by Sage Young
“No Charlotte, I have never met your grandmother before. This is the first time I’ve been in this country.” He also seemed confused by the comment her grandmother made before she passed out.
“I don’t understand why she…” Charlotte stopped mid-sentence when she saw the doctor walk into the waiting room.
“Ms. Trudeau?” the doctor called.
“Yes doctor, how is my grandmother?”
“She’s stable but we need to run more tests, the preliminary results show that she may have sustained a mild heart attack. But we will have all the results back tomorrow to know for sure. We are going to keep her here a few days for observation. She is awake but I don’t want anyone in there too long, she needs rest.”
“Thank you doctor,” Charlotte said.
The doctor nodded and retreated.
She turned aimlessly to walk towards the seats when she felt his hand on her hip.
“Charlotte, I—” James began.
“I can’t leave now James, I need to make sure she’s going to be okay,” she said as she looked up at him with unshed tears in her eyes.
“No, my sweet, I was going to ask you if there was anything I could get you. I would not expect you to be anywhere other than with your grandmother.” He planted a kiss on her forehead. “Our conversation can wait until your grandmother is better.” He pulled her into an embrace and gave her the strong, comforting hug she needed.
For a few seconds, she allowed herself to get lost in his warmth. She pulled back as she looked at him. “Thank you James,” she said with a faint smile.
“I'm going to leave you to spend time with your grandmother, I will call and check on you this evening, but I will be back in the morning.” James kissed her softly on the lips and walked away while dialing his cell phone.
Charlotte pleaded with her friends to go home, promising to call them later this evening. As everyone began to leave, the hospital administrator approached Charlotte. “Ms. Trudeau, may I speak to you for a moment?”
Robert got the hint that he wanted to speak privately with Charlotte. “I'll let you go, call me if you need anything.” He and Tony both kissed her on the cheek and walked out the door.
Charlotte turned to the administrator. “Is everything okay?” she asked starting to feel concerned.
“Everything is fine. I wanted to make sure you knew that we were moving your grandmother to a private suite and that you will have a bed in her room, if you choose to stay the night.” He handed Charlotte his business card. “If you need anything while you are here with your grandmother, please don't hesitate to call me directly and I will make sure you're taking care of,” he said with a comforting smile.
Charlotte gave him a quizzical look. “Why the special treatment for my grandmother?” she asked, feeling a little skeptical.
“Mr. Donovan wanted to make sure that your grandmother’s stay here is comfortable.”
Mr. Donovan… huh? “Thank you. I will let you know if I need anything.” She pocketed the card and walked towards her grandmother’s room. Yes, this would be something James would do for her, as he certainly made things happen. She let out a sigh.
The tears Charlotte had been fighting started to stream down her face as she entered the room. It was difficult to see her grandmother lying there with tubes hanging from her. She sat in the chair beside her bed and grabbed her hand. “Lord, please watch over Mimi and make her whole again, I need her,” she prayed softly.
After a few minutes, the nurse walked into the room to check Mimi’s vital signs. She gave Charlotte a warm smile. “She’s just resting. We gave her medication to help her sleep. If you need anything, please press this button.” She pointed to the button on the bed, before walking out of the room.
Mimi slowly turned her head as she opened her eyes to stare at Charlotte. “What's wrong Charlie?” she asked when she saw the tears on her face. She patted her hand. “Don't cry baby; I'll be fine.
Charlotte smiled as she wiped away her tears. “Mimi, what happened? You've always been in the best health.”
Her grandmother smiled at her. “I know baby but I hadn't been feeling well all day and then when I saw…” she paused for a few seconds as if she was trying to gather her thoughts. “Charlotte, the man I saw you with, who is that?” Her tone turned serious.
Charlotte began to explain to her about the trouble her company was in and how the owner flew in from Ireland to make a decision on the viability of the company. She also told Mimi about the undeniable attraction they had for each other. She waited for Mimi’s response.
“I have something tell you…” Mimi said, but began to cough.
Charlotte picked up the cup of water at her bedside and bent the straw, so she would be able to drink.
Mimi took a sip, then pushed it away. “You must listen to me Charlotte.”
Charlotte nodded as she sat the cup down to listen to her grandmother’s story.
Chapter 14
One hour later, Charlotte walked out of Mimi’s room in a daze. As Mimi finished the story, the medication she was given, caused her to drift off to sleep before Charlotte could ask any questions about the incredible story she wasn't sure she believed. There was only one way to find out if the story was true, but she couldn’t confirm it until Mimi was released. She tried to push the story out of her head as she concentrated on Mimi’s health.
Later that night, they finally moved Mimi to a private room. It looked more like a hotel suite than a hospital room. True to his word, the hospital administrator made sure they were provided with everything they needed to make their stay as comfortable as possible. A twin bed was placed next to Mimi’s bed for her. Charlotte laid there and watched her grandmother sleep but it didn’t come that easy for her. She kept replaying the story Mimi told her in her mind. She still didn’t believe it was possible what her grandmother had told her.
But what could she say about the story? It explained many things. She had just met this man a few weeks ago and he’d declared his love to her in front of her closest friends last night and the craziest part was—she felt the same way. She didn’t know how it could be but she loved this man and that scared the hell out of her.
Her phone buzzed and she knew it was James.
“How is your grandmother, sweetie?” he asked.
“She's better. I'm just waiting for them to give me the OK to take her home. I spoke with another doctor and he said that if everything came back satisfactory, she could go home tomorrow evening,” Charlotte said as she smiled at the thought of having Mimi in her own home to rest.
“That's great news Charlie, try and get some rest and I'll see you in the morning,” he said.
Charlotte thought about the story Mimi told her and she wanted to confirm it before meeting up with James again. “No, don't do that. I will call you in the morning and if they release her, I will come to your hotel tomorrow evening.” She glanced over at Mimi who was still sleeping. “We need to discuss something.”
“Charlotte,” he said firmly.
“Babe, I’m not trying to avoid you, I promise I will come to you as soon as Mimi is settled at home.
“If that's what you want, love. I will call and check on you later,” he hesitated. “Charlotte…” He sighed into the phone as he paused. “Take care of yourself.”
She smiled inwardly. I love you too.
Charlotte finally fell to sleep about three o’clock in the morning and was awakened at 8:00 am by the doctors. They talked to Charlotte and her grandmother about the test results which all came back negative.
“It appears that you didn’t have a heart attack, it was actually a panic attack,” the doctor said with a smile. “Now we are going to need you to get some rest and for you try to relax.”
Charlotte thanked the doctors and assured them that she would get some rest. They also said there was no need to keep Mimi another day and they were going to release her today, only if she promised to follow-up with her primary doctor within the wee
k.
Charlotte was hesitant in asking questions about the story, but she needed some answers.
Surprisingly, Mimi talked freely about the story and was able to answer most of her questions without it causing her any anxiety.
As Charlotte was helping Mimi to get ready to leave, the hospital administrator knocked on the door. “Ms. Trudeau, I wanted to let you know there is a car waiting to take you and your grandmother’s home. Mr. Donovan wanted to make sure you didn’t worry about transportation.”
Yes, only now did she remember that she had come to the hospital with James and Aedan.
Mimi gave Charlotte a knowing look.
Yes, again, he took care of everything.
When they got to Mimi’s house, Charlotte made sure Mimi was settled in bed and asleep before calling Robert and Jewels. She would not be able to get through this without them.
Robert picked up Jewels on his way to Mimi’s house.
As they all sat there with an open bottle of wine, Charlotte told them the incredible story that Mimi told her. Robert seemed very skeptical while Jewels thought that might explain why there was such an immediate attraction for them both. Jewel said that she was a hopeless romantic and for her friend's sake, she was hoping some part of the story was true.
Charlotte faced her two best friends. “Both of you need to help me go into the attic to look for it. I need to know for myself it what Mimi said is true.”
Robert looked over at Jewels then back at Charlotte. He stood. “Let's do this,” he said as he led the way up the stairs to the attic.
The attic was large and filled with a ton of family history. They searched the entire upper space and were not able to find anything. They were about to walk out when Jewels noticed a cabinet embedded in the wall. It was behind an old shelving unit. Robert was able to move the unit so that they could get into the cabinet. Several items looked like they were at least a hundred years old. They removed a wooden box and a large frame that was covered. Then they removed the covering from the frame.
“Holy Shit!” Jewels exclaimed as she covered her mouth.
“I don’t believe it,” Robert said as he stared at painting than at Charlotte who stood silent.
Charlotte was unable to move or speak.
“Charlie, are you okay?” Robert asked concerned.
All the feeling had drained from her body and she hadn’t moved since they removed the covering from the frame.
“Let’s take this stuff downstairs and get her another drink,” Jewels suggested as she grabbed Charlotte by the shoulder and led her down the stairs.
Charlotte sat on the sofa with Jewels as Robert made drinks, and he said they definitely needed something stronger than wine. He handed them all a glass with bourbon. He set the painting on the table in front of them and sat on the sofa with the ladies.
“What the hell is going on? I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone,” Charlotte said as she stared at the picture. Staring back at her was a painting of her reflection. The picture had to be at least two hundred years old. Sitting in the painting with her was none other than Mr. James Donovan. “How is this possible?” she asked as they all continued to stare.
“I never believed in reincarnation, but after seeing this, I have to admit, I’m a believer,” Robert mused as he sipped his drink. “No wonder Mimi collapsed in shock.”
They began to read some of the delicate old letters that were in the wooden box, most of them from the artist of the painting who was also the younger brother of the woman in the painting. He must have used his writing to get through the pain of his sister’s death.
“I think I need to be alone for a while,” Charlotte said after starting one of the letters that were so personal, she felt like she was violating the author’s privacy by allowing others to read them.
“Are you sure, this is a lot to digest?” Jewels asked.
“I’m fine, I just feel like I need to be alone. But I do have a favor to ask, I will need you to keep an eye on Mimi later. I need to have a conversation with James about…” She wasn’t sure how to describe it. “…about this.” She waved her hand.
“Sure Charlie, call me when you’re ready and I’ll come back over,” Jewels said as she kissed her on the cheek.
“Call me later,” Robert said. He also kissed her as they walked out the door.
Charlotte checked on Mimi. She made sure she had something to eat and drink before heading back to the living room. She refreshed her drink and sat back on the sofa to resume reading the letters. Tears welled up in her eyes as she felt the pain through the words. The young lady in the picture was Clarissa and the gentleman was Jasper. They met and fell in love at a time when their type of love was forbidden. Charlotte learned of their entire love story and their tragic death through the writings. She placed the letters back in the box, grabbed a pillow from the sofa, pulled it to her chest, and balled her body in a fetal position as she began to sob uncontrollably. She cried not only for Clarissa and Jasper, but the brother who lost his sister too soon, and for the happiness they were never able to experience. She wept for so long that she ended up falling asleep.
The vibration of her phone woke her. “Hey Charlie, I thought you wanted me to come over, did you change your mind?” Jewels asked.
She gazed at the time on her phone. Shit, three hours had passed. “No, I didn’t change my mind can you come over now?”
“I’m on my way,” Jewels said before disconnecting the call.
She dialed James’ number.
He picked up on the second ring. “I was beginning to think you were going to try and avoid me again.”
“No, you don’t have to worry about that,” she said with a smile. She would never again, be able to do that. “I need to talk to you privately. I have to show you something.”
“Okay, I’ll send a car for you and we can talk in my suite.”
“Good, give me an hour and I will be ready.” She disconnected the call and ran up the stairs to take a shower and get dressed.
Forty-five minutes later, Charlotte heard the door as she slipped on her shoes.
“There is a beautiful, long black car double parked in front of the house, is that for you?” Jewels asked as she walked into the house.
“Yes, James sent a car to pick me up. Thanks again for staying with Mimi,” she said as she hugged her friend. Then she picked up the items she wanted to take with her.
“I packed an overnight bag, so feel free to get your freak on,” Jewels said jokingly as she pointed to her bag.
“You are so nasty, but thanks, I may not make it back tonight,” she said with a devilish smile of her own as she headed to the door.
The driver helped her with her belongings.
“Please be very delicate with that, it’s an antique.”
The driver nodded at her as he placed it gently in the truck and set her other things on the back seat with her. Once they arrived, the driver took her belongings and escorted her to the suite. He must have called ahead because James was waiting at the door when they arrived. The driver walked in with Charlotte’s things and gently sat them down on the table.
“Thank you,” she said as he nodded and walked out the door.
Chapter 15
James looked at the materials on the table, then at Charlotte. He pulled her into an embrace and kissed her deeply. “I’ve missed you so much,” he said before kissing her again.
She felt the familiar tingling feeling she got every time he touched her. She wanted him desperately, but they first needed to talk. She pulled out of his embrace. “Baby, we need to talk,” she said as she grabbed his hand and led him to the sofa. They both sat down. “Do you believe in reincarnation?” Charlotte asked as she looked into his eyes.
“I never thought about it. What is this about?” James asked, confused at the line of questioning.
She gazed at him, then kissed him softly. “I have to show you something.” She walked over to the table and picked up the covered paint
ing. She stood it up in front of the table and removed the covering.
“What the fuck?” He stood and moved closer to get a better look. “Is this some kind of joke, where did you get this painting? How did you have this painted so fast and what the hell are we wearing?” he exclaimed unable to stop the barrage of questions.
“Calm down baby and give me a chance to explain everything.” She gave him a gentle nudge back to have him sit on the sofa and walked over to the bar to make them both a drink. She handed him one and sat next to him as they both stared at the picture. “This is not a picture of you and me, it is a picture of Clarissa and Jasper. Clarissa is my cousin from over two hundred years ago.” She peered at James to gauge his reaction. The stunned, shocked expression on his face prompted her to continue, “They were in love at a time when that type of love was very dangerous and forbidden. When Mimi was in the hospital, she told me that right before she passed out, she recognized you from a painting our family has had for generations. It was kept in the attic because it was of a black woman and a white man together. My family didn’t want to display the painting because of the times they lived in, so the painting was stored in the attic. My grandmother remembered seeing the painting when she was a little girl but was not allowed to bring it downstairs, but she would make frequent trips to the attic to look at it. Mimi said she had forgotten the painting was up there until she saw you.” She turned her attention back to the painting.
They both stared at the painting in silence for a few minutes.
“I want you to read something,” she said and grabbed the wooden box then placed a delicate piece of paper in his hand. “I’ve read most of these letters and it gave me a better understanding of our connection.”
They sat there for hours reading and discussing each letter. They talked in detail about the emotions they felt when they initially saw each other. “I never thought that someone’s soul could walk the earth in search of another, but after what I have experienced over that last few weeks, I’m a believer,” he said as cupped her face with his hands and pulled her into a sensual kiss. He stood and walked her into the bedroom.