VisionSight: a Novel

by Connie Lacy

  I shook my head, smiling as I trotted back upstairs. An hour later, Brian and I ventured downstairs in jeans to get a sandwich and I couldn’t believe how she’d transformed the living room. She’d pushed the couch and the coffee table to the wall for more floor space, placing white folding chairs in neat rows for the guests. At the front of the room was a wedding arch draped in sheer white chiffon with white and pink silk flowers across the top. Half a dozen pink azaleas with gauzy pale pink bows transformed the room into a pretty garden. She had draped the hutch with a white tablecloth and placed three floating candles with pink flowers as a centerpiece. Plates and silverware were arranged on the left with a space at the other end for the wedding cake. The kitchen table was also covered with a white tablecloth with champagne flutes and drink napkins arranged just so.

  “Wow,” said Brian.

  “You like it?” she asked, practically bouncing on her toes.

  “It’s positively enchanting,” I said, admiring the effect. “It looks like springtime flowers in a field of green and blue.”

  “And the champagne’s already chilling,” she said, opening a blue cooler on the floor by the kitchen table to reveal a dozen bottles. “Oh, and I bought sparkling white grape juice for Meg, Daisy, Raymond and anyone else who doesn’t want to imbibe.” And she pointed to the fridge. “Amy and your mom are bringing Daisy,” she continued, looking at Brian. “Your police chaplain buddy is bringing Raymond.” Then she looked at me. “And your dad and Meg are picking up the cake!”

  “Thank you, Tia,” I said. “You’ve outdone yourself.”

  She heaved a happy sigh as she surveyed her handiwork.

  *

  At precisely two o’clock, she tapped on the bedroom door and pushed it open.

  “Oh! My! God!” she said, her brown eyes even bigger than usual.

  I’d chosen a tea length white wedding gown that flared slightly at the hem with an overlay of sheer white lace on the bodice. My hair was off my face in a loose chignon, with tiny white silk flowers in the back.

  “You look gorgeous,” she whispered.

  “You do too.”

  Her pale aqua dress had a mandarin collar and cap sleeves and she looked like she should be on the cover of Glamour magazine.

  “I think I’m gonna cry,” she said, handing me my bridal bouquet. “Now, your dad will meet you at the bottom of the stairs. Don’t come down till you hear the music, okay? I’ve already taken Brian down and put him in his place. Ha ha – put him in his place. Get it?”

  And she was gone.

  As I waited for my cue I thought about my mother, wishing she were here on my wedding day. I wanted to tell her that she didn’t really have to live a lonely life, that she didn’t have to avoid being close to people. I wanted to tell her that you didn’t have to disengage to avoid the pain because the pain was worth it. After all, life itself is a big risk. Nothing is guaranteed. Of course, I couldn’t change the past, but maybe I could help shape the future. And while I knew there were still big challenges ahead, I had Brian now. And that made me so happy, I had to blot the tears welling in the corners of my eyes.

  That’s when I heard the first strains of Here Comes the Bride. It was a guitar version and I realized as I started down the stairs that it wasn’t a recording.

  I felt like a butterfly floating down the stairs after shedding my chrysalis and spreading my wings. Dad was waiting for me at the bottom with an emotional smile on his face. He looked debonair in a dark grey suit and blue tie. I took his arm and we walked together to the front of the room where Brian was waiting in a black tuxedo, looking for all the world like a handsome prince waiting for Cinderella. His eyes sparkled with mischief and I dared not look into them.

  Maria was the one playing the guitar, standing on the opposite side of the room in a pale yellow dress with her long black hair on her shoulders. She flashed a warm smile at me, making me very glad we’d renewed our friendship even though we didn’t spend our days together in the classroom anymore.

  I glanced at the guests and noticed Daisy wearing the pretty pink dress I’d given her. Her mom had been reluctant to let me be her “big sister” at first, but seemed to be getting used to the idea. When I was ordered to do community service for my DUI, becoming a big sister for Daisy was the first thing that popped into my head.

  Raymond looked sharp in the blue suit Brian bought especially for the occasion. He was still recuperating but would graduate with his class in the spring. Brian was helping him with college applications. Thank goodness Mr. Song agreed not to file charges after Brian explained how Raymond was being pressured.

  Dad kissed my cheek as he deposited me next to Brian, who reached down and took my right hand. Tia appeared on my left, taking the bouquet, and she and Dad sat down next to Meg and my grandparents.

  The ceremony was short and sweet, with the chaplain making some lovely remarks about marriage and commitment and then we each said the brief vows we’d written, Brian first.

  “First, I promise to love you forever, no ifs, ands or buts. Second, I promise to be your partner facing whatever life has in store for us. Third, in addition to being madly in love with you, I promise to be your best friend and to always be there for you like you’ve already proven you’ll be there for me. I just hope I can live up to your example of compassion for others. And fourth, I want you to know that from the first time I looked in your eyes, I knew in my gut that you were my soul mate.”

  His voice quivered slightly and he gave my hand a squeeze, but he was gazing at my mouth, not my eyes.

  I swallowed nervously, trying to steady my voice as I focused on his wonderfully expressive eyebrows.

  “I promise to help you with the garden, and to eat your produce, which is heavenly.”

  That made him smile.

  “And,” I continued, “I’m so thankful I found you sitting on my front porch that day and that you cared enough to track me down. A part of me is stunned that I’m the one who gets to marry you – you are that special. You’re the love of my life and I shall hold you in my heart until the end of time.”

  I knew it wasn’t time yet but I leaned forward anyway and gave him a kiss and then nodded at the chaplain who proceeded to ask us whether we each took the other as husband and wife, and promised to cherish each other through sickness and health, and we both said “I do.”

  I tried to look in his eyes then, as he leaned down to kiss me, but he closed them.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  “God, I love you too.”

  There was a round of applause and I took his arm as we turned to greet our family and friends as husband and wife. The first person I saw was Meg, whose belly seemed much larger than the last time I’d seen her. She was wearing a light green dress. She and Dad stepped forward and Meg gave me a hug as Dad shook Brian’s hand. When she stepped back her mouth opened, but then it twisted into a grimace and she looked from me to Dad.

  “Tom…” she said.

  But Dad was laughing and welcoming Brian to the family.

  “Tom!”

  “Yes, honey?”

  “My water just broke.”

  “Your… but… but you’re not due yet,” Dad sputtered.

  I looked down and sure enough, her shoes and the carpet were wet.

  “No cause for alarm,” Amy said, stepping forward to stand next to Meg. “It’s not uncommon for the amniotic sac to rupture as you go into labor. Tom, you just need to call the O.B. and have her meet you at the hospital. The baby will be just fine. Brian, can you get some towels? Jenna, bring some plastic garbage bags to protect the upholstery in the car.”

  Dad called the obstetrician, Brian dashed upstairs for the towels and I hurried to the kitchen for the garbage bags, thankful Amy was calmly telling us all what to do.

  “I’ll ride with you and Tom to the hospital,” Amy said, and Meg seemed relieved to have a doctor-in-training accompany them.

  And then they were out the door, with Dad and Amy on e
ither side of Meg – Dad carrying the towels and Amy carrying the plastic bags – and both of them holding Meg’s arms.

  “Is she gonna have the baby now?” Daisy asked me.

  “I think so,” I answered, giving her a hug.

  37.

  Needless to say, the little wedding reception was even smaller and shorter than we planned. We did have a piece of wedding cake and everyone toasted our happiness with champagne or faux champagne. Afterwards, Brian and I ran upstairs to change.

  “Wow,” he said as soon as we were alone. “You were right. Something else did happen.”

  “I’m just glad it’s something good.”

  “Before we go I have a wedding gift for you,” he said, pulling a large box from the closet and setting it on the bed.

  I ripped the silver wrapping paper off and opened it to find a real crystal ball inside on a wooden stand. I laughed out loud and gave him a peck on the lips. Together, we pulled it out and set it on the dresser.

  “It’s milky quartz,” he said.

  “It’s perfect.” And I rubbed my hand over the smooth globe. “Thank you.” And I kissed him again and hugged him tight.

  “You’ve still got flowers in your hair,” he said.

  So he helped me remove them and I pulled my hair down on my shoulders as he watched me in the mirror.

  “My soul mate,” he whispered.

  “The love of my life,” I whispered back, and we wrapped our arms around each other as we gazed into each other’s eyes in the mirror. “You remember when you told me you had a gift too – that you could look into people’s eyes and see their futures? Remember that?”

  “Yeah,” he said.

  “Well, I think you do have a gift, at least when it comes to me. It’s uncanny, really, how many times you’ve read my mind, answering questions I never asked.”

  “That’s because I’m so tuned into you. It’s like that song: If you’re a rose, then I’m your garden.”

  He kissed me and held me close and I wished for a moment that we didn’t have to rush off. But we had to postpone any more lovey-dovey stuff so we could head to the hospital.

  Of course, he drove. I didn’t have a car and my license had been revoked for six months. But I was getting used to using transit. I’d studied the schedule and figured out how to take the train for my upcoming audition at the Northside Playhouse. And I figured I could also ride the train to and from rehearsals and shows – if I got the part. Just like they did in New York City.

  Interestingly, Randall’s threats about my never getting another acting job in Atlanta hadn’t panned out the way he predicted. Some of my acting buds told me he was having a hard time getting roles now and that his reputation took a hit when his wife made all kinds of accusations when she filed for divorce.

  We sat in the waiting room for a couple of hours, which gave me time to think. What I saw in my visions was like a flight path, but that path could be shifted. So it was possible I could alter my dad’s trajectory just like I accidentally changed Wendy’s life when I blabbed about Randall cheating on her. And like I helped change the future for Brian, Raymond and Tia. I also realized my visions weren’t necessarily the whole story and I might misinterpret what I saw. But at least I no longer viewed life as a river that gravity forced over a precipice. There were no Fates spinning our destinies with a thread of life – nothing is necessarily inevitable, except for death.

  We dozed off sometime after midnight with Brian sprawled across three chairs, his head in my lap. I was awakened when my phone buzzed.

  “Your baby brother has arrived,” Dad said.

  I poked Brian to wake him up. It was a little after two in the morning.

  “Can we see him?” I asked.

  “Come on up,” Dad said, his voice a mixture of elation and exhaustion.

  The room was lit only by a lamp on the nightstand. Dad was still in his dress slacks and white shirt, with his rumpled sleeves rolled up to his elbows, but the tie and jacket were long gone. He was seated in a chair he’d dragged to the bedside so he could be close to Meg. And there in her arms, wrapped in a blue and green striped blanket, was the tiny baby. We could just see the crown of his fuzzy head.

  Meg smiled up at us and pulled the blanket back slightly so we could see his face. He had round pink cheeks and an angelic expression. He was sound asleep.

  “Beautiful,” I whispered.

  “Handsome,” Brian corrected.

  “He’s perfect,” said Dad dreamily and Meg smiled.

  “Wanna hold him?” she asked me.

  “Of course.” Although I was a little uncertain.

  Dad jumped up from his chair and gestured for me to sit. Then Meg carefully placed their little bundle of joy in my arms. He made a tiny little noise and crinkled his nose.

  “Welcome, brother-in-law,” Brian said softly, leaning over my shoulder, and we all laughed quietly.

  “What’s his name?” I asked.

  “Ethan Brett Stevens,” Dad replied.

  “Ethan,” I said, trying it out. “I like it.”

  And that’s when my brand new baby brother opened his sweet blue eyes and, without thinking, I looked straight into them. Through his eyes, I saw his mother’s face as she held him in her arms, and then he was swinging in the back yard and then… I clamped my eyes shut and forced myself to pull out of the vision. Brian must’ve sensed what was happening because when I opened my eyes again, he was squatting beside me, holding the baby with me, his big hand under little Ethan’s head.

  “He looks strong and healthy,” he said. “Congratulations to you both.”

  “Thank you,” Meg said, holding her arms out to reclaim her newborn son.

  Brian helped make the transfer and when we stood to go he held my waist tightly, making sure I was steady.

  “You flying out tomorrow?” Dad asked.

  “Later this morning, actually,” Brian said.

  “I’ve never been to Cozumel but I’ve seen pictures and I know it’ll be a wonderful honeymoon,” Meg said.

  Dad hugged me and Brian as we left the room, all of us turning the page on a new chapter in our lives.

  I told Brian what I’d seen in Ethan’s eyes on our way home. But I didn’t tell him how alarmed I suddenly felt about having a child of our own. Holding the baby made me realize how hard it would be to have a child whose eyes you constantly avoided. And then there was the fear of passing along my gift. But I decided not to think about all of that right now. Right now I wanted to immerse myself in the happiness of my new life.

  *

  “Is this the scene you saw of us walking on the beach?” he asked.

  We were barefoot in the shallow surf, the white sand sparkling in the morning sun.

  “No, that vision was way in the future.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Your hair was grey and you had wrinkles.”

  We both laughed.

  “So… how do I look when I’m old?” he asked.

  “Like a sexy, brown-eyed, old fart.”

  And he smiled big time, grabbed me up and swung me around.

  The End

  Review it

  Thank you for reading VisionSight. If you enjoyed it, please tell your friends or post a short customer review on Amazon. http://smarturl.it/visionsight Word of mouth is an author’s best friend and much appreciated! Connie Lacy

  About the author

  Connie Lacy writes science fiction, magical realism and historical fiction, all with a dollop of romance. She worked for many years in radio news as a reporter and news anchor. She’s also the author of The Time Telephone (Young Adult) and The Shade Ring (Sci-fi, Action/Adventure, Romantic Suspense). She lives in Atlanta with her husband.

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  Acknowledgements

  Special thanks to Jennifer Perry and Doug Lacy for their valuable feedback and suggestions.

  “If You’re a Rose” lyrics ©2015 by Kyle Lacy. Used with permission. www.kylelacymusic.com

  If you enjoyed VisionSight you might like The Shade Ring, also by Connie Lacy…

  Does true love still exist in 2117? Will millions of space umbrellas cool the oceans? Can a clone be trusted? Can anyone be trusted? Neave Alvarez races against the clock to find the answers as she's thrust into a dangerous world of political intrigue and dark family secrets.

  The Shade Ring is set in a near future when a fifteen foot rise in sea level has inundated coastal cities while politicians and scientists continue arguing about what, if anything, they should do to try to slow global warming. Neave searches for the truth about her father's plan to launch a solar shade ring into space to slow polar melting. And in a time when clones are the new social underclass, she wrestles with doubts about whether clones have a soul and with her feelings for one clone, in particular.

  Equal parts Science Fiction, Action/Adventure and Romantic Suspense, the story focuses on a young woman who summons the courage to fight for what’s right as she finds her place in a hotter, more perilous world.

  Available on Amazon.