Cupping my mouth, I gasp. They’re here?
Jordan stands on a chair next to the one his dad is sitting on, wearing a cheery grin identical to his father’s. Stenton waves then shifts his attention to Jordan. Then I hear the sounds of surprise from the filling sanctuary around me.
“So, Mommy,” Jordan places his little hand on his chin, resembling an adult. The church bursts in laughter. “You know how you and daddy are boyfriend and girlfriend now?” I clutch my chest, fearing him spilling the beans about waking up to the two of us, half naked while we were in Martha’s Vineyard last week as a family. “Well, I’ve been thinking. Me and Daddy are two”—he holds up two fingers—“Rogers men. Sometimes we get bored and want somebody else in our crew. I know you’re a girl, but we want you to be a Rogers, too. Daddy said you’re too big to still be a Barrett like MaMa and PaPa. You wanna be a Rogers like us Rogers me—”
“Hey,” Stenton asserts, whispering something to Jordan.
“Oops!” Jordan slaps his mouth with wide eyes.
Then the camera focuses on Stenton. Those thick lashes shrinking his eyes and big white teeth do something lecherous to me—in church. My heart is pounding out of my chest. My breathing has spun out of control.
“Hey, Elizabeth,” he addresses me.
Elizabeth?
“My little man wants to steal my shine, but I can’t have that. First off, sorry about worrying you with not being here on time. As you can see, we are…just on an alternative agenda.” His smile falls. “There’s something I want from you and I think you know what it is. But I want to ask you for it in front of the people, whose perception of you I tarnished seven years ago when your life’s course changed. I want to publicly take responsibility for it, and to remind the people of your community of who you are and why I’ve been crazy about you since I met you.
“Elizabeth is not only beautiful—clearly irresistible to me, if that hasn’t been made clear—but she’s by far the smartest, bravest and most compassionate woman I’ve ever known. We’ve had a rocky few years, but it was by no means due to her wrongdoing or any deficiencies on her part. It’s been because I was afraid to do what my heart can no longer put off, which is ask for her hand in marriage and make her the honorable woman she’s always been in spite of my misleading.”
I glance down and see Jordon on one knee with an open black velvet ring box displaying more brilliance than I can wrap my head around. How did he get here, and so quickly?
“Is he ready?” Stenton, speaking to someone to the left of him grabs my attention. “Okay,” he says as he walks out of camera range, but not to me.
My eyes rove down to Jordan, who is resting on his knee patiently, wearing an unamused expression from not truly understanding what’s taking place here. Then I hear the crowd go up in applause, bringing my attention to the back of the room where Stenton is jogging up the aisle. I gasp again. He takes to one knee next to his son, resembling Jordan.
“Mommy, Daddy has something to ask you,” Jordan informs, earning a chuckle from Stenton.
“Elizabeth Ardell Barrett, will you do me the lifetime honor of becoming my wife?”