The Show (Northwest Passage Book 3)

by John A. Heldt

  "I'm not from Wisconsin and I'm not running from a man. It's true that I did something by accident that separated me from that man, the father of my child, but it's not true that I no longer have a future with him. At least I don't believe so."

  "I still don't understand."

  Grace put a hand to John's face.

  "The door to the ladies' room, the one you see behind me, is not just a door to a restroom. It's a portal to the year 2002. It's where Bill and Lucy have gone and hopefully await. It's where I have a husband and two daughters and a life I miss."

  Grace looked at John and saw a man who finally understood. She lifted her other hand to his other cheek and wiped away tears that had begun to flow from his eyes.

  "When I told you that I loved you, I meant it. I still mean it. You're the most honest, decent, honorable person I have ever known. I love you. I will never forget you. I will always hold a place in my heart for you. But I cannot stay," she said. "It's time for me to return to the place I belong. It's time for me to go home."

  Grace leaned forward, kissed her fiancé long and hard, and threw her arms around his broad shoulders. She could feel his strength but also his weakness. He was trembling. A moment later, she stepped back, smiled at him through fresh tears, and slowly let go of his hand.

  "Remember me always, John Walker."

  She took a step backward.

  "Goodbye."

  CHAPTER 68: JOEL

  Seattle, Washington – Saturday, October 5, 2002

  Joel looked at his watch and wondered for the third time in twenty minutes how long it took to remove an irritant from an eye. He remembered that Adam had once needed thirty minutes to dig out a contact lens, but he knew contacts weren't the problem tonight. Grace didn't wear corrective lenses. She rarely wore mascara. Something was wrong, he thought. It was time to get off his duff and investigate.

  Joel got up from his seat, headed down the balcony stairs to a walkway that ran behind the last row of main-level seats, and took one last look at the auditorium. The Palladium was an impressive place. Joel wanted to explore it more thoroughly, but he couldn't do it now. He had an AWOL wife to find.

  When Joel wandered into the lobby, he found it nearly empty. Barely a dozen people roamed the open space – and two of them pushed brooms. The great theater was shutting down.

  Joel took a moment to observe the other patrons and noticed that most were dressed in period costume. One of the men looked like Charlie Chaplin and two of the women like Mary Pickford.

  All seemed to be having a good time, particularly a couple near the concession stand. The better looking of the two, a pretty redhead in a purple dress, kissed her significant other like he was the last man on earth. Joel envied any man on the receiving end of that kind of greeting.

  Two others by the pay phones also held each other tightly, but their embrace seemed more protective in nature than amorous. He studied them for a moment and noticed that the woman was crying. He wondered what could make someone cry on such a festive night.

  Joel finally turned his attention to the ladies' room, where Grace was no doubt hiding. He laughed to himself when he thought of a stereotype. Only a woman could spend more than thirty minutes in a restroom, and his wife was no exception. He took several steps toward the facilities but stopped abruptly when he saw a familiar woman wearing a not-so-familiar white dress and purple bow emerge from the ladies' room.

  "Grace? Is that you?" Joel asked.

  The woman turned his way when she heard his voice, stopped to look at him for a moment, and then charged forward like a bull in a ring. When she reached Joel, she smothered him with hugs and kisses that made him far less envious of the man with the redhead.

  "I love you too, dear," Joel said with a laugh.

  He kissed her glistening cheek as he held her tightly.

  "Did you change clothes in there?" Joel asked. "What happened to your purple dress?"

  When Grace didn't answer immediately, Joel stepped back to get a good look at his runaway bride. What he saw sent his stomach to the floor."

  "Is that . . . is that a baby bump?"

  "Yes," Grace said. "It is."

  "Um, Grace. I think you have some explaining to do."

  "Yes, I do."

  Joel looked at his wife like she had just beamed in from Mars. In less than half an hour, she had changed into clothes he had never seen and become at least four or five months pregnant.

  "Are you crying?"

  Grace nodded and then sighed as the floodgates opened. She rushed back into Joel's arms and hugged him tightly.

  "Sweetheart, what happened?" Joel asked.

  "I'll tell you later," Grace said. "Just hold me. Don't let me go."

  Joel held Grace and kissed the top of her head as a dozen questions swirled through his mind. How did she get noticeably pregnant in minutes and find a maternity dress from the Progressive era? Why the tears? Had someone hurt her? He didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but he did know that his questions could wait.

  For more than a minute Joel wrapped Grace in his arms and kept others away, including the people who spilled out of the auditorium and into the lobby. Some went straight for the exits. Most hung around and slowly filled a chamber that had been all but empty moments earlier. Joel was about to step back to get a better look at Grace when the redhead in the purple dress raced forward.

  "There you are," the woman said. "Oh, thank God you made it."

  Grace turned to face the newcomer and smiled when she saw her. She stepped away from Joel and gave the college-age woman a warm hug.

  "I don't know how I will ever be able to repay you," the redhead said.

  "You don't owe me a thing," Grace said. "Your smile is my reward. I'm just glad I was able to get a message to you. I worried all morning that I wouldn't be able to."

  "Well, as you can see, I got your message and followed your instructions. I made it! I never thought I'd see this day again, but I have. We both have. You're a lifesaver."

  Joel was more intrigued than ever by what he heard, but he continued to hold his questions. He saw that Grace was in no hurry to shed light on the woman's comments and, in fact, seemed downright distracted. Even as the redhead talked up a storm, Grace continued to look over the shoulders of others. Were there more surprises in store?

  The redhead turned away from Grace and extended a hand to Joel.

  "I'm sorry for not introducing myself. That was rude of me. I'm Judy Dumont, and this big lug behind me is Rick Anderson. We're both graduate students at the university."

  "I'm Joel Smith, Grace's husband. It's nice to meet you."

  The two couples shook hands, exchanged pleasantries, and separated. Grace continued to stand on her toes and move her head around, as if searching for someone or something.

  "How do you two know each other?" Joel asked.

  "Let's just say we shared an interesting historical experience," Judy said. She laughed. "Let me also say that your wife saved my life in a way you can't possibly imagine."

  "Try me," Joel said.

  "I'll tell you all about it on the way home," Grace said. "Right now I have to find some other people. It's very important I see them."

  Judy looked at Grace affectionately and put her hand on her arm.

  "Don't run off just yet," Judy said.

  Judy opened her purse, pulled out a pen and a small piece of paper, and started scribbling something on the slip. When she was finished, she handed the slip to Grace.

  "This is my home number," Judy said. "Call me next week. I want to get together and talk."

  "I do too," Grace said.

  Grace took the slip, put it in her own purse, and then peered over Judy's shoulder. She stared in the direction of the pay phones until she appeared to find what she was looking for. She returned her attention to Judy and smiled.

  "I'll call you," Grace said. "We'll get together soon."

  Judy gave Grace another hug, said goodbye, and led Rick toward the exit. A few second
s later, she was gone.

  "Are you going to tell me what that was about too?" Joel asked.

  "I will as soon as I do something else," Grace said.

  Joel noticed that Grace had changed again. She had gone from happy and tearful to anxious in a matter of minutes. He held onto her hand as she pulled him across the crowded lobby toward the pay phones and two people he had seen earlier.

  Joel could feel the tension in Grace's hand as they neared the couple. The blond-haired man and blond-haired woman, who bore a striking resemblance to the mysterious Mrs. Smith, appeared just as frightened as he had remembered them. They stared at Grace as she approached.

  "I suppose you have an explanation for this," the man said with anger in his voice. "We've been waiting here for almost an hour. Who is this man? I saw you kissing him."

  "Where is Captain Walker?" the woman asked.

  Joel tilted his head.

  Captain Walker?

  Grace released Joel and then brought her hands together. She took a breath and stared at the couple for a long moment, as if trying to decide how best to begin a difficult conversation.

  "I know you two have questions – probably many questions," Grace said. "I will answer them. I will answer them all tonight. I promise. But first I want to introduce someone."

  Grace glanced at Joel and then lifted her eyes to the ceiling, as if seeking some sort of divine guidance. When she looked again at the couple, she seemed focused, if not confident.

  "Bill and Lucy, this is Joel Smith," Grace said. "He is a geologist here in Seattle. He is also my husband of two years and the father of my children."

  Joel expected smiles and handshakes but instead got something else. Bill stared at him with incredulous eyes. Lucy brought a hand to her open mouth.

  Grace sighed and grabbed Joel's hand.

  "Joel, this is William Vandenberg and Lucille Green. Bill is planning to be a Lutheran minister. Lucy is planning to be his wife," Grace said. She paused. "They are my parents."

  Joel looked at Bill and saw a man stare at him as if he were the strangest thing on the planet. He didn't bother to look at Lucy. She had already fallen to the floor.

  CHAPTER 69: GRACE

  Thursday, October 10, 2002

  "Let me get this straight. Purple sent you to the past?"

  "Lavender too," Grace said. "I never got around to testing violet and periwinkle, but I'm sure they would have worked. The time portal didn't seem all that picky."

  Frank Smith shook his head and took another sip of his morning brew.

  "What about the theater and the movie?"

  "They were part of it as well. The portal became active for a few minutes every time the screen went purple during the silent movie Stella Maris. Anyone wearing purple in the women's room at that time got a direct ticket to the Progressive era. Fortunately for a few of us, the portal worked in both directions."

  "But you didn't wear your lavender dress," Cindy Smith said. "Lucy did. That's what Joel told us anyway. He said you came back in a white maternity dress."

  "I did. I wore a gown that my Aunt Margaret had made for me. I was able to pass through the portal by wearing a purple bow in my hair. Bill got through wearing a lavender tie."

  Cindy sipped her coffee.

  "It doesn't matter. What matters is that you returned to us, safe and sound, and brought your family with you. I'm so glad that your parents made it. Where are they now?"

  "They're back at the house, taking care of their granddaughters. They didn't need any guidance. They're naturals around children," Grace said with a wistful smile.

  "How are they doing?"

  Cindy leaned a few inches forward.

  "How are all of you doing?"

  "We're doing better."

  "Just better?"

  "We're talking now, if that's what you mean. I consider that progress."

  "They haven't forgiven you?"

  "They've forgiven me. They forgave me Sunday morning, but they're still very angry with me for not giving them a choice in the matter," Grace said. "I can't say I blame them."

  "Don't be too hard on yourself. You did what you thought was best."

  Grace sighed and looked out the dining room window.

  "You're right. I did what I thought was best – for me. I never gave their interests a second thought. I never considered for a moment that they might want to stay in their world and fulfill their dreams. I never considered that they might want to see their relatives again. I considered only what I wanted and pushed them through that door."

  "Do you regret bringing them back?" Cindy asked.

  "No. That's the thing. I know what I did was selfish, extremely selfish, but I'd do it again if given the chance. I'd do it a thousand times. I will never second guess that decision."

  "I assume you told them what happened to them the first time around," Frank said.

  "I did. It's not easy telling people they've already died once – and violently, no less. Lucy took it the hardest. She could not believe I had managed to carry on after their accident. I told her that my parents, and particularly my mother, had given me the will and character to do so."

  "What are they going to do now?" Cindy asked. "They're not even married."

  "They will stay with us until they are ready to step out on their own. I will see to their needs for as long as it takes. I figure that that is the least I can do."

  "What do they want to do?"

  "They want to carry on as before. They see no reason why they can't pursue the same goals, even in a vastly different world. Bill has already contacted a local church about serving as a youth pastor. He plans to enroll in the seminary here again in the fall."

  "How about Lucy?"

  "She's no different. She's content to be Mrs. William Vandenberg. My mother is kind of like her daughter that way. She's very domestic. My guess is that they will be married in a few weeks and try to start a family soon. I'm still trying to get accustomed to the idea of having siblings – siblings that are younger than my own children."

  "Speaking of which, how is your pregnancy coming along?"

  "I saw my obstetrician yesterday, and he said I'm five months along. The baby is definitely a boy, by the way. We're going to name him Thomas, in honor of Tom Carter," Grace said. "We considered William and Benjamin, but we like Tom better and think it is more appropriate. Tom meant a lot to us, just like Ginny and Katie."

  Cindy smiled slightly and touched Grace's hand in a way that suggested she approved of the name but also had something more on her mind. As it turned out, she did.

  "Grace, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

  Grace felt the knot in her stomach tighten. She knew what was coming.

  "I guess it depends on the question. But go ahead and ask."

  Cindy tilted her head, leaned forward, and looked at Grace closely.

  "Who was John Walker and what did he mean to you?"

  Grace sighed as she looked at her mother-in-law. She knew Cindy Smith and others would eventually ask about John. She knew they had a right to ask. Grace had befriended a single man, after all, and become pregnant during the course of an eighty-minute film. But that didn't mean she looked forward to discussing a matter she considered deeply personal.

  "You don't beat around the bush, do you?"

  Cindy returned a sympathetic smile.

  "I just want to be sure that Joel has the facts," she said. "Your absence and your pregnancy came as quite a shock to him. I don't want to see him get hurt."

  Grace loved Cindy dearly and understood her motives, but she still bristled at her words. She is the one who had suffered the trauma in the theater and the separation from her family – not Joel.

  "You want the facts? I'll tell you the facts. I'll tell you what I told Joel Monday night," she said. "When I passed through that portal I thought I had taken a one-way trip to the past. I thought I would never again see Joel or Ginny or Katie or anyone else from this time. For all practical purposes,
this time and everyone in it were dead to me."

  Grace looked at Cindy and saw her expression soften. She suspected that Joel had told his mother few specifics about her experience in the past.

  "Shortly after I arrived in Seattle on October 5, 1918, I met Captain Walker, a neighbor of my uncle's. He had been sent home from the war several weeks earlier with shrapnel wounds. When it appeared that I would never again be able to return to 2002, I began spending more time with him. We started dating and eventually became engaged."

  Frank put down his coffee and stared at Grace with eyes she could not read. He too seemed very interested in what she had to say.

  "John Walker was a good man, a decent man, someone who saved me in a number of ways. I loved him and I had a difficult time leaving him. But I never stopped loving your son, I never stopped thinking about him, and I never broke the vows I made to him. The child I carry is Joel's and he will always be Joel's."

  "I'm sorry for asking, Grace," Cindy said. She seemed genuinely remorseful. "You've told us more than we have a right to know. You did what most people would have done in the same circumstances. You moved on with your life and tried to make a future for you and your baby. That's what matters."

  Grace glared at her mother-in-law with moist eyes and spoke to her in a firm voice. Cindy Smith wasn't off the hook just yet.

  "I had an opportunity to stay in the past. I had a chance to build a future with a wonderful man, someone who had served his country and shown me every kindness. But I didn't stay. I instead left that wonderful man abruptly, even thoughtlessly, and returned to the man I married, the father of my children, your son. I think that speaks volumes."

  "It does, honey," Cindy said as she put a hand on Grace's. "It does."

  CHAPTER 70: GRACE

  Saturday, December 21, 2002

  Red and green dominated the splashy living room in the house in Madison Park. Red stockings hung from the fireplace, red ribbons adorned wreaths and displays, and red and green packages sprang from the bottom of a hopelessly green Christmas tree. Purple was not on parade in the home of Frank and Cindy Smith, and that suited Grace just fine.