A Special Relationship

by Yvonne Thomas

  It took two weeks for the police to investigate and discredit that nonsense, and today all charges were dropped against Carrie and the judge said that she was free to go. After being processed out, which, to Carrie’s surprise, took nearly two hours.

  And Carrie stepped out into the sunshine for the first time in six weeks. And she was happy. Robert was all right. Now she could go on with her life. At least what was left of it. She knew about Schulzbacher, a homeless shelter in walking distance of the jail, and she thought she’d stay there until she could find her a job. She dreaded the idea, there was nothing more certain that your life was out of whack than to wake up one morning in a homeless shelter. But it was a fact: her life was out of whack.

  But as soon as she walked out of the jail and looked across the parking lot, she had reason to wonder if it was as whacky as she had thought. Because standing across that street, his now thin body resting on a cane, was Robert Kincaid. Her heart leaped. And without thinking about his ex-wife, her circumstances, the fact that no-way would he want to have anything to do with her now, she ran toward him. He began limping toward her, barely able to, until they met. She wanted to jump into his arms, and he wanted to take her into his. But they just stood there. Both afraid.

  “You’re up and about?” Carrie asked him, as if she could not see it with her own two eyes.

  “Yes,” Robert said. “The Lord has really blessed me.”

  “Yes,” she said, tears in her eyes. “Yes, he has. And me.”

  Tears began to form in Robert’s eyes. “I’m so sorry, Carrie,” he said. “It was all my fault.”

  “Your fault? It wasn’t your fault.”

  “Yes, it was. I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to choose Gloria over you. It’s you that I love. And will always love.”

  “But . . . you’ve got to help her.”

  “No.”

  “She’s in a wheelchair, Robert, what do you mean no?”

  Robert paused, the anger still there. “She was faking, Carrie. She’s not paralyzed at all. She, Paul, and Ashley needed money and they thought of me.”

  Carrie’s heart dropped. Are people really that devious?

  Then Robert grabbed her into his arms. “Please forgive me, Carrie. Please?”

  Carrie leaned back and looked at him. It was she who needed forgiving, she thought. But on this day, and at this time, she didn’t think about it. “I did that a long time ago,” she said and Robert, thrilled, kissed her. When he wouldn’t stop, wouldn’t let her breathe, she had to break away.

  “Get in the car,” he said.

  “Why?” she asked. “Where are we going?”

  “To be married.”

  Carrie laughed. Then realized Robert wasn’t even smiling. “Are you serious?”

  Robert nodded. And pulled out the ring. “I’ve never been more serious in all my days,” he said.

  Then he attempted to get on his knees, but Carrie tried to stop him. He got down anyway. “Sojourner Caroline Banks,” he said, “will you marry me?”

  Carrie looked at this big man on his knees, at the people looking at this big man on his knees, and she wiped her eyes and nodded. “Yes,” she said. “Oh, yes.”