The Emmanuel Sisters

Chapter 21 New Beginnings

Love was relaxing in Faith's backyard. Looking up at the big blue sky while laying back in the hammock. The whole family was there. Love looked over and watched John grilling the steaks, and talking to Darryl. She had a smile on her face these days, and a joy in her heart that just wouldn't go away. She was still coming home every weekend, but now, she stayed with John at his place when she came to town. They got together with her sisters, Darryl and Amir every Friday and Saturday night. On Sunday Love would alternate. Sometimes she would attend church with her sisters, and sometimes she would go to John's church and listen to her man give his sermon.
It was getting harder every Sunday to get on that plane and go back to LA, and leave all her love ones behind. So Love had made a decision.
John walked over to Love, and said, "you want a steak babe?" "Thanks, but I'm okay."
"I know that look, you have something serious going on in that beautiful head of your's. What's on your mind?"
"John, I've put in my two week resignation to the firm, yesterday."
"Really! Well what are your plans now, moving back home to NY permanently, right?"
"Well yes that's my plan, among other things."
"Love I won't pretend that I'm not incredibly happy to hear this news. Let's tell your sisters. Why didn't you tell me about this last night?"
"I was just waiting for the right time. But I don't want to tell my sisters right now. I'll tell them later, for now I just want to lay back and relax with my man."
"Now that sounds good", and he squeezed into the huge hammock with her. He started dosing off, and Love kept looking out at the sky, feeling at peace, feeling loved, and feeling at home in her own skin for once in her life. She was surrounded by her sisters, laying next to the man she loved, and as she looked up at the deep blue sky, she whispered, "thank you God".
John opened one eye, and teasingly said, "I heard that, some of my sermons finally getting to you, huh?"
Love figured it didn't hurt to stroke her man's ego, and let him take the credit for it. "Guess they are Pastor, guess they are."
Then she pulled out her journal that she had in her purse and she started to write in it. Lately she was constantly writing non-stop. She loved writing. She just wrote whatever came into her mind, and into her heart...

"I see turquoise, and light pale blues Puffy, pure white and yellow hues And specks of deep, marble black Passing by, passing by,
With each sight I thank God for this time,
As silent as the wind it's passing by, passing by,
I'll never forget again how precious is time,
I see softness
I see beauty
I'm holding it near
I pray it will forever be here
But nothing in this world is forever I fear,
So, I don't ever want to close my eyes,
I can't even imagine a more marvelous sight,
I prefer to keep my eyes open now
Open wide, open wide
Never again will I hide
From God, from love, from life
So I'll no longer focus on the familiar dark yonder; I'll focus in on what is close, what is fonder,
Like the turquoise, the white, the yellow hues and the blue...
(And Love stared down at her peaceful, sleeping man) ...And I promise to stay focused on you, most of all my love, I see you,
I'll never lose sight, I won't waste not one more night, Cause I know it's always passing us by, it's passing us by....
And with every sight, I thank you God for giving me this precious time."

John drowsily opened his eyes. "Writing again? So babe, have you given thought about what firm you want to go work for here in New York? You know anyone would jump at the chance of having you join their firm. Or maybe you should think about opening your own firm Love. You know, that way you would be more in control of your time. In case you ever decided to settle down, and start a family one day. Who knows, maybe one day you might actually want those things."

Love could barely keep herself from laughing from John's obvious remarks. He was so cute. She decided to tease him and continue to pretend that things like marriage did not interest her at all, and just change the subject. So she simply replied, "I've also decided that I don't want to be a lawyer anymore."
That really got John's attention and he sat up in the hammock . "Really, but I thought you loved being a lawyer? What are you going to do then?"
"John, I don't really love being a lawyer. I mean I'm very good at it, but I really love writing. I think I want to be a writer. No I mean, I know I want to be a writer, an author. So I am going to be a famous author. I've decided that's what I'm going to do."
John knew one thing about Love, once she said she wanted something, she usually got it. "Well I'll start introducing you as my girlfriend, the author, now, instead of my girlfriend, the lawyer."
"Or you could also introduce me as your fiancé, the author."
John felt his heart skip a beat, but he knew how to play it cool too, just like Love. "Well maybe one day I can say fiancé, we don't want to rush into things. You know a man has to do that right, can't rush it. We might want to go to the church's pre- marital class, and of course I still have to get rings for that to be official and everything. Get down on one knee, make sure I make  the proposal really special, and all that stuff, you know. But don't worry now that you brought it up, it won't be long before I make it happen, if that's what you really want?"
"I don't like waiting, when I decide I want something, I want it now, and I want you John. But yeah I guess you're right. We do need rings to make it an official engagement. But you know one thing I never agreed with is that the woman wears an engagement ring screaming to everyone that she is taken, but the man doesn't wear one." Then Love reached into her pocketbook. "So here's your ring John. I don't believe it's fair for me to be tied down with an engagement ring before the wedding and not you, seems sexist to me. So, I got a little something for you. I picked it up from Tiffany's, it's nothing really."
John's jaw dropped he was looking down at matching interlocking diamond engagement rings. He had never seen anything so shiny. He couldn't even count how many diamonds were in those two rings. Inscribed inside were the words, "We R 1", when the bands were joined together. Love's ring fit snugly inside John's ring. Before John could even say another word, Love had separated the two rings and she was already placing his ring on his finger.
"Now you can introduce me that second way. Can I hear you say it again John?"
John placed the ring Love had brought for herself on her finger and he said, "this is my crazy, beautiful, wonderful fiancé, Love, oh the famous author."
"Now that does sound good."
"So I guess it's too late for me to get on one knee and hear you say "Yes", as I deliver my very romantic proposal. Just like you to one up me Love."
"No need for all that. I think the ring seals the deal, but if you just want to hear me say the words."
Then Love looked into John's eyes and said with all her heart and soul put into each word, "Yes, yes John, my best friend, my true love, my soul mate, I want more than anything else in this world to be your wife and I promise I will love you with all my heart and forever."
John looked at Love and he had no doubts that she did truly love him. His prayers had been answered and he felt nothing but pure joy. "I love you."
He sat back in the lawn chair and he closed his eyes again, wondering with complete happiness filling his heart, "God what have I gotten myself into?" He let out a chuckle. And Love asked him, "what was so funny?"
"Oh, I was just thinking, this is probably not going to be a traditional wedding either, is it?"
"Probably not John."
Well you stolen my proposal moment, you have already gotten the rings. What are you going to let me do?"
"You can plan the honeymoon baby."
"Okay then, I know a place that is luxurious and exotic and romantic of course, that fits you. Maybe, Rio..."
"I'm sorry John how about you pick the place we get married at instead, and if you want something traditional I'm fine with that. But I've been to enough exotic locations to last a lifetime. I think I'd rather stay closer to home."
"Closer to home? Like where, the Poconos?"
"Well I heard Virginia is for lovers, and we can drive there. Maybe, Virginia Beach. We can get a Beach house all summer on the water."
"Virginia? You never cease to surprise me." John settled back down into the hammock as he smiled to himself and enjoyed how his soon to be wife was always full of surprises.
Love felt John's breathing start to get heavy while he lied there next to her, and Love could tell he was dosing off again.
It was such a sunny, perfect day and Love was starting to feel sleepy herself. She watched her sister Faith give Darryl a kiss on the cheek, while he flipped the burgers on the grill over. Then she looked over at her sister Hope, twirling her long locks with one finger as she strategized on how to defeat her son Amir in a game of chess. They both looked so carefree and at peace.
Love realized she felt completely surrounded by love on every side of her and from above. Before she closed her eyes, she brushed her finger against the little silver "E" necklace on her neck that Nana had given her so long ago, and she thought how happy Nana would be to see them all now. Then Love looked up and whispered softly to herself, "Emmanuel, God Is With Us."