Chapter 18 – Moving On

They were both awake by the time they heard little feet running down the stairs and the children yelling loudly. The sun had started to rise and it shone brightly into their window, but they squinted against it rather than move to close the blinds.

“I think they're excited,” Adeline said, smiling.

“I'm surprised they slept this late,” he responded. He used his arm to shield his eyes against the sun. “And that they haven't run in here yet. Last year, Keegan burst through my door at six in the morning screaming and jumping on me. Practically woke up the whole neighborhood.”

“I could barely get to sleep by six in the morning when I was his age. Christmas is so exciting.”

He groaned sleepily. “Christmas or not, I could use a little less excitement. What a wake-up call that was. I'm too old for this.”

“I'll call you Scrooge,” she said, smiling and snuggling into the crook of his neck.

“You do that,” he said, smiling himself.

It was a few minutes later that both children ran into the room, screaming for “uncle Lance” and teamed up, grabbing him by the arm.

“Go away, you little monsters,” he said with a moan, but Adeline saw the smile on his face.

“But it's Christmas,” Keegan said with a whine.

“Yeah, it's Christmas,” Leighton said, looking her uncle in the one eye he had uncovered with his arm.

“Yeah, it's Christmas, uncle Lance,” Adeline said, smiling at him before pulling her mouth into a pout like the children.

“Well why didn't you tell me it was Christmas?” He shoved the blanket covering him off to the side with a newly found excitement. “What does Christmas morning mean?”

“Presents!” both kids yelled in unison.

“Presents! Let's go!”

As the children dragged him out of the room and down the stairs, Stacy walked through the door, looking at Adeline.

“Sorry, I couldn't hold them anymore.”

“It's okay,” Adeline said with a laugh, shoving the blanket off her so she could stand up.

“You've just experienced the Bass family Christmas morning alarm clock,” Stacy said. “It's the first gift you receive that you want to return.”

Adeline and Stacy walked down the stairs together in their pajamas, to see Lance and the kids already seated on the living room floor by the Christmas tree. Diane and Jim were coming out of the kitchen with coffee cups in hand, smiling at the children who were still excited. As Stacy walked down the stairs ahead of her to join her kids, Adeline stopped for a moment to take in the sight and the feeling that took over her.

Family – it was something she hadn't had for a while. A husband and a grandmother alone didn't make a family, especially when they didn't usually gather together for Christmas like this. In her Nana's last few years, a cross-country trip was too far for her to make at her age and it seemed every year, Adeline and Marc had been too busy to make the trip to New Jersey to see her.

She regretted that now, even if her Nana always understood at the time. But she knew that her Nana would also want to enjoy herself while she was here, and not dwell on the past.

“Addy?”

She hadn't even noticed that Lance had walked over to her and was standing in front of her, a concerned look on his face.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She smiled. “I'm fine,” she said genuinely. “I was thinking how glad I am that I came with you this time.”

“Yeah, I'm glad you did too,” he said, smiling back.

He grabbed her hand and walked with her down the stairs, pulling her into his lap when he reclaimed his spot on the floor. The children were so excited that they couldn't wait to open their gifts, and as soon as everybody was seated and Stacy gave them a signal, they each grabbed a present and went racing to open them.

The adults sat as the children opened all their gifts first, smiling and laughing at the reactions. Adeline couldn't remember when the last time she'd smiled so much around children was. The past few months, she struggled emotionally at the mere mention of children, much less being in their presence. She had been concerned knowing that his niece and nephew would be here, wondered if she could handle being around them.

She couldn't deny that it was hard for her. She knew she may never have what Stacy and her husband Ford had. But as sad as it made her feel, it didn't overshadow how much she was enjoying herself.

By the time the kids had opened all their packages, they were surrounded on the floor in their pajamas by a mountain of toys, several of them of the noise-making variety.

Stacy looked over at her brother, who Adeline knew from helping him wrap them was the main source.

“Thanks, little brother,” she said. “A migraine headache. Merry Christmas to me – it's the gift that keeps giving all year long.”

He smiled at her, his sarcastic smile that Adeline knew so well.

“No problem, sis,” he said.

“Stop, you two,” Diane said. “Everyone settle down, we still have more presents.”

Adeline laughed as she looked at Lance's face behind her, watching as his mom's scolding shut him down immediately as if he was a kid all over again.

Over the next few minutes, presents were passed around to the adults while the kids entertained themselves, everyone opening their presents. Diane grabbed a box from the pile and Adeline was surprised when she held it out to her.

“From Stacy, Jim, and myself,” she said. “I know you'll say we didn't have to – but we wanted to. I hope you'll like it.”

Adeline smiled at her, deciding not to protest the unexpected gift. Instead, she held it in her hands a few moments while she felt its weight, and carefully tore the wrapping. She lifted the top off the box and pushed away the tissue paper, revealing dark purple fabric. When she pulled it out and unfolded it, she ran her fingers over the purple lace bodice and the soft, stretchy skirt of the dress.

“This is beautiful,” she said to Diane. “It must have cost a fortune – it's too much.”

“Not at all,” Diane said. “The way Lance talks about all that you do for him, you deserve it. I had to ask him what your size was, so I hope we got it right.”

Adeline turned to Lance.

“Wait – how do you know my dress size?” she asked.

“Let's not talk about that in front of my mom, okay?” he said. “I'll find myself on Santa's other list.”

She smiled, but felt her cheeks warm up.

“It's gorgeous, I love it,” she said. “Thank you so much.”

“I have something for you, too,” Lance said. “But you have to wait for it – and it's a surprise.”

As everyone else went back to opening their own gifts, her memory flashed back to Coney Island, the last time he told her he had a surprise for her.

“Why do I have a feeling I'll be wearing this dress tonight?” she asked him.

“You know me too well,” he said, smiling.

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“Where are you taking me?”

He laughed. “Do you know the meaning of the word 'surprise'?” he asked her. His arm was placed lazily on the steering wheel of the car. “You have no patience.”

“There can't be too many places you can take me. It's the evening of Christmas – almost everything is closed.”

“Yep, you're right,” he said with a slight nod.

“It's probably not church, since that's where your parents went.”

“Right again. It's not church.”

“You're under-dressed anyway,” she said, eyeing his stonewashed denim jeans and black button-up with t-shirt combo. “And you're totally overdressed for Wal-Mart or the local convenience store, so that can't be it.”

He chuckled.

“That's all I've got,” she said. “I have no more ideas. I have absolutely no idea where you could be taking me.”

“Finally,” he said. “I thought you'd never stop trying.”

“At least you didn't bind and gag me this time,” she said, remembering how uncomfortable the blindfold had been.

“I sort of wish I had gagged you,” he said quietly, smiling when he saw her look out of the corner of his eye, her stare filled with venom.

“You'd better be kidding,” she said lowly, in a warning tone.

She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned into the car seat, staring out the window as they drove down the streets of Laurel. She loved the dress his family had given her and was wearing it tonight. It fit her perfectly, the stretchy material of it hugging her curvy body.

She felt ill-prepared for whatever he had planned tonight while looking through her suitcase – she had only packed relaxing clothes for the trip since she didn't think she'd be doing much work. She was lucky that she was able to borrow a pair of his mother's dress shoes and Stacy was able to help her do something with her hair besides put it up in a ponytail.

She felt a little lost, not knowing where he was taking her or what her surprise was. She was also nervous, knowing that she had something she wanted to talk to him about tonight as well; hoping that whatever her surprise was, it was private enough to give her a chance, not knowing how he would react to it.

A couple minutes later, he turned into an open space behind a worn old brick building. Looking around, it looked like an employee parking lot, completely empty like every other parking lot.

“What is this?” she asked him as she unbuckled her seat belt, and he did the same.

“Your surprise,” he said, smiling before he opened his car door and stepped out.

Wondering what was going on, she smirked and opened her door, stepping out onto the beaten gravel lot while smoothing her dress down. He had already made his way toward the back door, and he had climbed up onto a trash can underneath a window.

“What are you doing?” she asked him.

“Finding the key,” he said, feeling his way around the window frame. He stopped when his hand found a hidden gold key taped to the frame, and peeled it away.

“Breaking and entering is my surprise? Or is it watching you get arrested?” she said, smiling.

“My friend owns this place,” he said, and jumped to the ground from the trash can. He walked over to the door. “A guy I used to sing with in high school. He gave me permission to use the place for the night.”

“For what?”

He put the key in the lock and turned it.

“We've never been out on a real date,” he said. “That bothers me – but I have to be okay with it. You're the one putting your whole marriage on the line. But just because I have to be okay with it, doesn't mean I can't do everything in my power to make it as real as any other relationship.”

He opened the door for her slowly, looking her in the eyes in the dim night light.

“Well,” she said, partially stunned, but impressed. “You have all kinds of things up your sleeves.”

She walked through the door, and he followed, closing the door and locking it behind him. The place was dark until he flipped a switch. About half the lights turned on, bathing a glow over the restaurant, illuminating cozy wooden booths and walls covered in vinyl records, black and white movie posters, metal street signs and other memorabilia.

“Are you sure it's okay that we're here?” she asked, taking in the sight of the place.

“I was told that as long as I don't burn the place down, it's all good,” he said.

He walked over to the corner behind a row of booths and reached down, and as she looked up, the lights on the Christmas tree came on, followed by several strings along the trim of the ceilings.

“This place is amazing,” she said. “Your friend really owns this?”

He disappeared into the kitchen, but she could still see him and hear his voice through the open window behind the counter.

“Yeah. He made his way to culinary school in California and worked in a couple of Hollywood restaurants after he graduated, but he got homesick. He decided to come back home about five years ago and open this place.” He came back through the kitchen door with a couple of glasses and a bottle of wine. “He wanted to bring a little slice of retro Hollywood to the South,” he said, smiling as he popped the cork.

“He did a great job,” she said. “Look at this place.”

He walked over to her and handed her a full glass that he had poured.

“It's not exactly Los Angeles,” he said. “It's not what you're used to. It's not Spago or anything.”

She got the impression that he felt she might be disappointed, that he thought she was used to bigger and better things because of Marc. She had to fight back a chuckle – if only he knew.

“No, it's not – it's much better,” she said.

He smiled.

“I have to put food in the oven or we won't be eating tonight,” he said. “Feel free to look around and check out the place if you want.”

She nodded quietly and watched him as he disappeared into the kitchen again. She took a drink from the wine he had given her. She was surprised she felt relaxed tonight, but she still had a small clump of nerves that rested inside her stomach. She didn't know what he would say when she told him what she needed to say. Deep inside, she knew she was doing the right thing, what was best for her, but she hated having to make a choice.

She walked toward a wall covered in memorabilia. She eyed a few of the shiny vinyl records, remembering the old collection of vinyls Nana had kept in her attic for years. She would pull them out a couple of times a year and play them for Adeline. She loved hearing the old stories as her grandmother listened to the different songs and reminisced on a memory of who she was with the first time she heard the song, or how it made her feel when she listened to it. To this day, she couldn't hear an Elvis Presley or Dean Martin song without thinking of Nana.

She could almost hear the scratch of the record, playing one of their favorite songs as her eyes moved over the wall to scan each piece, and soon Adeline found herself humming the tune.

“I can't help falling in love with you...”

Her eyes fell on a framed picture of Audrey Hepburn. She remembered the day she had left for college in Los Angeles. She had packed only three suitcases of belongings to take with her and as she gathered a few last minute things to take with her on the plane, and Nana – heartbroken at her only granddaughter leaving – had put on a smile all day, telling Adeline what a fabulous time she would have.

“You run across one of those celebrities, you make sure to get me an autograph,” she had told Adeline. “You run into that Tom Cruise fella, that will work. Or that Brad Pitt – he's a cutie.”

Adeline chuckled at the memory – only to avoid starting to cry.

“I'll make sure to do that Nana,” she had said. “Maybe one day, I'll work for them.”

Adeline wasn't necessarily the kind to believe or disbelieve in the sort of thing, but sometimes she swore she felt her grandmother with her. Lately she had felt it even more. It was only once in a while, a calming feeling would fall over her, something that was rare for her to feel since she had lived with some form of anxiety for several years. She couldn't explain it, but it felt like her grandmother saying, 'It will be okay.' She felt it tonight.

“Darling so it goes, some things are meant to be...”

“That's a great song.”

She turned around suddenly, not knowing he was behind her again.

“You really have to stop doing that to me,” she said with a laugh.

“Sorry,” he said with a smile. “I swear I don't do it on purpose. You were singing Elvis, right?”

“Yeah,” she said. “My grandmother loved him.”

“She must have been pretty young when he was big.”

He sat down in a booth, leaning his back against the wall, and she sat next to him, leaning into him.

“You know, I guess I never thought about it,” she said. “She was in her sixties when I went to live with her, and that was in 1994 so...I guess she was in her twenties? Her and my grandpa were big fans – I always thought it was funny, back in her day, listening to Elvis was 'rebellious'.”

“You've never talked about your grandpa,” he said.

“I don't know much about him. He died when I was young,” she said. “I think I was two.”

He paused, and took the opportunity to grab her hand and lace his fingers through hers. It hurt him every time she revealed another piece of her heartbreaking history.

“The dress my mom picked out looks great on you,” he said.

She smiled, even though he couldn't see. “It would look even better if I had my Nana's shawl, it would match perfectly. I'm still so mad at myself that I lost it. I have no idea where it could have gone.”

“Hopefully that pastor we talked to after the ceremony will remember to keep an eye out for it,” he responded. “We'll find it, one way or another.”

The calming feeling fell over her again.

“Maybe I'm not supposed to find it,” she said. “You know, maybe it's a sign.”

“A sign of what?” he asked.

“I've spent the past sixteen years of my life mourning,” she said. “My grandma did all she could to try to fill the void for me after my parents died, but she couldn't do anything. She'd be devastated if she knew I was the same way after she died. It would break her heart. Maybe it's her telling me that I need to try to move on, that it's okay; that she's okay.”

“That's a good way of looking at it.”

She took a deep breath.

“Maybe I need to apply that to other areas of my life, too.”

He leaned to look at her with a questioning look in his eye, and she saw him out of the corner of her eye but avoided looking at him directly.

“I've decided I'm leaving my husband,” she said. “I plan to fly back to Los Angeles to meet with a divorce lawyer after New Years. I can't – and don't want to – keep pretending I can fix something that has been broken for years. I'm ready to move on with my life.”

There was a long silence between them, and he wasn't sure how to respond to her because he only felt happiness that she had finally taken this step.

“I know what I want now,” she said. “I want to be with you. I want to marry you, Lance. So my answer is yes – I will marry you.”