to it." Liv grabbed her coat and headed out the door.
Drew walked over and sat down next to Kayla on the couch. "Whatever it is that I've done to make you second guess our relationship, I'm so sorry. Kayla, I love you so much. I need you in my life." She hated hearing his emotion in his voice. It killed her that she was doing this to him.
She turned and leaned into his arms, trying to soak up his love because she knew he would break up with her as soon as she told him her reasons. "It isn't you," she whispered.
"What is it then?"
"I…need to tell you something, Drew. It's big and you're going to change your mind about me once I tell you."
"Not possible." He tucked her unruly curls behind her ears and dried her tears. He loved her too much to just change his mind. She hesitated and he squeezed her hand. "Just tell me."
She nodded and took a big breath.
"Remember my accident, two years ago?"
"Of course. I almost lost you." He had finished his final exams that day and drove to the hospital and stayed by her side for the two weeks she was there. That's when he decided he would always need her in his life and he asked her to be his girlfriend.
"My surgery…"
"To stop internal bleeding."
"Yes. I had a hysterectomy, Drew. My uterus and fallopian tubes were damaged and I was bleeding so badly. Drew, I can't give you children. That's why I couldn't say yes to your proposal. You want children and I can't give you what you need." She was sobbing now, partly embarrassed, partly remorseful, partly mourning for the family they couldn't have together.
Drew sat for a moment and looked at her. She was beautiful and smart and a million other things. She had kept such a huge life-changing thing from him and underneath his immense love, he was a bit angry. But the love was stronger.
"You're wrong, babe. You already give me what I need. I need you." He hugged her again and rubbed her back. "I do want children and if we can't make our own, there are other ways to have them."
She leaned back and looked at him, stunned. "I was sure you would just leave when I told you this."
"That shows me that we still have things to learn about each other." He grabbed her hand and held it. "In the interest of full honesty, you need to know that I am not happy you lied to me. For two years, Kayla."
She nodded. "I know its selfish but I didn't want to lose you. After you were at my side at the hospital and you told me you wanted us to be more than friends, I felt like if I told you then, it would be over before it started."
"The issue with that is, you didn't give me that choice. It wouldn't have made a difference at all but I should have known."
"Please forgive me."
"Of course I do but please promise me that you'll always tell me everything. Our marriage has to be based on love and honesty or it's not going to work."
"You still want to marry me?" she asked, still not believing it.
He got down on his knee and took out the ring again. "I love you with all of my heart, Kayla Thornton. I want to grow old with you and have babies with you, no matter how that happens. Will you be my wife?"
…..
Saturday night, Thornton Family dinner
Kayla and Olivia pulled in to the driveway of their childhood home and parked.
Kayla looked down at her ring and smiled. It was a princess cut diamond set in platinum between two princess cut sapphires. He knew she loved sapphires.
"Are we going in or what, Kay?"
"Hold your horses, Olivia. Good grief."
"Well, I'm starved. I missed lunch today. I got back from showing a house and my boss called us into a meeting." Plus Liv knew that as soon as they walked inside, the house would be filled with the smells of whatever amazing dinner their mother had decided on this week. Just to prove it, her stomach growled loudly.
"Liv?"
"Yeah."
"Will you be my maid of honor?"
"Of course I will. Now let's get inside before Ben eats all the food."
Their younger brother was seventeen and had always had a voracious appetite. He was a senior at the local high school, ready to graduate in just a couple months and then head to U of M to study Accounting. He was a math whiz, already doing college level courses.
They walked up the brick paved sidewalk and then up to the front door. "Why are you nervous?" Liv wondered. "Mom and Dad love Drew."
"Because Dad's kind of old fashioned and I don't think Drew asked him before proposing. Maybe I should take my ring off."
"Nonsense. They will be so happy for you. Knowing Mom, she will want to start planning the wedding tonight."
As the girls walked in, Ben came down the stairs. "Thank goodness you two finally showed up. Save me."
"You're so dramatic. What happened this time?"
"I walked into the kitchen and they were totally making out! Our parents, in the kitchen. Isn't that a health code violation or something? Good grief, they're old!"
The girls looked at each other and laughed. Jack and Elizabeth Thornton were fifty one and fifty years old respectively but certainly still acted younger.
"I think its cute," Kayla said with a smile. "I hope I'm still making out with my husband at their age."
"Who's making out with whom?" Elizabeth asked, walking into the foyer to greet her daughters. She looked beautiful as usual, her dark curly hair with a few strands of gray tied back, an apron around her thin waist.
"No one, Mom," Liv said, giving her a hug. "Where's Daddy?"
"In the kitchen, at the counter, reading the newspaper."
Elizabeth moved to hug Kayla as Liv walked away. "Hi, sweetie. Is Drew coming tonight?"
"Yeah. He should be here…"
DING DONG*
"Punctual as usual. You let him in and then it's time for dinner." Elizabeth walked away and Kayla opened the door.
He stood there, holding a bouquet of flowers, looking gorgeous in a dark suit and blue button down, open at the collar.
"Hey," he said, stepping forward to kiss her lips. "How's my fiancé tonight?"
"Better now that you're here." He stepped in and removed his shoes. "You know you don't have to buy my mom flowers every time you come for dinner."
"I like to. Now let's go eat. I missed lunch today and something smells amazing."
….
As the six of them ate Elizabeth's Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and asparagus, they chatted about everything except the big news that only three of the six knew about.
"So, Drew, how is school going?" Jack asked as he took more asparagus.
"Good. I've been doing a lot of crowns and bridges but I'm also trying to get ready for my boards and my licensing exam. I only have two more months to prepare."
"Ugh," Ben said. "Why would anyone want to stare at the inside of people's mouths all day? No thanks!"
"Why would anyone want to look at spreadsheets all day, Mr. Math Whiz?" Liv asked.
"So after the boards and licensing exam, what are your plans?" Elizabeth wondered.
Kayla put her left hand on his leg and found his fingers. He smiled at her and squeezed gently. "Well, I just need to find a practice that will hire me."
"Like here in town?" Elizabeth asked.
"Wherever there's a spot. I mean, there are certain factors I need to consider," he said, squeezing her hand again, "But I'm open."
That was an area he and Kayla needed to discuss. Now that they were engaged, where they would live, where they both would work, were huge decisions to be made together.
Kayla leaned closer and whispered, "We need to tell them."
He nodded and smiled. "Go ahead."
"So, I have something to say," she began. Everyone stopped and looked at her. "Um, last night Drew asked me to marry him and I said yes."
"Oh! Honey, congratulations!" Elizabeth said as she stood and hugged them.
"Its about time," Jack said with a laugh.
"Goodness, Drew came to talk to me, what maybe, a month ago?"
"You did?" Kayla asked Drew. "You asked him?"
"Yes. I thought it was something he'd appreciate."
"Andrew Shepherd, you are a wonderful man," she told him before kissing him.
"Not you too!" Ben said with a groan. "What is it with all the people kissing in this house?!"
"You just wait, son," Jack told him. "Once you meet a girl and you fall in love, you'll be doing it too."
"Not if I can help it."
"There's always Ava," Kayla teased. She knew her brother used to have a crush on her before she started dating some other boy in their class.
"My lips are never getting near Ava Coulter's, I can promise you that!"