A Soul Mate's Promise

by Soprano, Robin H

  Sal and Antonio nod their heads in understanding and Antonio chatters on about how his wife made all the holidays special. For the next hour we just share stories and eat, enjoying laughter and happy memories.

  Sal remembered a story from one specific Christmas. He said that he and his brother Joey snooped and found their presents. Neither one of them were happy about what they were going to get, so some arguing resulted and eventually his mother found out what they’d done.

  Just a little red-faced, he laughs and pokes Antonio in the arm. “She was so pissed in fact, that she made us open up our gifts on Christmas morning, then loaded us in the car with them and drove us to an orphanage. Mom made us give our presents to kids who were less fortunate.” Sal shakes his head and looks past my shoulder and through the doorway to the deck. “I will never forget that Christmas. That was one lesson I learned the hard way. Joey too. We were never ungrateful again!”

  I’ve got tears in my eyes. “Wow! I love it! I think me and Marie would have gotten along great!”

  Antonio nods.

  “Yes, Marie would have loved you. It’s-a-too bad you never met. That would have been nice.”

  I smile at my old friend. “That’s how I feel about my dad. The two of you would have been buddies for sure!”

  After I helped clean up breakfast and Antonio went out on his deck with Toby, I let Sal know I’ve got to go home and check my cell phone for messages. He offers to walk over with me.

  When we enter, Sal notices the twelve- foot tray ceilings and crown moldings that befit the mansion.

  “Want a fifty-cent tour?” I ask. He accepts with a grin and I begin in the large foyer with the eye-popping staircase.

  I show him the kitchen, the living room, the huge dining room with a table for twenty. Then the library and study, which I use for my computer.

  “And this,” I point, “is the mud room.”

  Sal knitted his eyebrows together. I bite back a laugh, but his expression is one of confusion.

  “The mudroom? What’s a mudroom?”

  A laugh bursts out me like a soda that’s been shaken in the heat. “I asked the same thing when I came here. It’s a special room to take off your muddy boots or dirty clothes so you don’t drag dirt through the house-it’s right next to the laundry room.”

  Sal’s eyebrows go up and he widens his eyes. “Ooh, fancy.”

  “Okay, okay… upstairs,” I snarl.” I show him multiple bedrooms, a playroom and bathrooms that are never used. At the end of the long hallway we enter my bedroom. He walks in and looks around.

  “Nice,” he says. “Did you decorate this room?”

  “Yes, I got to do this room and the adjoining bathroom.”

  He walks into the huge bathroom and turns on some lights.

  “I like the colors you picked, Gracie. You have very nice taste. Plums and gold’s-I like it.”

  “Thanks, Sal.”

  He walks around gazing at the light fixtures. “I notice you have some lights out. I can fix those for you, if you want.”

  “Really? That would be great. I don’t like ladders much and besides, it’s still too high for me to reach. I have extra bulbs in this closet.”

  I show him the stuff in the closet and then show him the maintenance closet at the other end of the hall where I keep the six foot ladder.

  While he’s busy, I grab my cell phone and notice I have two missed calls and a couple of text messages.

  Celine called to tell me there is a Southern Woman’s Society meeting on Friday at ten in the morning to discuss the annual holiday dinner fundraiser for Children with Cancer. I find myself nodding. Although I loath that meeting with those uptight bitchy women, I do love helping to give those sick kids a great Christmas. I text Celine and tell her I will be there.

  The next text is from my best friend up north, Margaret Macantire. In high school, her nickname was M&M but I’ve always just called her Mags. I’ve known her since we met in the seventh grade. My dad used to call her a Wild Irish Rose and she called him, Big Daddy. I smile at the memories of those two teasing each other.

  She’s a true blue friend. Never held back to tell me the truth, about anything. She is the only one who told me not to marry Richard. She couldn’t explain why, she just insisted that something was wrong with the whole thing. I sigh in resignation. She was sure right.

  Her text read:

  Hey You!!! You have been on my mind haven’t heard from ya. Call me!

  Maggie has always been there for me but she’s got two kids with her husband Mike, so she runs constantly. And, it doesn’t help we live so far away from each other now. But I’m feeling better today than I’ve felt in a long time, so I eagerly text her back.

  Hey You!!! Miss you! I will call you later tonight, our usual hour. Be ready, lot’s to tell you!

  I can hear Sal humming in the next room and I smile as I hit the icon for the voice mail. My smile disappears the second I hear his voice. Richard.

  Grace you need to call me–NOW

  I feel my shoulders sag and my stomach knot. I know that nasty tone voice and don’t look forward to calling him back.

  The next voice message is a bit friendlier, but my can-do mood is gone.

  Hi Gracie this is Leonard Burns. I was notified by Richard’s attorney that they received the papers I forwarded for Richard to produce bank statements and records of all his accounts since taking over the business. Now, they will try to fight this but I don’t want you to worry, it’s how the game is played, and if Richard tries to contact you I advise you to not divulge anything. I would strongly suggest that you don’t talk with him at all. Have him call me if he pushes on you. If you have any questions feel free to call anytime.

  A cold, clammy sweat has come over me. The tightness is building in my chest and my breath comes in waves. I sit down on the bed and peek into the bathroom. I can see Sal’s feet on the ladder and he’s still humming.

  “How’s it going?” I ask, picturing his crooked smile in my mind. The tightness let’s go a little.

  “Umm, okay,” he says. “One of the bulbs broke in the socket so I’m going to need some tools to get it out.”

  I take a deep breath and try to sound as normal as possible. “In that same closet should be some tools.”

  “Yeah, I figured there would be,” he answered. “Not what I need, though. I already checked.”

  “Well, be careful, okay? It would just stay burned out if it was up to me, so it can wait if it needs to.”

  “No problem. I’ll be done in a few minutes,” he tells me. “Get your calls all handled?”

  I shrug, even though he can’t see me. “Just about. Need to return one more, then I’m done.”

  Then I did something very stupid and called Richard.

  Richard answers by spitting out my name and I flinch. Even sadder, we both still have each other in our phone contacts. I sigh.

  “Grace, what is going on? What the hell did you do?”

  I take a deep breath, hold it, then let it out. “What do you mean?”

  “What are these papers? Have you any idea what you’ve done? What the hell are you thinking?” I can hear the venom dripping off each word but I’m not going to flinch again. “Why is your attorney digging in my business? Just what do you think is there?”

  I start to shake just a little and remember that this is why I want out of this marriage. I straighten my shoulders and raise my chin. “This is what the attorney advised me to do under our circumstance—”

  Richard continues his rant until I begin to feel like a helium balloon with a hole in it..

  “Look Richard, this is what I was advised to do and I listen to my lawyer.”

  “Oh?” he snarls at me, “you listen to your lawyer? That’s because you have no idea how business works! You’ve probably screwed up everything now because you never wanted to learn anything! Seriously Grace, you never think!

  “Richard! Stop! Just stop the dramatics. What do you have to hide?�
� I ask, something telling me that’s what’s really going on. “I can’t talk to you anymore unless you’re going to calm down. You’re always so angry! You’ve been an angry person ever since you took over that business.”

  Richard’s tirade only increased in volume and viciousness. I feel hot tears fill my eyes and my heart is pounding in my ears. Then the heavy feeling in my chest creeps in, I gasp for air and realize I shouldn’t have called him back at all. I hit End Call.

  I wipe the tears off my face, suck in as much air as I can and turn around. Sal is standing just outside the bathroom doorway, his face oddly blank.

  “Gracie, are you okay? Jesus, Was that Richard yelling at you? I heard him all the way over here!”

  I can only nod, and then the floodgate of tears cascades down my face and I feel like a real fool. I start across the room to go in the bathroom but Sal stops me by putting his hands on each of my wrists.

  “Hey… , Gracie, calm down. Shhh… He pulls me gently against his chest. “You’re shaking! Can you tell me what the hell that was all about?”

  I pull away and he lets me go, but I can feel him watching me. I go to my sink and splash water on my face, then grab a towel that only serves to catch more tears. I’ve lost it and I’m not sure I’ll ever get the tears to stop. When I manage to look up, Sal is just standing there looking torn between love and murder. I almost laugh except I might just laugh myself into an asylum, so I don’t let it out.

  “Princess,” he says softly, “we’re friends, right? Please tell me what’s going on. Might help to talk it out.”

  I take a shuddery breath and fill him in on the call, Richard’s tirade and how stupid I feel for calling him back. I reach to the counter for my prescription bottles.

  “What’s that for?” he asks. I hold out the one bottle and show him it’s my prescription for Xanax.

  “This helps calm down the panic attacks.” I reach for another bottle. “This one is a mild sleeping pill to help me sleep at night. I take them as needed.”

  Sal takes the little yellow bottles in his big palm and looks at them. When he glances at me, his eyebrows are bunched together and he’s sporting a serious frown on his lips.

  “Gracie,” he starts softly, “when did you start taking these?”

  I shrug my shoulders “Right before Rich and I decided to separate. It’s unbelievable what your nerves can do to you.”

  “No,” Sal says, shaking his head, “it’s unbelievable that Richard is such a selfish bastard. You gave him your heart and then he neglected it. He broke your spirit instead of building you up. He’s a taker–he took it all from you and never gave anything back, and now you’re disconnected. That’s why you’re getting panic attacks.” He let out a slow sigh. “Princess, you are not crazy. You are not stupid. You’re hurt, but this stuff isn’t going to help.”

  Hearing Sal’s words, I can’t stop the new tears and I clutch the soggy towel to my sore eyes. He might think I’m not crazy, but I’m not so sure anymore. Why couldn’t I see what he just pointed out?

  “Shhh…Gracie, don’t cry. Don’t you see? Your heart and soul is so open because you’re a very loving and generous person. I figured that out in just a few conversations with you. Look at the way you are with Pop–you have a good heart. It’s just been crushed.” He puts down the prescription bottles, then takes the towel out of my hands and gently wipes my cheeks. After he tosses the towel in the sink basin, he takes my face in his hands.

  “Look at me.”

  I gaze into his warm brown eyes. In a low, calm voice, he says, “Good. Now breathe nice and slow. Good. Deep breaths. Come on, do it with me, Gracie. Breathe. Keep your eyes on me–I’m here. That’s it. Keep going. One more deep breath. Good. Better?”

  I keep my eyes on his and my body relaxes and my breathing straightens out. Maybe I can beat this awful stuff.

  “Yes,” I whisper, “better, thank you. How did you know to do that?”

  He shrugs and shakes his head, then wraps me in his arms.

  “You don’t need those meds to calm you. You just need your heart and soul to be whole again. Can you promise me something?” He lifts my chin to tilt my face up to his and nods toward the prescription bottles.

  “Promise me that you won’t use these medications. I will help you. You need rebuilding not masking, and you have to promise me that you won’t talk to Richard again – at least not without your lawyer there. Listen to your lawyer. Capisce principessa? He says with a cute smirk.

  I nod, beginning to feel human again I almost smile. “Capisce!”

  “Good!” he says, then gives me a chaste kiss, scoops me up in his arms and puts me down on the bed. I’m giggling when he grabs my hand and looks closely at me. “Feeling better?”

  I’m tired from the emotion, the tears, the anger, but I do feel better. “Yes I am, thank you, Sal. That was really sweet what you did. If only Richard knew to do things like that, maybe our marriage would have turned out different. He hardly ever touched me.”

  Sal looks down at the floor and his lips form a thin line—then he lets out a big breath and lets go of my hands.

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, but, his loss is my gain!” Looking at me out the corner of his eye, he flashes me a sexy smile and wiggles his eyebrows up and down.

  I can’t keep a straight face and burst into a loud, gaspy fit of laughter.

  “Ah there it is,” he says. “There’s that contagious laugh of yours! Listen, why don’t you just relax for a while. I gotta go into town with Pop but why don’t I take you out later, get some dinner? Or a movie? What ever you want. I’d like to take you on a proper date, how’s that sound?”

  “That sounds great!” I say, thinking this day has been quite a roller coaster.

  “I’ll see you around 6 then?”

  I nod. “Sounds great,” I say, wondering if I’m crazy to let this thing between us grow.

  He bends down a little and gives me a good solid kiss before he heads down the stairs.

  “Thanks again for working on the lights and.. and, everything!”

  “My pleasure Gracie I’ll see you later.”

  * * *

  I go down to check on Toby who came in the house when Sal left. After a thorough petting and some Toby kisses, I ran back upstairs to call Celine. She answered quickly.

  “Hello, Darlin! What shakin?” she drawls. I smile.

  Like a teenager, I’m ready to rattle off my past two days. I fight the urge and take a breath and collapse on my bed.

  “Are you sitting down?” I begin. “Oh my god have I got news for you!” I tell Celine all about the drive into town, and lunch, then the kiss, and the dream, and everything else!

  “He’s taking me out tonight–dinner and stuff. I’m a little nervous, but in a good way. I swear it’s like we’ve known each other all along, he’s so familiar.”

  Celine is quiet for just about a second. “I KNEW IT!” she yells. I knew you were gonna turn his head. Now listen to me baby, don’t go thinkin’ too much, just try to have fun and let him put some spark back those eyes of yours. Remember, he’s got baggage, too. Did he ever tell you about any of it?”

  “No,” I answer, “but, I thought I’d bring that up at dinner before I go jumping into a romance.”

  Celine makes a tsk sound with her tongue. “What did I tell you? Just have fun–no strings!”

  “Celine, I told you, I can’t do that. That’s just not me. I’m just not that kind of person.”

  Celine exhales loudly. “I know, baby, I just thought it would help. You’re such a giving person and you got a heart of gold–I just want you to have fun. But do what you gotta do.”

  “I know you mean well Celine, but I’m to the point that I might not want to let anyone in. I could never go through the pain of this kind of rejection again.”

  “Well Darlin’, have fun on your date tonight. Who knows? Maybe Sal’s the one! Talk to you later and see you Friday morning at ten for the meeting.”


  “Oh yes, the meeting. Celine, I’ll call you soon!”

  Before I can say goodbye, Celine chimes in and says, “Soon? You better call me tomorrow and tell me every dirty detail of this date!”

  I laugh and it feels damned good. “No problem, but I don’t think there will be much to report..”

  C H A P T E R 7

  Toby and I hopped in the Jeep and headed for town to fuel up with groceries and gasoline.

  While driving through town I spotted Antonio’s van in the lot at the medical building, and I figured Sal was there for his orthopedic doctor’s appointment. Though tempted to wait for them, I also feared that Toby would polish off the groceries, so I headed for home.

  Toby was sprawled on the kitchen floor as I put away groceries. Twice I stopped in my tracks realizing that I was humming and grinning like a little kid. I have a date! My insides felt like a family of butterflies had moved in.

  * * *

  I get out of the shower and wrap a towel around me. I pad into the closet and sigh at my limited selection of stunning outfits.

  Finally, I figure a pair of really nice dark jeans and a loose blouse that ties at the shoulders should work fine. I decide to finish off my look with a pair of four-inch platform sandals. I leave everything on the hanger and check the time. The clock reads, 4:00 PM. I have two hours till date time. I’m having more fun today than I’ve had in years. Hell, maybe in forever.

  I have no idea why, but it took me a full two hours to get ready. I had a glass of wine in between applying makeup and putting on my jeans, just to calm the jitters.

  With Toby fed and filled in on my plans for the evening, I let him out for a few minutes. That’s when I hear the beast come to life! My heart’s pounding with excitement and I see Sal leave the garage to make his way around to my house. I call for Toby to come inside, then wait for the doorbell.