Page 11 of Meet Me at the Altar

“Maybe it’s time for you to tie up some loose ends. Either get the true closure you never received from both men, or open your heart up to embracing possibilities you didn’t believe were on the table. Either way, I’m sure you’ll find healing on your journey.”

“What possibilities?”

“That your best friend just might love you too.”

“If they keep playinglike this, these boys are going to the championships,” Khatya declared over the loud cheers on the field.

“What do you mean ‘if’? These boys are going!” Devon, her husband, exclaimed.

We cheered as my nephew, Devon Jr., or DJ as we called him, struck another player out.

I was proud of him. He was sixteen, an A-scholar, and he was on the football, baseball, and basketball teams. He was already being touted by several colleges, and at this point, he had his pick of where he could go.

When my sister became pregnant with him at eighteen, she was stressed out, and she and Devon were terrified. Despite that, they both graduated, went to college with the help of our family and his, and they were doing great.

They were best friends, excellent parents, and still as in love with each other as they were in high school. I often looked at them and wished that I had what they did. I was still lonely, still hurt, still afraid, and yet still hopeful, despite my fears. My mind turned back to Andrès as it often did in times like these. Dr. Jessica was right; I did need to confront both men. I worried that confronting Remy might land me in jail, and confronting Andrès would land me with a broken heart.

I rolled my eyes and tried to press back the disappointment that filled me as it often did. I couldn’t believe that I was still holding onto a teenaged promise. The last time that I had spoken with his sister, Kalandra, she told me that he was in a long-termrelationship. She said she thought he would be proposing to the girl soon.

That had been three years ago when she had come to town for a family funeral, and Kalandra had no idea that she had broken my heart and snatched my hope. When the crowd erupted in cheers, I pulled myself from my morose thoughts. I had missed the game-winning play.

Khatya rushed out onto the field, along with Devon and many other parents, to shower their children with love. I stood in the bleachers and clapped long and hard. Tears streamed down my face, but I wasn’t sure if it was pride for my nephew or the lonely ache in my heart. I swiped at the tears and smiled through them.

When things calmed down, the announcer asked everyone to return to their seats for a special presentation. I listened as they droned on about the support of the family and community and how instrumental it was for the high school.

They gave a special thank you to a long-term supporter of the high school sports program. I didn’t recognize the name Apex PM Consultants. I grabbed my handbag so that I could leave.

We would all be driving to the Pizza Barn afterward for a celebratory dinner, as we often did after a winning game. Yet, it wasn’t my sister’s hand on my shoulder that stayed me in place, nor was it Devon’s voice that asked, “Isn’t that your old friend, Kalli?”

It was that voice that I had longed to hear for so long, which stopped me and caused me to drop back down in the bleachers.

“Thank you for welcoming me. It feels good to come home after ten years. Although I haven’t been home, I have taken pride in my community and in my high school from afar. I will never forget all that Rosemont High School did for me through the years. I played basketball, football, baseball, and ran track while I was a student here, and I know the importance of support andgiving back. It makes all the difference for the students and their performances.

“Guys, you poured your heart out on this field today, and I want to congratulate each of you for the hard work that I know it takes to gain these types of stats and wins. I will continue to support you, and I wanted to announce that for the seniors, my company is giving away a one-hundred-grand scholarship to one player each in all four sports that I just named.”

The team jumped up and down, patted each other on the back, and the families in the stands screamed and cheered. I was the only one who was rooted in place, unable to move and barely able to breathe. I was vaguely aware of Khatya’s hand still on my shoulder.

“As I said before, I’ve been gone for ten years. I’ve missed my family and friends, and it’s been hard being away, but it’s also been very rewarding. It feels good to come back home. Ten years ago, I made a promise to someone that I have every intention of keeping. I graduated from here, and though I had scholarships, I was so angry that I didn’t work as hard to keep them as I did to earn them.

“My wild behaviors led me to getting kicked out of school. Those same behaviors led to trouble in my home. On the day that I left Cherokee Springs for California, I was hurt, bitter, confused, and troubled. Over those ten years, I’ve worked hard on myself to become the man you see today. I’m a better man because of all I’ve been through, and it’s allowed me to start a foundation of mentorship. Even more importantly is the promise that I made to my best friend.”

He kneeled, and I stared in confusion as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. I could have sworn he was looking at me, but could he see me that clearly among the crowd?

“I left town ten years ago today, and my life was in shambles, but I also left my best friend, the most important person in theworld to me, behind. I didn’t want to, but I had no other choice. She’s here today, and I’ve struggled not running over to her ever since I saw her face in the crowd. Kalliope Marie Robinson, I vowed to you that if you weren’t married to that knucklehead, or some other knucklehead in ten years, that I would return and claim your heart as mine. I still have your heart,” he stated, holding his hand up. Though I could barely see it, I could see the sun glinting off something gold in his hand, and I knew what it was.

“I don’t expect an answer today, because I know it’s been a while. But I’m officially asking you here in front of family, friends, and strangers . . . Best friend, can I have your whole heart? Will you be my wife?”

A thunderous applause rose in the stands, loud whoops went up from the players, and shrill screams escalated in the air from the women, including my sister. She was loud in my ear, and tears fell from my eyes, but I was speechless.

How could he come back after all this time and think that I would just up and marry him? He had no idea what was going on in my life. Yes, I was happy to see him again, but I was hurt, angry, and disappointed. All the feelings that I had compartmentalized through the years returned like lightning, and I felt overwhelmed. Yet I was paralyzed at the same time, and the only part of my body that appeared to be in working order were my tear ducts, because they opened a flood gate.

Chapter 4

Andrès

Afew years ago, when I made my first million, I became a donor to my old high school. I kept in touch with coaches and a couple of staff members off and on. That was how I knew that her nephew played all those sports, and that was how I knew that she would be at the game.

I had come with the intention of proposing to her from the moment they asked me to say a few words about our donations. I knew it was crazy, and I knew that it was far-fetched, but I was willing to do whatever it took to get my friend back.