"Happy birthday!" they all yelled. Dillan was screeching and jumping up and down with excitement.
"We wanted you to have a goodnight's sleep, so Dillan slept in my room last night," Elise said smiling. I hugged her and thanked them all a million times. "But a goodnight's sleep is only half of the surprise. You better go have a shower and make yourself presentable, we're leaving in half an hour." I attempted to take Dillan from her to get him ready as well. But she insisted on keeping him.
I took a nice long shower and washed my hair three times, massaging my head and lathering the soap on myself slowly. I brushed my hair, slipped on a pair of jeans with my favourite top and headed out the door with Elise and Dillan. "So where are we going?"
"Well the place doesn't really matter," was her sly remark. She smiled; trying to push the fact that she knew something I did not.
"Alright… Who are we going to see?"
"Ah- That's the surprise."
After a few more minutes of silence I told her, "I've almost saved up enough so that I'll be able to support Dillan and I. I've found a place near here, where I can get a cheap apartment. It's close to a good day care so I can work more and not be staying home all the time."
"That's great Kelsey! You've done a good job. At supporting him and being a mom..."
"Thanks," I said surprised. It was the first time someone had paid me such a compliment. "Hopefully he'll start sleeping through the night soon."
"He'll grow out of it. He'll grow up to be a good boy, I can tell."
"Hey Elise?" I asked looking out the window after a few moments. "Do you ever miss Africa? I mean, you were born there. Don't you ever miss your friends?"
"Everyday. Sometimes, I wake up and the smell of the air in Africa lingers in my nose for a little but then I wake up and realise I'm only imagining it. What about you? Do you miss Biko?"
"Well, yeah! I mean, I miss everyone, but especially him. Do you think…? I should have accepted to marry him when I left?"
"No," was her only reply.
"But what if he's forgotten all about me because he thought I didn't care anymore? I haven't spoken to him in months. He probably thinks I want to get on with my own life with Dillan," I said exasperated.
"Do you?"
"No! I've been trying to call him, but my mom keeps saying he's out or he's working, or he's in the shower or something. He's the one who brought me to the One who saved my life. Plus, he has a great relationship with God. He's kind to everyone, great with kids, and good looking." I smiled remembering how his smile always made me blush and my heart beat twice as fast. Even before I thought I liked him, his smile made me self conscious, like I was the most important person in the world. "I know he's not perfect. I mean, his breath smells in the morning. He has this disgusting way of chewing gum and can't fold laundry for his life. Not to mention his driving skills or lack of, more like. But I really do love him, you know. We compromise and it's always fair."
"Yeah," Elise said looking at me.
We drove on for a few more minutes until we stopped in the parking lot of an expensive restaurant. "What do you mean, the place doesn't really matter?" I asked in surprise, getting Dillan out. "You should have told me we were going here; I would have dressed up more." Elise just smiled and hugged me.
"You're eighteen, officially an adult! Happy Birthday Kelsey! You're going to love this."
I smiled back, but was still a little weirded-out by everyone excitement that morning. I followed her into the restaurant. We took our seat and I ordered whatever I wanted. I got up to go the bathroom to change Dillan but when I finished I noticed that there was some music being played outside and people chatting louder than usual. A lady came in and I asked her what was going on outside.
"A young man is going to propose soon," she replied. "I think she's about to arrive, you better go outside if you don't want to miss it." I gave her a half-hearted smile and wished that I was back in Africa accepting Biko's proposal at this instant. I hurried up to be able to watch the proposal and as I stepped out of the bathroom I saw the guy. My heart did a back flip and I almost dropped Dillan. It was Biko.
Behind him a band had set up and they were playing some classical piece. Everyone else was crowded behind the band and him. The Lavoie's, and all my friends from Africa - excluding Arielle, Selena and my mom, along with all my new friends from here were all there.
"What are you doing here?" I whispered in his ear as I hugged him close. He pulled away. He was so handsome and had a tux with a tie on and everything.
"I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in my whole entire life. I'm sorry I haven't been able to talk to you lately. I had to have some time to think about… what I'm about to do. The first time I asked you to marry me I meant it, really, but you made the right choice to say no. I've gotten accepted at Abbotsford Bible College and I've found a part time job and an apartment. Kelsey," he sighed and got down on one knee, "without you, I- I feel like there's a part of me missing. So, Kelsey Anderson, love of my life, will you make me the happiest nineteen year old guy in the world and marry me?"
I nodded and pushed out a "yes" and hugged him. He looked down at Dillan. "So this is the handsome Dillan, you've been telling me doesn't sleep through the night?" He ruffled what hair he had and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You know I would take Dillan as ours, right?" I nodded. During this whole affair I couldn't find the words to say. "We don't need to get married until you're ready, you know? I just want to make sure that you haven't forgotten me."
I touched his cheek. "I could never forget your handsome face." I kissed him and put my forehead to his. "Let's not rush it though okay?" I took a breath and slipped the ring he had bought me on its rightful finger. "I want to make sure this is in God's plan as well." I snapped back to reality only to hear that everyone was still clapping and Dillan squirming in our arms.
I was unexpectedly swept away by a wave of hugs and kisses from everyone. I felt so overwhelmed. I, Kelsey Anderson, the girl who had everything in life go wrong, was going to be married to the most wonderful guy in the world. I was suddenly worried. Was I ready to be married? I was only eighteen today. What if there were things I wanted to do, before I was tied down. Was I ready to share my entire life with someone else yet? What if Dillan didn't like him? Where did my wedding put Alex? He was Dillan's biological father, after all. What if he wanted to be part of his life? What if he wanted to be part of my life? Would Dillan feel different from all our mulatto children we would have? Would I favour him, only because he would be my only light skinned child? Could Biko really love him as much as our other children? Thankfully we were able to leave and I promised to visit Biko's apartment later on. The bad thing was that all my other friends from Africa wanted to go out and visit practically all of B.C... So I showed them around town.