Things progressed in both our personal and professional lives. I moved in with Ethan a few weeks later and we couldn’t have been happier. Since we had been friends for so long it was like we were already an old married couple, so familiar with each other.
Ethan stayed with Pierce Homes until we were able to officially get our business, BakerChase Homes, off the ground. It took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, but it was worth it. We leased a building on the other side of town and hired my uncle to design the homes for us. Ethan took care of the business end while I helped and was in charge of landing the clients and the public relations. Things were going well for us and I was thrilled when we landed a few areas to start building neighborhoods from scratch and could help give those who bought there a great place to live. Eventually I was hoping to also bring into the business what I had done while at Pierce Homes, find neighborhoods that were rundown and help them start fresh. That would take time to get there, but it was my ultimate goal.
I emailed Norman explaining that I had to abruptly leave Pierce Homes for personal reasons and how sorry I was. I assured him that Paul and my replacement would take good care of them and that I would miss them. I had tears in my eyes when I pushed send, knowing that was the last I would interact with Norman and the people of Hidden Creek.
A few months later, I had had a particularly rough day at work and couldn’t wait to get home. Ethan had asked me to stop by the conference room before I left for one last thing to sign, telling me he’d be home as soon as he could. I shut down my computer and gathered my things, stopping to lock my office door on my way out.
I said hello to the few employees I passed, happy that we’d been able to hire a few more in the past few weeks. As I got closer to the conference room, I could hear a lot of chatter. Tilting my head, I wondered what could be going on as Ethan was supposed to be in a meeting.
When I got to the entrance of the room, my heart stopped. Inside there were dozens of balloons and streamers. People were gathered around the big table and the chatting immediately stopped when I was noticed. Ethan turned around and smiled big, coming over to me.
Grabbing my hand, he bent his head and whispered in my ear. “Come in, angel,” and started leading me inside. My heart started accelerating to a rate that I was sure might kill me. My hands started to become clammy and I thought I might pass out.
Ethan sensed my reaction and held on to me. Once we reached the table, he sat me down in a chair and bent down before me on one knee. He reached in his pocket and brought out a small black velvet box. Popping it open, he set it on my lap and asked, “Aly, will you marry me?”