Wanted: Girl I Once Met

by Sonja Gunter

  “You tell Val, I expect her to call me more often. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mark,” Gramma Greta said as she held out her hand and shook Mark’s hand.

  “No, it’s my pleasure.”

  “My, my, aren’t you the flirtatious type.”

  “Gramma!” Rane exclaimed.

  Gramma Greta waved her hand and smiled. “Come on in and sit down. I’ll bring out some cold lemonade to drink and some cookies. If I’d known you were coming, I could’ve baked your favorite ones, Ro.”

  Rane rolled her eyes as her Gramma went to the kitchen. She turned to Mark. “Well, what do you think of my Grams?”

  “She’s like the grandma I never had,” he said meaningfully.

  Once settled in the living room area, Mark sat down next to Rane on the couch next to each other and waited for her grandmother to rejoin them. This was all new to him since he’d never had a chance to know his grandparents.

  As he took in everything in the room at once, his gaze locked in on a single picture on the entertainment stand in front of him. He felt his palms perspire and nervously brushed his hand through his hair as his breathing quickened. He couldn’t believe what he saw.

  There, on the stand, right in front of him, next to a current picture of Rane, was the other half of the picture that he kept on his office desk.

  Hot Damn. Sweet mother of Jesus! His instincts had been correct. Philip had been wrong.

  He studied the other items on the stand and found a picture of a younger Rane, which is how he remembered her. He glanced over at her and he could see the similarities in the teenage girl to the woman she had become. Her eyes still sparkled with mischief. She now had pouty cheeks that made him look twice at her.

  Why hadn’t he been able to see the similarities? The adult Rane had the same self-confidence as the teenage Rane. Her never disagree with me attitude was still there in the grown-up Rane. And her unique eyes caught his attention today as they had on the plane.

  Everything started to grow clearer and made more sense. The feelings he’d been having since he had knocked her down, the attraction he kept dismissing, and the comfort level he’d felt whenever he was around her. It was as if fate hadn’t been on their side until today.

  Rane obviously hadn’t made the connection yet. How was he going to bring up her promise to meet him in two months?

  Rane couldn’t stop smiling as she watched Gramma entered the room. It’d been too long since she’d been able to visit.

  “Here we are. I’ve got some goodies to eat and nice cold lemonade to drink,” Gramma Gretta said. She placed the tray down on the table in front of them.

  “Thanks, Grams.”

  “Ro, honey, tell me what brings you to Grandma’s house. I didn’t know you were coming down to visit. Your mother didn’t say anything and she just left for work. She won’t be back until suppertime.”

  “It’s okay. I’m sorry for not calling. Mark and I flew in last night. We’re only staying for the weekend.”

  Rane felt her cheeks heat. She couldn’t tell her grandmother that the real reason was that it had been a spur-of-the-moment trip to be alone with her new boyfriend. It was going to be tough enough when she introduced Mark to her mother. What would her mother think of him?

  “Oh, that’s too bad. Will you be able to see your mother?”

  “Yea, Mark suggested that perhaps we could all go out for dinner tonight,” Rane said, playing with her hair. “Do you have someplace you’d like to go?”

  “Gramma Gretta, you have some interesting pictures on your shelves,” Mark stated.

  “Yes, I do! I’m so glad you noticed them. They are my memories of the times Ro spent with me during her spring vacations. Each item has a special memory of our time together, doesn’t it, sweetie? Do you remember these?” She went over to the shelves, picked up a cup of seashells and continued, “Take this cup of shells. We would have to—”

  Before Gramma Gretta could say another word, Rane said, “Oh, Gramma, stop showing off items from my youth. Mark doesn’t need to hear about this stuff.”

  Embarrassed, Rane studied Mark to see if he was getting bored. Gramma Gretta sometimes had a way of doing that to a person.

  Instead, she saw a genuine smile on Mark’s face and heard him say, “I would love to hear about all the special items you are willing to share.”

  “See, Ro, other people are interested in these things that I have saved all these years. Now don’t interrupt again,” Gramma Gretta reprimanded playfully. Still holding the cup of shells, she resumed her story telling.

  Rane mouthed, “Thank you” to Mark.

  “These shells are from Ro’s and my first visit to the ocean. Ro spent hours trying to find the perfect one. She was going to make a picture of flowers using them for a 3-D effect. As you can see, we never got around to making the picture and all I have is all these unused shells.”

  Rane bent her head and placed her hands over her face.

  Mark’s eyes glistened with laughter as he watched Rane. His heart swelled with an unexpected feeling of love. Every minute he spent with her proved to further his feelings from years ago to the present. She was everything he’d ever wanted in a woman from her sophistication, independence, and proficiency in her work, to her quick-thinking remarks, and show of affection to the people she cherished.

  Mark watched as Gramma Gretta selected the framed hand-colored picture.

  “This is one of Ro’s pieces of art a couple of years later. You can see she had some talent when she was younger. She’d drawn this one during her plane ride down here. As you can see, it’s torn. Ro, honey, pay attention. You know I muddle up the facts. You might have to help me,” Gramma Gretta said, and handed the picture to Mark for a closer look.

  “No, you can’t tell that story.”

  Gramma Gretta just smiled, ignored Rane’s outburst, and continued. “My sweet, Ro, had sat next to a young man during her flight down here and she’d asked this young man to marry her when she got older. She never was afraid to say what she felt.”

  “This is so embarrassing.” Color graced Rane’s cheeks. “I told you part of this story last night.”

  “Now, now, no interruptions, you told me to tell it.”

  “Okay, I’m sorry, Gramma Gretta.”

  “Leave it to our outspoken Ro, she went and asked this young boy to marry her. Now mind you, she was only thirteen years old, so she drew him a picture of Disney’s Epcot Park and told the young man to meet her there in the future.” Gramma stopped talking to take a drink of her lemonade. “This is the sweet part, just like my lemonade. How many years did you tell him?” Gramma Gretta asked Rane, obviously expecting her to finish the story.

  “Oh, Gramma Gretta, I don’t remember. I think it was thirty years,” Rane replied and stared at the picture Mark now held in his hands.

  She’d forgotten all about the picture and the message she’d written on the missing half but not the image of the handsome young man. Every so often, she’d think of him and his blue eyes, black hair, and his smile. That day came back to her as if it was yesterday.

  She remembered she could hardly wait to tell Val all about the good-looking young man who’d sat next to her on the plane. She’d watched him walk down the aisle and it had reminded her of models walking the catwalk in a fashion show. When he had sat down next her, she hadn’t been able to utter a single word.

  Déjà vu hit her.

  She stole a momentary look at Mark as he held her picture. Suddenly she felt like she was sitting next to an older version of the young man from the plane.

  It was him!

  No, he couldn’t be.

  There was no way in hell Mark could be that same young man.

  Nevertheless, what if he were, and after all these years they’d found each othe
r by accident? No way, she kept telling herself. Her Mark couldn’t be the same person from the plane. Could fate be on her side?

  She regarded Mark more closely and concentrated on his eyes. She gasped. They were the same shade of blue. She remembered comparing them to the color of the morning sky.

  She stared at him to see how he had changed over the years. His black hair now showed some gray stands but you could tell it still had a hint of the blue-black color she remembered. No wonder she’d been so attracted to him. As a man, he never lost his kindness, air of authority, and sexuality. She understood, it was Mark who’d been missing from her life.

  Mark watched as a rush of emotions crossed Rane’s face.

  Was she remembering? Had she made the connections?

  Keeping his gaze focused on Rane, he stated, “Gramma Gretta, this is indeed a very special picture. I’m glad you’ve kept it safe all these years.” He paused, still debating if he should let the cat out the bag, then, making his decision, he continued. “The number of years on the picture is twenty.”

  Rane’s jaw dropped open and she placed her hand to her mouth. “How do I know? I have the other half of this picture in my office back in Minnesota.”

  “Oh no, this isn’t happening,” Rane said as tears ran down her face.

  Mark handed the picture back to Gramma Gretta then grasped ahold of Rane’s shaking hands.

  “Rane, I am that boy from the plane. I wasn’t sure you were the girl until I saw your half of the picture. I went to the beach to look for you too. I knew you’d turn out to be the woman I’d want in my life. I’ve waited all these years in hopes you’d show up and here you are, in front of me. I fell in love with you not knowing who you were.”

  He let go of her hands and withdrew from his pocket a diamond ring. Taking her left hand, he slid the ring on her now trembling finger.

  “I know you asked me twenty years ago but if you would still like to marry me, I’d be honored.”

  Rane smiled, appearing too stunned to answer. She nodded as more tears came.

  “I was beginning to think you’d never find her,” Gramma Gretta announced and then asked in an all-knowing tone, “What took you so long, young man?”

  Epilogue

  The radiant morning sun shone on the wedding couple giving the illusion of a pair of heavenly angels with the Disney Epcot sphere in the background. Rane and Mark stood hand-in-hand in front of a pastor, dressed in a white robe, who held open a bible.

  It was picture perfect and what made dreams come true.

  The ceremony took place by Spaceship Earth at the park’s entrance. Floating flowers filled the circle water fountain and the front garden featured princesses and princes topiary in their honor.

  Mark had arranged with Walt Disney World to have the wedding take place at the Epcot Park during off hours. A select few of The World Showcase restaurants would host a lunch reception. She and Mark would be using a trolley bus to make appearances at each of the restaurants for their guests.

  The gates would open to the general public at the usual time but by then, they’d be heading back to the villa.

  Rane didn’t even want to know how much money it was costing Mark, but he was certainly making all her wishes come true.

  The several hundred guests sat in rows giving them a full view of the fairy-tale wedding taking place in front of them. In the front row was Gramma Gretta, Anna, Rane’s mother, and Mrs. Weber.

  Everyone quieted down when the song “If I Never Knew You” from Pocahontas began to play. Val stood next to Rane and Philip next to Mark. As soon as the song ended, she turned and faced Mark.

  She couldn’t believe she was standing next to him about to become his wife. Who would have thought that a promise made twenty years ago would come true? They were star-crossed lovers who’d found each other the hard way. How had she known that day so long ago that they belonged together? She’d given up. No, she’d forgotten but he hadn’t.

  She feasted her eyes on him, her husband-to-be, dressed in a white tuxedo, which made him even more handsome with his black hair and tanned skin. It all seemed like a dream so unreal she still couldn’t believe everything that had happened and she was about to say I do to the man she truly loved.

  Rane let her mind drift back to the morning they’d gone to Gramma Gretta’s home.

  After Mark had placed the ring on her finger, everything happened very fast. Grandma Gretta had cried and her mom had come home early from work. Philip came in carrying Mark’s half of the picture, which he’d secretly removed from his office unbeknownst to him, and they made a decision to get married in a couple weeks on the promised date.

  A whirlwind of activity happened from then on. She and Mark agreed to an unusual invitation featuring a copy of the twenty-year-old picture and sent them out via faxes, e-mails, text messages, Twitter, Facebook, and special delivery to some important guests.

  Val nudged her in the back and Rane realized it was time for her to say her vows. They’d playfully changed the order of the traditional vows since she was the one who’d originally asked Mark to marry her years ago.

  She smiled and repeated, “Yes, I, Rane Schoen, take Mark Christmenn to be my . . .”

  Mark held her hand and listened as Rane spoke her affirmation to become his wife. He couldn’t believe he’d actually found the girl from the plane twenty years later.

  And that girl had turned into a beautiful woman! In fact, he’d never seen anyone more beautiful in his entire life. Rane had fixed her long hair up and away from her face, leaving some whips framing her face. He admired the low-cut, off-the-shoulder white beaded lace wedding dress. The gown was very form fitting and didn’t leave much to the imagination. But, then again, he didn’t have to imagine. He knew what treasures the dress hid.

  When Rane finished her pledge, he squeezed her hand and repeated his vows to her.

  “Yes, I, Mark Christmenn, take Rane Schoen to be . . .”

  Finally, the pastor pronounced them husband and wife. Mark wasted no time taking Rane in his arms.

  “I love you,” he whispered and captured Rane’s lips in a kiss to seal their exchanged vows. The cheers and hollers of encouragements broke them apart.

  He ended the kiss and focused on her now blue-green eyes. He realized that she was showing him her love and knew he’d have a lifetime to take advantage of what her green eye color meant.

  She was his true-life dragon. He knew that, like the dragons and their human partners, he, too, had found his life mate for all eternity.