off when Cade was talking to her.” I take a swig of my beer. “That’s not the worst of it. We all went down to the dock to watch the fireworks. Just like we have for as long as I can remember. Out of the eight of us, everyone was paired off except for Tatum and me.”
Dad holds up his hand. “Wait, wasn’t Ember with you?” he asks.
Shit! I hope she didn’t want to keep Jackson a secret. “Yeah, she and Jackson were watching together.”
Dad shakes his head and smiles. Shew! Jackson is a great guy; looks like Dad approves.
“Anyway, Tatum sat off by herself in the shadows. This is where the spell comes into play. She pulled me to her.”
The grin on Dad’s face gets even wider. I continue with my story, telling him how I couldn’t get close enough and how I held her. Once I finish, Dad doesn’t say anything. He continues to poke at the fire.
“Well?” I say. The suspense is killing me.
Dad walks over to the cooler and pulls us both out another beer. He hands me mine. We both twist off the tops and throw them into the fire. “You really want to know what I think?” he asks me.
“At this point, yes. I’m at a loss,” I say, sitting down on a log.
He walks over and sits down beside me. “I had this same conversation with Asher about a year ago. I was wondering when your time would come.”
I watch him, not saying a word. What the hell is he talking about?
“I met your mother the first day of school, senior year.”
“I know. High school sweethearts, yada, yada, yada.”
He chuckles, “You know that’s when we met, but you don’t know I knew then that she was it for me. We were young, but I knew there would be no one else.” He takes a sip of his beer. “It’s not something you plan; it’s not something that you can control. It just happens.”
“So, why did you tell Asher a year ago and not me?” I ask.
Dad shakes his head. “Your brother had just met Grace and was feeling a lot of what you are now, I suspect.”
He’s watching me, waiting for my reaction.
“Wait. You don’t think?” Is he saying what I think he’s saying?
Dad nods his head yes. “I do think. It’s in our blood, son. When you find ‘the one’, you can’t control it. Instead, you need to embrace it and hold on with everything you’ve got.”
“I just…I don’t even…” I stop and take a deep breath. “Beth.” I say. “You didn’t have this talk with me when I told you I was going to ask Beth to marry me.”
“Nope,” he says. “I didn’t. Do you know why?”
He doesn’t give me time to answer.
“She wasn’t the one. When you talk about Tatum, even though you’re fighting what you feel, your eyes light up. I bet your heart even races at just the thought of her, or even from just hearing her name. That didn’t happen with Beth.” He shrugs.
I’m stunned speechless. What do you say to that? My dad just schooled me, and even though I hate to admit it, he’s right. “I never felt half of that with Beth. I cared about her, but she never—”
“Life is all about choices, Blaise. You can choose to take the next step in a situation because it’s what you think is the right thing to do. You can also choose to follow your heart. Let it lead you.”
Finding my voice, I ask, “Is that what you did? Followed your heart?”
“Yep and look where it led me. I have the most amazing wife who blessed me with three amazing children. I wouldn’t change a single day.”
“I barely know her,” I try to reason.
“I’m not saying you have to marry the girl tonight. Just let your heart lead you. Spend some time with her. If the feelings remain the same—” laughter from the other side of the fire interrupts us.
We both look to see what’s going on. Ember, Tatum, Leah, and Grace are all dancing around the fire with S’mores in their hands. They all look so happy and carefree. I zero in on Tatum. Her green eyes shine with laughter in the firelight. The sight of her takes my breath. I
Dad holds up his hand. “Wait, wasn’t Ember with you?” he asks.
Shit! I hope she didn’t want to keep Jackson a secret. “Yeah, she and Jackson were watching together.”
Dad shakes his head and smiles. Shew! Jackson is a great guy; looks like Dad approves.
“Anyway, Tatum sat off by herself in the shadows. This is where the spell comes into play. She pulled me to her.”
The grin on Dad’s face gets even wider. I continue with my story, telling him how I couldn’t get close enough and how I held her. Once I finish, Dad doesn’t say anything. He continues to poke at the fire.
“Well?” I say. The suspense is killing me.
Dad walks over to the cooler and pulls us both out another beer. He hands me mine. We both twist off the tops and throw them into the fire. “You really want to know what I think?” he asks me.
“At this point, yes. I’m at a loss,” I say, sitting down on a log.
He walks over and sits down beside me. “I had this same conversation with Asher about a year ago. I was wondering when your time would come.”
I watch him, not saying a word. What the hell is he talking about?
“I met your mother the first day of school, senior year.”
“I know. High school sweethearts, yada, yada, yada.”
He chuckles, “You know that’s when we met, but you don’t know I knew then that she was it for me. We were young, but I knew there would be no one else.” He takes a sip of his beer. “It’s not something you plan; it’s not something that you can control. It just happens.”
“So, why did you tell Asher a year ago and not me?” I ask.
Dad shakes his head. “Your brother had just met Grace and was feeling a lot of what you are now, I suspect.”
He’s watching me, waiting for my reaction.
“Wait. You don’t think?” Is he saying what I think he’s saying?
Dad nods his head yes. “I do think. It’s in our blood, son. When you find ‘the one’, you can’t control it. Instead, you need to embrace it and hold on with everything you’ve got.”
“I just…I don’t even…” I stop and take a deep breath. “Beth.” I say. “You didn’t have this talk with me when I told you I was going to ask Beth to marry me.”
“Nope,” he says. “I didn’t. Do you know why?”
He doesn’t give me time to answer.
“She wasn’t the one. When you talk about Tatum, even though you’re fighting what you feel, your eyes light up. I bet your heart even races at just the thought of her, or even from just hearing her name. That didn’t happen with Beth.” He shrugs.
I’m stunned speechless. What do you say to that? My dad just schooled me, and even though I hate to admit it, he’s right. “I never felt half of that with Beth. I cared about her, but she never—”
“Life is all about choices, Blaise. You can choose to take the next step in a situation because it’s what you think is the right thing to do. You can also choose to follow your heart. Let it lead you.”
Finding my voice, I ask, “Is that what you did? Followed your heart?”
“Yep and look where it led me. I have the most amazing wife who blessed me with three amazing children. I wouldn’t change a single day.”
“I barely know her,” I try to reason.
“I’m not saying you have to marry the girl tonight. Just let your heart lead you. Spend some time with her. If the feelings remain the same—” laughter from the other side of the fire interrupts us.
We both look to see what’s going on. Ember, Tatum, Leah, and Grace are all dancing around the fire with S’mores in their hands. They all look so happy and carefree. I zero in on Tatum. Her green eyes shine with laughter in the firelight. The sight of her takes my breath. I
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