Perfect Summer by Bethany Lopez
Faith
Iturned my head toward the door, the uncomfortable pillow I was laying on crunching under me from the movement.
I was groggy and starting to feel all the places I was sore, which was a surprising amount considering I hadn’t fallen from very high. Although it was apparently a bunch of jagged rock that broke my fall, so it made sense.
My arm ached, in a way that was all too familiar, and I felt tears gathering in my eyes when Mitch walked into the room with Hope in his arms.
“Hey,” I managed, although it came out sounding like I had a frog in my throat. “Is she okay?”
Mitch walked up next to the bed, rubbing Hope’s back in small circles, and said, “Hope, your mom wants to see you. She’s okay, I promise … You can look at her now.”
“Little bear?” I called, worried over the fact that her face was tucked into Mitch’s shoulder, and she didn’t seem to want to see me. “Honey, I know I hurt your feelings back at the creek, but I didn’t want you to see me hurt. I’m sorry … Can you turn toward me so I can see that you’re okay?”
She shifted but kept her head on his shoulder. I could see her eyes were puffy from crying and my heart broke a little.
“I’m okay, see?”
Hope looked down at the cast on my arm.
“You can draw on it when we get home,” I told her, and when she looked sad I realized it was because she’d done that before, the last time Jed had broken my arm.
I hate that she remembers it.
“How are you feeling?” Mitch asked, and I really looked at him for the first time since they’d entered.
He looked tired and stressed, like he’d been through a great ordeal, and I’m sure he had been. It couldn’t have been easy to see me fall like that, then have to deal not only with my panic attack, but I could also remember I had been kind of rude when all he’d been trying to do was help.
“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” I told him softly.
“What? No! Don’t even think about it. I’d read that sometimes that would happen due to the fear and panic and you not wanting me to see you like that. I completely understand. I just wish I could have done more.” His face was so full of worry and regret. “I’m so sorry I called you up to the overlook. If I’d had any idea the wood had rotted over the years…”
“Hey, no. Don’t do that to yourself,” I pleaded. “It was not your fault, you couldn’t have known. And you were so sweet. I was simply surprised, and the rest was really bad luck.”
“Do you think the idea of me proposing triggered the attack? Because if you aren’t ready, I can wait, Faith. I’ll wait for you forever.”
I did my best to sit up more comfortably and patted the bed with my free hand.
Mitch sat down and Hope finally left his arms to curl up next to me on the bed, careful not to bump me and hurt my arm.
“Actually, I felt it coming on right before you called me over. I was worrying about my parents and the whole mystery surrounding the dinner … it was silly and nothing to stress over. But I freaked myself out and then when I fell, I went into a full-blown attack. Crazy circumstances, but not because you were going to propose, I promise.”
“Oh, no, the dinner tonight was because your parents knew I was proposing and they wanted to go out and celebrate,” he said, looking even more sorry. “I wish I would have known you assumed it was something bad, so I could have eased your fears. Maybe we could have avoided all of this.”
“It all makes sense now,” I said, laying back and cuddling Hope closer. I did my best to try and smile and ease his worry, but I wasn’t sure I’d managed it. I was suddenly very tired.
“Miles said once they complete your discharge papers, you can go home. Your parents are here, and they’d like to take you back to their place, but it’s completely up to you.”
“They didn’t have to do that … but it does sound nice to go back to their house. At least I know Hope will be entertained and taken care of, and maybe my mom will make me some of her chicken soup.”
Anytime I’d been sick or injured growing up, my mom always made me her soup. It was the best cure and when I’d been in Chicago, I’d always wished I could have it.
“Okay, I’ll let them know,” he said, but when he was about to get up, I said, “Mitch,” and he remained seated. “Yeah?”
“Would you come with us?” I asked.
“Of course,” he replied, and when he started to rise him, I stopped him again.
“Mitch?”
“Yes, Faith?”
“Can I have my proposal now?”
“Here?” he asked, looking around the room that seemed to be tinged with yellow light. “Are you sure?”
I nodded as eagerly as I could. “Please.”
Mitch knelt down next to the bed and took my right hand in his.
“Faith,” he began, before pausing to take a deep breath and smile. “My first memory of you is of you bossing Wilder around on the playground in elementary school, even though he was two years older. You were confident and pretty and I was awed by your sassiness. As we grew older, my awe for you grew and molded into something bigger. You were a natural leader, and you were so smart, at first I was afraid to ask you out. I was sure you’d think I was a dumb jock, and you wouldn’t give me the time of day. But you said yes, and from that moment on, I knew you’d always be my girl.”
His tongue darted out to wet his lips and then he continued. “When I lost you, I lost a piece of my heart, and I was sure it was gone forever. I hoped you’d come back, but as the years went on, it seemed less and less likely. Then you did. And with you was Hope, the sweetest, funniest, most magical little girl I’ve ever met. She’s reminds me a lot of you when you were that age, and I knew, if given the chance, I would love her just as fiercely as I’ve always loved you.”
Tears spilled down my cheeks and Hope was bouncing excitedly on the bed next to me. It didn’t feel great on my body, but I didn’t have the heart to ask her to stop. I didn’t want anything stopping this moment.
“You’re the woman for me, you always have been. I have never, and will never, love anyone else. You coming home and agreeing to go out with me seemed like a gift from God, but you falling back in love with me has been more than I ever could have hoped for … Faith, I love you. And, Hope, I love you, too. I hope you’ll both agree to accept me into your family and let me be with you until my last breath. Faith, will you marry me?”
I tried to answer but was crying so hard I couldn’t get the words out.
Meanwhile, Hope was chanting, “Yes, yes, yes,” as she bounced.
I nodded furiously.
“Is that a yes?” Mitch asked.
“Yes!” I cried, finally finding my voice. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
He stood up and looked down at my left hand, which wouldn’t be able to have a ring on it for some time.
“We’ll use this one for now,” I said, lifting my right.
He slid the ring on my finger and bent to give me a watery kiss.
“I love you,” Mitch whispered.
“I love you, too.”
“I love you too,” Hope cried, and we looked over to see her holding out her hand. “Where’s my ring?” she asked, and we both started laughing.