(Complete) Joe Walch was in love with the girl of his dreams. Everything was perfect until it all changed...
Ella Burke had a wonderful family, a job she loved and a man she was completely in love with until her dreams were shattered.
Can Ella lear...
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Owen looked Joe over. "You look like you're going to a funeral."
"Screw you! It's charcoal and it looked good enough to get me my job. No one would wear this tie to a funeral."
He was wearing a purple tie which upon close examination listed all of Shakespeare's plays. Tommy and Gina had given it to him for graduation.
"Have a nice date. Don't do anything I wouldn't do?"
Joe scoffed. Owen had gone at it with Natalie the night before. Joe had to put his pillow over his head to block it out.
"There's nothing you don't do, man and I heard it all night!" He walked out the door.
Joe hadn't been in a church since Christmas. He went with his mother and siblings every Christmas Eve, but they never went more than that. He felt awkward arriving at the church alone for the wedding of two people he didn't know. Although he did spend ten minutes in an exam room with the bride, when she had shoved a swab down his throat. Looking around he didn't see Ella, but he was early. He took a seat in the back to wait.
He heard some commotion behind him and turned to see a small boy pulling at his tie and an older version of Ella fussing over him.
"Jack leave your tie on for Daddy and Sara." Her voice was almost as sweet as Ella's.
A little girl dressed in a fancy dress said, "Jack, if you want Sara for our mommy you need to be good."
Jack wasn't going for it. "I don't like it."
Without thinking, Joe got up and crouched down before the boy. "Look I'm wearing a tie. I bet your daddy is too."
Jack grabbed his tie. "Purple."
Joe laughed. Jack's round face reminded him of Caleb when he was young.
"I'm Joe."
"Oh, your Joe!" The woman smiled.
Joe stood and put out his hand. "Joe Walch, Mrs. Burke. If I hadn't already met Ava I would think you were Ella's sister."
She laughed. "You're a tease. My husband was impressed with you."
"I only met Dr. Burke for a minute."
"Tim's a good judge of character."
The little girl said, "Are you El's boyfriend?"
He laughed nervously. "I'm her friend. I work with her at the school."
"Uncle Tim doesn't like her boyfriend, but you're nice. I'm Bridget and my brother is Jack. We're getting a mommy today. I have a basket with petals and Jack has a pillow with rings, but they aren't real, because he's too little and he'll lose them."
Joe wondered if she would need to take a breath. "You have a very important job, both of you and I heard that pillow likes ties."
