Instant Photo

"I...I don't know," stammered Sarah. She put the box back down.

"What! I don't understand!" Josh tried to shout but kept his voice low enough to not draw attention in this public place.

"Neither do I," said George in a stern voice. "Sarah, come with me for a moment." George grabbed Sarah's hand and they made their way outside the restaurant, but not before watching the waiter return to their table with their dinner.

"What are you thinking!?" shouted George once they were outside.

"I don't know," returned Sarah. She was in tears. "I don't know that I love him anymore."

"What! Are you kidding?" yelled George. "It's no secret that you've wanted him to propose. He's in there with a ring right now! God! You drive me crazy! You're worse than your mother!"

Sarah could only stare at her father. Was she really so much like her mother? Her mom never seemed to know what she really wanted. Sarah looked down. She felt so unsure. She was depressed. She could only think that her marriage proposal should feel so much different than this. Maybe she was asking too much.

"You need to go in there and accept his proposal!" directed George. "You need to marry him and then I can retire and transfer my voting shares to you both. You'll be set for life. Don't be stupid. Now get in there and do it. My goddamn steak is getting cold!"

Sarah couldn't stand up to her father. Her shoulders slumped as they both turned and headed back inside. George apologized to Josh as they took their seats.

George glared at Sarah.

"I accept," Sarah said as she wiped away her tears.

Josh picked up the box and pulled out the ring. He slid it over her ring finger and kissed her forehead. Sarah could only stare down at her hand.

"Looks like she's enamored with that ring Josh! Good job my boy!" said George as he bit down into a piece of steak.

"So Sarah," asked Josh. "When is our wedding day? I assume you already have things planned out since you've been bugging me for so long."

"I don't know," said Sarah. "I haven't gotten that far." She continued to stare at the ring on her hand. Here it was. It was finally going to happen. Her wedding. And now planning it seemed so...fruitless.

Sarah barely touched her meal. Her father and Josh launched into more business discussions followed by a list of those clients it might be beneficial to invite to the wedding. George promised to pay for all the festivities. Sarah only nodded whenever they would ask her opinion on some issue.

At the end of the evening, Josh drove Sarah back to her apartment. He pulled her into an embrace at the door.

"You've been quiet tonight, Sarah," noted Josh.

"I...I don't feel well...my stomach," said Sarah. It was a lie, but it was the only thing she could come up with in order to get into her apartment without Josh.

"Nonsense," protested Josh. "You just have some butterflies about getting married. Don't worry, I'll be gentle."

"No!" protested Sarah. Lucky for her, her elderly neighbor was just coming home as well. Josh hesitated in pressing the issue and Sarah slipped behind her apartment door. Josh could only stare at the door as he heard her throw the lock.

Sarah ran to her bedroom and quickly pulled off the ring, tossing it on her desk. It bounced off the Stetson and rolled to a stop. Sarah buried her head into her pillow. "This sucks!" she screamed. All this time she'd been waiting for this moment and now that it was here she had no idea if she could even go through with it. She was so confused. She needed to talk with someone. She picked up her phone.

"Mom?" said Sarah as her mother answered the phone. "Mom, I'm sorry to call so late. Mom, he proposed."

"Oh, wonderful," answered Jane. "Have you set a date?"

"No, Mom, No...it's not wonderful...I don't know if I want to marry him," she tried to explain.

"What?" said her Mom. "It's all I've heard from you for years. What could possibly have happened?"

"Mom...I...I met someone," stuttered Sarah. "We had a connection. I don't know."

"Just over these last few days?" asked Jane.

"Yes," replied Sarah. "I guess you could say we had a little fling."

"Oh, Sarah," said her Mom. "So you had a little fun. That's nothing to base a decision that's going to affect your whole life on! I know you want to be married and have children! Your clock is ticking you know."

"Mom, don't remind me!" shouted Sarah. "Mom, don't you regret marrying Dad?"

"Sarah!" shouted Jane. "How dare you!"

"I'm sorry Mom," apologized Sarah.

"Sarah, you're my daughter. You're the best thing to ever happen to me. I can't even think of not having you. Please don't do this to me."

"I'm sorry," repeated Sarah.

"Sarah," counseled her mother. "You'll figure this out. You're just confused right now. Something will show you the right path. I know it will. I want you to be happy. You've been telling me over and over that being married and having kids is all you've been dreaming about since you've been a little girl. You'll make the right decision."

"Ok mom, I'm sorry I called so late. I love you. Bye."

"Goodbye Sarah. I love you."

Sarah felt no closer to solving her dilemma. She cried herself to sleep.

--

Sarah slept in. She knew she should be at work this morning, but showing up and facing her Dad and Josh proved to be too much. She decided to call in sick. She rolled out of bed and went to sit at her desk. She picked up the ring and stared at it for a long time. She sighed and slipped it over her finger. She looked down at her hand for quite a while before shaking her head to clear away the fog.

When she opened her eyes a flash of sunlight bounced off the rhinestones of her Stetson. She frowned as she reached for her hat. She thought about how she needed to put it away so it wouldn't constantly remind her of Garrett. As she picked it up she knocked the instant photos down into her lap. She set down the hat and picked up the photos to look at them once more.

The first photo looked just like it had when Josh first handed it to her. The ring was there and the sadness had returned to her eyes in the picture. Sarah's mouth hung open. She could swear it was different yesterday. The second photo shocked her even more. "I don't believe it," she thought. Aged features, no ring, one child. Sarah worryingly went back and forth between both photos. What is this? She remembered back to when Josh took the photos. She glanced at the camera and the little knob labeled 0 to 30. "Oh my God!"

Sarah dropped the pictures and picked up her phone. "Liz! I need your help!"

--

Sarah opened the company's office doors. She marched straight toward her Dad's office. A board meeting was going on in the adjoining conference room. Before the secretary could stop her she opened the door and rushed in. She adjusted the brim on her Stetson.

"Sarah!" shouted her father. "What's the meaning of this? Why are you dressed like that? This isn't Halloween!"

"Don't interrupt me!" shouted Sarah. "Josh! I have something I need to return to you!" She pulled off the ring and threw it at his head. "You don't love me. You haven't said so in over a year. And you know what? I don't love you either!" Josh just stood there stunned.

"Sarah!" shouted her father.

"Dad, If you love him so much, you can have him. I don't want him anymore!" screamed Sarah. The room let out a nervous laugh. Sarah turned for the door.

"Wait! Sarah!" yelled Josh.

Sarah turned back. "I'm through waiting for you, Josh! I don't want to ever hear from you again!" She turned and ran from the conference room. She could hear the buzz of the attendees as she made her way past the secretary. The secretary could only stare at her the whole way.

Sarah bolted out the door and jumped into the passenger seat of Liz's car. "Let's get out of here!" shouted Sarah. Liz hit the gas.

"You sure about this?" asked Liz.

"No," replied Sarah. "But I'm tired of waiting on everyone else. I'm doing what I want, damn the consequences!"

Liz dropped her off at the airport. Sarah's phone wouldn't stop buzzing. Everyone and their brothers were trying to get her to answer. She shut off her phone. She didn't calm down until the pilot pulled the wheels up on her plane.

Sarah couldn't believe herself. It was too late to turn back now. She started to worry that Garrett wouldn't meet her at the other end of her journey. That's when she stopped herself. "Worry is all I ever do! I'm not doing that anymore, no matter what! I'm holdin' my head up high!"

Sarah squealed when she saw Garrett at the airport. She ran and jumped into his arms, showering him with kisses. "Oh, Garrett!" she let out.

"I missed you, Sarah!" he said.

--

"Happy Birthday Sparkles! I love you!" said Garrett as he slipped his arms around her from behind. He kissed his wife on the cheek.

"Thank you, Cowboy! I love you too!" She smiled as she admired the view from her window. Outside was her son, Garrett Jr. with his wife and two boys, and daughter Janey with her husband and her little girl. All the grandchildren were taking turns riding the new pony Garrett had just acquired. Everyone had smiles on their faces as the children laughed and played.

Sarah turned the page on the photo album in front of her. She opened a yellowed envelope with a faded message on the front that said "open on your 60th birthday". She turned the picture over to view it before she placed it in the album.

The picture showed both her and Garrett, splitting images of themselves as they are today. Both faces were nothing but smiles. The feeling of a deep forever love was still evident in their aging eyes. Sarah's hand was adorned with a wedding ring. One wrist contained the charm bracelet with three children. One boy and two girls. The other wrist had another charm bracelet. This one had two boys and a girl. Sarah smiled widely as she taped the picture to the album.

Sarah reviewed the rest of the pictures in the album. It contained the first two she'd ever gotten from her little instant camera. She smiled at the love evident in her eyes back then. The album also contained pictures of her children, as well as pictures of them with their spouses. Smiles populated every one.

"Happy Birthday Mom!" said Beth as she gave her Mom a kiss on the cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart," said Sarah.

"Mom, can I talk to you?" said Beth. "It's about my boyfriend, Brent."

"What do you want to ask?" said Sarah.

"Mom, both Junior and Janey said I should ask you because you gave them such good advice about their spouses," Beth continued. "Mom, I think Brent is going to propose. I love him but I'm worried...I'm so young."

"He's a good boy, I like him," said Sarah. "Hmmm, tell you what."

"What?" replied Beth.

"Come here," said Sarah. "Let me take your picture."