The Resilient Bride

by Lucy McConnell

  Most siblings experienced some sort of rivalry growing up, but not Liam and David. They had been best friends and cheerleaders for one another their whole lives, drawing together as a unit of solidarity in a world of private school competition, baseball, and business. Their unity got them through when others fell apart. If there was anyone in the world Liam could trust with his life or his wife, it was David.

  And yet, the way David watched Kiera move, the way the air crackled between them, their communication without words, made Liam want to build a very tall tower, take Kiera to the top, and lock David out.

  Reaching for Kiera’s hand, he brought her attention back to him. “What did you want to be when you grew up?”

  Kiera bit her lip. “When I was five, I wanted to be a mermaid.”

  Liam looking her up and down. “I can see it.”

  She let her hair fall forward and cover her face. “It was silly. I don’t even know why I told you that.”

  The servers cleared their plates and replaced them with chocolate gelato.

  “If no one objects, I’m going to eat mine in my room.” David picked up the bowl and, bowing to Kiera, left the room.

  “Is he always so dramatic?” Kiera asked, her voice edged with guilt.

  “Yes.” Liam swallowed the lump in his throat. “And it’s wonderful to see.”

  Kiera’s smile spread, revealing her bottom teeth. “It’s good to see you out of bed.”

  “Alas, I fear I am headed that direction once again.” Liam placed his napkin next to his plate.

  “Are you not feeling well?” Kiera set down her spoon.

  “Just tired.” He scooted his chair back and then moved hers. He liked that she let him be a gentleman. “By tomorrow morning, I should be bright-eyed and ready to meet the Pope.”

  Kiera gasped. “We’re meeting the Pope?”

  Liam laughed. “No. Sorry. I just meant that I should be ready to travel again.”

  “Oh. Good.” She slipped her hand under his arm and leaned her head against his shoulder.

  “Good?”

  “I didn’t pack anything to wear to meet the Pope.”

  Liam kissed her hair. “You are such a girl.”

  She shrugged, heavy-eyed.

  “But you’re my girl, and I’m glad.”

  “Me too.”

  “Tuck me in?”

  “Always.”

  As Kiera ran her fingers through his hair, Liam pushed all his jealous notions into the back closet of his mind and slammed the door. Though he hadn’t known Kiera long, he had a sense about her character. He’d always been able to read people, cutting through the phonies and kiss-ups with surprising speed. Maybe his discernment had been a gift from God, a way to fill his life with honest and good people while he was here. Whatever the reason, he knew he could trust Kiera.

  And David; David was his brother, his best friend. If you couldn’t trust a guy like that, then … well, he’d be happy to leave this world for a better one.

  15

  Kiera’s jaw hung from a loose screw as they moved through the halls of the Vatican. Priceless treasures were everywhere—Ev. Re. Where. Forget about the masterpieces hung in gilded frames, ignore the intricate marble and tile floor, scoff at the hand-painted ceiling if you will; but Kiera couldn’t pass a globe from the 1500s and not stop to stare at the strange continents, islands, and sea monsters.

  “Seriously, who leaves a globe worth millions of dollars in the middle of the hallway?” Kiera whispered.

  “Someone who can afford to lose millions of dollars,” quipped David. He’d been quiet most of the morning, but the peace from yesterday remained, surrounding his countenance and oozing out in drops like warm caramel. Kiera didn’t mind him being quiet; it was easier to ignore the way her heart pounded when he was near if he stayed in the background.

  “I’d say it’s pretty well protected.” Liam nodded to the guard not five feet away, who kept his face straight but whose eyes never left their group. Dressed in the traditional uniform including pantaloons, tights, a doublet, and a feather in his cap, the man looked more like a Shakespearean actor than a threat—that is, until the light glinted off the five-foot spear in his hand. The two-inch-thick wood pole holding the spear could do plenty of damage on its own.

  Which is why Kiera kept her hand locked with Liam’s. No touching the treasures? No problem.

  “This way.” Their private guide, a short woman with bushy red hair and bright lipstick, motioned them towards two large doors. “Even though you are here outside of normal hours, we ask that you respect the ‘no talking’ rule within the chapel. If you must communicate, please whisper.”

  Kiera’s first impression was that the room was smaller than she thought it would be. But then, as she beheld the artwork, she realized how very small she felt inside the space. Remembering to whisper wouldn’t be a problem.

  “Please do not be touching the walls,” said their guide.

  They drifted apart. David started at the end near the altar, where the depiction of the creation of the world was overhead. Liam went to the other end of the room, following Noah’s story and moving backward through the book of Genesis.

  Kiera sat between them on one of the many benches, closed her eyes, and just breathed for a moment, trying to find her place among the greatness. The ceiling prevailed, heavy with plaster and paint blended in such a way that the power of genius pressed in on the viewer.

  She turned her attention to the walls. The picture of Christ handing keys to Peter was very Romanesque and brought a sense of inevitability and continuity to the soul. The colors were excellent, once again reminding her of sunsets and the sky with blues that heaven worked to match. Christ was the light and center in the picture, his area brightest and the colors darkening the further one stood from him, preaching a sermon and edifying at the same time.

  Moving on, she studied the next painting, her thoughts between her and God with the ceiling between.

  David sidled up next to her, his eyes alight with what she now recognized as the architectural side of his being. “Do you see the columns that separate the images?” He waved his arms to indicate the ceiling.

  Kiera squinted up.

  “They’re painted on.”

  “They are?” She looked harder, wondering how paint could be made to look like carved marble.

  “Yep.” David shuffled his feet. “Some say that the ceiling was never completed. It was supposed to have gold leafing done, and Michelangelo didn’t do it.”

  “An unfinished masterpiece,” Kiera whispered.

  David’s eyes fell on Liam at the other end of the room under the creation image. Liam’s shoulders drooped. “Not unlike man.”

  “Excuse me.” Kiera made her way to Liam and slipped her arm through his. “Is it not what you expected?” she asked.

  “Do you see how God is stretching to reach Adam, and Adam is kind of lazy about reaching back?”

  Kiera craned her neck. “Yes.”

  “I feel like that. God is calling me home, and I’m not all that happy about heading back. I want to see and do everything this world has to offer.” He smiled at her. “And I’m not going to make it.”

  Kiera laid her head on his shoulder. “Why did you want to come here?”

  “To gain perspective.”

  Kiera’s eyes burned.

  Pointing to the floor, Liam said, “This world is just a shadow of God’s realm. Where He is, now that’s supposed to be something worth seeing.” Liam stopped. “I wish … I wish I had been a painter and could leave behind a masterpiece like this. That way, no one would ever forget me.”

  “Liam,” Kiera scolded. “You’re pretty unforgettable.”

  Liam chuckled and then grew reflective once again. Kiera slipped her arm around his waist and tucked herself against him. He encircled her in his arms. She didn’t need to say anything. He just needed her to be there, to feel her next to him, and she was happy to give him exactly what he needed in that mome
nt.

  16

  The flight back to the US had been quiet. They watched movies, slept, and ate. After refueling in LA, they moved on to Las Vegas. Liam blinked against the dry desert sunlight as he stepped off the plane.

  “I feel like I’m going to shed my skin.” Kiera rubbed lotion into her arms.

  “Like a snake?” Liam made a face. “Snakes are good for one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Boots.”

  Kiera slapped him playfully. “You think I’m a snake?”

  “No. More like a cute lizard.” He pecked a kiss on her cheek, the one place she hadn’t slathered with sunscreen.

  “You could be a frog,” said David as he passed, his hands full of luggage and a bag over each shoulder. “They shed.”

  Kiera scrunched her nose. “Frogs are slimy.”

  David pointed at her lotion-covered arms.

  “At least I’m not a camel,” she teased, nodding to the goatee he’d sculpted this morning.

  David scowled.

  Liam held back his laughter. His brother’s blond facial hair did in fact remind him of a camel he’d ridden once. And with him carrying all the bags off the plane … “Hey, she could have called you a donkey.”

  Kiera shrugged. “He’s right. I was trying to give a compliment. Camels are exotic.”

  David deposited the bags near the trunk of their town car. The driver, a man with a scar down his cheek and a slight limp, began loading them. “I have got to learn to keep my head down around you two.”

  Kiera looked around. “What are we doing in Vegas anyway?”

  “Time to make a childhood wish come true.” Liam rubbed his hands together. He didn’t have a bucket list. Well, he’d had a bucket list, but he and David had run through it in the first month. Instead, he lived on a whim. This outing was a whim that was more fun than riding camels.

  “Are we going to play with tigers, Siegfried and Roy style?” Kiera winked. She knew the duo was no longer performing, but they had a tiger habitat at the Mirage Hotel. With Liam’s money and connections, they might just get in. She would love to hold a tiger kitten.

  Liam held the door and Kiera climbed inside.

  “No.” Liam slid in next to her.

  “Bungee jump off the Space Needle?” she guessed.

  “No!” David climbed in and sat across from Liam and Kiera.

  She narrowed her eyes, considering Liam. “You want to sing with Céline Dion?”

  “Please no.” David covered his ears. “Liam can’t sing.”

  “That’s not true.” Liam picked up Kiera’s hand. “I can sing—it’s just, no one wants to hear it.”

  Kiera chuckled. “Then where are we going?”

  “It’s a surprise.” Liam kissed the back of her hand.

  “Do you know?” she asked David, who was staring out the window.

  “Haven’t a clue.”

  “You’ll just have to wait.”

  Kiera clenched his hand. “I hate waiting.”

  Liam kissed her head, his heart full of joy.

  A few minutes later, they pulled in to the Silverton Casino and were greeted by several bellhops and the hotel manager.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Bernhard, Mr. Bernhard, it is wonderful to have you here at the Silverton Hotel.” He shook their hands. The trunk popped open and their baggage was whisked away to their suite. Liam had asked that they have a space together. They’d have private bedrooms, but he had no desire to be away from Kiera and David.

  “Thank you. It’s good to be here.”

  The man continued, “Everything is ready. If you’d like to follow me …”

  They walked into the hotel, and paused at the giant fish tank. All three of them stepped closer to admire the coral reef with the sunken ship and the hundreds of fish, stingrays, and sharks.

  “We have over four hundred fish in the saltwater tank,” informed the eager manager.

  “It’s beautiful.” Kiera pressed her hand against the glass.

  A splash, and a giant fin and a wall of bubbles filled their view. When the bubbles cleared, Kiera’s mouth formed an adorable little O as she took in the mermaid.

  Yes! Liam did a mental fist pump.

  The mermaid pressed her hands against the other side of the glass and grinned at Kiera. Her blond hair floated all around her head. She beckoned Kiera to come.

  Kiera laughed and tapped the glass. “I can’t come in. Sorry.”

  The mermaid nodded and beckoned again. Kiera stepped back.

  “Would you like to join her?” asked Liam.

  “What? Oh yeah, right.”

  “What? You said you wanted to be a mermaid.”

  Kiera stared at him. “Are you kidding me?”

  A bellhop appeared with a mermaid costume on a hanger. It was blue and purple with giant shells and beads across the bodice. “Now’s your chance.” Liam grinned.

  Kiera squealed and threw her arms around his neck.

  Liam laughed. “Go be a mermaid.”

  Kiera let go and bounced a couple of times. “This is so cool.”

  A small woman with long blond hair came out of a hidden door. “Hi. I’m mermaid Ariana. You all set?”

  “Yes!” Kiera bolted after her. She stopped at the door and gave Liam a thumbs-up.

  Liam waved her off and turned to watch the fish in the aquarium.

  David rubbed his goatee. “That was really cool.”

  Liam scratched his head. “She was pretty excited.”

  They stared at the fish for a minute, watching a ray float by. “Are you—are you falling in love with her?” David asked.

  Liam could see David in the glass. He looked like a ghost with the fish swimming through his reflection. “There’s no falling. I knew the moment I saw her that I loved her.”

  “Love at first sight.” David tucked his hands in his pockets.

  “No. You’re not understanding. I loved Kiera before, I love her now, and I will love her for eternity.”

  David tipped his head, his face growing thoughtful.

  “What?” asked Liam.

  “The other day, Kiera asked if I believed it was possible to have known someone in heaven—as in, before we were born—and then recognize them here.”

  Liam closed his eyes. He knew what he felt for Kiera was beyond the veil of this life, but he wasn’t sure if she felt the same. “Do you think she meant me?” He hoped, harder than he’d hoped to live, that somehow, someway, his connection to her, his feelings for her, weren’t one-sided.

  “Who else could she have been talking about?” David smiled, though something in his eyes said that he held back a piece of information that didn’t fit with what he just said. Liam understood: David had feelings for Kiera too.

  17

  Kiera discovered that wiggling into the costume wasn’t as easy as mermaid Ariana made it look. Instead of having a tail and then a bikini top, the outfit was one solid piece that ran from her toes to her neck and down to her wrists. Using flesh-colored fabric, the designers had created the appearance of skin where shells and fin didn’t cover. After an insane amount of grunting and stuffing and tugging, sweat dripped down her back and she’d made the transformation from woman to mermaid. Flopping like a fish out of water was too much effort, so she lay on the deck, her chest heaving.

  Mermaid Ariana gave her a beginner’s course on how to use the breathing tubes, called hookah ports, at the bottom of the fifteen-foot pool. “And if you ever get nervous, you can just swim back to the top of the tank.”

  “Okay.” Kiera slid onto the swing that would move her out over the water. “I saw sharks.” She gripped the handles, using her gut to keep her tail out of the water. Exhausting work for such a majestic creature.

  “There are sharks, but they don’t bite. It’s a special breed.”

  “Okay. Sure.” Sharks that don’t bite. Stingrays that don’t sting. The option of drowning—what a dream. The swing lowered with a rocking motion. The longer she held h
er breath, the looser her grip became.

  “Use your arms to stay up and change direction.”

  “You mean I have to actually let go?”

  “If you want to swim.”

  Oh, how she wanted to swim. “And I won’t sink?”

  “Nope, your fin is an actual fin. Trust me, you’ll float in the salt water.”

  Kiera moved both hands to one bar. “Isn’t that what mermaids say right before they pull you under?”

  Ariana grinned. “You’re not my type.”

  “Ha. Ha. Okay, I’m coming in.” Kiera set her palms on the seat, digging the flesh into the edge, before pushing off. She squealed and stretched her neck to keep her head above water.

  Ariana swam to the edge, graceful as a swan, and came back with two sets of goggles and nose plugs. “These will make it more comfortable to be under for a longer time. If not, the salt can irritate your eyes.”

  “Thanks.” Kiera took a moment to situate her gear. Made of high-grade plastic, the mask was clear and would blend in once underwater; but from up here, Ariana looked alien, and she was sure she was just as attractive.

  “I don’t want you to worry about who is watching at first. Just get used to being under the water. When you’re ready, you can start interacting.”

  Kiera took a deep breath and followed Ariana down to a breathing tube. She cleared the mouthpiece of water by pushing the button on the back before taking a deep breath. To her relief, the tube worked fine.

  Ariana gave her an okay sign and Kiera returned the gesture to let her know that she felt good. She stayed near the bottom, swimming back and forth as far as her air tube would let her until she felt brave enough to let it go for a moment. Knowing she wasn’t far enough down that she couldn’t swim to the top in an emergency helped calm her spiking nerves. Taking a deep breath, she did a lap all the way around the aquarium. Feeling good, she explored the coral reef for a moment, running her hand over the rough surface of the shipwreck.