The Descending of Jessica Ch. 14

The room again grew silent as everyone got to listen to me weep. Brent sat down, at last, beside me and pulled me closely so I could cry on his shoulder. He said nothing for a while but, once my tears dissipated a little, finally spoke.

"Come on, Honey. It's okay. You already have a family full of people that love you. And this afternoon, you're getting one more. We need to dry those tears and get cleaned up so we can get you registered this morning." When I finally nodded agreement, Brent turned to Dr. Riley and asked, "What time is the wedding? Okay if I come along?"

"We'll come by about one, if that's okay. It's no particular time. I grew up with a judge who's going to marry us in chambers whenever we get there. And you have to come along, remember? I put you in charge of making sure Miss Jessica is taking care of herself." He smiled and his comment got a brief smile out of me, too.

"Uh, guys, I hate to rain on your parade, but have either of you ever registered late before?" Carolyn asked.

"No, why?" Brent said as we both looked at her.

"Well, the classes, especially core classes in the morning, are always full, so you have to either rearrange your schedule to all kinds of odd hours, or go all over campus and get department heads and convince them to sign cut cards to let you in," Carolyn answered.

"How long does that..." Brent got out before Carolyn interrupted,

"Most of the day the only time I ever did it. I mean, there are ways around it. I saw a guy who got what classes he wanted but he was in a wheelchair and could only take those classes because that was when he had transportation. But I don't know if they'll let Jessie... I mean, they might if we explained it, but..."

"I can help with that," Dr. Riley said, cutting Carolyn off. "Hang loose a second."

He went to his BMW, which was dwarfed by my truck beside it, and from the back seat pulled a briefcase which he returned with. Once back, he took from it a few sheets of his office stationery, took a pen from his pocket and began to write.

We sat in silence as he scribbled until Carolyn made the comment, "Nice pen."

"Huh?" I asked, wondering what she meant.

"It's a Monte Blanc. Whenever I saw someone with one in their pocket at dad's store, I knew they could afford to be there. And since I worked on commission that meant they were my customer." She smiled.

Dr. Riley continued to write, but as he did so said, "I do alright. I'm not Allison Anderson rich, but I get by." He grinned as he handed me the paper.

"You mean Ron? I figured a, well, a brain surgeon, made at least what a dentist does." I commented, still drying my tears.

"No, I meant Alli... Wait, you don't know? Well, its not my place. Forget about it."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"That should get you the classes you want. I just wrote that your schedule was selected under medical guidance due to your recovery and that it was important that you take these classes at

these times in order to continue therapy on schedule. Will that do the trick?" he asked Carolyn.

"Uh, yeah, I guess. I mean, it would at Tech, I guess it would here." She smiled. "Think you could write me a note to get out of class sometime if I need it?"

"You got it!" He grinned.

"Wait, what did you mean about Allison?" I asked, my curiosity piqued. I knew it was nosey. I had never inquired about the Anderson's finances and didn't think it was any of my business, but I always saw Ron as the breadwinner.

"Jessica, I've said too much. If Allison wants to tell you about all that, well she will. I shouldn't. It's not my place to. If you don't know, then its because she, well, Allison is private about things like that, I guess. Besides, anything I would know would be on reputation and rumor anyway."

I had no idea what he was talking about. Allison and I talked about everything, but money had never come up. She didn't put on airs. And if you didn't know better you would assume she was just a regular middle class PTA mom, albeit one that got a new Benz every year and vacationed a lot. She clearly didn't have to worry about money. But Ron owned his practice and a good chunk of every other one around our town. Why should she have to worry about money? In any event, it was just a curiosity, and one clearly Dr. Riley and my mother, if she knew, were not about to fill me in on.

We agreed to call if we could not be back by one. And I ran upstairs to jump in the shower and get ready to face the jungle of late registration. Once out, I readied myself and by 9:30, Brent - who had used the other shower - and I were ready to go.

"So, any idea what Dr. Riley was talking about? You know, about Allison?" I asked Brent as we started down the stairs.

"Uh, yeah. I thought you knew about all that. I mean, I've known for a couple of years. I sat down to talk to them about college and the expense, and that's when Allison told me to not worry about it. Ron later told me she doesn't like to talk about it because the girls she went to school with... Well, they were a bunch of phonies that only hung around with her because of who her dad was. When he passed away, well, she was an only child and pretty much inherited everything. Ron doesn't really need to work but, well, he loves what he does and thinks he should. So their day to day expenses he covers. Everything else, the travel, cars, our college, uh, your engagement ring, probably this house but I don't know about that. Ron said he covered that, but stuff like that, well, they don't worry about money."

"Who was her dad? I never knew any of this," I said as we stood in the door about to go knock on Carolyn's.

"He was a doctor. You know the hospital you were in? He and a couple other doctors founded it back in the sixties. They started a chain of them and it was one of the first of like a couple of dozen, which he sold to a bigger chain before he died and invested the money elsewhere. Dad's regular rich. Mom? Well, she's stupid obscenely rich. Incredibly rich. Has the same brokerage firm as Gates and Jobs rich. Went to boarding school at a place named after her grandparents rich. Never in her life ate Ramen or store brand macaroni rich. Other rich people are envious of her rich. And that's why she doesn't talk about it. I mean, she doesn't hide it. If you ask, she would tell you, I'm sure. But, I think that you have never asked her about money and always try to keep her from spending any on you is one of the things she finds most endearing about you. Remember when you first moved in she took you to the mall and got you new clothes and had your hair and makeup and all that done? After you went to bed that night she was crying on the couch with Ron about how you were upset that she was spending money on you. She just loved your, well, frugality and that you liked her not because of her money but just because. Because you liked her without knowing anything about her and were so grateful for what she saw as just a pittance. To hear her talk that night she had spent less that day than she had spent on having her car maintenance done a couple days before and you were as grateful as if she had bought you a yacht to go with your private jet. So, well, maybe that's why she never told you. She wants you to love her for who she is, not what she has."

"I... uh, she had to show me how to take my makeup off that night. I had never had any before. I was sitting there while she smeared cold cream on my face and then wiped it off. Then she showed me how to make sure my pores were clean so my skin would clear up and I was thinking how nice she was to care about me like that... I started to cry and she said it would take awhile for my eyes to get used to the scent of the cold cream and was apologizing for getting it too close to them. But that wasn't it at all. It was just, well, she was nice to me. No one had ever really been that nice. She, well, I mean Mom - Donna I mean - well, I don't think Donna ever had the money to buy any of that or she would have. And I wasn't accustomed to anyone spending more than twenty bucks or so on an outfit and she had spent four or five hundred just on hair and makeup stuff that I didn't even know how to use. My eyes weren't watering because of cold cream."

I choked up at this memory. Allison was the most wonderful person I knew. Well, other than Brent perhaps. Her generosity defined her, not her wealth. It's odd that I grew up resenting wealthy folks I went to school with, then benefited so much from Allison's generosity and never knew about her money, since it isn't what she is all about. Of course to hear Brent talk, Allison could buy those phonies I went to school with for what they thought they were worth, sell them for what they were really worth, take the loss and still not worry about money.

Carolyn was, of course, waiting on us. I regained my composure and resolved, foolishly on my part, to hold Allison in even higher esteem. I say foolishly as on reflection after all she had done for me before I knew about her money, I couldn't possibly think more of her than I already did. We hopped in the truck, with Brent driving, and got on our way to the admin building at school to try to get me registered.

We only got the slightest amount of push back. The first problem was explaining that my name was now Anderson, as I had married. I was told I needed to get a copy of the marriage certificate so the school could have proof that I was who I claimed to have been the previous semester. Most of the classes I requested were filled, but Mike's letter got the limit waived for me like magic. The student worker read it over, called over his supervisor, who also read it, pushed a few buttons on the computer keyboard, and I was in.

I thanked them both, but the supervisor stared at me for a long moment and said, "You're the young lady that was in the wreck a couple months ago, I remember reading about that. We're glad you're better." She said it with a smile.

"Yeah, I didn't know they had done stories about it. I was kinda out of it for a while."

"She's... the one with the truck?" the student worker asked.

"Yes, that looked like someone had wadded up aluminum foil. You're lucky to be alive."

"You saw the truck?" I asked.

"There was a picture on the cover of the student newspaper," he said.

"I'd like to see that sometime," I said to Brent.

"No, you don't. I, well, I hope to never see it again," he replied, keeping a stiff upper lip against the angst I could tell was boiling within.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. No sense living in the past." I smiled as we turned to leave.

"Good luck!" the supervisor said as I left, to which I shouted back, "Thanks!"

"So, shall we go get your books?" Carolyn asked.

"I think I need to see the Bursar first to make sure my scholarships are okay."

"Good point," Carolyn replied. So we took the elevator to where there were normally long lines waiting to pay. But that day it was quite short and inside a few minutes, again mostly explaining the name change, we had confirmed that all was well insofar as tuition went.

Next it was off to the bookstore. Brent and Carolyn wanted to drive, but I pointed out it was just next door across a small park with a picnic table and a few trees and we were unlikely to find a parking spot closer than the one we were already in. They stared for a moment, then looked around clearly disoriented.

"When I registered, I drove all the way around over there. I didn't realize I was standing beside it already." Brent said.

"Well, I guess I know my way around better than you. Do you want me to help you find your classes, too?" I smirked.

"No, I got that. I, well, I just feel dumb now."

"Me, too." Carolyn admitted. "I did the same thing only I walked all the way around the library. The map on the inside of the catalog sucks."

"Geez, what would you all do without me?" I smiled.

"Probably cry our eyes out. That's what we did last time," Carolyn quipped with a sarcastic smirk that reminded me how close I was to both my husband and my best friend.

The bookstore was more of a madhouse as returning students who had not gotten their texts when they registered were doing so then. But after 15 minutes of finding them, and another 20 of waiting in line to check out, we were done. Brent was a sweetie and carried my sack of texts for me. Since it was still early, we opted to stop for coffee while in the student center at a Starbucks knock off that was among the eating places there. It was nice to just sit and chat with Brent and Carolyn about school rather than my health for once, and we took the opportunity to arrange a weekly study schedule. Carolyn excelled at this, as did Brent. Carolyn approached it from the perspective of an engineer, making the most efficient use of our time, while Brent had the disciplined mind of an accountant. I just knew what had worked and not worked for me in the past, like a historian.

Occasionally, I noticed people staring at me which was at first unsettling. A couple folks I had class with the previous fall, but didn't really know, came over and said "Hi" and asked how I was doing. All were quite polite and friendly, but the attention was getting, well strange. One of my previous professors came by and she was particularly nice, welcoming me back and telling me to take it easy while still recovering. She bragged to Brent and Carolyn that I was one of her few students to get an A in her class in the fall. Then she checked over my schedule to see if she knew any of this term's professors for me. She remarked that a couple of them were really nice, though she didn't know the rest.

Around 11 we decided we had time for lunch before heading back so we went to a deli off campus that was a student hang out. Both Brent and Carolyn had been there with me in the fall and the food, for college fare, was decent. Here, too, there were stares and whispers as we entered and it was beginning to be annoying.

"I don't get it. It's not like I'm famous. It's just all so weird," I remarked.

"Well, you are a local hero," Brent suggested.

"Yes, you're The Girl Who Lived! You're a wizard, Jessie!" Carolyn giggled.

"Well, I guess that's better than being The Girl On Fire!"

"Huh?" Brent said with alarm in his voice as Carolyn and I snickered.

"The Hunger Games? 'The Girl On Fire?' You haven't read them?" I asked.

"Uh, no. Is that something in it? I don't really have time to read much," Brent confessed.

"Yeah, they're a fun read. I'll tell you what, I have them at home. Next time Sarah comes over I'll have her read it to you!" I giggled. "And you need to make time to read!"

"You need to make time to drink more fluids." Brent smiled as he passed the gigantic tea to me that they serve there. "And why don't you read it to me?" he asked with a kiss.

"I could do that." I smiled and returned his kiss.

"Awwwww! You two are just so cute!" Carolyn said. "You should kiss in public all the time whenever I'm around."

"Sorry, I guess it's just the newlywed thing," I said, worried that she might be offended by our PDAs.

"No, I mean, it's just when you do, all the cute guys that are staring at us know you're taken and start staring at just me, instead," she grinned.

"What? Who's staring?" I asked quietly.

"Uh, every guy in here," Brent said with a smile. "And since I'm out with you two even the gay guys at the table in the corner over your right shoulder are wondering what's so special about me." He grinned. "You'll have to forgive Jessie. She doesn't really notice the effect she and you have on men."

I looked around. I hadn't noticed all the men looking, other than when we came in. But they we clearly stealing glances our way, especially at Carolyn. And in the corner was a table of three fellows that would set off anyone's gaydar, all eyeing Brent. Or they were until I looked back anyway.

"Weird."

We finished up lunch and drove home to get ready for Donna's big day. As we got out of the truck, I asked Carolyn what she was planning to do for the afternoon.

"Not much. Finish organizing my closet. Do you know if there is a laundromat and grocery store in walking distance?"

"Uh, well, there is a washer and dryer that has only been used a couple times in the room past the ground floor bathroom in our side of the house. I don't know about a grocery store close enough to walk to, but you can take the truck. From what I've seen, you drive it better than anyone else, anyway." I grinned.

"Oh! Well if you don't mind I will use your washer, but I'll wait if you are going to the grocery store anytime soon."

"Take the truck, or my car," Brent said. "We have a washer and dryer, but we don't have soap. We used up the little sample box that came with the washer so you'll have to get some."

"I hate to do that. It will wait."

"It's okay, seriously. You're here because you wanted to be there for Jessie. It's the least we can do. Besides, you really do drive the truck better than her." Brent snickered.

"Hey! Only because you never let me drive anymore, buster!" I laughed.

Brent threw her the keys and we went in to change. We dressed for church, having never been to a wedding at a courthouse before. Donna had not given me any direction on what to wear. I dressed in neutral earth tones so I would be subdued compared to her. It didn't take long to get ready, and it gave me a chance to ask Brent something while we waited in the living room. I had been trying to think of something beyond the norm for him tonight, and remembered that he once wanted to take pictures of me, and that I had got him a camera for that purpose that he had never used.

"So, Honey, uh, what's your biggest fantasy?"

"What?"

"Well, you were so good jumping in this morning when I volunteered to take care of my brother after Donna goes back to work.. Well, uh, I was just about ready to knock you down and uh, do it with you right then. So, well, I want to do something special for you tonight. So, what would you like me to do? What fantasy can I make come true?"

"Uh. 'Do it with me'?" He smiled.

"Sounds better than 'Rape you.'" I smirked.

"True. Well, uh, I don't know..."

"It's okay, baby. You're not going to shock me. And we don't have secrets, remember?" I smiled.

"Well, uh, what's your biggest fantasy?"

"Brent, I asked first!"

"Well, see, the thing is, for the longest time, my biggest fantasy, was..."

"Was what?" I asked when he grew silent.

"You. And that one came true. and while you were, uh, out, I only thought about you getting well, and coming back and us being together again. I thought about what I could do to get back with you, and get us back on track and maybe still get married this summer. So, well, since you woke up, you know, well, I haven't really had any others come up. I mean, I will I'm sure, eventually. I'm not denying that I've had fantasies. I know you want an answer and I don't want to have secrets, but, well, right now, all of mine have come true."

"Hmmm, sounds like a cop out Brent. Come on, surely there's something. What about when we dating? Wasn't there something?

"Well, actually yes. But, well, I don't know if it counts as what you're looking for."

"What?" I asked, thinking that he would come back with taking pictures as he once suggested, but he surprised me.

"Well, uh, I was really looking forward to your Halloween costume, and I never got to see it."

I thought for a minute. It was in the closet. Whoever had packed up my stuff from the dorm had packed it, too, and it was kind of sexy but in a silly way. It was a slutty Alice in Wonderland costume I had ordered online. I still had it. I had worn it once, on Halloween, with Trish and Carolyn during the awful week Brent and I were apart, but I had told him about it while we were together before that, and had bought it to wear to his fraternity's party.