“Sure, go ahead.”
I heard her pick up the call in the hallway. “Oh, good,” she said. “That’ll be great. Yeah. No, no, everything is fine. I’m fine. I was dusting the house. Some dust in my throat. It’s fine. Everything is just fine. I’ll see you tonight. What? Oh, uh. Meatloaf. Yeah. Whatever you want. Yeah. I can make that too. Sure. Sure. No. I think there’s another carton of cookie dough ice cream in the freezer. Right. I’ll see you when you get home.”
For a few minutes there is no sound at all then I hear her footsteps come back to the living room.
“That was Mike,” she said.
I smiled politely.
“I love Mike.”
I didn’t know what to say. I nodded. “I know.”
“He’s a good man. He stood by me. I can trust him. You should leave now.”
“Roger had a message for you.”
Her mouth dropped open. “A message? For me?”
“Yeah, he died in my arms. You were the last thing on his mind.”
Her legs just gave way and she collapsed to the floor. I rushed to help her to the sofa. “Shall I get you a glass of water?”
“No, get me that bottle of whiskey over there.”
I walked up to the little tray, picked up the bottle of whiskey, and turned to her. “Where are the glasses?”
“Just bring the bottle,” she said harshly.
I gave her the bottle and she swigged from it like a sailor. She must have drunk a quarter of the bottle’s contents. Then she closed her eyes. When she opened them they were different. “What’s the message?”
“He wanted you to know he loved you. There was no one else for him. Ever.”
She blinked very quickly. “Then why did he leave me?”
“He wanted to protect you. He knew he would leave you a widow. He didn’t want that for you.”
She began to cry then. Softly then harder and harder. “That was not his decision to make. I’ve lost everything. He broke my heart, Kit. He broke my heart.”
“It was the job, Marla. It broke us all.”
“You know what he used to say?”
“What?”
“He used to say there would be no more wars if politicians had to send their sons to fight.”
“Yeah, and how right he was.”
She swallowed and stood up. “Thank you for coming here.”
“No problem.” I turned to leave. “Look, I can see myself out.”
“Kit?”
“Yeah?”
“You remember that time we all went up to the mountain?”
I smiled sadly at the memory. It was the last time we were all together. “Yeah, sure.”
“We got married, you know? We exchanged rings under the moonlight and he swore to me that he would never love anybody else.”
“He kept his promise, Marla.”
“So did I,” she whispered, so softly I almost didn’t hear.
Fifty
Lara
“Who all is out there, then?” I asked.
Elaine walked to the door and opening it a crack, peeked out into the church interior. We were in the small room built to the side of the Church. It was really a sort of storeroom, but the minister had allowed us to use it for this occasion.
“Well?’ I prompted nervously.
Elaine shut the door and came back to stand in front of me. Her voice trembled slightly. “Are you sure you want to know?”
“You mean no one came?” I whispered shocked and sad, even while another part of me rebelled. So what if the townspeople did not turn up for my wedding. I didn’t care. They and their high and mighty, self-righteous sensibilities could go to hell. I was getting married today to the man of my dreams. Nothing, and no one, was going to spoil that for me.
Elaine took my hand in both of hers. “No one came? The church is packed to the rafters, Lara.”
“What?”
“I’ve never seen anything like it. Everyone has come to see you get married. Heck even Rhett Haverbooke. He brought his wife and all six of his brats. Snooty cow Kayleigh looks like she’s chewing on a handful of hornets, but she’s out there in her Sunday best too.”
“Really?” I gasped.
“And guess who else is there? Loopy Luther. Sitting in the front row.”
“Marybeth Luther came to witness me marrying the heathen?”
“Yup. Clutching her rosary and praying for your salvation, no doubt.”
I was suddenly nervous. A host of butterflies were fluttering madly in my stomach. “Did you see Kit?”
“You can’t exactly miss him. He’s bigger than everybody else.”
“What’s he doing?”
“He turned around and saw me, so I’d say he’s waiting impatiently for you.”
I smiled. “How do I look?”
“Like a woman who’s marrying a heathen,” she chirped.
“Are you thinking the red dress is too much now?”
“No, way. I think it’s perfect.” She touched the little flowers in my hair. “You look bewitching in it, like some kind of forest siren that lures men onto their bloody deaths.”
“Elaine?”
“Just kidding. You are the most radiant bride I’ve ever set eyes on. Hell, I’d marry you myself of Kit wasn’t so big and fierce.”
I giggled. “You’re mad.”
“Are you ready?”
I nod.
“Shall I go get my father?”
“Yeah.”
She went out and I stood in the stillness of the room alone. I took a deep, calming breath and the strangest thing happened. I thought my Ma was in the room with me. The sensation was so strong, I called out. “Ma.”
There was no reply, but something that felt like a feather landed on my shoulder.
I didn’t move a muscle.
“Ma,” I called again. Again, the feather light touch on my hand this time, and suddenly, I understood. My mother had reached out from heaven to bless me on my wedding day. Tears of awe and love filled my eyes, and ran down my face.
“I love you, Ma,” I whispered.
Then the door burst open and Elaine came in with her father.
“My goodness me,” she exclaimed. “Don’t you dare start crying. You’re ruining all my good work.”
“Stop bullying the poor child,” her father scolded. “She can cry on her own wedding day if she wants to.”
“Pa, how many times does Ma have to tell you? Stay out of women’s business,” she said, and began to dab at my face.
I grasped her hand. “My ma was here, Elaine. I felt her.”
She became still. “Oh, Lara. What a beautiful thing to happen on your wedding day?”
“It was. It was the most peaceful and beautiful thing that has ever happened to me.”
“What did it feel like?”
“It was just a feather light touch and the sensation that she was in the room with me.” I paused. “She was happy for me, Elaine. Very happy.” More tears flowed from my eyes.
“I’m so glad for you, Lara, but now, you’ve got to stop the waterworks, or all my hard graft will be for nothing.”
I was still trembling while she repaired what I had ruined. Then, she thrust my bouquet into my hand and guided me towards her dad’s arm. I laid my hand on it, and he led me out into the church where my beautiful future waited with open arms.
Epilogue
Kit
Three months later
The waves roared, one after the other, constant motion that created the most soothing sound I had ever heard. I dug my toes into the sand and watched as a pretty woman in a bikini walked by. Then I looked again to my right, to the incomparably beautiful woman in a sleek one-piece suit, her hair cascading down her shoulders, her eyes closed, her toes pushed into the sand, and her head tilted back to catch the sun’s rays and the soft breezes.