Now and Forever 5, Love's Journey

by Joachim, Jean C.

“Simon Westfield, please. Simon, how are you? Sam Caldwell. I’m calling to accept your kind offer. Yes, I’ll be there…yes and Austen Mansfield and Orlando Environmental College too. Right. See you February first.”

  Sam hung up the phone and took his suitcase down from the closet shelf. Pat and Sam saw each other on the two weekends left in January. Sam was not content. Nothing like a change of scenery to clear my head.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  In the small rental house across town

  In January, Marcia started to think about the university. Her sabbatical was coming to an end in four months. She had no idea what to do. She had planned to return to teaching, figuring she’d want to get back into a familiar routine and surroundings, but now with Jakub in her life, she wasn’t sure.

  Her thoughts kept returning to children. Jakub’s grandchildren came to visit them again after the Christmas visit. Annabeth warmed up to Marcia. They played games, went to a museum and cooked together. Jakub had fun with the children, allowing them to climb all over him, laughing with them, soothing them and feeding them. Watching him with Joey and Annabeth, Marcia grew to love him more and more. She was sorry to see them leave.

  * * * *

  One morning, Rebecca picked them up because she was curious to see what Marcia looked like. She was rewarded when Marcia opened the door. Rebecca’s eyes opened wide. Marcia was dressed in a low cut red tank top, a man’s red and black buffalo plaid flannel shirt open over the tank top and black leggings hugging her slim hips and gorgeous legs. Her chin-length black hair was shining, her lips were light red and her gray eyes twinkled. She was younger and more beautiful than Rebecca expected. She now understood Jakub’s attraction to the young woman.

  “You must be Rebecca,” Marcia said, extending her hand.

  “Yes,” Rebecca was barely able to choke out the word.

  “Please come in. Joey and Annabeth are almost ready. Hot chocolate?”

  Rebecca stepped into the warm house. A fire was blazing and the children were gathering their toys and belongings scattered around the living room.

  “We made hot chocolate with Marcia’s secret recipe,” Joey said.

  “We roasted marshmallows in the fireplace,” Annabeth said.

  “You can’t do that at home,” Rebecca said.

  “I know, but Grandpa and Marcia said it was okay here.”

  “Your children are delightful.”

  Jakub came up behind Marcia and put an arm around her shoulders. She slipped her arm around his waist. Jakub looked years younger standing next to Marcia.

  “Thank you,” Rebecca mumbled.

  “So now you meet Marcia, Rebecca. What you think? She is beautiful, yes?”

  “Jake!” Marcia blushed.

  “She is beautiful, yes.” Rebecca laughed.

  Jakub took the children out to the car and fastened them in. Rebecca could feel the warmth coming from Marcia. She was drawn to her, as she imagined Jakub was drawn to her. They certainly looked like a couple in love.

  When she returned home, Rebecca was determined to bring Johnny to his senses.

  “I met Marcia today.” Rebecca set out the silverware while Johnny put out plates.

  “Yeah? What did you think of the whore?” Johnny popped a beer, took a swig.

  “Johnny!” Rebecca’s hand flew to cover her mouth.

  “Okay, okay.” Johnny lowered his tone of voice.

  “She is beautiful. And young…warm.” Rebecca put chopped meat on the counter.

  “I’ll bet she’s warm. Warm for the old man.” Johnny tossed lettuce in the sink.

  “They seemed very happy together. Jakub looked years younger with her.”

  “Yeah? Horny bastard.” Johnny turned on the water and put down his beer.

  “What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you let him have a life?”

  “Because…because…I don’t know. I don’t like that she was cheating on her dying husband with my dad.”

  “I understand, but that was months ago. She’s a widow now and it’s okay for them to be together. Why can’t you accept it and be happy for them?”

  “Maybe…I can’t see my dad with anyone but my mom.”

  “But she’s been gone now for almost three years, Johnny. Give Jakub a break. Don’t make him choose between you and her.” Rebecca poured some olive oil in a pan.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Don’t make him choose between happiness with a woman or his family.”

  “You think that’s what I’m doing?” Johnny began to tear lettuce.

  “I don’t think you mean to, but that will happen if you don’t accept her.”

  “Why should I?” He threw the lettuce into a bowl.

  “What if they get married?” Rebecca chopped garlic.

  “He’s not going to do that! He’s just sleeping with her.”

  “Don’t be so sure. It looked like they just might, they were that happy.”

  “Oh, God.” He took salad dressing out of the refrigerator.

  “Talk to him. Do it for the kids. They adore him and seem to like her.”

  “Okay, okay. I’ll talk to him, only talk.” He chopped up a tomato and cucumber.

  “I’ll arrange a meeting on neutral ground.”

  “How about a beer at The Shotglass?” Johnny poured the dressing on the salad.

  “I’ll call him after dinner.”

  * * * *

  Jakub got to The Shotglass on time. Johnny was waiting in a booth. Jakub sat down, his eyes hooded as he looked at his son.

  “Hi, Dad. You’re looking good.” Johnny smiled a cold smile.

  “Thank you. You too.” Jakub kept his eyes focused on his son.

  “So, Dad…how are things with Marcia?”

  “Good.” The waitress came and both men ordered beer.

  “Where is this going with you and her?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Is this just a fling or what?”

  “Fling?” Jakub cast a questioning look at his son.

  “Temporary. Just for now.” The waitress put two frosty glasses filled to the brim with beer down in front of the men.

  “I hope not.” Jakub took a gulp of his drink.

  “Is this just sex?” Johnny avoided his father’s stare by taking a drink.

  “Watch it, Johnny!” Jakub’s eyes flashed, anger flickered.

  “Well?” Johnny prodded.

  “We love each other.” Jakub wiped the beer mustache from his upper lip with his napkin.

  “You do, eh?” Johnny asked, swallowing some beer and biding his time.

  Jakub nodded while he took a gulp of his beer.

  “What about Mom?” Johnny blurted out, putting his half-empty glass down hard.

  “Ah. I see.” Jakub narrowed his eyes and paused. “Nika was a special woman and I shall always love her, Johnny, but she is gone. She has died. I have not. I want to be happy, the way a man is happy, with a woman. Nika would want. I am happy with Marcia. She is good to me and to my grandchildren.”

  Johnny looked at his father. He had noticed the bounce in his father’s step as he entered the bar. Jakub seemed to have fewer creases on his face, his brow appeared smoother. Something seemed to be pumping new life into his old man, Johnny couldn’t deny what he saw. His reasons for hating Marcia were getting harder to justify.

  “Try not to be mad at her…or mean to her. I love her. Please give her respect, like you respect me.”

  “So I don’t have to like her?” Johnny finished his beer.

  “Just respect. That’s all.” Jakub licked his lips.

  Relief soothed the tension in Johnny’s temples. The pounding stopped. All he had to do was hold in his temper and be civil to this woman and his feud with his father would end.

  “Okay. I’ll try.”

  “Thank you, Johnny. Thank you.” Jakub broke into a big smile.

  They talked about the children while they finished a second beer, then Marcia showed up. Johnny got his fi
rst glimpse of her in many months.

  She came up behind Jakub and placed her hand on his shoulder.

  “Ah, my love.” Jakub took her hand and kissed it.

  Johnny was dumbstruck because Marcia didn’t look like she had when he last saw her. He remembered her as shrunken, sickly, overcome by grief. He couldn’t imagine what Jakub saw in her. He couldn’t believe this was the same woman.

  Marcia was wearing a light blue wool dress cinched at the waist. She looked soft, warm, beautiful and very desirable. Instantly he saw why his father was attracted to her.

  Jakub stood up and she sat next to him, afraid to look Johnny in the eye.

  “Hello.” Marcia took a sip from Jakub’s beer.

  Johnny nodded to her, his gaze sweeping over her.

  “What are your plans, Mrs. Wilton?”

  “Please, call me Marcia.” She brought her gaze up to meet his.

  “You’re my tenant, Mrs. Wilton, not my friend.”

  Marcia looked down at the table. Jakub shot his son a stern look.

  “So, what do you plan to do now you’re…you’re…on your own.”

  “I don’t know.” Marcia shredded a corner of a paper napkin.

  “I get what my father sees in you.” Johnny purposely let his stare rest on her curves. Marcia colored and looked away, folding her arms across her chest.

  “But what do you see in him?” Johnny leveled his stare at her.

  “I don’t see why I should share such personal information with someone who is not a friend.” Marcia looked straight into Johnny’s eyes.

  Hell, she’s not afraid of me. She’s got guts.

  “I don’t want to see him hurt.” Johnny took a drink but kept his eyes on Marcia.

  “I have no intention of hurting him. I love him.”

  Jakub took her hand and planted a kiss on her cheek. She smiled at him.

  “I’m really not comfortable talking about Jake as if he’s not here. It’s condescending.” Anger flashed briefly in Marcia’s eyes.

  “Jake?” Johnny asked, raising an eyebrow at his father.

  “That’s what she calls me.” Jakub smiled.

  “We don’t have anything more to say, do we?” Marcia pushed to her feet.

  Johnny shook his head.

  “Jake, I’ll see you at home.” She bent down to give him a kiss. Then she looked Johnny straight in the eye.

  “Goodbye, Mr. Novacek,” she said and was gone.

  Johnny looked at his father.

  “She’s got guts, Dad.” Johnny finished the last of his beer.

  “She’s smart too.”

  “And I suppose sexy fits in there somewhere, doesn’t it?”

  “Watch your mouth, Johnny.” Jakub finished his beer too.

  “Are you going to marry her?”

  “I don’t know if she wants to.”

  “But you want to?” Johnny signaled for the check.

  Jakub nodded.

  Johnny felt a hand on his heart squeeze it as he thought of his mother. If Jakub married again, he’d forget Nika…have a new life. But Johnny realized he had no right to deny his father some happiness. Even if it was only sex, Jakub had a right to do what he wanted.

  “Okay.” Johnny said, after a long pause.

  “You stop fighting with me, calling Marcia names?” Jakub paid the check.

  Johnny nodded.

  “Good. Good,” Jakub said, clapping his son on the back.

  * * * *

  Marcia was angry after her meeting with Johnny, who made her feel cheap. It was obvious he didn’t understand what she and Jake had together. She had been thinking about Jake and commitment. She’d soon have to tell Dean Caldwell whether she was coming back to the university or not.

  Marcia didn’t intend to fall in love with Jake. She was hoping a brief affair would get her over the loss of Jay, but Jake surprised her. He had been there to take care of her, day in and day out. Marcia began to depend on him, to look forward to being with him…which slowly evolved into love. Now she wanted him in her life. After getting to know Joey and Annabeth, Marcia knew in her heart she was ready to have a baby.

  * * * *

  Jake secured a job with a construction company just outside of Willow Falls right before he met with Johnny. After the successful meeting with Johnny, Jake returned home smiling.

  “Tonight we go out to dinner, Marcia,” Jake said when he got home.

  He had taken a shower and stood in the bedroom with just a towel around his waist. She was putting away clean clothes when he came in. She looked at him, so strong and handsome and her thoughts turned away from food.

  “Since you are fresh from the shower, maybe we shouldn’t go out right away.” Marcia flashed him a sexy grin.

  “Tonight we celebrate.” Jake went to the closet and pulled out a shirt.

  “There are lots of ways to celebrate,” Marcia said, pulling her sweater over her head and unfastening her bra. She walked over to Jake and put her hands on his chest, running them up through his soft dark hair, to his shoulders, to his neck and into his thick graying hair. Jake couldn’t resist her. He pulled her closer and kissed her passionately and the towel fell to the floor. She led him over to the bed where they made love. Afterward, she rested in his arms while he slowly caressed her breast.

  “I got job today. Full time job at Davidson Construction. Now we have enough money to live.”

  “Wonderful!” Marcia looked into his eyes.

  “Now, we get married…if you want marry me.” A tinge of doubt crept into his voice.

  “I do! There is just one thing.” Marcia chewed her lower lip in excitement.

  Jakub sat up, worried.

  “What thing?”

  “I want to have a baby. I want to be a mother. I want to have your baby.”

  “A baby? You want baby? I’m fifty, Marcia. I have three grown children. A baby?”

  “I know. But I don’t have any children. My one regret is that I never had a child. I’m not too old yet. Please think about it.”

  “I do think. No baby. I have grandchildren, how can I become a father again?”

  “But you’d be such a good father.” Marcia put her hand on his arm.

  “I don’t think so. Look at Johnny. He’s a pain.”

  “But the way you are with Joey and Annabeth. You’re so wonderful! You’d be like that with our child. It’s what I want.”

  “No. No baby,” he said, shaking his head.

  “No baby? No marriage.” Anger mixed with disappointment filled her heart.

  “Marcia, my love! No! No marriage?” Jakub sat up straight.

  “That’s right. No marriage. If you don’t want to give me a baby, then I must find a man who does,” she said, getting out of bed.

  “No!” The creases in his forehead deepened.

  “Yes! I want…I need to be a mother. And if you won’t give me…” Tears flooded her eyes and she couldn’t blink them back.

  Jakub shook his head. His eyes flashed anger.

  “You crazy! I’m too old for baby.” He waved his hand at his head and then her.

  “If you believe that, then I guess you are too old and you should move out.” Marcia pushed down hysteria bubbling up in her throat.

  Jakub packed a bag and moved back into the apartment over Johnny’s garage.

  Marcia spent the evening crying and couldn’t eat a bite. She missed Jake already; the house was so quiet without his big presence there. But she had an ache in her heart that would only go away if she had a child. Not just any child, Jake’s child. She wanted…needed his patience, his wisdom, his experience with children to help her be a good mother. And now he was gone and she regretted everything she said to him, and wondered if perhaps it was too late to take it back.

  * * * *

  Jakub showed up to cook dinner and when Johnny went to question him, Rebecca took his arm and signaled him to stop. They all sat down to dinner.

  “How come you’re here tonight, Dad?” Joh
nny shook off Rebecca’s warning hand.

  Jakub ate in silence, his face drawn, worried and sad.

  “I’m too old,” he muttered before putting food in his mouth.

  “Too old for what?” Rebecca asked.

  “Never mind.” Jakub waved his hand and continued to eat.

  “Come on…too old for what?” Johnny prodded his father.

  “For baby,” Jakub admitted quietly.

  “Is Marcia pregnant?” Johnny shot up out of his chair.

  “No.”

  “Then what the—”

  “She want to have baby. I’m too old.”

  Jakub finished eating and excused himself after taking his dish into the kitchen. He went up to the apartment.

  * * * *

  The little house across town

  Marcia put down the phone, finishing her conversation with Mac Caldwell. A deep sigh escaped her lips. She’d decided to return to Kensington State in the fall. Without Jake to support her, she had to work to pay the rent. Marcia started sorting through lectures and organizing notes, but it was hard to concentrate.

  She wasn’t sleeping well without Jake. She lost weight and saw new wrinkles and creases in her face when she looked in the mirror. The loneliness felt crushing some days, leaving her no reason to get out of bed.

  Monday, Johnny Novacek showed up to collect the rent. Marcia was anxious to ask him about Jake.

  “Hello, Mr. Novacek. How is Jake?” Marcia handed him an envelope.

  “He’s fine. In fact he’s doing great, Mrs. Wilton.” He turned hooded eyes to her.

  Marcia attempted to smile but the stab of his words went right to her heart.

  “Good. I’m glad he’s all right.” Tears formed in her eyes and she looked down. “Please say hello to him for me.” Her voice shook.

  When she turned to go into the house Johnny put his hand on her arm.

  “I lied. He’s terrible. I asked you not to hurt him but you did. You’ve destroyed him. You don’t look like you’re doing any better than he is. Why don’t you marry him?”