“Wouldn’t you two be surprised if you came to my room in the morning and saw I had flown the coop!”
“Wouldn’t that be something,” Mary repeated, her tone indicating the scariness of the prospect. Quickly she changed the subject. “This will be your last night at home.”
“Yeah.”
“Well, it’s not like you’re going far away and won’t visit for years on end,” interjected his father.
“Well, no,” Mary countered, “but it won’t be the same anymore, either. It’s going to be so hard getting used to Henry not coming through the door at suppertime.”
“Well, at least I won’t have to worry anymore that all the food will be gone by the time I get home,” his father quipped.
“Oh, Bill, quit teasing. This is serious. I’m really going to miss our boy.”
“I’ll miss you, too, Mom. I’m going to miss trying to guess what you’ve made for supper just by the aroma in the air.”
“Is food all you think about?”
“Oh no,” Henry said. “You know what I mean. I look forward to seeing you and Dad, but mealtime is a special part of it all.”
“I know what you mean, son,” Mary said. “We were just teasing.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“So, are you nervous?” Mary repeated, nervous herself.
“A little,” Henry said again, “but it’s going to be good.”
They sat in silence, each with their own thoughts. This would be the last time they would sit there together as a family without the addition of Julean. Henry looked at his mom and dad. They had each gone through this before themselves, like their parents had before them. It was all part of God’s plan. A man and woman fall in love and leave their families to raise one of their own. Soon his parents would be grandparents, and then…they would be gone. Just like his grandparents. And Mrs. Engelmann.
Henry didn’t want to think such thoughts right now. He just wanted to be in his parents’ presence, savouring this last evening together as a family, just them, prolonging it as long as possible. After tonight, he’d be starting a new life with his bride and things would never be quite the same. They all knew it.
“It will be good to see the out-of-town relatives again,” Henry said, finally breaking the silence.
“Yes, that it will,” replied Mary. “Quiet a few dropped in already today. I can’t get over how so many have changed and gotten older. Uncle Frank from Kendal seems to have aged so much. His hair has turned from almost black to snow white since we last saw him.”
When his father began to snore, Henry and his mother looked at each other and smiled.
“Well, I guess that’s my cue to get going,” Henry said. He pushed himself off the sofa, went over to his mom and kissed her cheek. “I love you, Mom. Thanks for all your help and for everything you’ve done for me.”
Tears came to both their eyes.
She could barely get the words out but managed to say, “I love you, too, Henry.”
Henry tried to hold it in, but a tear fell freely upon his mother’s shoulder as he straightened up.
His father stirred in time to catch the last part of their exchange.
“Going already?”
“Yeah,” Henry said, “it’s time to hit the hay. Big day tomorrow, you know?”
Henry walked over to his dad and instead of shaking hands like they usually did, Bill quickly stood and they hugged one another, his dad patting his back just like Mr. Engelmann did.
“Good night, son—I wish you all the best.”
“Thanks, Dad, and thanks for everything too.”
Before going to his bedroom, Henry looked at his mom and dad one more time. Redness rimmed his dad’s eyes and tears rolled down his mom’s cheeks. Henry raised his hand and sort of waved to them. He was too choked up to speak any further.
Mary watched her son walk to his bedroom through her tears, trying to etch his image in her mind. She had watched her son go to bed hundreds of times over the years, but there was a finality to it this time. She would miss him deeply.
He was marrying Julean tomorrow. But she knew he could very well have been marrying Jenny. If she hadn’t withheld Jenny’s letter, if she’d given it to him, the future might have been completely different for everyone.
Mary felt deeply the power of what she had done. Her decision had literally determined Henry’s fate. It was a markedly uncomfortable feeling, playing God.
Mary prayed that Henry would be as happy with Julean as he might have been with Jenny. Julean was such a nice girl and Mary knew Henry loved her deeply, even though he had never seemed to have gained her parents’ approval.
Still, they will be very happy together.
No matter how hard Mary tried to justify hiding Jenny’s letter, she couldn’t rid herself of the guilt. Deep down she knew it was wrong, that she had no right to control her son’s destiny, let alone that of another person. And, at the end of the day, for better or for worse, Henry should be making the final choice.
Mary wished she had shared what she had done with Bill or Mr. Engelmann, but now it was too late. Her son would wed tomorrow and the burden of her decision would be hers and hers alone.
Her unresolved feelings were compounded with apprehension about going into her bedroom that night. She hoped the closet door would be closed. Ever since she’d hidden the letter in her treasure chest and stored it in the closet, the once dark closet seemed brighter somehow. In a way she welcomed the additional light, but it was very unsettling.
These anxious thoughts raced through her mind, disturbing her immensely. Feeling suffocated, she could no longer stand still. She needed to go to her sanctuary, her kitchen. She needed to find some peace. Even though she was tired and it was late, she had to bake something, anything. Sleep wouldn’t come easily for her that night, she knew. Perhaps the aroma of an apple pie baking in the oven would sooth her raw nerves.
Henry came out of the washroom and got to the door of his bedroom, turning to look down the hallway. His mom was watching him from the entrance to the kitchen, her eyes filled with tears. What she was thinking? Neither said anything, neither one wanted to make the first move to break what was becoming an uncomfortable silence. Finally his mom gave him a watery smile and he responded with a little wave before she disappeared into the kitchen.
In his room, Henry went to the window and looked out into the evening sky ablaze with millions of stars, the moon hanging low, partially hidden by Mrs. Goronic’s elm tree. Henry turned to the east, looking for the first star in the evening sky, but it was impossible to tell which of the thousands it was. Still, it made him think of Jenny and the wish he had sent to her so long ago that the star of the east reflect his love for her. He knew they could both see the star at the same time; it was what connected them. And before he’d made that wish all those years ago, he’d prayed to his guardian angel to bring back a letter from Jenny to him. And it had never happened…
Maybe, though, maybe the angels knew that no answer was the answer. He’d met Julean, after all. Julean, his bride.
Another wish came to Henry, then. That Julean was gazing at the moon that moment and that its light would bathe her in the glow of his love. He focused on that image, erasing all thoughts of Jenny and chastising himself for even thinking of her the night before his wedding.
Henry turned out the light and flopped onto the bed, begging for sleep to come quickly. Thinking of Jenny had uprooted old feelings, adding to his sadness at leaving home and the life he loved with his mom and dad.
It further conflicted with his excitement at getting married and getting on with his future, their future. He loved Julean so much. He didn’t know how to handle this myriad of feelings. He put the pillow over his head, hoping his uneasy thoughts would be soothed by the soft feathers inside.
A nimbus of light shimmered around the treasure chest and radi
ated outwards from the closet, easily passing through the wall of Mary and Bill’s bedroom, leaving Henry’s parents slumbering, undisturbed. Henry’s bedroom brightened as the light hovered above him, asleep and dreaming. More than any other night, the light glowed with love and yearning.
In his dream Julean became Jenny. Henry stood and followed the light, searching for his long-lost love. He walked into his parent’s bedroom, to their closet…where Jenny waited for him.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Edith arrived at the airport at six in the morning. Traffic had been light because of the early hour and so she’d made good time. She picked up her tickets and marched to Gate C to catch Flight384. She was on a mission. The same steadfast determination she’d shown in separating Jenny from Henry she now applied to bringing them back together. The guilt and remorse plaguing Edith and the constant dreams of Ted urging her to give Jenny the letter had motivated her to take drastic action.
She darted through the terminal, reviewing her strategy. When she landed in Regina at quarter to nine local time, she would go straight to the Pedersons’ house. Based on her conversation with Mrs. Pederson, she wasn’t sure she’d get much of an audience on the phone, especially since today was Henry’s wedding day. Besides, her powers of persuasion were always stronger and more effective in person. She’d persuade Mrs. Pederson that Henry was marrying the wrong girl and the wedding must be stopped or, at the very least, postponed to allow Henry and Jenny time to sort things out.
Edith refined her argument in her mind, considering and planning responses to all possible objections Henry’s mother might have. The heart of her argument would be that true love comes along only once in a lifetime and that those two were clearly destined to be together. Why, even the heavens were involved in sending the letters to each of them; they’d come out of nowhere, and each mother should have redirected the letter she had received to her child. And it should be Henry and Jenny—not their mothers!—who decided whether they were still in love and wanted to be together again. Those letters were an omen the women shouldn’t have ignored, and Edith now recognized her actions might have devastating consequences for both their children.
Edith arrived at Gate C just as they announced boarding. Once seated, she forced herself to relax, taking deep breaths and letting them out slowly. In her purse was a vial of sedatives the doctor had prescribed for Ted towards the end of his life; her nervous fingers could barely undo the lid. She swallowed one, hoping it would help her calm down and perhaps get some rest. It was nearly a four-hour flight to Regina. She wanted to be alert, fresh and ready for anything. Her daughter’s future was at stake. A future she had meddled with for far too long.
She was stunned when the stewardess woke her twenty minutes outside of Regina. She couldn’t recall having fallen asleep.
Edith looked out the window as the plane flew over the Legislative Building and coached herself not to hold her breath as the landing gear came down and the plane descended. Her knuckles were white on the armrest as the plane hit the tarmac.
“Thank you, Lord!”
Her return flight to Ottawa was at seven that night so she hadn’t brought a suitcase. She walked out of the airport and promptly hailed a cab. No one will be at St. Mary’s yet, so I should— Suddenly she realized that she didn’t know when the wedding was due to start! Thank God it’s two hours earlier here!
The taxi slipped through the light Saturday morning traffic and, in fewer than twenty minutes, pulled up in front of the Pederson home. The place hadn’t changed at all since they’d moved away. Fear gripped her as she cautiously approached the door. What if Henry answered?
If he does, maybe it will be for the best.
She stood on the front steps debating with herself for a moment, took a deep breath to settle her nerves, then rang the bell. Seconds later a man appeared in the screened doorway, half in and half out of a suit. An older image of the boy she knew.
“Hello? What can I do for you?” he asked through the screen.
“Yes, hello. Is Mrs. Pederson in?”
“Just a moment, please. Mary, there’s a lady at the door for you.”
A minute later, Mary came to the door. The mother of the groom wore a simple but elegant two-piece beige suit. Her brown wavy hair hung around her shoulders. From her expression, Edith knew Mary hadn’t recognized her. But, then, they’d never even met face-to-face six years ago.
“Hello?” Mary said.
“Hello, Mrs. Pederson.”
The moment she spoke the words, Mary’s expression changed.
“Mrs. Sarsky.”
Edith noticed that Mary didn’t move to open the door and invite her in. Instead she stepped out onto the porch and closed the inner door behind her. Obviously she wanted to keep their discussion as discreet and private as possible.
“What are you doing here?”
“I made a special trip to Regina in the hope that we might talk, oh, for no more than a half-hour. I have something very important to discuss with you.”
“What is it you want, Mrs. Sarsky? As you can see, we’re getting ready for the wedding.”
“Is Henry at home?”
“No, he’s at the church hall.”
“Good. I’d much prefer to keep this conversation between us for the moment. It has to do with the wedding.”
“What about the wedding?” Mary asked, her voice rising.
“Mrs. Pederson, I’ve come all this way to request that you postpone the wedding. I’m willing to share the costs of cancelling—”
“What! Are you serious?”
“Mrs. Pederson, please listen to—”
“Mrs. Sarsky, I’m afraid you don’t understand. I am extremely busy. The wedding is scheduled to begin in a couple of hours. We still have to get all the food over to the reception hall. Postponing the wedding is just out of the question!”
“But, Mrs. Ped—”
“Mrs. Sarsky, I don’t mean to be rude but I simply have to end this discussion right now.”
“But, Mrs. Pederson,” Edith repeated, “it’s imperative that we—” Edith took a breath, reigned in her temper and calmed her voice. “It is imperative that we let Henry and Jenny decide whether or not they want to get back together. We have interfered in their lives for too long.”
“You may have interfered in Jenny’s,” Mrs. Pederson retorted, “But I certainly haven’t interfered in Henry’s.” Mary stepped so close that Edith feared she’d fall down the stairs. “We never stopped Henry from writing to Jenny. For three years my son yearned for a letter from your daughter, and then the only letter he receives arrives two weeks before his wedding. Two weeks! And now you want me to help break up another relationship?”
“I know now what I did was wrong.” Edith hoped Mary would see that her contrition was real. “I have justified it all these years by saying that it was best for Jenny, only to realize that the one thing that was best for Jenny was the one thing, the one person, I kept from her.”
Mary backed up and leaned against the screen door. After a moment she looked up. “Mrs. Sarsky. Henry is going to be married to his bride at eleven this morning at St. Mary’s Church. He loves her very much. She loves him. I know Henry and Jenny had a very strong connection once, but Henry must be allowed to get on with his life. To stop this wedding would destroy him all over again, as well as his future wife, and I can’t do that. There is nothing more you or I can do. Please go back to Ottawa.” Mary disappeared into the house, slamming the door behind her.
Edith stood on the landing, utterly dejected. She’d thought for sure if she made the trip to Regina it would put pressure on Mrs. Pederson… No, this was all her own fault. I’m the one who made the decision to keep them apart a long time ago. I’m the one who convinced Ted to destroy the letters. Now I’m just reaping what I’ve sown.
Since she had dismissed the cab, having anticip
ated being invited in and having a longer discussion with Mary, she decided to go for a walk and work off some of her anxiety. She wanted so much to correct the wrong she’d done, but it seemed it wasn’t meant to be. For the first time in her life she felt completely helpless, trapped by the results of her own manipulation.
Edith walked to the corner and headed up 13th Avenue towards Winnipeg Street where St. Mary’s Church was located. She was surprised that she still remembered where the church was—she and Ted had only gone with Jenny a few times. Panic swept through her as she faced the front of the church. Only a few hours… She couldn’t bear to stand there any longer and began to walk aimlessly ahead.
When they first arrived in Regina, she remembered, how happy they all had been—Jenny had immediately made friends, rather a friend: Henry. Edith had never seen her daughter so happy. But they’d grown so close so quickly, it was frightening.
Edith found a café on Victoria Avenue and ordered herself breakfast; she’d slept through the meal on the plane.
She examined Jenny’s relationship with James, now—finally—fully realizing it was Henry who could bring back the sparkle and joy to Jenny’s life. Ted had known from the start that what they were doing wasn’t right, and in the end it had killed him. Her manipulations had killed her own husband. And to make matters worse, she had killed her daughter’s spirit as well by encouraging a relationship with a man whose priority was financial gain. She had flown here hoping to somehow make amends for it all, but it was too late.
The clock on the café wall ticked ten-thirty and she knew she had to start back towards the church. She wanted to at least see the woman who had taken Jenny’s place in Henry’s heart.
As Edith approached the church, she couldn’t believe the number of cars and the number of people milling about. Henry and his bride must really mean a lot to the community.
One of the ushers greeted her when she entered the foyer.
“Good morning. Are you on the groom’s side of the family or the bride’s?”
Another Angel of Love Page 50