Ghosts & Shadows Pt. 03

"Tell Brandy I'll be there in spirit and I'll visit with her and her new hubby later this year. Tell her to get good pictures for me, okay?"

"Okay Dad," and I could hear her crying.

It was on a warm Sunday in July and the Dean's house was a big old, comfortable New York upstate farmhouse transformed into a 21st century mansion. It was in the center of what had been an apple orchard at one time. Guests parked all around and the back yard had been transformed into an open-air chapel.

I came in by taxi, walked in quietly when I knew most people were gathering for the ceremony. I stood at the back window and watched as Brandy and her slightly shorter Professor fiancée exchanged their vows under an apple tree groaning with red fruit.

After the vows, there was a meet-and-greet line and I slipped in at the end, holding her wedding present wrapped in green and blue paper. Family and close friends stood at either side of the happy couple. Brandy looked up and realized who I was.

"Hugh," she almost shouted, and then ran to me. As she ran I looked beyond her, to the tall, brown haired woman dressed in a light, summery creation of sheer fabric and embroidered flowers. When she heard Brandy's call, her gaze turned from a woman who had been shaking her hand toward me.

Maybe Nicole and Peter were right and she had had a hard life these last almost two years. Maybe she had aged and lost the sheen of youth, the tight skin and clear eyes that had made her seem a decade younger than she was but, if she had, I couldn't tell it.

We stared at each other for what had to be decades. I couldn't take my eyes off her and she didn't move her gaze an inch in either direction.

Then Brandy was in my arms and I had lowered my gaze to kiss her forehead. We babbled. When I looked up again the tall brown-haired woman was gone.

I met Brandy's young professor, talked with Nicole and Simon, had one piece of cake and then made my excuses. I had urgent business back in Jacksonville, I'd only flown up to say hello, and I would see them later.

When both Brandy and Nicole refused to believe those lies, I looked up at a sea of strangers and said, "There are a lot more wedding festivities to go. Mary won't come out again if I'm around. I'm not going to spoil things for you. I was here, I gave you a kiss, met your young man, and now it's time to go."

As I was getting ready to go I remembered the package I had brought with me and gave it to Brandy, asking her to put it into the pile of wedding gifts they'd open later. She shook her head and said, "No, Hugh. This is from you. I want to see it now."

Like a kid tearing into a present on Christmas morning, she destroyed the wrapping. Nicole and Simon and Brandy's new husband looked at her with amused eyes. Then she held the framed photograph up in the afternoon sunlight and began to cry.

Nicole took one look at it and began to cry and put her arms around her.

Simon and Brandy's husband just looked at the picture and then realized what it was. It had been taken when Mary and I were a loving couple, with our almost grown two daughters and Peter standing between us. It was a Christmas photo, of a time long gone.

I hugged her one last time, saying, "For the good memories we had," and then I left and on the flight back to Jacksonville I closed my eyes and saw that brown-eyed, brown-haired lady in the lace and flowers like the after image of a nova that has burned itself into your retina. I couldn't erase that image, but I didn't really want to.

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CHAPTER 7 AND 8 COMING