“Are you having fun?” Alexander asked me.
“Of course, I’m with you.”
We decided to leave and go explore something else. What else was in this town that I could enjoy? We got in his car and drove around some more. He put his hand on my thigh and gave me a kiss.
“We got a lot more to see today. Here we are,” he said as he helped me out of the car.
I looked up, and there was the Washington Monument with flags all around it.
“You want to go to the top?” he asked.
“Yes!” I exclaimed.
We walked inside, and there was a 227-step climb to the top. I was out of shape, and I could tell after about the first hundred steps. Out of breath and holding my side, I didn’t want to make it too obvious and embarrass myself in front of Alexander. He wasn’t having any issues getting up the stairs, not even a sweat.
Once we finally got to the top, I realized all of it was totally worth it. The view of the city of Baltimore was beautiful. You could see the whole city from the top. It would have been even more amazing if it was at night with all the lights in the city.
“Ella?”
“Yes?”
“I’m so happy I ran into you that day on the street,” he started to stammer.
“I’m glad too. My life has definitely been different since I met you,” I said to him, smiling and kissing him on the cheek. It didn’t occur to me that I probably should have worded that differently since he blamed himself for my kidnapping. “You have brought light into my life that I never had before. I couldn’t imagine my life without you.”
Once we finally got back down to the bottom of the monument, we walked around the gardens. The smell of the fresh blooming flowers and the nearby water was spectacular. He told me a little bit about his mom.
“She was an amazing woman. She really did everything for me. When she passed away from breast cancer, I was devastated. I had lost my only parent. They ended up putting me in a foster home for a year until I met my adoptive parents. They are great people. Anne and Doug were the kindest people to me. They made sure I got the help I needed. They got me into counseling and helped me thrive through junior high and high school. When I graduated high school at the top of my class, they decided to pay for me to go to college. They supported me through my life in every possible way. I couldn’t have asked for better parents.”
I took in everything that he was saying. It made me feel horrible that his mother died of breast cancer when he was so young. I was happy that he was lucky enough to have found incredible parents to raise him. No wonder he became so successful in his adult life. It was amazing.
“Where do they live?”
“Actually, they live here in Baltimore. I planned on going to see them this weekend before I flew you in. Would you like to have dinner with them?” he asked me.
Holy crap.Dinner with his parents? Was I prepared for that? He was so close to them. What if they didn’t like me? I was nothing like him.
I took a deep breath and replied, “I’d love to.”
He drove us back to his house so we could change for dinner with his parents. I wasn’t sure what I was going to wear. I didn’t have anything too fancy.
“Ella, I bought you a dress to wear tonight. It’s on your bed,” he said with a smile.
I walked up to my room and found the box on my bed. I opened it to a beautiful pale-pink dress with black rosettes on it. He literally thought of everything. Inside was a pair of black heels just my size. I put the dress on and looked at myself in the mirror, letting my hair fall down in curls.
I walked downstairs to find Alexander in a nicer pair of dark jeans and a sports jacket. He smiled and stared at me as I walked toward him.
“You look absolutely stunning as always. I’m not going to be able to keep my eyes off you tonight.”
I wished I could see myself through his eyes. He always made me feel like a queen. I felt confident with him around.
We walked to the car, got in, and headed for his parents’ house. While driving over there, I got more and more nervous. I kept breathing slowly and thinking to myself that I was a nice girl. I should have nothing to worry about. Alexander was fond of me, and hopefully his parents knew that. I’d just stay close to him tonight. He would make me feel calm.
We pulled up to his parents’ house which was huge but about half the size of Alexander’s. It was still magnificent. He rang the doorbell, and a maid answered.
“Good evening, Alexander,” the maid greeted him as she opened the door and invited us in.
He took my hand and led me to the living room where his parents were sitting.