Wish Upon a Star

by Jim Cangany

  Out of the corner of my eye, Ashley was tapping at warp speed on her phone. When I cleared my throat, she looked up. "Oh, sorry." She held the phone out for us to read the message.

  She said yes!!!

  Annie tipped her glass toward Ashley. After taking a drink, she let out a long yawn. "With apologies ladies, I believe it's time for me to retire. Please don't feel you need to leave on my account, but I'm wiped." She rose and hugged our visitors. She blew me a kiss, glided to the bedroom, and shut the door.

  Beth and Ashley hung out for a little bit before heading back to their hotel. I spent most of the time answering Beth's pointed questions about Annie's condition. Ashley was quiet, but from time to time, she'd type something into her phone. I got the sense she wasn't texting anybody. She appeared to be taking notes. Probably so she could fill the rest of the band in later.

  God love Ashley. When I'd first met her, I'd thought she was this screwball with about as much sense as a chipmunk. I had been so wrong. While I'd nailed the screwball part right, underneath the garish hair and fun-loving spirit was a young woman who was talented beyond belief, wise beyond her years, and willing to run through a brick wall for Annie.

  After about forty-five minutes of detailed grilling, Beth sat back and drained her glass of wine. "So, you're sure she's going to be okay."

  "If I've learned anything, it's that nothing's certain. But I think so. Once she's recovered from the radiation, she'll starting having the expanders filled, but that's not supposed to be that big of a deal. The docs will monitor her closely for a year or so, and then scale back the check-ups over time. If we get to five years without the cancer coming back, we should be home free."

  "You know what I like about that E.J.?" Ashley said. "That you said we, not Cassandra, or Annie, or whatever." She giggled. "I'll never get that straight. Anyway, you guys make a great couple."

  "Well said, Ash," Beth said. She got to her feet. "Let's get out of here, so we can get a rehearsal session in."

  We said our goodbyes and I got ready for bed, marveling yet again at how I'd totally hit the jackpot, having Annie in my life.

  * * * *

  The following day was a postcard-type of day for October in Indiana. By the time we completed the hour drive to Bloomington, the mercury had risen to the mid-sixties under a cloudless blue sky. Paul manned the grill, and we feasted on a lunch of brats, grilled peppers and that tailgate staple, potato salad. The atmosphere for the game was electric. The stadium was a sea of crimson that was so loud I was certain the Football Gods could hear us on Mount Olympus. It was a high-scoring, back and forth battle. My beloved Hoosiers almost gave it away in the final minute, but the defense made an incredible goal line stand and sent the cream and crimson-clad crowd home in a buoyant mood.

  We celebrated with a victory dinner at the Irish Lion where the guys made me polish off a half-yard of Harp before we left. By the time I finished it, I thanked my lucky stars that's all I'd had to drink all day, because my head told me that was more than enough.

  At that point, I was ready to call it a day, but the guys had other ideas. When I asked where we were going next, they refused to tell me. Content that my friends wouldn't lead me too far astray, once we were buckled in and headed back to Indy, I closed my eyes and drifted off for a cat nap.

  A knuckle rub to the sternum roused me from my nap. I rubbed my chest.

  "Damn dude, that hurt. Where are we?"

  "Bellhops." Dave got out of the car and opened my door. "Didn't think we were going to let you have a bachelor party without a visit to your favorite watering hole, did you? Besides, what better place for the three of us to tell stories about you? When you were asleep, Ryan said he even has one or two good ones."

  I followed the guys inside and to a corner booth. It was adorned with a table topper that said Reserved. We spent the rest of the evening telling lies about each other that got bigger with each turn.

  Around eleven, it was time to pack it in. Ryan and I were surprised to find Annie and Miranda watching a movie when we opened the door to the condo.

  "Honeys, we're home. Miss us?" I tossed my keys on the kitchen counter.

  Annie shushed us with a wave of her arm. "We're almost to the best part of Roman Holiday. Get a couple of beers and go hang out on the patio so we can watch the rest in peace."

  Without so much as a peep, we slunk to the patio.

  "God, Ryan, we are such wimps."

  He gave me a fist bump. "I know, right? On the other hand, you don't get between Miranda and her Audrey Hepburn movies. We've got everything she was ever in, and I think I've seen every one probably three times by now."

  We were comparing our respective better halves' movie tastes when Miranda texted Ryan to let us know we could come inside. Both Annie's and Miranda's eyes were a little red and there was a pile of used tissues on the coffee table.

  "Good movie?" I said.

  "Every Audrey Hepburn movie is a good movie." Miranda said.

  "Amen to that, sister." Annie told us she'd been feeling wiped out by the time the play ended, so they'd concluded the festivities at that point. The highlight of the day, without question, had been when their limo had pulled up in front of Staci's house. Staci had invited a few friends over to say hi to Annie, and my North Star had immediately turned on the Cassandra charm for the girls. From that point on, you couldn't have slipped a piece of paper between my fiancé and her young friend. The only time Staci had left Annie's side was when she'd gone to the bathroom.

  Miranda promised to send me a few pictures from the evening to post on Annie's website. It had warmed my heart to see how excited Annie's fans had gotten when she announced we were getting married. It had overwhelmed me to see the genuine concern her fans had expressed throughout Annie's cancer treatment. As a way to say thank you for all the support, we'd posted pictures from time to time that showed Annie smiling and happy.

  She and I had agreed to post a few select pictures from the wedding and the events leading up to it, including her bachelorette party. A quiet dinner with close friends followed by a trip to the theater—the cockroaches at Gotcha would be so disappointed.

  I almost had to beg Annie to come to the bedroom after Miranda and Ryan took off.

  "I'm too tired to get up. Just let me sleep here on the couch," she said through a yawn.

  "Yeah, and before you know it, some rumor will start going around about how Cassandra Lawrence got so out of control at her bachelorette party that she ended up passed out on her living room floor."

  She glared at me. "Don't even think—"

  "That's why you need to come to bed, right now. I would never want you subjected to a rumor like that."

  Once we were both settled in bed, Annie snuggled up to me. "Did you have a good time with the guys today?"

  "I did."

  "Good. I want to hear all about it. You'll tell me, yes?"

  Despite my exhaustion, I wrapped my arm around her and filled her in on my day. How she managed to stay awake was beyond me, but her periodic head nods, uh-huhs and questions confirmed she hadn't fallen asleep. I'd made it to one of the stories Dave had told while we were at Bellhops when Annie's breathing deepened and evened out.

  "Sleep well, North Star." In a week I was going to marry this priceless jewel. I couldn't recall whether or not I'd actually made a wish upon a star, but I had the girl of my dreams right here in my arms, so that part was definitely coming true. With that thought in mind, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep and dreamt of sunny days, green grass and newly-paved roads.

  Twenty-Eight

  My days leading up to the wedding were full of activity, but still relatively calm. I had my trusty to-do list that Annie left on the kitchen counter every night. While most of my thoughts were on the wedding, Cassandra Lawrence's life hadn't stopped, so I had to make sure all of her business affairs were addressed. In addition, I'd been tasked with serving as travel agent for some of Annie's out of town guests like Ira and Samantha. I ha
d to make sure their reservations were confirmed, their transportation was lined up, and other little things.

  Annie served as Beth and Ashley's tour guide the first part of the week leading up to the wedding. She still lacked stamina, but from everything I heard, she and her band mates were having loads of fun. On Tuesday afternoon they'd roped Miranda into a shopping excursion which yielded predictable closet-filling results.

  When Annie dropped the shopping bags on the living room floor, I closed my eyes and massaged my forehead. "Really? What are you going to do with all that?"

  "Wear it silly. It's our wardrobe. For the cruise. And before you go on about how you don't need anything, this is the only honeymoon trip we'll ever take, so we're going to do it right. And part of that includes dressing like there's no tomorrow."

  With a laugh, I got up and took Annie in my arms. "Our only honeymoon, eh? What if I want to take you on a second one someday?"

  "Then I'll get us another honeymoon wardrobe." She put her hand around my neck and brought my lips to hers. I relished her taste, and let my hands make their way from her shoulders to her hips, where they lingered for a bit.

  With a start, Annie pulled back. "Hey that tickles. Stop that."

  "Okay, but I have to tell you something. Your hips aren't quite as bony as they used to be. You've put on a little weight."

  "Is that good news?"

  "After everything you've been through, that's fabulous news."

  She smiled and kissed me again, and this time her hands ended up on my hips.

  A knock at the door interrupted us before we could take the fun further. Annie patted me on the chest. "Do you mind getting that?"

  We'd recently hired a security guard to keep an eye out for snooping photographers and other unsavory characters inclined to make a buck by getting some dirt on us. The guard had suggested that I be the only one who answered the door.

  I'd figured it was him knocking. I was wrong, it was Aidan.

  "Dude, happy almost wedding day. I got something for you."

  I ushered him in and when Annie saw who it was, she literally skipped over and gave him a hug.

  "And how's my favorite delivery man?"

  "I'm good, thanks," he said, while he rummaged through his messenger bag. He pulled out a small padded envelope and handed it to me. "It's from Gloria. Said you you'll need it for Saturday."

  When I raised my eyebrows, Aidan shrugged. "Don't ask me, dude. The only thing she said was that I needed to give it to you and to stick around while you open it."

  "Okay, then." I ripped open the envelope and looked in. There was no note or anything, just a round button about two inches across. I took the button out and looked at it. In a heartbeat, a lump formed in my throat.

  It was a picture of Evan.

  I kept my eyes on the picture while I drifted over to a bar stool and sat down. With his blonde hair and troublemaker smile, Evan could have been a Norse god. I didn't need a note to know what to do with the button.

  "E.J., what is it? What's wrong?"

  The urgency in Annie's voice brought me out of my musings. I shook my head and handed the button to her.

  "Nothing's wrong. Just something to complete my wedding ensemble. Since Evan couldn't be here in person, he'll be with me, with us," I patted my chest above my heart, "right on my lapel."

  Annie stared at the button, her fingers over her mouth. She nodded and passed it to Aidan.

  After a moment or two, he returned it to me. "That's cool dude. Hey, I gotta be going." He headed for the door, but Annie reached for his hand before he could get away.

  "You'll be there for the rehearsal dinner Friday night, yes?"

  "Yeah, looking forward to it."

  "Good. There's someone I want you to meet who'll be there. She's single and cute and I think you two would hit it off."

  Aidan cleared his throat and gave us a little salute. "Sounds great to me. See you guys then."

  When he'd gone, I asked Annie who she wanted Aidan to meet. She got a little twinkle in her eye and grinned like the Cheshire cat.

  "Ashley. She mentioned after my birthday party she thought Aidan was hot, so..."

  "Are you kidding me? Ashley and Aidan?"

  "Why not? I got lucky with a cyclist from Indiana, so why can't she?"

  I let out a long laugh and looked at the button. "What do you think, Evan? Yeah, I'm pretty much speechless, too." I held the button where it would go Saturday. "We both can't wait to see that."

  * * * *

  A text Gloria sent me the following day made me a little nervous. Short and to the point, the message packed a wallop.

  Have you looked at a weather forecast?

  She wouldn't have sent it unless she was concerned. With a few clicks on my computer, I had the extended forecast in front of me.

  "Damn."

  It was sunny at the moment, but a front was forecast to move in overnight, bringing cooling temperatures and steady rain through the weekend. Not what I wanted to see. Annie's determination to have an outdoor wedding at the Art Center had meant we had no back-up plan. She'd made it clear early on that an outdoor wedding was what she wanted, and an outdoor wedding was what she was going to have.

  The control freak in her was going to be less than thrilled with this news.

  I knew better than to mention the forecast to Annie. We had no control of the weather, so there was no point in bringing it up now. I'd wait as long as I could before I pressed her for a change of venue.

  Friends and business associates began arriving in town Wednesday evening, so I spent Thursday being a one-man welcoming committee. I didn't see much of Annie on that day, as she was busy with final meetings with the wedding planner, the caterer and the dress maker.

  On Thursday night, we were headed to a dinner with Ira, Samantha and some bigwig from her record label when Annie started rubbing her temples. "Help me keep this short, all right?"

  I took a glance at her. She had her eyes closed and was grimacing. "You okay?"

  "I'll be fine, just overextended myself today. The energy level's coming back a little every day, but today was a bit much. The weather's not helping, either."

  Here was my opening. "Yeah, about that—"

  "Oh, don't worry, it's nothing a good night's sleep won't cure. I've got tomorrow all planned out. Sleep until noon, then a massage with the girls, so I'll be in great spirits for the rehearsal."

  She let out a high pitched squeal, like something a little girl might do. "I can't believe it. In two days, I'm going to be married to the most wonderful man in the world."

  So much for my opening about the weather.

  "And I'm going to be married to the most amazing woman in the galaxy, Mrs. Annette Suzanne McCarty."

  We pulled into the parking lot in front of the restaurant. "Oh, honey, you know I love you, but you've got it all wrong. It's Mr. Eamon Joseph Wilson." She kissed me on the cheek and was out of the car before I could respond.

  Annie's strength was returning. Her spirits were high. She felt good. All the guests had arrived safely. The dresses and tuxedos were ready. My outfit was set. The flowers, food and seating arrangements were ready to go. Everything was coming together.

  Except the one thing Annie couldn't control.

  The forecast hadn't improved. The clouds and drizzle I envisioned on our wedding day hung over me like a wet blanket. Against my better judgment, I just couldn't raise the subject with her.

  The French cuisine we had for dinner was exquisite, even if I couldn't pronounce anything. The bubbles from the champagne danced on my tongue. The dessert pastries had been crafted so delicately, they melted in my mouth. In short, the dinner was so extraordinary that driving home afterward, the constant swish, swish of the windshield wipers didn't get me down. Of course, it hadn't hurt an executive from Annie's record company had picked up the tab for the evening.

  "Don't feel indebted," Annie told me. "I've made him enough money over the years to pay for dinner like that eve
ry night for the rest of our lives."

  By Friday morning, the rain hadn't let up. I couldn't wait any longer, so during brunch I took the leap.

  "Annie, about tomorrow. The weather forecast doesn't look good."

  She put down her fork. "What are you saying?"

  "I know you want an outdoor wedding. But tomorrow's forecast is for more cold and rain. I'm sure you don't want to get married in cruddy conditions. We need a plan B."

  "Well everyone's here. All the arrangements have been made. We can't cancel now."

  I put my hands up in front of me. This was a minefield I needed to traverse with caution and tact. "You're absolutely right. We can't cancel. Besides, I don't want to. I want to start being your husband tomorrow."

  She let out a little breath and picked her fork back up, but didn't say anything.

  I counted to ten before I resumed the conversation. What I was going to say was going to hurt her, but it needed to be said. "I think we need to find someplace else to hold the wedding, someplace indoors."

  Annie shook her head. "Don't do this E.J., please. Ever since I was a little girl, I've dreamt of getting married outside, under sunny skies." She turned and gazed out the patio door. Her index finger tapped out a regular rhythm. At last she turned back to me.

  "I need to get ready for my trip to the spa. I'll meet you at the Art Center for the rehearsal. Bring me some options then." She got up and took her plate to the kitchen.

  "I'm sorry Annie. I really am."

  She stood at the sink, placed her arms on the counter and lowered her head. When her back heaved, I went to her and put my arms around her. She let out a ragged breath and brushed away something from her cheek bone with her hand.

  "The one thing I have absolutely no control over. After all I've been through, was it too much to ask for a nice day for my wedding?"

  "No."

  I'd have done anything for my Annie, my North Star—run through a blazing house, fought off a pack of rabid pit bulls, swum through a raging ocean. But I was completely powerless against the weather. There wasn't a damn thing I could do to fix it. That fact cut me worse than a dull blade.