The Decision

by Patricia Roberts

  “What are you guys doing here?” Stephen asked confused. “Ryan needs some guy time and I want some alone time with Shelby” Samantha told him. “Absolutely not” Stephen said sternly. “She might need me for something and I wouldn’t be here.”

  “Stephen you have been taking great care of me and I can tell you’re exhausted. Just go out and have a good time” Shelby told him. “So you want me gone too fine” he said slamming the door shut. Shelby cringed and could tell he was angry. “Don’t worry about him he just needs to let off some steam and he will be fine” Ryan told her. Samantha and Shelby had a nice evening getting to talk and Shelby was showing her a card her students had made when Stephen came home and headed upstairs.

  “I take it he is still angry?” Shelby asked Ryan. “He is just worried about you. I think it brings up things with Lily again” Ryan said sadly. “I didn’t think about that” Shelby said concerned. “I will talk to you tomorrow” Samantha said and went upstairs to say goodnight to Stephen. Shelby wasn’t supposed to take the stairs for a few weeks so she had to wait for him to come downstairs. An hour later he came downstairs and Shelby could see that he had taken a shower.

  “Hey” she said to him. “Hey” he said standing up angrily. “Can we talk?” she asked him. “Yes” he said sighing and sitting beside her. “I am sorry if what I said hurt you tonight. I am not tired of you at all I just am worried because you seem so tired.”

  “I know” he said looking down. “I know we have been through a lot but can you tell me what has been bothering you lately?” she asked worried. “It’s everything” he told her with tears in his eyes. “What do you mean?” she asked him.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “When I found out what happened to you I thought that everyone was just playing a horrible joke on me. Then I get to the hospital and the doctor tells us how serious it was and I couldn’t believe this was happening. Is it selfish that all I could think about was that this couldn’t be happening to me again?”

  “Of course not sweetheart. I know it had to be hard for you thinking that you were going to lose someone again.”

  “After the surgery I would go in and see you and you seemed to get better when I was around. I thought if I could just stay with you nothing bad would happen to you. Then it became like an obsessive thing that was happening. I couldn’t leave you alone because I was terrified that something was going to happen to you. Then when you told me to leave this evening it made me mad. I had just been wanting to protect you and I realize that I can’t protect you from everything and it hurts” he told her.

  “I wish that there was something that I could say to make you feel better. What I do know is that we can’t keep living in fear that something is going to happen to me. You also can’t keep treating me like I am a fragile person. I am not going to break if you hold me or kiss me” Stephen. “I know I just want you to get well.”

  “I will but I miss my husband.”

  “What can I do?” he asked her. “What if you curled up with me on the couch and we watch television tonight?”

  “I would like that” he told her smiling. That night Stephen held Shelby in his arms and it had never felt so right to hold someone. He realized that this is all that he really needed for both of them to get better. That night they fell asleep in each other’s arms and had never slept that well in a long time. The next morning Stephen woke up to see Shelby gone and looked around worried. He went into the kitchen to see her making some pancakes.

  “There you are” he said hugging her from behind. “Hey I am sorry I got up but I was so hungry” she told him. “Let’s eat” he told her smiling. They ate breakfast and talked and it felt like old times to both of them. After they finished they relaxed the rest of the day and felt better. Over the next few weeks Stephen started to go to work more and Shelby started to regain her strength even more. Stephen was taking her to the doctor this week and if all went well she would be able to go back to work in two weeks. They arrived at the doctor’s office and when the doctor came in he smiled at them.

  “You look great” he told Shelby. “Thanks I am feeling great” she told him. “I have looked over your paperwork and everything looks great. As long as you feel up to it I see no problem with you going back to work in two weeks.”

  “Thank you for all you have done for us” Shelby told him. “Shelby is right on that. You have taken very good care of us.”

  “No thanks necessary. I am just happy to see you doing so well.” Stephen was a little nervous to see her go to work but she had been doing well and she promised to come home if there was any problems. Over the next few months things seemed to be going well and they were becoming as close as ever again. One Friday morning Shelby woke up to make them breakfast before work. As she was flipping bacon she smiled to herself. She had come a long way in cooking. She hadn’t burnt one meal since they had got married and she was proud of that. She heard movement behind her and seen Stephen walking to the coffee pot. He was usually in a great mood in the morning but he looked like he hadn’t got any sleep.

  “Hey are you okay?” she asked him concerned. “What?” he asked grumpily. “I asked if you’re okay. You don’t look like you slept to good last night.”

  “I am fine” he grumbled. “Alright I made some breakfast.”

  “I am sorry but I have to go” he told her. He came over and gave her a kiss on the forehead and left. “What on earth is going on with him?” Shelby said to herself when he left. School was out that day and she was getting things done around the house when there was a knock on the door. Shelby went to answer it and was shocked to see Samantha standing there.

  “Hey Samantha” she told her. “Hey how are you doing?” Samantha asked her. “I am great come on in” she told her. Samantha sat on the couch and was looking on the ground when Shelby came in with some coffee. “Alright am I missing something today? First Stephen comes downstairs and is acting strange. He didn’t want any breakfast and left and now your acting weird.”

  “I am sorry” Samantha told her. “What is going on?”

  “Today marks twelve years since Lily died.”

  “Oh no” Shelby said. “Is Stephen okay at work?”

  “He didn’t come in today.”

  “What?” Shelby asked concerned. She knew that today would be rough on him and it didn’t help that he now had PTSD. “He always takes the day off and goes off by himself. The next day he is usually alright” she told her. “No wonder he didn’t look good this morning. I am sure this is hard for you also.” She knew that Samantha and Lily had been friends in school and that it hit her hard when she had died.

  “It’s hard on me but I am always so focused on Stephen that I don’t get to think about it much.”

  “Do you mind if I ask you a question?” Shelby said. “Of course not” Samantha said. “What was she like?” Shelby asked smiling. “She was a beautiful person inside and out. You actually remind me a lot of her.”

  “Really?” Shelby asked grinning. “Yes she was always a positive person, and she was very caring like you are. She loved Stephen with all of her heart and was so excited about being a mom” she said with tears in her eyes. “I am sorry if this is upsetting you” Shelby told her. “No it feels nice to be able to talk about her after all this time.”

  “Do you mind if I ask one more thing?”

  “No of course not” Samantha said. “Where is her grave at?” she asked her. “It’s at the cemetery off of Main Street. Why do you ask?”

  “I think I would like to go put some flowers on her grave.”

  “I think that would be wonderful” Samantha said crying. “Oh sweetheart I am so sorry that you lost your friend.”

  “I am too but I am thankful that she brought you into my life. I feel like I have a sister again.”

  “So do I,” Shelby told her smiling. Later that afternoon Shelby arrived and the cemetery and found her grave. She looked to see her name, date of death, and a small saying at the bottom. Bel
oved wife, daughter, mother, and friend.

  “Hey Lily, I know you’re not really here but I decided to bring you some flowers. I picked these from my backyard. I have always love sunflowers and I thought that you would like them here. They always brighten my day and I thought they would brighten yours. I also wrote you this letter. I am just going to leave it with the flowers. I know it’s not like you can read it from the grave. It pretty much thanks you for giving me your husband. I am so grateful every day that he is in my life. I promise to take good care of him always” she told her with tears in her eyes.

  She got up and went home and decided to make some homemade chicken and dumplings. It was one of Stephen’s favorite things to eat and she had a feeling it would help him feel better once he got home. Stephen was on his way back into town and hour later when he pulled up to the cemetery. He had gone on the hiking trail that he and Shelby had gone on all of those months ago. He sat up there and just thought on things, cried occasionally, and mourned his former wife. He knew that he should have said something to Shelby this morning but they had never really talked about lily very much. He arrived and seen someone had brought sunflowers and a note.

  “Hey Lily it’s me. It has been twelve years since you died and it still hurts but not as bad as it once did. You see I ended up marrying a beautiful woman from the inside out. I want you to know I think of you often but she has brought so much love into my life and I thank God for her daily.” He stood up to leave and picked up the note and noticed the penmanship with tears in his eyes. He opened the note and read.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  “Dear Lily, I know this might seem strange to some people but I thought it was time we talked. I don’t know how to possibly thank you for what you have given me in a husband. Stephen is one of the most passionate, caring, and loving individuals I know. I can’t begin to imagine how hard it was for him when you died. He doesn’t like to talk about it a lot but I see a sadness in him sometimes. I want you to know that I am trying my hardest to take care of him. I know how much you both loved each other and I know that somehow you helped us find each other. I hope you can rest peacefully knowing that.”

  Stephen held the note and cried in the car for a good thirty minutes. He didn’t even know how she knew what today was but he knew he needed to get home. He pulled up to the house and when he walked in he could smell the chicken and dumplings. He walked into the kitchen to see Shelby taking brownies out of the oven. “Shelby?” he called out to her. “Hey” she said turning around. She looked at him and could tell that he had been crying. “Are you alright?” she asked concerned. “What is all this?” he asked smiling. “Well I know there some of your favorites but I am not sure about these brownies. They seem a little hard” she said trying to poke them. Stephen couldn’t help it and laughed for the first time that day. “What” she asked smiling. “Can I please talk to you in the living room” he asked her.

  “Of course” she said and walked to the couch to sit. “I found this” he said handing her the note. She smiled sadly at him. “How did you even know?” Stephen asked confused. “Samantha came over earlier today and told me what today was.”

  “I am sorry I didn’t” he told her. “Stephen I understand that today couldn’t have been easy on you. I know that you still miss her and I doubt that is something that ever goes away but you never talk about her and I just want you to know that you don’t have to feel bad about talking about her around me. I know that she was an important part of your life and if you want to talk about her then I am okay with that.”

  “What would you like to know?” he asked her. “What was she like? What were you both like together?” she asked him. “Lily was a very shy person. She didn’t open up to a lot of people unless they were friends. She liked to plant things in our garden and taking care of other people.”

  Shelby smiled as she listened to him talk about Lily. She was so glad that he was finally opening up about his life with her and sharing it with Shelby. That evening they sat around and talked about how Stephen had met Lily in ninth grade and how they dated off and on during school. He told her that they rarely fought but that he knew she wanted to be a mom more than anything in this world. He talked about the day that she died and she held him while he cried. After he had poured out his heart to her it made it easier for him to talk about Lily and not feel so guilty about it. He was even able to talk to Samantha about her and it made it easier for both of them.

  A few weeks later John had asked everyone to come over to the diner at eight that night. He had closed the place down and Samantha and Ryan, Cody and Haley, and Shelby and Stephen all showed up. “Do you know what this is about?” Shelby asked Cody. “I have no clue he has been acting very suspicious all week long.”

  “Great you have all made it” John told them. “What is this about?” Cody asked him. “Well I have a surprise for everyone that I think that you’re going to like.”

  “Alright what is it?” Shelby asked smiling. “It seems I had a distant relative that died” he said. “I am so sorry dad” Shelby said frowning. “Wait a minute why do you look so happy” Cody asked him.

  “Well this certain’s cousin was very rich. Her name was Maddie Ryan and she lived to be ninety years old. She was always a very sweet lady whenever I knew her. She was close to your grandmother and lived in Oklahoma also. When Paige went to her viewing she was shocked at what she found out.”

  “What was it?” Samantha asked intrigued. “She left Paige and me one million dollars” he said smiling. “What?” Haley asked shocked. “It’s amazing isn’t it?” John said. “That is a lot of money dad” Shelby said grinning.

  “I know I brought you all here for three reasons tonight. First I wanted you to all know that I will be retiring in three months.”

  “What?” Cody yelled out. “It’s time I did son. I haven’t been enjoying it as much as I should. Secondly I am signing the diner over to Cody and Haley. I hope you don’t mind Shelby.”

  “Of course I don’t” she told her dad. She could tell he was happy but Cody looked like he was about to lose it. “Third and most exciting I have paid for everyone to go on a vacation to a beach in Florida. I have a condo reserved that would fit all of us and we will have a private beach.”

  “I don’t know what to say?” Samantha told him. “Say you will come. You could close down the garage for a week couldn’t you Stephen?” he asked him. “Of course we could and I think that would be the perfect thing for us” he said smiling at Shelby. “Excuse me” Cody said walking outside and slamming the door. Haley made to get up and Shelby stopped him.

  “Let me” she told her. “Okay” she said smiling. Shelby walked outside to see Cody pacing back and forth. “Hey” Shelby said to him. “Can you believe dad? Has he completely lost it?” he asked her. “I don’t know I think it would do us all some good to go relax on a beach” she told him. “I could care less about that. I am talking about him retiring and handing the diner over.”

  “What is so horrible about it?” she asked him. “I know he has a lot of money but what if it runs out? What if I can’t do this on my own?” he asked her. “Well for one you have never done this on your own. Haley takes care of most things anyways. As for dad not having enough money he is fine” she told him smiling. “How do you know?” he asked her. “I promised dad I wouldn’t ever tell you but I guess it wouldn’t hurt.”

  “Tell me what?” he asked her. When mom died she had a life insurance policy of $500,000.00.”

  “What?” Cody asked shocked. “I thought that dad gave us both fifty thousand.”

  “He did and put the rest in savings. Trust me when I tell you that dad is going to be fine. I know that it’s a lot trying to take care of the diner alone and I am sure that if you asked dad to stay on he would but I think that he is doing this to thank you for all that you have helped him with over the years.”

  “I guess your right” he told her calming down. “What about you are you going to be alright?” he
asked her. “Are you kidding me I am fine. I have a wonderful husband, a great job, a nice house, wonderful friends and a loving family. What else could I possibly need?” she asked him smiling.

  “Thanks for helping me calm down” Cody told her giving her a hug. “Anytime” she told him hugging him back and smiling. Stephen came out to check on them and seen them hugging. “Everything okay?” he asked them. “Things are great I think that I will go and talk to dad” Cody told them. He walked inside and Stephen came over to hold Shelby in his arms.

  “So what did you think?” Shelby asked him. “Well I think that your dad deserves to retire and I think that it’s great that he gave the diner to Cody. How do you feel about that?” Stephen asked concerned. “I am fine with it. Could you imagine me trying to run this place?” she asked laughing. He laughed along with her and gave her a kiss. “What about the beach?” she asked excitedly. “Well I think that we should cut the evening short and go find you a swimming suit” he said smiling.

  Shelby couldn’t help herself and laughed at him. John looked at them through the window and smiled. He was so happy to see both of his kids thriving and doing well with everything. He couldn’t wait to start this vacation with family and friends. He turned to go join everyone else.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Three months later Shelby was finishing packing their bags when Stephen came home. He saw her struggling and laughed. “Would you like some help?” he asked her smiling. “Hey, your home” she said laughing. He helped her get everything ready and then smiled at her.

  “What is it?” she asked him. “Do you happen to know what tomorrow is?” he asked her. “Of course it’s the day that we have been waiting for three months. We get to start our vacation.”