Authors: Jennifer Bryan Yarbrough
"Mr. Kingston? Does everyone know who you are, Cash?"
"Only the ones that I've met. Calm down honey, I made us
reservations earlier today while you were sleeping. Your
dad and I played a round of golf and that's when we found
the restaurant."
He grabs my hand and leads the way, while my parents are
whispering behind me and giggling. They're acting like
honeymooners, because they can't seem to keep their hands
off of each other. It's very sweet, but I'm getting a little
embarrassed.
"Mr. Kingston, here is the table that you requested and as
you can see it is very secluded as you requested, and you
will have your own wait staff, so if you need anything just
wave your hand and someone will help you as soon as you
need them."
"Thank you, Veronica. It's exactly what I was wanting.
There will be a big tip in it for you as well."
"Oh, thank you, Mr. Kingston. Your waitress should be here
in just a minute. Have a wonderful evening all of you." She
beams at me and I'm starting to get the feeling that this isn't
just dinner with my parents.
"Cash?" What are you up to?" My dad answers for him,
while Cash looks shocked that I would ask him such a
question.
"Olivia, we are having dinner. What makes you think he's up to anything. I'm quite impressed to not have to sit with
everyone else in the dining room. Just sit back and enjoy your dinner, honey."
Maybe we are just having dinner, but my intuition is in full
force and I feel that they're all up to something now,
especially with the glances my parents keep giving each
other.
"Honey? Have you given it any thought as to what you're
going to name the twins?"
Leave it to my mother to change the subject, but this is one
of her favorite subjects. When I think of the hours that we
spent naming Jordan, Jeremiah, and Jenna, I get a smile on
my face.
"Honestly, I haven't. I'm still trying to wrap it around my
head that not only am I pregnant, but that it's twins!"
"Well, we could still try to come up with something. What
do you want? Boys? Girls? Oh, wouldn't it be sweet if it
were a boy and a girl, because it would even it out to two
boys and two girls."
"Oh, Mom. As long as they're healthy, I don't mind what
they are. We have a while to figure out what to name them,
though."
I don't know how I missed it, but Cash has already ordered
for us and our drinks and appetizers have arrived. I didn't
realize how famished I was, so I dig in and start eating,
while Mom and Dad keep going over names.
"What kind of family names do you have in your family,
Cash?"
"Well, Gideon and I share our names with my father. He
was the first Gideon Cash Kingston, so I think that name
has been worn out. My mother’s name is Amelia Rose and
her maiden name was Cassidy and my brother's name is
Caleb Luke."
"Olivia! Cassidy would be such a pretty name for a girl
and Rose? That's my middle name as well! Cassidy Rose!
What a beautiful name! Don't you think so, Cash? Olivia?"
"Calm down, Mom. It could end up being two boys." I
look at Cash and he's looking between me and my mother
grinning.
"How about two girls? I'd have three princesses then!
Cassidy Rose and Amelia Elizabeth named after both of
their beautiful grandmothers." Mom and I look at each
other with a thoughtful look on our faces.
"I don't think I could do that. Jenna's middle name was
Elizabeth and it just wouldn't seem right." He reaches out and grabs my hand.
"You're right and I understand. Maybe we should find out
the sex of the babies first, before we start thinking about
names. I do think that your parents have some news that they would like to share with you, Sweetheart."
"I knew you three were up to something tonight! Spill it!" I
look at both of my parents to see which one of them is
going to tell me first and they're both gazing into each
other’s eyes and nodding their heads. Dad is the one that speaks first.
"Well... We have been hoping and praying that one day you
would move back home, but since things haven't turned
out that way, because you've met Cash and you are starting
a new family out here... Well, you are our only child and
we want to be near you, so your mother and I have decided
to move out here!" My mother can't contain her
excitement.
"Isn't that wonderful, Sweetie? Cash is going to let us live
in the beach house, until we find something to buy and I'll
be here to help you take care of Gideon and Eden, while
you're pregnant with the twins, and I'll be here to help you
after you have them! We are both so excited! Isn't that great, Honey?" I start crying from happiness.
"Are you serious? I've missed you both so much and I
can't think of anything that could make me any happier!
What about your job, Dad? You've been there for thirty
years! What about the house?"
"Honey, don't worry about that, I've got it all taken care of.
We obviously have to go home and put the house up for
sale and I'm going to take that early retirement my boss has been trying to talk me into taking. Cash said that he has an
opening in his accounting department and the job is mine if I want it. We just want to be near you and Claudia. You
know we love Claudia as much as we do you and getting to
know our new grandkids and future grandkids will just
add to the excitement."
I look at Cash and he's grinning from ear to ear and I just
can't believe that he has done all of this for me. I can't
imagine any other gift that could make me any happier than
what he's done for them. I lean towards him to give him a
gentle kiss.
"Have I told you how much I love you lately? I'm so
happy! I can't think of anything that would make me any
happier than I am right now!"
"You can't think of anything, Liv?"
"No, everything I've ever wished for is for all of my family
to be in the same place and to have you and Gideon and
Eden, and to have these two healthy babies that are growing
inside of me."
What he did next I was not expecting at all. He moves his
chair back, gets down on one knee, and pulls my left
hand to him, while he pulls a box out of his jacket pocket. I look towards my parents and knew that they knew what he
was going to do.
"How about I add to that happiness, Liv? I promise to love
you for the rest of our lives and you are the only woman I
want to share my life and children with, and it would be an
honor to give them the mother that I know loves them as
much as their own mother did. Will you marry me and
make me the happiest man in the world?" He must have sensed my hesitation. "And before you ask yourself if I'm only asking because you're pregnant, the answer to that question is no, because I was going to ask you New Year’s
Eve night when we got to The Plaza and I didn't even know
that you were pregnant then. So, will you marry me? Will
you be my wife and make me the happiest man alive?"
The fact that he knew I was going to ask that question had
me leaping into his arms and kissing him.
"Yes, Cash! I can't think of anything I want more than to
become your wife and mother to OUR kids!"
We are still on the floor with me in his lap, kissing, until I heard my father clear his throat. I had forgotten that we weren't alone. I immediately get up and leave Cash sitting
on the floor grinning from ear to ear.
"Sorry Mom, Dad. I guess I just kind of got caught up in
the moment."
"That's okay, Honey. Did you even look at the ring? It's
beautiful!"
I realize that I hadn't even looked at it. I didn't even think
about it, because all I could look at was Cash's tear filled
eyes when he proposed. He's sitting down again in his seat
and has it in front of him, waiting to put it on and she's
right, it is absolutely beautiful!
"Oh my God, Cash! It's beautiful and it’s so huge! You didn't have to buy me something so extravagant. I would
have worn a bread tie if you gave me one."
"I know you would have Liv, but trust me, you deserve even
more than this. It's not that big really. It's only 5 carats all
together. Do you really like it?" Only 5 carats?
The middle stone is a cushion cut square sapphire with
diamonds around each side of the stone and diamonds
around the whole platinum band.
"I love it, Honey. I can't wait to show it to your mom and
Claudia and everyone else."
"I'm so glad you like it. So, when do you want to get
married? I was thinking when we get back home."
"In just a few days?"
"Why not, Liv? I can call Mother right now and she can have it all set up by the time we get back. I know we've
kind of taken this relationship backwards, seeing as how we
are already expecting, but I can't think of anything I want
more than to marry you in front of our children and our
families." A small ceremony sounds like exactly what I
want. It would be perfect.
"Okay, that sounds fantastic! Mom? Do you want to help
me shop for a dress tomorrow? Nothing too extravagant,
just something simple."
"Oh, honey! I would love to! Henry? Can you believe it? Our baby is getting married! Olivia, I am so happy for
you."
All of us get out of our seats and congratulate each other
and end up in a group hug, with my parents discussing plans for the wedding and what everyone should wear.
Cash silently mouths I love you to me, while I nod my head
and mouth it back to him. In just a matter of days, I will be
Mrs. Cash Kingston. I feel as if Cash and I have been given
a second chance at life that was somehow destined to
happen, despite the tragedies we had to endure to get to this
very place in our lives
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
"Olivia? Are you ready? Cash is looking rather nervous
downstairs and actually asked me once if you had changed
your mind."
I look in the mirror to see if there is anything I can do to make myself look any more perfect for Cash. My mother
curled my hair in ringlets and put it all up with bobby pins
and left a few of the curls hanging on each side of my face.
"Well, look at you! I believe you're the most beautiful bride I've ever seen. Your mom did such an amazing job on your
hair."
I look at Claudia through the mirror and she has tears
running down her cheeks.
"Claud? Are you okay? Why are you crying?" She reaches
for a tissue and shakes her head.
"No, I'm not crying! Okay, I am. You look amazing and I
can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees you.
Have I told you how happy I am for you guys? I can't remember the last time I've been this happy."
"Aww, Claud. Me either! I feel like my heart is about to beat out of my chest, because I'm that happy. Is everyone
ready down there?"
"Yes, they're all anxious for your arrival. Your dad is
outside the door and Caleb is waiting for me to give him
the cue to start the song up. I had no idea he could play the
piano so well."