A Random Encounter - or Not?

Note from Author: I've written this short story for the Winter Holidays Story Contest 2023. It is not erotic in any way. It has a religious focus, so if religion is not your cup of tea, don't read it. It is not intended for you. This story is about God working in very mysterious and unexpected ways in people's lives. I hope you enjoy it.

A Random Encounter -- or Not?

Kevin stood staring at the large display of flowers at a grocery store in Newark, Delaware. It was the day before Thanksgiving and the store manager seemed determined to offer every species of flower she'd heard of. Many beautiful arrangements sat beside the cut flowers. There were also many live cacti in full bloom and even a few blooming orchids. He slowly shook his head, not knowing which to choose.

He glanced over his shoulder and saw a lovely woman waiting patiently for him to do something.

He said, "Please excuse me. I'm overwhelmed. May I ask, if you were invited to a Thanksgiving dinner, which flowers would you take to the hostess?"

She smiled and replied, "As it so happens, that's the reason I'm here. I'm invited to one as well. I was thinking something in fall colors such as browns, yellows, and reds would be good. But many people like the blooming cactus. They hold their beauty through Christmas and, assuming you don't kill them by over-watering, they'll bloom again next year.

Kevin said, "I like that idea. Thank you."

She replied, "You're welcome. Now, may I ask. Do you work on campus? You seem familiar."

Kevin smiled again and replied, "That's funny. I was going to ask you the same question. Yes, I'm the assistant professor of chemistry. I'm Kevin O'Brien."

She smiled, "I teach voice in the music department. You're not going to believe it, but my name is Susan O'Brian."

"What? This is too much. Is your name spelled with an 'a' or an 'e'?"

She replied, "With an 'a'."

"Mine has an 'e'. At least, we're probably not related."

Susan continued, "Our office manager's husband is the dean of the chemistry department. I've been invited to their house tomorrow. Her name is Elizabeth Casey."

Kevin laughed out loud and replied, "We're going to the same dinner. Dean Casey invited me."

Susan laughed and said, "Then we better get coordinated. I'll take cut flowers in fall colors, and you take the cactus."

"That's a deal."

Susan helped him pick the best one and he helped her choose the best combination of cut flowers and a vase to hold them.

After paying, Susan and Kevin walked outside. Kevin said, "Could I be forward enough to offer you a cup of coffee. The shop next door is good, and I'd like to get to know a bit about you before tomorrow's dinner."

Susan responded, "I'd like that very much."

They locked the flowers in their cold cars and walked to Nico's Coffee Shoppe. As Kevin opened the door for her, she stepped inside and took a deep breath. Susan said, "I love the fragrance of just-brewed coffee."

"It does wake your senses. I'm not worth much before my first cup in the morning," Kevin replied.

"Exactly. Do we order at the counter or just have a seat?"

He said, "You pick a table and I'll bring our coffee. How do you like yours?"

Susan said, "I'm a pure black coffee freak. No sugar and no cream. If they have Guatemalan, I'd prefer that."

Kevin nodded and walked to the counter to order. Susan studied him. She admired his facial features and the way he carried himself. Although he wore a gray wool sweater over a black turtleneck, she could tell he was fit and athletic. His voice indicated he was from the South, but she wasn't sure from which part.

Kevin stood at the counter after ordering. He thought of Susan. She was very pretty, and many would call her beautiful. She had a presence about her that was impressive. Obviously self-assured. He thought she might be from New York or Connecticut and was probably in her late twenties or early thirties.

He carried the hot cups to the table and took a seat.

"They had Guatemalan. I ordered one also. I normally drink Colombian but am flexible."

Susan replied, "I learned about it a few years ago. The church I attend took a group of us volunteers down to assist in the drilling of freshwater wells. We teamed up with drilling professionals and went into remote villages in the Guatemalan jungle that needed clean water. It just about broke my heart to see how people must live. To have clean water was a blessing for them. Here we just take it for granted. They were grateful."

Kevin replied, "When I was in grad school at Georgia Tech, we worked on a project for the WHO to make small portable water purification systems. The idea was to take them to areas of need where the local water was contaminated. The system of chemicals and filters we developed worked well and many were made and installed. The only problem was getting a steady and dependable delivery of the chemicals and replacement filters."

"So, you attended Georgia Tech. Where did you do your undergraduate studies," Susan asked.

"UT in Knoxville. Their chemistry program is strong, and many renowned chemists come out of there and go on to Tech or Stanford or MIT."

She asked, "Are you from Knoxville?"

"Nashville."

"Ah ha! I knew it had to be from down there somewhere. I love your Southern accent."

Kevin smiled and replied, "I think you have a New York or Connecticut accent. Where are you from?"

Susan replied, "You're right. I grew up in the Hudson River Valley, not far from Hyde Park where Roosevelt lived."

"I visited there one time. After stopping at West Point, we drove up to see Roosevelt's house. We were surprised by how many wineries are up that valley. We stopped at a couple and their sweet white wines were very good."

Susan was surprised. She'd checked Kevin's hand for a wedding ring but saw nothing. She asked, "Were you traveling with a friend or your wife?"

"My wife. She died in a traffic accident about ten months ago."

"Oh no. How did it happen?"

"We had icy conditions in late January on I-95. She was leaving work in Wilmington and driving to Newark when a rig jackknifed in the on-coming lane. It crossed the median and struck my wife's and another car. Three were killed, including my Emily."

"Wow, I'm so sorry. What a disaster."

Kevin replied, "Yes, it was. I doubt I'll ever get over it. The only comfort I can find in the whole mess is that Emily was a very devout Christian, and I have no doubt where she is right now."

"Do you have children?"

"No, we'd been married five years and were planning to start a family this year. Of course, all those plans died with her."

There was a quiet moment while they both thought about that tragedy.

Kevin said, "Enough about me. Now tell me about Susan."

She replied, "I grew up in a musical family. My dad played the piano and sang. My mom played the violin and sang. As I was growing up, I just sang. I never learned to play an instrument but it's not too late. I've been thinking about piano lessons. Both parents were high school teachers. Dad was my first voice coach but when I was thirteen, he hired a professional to take me on.

"I was able to get into The Juilliard School in New York and they took me to the next level."

"That's exciting. Have you sung professionally?

"Yes, I was in Les Mis and The Lion King on Broadway. I sang with the New York Philharmonic and performed a Christmas show with the Rockettes in the famous Radio City Music Hall."

Kevin asked, "Was that Christmas show three years ago?"

Susan smiled and said, "Yes it was. Where you there?"

"Emily and I went up and saw that show. Now I know why you look familiar. We heard you sing, and it was amazing. What a coincidence. I never thought I'd meet an actual star of that show. Do you still perform?"

"Not much. I teach full time at UD and enjoy it very much. There are some talented young people in the program and I'm able to pass on things I learned and help create in them a passion for the music. There's not as much money for performance artists as there is for recording artists. To earn a good living, a performer on Broadway or in an orchestra must be at the very top of the heap and it's never easy to stay there."

"Susan, I need to go. I have some papers to grade so the little kiddies will know how they're doing. For some of them, it's not looking good. I'll see you tomorrow at the Casey's house."

"I look forward to it," she replied.

***

Susan arrived at her home, sorted through all the junk mail, and pulled a Boston Market frozen dinner out of the freezer. Her thoughts returned to Kevin and the tragedy he'd endured. She noticed tears welling in his eyes as he remembered Emily. Life is just not fair.

She had undergone her own loss of someone she thought she loved. Ed was an accomplished pianist who she met at Juilliard. They had a lot in common and started dating. She moved in with him and thought it was serious enough that he would propose marriage. It never happened. When she was offered the position in Delaware, he refused to move with her. Instead, he accepted an offer to play with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra in Denver. She was crushed.

In hindsight, she could see little clues that Ed was not as serious as she. It was subtle things like not remembering the anniversary of their moving in together. One year, he forgot her birthday. He would occasionally go out with the guys on a weekend night instead of with her. Their sex was enjoyable, but it never led to a commitment from him. Their lives were like two worlds circling each other but never merging.

Since arriving on the University of Delaware campus the previous fall, Susan devoted all her energy to the music program and the dozens of students trying to develop their voices to earn a living. For some students, it was heartbreaking when she had to tell them the truth. She knew that only one percent of people in a college music program will ever earn enough to be called "successful."

Many of her students found jobs singing on cruise ships and in places like Dollywood, Six Flags, Community theater productions and weddings. Only two of her students from the past year were auditioned for a Broadway musical and only one was chosen. There were three others coming to her advanced program next year who had demonstrated great promise.

With her refined soprano voice, she could perform any opera or any Broadway musical. Such was not her challenge. Susan wanted to teach, and she wanted to find a good husband and have children.

She went to sleep that night thinking about Kevin.

***

Kevin finished grading his students' tests just before midnight. They had done better than he expected. Maybe some of the basics were being absorbed after all.

His PhD in chemistry from GA Tech was not easy. The work and study habits it demanded were beyond the level of commitment most people were willing to make. His parents sacrificed many vacations and all but necessary expenditures to help him pay for the degree. He was determined to make them proud. His mother told him many times that he was destined for something great. She could sense it. He had hoped she was right. The death of Emily destroyed that optimism. That tragedy was not on anyone's radar screen of life.

As Kevin lay staring at the ceiling, his thoughts turned to Susan. Her compassion for him was genuine. It was like she shared that sense of loss. He wondered if she would agree to dinner one night, or maybe a Delaware football game with him. He would ask her at the Casey's dinner if the opportunity came. He went to sleep thinking about Susan.

***

As he entered Dean John Casey's home, the great fragrance of baked bread welcomed him. While John took his coat, Elizabeth came to meet him. She loved the cactus with pink blooms flowing like water from each thorny arm.

"Kevin, it's a pleasure to meet you. John has talked about you many times. Between you and me, I think you're making him look good." Elizabeth joked.

John retorted, "Well somebody must make me look good. At my age, I've lost all patience with these dumb kids. Why do they think they can succeed in a college level chemistry program when they didn't learn the fundamental skills in high school. Most of them were given their diplomas like it was a participation trophy. It's a joke."

"Now honey, calm down. It's Thanksgiving and we must concentrate on giving thanks today," said Elizabeth.

"Okay, Liz. I'll try. Kevin, how about a glass of 1995 Leoville las Cases? I just opened and decanted it about 45 minutes ago."

Kevin replied, "That's a good one. It was a grand year for Bordeaux. I think all my 95s are gone."

The doorbell rang and John walked to answer it. Susan had arrived. Kevin smiled and watched as Elizabeth gushed over the beautiful flower arrangement she carried. Elizabeth formally introduced her to John.

"John, it's great to meet you. I thoroughly enjoy working with Elizabeth and she's always talking about you."

John replied, "Surely not, can I have rebuttal time?" Everyone laughed.

Elizabeth turned to Kevin said, "Susan, this is Kevin. He teaches chemistry in John's department. Kevin, please meet Susan. She's a star in our vocal education program."

Susan replied, "I had the pleasure of meeting Kevin yesterday. We both stopped to buy flowers for today and accidently learned we were coming to the same Thanksgiving dinner. Good to see you again Kevin."

"My pleasure, Susan." Their eyes met for more than just a casual moment. A message was being sent and received.

John said, "There's another couple coming that should be here soon. They visited the campus from Switzerland the last two days, and I invited them to join us. He's a robotics specialist at CERN. Their names are Dr. and Mrs. Albert Zeiss."

Susan asked, "What is CERN?"

Kevin responded, "It's the European Organization for Nuclear Research. It's one of the world's largest and most respected centers for scientific research. Basically, they explore fundamental physics and try to find what the universe is made of and how it all works."

John added, "They accelerate and crash atoms and sub-atomic particles together to see what happens."

Susan responded, "So they're trying to understand God."

John pursed his lips and frowned as he thought.

"You know, you're right Susan. I hadn't thought of it that way," John replied.

Kevin added, "That'd be an interesting subject to discuss with our guests today."

Susan replied, "I don't know anything, so I'll stay out of that discussion."

As they walked to the family room, Susan casually slipped a piece of paper to Kevin. He glanced at it and saw a phone number and a message, "Call me."

***

Thanksgiving dinner was fun, and the food was good and very filling. The Swiss guests were delightful and very appreciative of being invited to their first American Thanksgiving dinner, something they had only seen on American movies. There was no discussion of CERN or any of their research that was underway. Instead, the focus was on the meaning of Thanksgiving, its history and how it's been celebrated through the years. They described many Swiss holidays and how they were celebrated.

The whole afternoon and evening was fun. Sensitive subjects were avoided to the relief of all. Only a quarter of football was watched while John and Kevin tried to explain the rules to Albert.

When Kevin returned home, he found that note from Susan. After taking a shower and turning on the electric blanket, he called.

When she answered, he said, "Susan, this is Kevin."

"Hi Kevin, thanks for calling. I guessed correctly that we wouldn't have a chance to talk privately today."

"I wanted to talk to you as well. I had trouble sleeping last night as I thought about you."

"You too, huh," she replied.

"Susan, if I'm way out of line, just tell me. There was something about you that intrigued me. I'm not sure exactly what it was. I sensed a loneliness but also an openness. Tell me if I'm wrong."

"You're right, Kevin. I sensed the same about you. Obviously after the accident, you would be lonely and that's tough to endure. But it seemed, as we talked, that you were almost reaching out and searching for a new beginning. Am I on the right track?"

"I think so. Over the last several months, really since the new classes began, I've put heavy thought into my life's direction. My mother used to say that I was destined for great things. But all mothers say that to their children, I suppose."

"My mom and dad said that same thing when my voice developed.

'Kevin, there's something I didn't share with you yesterday. I also lost someone I loved. He wasn't killed but he moved away and deserted me. He's in Colorado now. That happened just after I'd accepted the position here. Like you, that's left me wondering about my life and where I'm headed. You're right, I am lonely."

Kevin said, "Would you have dinner with me sometime soon. I want to know you much better."

"I'd love to. I'm ready to move on."

"I have a heavy schedule the next two weeks with all the children returning. How about December 13? That's a Saturday night," he said.

"That works well for me. I must get the vocal students ready for their Christmas concerts. We're doing performances at Christiana Mall several nights to help welcome Santa. We're also performing at Longwood Gardens in their conservatory auditorium."

"I'm sure Santa needs the welcome. Maybe I can stop by and hear your show. Can you e-mail your schedule?"

They exchanged e-mail addresses and he gave her his cell number.

Kevin again studied the ceiling for a long time that night. He felt a renewed spirit that was looking forward, not back at what had been. Where was it going? That's the question. Susan seemed so open to beginning a new relationship. Or was he wishing that was the case?

Susan stared at her TV screen, not watching the late-night news, but thinking. She sensed a new beginning. For the first time in over a year, she was thinking about a new man and what possibilities lay ahead. Kevin had captured her mind, but so had Ed. She was worried.

***

The Longwood concert was on December 3rd. Kevin drove to the legendary gardens about thirty minutes north of Newark and arrived a few minutes early. He found a seat near the back and studied the crowd, as he always enjoyed doing.

Sharply on time, the announcer said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Merry Christmas from all our team at Longwood. We're very happy to have the University of Delaware Choir under the direction of Professor Susan O'Brian. Please relax and enjoy this celebration of Christmas.

The choir was in place on the stage when Susan walked to the front. Polite applause filled the room followed by the a cappella performance.

The choir launched the evening with Joy to the World, What Child is This, Mary Did you Know, Do You Hear What I Hear, and Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. Each song included verses performed by soloists and quartets. Their voices filled the conservatory and adjacent indoor gardens.

The second part of the show was focused on fun holiday classics like Frosty the Snowman, Jingle Bells, The Little Drummer Boy, I Saw Mommie Kissing Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Jingle Bell Rock.

To close the show, Susan stepped to the mic and sang Silent Night. Her voice was amazing, bringing tears to many eyes. Kevin was astonished. She was a real pro, and it was obvious why she was the professor. The audience was totally absorbed into the song. Very loud applause was deafening as she slowly nodded in appreciation.

Following the performance, the choir members mingled with the crowd, wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season. Susan had a line of patient guests waiting to thank her and exclaim admiration of her voice. Kevin joined that line.