Message in a Bottle

Chapter Nineteen
After five days we were finally able to take Benjamin back home. I decided to take some time off of school to be with him. His cancer wasn’t getting any better but he refused to stay in the hospital until the very end. He said he wanted to live the rest of his life like he was going to die the next day. I told him to shut up after he said that.
And as for the situation with Carter, time would heal it. I guess I haven’t been myself or the person I was with Carter ever since the break-up according to my brother and mom.
And for my mom, wow have there been apparent improvements! She’s been around a lot more. She’s been cooking meals, hanging out with Ben and I, laughing, she never gets home too late, and get this, she comes in my room and Ben’s to tuck us in and say goodnight. I guess she’s finally reading those parenting books grandmother bought my dad and her when they were pregnant with Ben. Well, I’m running out of room on this little sheet of paper so enough for today.
Sincerely,
Morgan Clarke of Cape Hatteras

I rolled up the note, tied a ribbon around it, and shoved it into the bottle, screwing the cork in. I shut my eyes, kissed the bottle, pulled my arm back and snapped it forward, sending it far out into the sea. I watched as it plummeted into the water and eventually bobbed back up. I smiled. I really liked my new way of letting out my feelings instead of keeping them bottled up. Well, I guess they were still bottled up considering my feelings were now in a bottle.
I reached over to the motor of the boat and yanked it as it growled to life. I kept smiling to myself as the boat took me back home. I faced my fear and here I was, riding on my grandmothers boat a.k.a S.S. Charisma Clarke with the wind blowing through my hair and sun above my head. I was fearless.
“I’m so proud of you, honey,” mom said, hugging me tightly when I entered the house.
“I told you I could do it alone.”
“And I never doubted you. Why don’t you run upstairs and get dressed. We’re leaving for dinner in an hour.”
My mom was planning some kind of dinner for later that night and she seemed pretty excited about it which got me wondering why she decided to do it and I knew the whole reason wasn’t another way of reaching out to Ben and I.
I looked through my closet, trying to find something to wear. All my clothes that reminded me of Carter was in bags under my bed and the clothes I felt comfortable in was now back where they’re supposed to be. I didn’t know why I tried changing my appearance for a boy anyways. It was stupid. If a boy doesn’t like you in your scrubs then what’s the point of them liking you at all? I wasn’t going to fake my identity any longer. I slipped into a pair of blue jeans, a white short sleeve polo, and converses. I pulled back my bangs and clipped them to the side instead of pulling it back in a ponytail. I had to admit, I did like my new hair which had grown down to my waist since the time I cut it a couple months ago when Emily had decided to give me a make-over.
“Mom, where’re we going?” Ben asked when mom stepped into the living room.
“You’ll see. Follow me.” I helped Ben stand up and handed him his walker. He hadn’t been able to walk without loosing breath lately so the walker helped him with that.
We followed her out to the backyard and from the door I was able to see Kyle waiting for us near a table set for four and torches that created a walkway to the table.
“What’s this for?” I asked, astonished.
“You’ll see,” mom said, leading us to the table where Kyle waited.
“Kyle, these are my kids: Benjamin and Morgan,” she introduced when we got to him.
“Hello, Benjamin,” he said, sticking out his hand. Ben shook it. “Hello, Morgan.” He stuck his hand out toward me. I looked from my mom to Ben to Kyle’s hand, everyone waiting for my approval of his hand. Then I took his hand and shook it. My mom let out her breath in relief.
“Benjamin, Morgan, this is Kyle Cummingham… my fiancé.”
Ben and I stifled a laugh.
“What?” Kyle and mom asked simultaneously.
“Mom, the next time you want to surprise us with something… you probably shouldn’t flaunt around that huge diamond engagement ring,” Ben said causing him and I to explode into laughter. He ended his laughter with coughing and had to sit down.
“It is huge, isn’t it?” Mom sighed in admiration.
“So tell me all about it. When and where did you propose to her?” I asked Kyle.
“It was last Tuesday, actually. The night that you… blew up on your mother.”
My face turned deep red in embarrassment.
“It was my fault that you weren’t able to contact her. You see, I’m what you’d call a ‘business man’. My phone is always going off at the wrong times and it’s always calls I have to take so it just ruins everything. Especially your mom’s mood,” he chuckled. “So last Tuesday we both decided to make it a technology-free date. We turned off our phones and left it in my car while we went out and ate dinner back at the mainland which is where I proposed to her in the restaurant.”
“Where everyone ‘aw-ed’ when they saw him down on one knee,” mom added, her hands over her heart as she relived the moment.
“And her face turned red,” he added with a laugh.
“I think I almost fainted by the size of the ring. I can only imagine the size of the wedding ring,” she squealed.
“So when do you plan on having the wedding?” Ben asked.
Then the beach went silent, the only sound being the waves.
“We… uh… haven’t discussed that yet,” mom said, not wanting to say the wrong words.
“Mom, it’s fine. Really. I just need to know that you’re genuinely happy.”
Mom smiled. “Well you don’t have to worry.” She turned to Kyle, kissing him.
Throughout dinner Ben and I got to know Kyle better and not only what he does for a living, hobbies, and such but what he’ll do to stay a faithful husband to our mom which is what Ben and I were mainly concerned about. By the end of the day we were all in harmony and absolutely no hostility. It was as if we were all ready for the next chapter in our lives.