“What’s going on, Dad?” I asked, my voice rising above its normal pitch, my heart starting to race.
“Just come home, Emily. Now!” he yelled, ending the call abruptly. I stared at the phone, my mind blank. What could possibly be the problem? I couldn’t think of anything, except maybe, like my mother, my father was sick too. I took a deep breath, dialing Ethan’s number to inform him that I was getting on the next flight to Ashville.
“My dad just called me. He sounded really panicked. I think something is going on, and I have to go home now,” I said as soon as Ethan picked up the call.
“Is everything okay? Did he say what was wrong?” Ethan asked. I shook my head as if he could see me.
“No, he just said I should come home. I’m going to the airport now to get the first ticket home,” I felt the need to keep him informed.
“Just hold on. I’ll call the pilot to take you,” Ethan said, reminding me that he had a private jet. “I’ll call the driver to take you to the hangar right now,” he added, and true to his word, almost two minutes after the call, the driver arrived, driving me to the hangar where the pilot was already waiting to take me to Ashville.
I sat in the plane feeling relaxed, basking in the luxury, how easily Ethan could save me the hassle of having to go to the airport limes and ticket buying. Just as I began to relax, my thoughts drifted back to what I’d intended to do before my father’s call. Ethan was with another woman.
I reached for my phone to call him, but before I could, the pilot announced we were landing in Ashville.
“I’ll call him once I find out what’s going on with Dad,” I muttered to myself, tucking my phone into my bag as the plane touched down. When we landed, an SUV was already parked, ready to take me home, another of Ethan’s arrangements.
“Maybe he’s not cheating after all,” I told myself as I climbed into the SUV. “No cheating man would go through all this trouble to make sure I got home safely.” But doubt still lingered in my chest, no matter how much I tried to dismiss it.
“Where are you going?” I asked the driver when I realized we weren’t headed in the direction of my father’s house.
“To a restaurant in Biltmore,” he replied casually.
“No, you’re supposed to take me home. It’s the other way,” I said, frowning.
“I’m just following the instructions I was given, ma’am,” the driver said with a shrug.
Frustration built up inside me, but I didn’t have the energy to argue. I called Ethan, but he didn’t pick up. “So much for paying attention,” I thought bitterly. He was probably too busy with his mistress that, he asked the driver to take me to my mother’s restaurant instead,” I muttered to myself.
In the past three years, I had been able to open another branch of Amy Sanders, a bigger and more luxurious one, making it exactly what I knew my mother would have loved-a beautiful indoor diner, with a well-set fine dining section and a beautiful garden right outside. In those three years, we had successfully hosted and married over ten couples in that garden.
The driver pulled into the restaurant parking lot, stopping right in front. “We’re here, ma’am,” he said.
I nodded, stepping out of the car. “Fine, I’ll just take a cab home,” I mumbled to myself. But before I could make a move, I heard my father’s voice.
“Emily!” he called out, walking toward me. “How did you know I was here?”
“I didn’t,” I started to explain. “The driver..” I stopped myself before mentioning Ethan. My father didn’t know we were back together, and I wasn’t ready for that conversation.
“Come inside,” my father said, gesturing toward the restaurant. “I have something important to tell you. It’s about the restaurant.”
I nodded, clutching my bag as I followed him inside. He led me to the dimly lit fine dining area. As we walked in, I noticed how unusually dark it was.
“Are the bulbs out in here?” I asked, but before I could finish, the room erupted with people shouting, “Surprise!”
My heart nearly leapt out of my chest as I jumped, scanning the room. It was beautifully decorated with red, heart-shaped balloons and a large banner that read, “Emily Sanders, would you marry me?” Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked around for Ethan. There he was, walking toward me, a ring in his hand. My heart fluttered as he knelt down, his eyes locked on mine.
“Emily,” he began, his voice soft yet filled with emotion. “I want to give you the world. I want to give you my life, my heart, my body, and my soul. I want to wake up next to you every morning as my wife. I want you to be my partner, my Mrs. Marcel. I want the world to know you are mine. Will you marry me?”
Tears of joy streamed down my face as I wiped them away. “I love you too,” I whispered, but Ethan remained there, waiting for my answer. The room echoed with voices saying, “Say yes!”
my heart yelled yes, but my lips remained sealed, as I glanced at my father, silently praying for his approval.