Carved

CHAPTER 26

DYLAN

    “Welcome home?”

    Okay, this was not the response I was expecting.  I pictured this in my head much differently. She has barely said anything.  Maybe it was a bad idea to surprise her. Maybe she’s mad I kept it a secret from her.  Maybe she’s not ready to move in with me. “Please say something baby.”

    “You bought the house?”

    “Yes.  I couldn’t have just anybody living here.  We belong here. You and I and the family we’ll have one day.  Like you said we have a lot of memories with this house. The night I saw you at Duck’s we stopped at a grocery store.  I saw Mallory. She told me about the house going up for sale. I called Mrs. Skuld the next morning. I was hopeful even then, Ella.  I wanted the house for us.” I say with apprehension.

    “Don’t worry Dylan.  I think she is stunned.  It’s not everyday somebody buys a million dollar house for their future wife.”  Whisper giggles.

    “Why don’t you show her around while I go get you both some drinks.  You guys may need some.” Colton chuckles and slaps me on the shoulder before he walks away.

    I grab Ella’s hand and lead her inside.  Mrs. Skuld said that a few years ago she was tired of looking at the same thing every day.  She had somebody come in and knock a few walls down, added some pillars, and made a few other drastic changes.  The house looked extremely different when I walked in for the first time in years. Mrs. Skuld gave me old pictures of the house and Colton and I worked on the remodeling plans.

    “Dylan!  The house looks like it used to, the pillars are gone!”  Ella says in astonishment.

    “Yeah, Colton and I worked on getting the house back to the way it looked when we were kids.  His girlfriend came in to help with the furnishing until we pretty much had the house we remembered.”

    There are tears in Ella’s eyes.  “Dylan this is the greatest thing anybody has ever done for me.  Actually, if I think of all the greatest things anybody has ever done for me, they involve you.  You really are a wonderful wonderful man. I love you with all my heart. Thank you so much for doing this.”

    Then she kisses me and I get the response I wanted.  After a kiss like the one she just gave me, any man would feel wonderful.  I’m the happiest man on earth right now.  

    “I would do anything for you, baby.”  I give her more soft kisses. I can’t help it.  She’s too beautiful not to kiss.  

    I show her the rest of the house.  I love seeing the sparkle in her eyes and the joy on her face.  She loves the house. She really loves the house. We worked so hard to get it finished before the party.  Seeing Ella like this makes it all worth it.  

    “For your future wife?”

    I chuckle.  “I told you, Ella.  I’ve always known.”

    “What made you so positive?”  

    “We were born on the same day.  Your first words to me were ‘I love you’.  We had our first kiss together. You were my first girlfriend, my first love, you were my…” I give her a Cheshire cat grin “my first and my last.  We are going to grow old together. You can move in any time you want. I want you here with me. Be with me. Please, be with me.”

    “I love you Dylan.  I don’t think I can say it enough.  I love you. I love you. I love you.”  

I wrap my arms around her and lead her upstairs where the bedrooms are. “It’s kind of empty up here.”