(BBW = Big, Beautiful Woman)
Ryan and Raven have lived next door to each other their entire lives and were best friends as children, but when they reached adolescence, their lives went in different directions and they drifted apart. Now in their early 20s, Raven, once a chubby girl and now a BBW (big, beautiful woman), has had her life come crashing down around her, but Ryan's there to see her through it.
Mature themes in Part 3 include discussion of violence, promiscuity, and pregnancy outside of marriage; and pre-marital sex.
Part 3 includes the following chapters:
Chapter 9: Lingerie model
Chapter 10: Dare to be fat
Chapter 11: Getting serious about...
Chapter 8: The trial
The time was approaching for Logan’s criminal trial, and the prosecution would obviously heavily rely on Raven’s testimony. They needed to prepare her for this, first to develop the questions the prosecuting attorney would ask her on the witness stand and to coach her on what to say in response and how to say it. Second, they needed to prepare her to answer potential cross examination questions from the defense. The trial would be held in the college town where the crime had taken place, and so Raven was going to have to be there for the prep and for the trial itself. The prosecution wanted Raven to be in the courtroom for the entire trial, even when she wasn’t testifying, so that the jury would see that she was taking it very seriously.
This meant she was going to have to take a leave of absence from work. Fortunately, it was past their busy season, so they could manage without her for a while. But she was very apprehensive about having to return to that town, especially for such an extended period, but also about having to relive the attack and to face Logan again.
The defense team knew that they didn’t stand a chance to get Logan out of this. The facts of the case were indisputable. There was no possible justification for what he had done. Certainly the jury would be sympathetic to the poor pregnant college student who had been so savagely beaten. The only thing the defense could try for was to get the charges reduced. They offered to have Logan plead guilty to misdemeanor charges if the felony charges would be dropped, which would eliminate the need for a trial and for Raven to testify.
The prosecutor discussed this with Raven to get her take on it. Would she rather testify against Logan or see him get off easy? Raven was very conflicted. Testifying and reliving the horror would be the hardest thing she had ever done, and she wasn’t sure she could do it. But she very much wanted Logan to get the strongest punishment possible. Raven discussed this with her parents and with Ryan. Her parents assured her that they’d be there in the courtroom with her for the entire trial. Ryan promised to do his best to be there as much as possible; there might be some classes he couldn’t afford to miss. All three encouraged Raven to testify, but they understood if she felt that she couldn’t.
Raven told the prosecutor that she wanted to testify, and so he refused the plea deal and the trial would proceed. During the pre-trial prep time with the prosecutor, he explained to her that the only strategy the defense had left was to try to paint Raven in the worst possible light, to try to get the jury to feel that Logan had some justification for striking Raven, or that Raven hadn’t taken any measures to prevent it. They might be inclined to only convict on lesser charges if that were the case. So they discussed the ways the defense would likely try to attack Raven’s character and the likely questions they would ask her, and how she should respond to such questions. In particular, the prosecutor thought that the defense would focus on these:
Raven knew she was pregnant but hid this from Logan for at least two months.
Raven had told Logan she wouldn’t get an abortion, denying him a way to resolve the issue.
Raven was having sex with multiple partners, including Logan, during the fall semester when she became pregnant. Therefore, Logan could reasonably assume she had been unfaithful to him and/or she intended to blame him for a baby that might not even be his.
Raven knew Logan was violent but made no effort to end her relationship with him or leave him.
The prosecutor wasn’t particularly worried about these, as there were reasonable explanations for each. If Raven wasn’t given the opportunity to provide those explanations during cross-examination, he would recall her to the witness stand and ask follow-up questions so that these explanations would be provided for the jury to hear.
However, Raven was worried about Ryan especially, but also her parents, learning of her promiscuity. She shared her concerns with the attorney. He told her that he would instruct them to not react in any visible way if they heard testimony that was damaging to Raven. The jury must not see them wavering in their support for Raven. But he also told her that she needed to tell her boyfriend and parents in advance what they were likely to hear, so that it wouldn’t be a shock to them in the first place.
At her next opportunity, Raven sat Ryan down to tell him this. “Ryan, you may hear some things about me during the trial that you didn’t know and I’m not proud of. I need to tell you in advance, so that it won’t be a complete shock to you in court.” She paused and took a deep breath. “I used to be quite a slut. When I first started having sex with Logan, I was having sex with other guys, too. At that point, Logan and I weren’t exclusive, so I didn’t think anything of it. By the time Logan got me pregnant, we were exclusive, but the lawyer says they’re probably going to make an issue of it anyway.” Raven lowered her head in shame. “I wouldn’t blame you if you thought I’m a terrible person – that I’m not good enough for you.” Then she began crying.
Ryan pulled her in close and held her tight. “It doesn’t matter, Rave. That’s ancient history. I know you’re not that person anymore. The fact that it bothers you is proof of that.”
Raven said through her tears, “I’m just so scared of losing you, Ryan. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” As she said those words, for the first time it occurred to Raven that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
“Shhhhh,” Ryan said as he continued to hold her tight. “I’m not going anywhere. It would take a whole lot more than that to drive me away. I love you, Raven Parrish, more than I’ve ever loved anyone. More than I will ever love anyone else.” And as he said those words, Ryan realized the same thing.
By coincidence, the trial began on the first day of Ryan’s spring break, so he sat with Raven and her parents in the courtroom gallery. After opening arguments, the prosecutor played the recordings of the 911 calls. In one of them, Raven could be heard screaming in the background. In another, the caller identified Logan as the assailant. Over the course of the next couple of days, the prosecutor called his witnesses. The first witness was the person who had placed that call to 911, who knew the two were in a relationship and had seen Logan fleeing the scene. He then called the paramedics and cops who were at the scene, and then the emergency room doctor who had treated Raven, who explained each of her many injuries and what must have taken place for her to have received those injuries. He also confirmed that she was 16 weeks pregnant at the time of the attack. The prosecutor then called other doctors and therapists who had treated Raven, who described in detail the effects of her injuries and the extensive period of recovery they required.
It was then Raven’s turn to testify. The prosecutor had her describe her relationship with Logan, what had provoked him that night, the beating itself, how the injuries had impacted her life, and her lengthy recovery and rehabilitation. He then had her positively identify Logan as her assailant. Then the defense lawyer got his chance to cross-examine her. As expected, he made Raven admit that she had been hiding her pregnancy from Logan and that once he knew, she had told him she wouldn’t get an abortion. He made her acknowledge that Logan had hit her previously and yet she had remained in a relationship with him, implying that she somehow therefore consented to him striking her whenever he was so inclined. The prosecutor then called Raven back up for follow-up questions that would undo the damage.
“Miss Parrish, why was it that you hid your pregnancy from the defendant?”
“Because I was afraid of how he’d react. I knew he’d be very angry and would blame me. Also, I knew he would insist on me getting an abortion, and I’d already decided I would not do that. That was going to make him even angrier.”
“And why were you afraid of him being angry at you?”
“Because he had hit me before, and I assumed he would do it again. He gets into fights at bars when someone bumps into him. He has road rage incidents regularly. He’s just that kind of person.”
“I see. Would you categorize your relationship with the defendant as abusive?
“Yes, definitely.”
“Miss Parrish, why did you choose to remain in what you considered to be an abusive relationship with the defendant?”
“It wasn’t a choice. In fact, I felt I had no choice. We were both students on a small campus. It was the middle of the semester. He knew where I lived. I wouldn’t be able to avoid him. And I knew if I broke up with him it would have enraged him.”
Mr. and Mrs. Parrish and Ryan were all struggling to keep composed as they listened to this. Tears were running down each of their cheeks. If only Raven had reached out to one of them for help.
“How did you know that, Miss Parrish?”
“Again, because he had already been violent when he was angry with me. I also knew he had been very angry when other girls had broken up with him before. I don’t know if he hit any of them, but I knew what he was capable of.”
“Thank you, Miss Parrish. No further questions, Your Honor.”
Logan was found guilty on all charges and given a lengthy sentence.
Chapter 9: Lingerie model
After the trial, Raven was pretty overwhelmed and took a few additional days off to decompress. Ryan and her parents were very proud of her bravery. Raven was very grateful that Ryan was able to be by her side the entire trial. She knew that it was only because he was there to encourage her that she was able to be so brave. It was just one more example of him being there for her when she needed him most.
When she returned to work on Monday, Mrs. Schmidt, the shop owner, wanted to see her. “It’s good to have you back, Raven! I gather the trial went the way you were hoping?” Raven thanked her for giving her the time off and briefly filled her in on the verdict and sentence. Then Mrs. Schmidt explained why she wanted to see her. “I want to ask you to consider doing something for me. You’re free to say no if you want, and if you do, I’ll completely understand. It won’t adversely affect your job, I promise.” Raven waited to hear what this request could possibly be.
“You’ve seen our website. The photos of the models wearing the merchandise are provided by the manufacturers. But we’ll soon be carrying a line from a new manufacturer who doesn’t have photos available. I was wondering if you’d consider modeling those items for us. We’d arrange a photo shoot, and then use the photos on our website. The photos would be very tasteful, as much as photos of a woman wearing lingerie can be, anyway. I’ll pay you, but I can’t pay a lot. However, I’ll pay for you to get your hair and nails done and have makeup applied before the shoot. And all the items you model will be yours to keep; I can’t sell them once you put them on. Otherwise, we’ll have to hire a professional model, and that will really hurt our bottom line.”
Raven was very flattered to be asked. Fat Raven, a lingerie model. Who would have ever guessed? But she wanted to discuss it with Ryan before agreeing. “It sounds very interesting. I’m inclined to say yes. But if you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to Ryan about it first.” Mrs. Schmidt understood why she’d want to do that, and was happy to give her some time to consider it further before giving her answer. Raven was in a very good mood the rest of the day.
Raven saw Ryan that evening. “What would you think about having a lingerie model for a girlfriend?” she asked. “A plus-sized lingerie model,” she clarified. Ryan got a hard-on just thinking about it. Raven elaborated. “My boss asked me if I would model a new line for a photo shoot. The photos would be in the online catalog.”
Ryan decided to be a smart alec. “I was hoping you were talking about yourself, and not trying to fix me up with someone,” he said with a wry smile. “I like the girlfriend I have.”
Raven playfully smacked him. “You’d better say that!” she said, playing along. “But seriously, what do you think? If you’re not on board with it, I’ll just tell her no. I don’t want it to become an issue for us.”
“I think, hell yeah, you should do it!” Ryan replied without hesitation. How hot would it be to be in a relationship with a lingerie model? he thought to himself rhetorically.
“Slow down there, stud!” Raven replied. “I need you to think this through. Once the photos are online, they’ll be there forever. They’ll be copied and reposted who knows where. Mrs. Schmidt assures me they’ll be tasteful, but still… Guys all over the world might be wacking off to photos of your girlfriend… hell, maybe someday your wife and mother of your children, for decades to come. People might even recognize me in public. Certainly at least some people who come into the store will recognize me from the online catalog. So think hard about whether you’d really be okay with all of that. I don’t want you to be jealous or start resenting me or anything. In fact, I don’t even want you to give me an answer tonight. I want you to sleep on it and tell me after you’ve had time to really think it over.”
“It sounds like you might be having some reservations of your own,” Ryan replied.
“Well, I’m thinking hard about those things, too,” said Raven. “It’s very flattering to even be asked, and my first thought was to accept, but I know once I do it, I can’t undo it. So I need to be sure as well. And your thoughts are going to be important as I make my decision. We both have to be okay with this, or I won’t do it.”
“Oh, and you should probably look at the photos already in our online catalog, if you haven’t already. I assume the ones of me will be similar,” she added.
The following evening, the two discussed the matter further. Ryan gave his answer. “I looked at the store website like you suggested. The photos there are pretty tasteful. They’re not anything I would want to jerk off to. I don’t think they’d be anything either of us would ever be embarrassed about. It’s not at all like you were being asked to do porn or anything. So I’ve been thinking about it, trying to imagine how I’ll feel ten or twenty years from now as well as right now. I really think I’m okay with it, and will be down the road, too. I think it’s something that you could always be proud of doing, and I’d be proud of you as well.
“There’s one think I’d ask of you, though. Definitely if you go through with it, but maybe even if you don’t, because even being asked to do it is enough. I want you to forever put away the mindset that you’re unattractive. You’re a smokin’ hot BBW, and this should prove it once and for all. Do you think you can do that?”
“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that, too,” said Raven. “About how can I possibly not accept that I’m a BBW if I’ve been asked to be a lingerie model. Anyway, thanks for saying that. And thanks for your thoughtful answer about whether I should model. I’ve been mulling it over as well, and I’ve pretty much reached the same conclusion. I’m going to tell her I’ll do it.”
Chapter 10: Dare to be fat
Later that night, Raven was once again up in her bedroom, undressed and looking at herself in the mirror. As she turned and posed, she said to herself. “You are beautiful, Raven. Your boyfriend calls you his BBW; his big, beautiful woman. He says you’re smokin’ hot. You’re about to become a freakin’ lingerie model. Those things don’t happen to ugly girls. They don’t happen to plain girls. There’s not an ounce of ugly in your body. You’re big; you’re plus-sized. But those aren’t bad things. They’re neutral. They describe your physical dimensions, but that’s all. They don’t imply ugliness.
“Yes, you’re a fat girl, Raven. You’ve always been fat, and you always will be fat. You are Fat Raven, like everyone used to call you. But it’s good that you’re so fat. Being fat is a good thing! Your boyfriend loves that you’re fat. Being fat means you have lots of jiggly, feminine curves that get your boyfriend’s dick hard. You are very fat and very sexy and very much loved! Your boyfriend can’t wait to make love to your fat, jiggly body with his big, hard dick. Your fat, jiggly body deserves to be made love to. You deserve to be made love to. He deserves to get to make love to you, because he loves you and he loves your fat, jiggly body. You are so lucky to be such a fat girl! You are so lucky to be his fat girl!
Raven slipped her hand into her panties and proceeded to finger herself as she kept telling herself how fat and beautiful and desirable she was. When she finished, she texted Ryan. Final exam is tomorrow night! Be ready!
The next evening, as soon as her parents left for dance lessons, Raven changed into slinky babydoll lingerie. When Ryan came to the door, she opened it so that she couldn’t be seen in the doorway and pulled him inside. She shut the door and began passionately kissing him. “I want you, Ryan!” she told him between kisses. “You’re not going to have to work very hard to warm me up. But I want you to tell me how fat and beautiful I am. Tell me how much you want my fat, voluptuous body.” Then she led him by the hand towards her bedroom.
Ryan was suddenly very confused. “I thought you were trying to not think of yourself as fat, “he said.
Raven put her finger up to Ryan’s lips and said, “Shhhhh. I realized I just can’t do that. I’ve always been fat, I always will be fat, and I can’t fool myself into thinking otherwise. So instead I’m going to own my fatness. I’m accepting it. I’m embracing it. I’m glad I’m fat, because that’s the way you like your woman. I’m proud to be your fat girlfriend. So don’t call me fat like it’s a bad thing. Say it like it’s a good thing. Convince me it’s a good thing.”
Ryan now understood, and gave her everything she wanted, both verbally and physically. Suffice to say he passed the test with flying colors.
Afterwards, Raven said to Ryan, “From now on, at least when we’re alone, I want you to call me ‘Fat Raven’ or ‘fat girl’ or ‘fat stuff’ or things like that. But be sure to say it so that I can tell you adore my fat body. I want to be constantly reminded how much being fat makes me perfect for you.”
“Okay, my beautiful Fat Raven. I will.”
Chapter 11: Getting serious about…
Raven did the modeling shoot as she had agreed, and the photos were used in the online catalog as planned. Raven was glad she did it, but it didn’t change her life any. Every once in a while, a store customer would ask her if that was her in the catalog, or would comment that they had seen her photos there, but that was the extent of her celebrity.
Raven decided that she really liked her job selling plus-sized lingerie, and helping to prepare online orders for shipment when she wasn’t busy with customers was okay, too. Mrs. Schmidt was pleased with her performance and thought she was a natural at sales. Raven expressed to her a desire to learn more of the business. Mrs. Schmidt considered that, and thought it would be a good idea. Since her own mother had retired, she had been running the business solo, and she didn’t have an assistant or anyone she was grooming to someday run the business. Her own daughter Lacey helped out when needed, but she was a nursing student and had no desire to do any more than that.
So Mrs. Schmidt started giving Raven more responsibilities, and when she wasn’t busy with customers, instead of filling online orders, had her shadow her and learn the various aspects of managing inventory, placing orders, paying bills, and so on. After a few months of this, she gave Raven the newly created position of assistant manager along with a nice raise. Mostly Raven still worked the sales floor, but she did take some of the pressure off of Mrs. Schmidt by being able to do more than just that. Raven was now the person in charge whenever Mrs. Schmidt wasn’t on the premises.
Ryan completed his junior year as an accounting major, and was able to line up a paid internship at a large local CPA firm for the summer. He felt a whole lot more an adult and less a student, working in an office in his chosen field rather than lifeguarding as he had done every summer since he was sixteen. He was making much better money, too. The extra money was important, because Ryan was saving up to buy an engagement ring.
Ryan’s parents were becoming increasingly comfortable with their son being in a relationship with Raven. Their concerns about Raven corrupting Ryan were unfounded, though they were aware that their son had recently become sexually active with her. Being churchgoing people, they couldn’t condone that, but it had at least taken a good while after the two began their relationship for that to happen. Besides, they hadn’t exactly remained celibate before they were married, either. Clearly Ryan had been a positive influence on Raven, and she was really getting her act together and becoming a responsible adult. And it was obvious to all that the two were completely and hopelessly in love and very compatible with each other. They’d never seen their son so happy.
At least between themselves, and occasionally when they were with others and slipped up, Ryan and Raven were no longer saying things like “if we ever get married”. Instead, they were saying “when we’re married”. Despite there being no official engagement, they both understood where this relationship was headed and were completely comfortable with it. Ryan would have already proposed to her, but he wanted to wait until he could pull out a ring and put it on her finger, and he didn’t know if he had enough money yet.
The problem with proposing that way is that the woman has no chance to provide input regarding what kind of ring she’d like. Ryan got the idea that since they were already openly talking about being married in the future, he should take her ring shopping before he proposed, not to pick out a specific ring, but just to get an idea of what she did and didn’t like, and to find out her ring size. Besides, she would then know that he wasn’t oblivious to her desire to get married. And he would have a much better idea of whether he had saved enough money to get her what she wanted.
So one day when they were out together, Ryan pulled up in front of a jewelry store without explanation. Raven gave him the side-eye (in a good way) and a wry smile, and asked in a sing-song voice, “Uh, Ryan, what’re we doo-in’?” Ryan just smiled at her and said, “I thought we’d look at rings together, fat girl, you know, for when we get engaged someday.” Raven said nothing as she got out of the car. She tried with all her might to be cool and casual. But inside, she was jumping for joy and crying and grinning from ear-to-ear all at the same time.
And so they looked at rings in a variety of styles, diamond qualities and sizes, and prices, and Raven gave him her feedback on each. She knew he didn’t have a lot of money, so she steered him away from the more expensive rings. After all, she wasn’t going to accept his marriage proposal in order to get a fancy ring; she would eagerly accept his proposal even if he only offered a Cracker Jack ring, or no ring at all. Ryan made sure to have the salesman measure her finger and to say her ring size out loud. He made a mental note of it. He knew her fingers were probably thicker than those of most young women, and he didn’t want to embarrass himself or her by trying to slip a too-small ring onto her finger.
Ryan calculated that he’d have enough saved to by one of the rings she particularly liked towards the end of the summer internship. Since their families had been next-door neighbors for their entire lives, he decided that he’d like to propose to her with both families present. He worked on trying to arrange a joint, two-family gathering during Labor Day weekend, but without explaining his motive to anyone. They used to do things like that together on occasion, but it had been quite a few years since the last one. He suggested to both his parents and Raven’s parents that they should talk to each other and plan something, but he didn’t get the impression anyone was particularly excited about the idea. At least he was able to determine none of them had plans for being away that weekend, and nobody completely shot down his suggestion.
Ryan realized he was either going to have to recruit Raven to help him pull this together, without letting her know the reason he wanted to do it, or he was going to have to spill the beans to the parents. He thought it was likely Raven would get suspicious if he did the former. On the other hand, did that really matter? It would be fun to plan something with Raven, and it would probably be a good bonding experience as well.
So one evening when they were sitting on the swing together, Ryan brought it up. “Hey, thicc chick. Remember when our families used to have joint cookouts in our backyards? Well, I was thinking it would be fun to do that again. Maybe over Labor Day weekend. But I floated the idea past my parents as well as yours and didn’t get much of a response from any of them. What would you think about the two of us organizing it instead?”
Raven replied, “That could be fun, I guess. But I’m not doing all the work. This is your idea, so you’re going to be the point man on this. Also, I’m sure I’ll have to work part of the weekend, so we’d have to schedule it around that.”
“Fair enough,” said Ryan. How about if you invite everyone, including your brother and sister and their families, and organize who’s bringing what side dishes? I’ll take care of the getting the beverages and meat and the grilling and the games and music.” Raven asked him if he had the money to buy the beverages and meat. “Well, no, not really. But I’ll figure something out,” he replied.
“When do you want to do it? I’ll most likely have to work during the day on Saturday and Monday. It’s an occupational hazard of the retail industry.”
“Let’s shoot for Sunday then, say late afternoon. But we’ll have to watch the weather forecast, and if everyone can be flexible, we can reschedule for either Saturday or Monday after you get off work if we have to.”
Then Raven changed the subject. “Speaking of party invitations, I heard from the Harpers; you know, the couple who adopted my baby. His first birthday is coming up the following weekend, and they’re having a party for him. They invited me to come if I want. Actually, they invited both of us.”
Ryan noticed that she told him this without any enthusiasm in her voice. He asked her, “Do you want to go?”
Raven replied, “I don’t know. I have mixed feelings about it. I think it might be bittersweet, seeing my own biological child healthy and happy but being raised by someone else. It might dredge up some bad memories. On the other hand, I’m happy for them and don’t want to avoid them or offend them or anything.
“Well, if you decide to go, I’ll go with you and be there for moral support.”
“Thanks. That means a lot to me. I’ll think about it some more and let you know.” Raven thought to herself, One of the things she loved about Ryan is that he was always there for her when she needed a friend. A boyfriend who was also a best friend. Why didn’t she see the value in that years ago? It would have spared her a lot of trouble and a lot of heartache.
Chapter 12: Parties
So, Ryan and Raven worked to put together the two-family cookout. It turned out, none of the parents objected to having the party; it’s just that nobody wanted to have to plan and organize it. With R&R (as their families began to refer to them when speaking of them as a couple) taking care of that, everyone was willing to do their part to make it happen. Ryan asked both sets of parents if they would contribute to the beverage and meat fund, which they were willing to do. Raven also chipped in towards this, enabling Ryan to buy steaks and chicken breasts in addition to hot dogs and ground beef for hamburgers. Raven’s older brother and sister, each married with kids, accepted the invitations and said that they looked forward to seeing Ryan’s family again. Neither Raven nor anyone else had a clue regarding what Ryan was planning to do.
The weather cooperated, and so they held the gathering on Sunday as planned, with everyone arriving about 4 pm. That would allow time for socializing and games before firing up the grill to have the meat ready for the dinner hour. Ryan manned the grill, with both his and Raven’s fathers providing plenty of tips and suggestions. Everyone was enjoying doing this again after so many years.
After dinner, Ryan and Raven, as host and hostess, stood up and addressed everyone, thanking them for coming and bringing food or otherwise contributing to the success of the event. Ryan then told the assembled crowd that he had an announcement to make, but needed to take care of something first, if they would just bear with him. There were plenty of puzzled faces, including Raven’s, as no one had any idea what this announcement might be or what Ryan needed to take care of.
Ryan then took Raven’s hand, and turned toward her as he turned her to face him. He then dropped to one knee, and suddenly everyone realized what was happening. Raven instinctively put her free hand up to cover her mouth and looked like she was about to cry tears of joy. Ryan then said to her, “Raven, we’ve known each other our entire lives, and I’ve always loved you. But I didn’t know it was possible to love another human being as much as I’ve come to love you, and I know you’ve come to love me, over the past year and a half. I want this love we have for each other to last forever. And so, Raven Parrish, will you marry me so that we can spend the rest of our lives together as husband and wife?”
“Yes! Of course!” Raven practically shouted. “I want to marry you more than anything in the world!” Ryan then took the engagement ring he had bought out of his pocket and slipped it onto her finger. “It’s beautiful! It’s perfect!” she said through her tears. Ryan then stood, and they embraced and kissed as everyone cheered and applauded.
Then, with his arm around Raven and hers around him, Ryan again addressed the two families. “Now that that’s taken care of, I’d like to make that announcement now. Raven and I are engaged to be married!” Everyone cracked up laughing, since the need to announce that was now completely unnecessary, and they applauded a second time.
All the women and girls crowded around Raven to see her ring and congratulate her, while the men went up to Ryan and shook his hand and slapped him on the back and shoulders as a way of showing their approval. Raven’s father looked like he was holding back tears as he offered his congratulations. He shook Ryan’s hand, looked him in the eye, and said to him, “Welcome to the family, son! Raven couldn’t have chosen a better man. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to her.” Ryan agreed with the sentiment. He said, “She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, too.”
On Monday, only the retail store was open; the women who worked in the back, including Mrs. Schmidt, had the day off. But for safety reasons, Mrs. Schmidt had a policy of always having at least two people working when the store was open, so Lacey was there along with Raven. It wasn’t busy enough to actually need two people, so Lacey spent the day studying. Lacey never did notice Raven’s ring, and Raven didn’t bring it up. If Lacey had noticed, Raven would have sworn her to secrecy, because she wanted to see how quickly someone would notice when everyone was back at work on Tuesday.
Raven arrived at work in an especially good mood, and it only took Mrs. Schmidt about five seconds to spot her shiny new engagement ring. “Now what did you go and do?” she asked Raven with a smile, while nodding toward her left hand. Raven just said, “Nothing, really. Somebody asked me a question, and I just said yes!” as she smiled back, trying in vain to be casual. She couldn’t help letting out a girly giggle. “That someone wouldn’t happen to be a tall, handsome young man named Ryan, would it?” Mrs. Schmidt said, playing along. Raven pretended to ponder the question. “Hmmm… I think that’s what he said his name was,” she replied, again with a big smile. “But he’s definitely very handsome.” Raven just couldn’t help smiling as she thought about Ryan and how lucky she was to be engaged to him.
Mrs. Schmidt went out towards the end of lunch hour, and she returned after a while with a box. Then she went to a storage closet and brought out paper plates and forks and napkins. Then she called out for everyone to stop what they were doing and gather ‘round. That included Raven in the store, which was devoid of customers at the time. Mrs. Schmidt then announced, “Everyone, we have something to celebrate today. Raven went and got herself engaged over the weekend!” Everyone smiled at Raven and clapped and cheered. “Let’s see the ring!” someone called out. So Raven walked around and showed everyone as the oohed and ahhed. Mrs. Schmidt then said, “I bought an ice cream cake so we can all celebrate together. I’ll start cutting it now. Better come get a slice before it melts. Raven, you’re the one we’re celebrating, so you’re first.” Raven was a bit self-conscious but also very much appreciated the attention and recognition.
Raven decided she would go to the birthday party for the little boy she gave up for adoption. Ryan’s mother had also been invited, so she was going to know two people there. But once she got there, she immediately regretted her decision. She felt like she didn’t belong, like she was crashing the party. She felt like a painful reminder that the boy wasn’t the Harpers’ biological son. The only reason she didn’t get up and leave was because she didn’t want to make a scene. But all of this was only in Raven’s head; the adopted parents were glad she came and were very gracious, and none of the guests had done anything to make her feel unwelcome. Most of them didn’t even know who she was. But that was about to change.
When all of the guests had arrived, Mrs. Harper, the adoptive mother, called for everyone to give her their attention, and then addressed her guests. “Everyone, I want to introduce you to Michael’s birth mother, Raven Parrish, who graciously accepted my invitation to come today. Please be sure to say hello to her when you get a chance. With her is her new fiancé Ryan Andersen, and Ryan’s mother Janice Andersen. Brian and I know Janice and her family from church, and she was the one who connected us with Raven. Just to clear up any potential confusion, Ryan is not Michael’s biological father. Anyway, we are so grateful to Raven for giving us a son, and she will always have a special place in our hearts. We pray for Raven every day, and when he’s old enough to understand, we’ll teach Michael to pray for her as well.” Everyone within earshot smiled at Raven and applauded her.
Those closest to Raven immediately began engaging her in conversation, telling her things like how wonderful it was that she had chosen to give birth to Michael and how happy she had made the Harpers, and congratulating her on her engagement. Raven began feeling the love and acceptance and very quickly became glad she had decided to come.
Mrs. Harper made a point of having Michael and Raven interact with each other. Of course, to Michael, Raven was just another stranger. Raven tried to decline, as she had very little experience with small children and wasn’t at all comfortable with him. But Mrs. Harper insisted. She said that she wanted Michael to know who she was and wanted them both to have a relationship with each other and be at ease around each other. Raven couldn’t really argue with that sentiment, and so Mrs. Harper placed Michael on Raven’s lap and tried to reassure them both. She gave Michael the toy that Raven had bought for him as a birthday gift, explaining to him that this nice lady had given it to him, as if he could understand. Raven felt very awkward holding Michael, but she appreciated Mrs. Harper’s desire for them to bond with each other.
Later, Raven got a chance to talk one-on-one with Mrs. Harper. “Did you really mean it when you said you pray for me every day?” Raven asked. Oh yes, Mrs. Harper affirmed. Raven was really touched by that. She got to thinking. “May I ask when you started doing that?” she asked. Mrs. Harper told her as soon as Ryan’s mom had mentioned her and her situation, even before she had learned her name. So not long after she had come home from the hospital after her attack. Mrs. Harper asked her why she wanted to know. “It’s probably just coincidence, but my life started going from terrible to amazing about that time, and it’s been amazing ever since.” Mrs. Harper just smiled and patted her on the arm, and gently said she didn’t believe in coincidences. “Well, please keep praying for me then, because it seems to be working,” said Raven in reply. Mrs. Harper smiled and assured her that they would.
Author's note: All three chapters of Part 4 have a strong Christian emphasis, including lengthy discussions of prayer, theology, and the plan of salvation. I hope you'll take the time to read it, but if you prefer not to, I understand. You can skip Part 4 and pick up again in Part 5 and not feel like you missed much.