The Beginning of a Beautiful Life

“I did it,” I muttered, holding the check to my chest, my hands trembling as tears of joy began to escape from behind my closed eyes. “I can’t believe I did it.”

All the overtime, all the nights of rice and beans.

It was all worth it.

My heart stirred, a warm humming joy filling my body as I stole another glance at the amount. Twenty thousand dollars.

Seed money.

And more.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Not only could I stop worrying about how to keep my firm afloat, now I could finally ask the woman of my dreams to marry me.

I folded the check, my hands still trembling as I tucked it carefully into my wallet.

“The only thing left to do is to go buy the ring. Right after I visit Dad.”

***

I shifted in my chair for the fourth time in half as many minutes and stared at the clock.

5:27.

“This is ridiculous.”

I stood and started pacing only to give up soon after, deciding to make my way out to the front desk instead.

I motioned back to the room I’d come from, waving my arms wildly. “What gives? There are only so many places he could be around here. Where’d you hide him?”

The lady behind the counter didn’t bat an eyelash. “Who, Mr. Jones?

I stared at her like she was an idiot. “My Dad. I’m here to read to him. Like I do every week.”

I tapped my fingers against the countertop between us, calling Mary’s face to my mind’s eye. If anyone could help calm me down, it was her.

My hands drifted from the counter back down to my sides.

I patted my back pocket gently, a quick confirmation that yes, I still had my wallet with the check safely nestled inside.

I can’t wait to get out of here. To finally pay for the ring I picked out months ago. To rush to her so I can gaze up at her lovely pale face while I gently glide the ring onto her finger…

I drew in a breath and let it out slowly, willing myself to unclench my jaw as her face swam into my vision, eyes blue and full of delight, her nose crinkled as she reached for my outstretched hand.

Soon.

I felt my shoulders relax a little as a thread of calm washed through me.

Dottie, according to her name badge, nodded slowly. “Well, you know how he likes to wander.” Her voice was just a shade too bright. “I’m sure he’ll be back any minute.”

“I thought the whole point of putting him in this godforsaken home was to make sure he didn’t go off wandering,” I said, my voice rising ever so slightly.

A look of relief crossed her face as she turned her head towards the front entrance of the place. “It’s all right, Mr. Jones. You can calm down now.”

I felt my anger bubble up again, but this time it was tempered by the certainty that I’d be in Mary’s arms again, hearing the, “Yes,” I’d longed for from her soon enough.

“Look, just because you can boss him around all day doesn’t mean you can do the same to me, lady,” I said, tensing slightly as I felt an unfamiliar, yet oddly soothing hand come to rest on my shoulder.

“It’s ok, Dottie,” a voice said from slightly behind me. “I’ll take it from here.”

That voice.

His name was on the tip of my tongue.

It floated into my awareness the second I turned to look at him.

My heart clenched oddly in my chest, a confusing wave of joy punching me in the gut even as I felt every fiber of my being want to drop to the floor and weep.

“You have her eyes, Tim,” I said. “You’ve always had her eyes.”

His face relaxed, the slightest hint of a smile tugging at the edges of his mouth as he moved his hand to my elbow, steadying me.

“Why you never took that check from him is beyond me,” Dottie said.

“How has he been today?” Tim asked softly, his hand leaving my arm just long enough to pull a weathered little black book from the inside pocket of his coat.

He offered the notebook to me. I grabbed for its buttery cover with what I now realized were trembling old man fingers.

“Like a kid on Christmas morning,” she said, looking slightly bored.

“Exactly. He’s had enough taken from him already,” Tim said without so much as a glance back towards Dottie. “I refuse to be the one who takes this from him too.”

His gaze never wavered from mine as he motioned for me to open the book.

It fell open easily to a well-worn page, despite the lack of help from my still trembling fingers. I could barely make out the words as my eyes started to well up.

He steered me gently back towards what I now realized must have been my room all along. “Tell me a story, Dad?”

I closed my eyes for just a moment, bringing the leather-bound book to my chest.

A single tear rolled down my cheek as the door clicked shut behind us.

I cleared my throat even though I knew it wouldn’t do anything, aching to share the first line I’d read with my son.

Our son.

My voice reverberated in the tiny room, broken yet surprisingly strong. “It was the perfect start to a beautiful life, but I didn’t know that yet.”