The Art of Life (105 page)

               
There
is a weird silence and then I say, “That’s good.”

               
“So,
Jeremy, I wanted to apologize.
 
We never
got a good start.
 
I am sorry for the way
I behaved.
 
There is no excuse for that.
 
I owe you everything for taking care of my
daughter.
 
If there is any way I can
repay you, please let me know.
 
I can
give you money.
 
You shouldn’t be solely
responsible for her,” my mom states.

               
Jeremy
shakes his head.
 
“No, I don’t need you
to give me any money.
 
If you want to give
money, give it to Isabelle.
 
She can have
it.”

               
“Alright,”
she replies.
 
“I can do that.”
 
Seeming very nervous, she starts to fidget
with stuff.
 
“Well, we can eat then.”

               
Dinner
isn’t horribly bad.
 
My mother definitely
isn’t the same woman.
 
It’s like a pod
person.
 
She is really nice and actually
funny.
 
Jeremy is rather cold through the
whole meal.
 
Finally, I reach under the
table and squeeze his hand.
 
Turning I
try to tell him I am okay with my eyes.
 
He gives me a small smile and tightens his grip on my hand.

               
At
the end of the evening, we say that we will help clean up, but my mom refuses
to let us.
 
So, in the end, we just say
our good nights.
 
I look at my mom.
 
“Thanks mom, this was nice.”

               
“Can
we do it again sometime?” She asks.

               
Smiling,
I reply, “Yeah, definitely.”

               
“How about next Sunday?”

               
I
glance over at Jeremy.
 
He nods his
head.
 
“Sure, that would be nice.”

               
“Great!”
My mom exclaims.
 
“I am so excited.”

               
“Me,
too,” I reply.
 
Wow, I actually meant
that.
 
“But we need to get going.
 
We have to get up early.”

               
My
mom stands there awkwardly for a second.
 
Finally, she steps forward and hugs me.
 
She hasn’t hugged me in years.
 
I
hesitantly wrap my arms around her.
 
It
takes a little bit, but I finally fully hug her back.
 
“Thank you for giving me a chance,” she
whispers.

               
“I
really hope this works,” I say.
 
“Keep on
track.
 
If you need to talk, you can call
me.”

               
“Okay,”
she sighs.
 
Turning to Jeremy, she sticks
out her hand.
 
“It was nice to actually
get to know you.
 
You seem like a wonderful
guy, who my daughter is very much in love with.”

               
Jeremy
takes her hand.
 
“Yes, it was nice to get
off on the right foot this time.
 
Thank
you for dinner.”

               
Smiling,
my mom shakes his hand.
 
“You are
welcome.
 
I will see you guys next Sunday
then.”

               
“Yeah,”
I reply.
 
“Bye mom.”

               
“Bye,”
she yells at us, as we walk out the door.
 

               
We
get into Jeremy’s car and sit there silently for a moment.
 
Jeremy finally asks.
 
“How do you feel?”

               
Pausing
for a second, I reply, “Hopeful.
 
Is that
a bad thing?”

               
“Not
at all,” he answers.
 
“I think it would
be great if your mom actually came around.
 
You deserve that.”

               
“Yeah,
it would be nice.
 
Thank you for your
support,” I say.
 
“I really do appreciate
it.”

               
“I
will always be here for you,” he whispers.
 
Leaning forward he kisses me gently on the lips.
 
I return the affection and it makes the night
that much better.

               
So,
the next Sunday goes well, and then the Sunday after that, and after that, and
after that.
 
My mom and I
even get together just the two of us.
 
There are days that it is harder for her, and
a few times I go over to sit with her.
 
It is nice to have her in my life.

               
Weeks
turn into months, and suddenly my graduation is here.
 
I can’t believe it.
 
It’s like a million degrees outside on the
day of my graduation, and of course we are wearing heavy robes.
 
I think I might pass out from heat
exhaustion.
 
Our valedictorian gives a
nice speech, but my mind is somewhere else.
 
I got two acceptance letters from two different art schools.
 
Jeremy says we will move to whatever place I
want to go.
 
I like how he says
“we”.
 
I love how we are
a we
.

               
Don’t
get me wrong, we fight.
 
About nothing
major, but normal I live with you bickering.
 
Usually, it lasts like ten minutes and then we are done and it’s out of
our system.
 
No relationship is
perfect.
 
It’s never a story book ending,
all rainbows and butterflies, but we love each other and are extremely happy,
and that is what counts.

               
When
we finally throw our caps in the air, it’s exhilarating.
 
My life has changed so much in the past year,
and it amazes me that I may miss going to my high school.
 
I think the best part is that Sonya has left
me alone since that one day.
 
She won’t
even look at me.
 
Honestly, I wouldn’t
care if she did.
 
I am past that.
 
I only wish her the best.

               
As
my fellow graduates disperse into the crowd, I go looking for the one person
that matters.
 
When I see him, I run and
jump into his arms.
 
“You did it,” Jeremy
whispers.
 
“I am so proud of you.”

               
“I
love you,” I whisper.

               
“I
love you, too,” he replies.

               
Suddenly,
I am pulled away from him and lifted up into the air.
 
“Congratulations young lady,” Kent says.
 
“What is the first thing you are going to do
as an adult?”

               
“I
have already been an adult, but I don’t know.
 
Not wake up early tomorrow, which will be nice.”

               
“Congratulations
honey,” I hear my mom say.
 
Kent sets me
down, and I go to hug my mom.
 
“You are
an incredible young lady.”

               
“Thanks
mom,” I reply.

               
Josh
claps his hand, “Now, for the after party.”

               
“Josh!”
Everyone yells.

               
Whining,
he goes, “
Wwwhhhhaaaatttt
?”

               
Confused,
I look at Jeremy.
 
“What after party?”

               
“Well,
it was supposed to be a surprise, but we are throwing your class a graduation
party at the club.
 
Eric and Jack have
planned the whole thing,” he replies.
 
“Big mouth here just ruined the surprise.”

               
Totally
excited, I jump up and down, “Really!?”

               
“Yes,
really,” Jeremy says, smiling.
 
“So,
let’s get going.
 
There is going to be
food there and everything, and I am starving.”

               
The
party is I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E.
 
It is crazy
how many people show up.
 
There is music
and dancing, and a whole bunch of craziness.
 
Way later that night, Jeremy pulls me aside.
 
“What’s up?” I ask.

               
“I
need to take you some place.
 
Can I pull
you away from your party?”

               
“Sure,”
I reply, leaning up against him.
 
“For a price.”
 
Jeremy
smiles and then bends down to kiss me.
 
It is still exhilarating to feel the touch of his lips on mine.
 
We say good bye to everyone and leave the
club.
 
I curl up next to him on the car
ride.
 

               
When
we get to a hotel, I give him a questioning look.
 
“What are we doing here?”

               
“You
will see,” he retorts.

               
We
leave the car with the valet and go inside.
 
I can only follow him.
 
The place
is really, really nice.
 
I kind of look around as we walk.
 
The elevator ride up takes us to the top
floor.
 
“What in the world are we doing?”
I ask.

               
“Just
come on,” he says, pulling me down the hallway.
 
When we get to a set of double doors, Jeremy whispers, “Close your
eyes.”

               
I
give him a look but then do as he asked. There is the sound of the key swiping
and then I hear the door open.
 
“Can I
open my eyes?” I ask.

               
Laughing,
he replies, “No, just wait.”
 
I feel him
take my hands and pull me slowly into the hotel room.
 
There is a strong floral smell and that peaks
my curiosity.
 
We stop and then he
whispers, “Open your eyes.”

               
When
I do, I gasp.
 
The room is covered wall
to wall in tulips.
 
“Jeremy,” I say,
“what in the world?”

               
“Isabelle,”
he murmurs.
 
“I love you more than
anything in this whole world.
 
You have
brought light back into my life and I could never repay you for that.
 
You are so beautiful, kind, smart, talented
and funny.
 
I could never ask for anything
more.
 
So, now I have something for
you.
 
There is no great speech with it,
not yet, just a token of my love.”
 
I
watch him take something out of his pocket.
 
Jeremy grabs my hand and places a ring box in it.

               
“Jeremy,”
I sigh.
 
“What is this?”

               
He
has a very serious look, “Just open it Isabelle.”

               
Very
nervously I do.
 
When I lift the lid,
tears start streaming down my face.
 
Inside is the ring from the magazine.
 
“Jeremy, we are so young.
 
I just
graduated from high school today.”

               
“I
am not proposing,” he states strongly.

               
Looking
up at him, I say, “Huh?”

               
“This
is a promise ring.
 
It is a promise that
when you are ready, I will bend down on one knee and ask you to marry me.
 
I want you to wear it on your right hand, so
that you have a reminder every day of that promise.
 
I love you Isabelle.
 
Kaitlin’s death taught me one thing that you
never know what is going to happen.
 
You
have to live your life to the fullest.
 
So, that is my promise.
 
If it is
two days, two weeks or two years from now, when you are ready, I will ask you
to marry me.
 
So, will you wear it?”