Isaac

The lamplight gleams dully on the pavement, illuminating the street in patches. In the distance, the houses are dark and silent. Most likely the neighbors are dreaming peacefully, but sleep eludes me. A restlessness has taken hold of my mind. Too agitated to sit anymore, I stand and walk aimlessly.

Usually I am able to block the memories, but after seeing Beth at the dance, I know there's not going to be a way to stop them.

The brief period spent at Harvard with Beth was the happiest of my life.

Freed from the constraints of always looking over our shoulder for fear of someone catching us, we were finally free to be a couple. We still had to be discreet, though, because we didn't want word to get back to her family that we were dating. Since she was an adult I knew they couldn't stop her from dating me, but I didn't want her to have to deal with the guilt or manipulations that would inevitably follow the discovery.

At first I didn't mind it being our little secret. There was something intimate about being the only ones who knew what we meant to each other.

There were downsides though.

See, Beth was a stunner.

Not only that, she was a total sweetheart.

Just as I suspected, the guys were drawn to her. She was always fending off overly friendly guys. So, yeah, it was tough not to get a little jealous when a guy put his arm around her shoulder or hugged her, even if he was just acting friendly. Because, let's be honest, a guy doesn't initiate a hug unless he wants to.

It wasn't that I didn't trust Beth. She had always been a loyal girlfriend. She knew how to handle the attention perfectly, a brief smile, a few words, and the guys would be dismissed without feeling stupid. It's the guys I didn't trust, but I tried to put it out of my mind as we worked on our business.

I first met David in an economics class. Bit by bit, I opened up and shared my vision for my product, and he became excited about the possibilities. He introduced Beth and me to Heidi. Her father was the CEO of TriClear, a company in Chicago that invests in clean energy. He sat on a couple of boards, and knew a lot of folks who might be interested in our company.

Once we had developed the prototype and business proposal, the plan was to pursue angel investing though Heidi's father's contacts.

Soon the four of us were fast friends, bound by a deep admiration for each other and a passion for our product. We became obsessed with developing Solaire. The closer we became, the more uncomfortable I felt that Beth and I were keeping secrets from Heidi and David.

It came to a head one day at Flour Bakery. We were putting the final touches on our business plan, and Beth had to leave early to meet with one of her teachers.

As she was leaving, I caught David staring after her with an appreciation that made me uneasy. This wasn't the first time I'd seen that look on his face, and I sensed if I didn't do something soon, he was going to ask her out. What could she say if he did? She couldn't tell him about us, and she wouldn't be able to easily dismiss David with a charming smile. We were all too familiar for that.

There was something else about David.

He never took no for an answer, and he pretty much always got his way. I suppose that's one of the perks of being raised with money and parents who support your decisions. David was brimming with a confidence I'm not sure I'll ever have. Just like Beth, he came from old money. If it came down to him or me, I was pretty sure I wouldn't have a shot.

Back when we were still in high school, Gran had caught Beth and me kissing at our house, so with Beth's approval, I admitted we were dating. Gran had been thrilled with the news since she already loved Beth like she was her own blood. She was uncomfortable that Beth's family didn't know about us and encouraged us to tell them, but she understood why we didn't and kept her silence despite her misgivings.

Last time I went home to visit Gran, I poured out my dilemma. She went back to her bedroom and brought out a small box. It was her mother's ring, she explained. She would have offered her engagement ring which had a much larger diamond, but her ex-husband had taken it when he'd left her.

Opening up the box, I was struck by the simplicity of the ring. It was a simple gold band with a pearl.

Gran tried to apologize that it wasn't a fancy ring, but I cut her off. It was perfect for Beth who, despite her money and family name, had never felt the need to flash her wealth. The ring was simple and beautiful, and I knew Beth would love it.

Having been devastated by her husband and daughter, Gran knew life was short. She didn't want me to do anything that might jeopardize my chance at happiness. She insisted we ought to get engaged, even if it needed to be kept secret and weren't ready to set a date. There's nothing like a ring to seal the deal, she had winked.

If David was noticing my girl, I would definitely need to seal the deal.

That night Beth and I had a date planned. I left the house with the ring in my pocket. I knew the timing had to be right. I waited until we finished all our final exams so the stress of school wouldn't be hanging over our heads. I wanted Beth to be able to fully focus on us.

I took her to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Gardner was a socialite who was friends with artists and writers like John Singer Sargent, James McNeill Whistler, and Henry James. The museum houses the art collection she gathered from her travels with her husband to America, Europe and Asia. She was a bit of a rebel, and scandalized polite society with her keen interest in Red Sox games, boxing matches, football games and gambling on horse races. She approached the rumors with a sense of humor, often saying "Don't spoil a good story by telling the truth."

The original plan was to wait to get engaged until after college. The more I thought about it, though, I realized I hadn't made that promise. I had only promised we wouldn't get married until later. We could get engaged indefinitely.

I knew how important getting her degree was to Beth, and there's no way I would do anything to jeopardize that. She needed her independence. Otherwise, her family would be controlling her the rest of her life.

This particular night, the air was cool. Beth was wearing a red dress that set off her dark hair perfectly. She looked gorgeous. Her skin was radiant and her smile content. Normally I would have just basked in her beauty, but tonight, there was too much at stake. After browsing the paintings, we bundled up to go out to the courtyard.

Gran had looked me sternly in the eye and told me in no uncertain terms that I needed to make my proposal romantic. Hopefully this is the only time Beth will ever be proposed to, she had said, and she'll want to look back with happiness. It's the story you'll tell your children someday.

Problem was, I wasn't the romantic sort. Beth usually provided most of the romance in our relationship. I would have never thought to decorate the ballroom on prom night, for example.

But how did I do this? Did I get down on one knee?

As we walked, I think Beth must have sensed I was more nervous than normal, because she reached for my hand and squeezed, as if to support me through whatever I was struggling with.

The gardens in the courtyard were my particular aim. During the holidays, the courtyard is festive and romantic, with flowering green jade trees (some over 40 years old), silver curry plant, and the dark red winter blooms of amaryllis. Every time I go, I am blown away by the beauty of the place. It's one of Beth's favorite spots in Boston.

I reached my hand in my pocket countless times to finger the ring box and steeled my nerves.

My moment came in a private corner of the gardens. Her head was leaning against my chest, and as I stroked her hair, I would be surprised if she couldn't hear my heart pounding through my chest as I anticipated the moment. Maybe she did, but she didn't mention it.

"Beth?" I whispered in her ear and kissed her softly on the neck.

"Yes?"

"These past few months have been amazing. I've loved being with you. I wish everyone could know about us."

"Me too. But you know my family can't find out..."

"I know. But it doesn't stop me from feeling guilty, especially around David and Heidi. I feel uncomfortable that they don't know about us. What if they caught us kissing? They would feel hurt that we kept our relationship a secret."

Beth sighed.

"You may be right," she said, "but I'm afraid if we tell them, the word will spread."

"I think if we explained it to them and asked them to keep it secret, they wouldn't tell anyone," I said.

Beth said nothing. She was considering it, at least.

I reached in my pocket and pulled out the felt-lined box and held it at my side.

"Beth, I have loved you since we were kids. You challenged me, you believed in me, you stood by me when it seemed the whole world turned their backs on me. Your beauty has touched my heart, and Beth? I can't wait to ask you."

I wrapped my arms around her, her back against my chest, and held up the box. I opened it, and the ring glowed in my hands.

"Will you marry me?"

No answer.

"It's okay if we don't tell most people," I rushed on, wanting to reassure her before she automatically turned me down. "Just David and Heidi for now. You wouldn't even have to wear it on your finger. See, there's a chain at the bottom of the box to wear it around your neck. What do you say Beth? Are you willing to take a chance on me? On us?"

I gently turned Beth toward me. Her eyes were luminous and stunning. I wiped at the tears in her eyes and waited for her answer. She nodded her head.

"Yes, Isaac. I'll marry you."

Choking my own tears, I breathed in a ragged breath. I could hardly believe she had actually agreed. It was prom night all over again—taking a risk when I wasn't sure she would.

I have no words to describe the feeling of tenderness I felt as I removed the ring and slid it on Beth's finger, marking her mine, and promising her I was hers. I brought her hand to my mouth again, and kissed the spot where the ring rested.

Then I pulled her body to mine and kissed her thoroughly. I felt like standing on the rooftop and announcing it to the world. Beth was going to be my wife.

After dropping my fianceé off, I still could barely believe I could call her that, I floated back to my apartment and slept soundly for the first time in years. I could barely believe that she'd agreed to be mine. That night, all I could dream about was Beth.

I woke up the next morning with my girl on my mind and decided I couldn't wait until after breakfast to see her again, and the ring on her finger as tangible evidence of our future together. Gathering up eggs, bacon, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and cheese, I decided to surprise her by making omelets at her place.

As I pulled in front of her apartment, I noticed a black Cadillac in front that I didn't recognize. The screen door was shut, but the front door was ajar.

I climbed the stairs, and as I reached for the door handle, I heard voices. My heart sank as I recognized the voice of the woman talking to Beth.

What was her aunt doing here?

_______________

If you enjoyed this, kindly click the star.

Wow! Poor Isaac. The guy can never get a break! 

I stumbled across this adorable proposal video on YouTube at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Not the same museum as where Beth and Isaac get engaged, but close. You can click on the Youtube video above to watch it. I also want to share some gorgeous pics from the Courtyard below and Flour Bakery where the gang schemed up Solaire. Next chapter I will post the engagement ring!

Dedication today goes out to the fabulous addictofchocolate! Not does she have one of the best profile names on Wattpad, she walks the talk. She and I are both self professed chocoholics and proud of it. On her profile, it says she also loves baking and makes a mean muffin. I bet she would fit right in at the Flour Bakery! Thanks for all your awesome support of Restless Hope, girl!

The Courtyard at the Gardner Museum - where Isaac proposed to Beth

This is the Flour Bakery in Cambridge, where the four founders of Solaire gathered to form their business. I could put on quite a few pounds working in a place like this!

A sticky bun from Flour's. They are famous for them, and this decadent treat is Isaac's favorite. Beth's favorite are the lemon tarts.