Page 109 of Can We Skip to the Good Part?
Though Max had helped in any way she could, Ella had emerged as the event planner of their couplehood and had put together the heart and soul of the gathering. Like everything she touched, the evening was planned to perfection.
“Should we say a few words?” Max asked, threading their fingers, knowing she had more than a few already assembled.
“Oh, I’m going to leave that to you,” Ella said. She’d never been a fan of the spotlight, and that was okay. “But I will smile and stand next to you in solidarity as your cohost. I might even nod a couple of times. Prepare yourself.”
Max squeezed Ella’s hand. “I love the plan. Let’s get everyone’s attention.”
As they moved to the center of the room, Max made sure the ring she’d been meticulously designing with the jeweler for months was secure in her pocket. She nodded in her mom’s direction, which prompted her to take out her phone and begin recording. Sonya, also catching the agreed-upon cue, dinged her glass three times with a spoon, which brought the room to a gradual hush. Their guests turned to her with expectant smiles, waiting.
“Wow, it’s so quiet in here,” Max said, feeling her nerves swim to the surface, an unusual feeling. She swallowed them back, wanting to do this thing right. “Ella and I are so happy that you’re here to celebrate with us tonight. Our new home is everything we hoped for, and we wanted to share it with you. In many ways, this place is a culmination of our journey together. That journey wasn’t always easy, but it was ours, and it brought me to this very moment, when I couldn’t be happier.” She turned to Ella and smiled. “This woman on my left changed my entire outlook on life when she stepped into mine.”
A collective “aww” rippled through the room. Ella beamed, and her cheeks bloomed.
“I was a cynic when it came to love stories and finding forever. But it turns out, I was just frozen in place, waiting for Ella Baker to get here already and show me the way.” Rachel, who stood in the corner smiling, offered her an encouraging nod. “Because of Ella, I now see the good in the most mundane. I lookforward to lazy Saturdays and strolling the night market in town. Everyone, Igardensometimes.” That pulled a laugh. “I don’t exactly recognize myself, and it’s the best feeling ever.” She lifted both shoulders. “I’m head over heels in love and know without a doubt that’s not going to change.”
“Wow. I love you, too,” Ella said.
“But let’s talk about the house a minute, because it’s nice. I like it. But let’s face it, it’s not complete.”
Ella frowned and quirked her head, clearly wondering what Max meant. They’d had several conversations about the house being perfect.
“Nope. This house is very much looking for a commitment from us. It wants to know we’re in this forever, and I am. I plan to be by this woman’s side until we’re watching the sunset in rocking chairs on that porch with hot toddies and fuzzy socks.”
“We’ll need a photo of that,” Ariana called, cupping her hands around her mouth.
“Deal,” Max said with a laugh. “But one thing first.” Max pulled the small velvet box from her pocket just as an uncomfortable lump rose in her throat. Ella looked at the box in shock as Max knelt before her on one knee and opened it. When their eyes met, Max couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. The love she felt for Ella was so all-encompassing that it permeated every piece of her. There was a quiet gasp in the crowd. Ella covered her mouth with one hand, but not before Max saw it tremble.
“Is this real?” she asked.
Max nodded. They’d talked about forever, about wanting to get married when life quieted down, but never an explicit timeline. And if Ella wanted a long engagement, she’d give it to her. She’d give her anything she wanted. But for Max, on her end of things, she didn’t want to wait another minute to marry the woman she loved.
“Ella.” That’s when the well of emotion engulfed her, stealing her voice. Their friends waited in silence. Max brushed away a happy tear. “Ella,” she said again. “I love you beyond words. You dazzle me every day with your kindness, beauty, talent, and the way you make the world a happier, more exciting place. No room is the same when you walk into it. No human being is unaffected. I would very much like to marry you and ensure you’re in all of my rooms from now on. Would you do me the honor, Ella Baker? Will you marry me?”
Ella exhaled and shook her head slowly. “Yes. I’d marry you right now.” She sank to her knees, meeting Max right where she knelt, cupped her face, and kissed her deeply to the swell of applause and a couple of whistles, surely one from her dad. Everything in Max leapt for joy.
Their friends clapped and whooped, some with hands over their hearts, as Ella pulled Max into a second kiss that was soft at first, then deepened with a kind of quiet urgency, like she needed Max to feel the yes in every part of her.
When they finally pulled apart, Ella rested her forehead against Max’s. “Look. You knocked me off my feet,” she whispered.
“Well, you rewired my whole world.” Max’s breath caught. She reached up to cradle Ella’s face, her thumb brushing the damp edge of her cheek.
After photos, lots of champagne, and multiple tours of the house, they settled in for a night of laughs and storytelling with the group, which became smaller and smaller as the night progressed. Her parents kissed them both and took their leave, a roster of patients to see in the morning. The Weepers shared a group hug and previews of what each thought of next week’s book so far. Rachel and Amanda exchanged a sultry look that said their evening might have only just begun.
Later, after the last glass had been washed and the house had gone still, Max found Ella upstairs in their bedroom, standing by the open window in one of Max’s worn T-shirts, moonlight spilling across her bare legs. She looked over her shoulder with that slow, familiar smile—the one that always felt like the moment was meant just for her.
Max came up behind her, sliding her arms around Ella’s waist and pressing her lips to the curve of her neck. “You know what I was thinking?” she murmured.
“Mmm?”
“That this house might have good bones, but you’re what makes it home.”
Ella turned in her arms, eyes soft, fingertips tracing the line of Max’s jaw. “Then let’s fill it. With books and coffee and morning kisses and years.”
“And you,” Max said, brushing her mouth against Ella’s. “Always you.”
The ring sparkled on Ella’s hand as it curled around the back of Max’s neck, pulling her in. They kissed again, slow and unhurried, right there in the quiet dark, wrapped in warmth and promise, and the unshakable sense that this was only the beginning of their very own HEA.