Chapter 19- Are You Stalling?
Recap from the Chapter 18 ending…
As Jack left the locker room and headed to Elizabeth's seat, he bumped into teammate Steven Matz and his girlfriend, Taylor coming out of the tunnel.
"Is Elizabeth still down there?" Jack asked.
"Yes, she's waiting on you. Oh, congratulations, Jack. Elizabeth's ring is beautiful," Taylor laughed.
"I'm going to get her one. She refused to go looking today."
"Jack, women don't want to pick out their own engagement ring, but if you need some help, please ask. I'd be happy to go with you."
"Thanks Taylor, but I've got it worked out," he replied.
"Hey honey, I'll be right back," Taylor stated as she ran after one of the wives.
"So Jack, are you sure about this?"
"About what…Elizabeth?" Jack asked as Steven nodded his head up and down. "Absolutely…she is everything to me."
Jack glanced around to make certain that Elizabeth wasn't within earshot, "Anthony from Doyle & Doyle is bringing what he has available out to me on Wednesday morning."
"Doyle & Doyle? WOW, Jack, she really is special."
"I want the best, but Elizabeth is really not interested in the flashiness of a ring. She lives modestly, not like some of the women we know."
Steven smiled, "Yes, I know what you mean. Taylor didn't come from money, and although she enjoys the things this profession offers, if it wasn't available any longer, she'd be fine."
Jack agreed, "Exactly. It's so much easier if you don't come from money. I think you're more appreciative of things."
"Well Jack, I wish you the best. She's a beautiful woman, and I'd have to say that you're a lucky guy."
"Don't I know it," Jack agreed before shaking Steven's hand and heading down to meet Elizabeth.
Jack walked across the aisle and took a seat beside Elizabeth. He took her left hand in his and brought it up to his lips, kissing the key ring that she still sported on her finger.
"What's wrong?" he asked as he observed her unusual facial expression.
"I'm just hoping that my dad didn't hear the engagement announcement."
Suddenly, his own facial expression changed, "Oh Elizabeth, I didn't think about that."
She forced a smile, "Don't worry about it. My dad's favorite team is the Yankees, so he probably wasn't watching and didn't even hear it."
"He really likes the Yankees over the Mets?"
Trying to make him feel better she quickly added, "I'm sure he will change his allegiance once he meets you, Jack."
As they were walking out to his car, Elizabeth stopped, "Oh, before I forget, Roger called and he, Kelly, Michael and Abby will be here tomorrow for the game."
On their way out of the gate, Jack stopped by and spoke to Happy Peterson, giving him the names of Elizabeth's neighbors, and lining up free complimentary box seats behind the Mets dugout for tomorrow's game.
"Thank you, Jack," she stated as he opened her car door for her.
"You're very welcome," he replied as he leaned in and brushed his lips across hers.
"Thanks for opening my door, but also for the tickets… oh and the kiss too. All of those things were quite nice."
Jack took his seat behind the wheel, "Well, this way you can ride home with them after the game. I get you here with me a bit longer, and you don't have to fly alone."
"Well, that would work well if they were going home after the game, but they're staying the night, so I already booked a flight home."
"What? I was going to get you a flight. You didn't have to buy it."
"Jack, I have money for a plane ticket."
"But I don't like you spending your money for that. I'll get it back to you."
"Jack, maybe we should have, but we've never talked about money before. Do you think I'm broke?"
"Well, no, but I know teachers aren't paid what they're worth. I assumed that it may carry over to guidance counselors. Besides, you work the usherette job, so I thought maybe you needed the money."
"Jack, I'm not broke, but I do need to ask you…the last time we were together, did you stick $300 in my purse?"
Now on with our story…
He turned away, pretending as though he did not hear her, "Are you ready to go?"
"Jack, you didn't answer me."
"Elizabeth, I have money and I want to share it with you. I don't want you to worry about paying bills or being able to buy what you want."
"Jack, when I found the money, I assumed that it was mine. I couldn't imagine anyone putting it in my purse, but knowing now that you slipped it in there, do you have any idea how that makes me feel?"
"I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I really didn't mean anything by it."
"Jack, if we'd slept together…"
"Which we didn't."
"I know that Jack, but if we had, that would have been like you paying me for services rendered," Elizabeth remarked as she turned her head to look out the window, trying her best to keep from crying, but failing miserably.
Jack was driving through the parking lot, but pulled over and stopped. His hand brushed across the side of her face, sweeping her hair over her shoulder. "Please look at me…"
Elizabeth wiped her eyes again before turning slightly in her seat to face him.
"Elizabeth, I am so sorry. I really didn't mean it that way. You are the classiest woman I have ever known; I would never want to make you feel…"
"Cheap?" she finished his sentence.
"That was not my intention."
"Jack, I know you didn't mean anything by it, and I didn't think about it until all of the talk about the ticket and money came up." She took his hand, "I love you, not your money or what you can buy or do for me."
Elizabeth reached into her purse and pulled out $300 in cash, "Please take this back."
"Elizabeth, we're together; we're a couple. What's mine is yours."
"Jack, I really don't need your money. Maybe if you'd asked instead of just assuming that I needed your help."
"I never meant to imply that you did. I just want to make things easy for you, Elizabeth. I don't want you to need something, and I'm not there to take care of you."
"Jack, I appreciate that, but I've been on my own for many years. I can take care of myself."
"I don't doubt that you can, but you aren't alone anymore; you'll never be alone again."
"Emotionally I'll never be alone, but Jack, we have to realize that we'll be physically saying goodbye to each other a lot during the season."
"It doesn't have to be like that."
Feeling concerned that her working and being unable to regularly travel with him may be a bone of contention she sat quietly as did Jack until they made it home.
Once inside his apartment, Jack walked out onto the balcony with Elizabeth close behind.
"Jack, do you have a problem with me working?"
"Elizabeth, I want you to be happy; really, that's all I want. I just hoped that maybe you'd be happy running the education foundation and you'd have more time to travel with me."
"Jack, I don't know what I want to do. I mean, I love my job…"
"I know you do, and whatever you decide, I'll stand behind you."
"Jack, you say that, but do you really mean it?"
"I want to mean it; I think I mean it. Oh Elizabeth, I have waited so long for someone like you, and I just want to be with you all the time."
"That'll change." Seeing his expression morph from a smile to confusion she quickly added, "I mean, don't you think everyone needs their own time occasionally? I love you Jack, but I think you'd get tired of me if we were always together."
"I don't think so. When we're apart, I want to be with you, and when we're together, I don't want the time to end."
"Jack, I love you and I want this to work," she stated as he stepped closer.
He swept several strands of windblown hair from her face, slipping it behind her ear. Issues of money and work blew away with the breeze as his hand rested along her neck. He pulled her away from the railing and into his body.
With his hands on her upper arms, he backed her against the wall separating his balcony from his neighbors. She felt his body pressed so closely to hers, not even the breeze would have been able to slip through between them.
There was a determined spark in his eyes, and a smile slowly spread across his face. She quickly became aware of every part of his body which was pressed tightly against hers. She wondered how the temperature, though chilly, must have risen in her body by ten or more degrees, as she found it hard to understand how she felt so warm, even though she was still shivering.
His lips quickly found hers, pressing firmly, thankful for the wall which provided some stability. Elizabeth wound her fingers through his hair as her body seemed to mold against his as if she were liquid. His tongue pressed through the seam in her lips, slowly moving along the soft skin on the inside of her mouth.
As she moaned softly, Jack could feel her body softening against him. He placed one hand on the wall as the other held her tightly around the waist. His lips refused to release her as each kiss grew in passion and intensity.
She placed her hands on his chest, pushing him back slightly, "Jack, we have to stop."
His body remained against hers as his forehead rested on the wall. It took a few moments for each of them to catch their breath and he reluctantly backed away.
"It's chilly out here; do you want to go inside?" she asked as she placed her hand on his arm.
Jack turned away, somewhat embarrassed by his body's reaction to being close to her. He placed his hands on the railing as he looked out onto the street below, "I'll be inside in a minute."
She walked up behind him and placed her arms around his waist, "Are you okay?"
"I will be; just give me a few minutes."
It wasn't until she stepped inside and took a seat on the sofa that she realized why he remained outside, needing a few minutes for his body to calm.
As Jack stepped back inside, he found the den empty and the guest bedroom door closed.
*Knock, knock, knock…
"Come in…"
"Are you okay?" he asked before walking inside and taking a seat on the side of the bed.
"I should be asking you that."
"Elizabeth, I'm fine. It's just difficult to be with you, and not be with you. Do you understand what I mean?"
"I do, and I'm sorry."
"You don't need to be sorry," he stated as he brushed her hair behind her ears. "Our wedding night will be so worth the wait."
"Maybe we could just go ahead and get married and then tell my parents…"
"Elizabeth, I love you and I want nothing more than to be married to you, but we need to do this right. I'm old fashioned in some things, and I need to have your parent's blessing before we marry." Seeing Elizabeth's expression change, he adds, "What's that expression mean? Are you scared to tell your parents?"
"Jack, I love you; I'm proud of you, and I'm excited to be your wife. It's just that I should have told my parents when we started dating. I'm afraid that they'll be angry because they know nothing about you, and then find out that we're already engaged."
She continued, "I guess I never thought that I would fall so deeply for you, and well, I've told you how pushy my mom can be with the men I've dated. I was trying to protect you. I'm afraid that it's going to backfire on me…us."
As she lay on her stomach in bed, Jack rubbed her back, doing his best to calm her nerves. "I'm sure that your parents just want you to be happy. It will be fine; I'm sure of it."
He leaned down and kissed her cheek, "You get some sleep, but don't worry; it's going to be okay."
As he stepped out into the hall, his own facial expression changed. Suddenly he was worried about how her parents would take to the news of their middle daughter marrying a man they'd never met. He changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt before climbing into bed and shutting off the light.
He was tired, physically and emotionally, but was also unable to sleep. He wanted her parents' approval, and was suddenly concerned that if he didn't receive it, that his dream of marrying Elizabeth would explode around him.
Elizabeth slept for a few hours, only to be pulled from her slumber by a horrid nightmare. The only thing she could remember was her parents and Jack sitting down to dinner, but in a split second she was alone…no Jack, and no mother or father.
It was 4:15am; she walked down the hall into the kitchen and fixed herself a cup of coffee. Taking a seat on the sofa, her eyes kept drifting to Jack's bedroom door, wishing that she could crawl into bed with him, and feel his arms around her body.
As Elizabeth stared down the hall, Jack lay in his own bed, his arms folded behind his head, wishing that she was lying snuggled beside him with her head on his chest. Unable to sleep, he slipped out of bed, pulled on a pair of sweatpants and walked out to the den.
"Can't sleep?" he asked as he found her standing at his balcony door.
"No; apparently you can't either. Would you like a cup of coffee?" she asked.
"No thank you. Come and sit with me for a little while," he suggested as he took her hand and led her to the sofa.
They sat with his arm around her shoulders; his fingers gently ran up and down her arm as her head rested on his chest. He felt her body soften against him as he pulled a blanket from the back of the sofa and covered their bodies with it.
Five hours later, Jack yawned and stretched before his eyes ever opened. He could feel Elizabeth lying next to him as she held his arm tightly to her chest. He managed to move over on his side as he pulled her closer into his body.
Elizabeth began to stir, feeling his warm breath against her neck. Even though the sofa was quite small to fit two sleeping adults, they each rested more than they had in their respective beds alone.
He kissed her neck as his lips moved up to the sensitive spot just below her ear. She rolled on her back as the heat from his eyes warmed her. He said nothing, no words were necessary as his lips covered hers. His tongue gently ran across the soft sensitive skin on the inside of her mouth, as neither one of them wanted their time together to end.
Sadly Elizabeth's phone rang, and as she worried that it may be a call regarding Lizzie, she felt the need to answer. The call had nothing to do with Lizzie.
Elizabeth shot up in her seat, "Hi mom, how are you and dad doing?"
"We're doing well, but we were hoping to talk you into coming by for a visit today after church. We haven't seen you for so long. We're worried about you."
"Mom, you don't need to worry about me. I'm fine, and I'd love to come by today but I have plans with some friends. But since I have you on the phone, I'm off on Wednesday, and I thought I'd come by for a visit then. Is that okay?"
"Is Wednesday a school holiday?" she asked.
"Well no, but I wanted to come by and see both of you, so I took the day off."
"Elizabeth, is something wrong?"
"No ma'am. Everything is going well, I just wanted to take a day off and see you and dad. Is that okay?"
"That would be wonderful. Your dad has to be out of town tomorrow and Tuesday, but he'll be back Tuesday night."
"Great, I'll see you…" she glanced at Jack, uncertain as to when his flight was scheduled to arrive.
He mouthed "10:00."
"How's sometime before noon?" she asked.
"We'll be here."
"I love you mom."
"I love you too honey."
Elizabeth ended the call, placed her phone on the table and walked into the kitchen for another cup of coffee.
He could tell that seeing her parents and telling them about him was weighing heavily on her mind. "Are your parents okay?"
"They wanted to see me today, but obviously that won't happen," she stated as she poured her cup of coffee. "Would you like one?"
"No, thank you. Are you okay?"
"Jack…" she started to say something, but decided against it. "I'm fine. What time do you need to be at the stadium today?"
"Well the game is at 2, so why don't we go out and I'll get you some breakfast and then we'll go to the stadium. Do you want to sit with the wives, or would you like to sit with Kelly and Roger?"
"Well, first, unless you want something for breakfast, I'm fine. I think I should sit with my neighbors if that's okay."
"No problem, besides it gets you closer to me," he smiled as he approached her. He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her close. "I know you're worried about your parents, but it will be fine. Trust me…"
Several hours later they walked through the gate to the stadium. Jack checked with Happy and found out that the tickets for Elizabeth's neighbors had been picked up. Jack received another ticket for Elizabeth and walked her as far as the door to the locker rooms.
Elizabeth continued on her way around the stadium to the first tunnel. She walked up and found Roger, Kelly and Michael sitting three rows behind the Mets dugout.
"Where's Abby?" Elizabeth asked.
"We didn't figure that she would enjoy the game and the hotel, so my parents are keeping her until tomorrow night," Kelly replied as Roger was enthralled with the happenings out on the field.
"Where's Jack?" Roger asked.
"He's in the locker room changing. He'll be out in a few minutes.
While Elizabeth was getting settled in her seat, she vaguely heard an announcement over the loud speaker… "Elizabeth Thatcher, please report to the main office."
"Hey Elizabeth, did you hear your name?" Kelly asked.
"No, what are you talking about."
"The announcer asked if you would report to the office."
"Hmm, Jack must need me for something," she stated as she excused herself and headed to the main office.
"Are you Elizabeth?" a man standing outside the door asked.
"Yes, what's this about?"
"My name is Donovan Mitchell; I'm the Director of Player Relations and Community Engagement."
"Okay, I'm sorry, but is that supposed to mean something to me?"
He laughed, "Not really, but we are in a bind."
"Well, I'm not really sure how I can help."
"You sing right? Jack told me you have a beautiful voice."
She swallowed hard, "Don't you have someone who does the National Anthem for you?"
"We do, but his wife fell down a flight of stairs and is in the hospital. Apparently she broke her leg, a few ribs and has a skull fracture."
"Oh my, I'm so sorry to hear that."
"Will you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Will you sing the National Anthem, please? It's our last home game, and we can't use piped in music."
"I'm not a professional. I mean, I sang in college and in church, but if you're sure that you don't have anyone else, I guess I can."
The players took the field to warm up, while Elizabeth stood in the office doing the same thing with her voice.
The starting lineup was announced as each player stood on the 1st and 3rd base lines. As her heart pounded, the announcement was made, "Gentlemen, please remove you hats as we all rise for the National Anthem."
Baltimore, Maryland…
Two hundred miles away, Mr. and Mrs. Thatcher returned home from lunch following their church service. He turned on the TV, and flipped through the channels looking for a baseball game to watch.
"Grace…Grace…"
"What is it William?" she called out from the hallway.
"What did Elizabeth say she was doing today?"
"She had plans with some friends."
"Come here…she's singing the National Anthem at the Mets game."
"Oh my, she has such a beautiful voice."
"Why did she lie to you?"
"Who said she lied? She's probably with friends. You know they had her sing the National Anthem at the Hawks game. Besides, of our three girls, Elizabeth has always been open and honest with us. She doesn't lie."
"You're right."
Citi Field- New York City…
As she finished the National Anthem, she shot Jack a disapproving look as she walked off the field to a thundering ovation. She made her way back to her seat, signing autographs for three little girls who were sitting in her section behind the dugout.
The Mets took the field as the Red Sox had their first at bat. Six batters later, the Mets were up at bat and the score remained 0-0.
The Mets seemed to be on fire as the first three batters reached bases. With the bases loaded, the next batter hit a line drive to right-center field which was caught.
Tagging up on third, Jose Reyes scored the first run for the Mets. By the end of the 1st inning, the Mets were in the lead, 2-0.
The Mets seemed to hold the Red Sox to minimal hits, and no runs through the seventh inning. In the top of the eighth inning, the Red Sox hit a home run, and with two players already on base, they took the lead 3-2.
Between the top and bottom of the eighth inning, Jack climbed up on the railing and handed 2 autographed baseballs to Roger and Michael. Although Michael wasn't thrilled, Roger exclaimed that this was the best day of his life.
Jack dropped back down to the field as the Mets took their turn at bat. This was his fourth time at the plate, having already hit two doubles, and a triple. The Red Sox brought in a left hander relief pitcher that warmed up while Jack swung the bat in the on deck circle.
The first ball was a 102 mph fastball. Jack swung and missed. The catcher then called for a curveball, which Jack hit, but it went foul. The next pitch was right down the middle and Jack swung, sending it out into left field and over the fence, tying the game.
Several runs later and the score was 5-3 as the Mets took to the field in the top of the ninth. The Red Sox scored one run and had loaded the bases with two outs when the Mets brought in their own relief pitcher, Jacob deGrom.
Once he warmed up the next batter, Brandon Phillips stepped up to the plate. In three pitches, he went down swinging as the Mets won 5-4.
It made little difference as the Braves also won their game moving them into the playoffs and although the Mets had two more games against the Cincinnati Reds, their season was essentially over.
Elizabeth sat with Roger, Kelly and Michael until Jack showered and changed, meeting them outside the locker room.
"Jack, this is the best day of my life…" Roger commented again.
"Excuse me?" Kelly replied.
"Honey, you know what I mean. It's the best day after marrying you, and having the kids."
"I'm not so sure that I believe you, but it definitely sounds better," Kelly responded.
Roger, Kelly and Michael left the park on their way to their hotel for the evening, while Jack and Elizabeth left for the airport.
Elizabeth flew on American out of terminal 3 and Jack flew on Delta out of terminal 2. Unfortunately they went through separate TSA checkpoints, and had to say goodbye much earlier than either of them wanted.
As they stood just outside terminal 3, Jack walked her over to take a seat. As the travelers passed by, Jack pulled her into an embrace. "I love you, and I'll see you in two days…"
"Three…you won't see me until Wednesday."
"You're right, three days."
"Jack, it's almost worse coming to see you…"
"Why…"
"Because leaving is torture. I love you so much, and I hate saying goodbye."
Jack's hands framed her face and he pulled her close. His lips met hers; it was gentle, familiar, and comforting, but still caused her heart to pound. Unfortunately, the sadness quickly returned as she started toward the TSA checkpoint, refusing to release his hand until the distance between them required it.
Jack stood and watched her disappear around the corner before rushing to meet his own flight.
The next several days moved slowly for each of them. Jack couldn't help but to be happy that even with their fairly successful season, the Mets did not make it into the playoffs. Elizabeth felt guilty that she too, had the same feeling. However, the sooner they talked with her parents, the sooner they could marry, and that's basically all she thought about.
On Tuesday night, following the game, while Jack was sitting at the airport with his teammates awaiting their flight, he slipped away to call Elizabeth.
"Hey honey; I'm sorry it's so late, but I needed to hear your voice. I miss you."
A smile covered Elizabeth's face as she listened to his voice, "I miss you too. I can't wait to see you tomorrow. What time do you need me to pick you up at the airport?"
"I've been thinking…"
"Are you backing out?"
"Absolutely not. I was thinking about driving down. I mean my season is over, and I don't really have a need to remain here in New York."
"Really?"
"I need to find a place in Baltimore, and then we need to decide what we're going to do once we get married. I mean, do you want to stay in your place?"
"Well first, you don't need to get a place in Baltimore. I have an extra room, so you can stay with me."
"Honey, I'd love to, but I don't know if that's such a good idea. I don't want people to get the wrong idea."
"I appreciate you being concerned for my reputation, but to be honest with you, I think more people would talk about me being a virgin than they ever would if we lived together."
"Well, we can talk about it, but first I need to talk to your father."
Suddenly there was silence.
"Elizabeth…"
"I'm here; I'm just nervous."
"It's going to be okay, I promise."
"I'm going to hold you to that, Jack."
"How far away do your parents live?"
"No far; depending on traffic, maybe 30-45 minutes."
"Well, I have an appointment in the morning, but then I can either fly down, and then I'll have to come home in a few days, or I can drive down, and stay. Which would you prefer?"
"Is this a trick question? Of course I'd rather you be able to stay."
"Can you call your parents and make it for 2pm? If it won't put them out any, I'll drive down."
"Well, if it means you can stay longer, I'll be glad to make the call."
The following morning, while Jack met with a jeweler to pick out Elizabeth's engagement ring, Elizabeth sat in her den drinking a cup of coffee, waiting for a suitable time to call her mom.
With the perfect ring picked out, and his car packed, Jack pulled out onto the highway and called Elizabeth.
"I'm on my way. Have you talked to your mom yet?"
"Jack, it's 8:00; I thought I'd wait until…" she started to answer as Jack interrupted.
"You are going to call her aren't you?"
"Yes, I said that I would. I wanted to give her time to have breakfast."
"Okay, well I should get to you by noon."
"Drive carefully; I love you."
"I love you too."
As the small cuckoo clock on the wall chimed out 9 o'clock, Elizabeth pulled out her phone and dialed her parent's number.
"Thatcher residence…" the voice on the other end announced.
"Harrison…this is Elizabeth."
"Hello, Miss Elizabeth. How are you?"
"I'm fine, and Harrison, remember, it's just Elizabeth, okay?"
"Yes ma'am…"
"Harrison…"
"I'm sorry. Old habits die hard. What can I do for you?"
"Is my mom around?"
"Yes, just one moment…"
"Elizabeth, are you still coming?"
"Yes ma'am, I'm just going to be closer to 2:00."
"Are you still busy with your friends?"
"Excuse me…?"She asked thinking that the comment was rather odd.
"I was just wondering why you were going to be late."
"No, I'm just waiting on something…"
"Waiting on the mail…?"
"Uh well, I'm waiting for something to arrive…"
"Okay honey; we'll see you at 2. We look forward to talking. We haven't seen you for quite a while."
"I know mom, I'm sorry. It's just that I've been really busy with school and the baseball season."
"Are you dating anyone?"
Elizabeth felt her breath catch in her throat, "Ma'am?"
"Oh never mind. We'll talk when you get here."
"I love you mom."
"I love you too dear."
Elizabeth hung up the phone. No matter how many times Jack told her that everything would be okay, she still wasn't so certain. She knew that her parents loved her and wanted her to be happy, however, they had not raised her to be deceitful, and in neglecting to tell them about Jack, she was afraid that they would see her relationship with him as such.
Elizabeth took a deep breath as she felt her heart seemingly skip every other beat. She had always considered herself to be honest and considerate, and for the most part had been very open with her mother. Maybe not so much with her father, but she always assumed that when her parents talked privately, that he was always brought up to speed regarding the happenings with his girls.
She walked to her bedroom and grabbed her journal from the top of her dresser. She headed back to the den, put the TV on mute, flipped to the next blank page and attempted to resolve the uneasy feelings she had inside…
"As children we are taught by our parents to be honest, truthful, and that secrets have no place in a relationship. We are encouraged to be open; that if you need to sneak around to keep from being caught, or lie about your involvement, then you probably shouldn't have participated in the activity in the first place.
I remember being told how trust is built upon, requiring time to establish and cultivate the mutual faith. However, as I moved through my teenage years, my parents were quick to educate me on the fact that trust can be broken in the blink of an eye through secrets, and deceitful behavior.
Is it truly deceitful to keep a love I have found to myself? While thankful for my relationship am I required to be open and completely forthcoming even as I seek to determine the relevance of my own feelings? I've done nothing wrong; or have I?
I pride myself on being honest, often times to a fault. However, aren't the secrets in my life, mine to tell? If they are hurting no one am I obligated to reveal them? Am I obligated to open up myself to ridicule, questions and parental interrogation when all I truly want is to protect the happiness I've found? But then again, my parents have a right to know what's happening in my life. Just like my sadness is eased by their love, concern and consideration, shouldn't they also be privy to my joy?
But will my joy be theirs'? Will their anger at my perceived deception cloud their judgment? And would it be a like outcome if I had spilled my news earlier? I guess only time will tell, and all I can do is pray that they will understand and give Jack the chance that he so richly deserves."
While waiting for Jack to arrive, Elizabeth took Lizzie for a walk to the park. As she walked down the street, Sami ran out of her townhouse, "Elizabeth, wait up…"
"Hi Sami, how are you?"
"I'm doing great. Hey I'm glad I saw you…some of the girls are planning a weekend trip down to Nags Head. Are you interested?"
"I appreciate the invite, but Jack is moving down here…"
"You two are moving in together? I'll bet your mom had something to say about that."
"I didn't say we were moving in together. His baseball season is over and he's moving down here so we can spend time together."
"Well, I wish you luck. Do your parents like him?"
"We'll find out today."
"They haven't met him yet?"
"No, but we're going to see them this afternoon."
"Wow," Sami released a harsh breath. "I wish you luck. I know how your mom is and to find out you've been dating for a while and kept it quiet; hmm, she may not be happy."
Elizabeth thought to herself, thanks, and when she hears we're engaged she just may explode. "Well, my parents just want us to be happy, so I'm sure it will be fine."
As they reached the gate to the dog park, Elizabeth glanced at her watch, "You know Jack will be arriving soon, so I'm going to head home. Have a great day, and thanks again for the weekend invite; maybe another time."
"Take care, and good luck," Sami yelled out as they separated.
Jack's car was in her driveway when she turned the corner heading home. As she walked up the sidewalk, he stepped out of Kelly's townhouse, "Hey babe, I was wondering where you were."
"I took Lizzie for a walk," realizing as she made the statement that the presence of her dog on a leash provided that information.
"Are you ready to go?"
"No…"
Jack walked up and took her hand, "We need to talk to your parents. They need to know about us. My mom is really excited and looking forward to meeting you."
"Is she on Instagram? I got a friend request from someone named CharThorn. Could that be her?"
"Yep, that's her. What are you doing," he commented as she pulled her phone from her pocket.
"I have to accept her follower request. What she must think of me…she sent the request two days ago, and I never responded," she remarked as she pulled up her Instagram account and pressed accept beside his mother's "follow" request.
Elizabeth stepped inside and filled Lizzie's food and water bowl before turning back to Jack, "Let's get this over with."
Jack took her arm and turned her to face him, "I love you, and no matter what happens today, that's won't change."
"So you don't think it's going to go well either, do you?"
"I didn't say that, but I can tell how nervous you are."
"Why aren't you nervous? Did all of your girlfriend's parents love you?"
"I've only met the parents of a few girlfriends, but it always worked out."
"So, how many were there?"
"How many what?"
"Jack, how many girlfriends?"
"Are you stalling?"
"Maybe…"
"Well, it doesn't matter how many, but if you must know it was only a few. You are the most important one, though."
"Good answer, Jack. Okay, I'm ready," Elizabeth stated as she grabbed a Tupperware container from the counter that was filled with chocolate pecan cookies, her father's favorite.
Jack opened the passenger side car door, "Hey…"
She turned to face him as his lips met hers. "Mmm, you sure know how to calm me while making my heart pound at the same time."
"We're together and we're staying together."
"I hope you're right…"
To be continued…