Chapter Thirty Five

Thirty Five

Grace Coffee House

One month later

It was just past closing time at Grace Coffee House. Andi was sweeping the floors, Sarah was busy cleaning the espresso machine and Achilles was preparing the now day old pastries to be delivered to the food bank. Demetrius had stepped out about an hour prior simply stating he had an errand to run. 

“Don’t you just love working here?” Sarah asked Andi and Achilles. “I wish I could stay here forever, but apparently I really do have to go to university in the fall.”

Achilles laughed. “Yeah, me too. In fact, I’ve been in contact with Biola University in California and they’ll allow me to start up in the fall as a second semester freshman. So, I’m pretty sure that I’m going to go.”

“Really?” Andi asked excitedly. “That’s tremendous. I had a friend get his undergrad there a few years ago in fine arts. He loved it. Plus you’ll be fairly close to the ocean! You’ll love it! But most importantly they’ll give you some biblical foundations which will really help you grow.”

“You realize, of course, what else there is nearby?” Sarah stated.

Andi and Achilles both looked at Sarah with curiosity, awaiting her response. Achilles said humorously, “Disneyland?”

“Ha-ha! Yeah, Disneyland.” Sarah laughed. “No, Mercedes Coffee Roasters is right there! The people who trained Demetrius! Maybe you could get a part time job with them. I know you could get a good recommendation from Demetrius!”

“What could Demetrius do?” Demetrius asked as he walked in the front door from his errand. Quickly brought up to speed by Sarah, he nodded affirmatively. “In fact, I’ve already shot an email to Mercedes about this. She looks forward to meeting you Achilles.”

Achilles couldn’t believe his ears. He’d taken rapidly to the barista position and his drinks were wildly popular with the customers at Grace Coffee House. More than that, he’d discovered in coffee a way to express his creativity and passion. An unspoken dream that he’d treasured in his heart was to get his education in business management so he could open up a small chain of specialty coffee houses.

“Oh my gosh,” he said somewhat stunned. “That’d be awesome.”

The four friends continued talking about dreams and fulfillment as they completed final tasks. Sarah and Achilles walked out the front door together, but Demetrius asked Andi to hold back a minute. As their relationship had developed, this had become expected.

Finishing up, Demetrius said, “Andi, let’s go a for a walk.” She nodded in agreement. Grabbing their summer lightweight jackets, they stepped out and Demetrius locked the front door and headed towards the harbor. 

Paine Harbor Pier

Walking hand in hand, the sounds of the gulls cawing in the air above them filled their ears. The light summer breeze caused the riggings on the sailboats to clang against their metal masts conducting a curiously beautiful symphonic sound. The two young lovers were silent.

It was fast approaching sunset, and the colors over the harbor were gaining that incredible intensity which causes people to stop in their tracks to stand in awe. The golden light reflecting off the sand glowed as if it was lit from within. Shades of intense blue and deepening red filled the immense sky and made their little world take on a magical quality. 

Stepping onto the main pier, they slowly walked to a favorite bench on the end that had become a favorite end-of-the-day spot for them. Demetrius had brought a few napkins with him from the coffee house, and quickly wiped the bench insuring Andi could sit without being concerned about her clothing. Andi smiled at his thoughtfulness. “He is amazing. I love this man so much,” she thought to herself. In the brief period since they’d become a couple she come to see how incredibly kind Demetrius was. She couldn’t open a car door, buy a meal, or refill her own coffee cup without Demetrius jumping into action. “I’ve never been treated so well in my life,” she realized. “He’s really something. God, thank You for this man, I’m so grateful!”

They leaned back in relaxation enjoying the evening sky and simply being with one another. Demetrius slipped his arm around Andi, and she moved slightly closer to him resting her head on his shoulder in perfect ease. “I never thought I’d feel this way again.” Demetrius thought. “She is such a powerful woman. Confident. Aware. Brilliant. Yet she seems to love me and more than that, she trusts me.” He turned his head and gave her a gentle kiss on the top of her head. She squeezed his leg in pleasure.

Just then a large group of pelicans effortlessly flew by in perfect formation across the colorful sky. Both Andi and Demetrius made sounds of joyous appreciation at their beauty set before them.

“Thank you Demetrius.” Andi said.

“Why?”

“This was a great idea. If we’d just closed up shop and gone to our homes, we would have missed this. I’m not sure I have ever seen a more beautiful sunset in my life!”

“Well, then you are welcome,” Demetrius laughed. “You know I set this all up, right? Me and God had an agreement if you and I came out here tonight, He’d provide a special sunset!”

“I just might believe you, Deme!” she smiled getting his sense of humor.

“Actually, it is true,” he said with straight face. “Tonight is special, and required a memorable sunset.” His heart was beating rapidly as he began to take the conversation in the direction he had been considering for months. Andi looked into his eyes wondering what he was up to.

“Andi, tonight is special because tonight is the night I’m going to ask you to marry me,” he said softly.

She screamed in delight, watching her beloved slip to one knee. Covering her face in a mix of shock and joy, she simply couldn’t believe what was happening. Remembering that moment years ago when at the bottom of her emotional pit the Doctor had asked her why she was throwing away the greatest gift and then fast-forwarding in time to this moment where God had elevated her life to one of pure joy, amazement and meaning. She shook her head completely overwhelmed.

“Oh, Demetrius…” was all she could manage to say.

He took her hands in his. They were trembling. Which was fine with Demetrius, because his were too.

Their eyes met. It was as if shock waves were reverberating between them. The depth of love they shared was unexpected and surprising to both of them. Neither had anticipated this happening. Demetrius had thought he’d experienced the love of his life and in April’s death something in him had died with her. Because of her past, Andi simply couldn’t comprehend such a love like this could occur.

Demetrius suddenly found his mouth dry and parched. 

Andi realized she could barely see because of the tears running down her face. Pulling her hands away from Demetrius’ grasp, she wiped her face. Laughing, she said, “I’m a mess. I must look like Alice Cooper!”

Shaking his head from side to side, Demetrius simply said, “I’ve never seen a more beautiful face than the one I’m looking at right now.”

She returned her hands to Demetrius.

Swallowing hard, he began to speak.

“Andi, you know my story. I’ve hid nothing from you. You know how much April meant to me.

You know I never thought I’d love again. And until I met you, I was really happy. But then I met you. You messed me up good, Andi. I was getting real comfortable in my grieving widower role. But you came along and you rocked my world. You turned me inside out. I look at you and my heart erupts. My soul says love isn’t just a possibility, but it is the only way to go! You caused me to take a risk. You opened me up to colors again. I was gray, and you are making me a kaleidoscope of colors like the sky above us.”

He paused, gathering his thoughts. Andi’s face was aglow with beauty, wonder, surprise and joy. “I’ve got to treasure this moment. I’ve got to remember every word, every nuance, ever expression on his face. This is one of the most important moments in my entire life!” she said aloud to Demetrius.

“That is exactly why I love you. You live in the moment. You value experiences. You don’t want to miss anything.” Demetrius said with great clarity, all the while stunned by what was unfolding right in front of him. “As I was saying…”

Smiling at her lover, Andi said, “Don’t let me interrupt you. I like what I’m hearing.”

Gently placing one hand on her cheek, Demetrius cleared his throat and continued. “Andrea Marie Andreson, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?”

A great sobriety came over Andi. Demetrius Grace, a man whose life had been radically altered by the sudden death of his wife just a little over a year ago, a man who had moved across country to establish a new life, and a man who was being used mightily of God had just asked Andrea Marie Andreson to marry him. A woman who only a few brief years ago had been lost in darkness, running from drug to drug, from one meaningless sexual encounter to another and heading to the abyss of suicide but who’d become a woman who regularly met face-to-face with God and had received a gift which utterly transformed her from the deepest places of her soul – this woman was about to say ‘yes’ to Demetrius’ question.

Gazing upon his questioning face, she nodded in agreement. “Demetrius, of course I will. I’ll be proud to become your wife. I will gladly live with you all the days of my life exploring whatever God brings before us in love, fidelity and expectation of blessings! YES! I will marry you!”

If 4^th of July fireworks had begun illuminating the sky over Paine Harbor at that moment, it wouldn’t have added anything to the joy and celebrating that erupted at the end of the pier. 

They did what young lovers usually do at moments like this. They hugged and they kissed. They held each other. They laughed. They kissed some more. 

After a few minutes of celebration, Demetrius said, “Oh, I almost forgot.” Reaching for his backpack he always carried, he pulled out a blue-tooth speaker, grabbed his iPhone, and selected a song. Pulling out a bottle of champagne along with two glasses. “We must celebrate properly,” he said as he popped the cork and poured the wine.

They took a few sips, giggling and laughing like school kids. Demetrius stood to his feet, pushed the play button on his iPhone, and reaching for Andi’s hand said, “Mrs. Grace, would you care to dance?”

“Why, yes, I would.” Andi laughed moving into his arms as Joe Cocker’s “You are So Beautiful” began to fill the air. They danced until the darkness reclaimed the sky. It was a moment Demetrius and Andi would cherish all the days of their lives.