Becoming Sister Lambson, Part 7

We drove all the next day, in a rush to get Benji home so he could sing at his Grandfather's surprise birthday party.

I was so exhausted from the week of back and forth emotions that I was sitting in the backseat, praying (as usual, this story involves a lot of praying) and telling Heavenly Father that I give up. I can't do it anymore. Benji is too confusing and I have to just convince myself not to care for him.

At that moment, Benji glanced back at me in the rear-view mirror.

"What are you doing this week?" He asked.

"I work Thursday." I replied.

".....Well. I want to go on three dates this week. And I want one of them to be with you."

!!!!!!!??????? What?! I just barely BARELY decided to give up on you and NOW you decide to ask me out?! Okay act like you're totally cool calm and collected.

"Sure. That would be fun."

*stealthily grabs phone, begins texting Mama and all other pertinent female friends*

We were running late enough that Benji didn't have time to drop me off at my house. Instead, his friend Preston and I dropped Benji off, and then Preston used Benji's car to drive me home. We stopped on the way to make sure the car was cleaned out and the gas tank refilled so that Benji wouldn't have to do it later that night.

At around 11:30 p.m. I got a phone call. It was Benji.

"I don't know who did it...but someone cleaned out the car. Thank you so, so much."

I sat there in my bedroom, beaming, because I was on the phone with Benjamin Lambson and my resolve to not like him anymore was totally dead. And we had a date. And I could literally not ask for anything more perfect.

The next morning my mom asked me to drive to Lindon to pick something up from my uncle's gym. With a sudden, impulsive stroke of inspiration I texted Benji and asked him if he wanted to come. He said yes, and that is how we found ourselves on the freeway in a car less than 24 hours after returning from California.

I fully expected him to leave quickly after we got home from the gym, but he stayed. And he played with Nate. And met my parents. And had chocolate chip cookies. And ate dinner. And delighted my sisters. 

And I knew that I wanted him to stay always.