Where We Begin

Chapter 50 - It Felt Like A Fairytale

Dec 15th, 2002 - Taylor

Finally, we were going home. As the hired town car my family rode in pulled into our driveway, we all noticed another vehicle parked there. It was a little rusty, it was a little dented, it was a few different shades of gray, and leaning against it was Busta. I drew in a deep breath and glanced to my left, trying to subtly catch a glimpse of my mother's face, but I couldn't see her with my sister between us in the backseat.

As our ride pulled up next to Busta and the strange car, I barely waited for a complete stop before I unbuckled my belt and jumped out. 

"What's going on?" I asked, in a rushed, hushed tone.

He gave me a sly look. "What kind of 'hello' is that? I thought you'd be more excited about my new car. Now, I know you might be feeling a little jealous, but since you let me drive the Lexus, I'd be glad to let you take lil' Lola for a spin."

I couldn't help but laugh and stepped forward to give him a huge hug.

Behind me, my family was exiting the town car. My dad slipped the driver some bills to bring our luggage up to the house before approaching us.

"So, what is this? 1992 Civic?" Dad observed.

"1991, sir," Busta answered proudly. "She's lived a hard life, but I think I can squeeze a couple more good years out."

My mom and Kristen joined my dad, studying Busta's busted up Honda. I took his hand, standing by him and waiting for a reaction.

"So..." my mom started, making me hold my breath one more time. "So, this is yours? You bought it?"

I felt Busta squeeze my hand gently. "Yes, m'am. I've been saving my money since July, since I started my landscaping job."

She nodded, looking it over. "Well, that is quite an accomplishment, to work hard and have the discipline to set a goal. And here you are, reaping the rewards. Good for you."

With her compliment, I could feel the tension leave Busta's body. 

"Thank you, Mrs Johansen. I know you just got home and all, but I was wondering if I could take Taylor on a drive?"

My mom looked at my dad for an answer, but he just shrugged and walked off toward the house. She turned back to us. "Taylor, home by 10:30. And Busta..." she was careful to pronounce his nickname correctly. "I've told you before, call me Dawn."

As she disappeared inside with my sister, Busta turned to me with wide eyes. "What. Just. Happened?"

I squealed and wrapped my arms around his neck for another hug and a big kiss. "Baby, I am so proud of you!"

He still looked confused. "Did I crack the code? Was financial responsibility the key the whole time? I would have worked more overtime, I would have bought this junker weeks ago..."

"I have a lot to fill you in on," I interrupted. "The end of the trip was very eventful, to put it lightly. Let's talk on the way to... where are we going?"

Busta smiled and kissed my forehead. "You'll see."

We got in his car. It smelled musty and the seats were lumpy, but I didn't care. He had made this happen, he didn't just get handed a set of keys for a birthday or as a Christmas gift. All those mornings he spent working on yards had paid off and I was extremely impressed. Honestly, nothing was sexier than knowing I had a guy who wasn't afraid to work hard to get what he wanted. It made me so excited for what our future could hold.

As he drove, I babbled on about the trip, my unfortunate encounter, and mostly, my talks with my parents. Busta got a little upset when I was going over the Grant parts, but relaxed when I got to the talks with my parents and told him how I stood up for him. 

I was talking so much I didn't even realize where we were headed until we pulled into the parking lot at Crescent Park. 

"The park? At night? Uhhh, this is a cute idea, but it's technically closed at sunset. I don't think there are even any lights on the path," I said. 

Busta reached into the backseat and grabbed a flashlight. "Don't worry, I got it covered." 

"But..."

He leaned over and kissed me. "For one night, try not to be a smarty pants. Trust me."

I sighed. "OK, I trust you." 

We got out of the car and made our way into the park. It was even darker than I imagined once the street was out of view. Even though I ran these trails all the time, I kept my eyes on the small circle of light we had at our feet, trying not to trip. I was also biting my tongue, because I didn't know what the point of this was. 

Just as I was about to break my silence, I noticed an orangey glow up ahead. As we got closer to the pond at the back of the park, I saw my favorite oak tree, glowing in the night, wrapped in hundreds, maybe thousands, of Christmas lights. I stopped dead in my tracks. 

"Busta..." I gasped.

"I told you, I got it covered," he grinned. 

"How did you do this?" 

"Thank the Mt Blue Landscaping crew. Carl pulled some strings with the parks department for me and the rest of the guys helped me string up every leftover light we had since we are done decorating houses for the year. Come on." He took my hand and led me under the illuminated branches. The rest of the park around us was so dark, it felt like we were floating in space. It felt like a fairytale. 

Busta brought me over to sit on a blanket at the base of the tree, right in the spot where we had our first kiss. 

"This is absolutely incredible," I gushed.

"I'm glad you like it. I have to be honest, this is kind of your Christmas gift. Well, by kind of, I mean it is. I didn't know what to get you, but I thought maybe being able to actually pick you up for date for a change in my own car would be pretty cool. And I wanted it to be a special date. I know it's not a fancy necklace or something you can keep forever, but I hope you like it," Busta rambled nervously.

"I love it," I said. "You know, you told me to trust you, but you should really trust yourself."

"Huh?"

"This is the best gift I've ever gotten. I don't need you to spend all your money on me. I don't need more stuff. This is something I can keep forever. This is a moment I will never forget, just like the first time we sat here, and the first time you kissed me."

Busta's eyes sparkled under lights. "Geez, this night is going so much smoother than I thought. I figured your parents were going to laugh me right out of the driveway, then when I realized I was actually going to get to bring you here, I didn't know what I was going to say. I just really wanted to show you how special you are."

"Your message is loud and clear, so I want mine to be too." I slid over so we were sitting face to face. "I have a car, and necklaces, and shoes, and... well, pretty much anything I've ever asked for. I don't want those things from you. You will always be enough for me, because the way you make me feel could never be bought. A year ago, I thought I had everything, but now I see how wrong I was. I had nothing. You... you, are everything."

"Wow," he said breathlessly. "This was supposed to be my moment for romantic speeches, you are kinda stealing my thunder."

"I'm sorry," I smiled and ran my hand through his dark bangs, letting my fingertips linger down his cheek. He placed his hand over mind, and closed his eyes for a moment, as if to let the moment sink in. 

"I want it to be like this forever," he whispered as his eyes flicked open. "I don't think I've ever been this happy, and I don't think I could ever be happier than when I'm with you. Can we stay here? Forever?"

I brought my forehead to his. "Forever. This is just the beginning."