by Rebeca Seitz
“Something like that. Just flip through all the way to the end.” She scooted to the edge of her seat and watched his face as he turned the pages, seeing the pictures of her and Bill at the altar, her and Bill dancing at the reception, cutting the wedding cake, then waving good-bye as they drove off to their honeymoon.
“Jane, I don’t understand.”
“Just turn the page.”
He did and laughed out loud. An 8x10 print of her standing in front of a pile of CDs with mini-sledgehammer in hand was framed in royal blue paper. The headline read “The Party’s Over.” On the right-hand side of the layout was another blowup of her, this time smashing the CDs. Little bits of silver were in the air all around her, and the camera had captured the look on her face as she brought the hammer down on the stack.
“Those turned out well.”
“Yep. Keep turning.”
He turned the page. “Is this my front door?”
“It is. Read the poem on the right.” She’d worked so hard on it, she had every line memorized. He read it out loud.
For years I walked in blissful death, not knowing of the light I walked my path not knowing the depth of day or night Each hour passed and with it came a bit more certainty That life consisted only of what you or I could see I told myself that things like love were fables in the mist Not knowing that for all my life I had not been truly kissed And yet one day a man arrived whose lips were full of life He shared with me a mystery and with that thought came strife How ever could my life be based on such a well-placed lie? How great the mind and body’s vast power to deny Today I believe and toss my heart into a ring of love At last I know there is a gift given only from above Though movies, stories, songs, and books have told the tale for years Today, this hour, the truth of love’s existence brings me tears For I knew love when first I looked into your blessed face Yet I ignored the thought, the lancing pain of it erase And caused instead your countenance to fall on love’s proffered door So that you chose at that very hour, to love and long no more I pray, my love, that once again you find it in your heart To offer me a love in which I now joyfully take part I give this book to you because it’s all I have to give And I no longer want the memory of the time before I lived.
She was going to faint at any moment, she just knew it. Did he get it? Or had she made it too vague? This was a dumb idea. She should get up and walk out, taking what little dignity she could muster with her.
He looked at her, and all the air left the room. His eyes— those beautiful, precious, dark chocolate eyes—were all she needed to see. He got it.
“This is the best present I have ever been given,” he said.
She let out her breath. “I’m sorry it’s not the DVD set of Galactica.”
He laughed. “It’s so much better than that, Jane. Did you write this?”
“Like I said, I got a little help from the Sisters.”
“It’s amazing.”
“Thanks.”
“So you love me, huh?”
Her cheeks flamed, and she ducked her head. “I wouldn’t trust my judgment. I don’t have a whole lot of experience with this.”
He came up out of his chair and knelt before her. “I do,” he said and kissed her. She held his face in her hands, loving the rough feel of his cheek that let her know he hadn’t shaved since that morning. His lips on hers caused the now-familiar tingle, all the better because she was acknowledging it now.
“I love you, Jane. I know we haven’t known each other long enough for that, and it sounds crazy. I get that. But I want you to know I love you.” He kissed her again.
“So this is what love feels like, hmm?” She kissed him back.
“Yes ma’am.”
“Then what’s with the redhead?” He leaned back, keeping his hands on her knees.
“What?”
“The redhead I saw you with. Who is she?”
He laughed. “That’s Meredith, my sister I told you about.”
“You could have mentioned she’s gorgeous.”
“Sorry, I forget about her looks. To me, she’s still Meredith on the playground. When did you see her anyway?”
Her blush started again. “The night you came over.”
“You were home?”
“Yeah. I thought you wanted to introduce your new girlfriend.”
“You’re kidding me, right? Even if I was mad at you, I don’t move that fast.”
“What was that you were saying earlier about it being too early to love?”
“Okay, I only move that fast with you.” He grinned and kissed her. “I love doing that.”
“I love it when you do that.”
“Then we’re going to be an awfully happy couple.”
She turned serious. “Not if we don’t take care of this thing we have. Lydia’s having to fight for it with Dale. I don’t want us to do that.”
“What’s wrong with Lydia and Dale?”
“He’s more interested in the zing he gets from SportsCenter than what he gets from her.” She tilted her head. “Though having her cable shut off may have turned the tables.”
“She had her cable turned off?”
“Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures.”
“Feel free to tell me if I’m ignoring you before cutting off the cable.”
She grinned and gave him a short kiss. “So, what now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, in books, this is where everything ends, and they all live happily ever after. Since this is real life, what happens now?”
“Now we figure out a way for Wilson and Major Carter to coexist.” Wilson gave a short, loud bark, and they jumped.
“Sorry. He has a tendency to get riled every time I say the cat’s name.”
“You’re kidding me.” Jake looked over his shoulder at the dog still lying in front of the fire. “Major Carter.” He laughed as Wilson barked. “This is going to be one very noisy relationship.”
She sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling her to him. “Good thing I like loud.”
“Yeah, a very good thing.” He kissed her, and she leaned into him, loving the fact that he was hers and she was his.
“They’ll get used to each other eventually,” he said, and she smiled at his confidence.
“If you say so.”
“I do.” She shivered at the words. Funny how two little words could hold such deep meaning if coming from the right person.
“Are you still cold?” He ran his hands up and down her arms, then reached over to pull a throw off of his seat.
“Just a little.” He tugged her from her seat to sit on the floor with him and laid the blanket across her lap. “There, now you’re all warm and snuggly for the rest of sci-fi night.”
She rolled her arms and punched him in the arm. “You’re going to make me watch sci-fi? I give you my heart, and this is what I get in return?”
Before she knew it, his arms were around her and his lips were teasing hers. “No,” he whispered against her mouth.
“This is what you get in return. Anytime, anyplace you need somebody there with you, I’m in.”
“I don’t know,” she whispered back. “It’s not going to be this easy all the time. I’m going to get mad and yell, and you’re going to get frustrated with me. What then?”
“Two shoulders, no waiting, remember?” He looked into her eyes. “I’m here for you, babe, no matter what it is. You need to cry, call me. Wanna yell? No problem. Need to smash some CDs?” She laughed, and the smile she was growing to expect came back again. “I’m your man. I’m here for you through thick and thin, for better or worse.”
His eyes were sparkling at her, and she looked hard into them, thrilling inside when all she saw there was honesty. He meant it. He was in this for the long haul.
“Just so long as I don’t find you in any Internet chat rooms.”
He held up three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”
“Were you even a scout?”
“No, but I figured it was a universal proclamation of honesty.” She laughed again.
“Seriously, I have to work with computers all day long. I have no desire to use them for personal pleasure. Why would I? You’re just across the hall.” He grinned at her and wiggled his eyebrows, and she pushed him back.
“Yeah, well, just so you know that’s where I’m going to stay, mister.”
“Your honor is safe with me.” He started to make the scout sign and caught himself. “Honest.”
She leaned forward and kissed him, falling into the magic and stars behind her eyes.
“Unless, of course, you’re going to keep doing that. And then all bets are off.”
She pulled back and hastily arranged the blanket around her lap. “No, no, keep your bets on.” She blushed as she realized how that sounded. “And everything else, for that matter.”
He took her hand in his and rubbed his thumb against it. “Thank you again for my present.”
“No problem.” She gave him back his standard reply and settled into the crook of his arm as they leaned back against the chair, ready to watch the rest of sci-fi night.
“And thanks for watching sci-fi with me,” he said.
“You were right about it,” she admitted and twisted her head to look up at him. “It’s amazing how much better these shows seem when I watch them with good company.”
He pulled her to him, squeezing her shoulders and placing a light kiss on the end of her nose. “That wasn’t the only thing I was right about,” he said, and she laughed, loving the feel of his strong arm around her, knowing she’d finally found the love for which wars were fought and people died.
“It does exist,” she said and watched his face soften in acceptance.
“Yeah, it does,” he said, and kissed her as Major Carter came to lie in her lap, purring all the while.
chapter 27
Mari sat in her bathroom, staring at the stick in her hand. The irony was too much. Two little pink lines stared back at her, confirming her suspicions. At first, she’d thought it was just nerves over not knowing about Andrea. Nausea and exhaustion were normal for someone under as much stress as they had been for five days.
But the unthinkable, the impossible, had happened. They were pregnant. They were finally pregnant. God must have one heck of a sense of humor. What would John think? They’d be a family of five now if Andrea had made it out of the fire. Her mind stopped at that thought, but she forced the unthinkable to the dark recesses and focused again on the white plastic stick in her hand. It blared out the miracle of life to her again, the pink lines seeming to glow out of the window.
One of the girls at the office was always joking about not having the third children because then you’re outnumbered. But that didn’t seem like it would be a problem. All her life, all she’d wanted was a big familia. She looked again at the stick. He might be very excited about this.
Or it might be the stressor that pushed him over the edge. They were walking a very thin tightrope that grew more taut as each day went by with no word from the orphanage. Every morning, John woke up and picked up the white phone by their bedside. They knew the agency number by heart—he had even put it on speed dial. And every morning, Mari would watch John, her own hope building as he listened to the ringing, phone pressed tightly to his ear. He’d watch her, pat her hand, and then ask the question when someone finally picked up. Was their Andrea okay? Had she been found? Was the orphanage a total loss?
And each day for five days, he had turned to her with a sorrowful, frustrated expression. The light in his green eyes, dulling bit by bit as the days passed with no news. Would they find out something today? Would they hear that their Andrea was alive?
She rubbed her tummy and looked again at the stick. She had to be careful not to stress too much. It wouldn’t be good for the baby growing inside her to have a mom who was scared all the time for her big sister in Chile.
Mari smiled. They’d done it. She was pregnant. The thought thrilled her all over again. The toilet paper holder squeaked as she wrapped up the stick. She put it at the back of her makeup drawer. John wouldn’t look there. As soon as they got word about Andrea, then he could learn about this news. Either it would be icing on their family cake or a balm that would soothe his soul. She pushed that thought away again. Andrea would be okay.
The shrill ring of the phone made her jump. She looked into the mirror, wondering if John would see the joy there amidst the agony.
“Honey!” John’s strong voice bounced off the hallway walls. “It’s the agency!”
The phone rang, and Jane rolled across the bed with a moan. Who was calling her at—she sneaked a peek at the alarm clock— seven in the morning on a Saturday? If it was a telemarketer, somebody was about to see her bad side.
“Hello?”
“Jane? Are you asleep?”
“Yes, Lydia. Like the majority of Americans who do not have to get up and till the fields, I’m asleep on a Saturday morning at seven a.m.”
“Well, get up. Mari just got a call from the agency down in Chile.”
Jane sat straight up in bed. “I’m awake. What’d they say?”
“The phone cut off just as he said he’d found Andrea. They’re waiting by the phone in case he’s able to make contact again. Mari asked that we come on over. I’m getting the twins ready now. Dale’s coming with me to keep John occupied.”
“I’ll call Jake. I’m sure he’d want to come.”
“So the gift went over well?”
“Like a dream. I’ll tell you all about it at Mari’s.”
“Okay, see you there. Be careful.”
She pressed the button to hang up, then dialed Jake.
“Good morning.” His gravelly voice did amazing things to her insides.
“Morning. Did you get some sleep?”
“Yeah, I’ve been asleep the whole four hours you haven’t been here. I can’t believe you’re awake.”
“Lydia called and woke me up. Remember when I said things might not always be easy?”
“Yep. Two shoulders, ready and waiting.”
“The agent down in Chile called. The communication was cut off just as he was giving them details, so they still don’t know a whole lot, but it sounds like she’s alive. We’re all going over to Mari’s.”
“I’ll be ready in five minutes.” She smiled. His words warmed her inside and she marveled at how seamlessly he fit into her life.
“Thanks.”
“For what? I told you. We’re in this together. See you in five.” He hung up, and she made a mad dash for the shower.
“Please, God, look after little Andrea.”
They sat in Mari’s living room, watching the pendulum swing back and forth on a clock Mari’s mother had brought with them from Puerto Rico. It had a black striped cat whose eyes went back and forth and who meowed every hour. Mari thought she might just scream if that cat meowed one more time before the phone rang. She looked at each of the people sitting in her house—people she barely knew a few weeks ago. Jake and Jane sat huddled together, his arm around her. Mari smiled at that. Lydia and Dale were in opposite chairs. Mac sat in the rocking chair, humming as she gazed out the window.
“Tell us again what he said, Mari,” Lydia said and they all leaned in to try to glean meaning from the few words the agency representative and said before the line cut off.
“He said, ‘The agency asked me to call you as soon as I had news. I’ve gotten to the orphanage and—’ Then he was cut off.”
Lydia slumped back into the couch cushions and sighed. “Okay, that’s just nothing to go on. How long has it been since he called?”
Mari glanced up at the cat clock, but John jumped in before she could respond. “Forty-seven minutes,” he said, his voice a monotone.
Jake leaned over and patted John’s shoulder. “It’s gonna be alright, man. Whatever happens, we’re all here and it’s gonna be alright.”
Mari’s heart twiste
d. Men in Puerto Rico rarely showed their feelings. It was one of the things that had drawn her to John—his willingness to be open about his thoughts and emotions. Hearing the defeat in his voice was just about her undoing, but Jake—bless Jake—he seemed to be throwing John the lifeline Mari couldn’t find the strength to pick up.
John nodded at Jake and cleared his throat. “Anyone want anything to drink? I think if I keep moving around, it won’t feel like every minute takes an hour to go by.”
Mari jumped up from her place in the big reading chair. “Good idea. John, there’s a new box of soda cans in the garage. How about some food, too?” She went to the kitchen that had always been her haven from the world, but stopped short when she noticed Emmy sitting on the other side of the kitchen island. “Honey, I thought you were coloring in your room. What are you doing out here?”
Mari’s breath caught in her throat at the serious look on Emmy’s face. “Mommy, has Andrea gone to Heaven?”
Mari took a deep breath. Letting herself lose it in front of Emmy would only scare her daughter further. “Why do you ask that?”
“I heard you talking to Daddy and you said she was either with us or with Jesus and I you told me Jesus is in Heaven. But I thought we didn’t come back from Heaven. That’s what you said when Felix died. So is Andrea with Jesus? Because if she is, I’m mad at Him for taking my baby sister.”
Mari gathered Emmy close and settled her back against the edge of the island. She ran her fingers through Emmy’s silky hair and tried hard to get control of her emotions. “Oh, bam-bina. Do not worry. I’m sure our Andrea is safe and sound, we’re just all waiting on the agency to call and tell us that.”
Please God, let her be safe and sound.
“If she’s okay, then why do you think she’s with Jesus?”
Mari kissed the top of Emmy’s head just as the phone rang.
“One minute, sweetheart. Mommy needs to get the phone.”
She released Emmy and scrambled to her feet, dashing into the living room at the same time as John. They looked at each other and the pain in his eyes broke another piece of her heart. Please, God, let this be good news. Her ears filled with the sound of her own rushing blood and the room tilted a bit as she watched the love of her life walk to the phone. He picked it up and Mari’s hands went to her mouth. Please, God. Please, God. John’s head nodded up and down, but his face was to the floor. He wasn’t asking questions. Wouldn’t he be asking questions if she was alive? Asking about her condition? Where she was?