Married by Proxy {18+}

33. Blunders

~Bellemy~

Nevaeh drifts in front of me as if she's walking on water, tranced by the large gift resting in the driveway. A subtle gasp creeps through the air when her hand slides over the polished teal paint of the present.

"Is this mine?" She questions, peering over her shoulder.

"Mostly, I sorta like it myself so I may take it out a few times."

"Bellemy, this is a 1968 Nova!"

Delighted by her knowledge, I nod. "Your point?"

"My Abuelo had one of these! I use to love when he would take me for rides in it. He didn't do it a lot, but when he did, I'd just lay my head back on the seat and soak in the warm air blowing around me. I'd pretend that I was flying away from school and my parents. In that car, I could forget who I was and just enjoy the smell of the crisp wildflowers and fresh air."

"That sounds like a sweet release. We can do that, too, starting today. It will be a tradition we can continue for years to come."

Joining her, I hold out the keys. When she takes them, I'm expecting her to leap at the opportunity to get behind the wheel. She doesn't, though, and I know exactly why her smile fades as she stares down at the keys, twisting them between her fingers.

Without looking up at me, she speaks softly. "He used to tell me all the time that one day, it would be mine and I'd be able to give my children the same escape he gave me. Sadly, that's what he was driving when they died."

Embracing her tightly, I rub her back, inhaling her precious scent. "He didn't lie, though. It is yours."

Tilting her head back, my wife locks her sparkling clover gems on me, with her lips inched apart by confusion. "It's not exactly the same, Oso. Don't misunderstand, I love this car, but it doesn't hold the same memories."

"But it does, here, let me show you." Luring her by the hand, I open the passenger door and make her sit. Then, I smack my hand to the glove box. "Take a look."

Only hesitating for a moment, tears breach her lashes before she jerks open the glove box to reveal a beloved treasure that she believed was lost. I look down at her fingers tracing a message written inside, listening to her sniffle.

"What's that about?" I question, reading words carved into the plastic, para mi flor silvestre(For my wildflower).

"He did that one summer when I was eight. My Abuela was with us that day and she made him stop so we could stretch our legs. There was this beautiful pasture on the side of the road, filled with pink ladies and bluebonnets. They were so pretty! I was so high on the beauty of them, I ran around like a crazy person, burning off energy.

When it was time to go, I told him I needed his car so I could come back whenever I wanted. That was the first time he promised it to me. Of course, I had to ask more questions. I wanted to know if it would still be mine if I had a brother. He said, our word is all we have and I had to trust his. Still, that wasn't enough for me."

"Of course not, because you can't be bought so easily."

Laughing, she wipes a tear. "Exactly, I needed more so he used the key etch his word in stone, so to speak. How did you get this? Did my Papi tell you about it?"