Chapter 5
"So what happened?" Jessi's friend Kaila asked when Jessilyn called her that night.
"Everything was going really good," said Jessi, "But then it was like a light went off in my head, telling me to get out of there and push him away."
"And you did, didn't you?"
"Yeah. And then he got mad and left."
"I'd be mad too if someone did that to me," said Kaila, "He thinks you don't want to be with him."
"He was the last person I was really in a serious relationship with," Jessilyn said, "And you know how that one turned out."
"I know," said Kai, "Just talk to him about it."
"I left a message on his answering machine," said Jessi, "When I called he wasn't home."
"Okay," Kai said, "But, girl, I have to go. I'll talk to you soon."
"Yeah," said Jessi, "Okay."
They hung up and Jessi sat back on the couch. Tommy came walking in.
"Hey," he said, sitting down next to Jessi, "Mom, what happened between you and Dad this afternoon?"
"Nothing, hon," said Jessi.
"But when he picked me up, he looked mad," Tommy said.
"It's nothing," Jessi said, "We just got into a small argument."
"Oh, okay," said Tommy.
He got up and headed into the kitchen. A minute later, he stuck his head back into the living room. "Mom? Are you and Dad gonna get married?"
"I don't know, Tommy," said Jessi.
"Okay."
After Tommy disappeared into the kitchen again, Jessi picked up the phone to call her mother. The line was busy, so she hung up. As soon as she had taken her hand off the receiver, the phone rang.
Jessi grabbed the receiver before Tommy could get it. "Hello?" she asked.
"Jes?" came Nick's voice.
"Yeah?"
"We need to talk."
"Yes, we do."
"Can I come over?"
"Only if you want Tommy to hear everything you say."
"Can I meet you somewhere then?" Nick asked.
"Not tonight, Nick," Jessi said, "It's getting late."
"Tomorrow then," said Nick, "After Tommy goes to school."
"Okay," Jessi said finally, "Where?"
They decided on a place and then hung up.
"Mom?" Tommy asked, coming into the room, "Are you going to meet Dad somewhere tomorrow?"
"Yes, I am," said Jessi.
"I know what he wants to talk to you about," said Tommy.
"The argument we had earlier," Jessi said.
"That's not it," said Tommy, "It's something else."
"Just go to bed," Jessi said, throwing a pillow at her son. She knew he wasn't going to tell her what it was anyway.
The next morning, after Jessilyn had dropped Tommy off at school, she went to the coffee shop where she and Nick had agreed to meet. He was already there.
"Hi," Jessi said, sliding into the booth.
"Hi," said Nick.
"So what did you want to talk about?" Jessi asked.
"Nothing much right now," said Nick, "I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for just walking out like that yesterday."
"I'm sorry too," said Jessi, "I shouldn't have pushed you away. It's just that the last time we were in a serious relationship, you broke up with me, leaving me pregnant."
"I know," Nick said, "I'm sorry. There is so much I'd want to go back and change if I could."
"So would I," said Jessi, "But we can't change it. What happened happened and there's nothing we can do about it."
"The only thing we can do is just move forward with our lives," said Nick.
"Exactly."
"And that's what I want to do," Nick said.
"So do I."
They both ordered and then talked a little about other things.An hour later, they were done.
"Come on," said Nick, "Let's go for a walk on the beach."
"Now?" Jessi asked, "It's going to be crowded."
"Not the beach I want to go to," said Nick, "Come on."
He took her hand and they walked out of the coffee shop.
"Where are we going?" Jessi asked.
"You'll see," said Nick.
He led her to his car and they got in.
"I have my own car," Jessi protested.
"Just come on," said Nick, "Don't worry. We'll be back to get your car."
"Okay," said Jessi.
Nick drove them to a quiet spot about ten minutes from his house. Jessi knew that there was a beach around there somewhere.
"It's over here?" she asked.
"Behind this house," said Nick, "It's a private beach. Not that many people know about it."
"I'm not surprised," said Jessi, as Nick took her hand and led her through the overgrown brush.
"Very funny," Nick said.
They walked down the path and eventually ended up on a small secluded beach. The water was gently lapping again the clean sparkling sand.
"Wow," Jessi said, as they stepped onto the sand, "I didn't think it was going to be like this."
"The owners clean it up a lot," said Nick, "They don't come here often, though."
"How do you know the owners?" Jessi asked.
"They're friends of my parents," said Nick, "I've only met them a couple of times, though."
"I hate to rush you," Jessi said, looking at her watch, "But I have to get to work in an hour."
"Oh, okay," said Nick, "Don't worry."
They walked along the water for a while and then suddenly Nick stopped.
"Is something wrong?" Jessi asked him.
"No," said Nick, "Nothing. It's just that I have to talk to you about something."
"Yeah," Jessi said, "Tommy told me last night. He wouldn't tell me exactly what it was, but he said that it wasn't only the argument we had last night."
"It's not," said Nick, "It's something else."
"Then what is it?"
"I need to ask you something really important."
"Okay."
"First of all," said Nick, "Do you love me?"
"Of course I do," Jessi said, "Why wouldn't I?"
"Okay," said Nick, "Then I can ask you the next question."
He reached into his pocket and pulled something out.
"What are you doing?" Jessi asked.
"Jessilyn," said Nick, "I've been thinking about this ever since I saw you again that one night. When we broke up all those years ago, I never totally got over you. What I'm trying to say is..." Nick knelt down on one knee. "Will you marry me?"
Jessi was shocked. She never thought in a million years that Nick would be asking her to marry him. "I..." she said, "Yes! I will!"
Grinning madly, Nick stood up and slid the ring onto Jessi's finger. He embraced her close to him and their lips met.
"I thought for a moment there that you were going to shoot me down," Nick said, laughing a little, as they pulled apart.
"I'm going to tell you the truth," said Jessi, "I thought about it, but then I don't want to lose you again."
"You'll never lose me," Nick said, pulling Jessi to him again and kissing her, "Never."
As they walked back to the car hand-in-hand, Jessi looked at her watch. "I'd better get to work," she said, "I don't need to be late today."
"Okay," said Nick, "We'll go back to the coffee shop to pick up your car."
"Thanks," Jessi said.
When they got to the coffee shop, Nick walked Jessi to her car.
"I'll call you later," he said.
"Okay," said Jessi.
"And don't tell Tommy before I can be there too."
"Don't worry. I won't."
After one last kiss, Jessi got into her car and headed to work.That afternoon, Jessilyn slid the beautiful diamond ring off her finger and slid it into her pocket to make sure that her son didn't see it before it was time to tell him.
"Hi," Tommy said, getting into the car, "So how was your talk with Dad?"
"Sweetie, you don't mind?" Jessi asked, "I mean, calling Nick Dad?"
"Well, he is my dad, isn't he?" asked Tommy.
"Yes, but..."
"I like calling him Dad," Tommy said, "It makes it feel like I have a whole family."
Jessilyn smiled. She really wanted to tell Tommy about what had happened that morning, but she knew that she should wait until she and Nick could tell him together.
When they got home, they found Nick waiting for them in his car.
"What are you doing here?" Jessi asked, as she and Tommy got out of their car.
"I can over so we could tell him," said Nick.
"Impatient?" Jessi laughed.
"Of course," said Nick.
"Tell me what?" Tommy asked.
"Let's go inside and we'll tell you," said Jessi.
They all went into the house and sat down in the living room. Jessi sat down on the couch with Nick and Tommy sat in his usual chair on the other side of the room.
"So what's up?" asked Tommy.
"You know how you were saying that you call Nick Dad because it makes you feel like you have a whole family?" Jessi began.
"Yeah," said Tommy.
"Well," Nick said, "What if we could make that real?"
"What do you mean?" Tommy asked.
"What would you say if your mom and I got married?" Nick asked.
"That would be great!" said Tommy, "I mean, yeah. It would. Are you?"
"Yes," Jessi said, "Nick asked me this morning."
"Alright!" Tommy exclaimed, "So we're going to be a whole family?"
"Uh huh," said Nick.
Tommy went over to the other side of the room and hugged his parents and then went up to his room.
"He's a good kid," said Nick.
"Yeah," agreed Jessi, "He is. I didn't think he was going to take it this well."
"This might just be the calm before the storm," Nick said, "But I'm hoping it's not."
"Me too," said Jessi.After Nick left that night, Jessi went to talk to Tommy. She had to make sure that he was really okay with it.
