Life’s Strange Turns Ch. 09-10

I smiled at him, my decision made on my drive home. There was an opening for a project manager of a smaller project than I had with the same company in St. Louis. I knew that it was stepping back a little, but it was the best decision I had made in a while and I felt so much better once I made the commitment. "I've spoken with the VP down there and he accepted me as soon as I told him I wanted the job. I'll be leaving in a month. I hope that's enough time."

He stared at me. "This is about the daughter you found out about, isn't it?"

"Yes... and no. Ultimately it's about finding happiness with the one woman who made me feel so good and special. She's also the mother of my daughter, so that's a bonus."

He finally smiled. "Well, I guess I'm not going to talk you out of this."

"No, I'm afraid not."

We discussed the transition to the new guy and worked out all the details. I went up one floor and told Mary. She was actually very happy for me. She also flashed me the big engagement ring she had. She and her old boyfriend were back together and engaged.

I left work that day feeling better than I had in a long time.

7th of August 2007

I got home at about 2pm after leaving Chicago early. I said hello to the family and was out the door before they knew it. I drove immediately to the hospital, making sure to carry the Pooh with me. I had heard that Angela was allowed to meet people regularly and that she was showing great signs of the engraftment. She was doing better than expected and was going to be sent home in a couple of days.

I arrived and was directed to her room. I entered and she was sitting up, enjoying everyone who was visiting. She saw me and yelled. "Daddy! Look mommy, its daddy!" She finally realized what I was carrying and smiled from ear to ear. She was gorgeous, sitting there, looking so small in that large hospital bed. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled back into a pony tail and her blue eyes were flashing. She looked alive and vibrant again. "Is that for me?!"

"Yes." I handed her the Pooh.

"Yea! I just love Pooh." She hugged it and then turned to Jennifer. "Mommy, look what daddy got for me?" Kids always say that like the parent standing right there can't see it.

Like most parents, Jennifer just smiled and beamed. "What do you say?"

"Thank you, daddy."

We chatted and very soon Angela started showing signs of fatigue. Finally, the nurse came in and asked everyone to leave and let her get some rest. She would be going home on Monday so they would have her home soon enough. As we left, I noticed that Diane managed to grab Jennifer's arm and guide her away from me. I tried to follow, but got nowhere. Finally, as we got to the elevator, I managed to insert myself into the middle of them and pulled Jennifer aside.

"Jennifer, we need to talk about the last time we saw each other. Can you get away for dinner? It's only 5 now, say 7 at that Italian restaurant where we first ate?"

She looked at me. "Ummm. I'll see if I can get away, okay?"

I nodded and she left. I went out to my car and headed straight to the restaurant. I would be waiting.

***** Jennifer *****

When Dennis asked me out I wanted to say no, but I couldn't. I wanted to be with him, but was afraid I couldn't handle Angela if I fell back in with him. I just knew that I would become self-absorbed in the relationship if I did. He lived 300 miles away and I didn't want to be thinking about that rather than concentrating on my daughter. I had to tell him the truth. I had to think of Angela first.

I told my mother that I was just going out for a while, and she said fine, but Diane gave me the hard stare. I stuck my tongue out at her.

I got to the restaurant about 7:10 and saw Dennis sitting there at the same table that we had had on our first date. I swallowed hard, trying not to get too emotional. I got inside and sat down. He said hello and then he did something strange. He stood up, put his hand out for mine, and asked me to go with him. We went outside and into the parking lot, heading toward his car.

"Do you trust me, Jennifer?" He was grinning.

"What?"

"Will you go with me for a few minutes? I want to show you something."

I looked at him. "Uh... okay."

We got in his car and he drove out of town. We headed west on one of the back roads. I asked him where we were going and he kept grinning and saying 'You'll see."

He didn't say anything else until we pulled up in front of an older two story house on the edge of another small town. He turned to me. "C'mon, let me show you something."

We got out and went up to the house. He pulled out a key and opened the door.

"What is this place?" I hesitated before entering.

"This is my house." He turned and held out a hand, inviting me in.

"Your house?" What the hell was he doing with a house here? I took his hand and he led me in. It was clean and unfurnished.

"Yeah. I am moving to St. Louis. My company has some work there so I'm moving here. I was able to get my mother to work with the realtor and I made the decision last week. I just put some money down and I'm waiting for everything to be finalized."

I stared at him. "You're moving here? Is this just so you can be near Angela?" I wanted him to say yes... but I also wanted him to say no. I wanted him to say it was about me. Shit! How could I think of myself with my daughter still in the hospital!

He led me into the kitchen where there was one chair in the middle of the room. He took me to the chair. "Sit down. Let me explain something."

He walked over to me and handed me a file. "Look at this."

I opened it and started leafing thru it. In the file there was the first and only Valentine's card I gave him that first year we were together; there were the love notes I used to sneak into his laptop case; there was even the one little token-like chip that promised him one night of anything with me. It was our complete history. I started tearing up. Then he knelt in front of me.

"Jennifer. I've loved you my whole life. My friend, Sarah, who you met, however briefly, and my sister pointed out to me that I could never have another relationship as long as I could not get over you. Now I know. I don't want to get over you. I want to be with you, with whatever that requires. I'm not sure what will happen with Angela, but I want to be in your lives." He pulled out a small black box and I gasped. I don't know how many times I had dreamed about this, but was hesitant now. "Jennifer, I have loved you since the first moment I saw you at the Christmas party. I have loved you thru the entire time we were separated, and I love you still. Will you please make my life complete and marry me?" His voice cracked as he asked me and I was scared.

"I don't know if I can Dennis. How do I know that you love me, and that it's not just because of Angela?"

He smiled and handed me the box. "Open the box."

I opened the box. The ring was beautiful. It was about ¾ of a carat and it flashed in the light. The name on the inside was the name of a small jewelry store in Champaign where I used to make him stop and window shop with me. "How long have you had this?" I was having trouble breathing and controlling all my emotions now.

He smiled thru his tears. "I bought it on Dec 17th, 2000. That was why I was late getting to your house to go to the infamous party. I've had it ever since."

He was just another sentimental fool like me. "Yes, Dennis. I will marry you. I used dream about this, but I thought I really fucked it up." I realized I was crying and he held me.

He whispered in my ear. "I should have stayed that night and talked. I should have answered the phone and listened. Maybe I would have changed my mind or not, but at least I should have given you a chance to explain. Can you forgive me?"

I pulled back and looked at him, still crying. "Forgive you? I knew the type of man you were. That's why I couldn't tell you. Can you forgive me?"

"I have already forgiven you. I love you. I love Angela. I just want to be here to help you raise a healthy child." He pulled me closer and whispered. "And practice making new ones."

We stripped ourselves right there in the kitchen and he asked me to stand up, facing the little bit of light that was coming in from the street. "Stunning!"

I smiled at him and held my hand up to the light to see the ring, then looked over at him. "Snake-charmer!"

We made love for three hours and not once did we say we were 'fucking'.

August 23rd, 2008

***** Dennis *****

I walked out of the bathroom, my tie in place. I was in my new house and everything had been completed in time for the ceremony. It was being conducted in my back yard.

I walked down to the kitchen and the caterer was busy getting everything ready. Diane came around the corner. "Hey, handsome." She called me that although I doubt I qualified. "You ready to get hitched?"

I smiled. "Let's do this."

Around the corner came Angela. They had given her a 90% chance of having a full life. Her disease hadn't been as bad as some of the others and she was showing no signs of it right now. Thank god. She was dressed up as the flower girl for the wedding between me and her mother. She turned to me and smiled. My heart swelled. "Daddy!" She ran to me to give me a hug. Damn, I loved the sound of that!

We all got into position and then came the bride. She came down the stairs from the house, dressed in the most beautiful wedding gown I had ever seen. It made her look regal. She turned toward the altar and smiled at me. My breath caught.

Present Day

I ran into the bedroom and Angela was helping her mother stand up. She was laughing at Jennifer, and Jennifer was trying not to laugh. Angela had recently learned the word zeppelin and was getting great enjoyment out of referring to her mother as one. I grabbed the bag by the bed and smiled at Jennifer. She moaned and groaned as another contraction hit. I smiled into the mirror as I hurriedly got dressed. I had to hurry; it was going to be a good day for me, not so good for Jennifer... until a little later.