Authors: Karen Pokras
Ava's Wishes (18 page)
Ava opened her mouth to speak, but didn’t even know where to begin.
“It’s all been arranged,” Max said. “Of course, you don’t have to go. You’re still registered here if you want to st—”
“No!” Ava finally shouted. “Of course I want to go!” She threw her arms around Max’s neck. “I just can’t believe you all did this for me. Forgive me for the weird reaction, I’m just in a bit of shock, that’s all.” She turned to face Cynthia. “I don’t even know where to start to thank you,” Ava said.
“I just made a phone call,” Cynthia stated, smiling. “Your merits speak for themselves. I am beyond sad to lose you, of course. I feel sorry for whoever comes to take your place. There’s no way they can even begin to fill your shoes.” Cynthia grasped Ava’s shoulders and gave her a big hug. Before she let go, she whispered in her ear, “I love you, Ava.”
“I love you, too, Cynthia,” Ava said before walking over to Carly. “And you!”
“What?” Carly asked holding her hands out. “What did I do this time?”
“Oh, let me see,” Ava began, laughing. “You called my sister and boyfriend because you were worried about me, you kept this a secret,
and
you just made me spend $250 in art supplies for classes you knew I wouldn’t be taking.”
“Hey, Max said to stall you. Who do you think I was texting all day? Besides, you could have said no. Anyway, you can always take them with you. You can never have too many paint brushes.”
“So I guess this means there’s no Julien Henri exhibit?” Ava laughed.
“No, you nerd. Wasn’t this enough?” Carly asked.
“Yes!” Ava hugged her. “Thank you, Carly. I sure am going to miss you.”
Ava went back over to Max. “Wait a minute,” she said, looking at him, “you said my parents agreed to all of this because of Thomas. But now that Thomas is gone—”
“Now that Thomas is gone, they still agree it’s a good idea. In fact, I think your mom is already making wedding plans,” Max replied.
“Wedding plans!” Ava’s eyes opened wide. “Why would she be doing that?”
Max continued to stare at Ava while he got down on one knee. “Ava, I know we are just getting to know each other, but I love you. More than I ever imagined I could love anyone. Every time I think about my future, you’re in it, right by my side. It’s not my future I’m looking at, it’s our future. It’s like you said a few weeks ago … the more we try to stay apart, the more we’re pushed together. So let’s stop being apart.”
Max pulled a small black velvet box out of his pocket and opened it. Inside was a beautiful diamond ring that Ava recognized immediately: her grandmother’s ring. She gasped.
“Your father gave me this with his blessing. He told me the love he witnessed between us reminded him of his own love for your mother. Did you know that he proposed after their first date?”
Ava wiped away her tears and nodded. She did know that, but had forgotten all about it.
“I promise to love you always, and one day, I will fly you to Paris and anywhere else you want to go.” He took a long deep breath and added, “Marry me, Ava.”
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END NOTES
Thank you for reading Ava’s Wishes. I’d be so appreciative if you’d leave an honest review at your favorite retailer or book review site. And don’t miss out on the rest of the Haines sisters as The Whispered Wishes Series continues. As always, thanks for your support! ~Karen
The Whispered Wishes Series:
Book 2: Holly’s Wishes
Book 3: Tessa’s Wishes
Book 4: Woven Wishes
Merry Wishes: A Whispered Wishes Novella
Chasing Invisible
(Karen Pokras Toz)
Books for Children 7-12 (Karen Pokras Toz)
The Nate Rocks Series:
Millicent Marie Is Not My Name
ABOUT KAREN POKRAS
Karen Pokras writes adult contemporary and middle grade fiction under the names Karen Pokras and Karen Pokras Toz. Her books have won several awards including two Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, the Grand Prize in the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, as well as placing first for two Global E-Book Awards for Pre-Teen Literature. For more information and to sign up for Karen’s newsletter, please visit
www.karenpokras.com
.
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