“I’ve only known you a day, Trudi, but what we’ve done in one day wouldn’t last most people a lifetime, so imagine how much we can achieve, how happy we can be for the rest of our lives, together?”
I gasp again, speechless.
“You’ve touched my soul, Trudi, and I guess now’s as good a time as any to tell you just when I knew you were the one?”
I look confused, my face feels as puzzled as my mind feels.
“I was raised in foster care too, Trudi. But I had a different set of circumstances to deal with, like we all do, foster kids or not…”
I feel the tears now. I was trying not to cry, but he’s just so sweet, so honest. So Kane.
“I want us to have a real family, one of our own and I know we’ve already made a start, I can just feel it.”
My hand absently starts to caress my own belly. I know what he means, I feel it too, deep inside me already. Our own family.
My own family.
With the man I love.
“So I’m asking you Trudi, I’m telling it to you straight. I don’t want to live another day without knowing you’re by my side as my partner, my friend… my wife.”
His voice breaks with emotion and I can’t stay quiet.
“Yes!” I whisper in his ear, hugging him harder than I think I’ve ever hugged anyone. “Yes Kane Barret, I’ll be your wife and your partner, your best friend and I’ll be mommy to our kids… to our family…”
“I love you Trudi, more than anything in the whole world,” he says, and I feel like the richest woman alive, even though I don’t have a dime.
“And I love you Kane, the man of my dreams, my knight in shining armor… my future husband…”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Kane
I’ve got the woman of my dreams, I’ve claimed her properly and now I’ll make her mine on paper as well.
I’m not worried about her running off again, but just to be sure, I put a rush on the wedding plans, turning the hotel lobby into our wedding chapel for the weekend.
I can’t do much in private, and once news of my proposal gets out, it’s a media event, with Trudi being sweet enough about the whole thing, even though she’s scared to death of being on TV.
She’s the one that suggests using it as a way to pitch the new idea for her housing project to investors and local government. The extension she wants to add on to the apartment block she’s taken over managing.
The new addition, which will be on the empty lot next to the building, she wants to have designated as housing for young mothers who couldn’t keep their babies, for those mothers, who through no fault of their own have to give up their babies.
It's Trudi’s way of coming to terms with the idea of a mom who one time she thought couldn’t love her, but now she realizes it might just be that she just couldn’t keep her. Couldn’t give her the life she wanted for her child.
There’s no real profit for investors, just a good warm feeling inside, and the local council leapt at the chance, putting up a hefty chunk of the capital needed to get the project funded.
But I’m getting married, and I remind Trudi of the fact too. I have to peel her away from the press moments before the ceremony, which we’re keeping private, just a few close associates and some of the gang from Trudi’s old diner.
‘Old’ a week later, like so much of her former life, she reminds me every chance she gets.
“Kane! Kane Barret!” I hear the one voice I’d know anywhere, and turning to see him I feel the shock of my own years staring back at me.
I have Trudi on my arm and she’s interested to see who else might know me so well as to call out and interrupt things just to say hello.
“Dad!” I exclaim, and after giving him a hug and fighting back a tear, I introduce him to his new, future daughter in law, Trudi.
“Trudi, this is my dad, Will,” I tell her, proud of the fact now, but there was a time when all foster parents were just the devil.
Trudi looks as surprised as she sounds, but she’s such a natural people person, in a few minutes they’re both talking about me as though I’m not even there.
I keep checking the time, mindful of the proceedings, but also reminding myself that there’s no real hurry. We’re in charge here, nobody else.
“We’ve got our whole lives, remember honey?” Trudi chimes in my ear when dad takes a breath, which isn’t often.
“Kane here, he prolly hasn’t told y’all…” dad starts, “But his first foster family, well, if they weren’t the meanest, nastiest...”
“Dad, please.” I caution him, I know the story and it’s not one I’ve told in public, but Trudi’s ears perk up, and leading her away from the herd of media and other well-wishers, I over hear him telling her that little bit about my past that I’m just not too proud of, but it made me who I am today.
“Well,” I hear my dad continue, “They’re all in jail now, but only because of young Kane here, standing up for himself, settin’ things right and takin’ matters into his own hands. There was some dark days in that house, Trudi, and I don’t need to go into details with you on your special day… But, our boy here, he did what any man would do. He stood up and beat down the devil incarnate. He’s righted wrongs wherever he saw ‘em ever since, far as I can tell.”
I see Trudi starting to tear up again and want to go rescue her from my dad’s stories, but she mouths the words I love youKane, making me feel like the richest man alive. Making all that money feels like nothing when I’ve
