Domino Effect (Effect 2)

She kissed me once more before going into the house. Right before the door closed, Nikola turned and gave me an air-kiss goodbye. Now it was time to finish all the arrangements for a moment that would change my life forever.

I checked everything again as I looked at the clock. I’d rented the private dining room of one of the nicest restaurants in Atlanta. Ainsley and Nora had handled getting everything set up. Nikola still didn’t know Nora well, but they were becoming friends through Ainsley. They all seemed to get along. The tables were set, the lights were turned low, classical music played softly in the background, and a massively tall flower arrangement sat on the large, round table.

This was either going to be a great idea or an epic failure. Today, when Nikola had accused me of doing drugs, I’d wondered if I’d made the right decision. But after what Nikola and I shared in the alley, knowing she came for me—not the other way around—I knew I made the right decision. Hopefully, Nikola felt the same way.

Logan came up to me. “If she says no, I cleared a path through the back for you.”

I looked at him incredulously; he tried not to laugh. I felt sick.

Logan’s face dropped. “Oh, shit, I’m sorry. You really are nervous. You know there’s no way she’ll say no. That girl loves you more than anything in this world.”

“I hope so. Hell, I hope so.” My heart felt like it was beating a hole in my chest.

“She will. Here comes Adam. I know he probably wants to talk to you, too. Dad would be proud of you. Hell, I’m proud of you for fighting for what you wanted.”

That meant a lot. “I think he would be, too.”

We nodded. Thinking of my dad was sometimes hard, but he would have loved Nikola. All he’d ever wanted was for his boys to be happy. Logan walked to where my mum stood as Adam came over. He slapped me on the back. My nerves were starting to get the better of me and I started rubbing my hands up and down my legs.

“How you holding up?”

“I’m a wreck. I know this is what I want, but what if Nikola doesn’t think we’re ready? What if she thinks I’m doing it for the wrong reasons?” My pulse was at an all-time high.

Adam stepped back and looked at me seriously. Ainsley was at the back of the room talking to Nikola’s parents, who had flown in from China. They’d arrived last night.

“You know Ainsley, in the beginning, thought I wanted to keep her around as only a fuck buddy. Even though I didn’t know this at the time, I loved Ainsley, and that’s why I kept pursuing her. My love was showing through, even though I wasn’t aware. This may make me sound like a puss, but it’s the truth. You and Nikola are meant to be; it just took you guys a bit to get there.”

“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”

Adam slapped me on the back again and walked back toward Ainsley. I watched Nikola’s parents with everyone and thought back to my phone call with them. Nikola was a mixture of them. Her dad, Richard, was tall and slim with dark hair and dark eyes. Her mom, Melanie, was medium height and slim with blonde hair and green eyes.

I had left a mid-morning meeting with Quentin. We’d found out about Anne’s serious condition yesterday, and I needed a bit to get my thoughts straight on what I wanted to do. Nikola had said something that struck me deep through the night: “Brandt, she’ll never be part of my life or know where I end up. See me married and happy. She’ll never know if I have kids and if I’m a good mother. She’ll never know. Who will I go to when I need help? Who will I go to when I don’t know what to do? Grandmama won’t be there. My heart is breaking, Brandt. My heart is breaking.”

Through the night, I’d known I wanted to give Nikola as much as I could when I reflected on what she said.

Now, I was on my way to my mum’s before going to Club Envy to make plans for proposing to Nikola. I thought about my talk with Quentin at our diner, regarding my decision to ask Nikola to marry me. Any major changes in my life, I liked to talk to Quentin. He sometimes helped me see what I wasn’t able to in order to clear the fog or prepare me in general for what was to come. Quentin’s only words of advice were: “If she’s not ready to take this step, don’t push or be disappointed. It’s a big step for anyone to take. It takes two to be ready, and it’s not rejection if Nikola says she’s not ready. Don’t look at it as a sign of not trusting you.”

Quentin’s words had made me nervous that there was a possibility Nikola would say no. Before talking to him, I had only imagined her saying yes. Even if Nikola wasn’t ready, I was ready to put myself out there. If she wanted to wait, I’d wait. As long as we had each other, that’s all that mattered. Pulling into my mother’s driveway, I got my phone out to call Nikola’s parents. They were nice, just different. My family was warm and loving. Nikola’s mom loved her but was unemotional in showing it. Anne gave Nikola the motherly love I knew she craved. In some ways, Anne was like her mother.

I’d only met them once when they were in town for a couple of days before heading back to China. Hoping I’d be able to catch her dad at dinner, I called them.

After three rings, a smooth voice picked up on the other end. “This is Richard.”

“Hi, Richard. This is Brandt Mattox, Nikola’s boyfriend. Do you have a second?”

There was background noise that sounded like he was at a party. Cheers erupted in a toast. “Give me a second. Melanie and I are at a function. I’ll step out for a minute.”

“Thanks, Richard.”

The sound of a door closing came through the phone, then the party noises were muffled. “How’s Nikola? Is everything okay?”

My palms started to sweat. I was about to ask the father of the woman I loved for her hand in marriage. We’d only met once, and I’d talked to him a handful of times. “Yes, she is. She’s over at Anne’s house now while I’m running some errands. I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Okay, go ahead.” His voice sounded hesitant.

I cleared my throat. “I want to ask for your permission to marry Nikola. I know we’ve had our ups and downs, but I’ll love her and always provide for her the best I can. She’ll always be my first priority.”

Richard chuckled. “I’ve been waiting for this day. You guys have been together for a while. I figured it was getting close to time. Of course, you have mine and Melanie’s blessing.”

The response threw me. Had Nikola not told them about the drugs and our breakup? I knew she didn’t tell them a lot, but figured this would have made it into at least one conversation. Knowing how unconnected they were from Nikola’s life saddened me. “Thank you, Richard. I plan on asking her in a few weeks. If possible, I’d love for you guys to be a part of that moment for Nikola.”

“Let me check our schedule and we’ll see. My office will be in touch if we can make it. Is this a good number for them to reach you at if we’re able to come?”

Again, Richard’s response gave me pause. His daughter’s engagement was getting pushed off to his office personnel. “This is a good number. Thanks again.”

The doors must have opened, because the sounds of the party came over the phone. “No problem. Have a good day. Talk to you later.”

The phone disconnected before I had a chance to respond. I opened my door and was greeted by the crisp air. I’d only texted my mum about an hour ago to see if I could swing by. I knew my mum’s response was going to be night-and-day-different from Richard’s.

My mum gave me a hug, breaking me from my thoughts. She was glowing and excited, as I’d expected. She’d almost slipped the night I’d taken Nikola over there for dinner after Valentine’s Day.

As she hugged me close, she said, “Your dad would be so proud. I cannot tell you how happy I am you’ve found your soul mate. It’s a mother’s dream for her babies to find true love and happiness. I see the same love your father and I shared. Thanks for letting me be part of this special moment. Don’t be nervous.”

She pulled back, and I nervously chortled. “Easier said than done. She hasn’t said yes yet.”

My mum patted the side of my face like she has throughout my childhood. “She will. I know Quentin prepared you in case she said no, which is good, but she loves you. That night I almost slipped, I saw her eyes light up at the thought of marrying you.”

“I hope so.”

“I know so.”

My phone vibrated. It was Anne.

Anne: We are about ten minutes away. Nikola is going to drop me off at the door, then park the car. Thank you for giving me this memory.

Me: It’s a memory I want us all to have. Thank you for giving me permission to marry her.

Anne: I love you like a son, Brandt. Always have and always will. Putting my phone away before my precious granddaughter gets nosy.

Me: Love you, too—like a mother.

Anne had cancelled her doctor’s appointment today and told Nikola when she went over there to work. Nikola had already helped her schedule another appointment next week. I’d noticed Anne’s cough getting worse, and she tired more easily. I think she’d known the prognosis wouldn’t be good and didn’t want to overshadow what happened tonight. I still prayed for a miracle.

I put my phone away and announced to the room: “Nikola is about ten minutes away. She’s going to drop Anne off at the door, then park the car.”

Everyone Nikola and I loved was in the room: Adam and Ainsley, Nikola’s parents, my mum and Logan, Nora and her boyfriend, Jude, and Wesley. It had been an internal debate on whether to invite Wesley, with what he had been dealing with, but he deserved the choice. One of the worst things for me was not being giving the option to decide for myself. Wesley was doing well. The time away had done wonders for him. Wesley told me he wanted to come, without hesitating.

He approached me. “I appreciate the invite. I’m happy things are working out for you guys. It’s good to know happy endings do happen for people who have been through what we have.”