Promises Made and Promises Kept Pt. 05

Judy hugged me back before saying, "I brought a cheesecake mom made to celebrate."

When I heard that, I teared up and started sobbing in happiness. "I so want to spend the rest of my life with this woman," I thought to myself. I broke our hug and looked up into Judy's face, and I could see she was tearing up too. I pulled her back into a hug and whispered, "I love you, Judy."

"I love you, too, Virginia," Judy whispered back, tightening her arms around me.

We broke our hug, and I dashed my tears away, getting myself back in control of my emotions. Judy did the same before I said, "Let's invite Cathy and Sue and have some cheesecake."

Before we could act on that, Cathy and Sue walked into the break room, big smiles on their faces. Judy went and pulled the cheesecake out of the refrigerator. At the same time, Cathy and Sue dug out some paper plates and plastic cutlery. Soon we all had a piece of cheesecake, and everyone agreed it was delicious.

Several other people came into the break room while we were eating cheesecake, and I offered them some. When asked what we were celebrating, I explained that I am now legally the mother of my two sons. Everyone congratulated me and enjoyed the cheesecake. We had such a good time we nearly forgot our meetings. Luckily, Sue and Cathy shooed us off, promising to clean up and make excuses for us if we were late. I made it in time, but I'll be honest, I didn't really pay much attention to what happened in that meeting, or the rest of the day, for that matter.

That night, I decided I was ready to take the next step in my relationship with Judy. Once Mark went off to do homework, and Grace and Kathy were out for the evening, I called Betty. When she answered the phone, I asked, "Betty, are you and Joe busy tonight?"

"No, Virginia," Betty replied. "We're just going to watch some TV tonight. Why do you ask?"

"I'd like to talk to both of you about my relationship with Judy," I explained. "Can I come over now and talk to you for a few minutes?"

I heard Betty quietly gasp before she said, "Of course, Virginia. Come on over. We'll be glad to see you."

I told Mark I was going out and then drove over to see Joe and Betty. When I got there, they came to the door and waited for me to come in. I was nervous, but I would ask them for permission to make Judy my life partner.

When I came in, and once the greetings were over, we went into the living room and sat down, Betty and me on the couch, and Joe, in his easy chair. I turned to Joe and said, "Joe, I love Judy very much, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. May I have your permission to ask Judy to be my life partner?"

Joe and Betty looked at each other, a solemn look on their faces. Just as I thought I was going to be disappointed, they both suddenly smiled, and Joe looked at me and said, "Of course you can, Virginia. You have made my daughter happier than I've seen her since Jon's death. I know you are a good and decent person, and you love the girls as much as you love your boys. I couldn't be happier with you being Judy's life partner."

I turned to Betty as she said, "Yes, Virginia, I approve whole-heartedly. I know my daughter loves you and that you love my daughter. The girls just adore you, and I couldn't be happier to consider you and the boys to be part of our family."

Betty leaned over and hugged me, the tears in her eyes matching the tears in my eyes. When we broke the hug, Joe said, "We'd also like to congratulate you on being legally recognized as your boy's mother."

That resulted in another tearful hug with Betty. When we broke, Joe stood up, and I did too. He pulled me in for a hug, and I teared up again as I hugged him back.

Once the hugs were done, we sat down again. I turned to Betty and asked, "Do you, by any chance, know what Judy's ring size is? I'm going to go ring shopping soon. I'd also like to take Amy and Emily with me when I do, so I'd need you to arrange for them to be available without Judy suspecting anything?"

"I'm not sure, but I'll find out for you," Betty said, accepting her role in the conspiracy to surprise Judy. "I think I can arrange for the girls to go with you. Let me figure out when I can make that happen."

"Thanks, Betty," I said, hugging her again. "Well, I better get going." With that, we all got up, and I left to go home. All the way home, I smiled as I planned how I'd ask Judy to be mine.

***

Over the next few weeks, I spent as much time with Judy as I could. We went to several swim meets, watching Amy and Emily continue their rampages in the pool. Mark attended a couple of matches which made the girls happy. I think they enjoyed showing off for him and getting the opportunity to hug him. Judy and I really enjoyed how they interacted, especially the growing attraction between Amy and Mark.

Betty kept her promise and found out Judy's ring size for me. She also arranged for me to have some free time with Amy and Emily while keeping Judy busy. When I picked up Amy and Emily, they were excited to see me. When I explained what I wanted to do, they squealed in happiness and practically squeezed the breath out of me when they hugged me. I swore them to secrecy, and we went off to Pasha Fine Jewelry on Manhattan Beach Blvd.

When we got there, Amy and Emily eagerly helped me look through the rings on display. While Amy and Emily looked, I struck up a conversation with the lady behind the counter. She introduced herself to me as Darya, and I talked to her about what I wanted to purchase. It turned out Darya was the daughter of the owner and a fine jeweler in her own right. She showed us a few items she thought I might like while Amy and Emily checked them out with me. While the rings were nice, they weren't exactly what I had in mind.

"Let me get some of my rings from the back," Darya said before disappearing behind the curtain. While she was gone, Amy and Emily exclaimed how pretty all of the rings and jewelry on display were, and I agreed with them. We continued looking around until Darya came back out with a tray with some rings on it.

My eyes immediately latched onto a set of rings in the middle of the tray. Darya noticed my interest and smiled at me. She let me pick one up to look at it closely. The ring was platinum with several small diamonds on each side of the central diamond that must have been a carat or more in a princess cut. I showed it to Amy and Emily, and they both cooed over it, exclaiming how beautiful it was. Darya told me that the two central diamonds were very close to being identical, both having been cut from the same stone.

I asked Amy, "What do you think?"

"I love it, Virginia," Amy replied.

I then asked Emily, "How about you?"

"It's beautiful, Virginia," she replied.

I turned to Darya and said, "Sounds like you've made a sale. Can I get them inscribed and sized?"

"Of course," Darya replied with a smile. She handed me a pad and pen and asked me to write down the sizes and what I wanted on each one. "I'll personally do the sizing and engraving at no charge," she said, having noted I had never asked about the price.

Once I had written down the sizes and what I wanted to have inscribed on each ring, Darya went over it to ensure she understood what I wanted to have engraved. When we were done, she told me they'd be ready by next week. Darya then gave me the price for the rings, and I pulled my checkbook out of my purse and wrote her a check for the amount.

When they heard the amount, Amy and Emily's eyes grew big, but they didn't say anything about it. We left after exchanging "Goodbyes" with Darya. Once out on the street, I noticed we were only a block from Jack's, so I asked Amy and Emily if they were ready for lunch. They enthusiastically approved of lunch at Jack's, exclaiming how much they loved their salads.

As we walked over to the restaurant, I thought about the fact that I first came here for lunch nearly ten years ago. If I had never asked for recommendations for lunch that first day at LAAFB, I never would have met Bonnie. I thought about Candy Kane and how my life might have taken an entirely different track if I had hooked up with her. I would never have met Judy and her two beautiful daughters. I misted up a bit as I threw up a prayer to God, thanking Him for guiding me to this point. Amy and Emily sensed my mood, and they both side-hugged me before we stepped inside Jack's.

We had a delightful lunch as we planned out how I would pop the question to Judy. I swore both of them to secrecy, and they were both excited about being in on the surprise. Once we were done with lunch, we headed back so Judy wouldn't get too suspicious about what we had been doing.

True to her word, Darya had the rings ready the following week. When I saw them and read the inscriptions on them, I teared up. I thanked her for her beautiful work. Darya insisted I try my ring on to make sure it fits properly. I slid the ring on with no problem and looked at it on my finger, tearing up again. It looked so beautiful on my finger, and I knew Judy's ring would look just as lovely on her finger. I couldn't wait to put that ring on Judy's finger. Darya wrapped up the rings for me, and I hugged her and thanked her again for doing such an excellent job.

April 1995

Betty helped me with planning the big day. I had suggested I would like to have dinner with her parents to Judy and have Grace and Kathy attend so Betty and Joe can get to know them. Judy thought it was a great idea. When she approached Betty with the idea, Betty enthusiastically embraced it and started planning it with Judy.

I told Matthew and Mark what I was planning to do, and they were enthusiastic and approved of the plan. I made sure that when the date for dinner was set, Matthew would be able to attend. I told him I would tell Judy I wasn't sure if he could come. That way, it would be a surprise when he did show up. Hopefully, this would allay any suspicions she might have if she had picked up on something said or done. When Judy did ask if Matthew would be able to attend, I told her I couldn't guarantee it, but I would ask him to try to come.

I even huddled with Cathy and Sue. I told them I was planning a surprise for Judy. They could help reschedule anything that could come up at the last moment preventing either of us from leaving on time that evening. I know they were excited, and I hoped they didn't make Judy suspicious. As far as I could tell, she didn't pick up on anything.

The night before the big day, I called Alex. As happy as I was about Judy, I felt I needed to tell Alex what I planned to do tomorrow night, and I really hoped she wouldn't cry when I did.

After three rings, Alex answered the phone, "Hello?"

"Alex," I said, "This is Virginia."

I could hear her smile through the phone when Alex replied, "Virginia! It's good to hear from you. What's the occasion?"

"I have some news I wanted to share with you," I said.

My nervousness must have registered with Alex, and I could hear her breath catch before she cautiously asked, "Good news, I hope?"

I sighed before I said, "Good news for me, maybe not so good news for you."

"I see," Alex said softly, and I could hear the sadness in her voice.

I took a big breath before I said, "I'm going to ask Judy to wear my ring tomorrow night. I love her, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

There was a silence that went on so long I started to ask if everything was okay before I heard a little sob. Alex then said, "That's great, Virginia. I'm happy for you."

The tragedy I heard in her voice made me tear up before I said, "I'm sorry, Alex. I know we always hoped the day would come when we could be together, but I guess we were never meant to be."

I heard Alex heave a sigh before she said, "I guess. I still love you, Virginia. That will never change, no matter what."

"I still love you, too, Alex," I said.

Our pledges made, there was another pause before Alex said, "I'm glad it's Judy you're going to be with. She's a real sweet person, and I wish you all the happiness you can find with each other."

"Thank you, Alex. That means a lot to Judy and to me," I said.

"Tell Judy I wish her happiness, will you?" Alex asked.

"I will, Alex," I promised. "Thank you. Well, I'd better let you go. I have a lot to do tonight. Goodbye, Alex."

"Goodbye, Virginia," Alex said before I heard a click as the call was disconnected.

I put the receiver down and sat there for a minute, thinking about Alex, hoping she would be okay. As much as I loved her, I was going to spend the rest of my life with Judy. Then, I was going to spend forever with Bonnie. I really hoped Alex finds someone to love. She deserved it. With a sigh, I got up to go prepare for the big day tomorrow.

Finally, Friday came, and all of the planning came to fruition. Grace would drive Kathy, Mark, and me to dinner, and Matthew would meet us there. As I got ready to leave work to head home, Cathy smiled at me and said, "Good luck tonight, Virginia."

"Thanks, Cathy," I said. "I'll tell you how it went Monday."

I got home and met Grace, Kathy, and Mark there. They were excited and just about ready to go. I hurried up to my room, performed my toilet, and dressed up a bit in a lovely flounce dress that came down to just above my knees. I put on some heels and hurried downstairs. We took off in Grace's car and made it to Betty and Joe's place. We got there just in time to see Judy pull in just before us. We all got out as Judy waited for us. Everyone got a hug from Judy before we took each other in our arms and kissed. The world went away as our lips met, and I kissed this woman like I was afraid Judy would disappear once the kiss ended. Judy responded to my enthusiasm and kissed me with vigor as our tongues ravaged each other's mouths.

We finally broke the kiss due to a lack of oxygen. We stood there arm-in-arm, panting and alone in the driveway, as everyone else had gone ahead and gone inside. Once we got our breathing under control, we separated and walked inside, arm-in-arm, with big smiles on our faces. Judy was so happy I hoped she wouldn't pick up on my nervousness.

Everyone but Betty was in the living room. After a round of greetings, Judy and I headed out into the kitchen to help Betty with dinner. Joe was busy entertaining everyone in the living room. When we made it to the kitchen, Betty pulled me in for a hug before hugging Judy. Once the hugs and greetings were finished, Betty directed us to start setting the table. Before telling Judy to arrange a place setting for Matthew, I heard the doorbell ring. Judy looked up, wonderingly, as we heard Amy and Emily answer the door. I smiled and said, "Oh, good, that must be Matthew," before heading out to greet him.

Judy followed me into the foyer, and when she hugged Matthew in greeting, he said, "I'm glad I could make it tonight, Judy. It's good to see you again."

"It's good to see you, too, Matthew. I wasn't expecting you, but I'm glad you're here," Judy said as she let go of him.

"How could I miss out on your mother's cooking?" Matthew said.

I leaned in and hugged Matthew, whispering to him, "You got here just in time." Out loud, I said, "It's good to see you, Matthew. Thanks for being able to come tonight."

With that, we went back out to the kitchen to finish preparing for dinner. We recruited Matthew and Mark to pull out the chairs stashed in the garage and put the leaves in the dinner table. Judy and I then finished putting out the china before going back into the kitchen to help Betty. The food was soon coming out of the oven to be put onto the table. The delicious smells permeated throughout the house.

Finally, everything was ready, and Betty went to call everyone to dinner. Everybody trooped into the dining room and found their seats. Once everyone was seated, Joe led the prayer over dinner. He crossed himself before he prayed, "Thank You, God, for the food we are about to eat, for those who are here to share these blessings. Bless those who are here and those who are in our hearts, and all those who are not as fortunate on this day. Amen." Everyone crossed themselves and said, "Amen," except for Grace and Kathy, who just said, "Amen."

I teared up a bit while thinking about Bonnie and what was going to happen after dinner. I could see some unshed tears in Judy's eyes after she looked questioning at her father. I held my breath, hoping Judy wouldn't twig to what was going to happen. Betty said, "Let's eat!" and that was enough to distract Judy. She smiled at me across the table; whatever had been bothering her forgotten for the moment.

A dull roar of sounds arose as everyone started plating their food. Soon, everybody's plate was full, and several conversations started up around the table. Amy and Emily were chatting with Matthew and Mark, and Grace and Kathy were chatting with Joe and Betty. Judy and I just sat there, taking it all in, smiling at each other, our eyes doing all of the talking. Everything was going to plan so far. I was nervous but hoped I was hiding it from Judy. I ate my food, but I really wasn't paying much attention to it, as delicious as it was. I made sure to compliment Betty on the food, as did everyone else.

I could see Betty and Grace got on right off the bat. They chatted like they'd been long-lost friends who finally met and needed to catch up after all of these years. I think Betty was a little intimidated by Kathy. Still, she eventually warmed up to her, especially after Kathy started talking recipes with her. Joe chatted easily with them, and I could see that he approved of them. He smiled at me and nodded. I heaved a sigh of relief. The last hurdle was passed, and everything was going to be okay.

Eventually, everyone was done eating. There was still a lot of food on the table, but everyone was stuffed. Betty finally declared dinner was over and for everyone to head into the living room. Judy and I offered to stay and help, but Betty shooed me off to the living room with a wink and just had Judy stay to help her clean up.

We huddled in the living room as we waited for Betty to send Judy in. I made sure I had the ring box handy as I sat on the couch. Everyone was chatting, trying to pretend nothing was about to happen. Looking toward the entrance, I finally saw Judy come in. We smiled at each other as Judy came over to sit on the couch with me. When she did, everyone stopped talking and looked at us expectantly.

Judy looked questioningly around at everyone and asked, "What?"

That was my cue. I stood up, clutching the ring box behind my back as I turned to face Judy. She looked at me as I got down on one knee, bringing the ring box out from behind my back. I was so nervous I nearly dropped the ring box when I opened it. I saw the realization come over her face as she leaned forward with a big smile. It was now or never. "I love you, Judy," I started. "For the longest time, I thought that I would never find someone to take Bonnie's place, someone I could love and would love me in return. There was a time or two that I thought I had found someone, but it didn't work out. Now, I am positive that I have found that person. It is you, Judy. You have made me so happy, and I selfishly want to be this happy for the rest of my life."

I pulled Judy's ring out before setting the box down. Then I took Judy's left hand in my right hand, looked Judy in the eye, my heart pounding so loud I thought everyone could hear it, and asked, "Judy, will you make me the happiest woman in the world and wear my ring?"

Judy looked me in the eye and said, "Oh, my god, yes! I'll wear your ring!"

My heart nearly exploded with love when I heard those words. I teared up as I put the ring on Judy's finger. Once it was on, I looked up, saw the tears in her eyes, and leaned in to kiss her. I barely heard the clapping and congratulations coming from the rest of the families as our lips lingered together. Finally, we broke, and Judy leaned back while I stood up.