by Meany, John
“Probably not.”
***
This had been Troy’s plan all along.
He had secretly been hoping that Stephen and Ashley would let him go to London and Paris with them.
He had even told Adam that if that were to happen, to get ready to manage the department. If Troy had known it would have been this easy to get a green light on the idea, he would have packed a suitcase.
He was relieved. Troy knew it would have been punishing on his heart watching Ashley board the plane without him.
Now thankfully, with them having confessed their love for one another, he did not have to worry about experiencing another heartbreaking loss the way he had with Naomi.
Troy wanted to build a long-lasting relationship with Ashley. There was something about her that made him want to honor and take care of her.
Presently, he was smiling like someone who had just won the lottery.
***
“So when’s the wedding?” Claire suddenly joked. She was relieved to see the three of them reach a compromise. At long last, it seemed her troubled daughter had rediscovered happiness. Claire could not have asked for a finer moment.
“Wedding?” Both Ashley and Troy cried out in unison. “Who said anything about a wedding?”
“Calm down kids. I was only teasing.”
Part 10
Entry from Ashley’s journal
CHAPTER 77
Dear Diary, Jan 2005
I know it has been quite sometime since I last wrote to you, so here goes.
Things for me are going well.
My art exhibition in London turned out to be fabulous. Our weekend in Paris was also fun.
I auctioned every one of my paintings. Made a lot of money and impressed many critics.
As they say in fairytales, I guess I have officially arrived.
Stephen set up two more exhibitions for me, scheduled for the Summer, one in Chicago, and another in Miami.
I am pleased that he is lining me up with these art shows. However, I am also becoming increasingly nervous that I might not be able to meet the deadlines.
Also, it does not seem as if Stephen plans on selling his own artwork anytime soon. For the most part, he seems content on remaining my manager-agent!
As you could imagine, I am also incredibly happy to have Troy back in my life.
Even though the other day I found myself again thinking about Peter. I am not upset; I suppose part of me will always think about him.
How could I not?
Peter’s parents, Brad, and Eve have now started to call and email me on a regular basis.
I sincerely suspect that they want to stay connected, because not only have I at last become somebody worthy of mention, but also because I think they realize how amazing Kimberly is and do not want to sever that bond.
Anyway, even though I still think of Peter on occasion, things are different now.
I am with Troy, and I plan to give myself to him completely.
My heart melts whenever I see him interact with the baby. He and Kimberly have developed such a clear-cut affection for one another.
And since I cannot bear to be away from Troy for long, we have decided to buy a house together. One in Wichita, which would allow Troy to be close to his job, and for me to be near my mother.
As far as other things go, I pray that Craig Elliot and Buck Kennedy never return.
It seems that as soon as I had stopped taking the pills and had drastically cut down on my alcohol intake, the ghosts have no way of entering my world.
I am now back in therapy and have learned that low self-esteem is one of the driving forces that creates depression, leaves the heart vulnerable.
The success of my artwork, combined with Troy’s special love, having Kimberly in my life, and my mother’s forgiveness, are also important factors, which I believe have helped me to exorcise my demons.
At last, I feel I am whole again.
PART 11
FOR SALE SIGN
CHAPTER 78
“Would you like to see the kitchen now?” the realtor asked.
It was the third week of February.
Ashley and Troy were looking at a beautiful two-story house, tan with red shutters, which they were thinking of purchasing. The recently built home was five minutes away from Ashley’s mother, and even closer to where she and Peter used to live.
“Yes. We’re ready,” Ashley answered excitedly, snuggling up close to Troy. They had the baby with them.
“Okay,” said the elegantly attired realtor. “Right this way.” Her black pumps reverberated against the bare walls and the shiny wooden floor.
The big modern home had that quintessential new smell, which one often associates with cleanliness.
“Wow!” Troy declared in admiration, when they had reached the kitchen. “This is fantastic! It’s like the type of kitchen you would see on one of those home improvement shows.”
The spacious room had white walls, as well as white counters, and tile. Through the enormous Bay windows, the afternoon sunshine spilled in with angelic intensity. The winter sky could not have been any bluer.
“I agree,” Ashley said, feeling her heart go pitter-patter. “This kitchen is fantastic. And so much counter space. It would be easy to cook in here. I also love the view of the backyard. Not too many trees. In fact, this place is even nicer than I thought it would be. I’m blown away.”
The realtor, who wore reading glasses, smiled. In her hands, she held a clipboard.
“It is a lovely home,” she said, studying her list. “And with the price being what it is, you’d be getting a bargain.”
“That is a good price,” Troy told her.
“No doubt,” said Ashley, astounded at how spotless and modern everything was. The place was the complete opposite of her traditional cottage in Castle Beach.
After showing them how to use the dishwasher, the realtor took them upstairs so that they could check out the bedrooms.
“Nice,” Troy said to Ashley. “This would be a good room for us.”
“What’s this door here?” she asked, confused.
“Oh,” the realtor replied. “That’s the bathroom. There’s two of them up here. And they both have tubs.”
Ashley’s mood grew even happier.
“Awesome! Yes, this could definitely be our room; we have our own shower, toilet, everything.”
Troy looked around in awe. “Man, I could get used to this. This bedroom is almost bigger than my entire apartment.”
Ashley laughed. “It is.”
“And hun, you know what’s also cool about this house; you could paint in the living room, while I was watch TV. We could leave the floor bare in there, and get carpet for all of the other rooms.”
“That’s true. We could always do that.”
“And plus,” Troy added. “This house has the two-car garage we wanted, and enough room in the backyard to maybe someday, depending on our finances, put in a pool.”
“You mean a pool with a Jacuzzi?”
“Yes. That would look great on the deck.”
As they discussed the matter in depth, the realtor glanced at her clipboard. “Well?” she uttered, clearing her throat.
“Miss, I don’t think we need to see anymore,” Ashley said, putting her arm around Troy. She kissed him enthusiastically on the lips. “Me and my fiancé here have made up our minds, we want this place.”
THE CURTAIN CLOSES
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