by Cee, DW
“She’s been telling us for weeks that she needs to pee on the potty, but it’s always been a false alarm. I don’t trust that girl anymore.”
“Daddy.” My daughter complained. “Potty time!” she exclaimed again and ran into the restroom with her mother.
“I’ll start the car,” I yelled to the two most important people in my life.
Marni and I had a business meeting in Florida, so we, as in the entire village, decided to spend a week at Walt Disney World. After being out of work for a month, Marni found the exact same job for a company based out of Florida. My life stayed status quo in terms of work at the college and my side job with Hollywood. That former gave me pride and joy, the latter allowed for family trips to Disney World. At this point, I couldn’t live without either. The perks outweighed the psychotic Hollywood lifestyle.
“Ready, Daddy!” she said with a kiss to my cheek and a wink. My two-year-old was a serious flirt.
“I swear this little girl becomes more brazen by the day. She’s a hustler just like her mama was when she was little.”
Marni cackled. “Yeah? Give me some examples of my hustling days as a two-year-old.”
I laughed with her. “Don’t you remember the time you kissed me on the cheek just like your daughter just did? I think she learned it from you.”
“And when exactly was it that I kissed you? I remember the first time you kissed me was when we were five and eating popsicles. You claimed you wanted a taste of mine; that was your lame excuse to feel up my mouth. The last time you kissed me was hundreds of days ago. No more than 1.5 seconds later, you ran off like a scared puppy. You had more mojo as a five-year-old than as a thirty-something-year-old man.”
“Really?” I had no idea that’s how Mar felt about me holding back the past year. Damn woman had no clue how much it killed me to hold back.
We’d come to an impasse since our last conversation. I decided there was no convincing Marni with words. I’d let my actions speak for themselves.
It had been twenty months since Melody died and I still missed her. There were nights when I woke up reaching for her, dismayed at what I found. Whereas I used to fret about a future without her, I knew now that I’d be all right. Much of that was thanks to Marni and Alice. They made me smile daily.
About a year ago, I asked Marni to consider a relationship with me. I had no damn clue where we’d go, but something about us felt right. Truth be told, I did wonder if I was substituting one sister for another. That’s partly how it started from Marni to Melody, but I’d grown to love my wife for who she was and not because she reminded me of my ex-girlfriend. I feared that was the case with Marni.
Marni, being wiser than I would ever be, understood me better than I understood myself. She stood her ground and told me she didn’t want to be a substitute wife, lover, and mother. She wanted to be loved because she was Marni Montgomery, and not because she was Melody’s sister or Alice’s mother. I had a hard time with her rejection; I refused to believe what she was accusing me of, and she refused to back down. With her stance on staying friends, I was forced to see Marni in a different light. Our friendship grew deeper than ever. Our (non) relationship was better than any husband and wife team; our lives worked seamlessly. No other person could take credit for this beautiful life I was living, but my once-girlfriend. God blessed me with Marni Montgomery during the toughest time of my life. I have not stopped thanking Him for her.
“Your father is in his contemplative mode, Alice. What could he be thinking about?” Marni whispered loudly to our daughter.
“Potty time, Daddy,” my daughter exclaimed when we arrived at my parents’ home.
“Tell your grandparents. They’ll be more than happy to run you to the bathroom.”
“OK.” She grinned and kissed my cheek again once she was out of her car seat.
“Vixen,” I accused and kissed her a few extra times all over her face.
“You have spoiled her terribly for any other man.”
“That’s the point. No man will ever measure up to her father and thus, she’ll stay with me forever.”
“You’re incorrigible, Ben.” Mar laughed. “Just awful.”
“What I think is just awful is you dropping this bomb that I haven’t been living up to your expectation as a man.”
“What?” she spit out. “What expectation and what man?”
“Did you or did you not throw down the gauntlet when you said I had ‘more mojo as a five-year-old than as a thirty-something-year-old man’ to our daughter?”
“That wasn’t an accusation or a challenge…it was just…the truth.” Marni’s laugh grew to a cackle and she left to fetch our daughter.
If that’s how she felt, I’d show her how I’d been feeling the past year. Day by day, my feelings grew for her but I made no mention of them for fear she’d run away.
Today was the perfect time to start. I was ready for a relationship. Apparently, Marni felt the same way. During this trip, I’d change our status from friends and co-parents, to intimate friends and co-parents. If all worked out well, we could just be parents to our daughter.
I’d have to redo the sleeping arrangements immediately. A call to Jackie was in order before we drove three blocks to pick her up.
This was the perfect time to start a new phase in our lives. Marni and I were meant to live out the rest of our lives together.
Epilogue - Marni
Happy Days ~Pratt & McClain (Theme song from Happy Days)
Two years later…
“Ben?”
“Yeah, Mar?”
“Why are you in the garage staring at Ali’s crib? She outgrew that a long time ago. Were you thinking about giving it away?”
“No. I was thinking it was time to get it out again.”
“What? What on earth for?”
“Don’t you think our little girl needs a sibling? You’re the one who’s always saying she’s terribly spoiled. Even if we start now, she’ll be close to five before she sees a sibling.”
“What the hell, Ben Howard. Where did this come from?”
“I believe it was you who kept telling me that I should remarry and have more kids. I’ve accomplished neither. It’s time to get both done.”
Ben’s aggressive push was a welcome sight. Honestly, I agreed with him. I’d been thinking the same thing but didn’t want to force his hand.
Since Walt Disney World a year ago, Ben bulldozed me into a relationship. Bulldoze was a bit of a strong word since I’d hoped he’d want to pursue more than a friendship for a long while.
When Ben first mentioned wanting a relationship, I’d backed off with fears of being the third-wheel. No matter how much I wanted Ben, I didn’t want to compete with my sister. I watched and waited for him to show signs of wanting me. That rarely happened—or so I thought.
Once we arrived in Florida, he made it clear that he’d been holding back for me and because of me. We had been unnecessarily dancing around one another for the sake of the other person. When we declared our feelings for one another, our fates were sealed. Everyone around us rejoiced in our new status. Our daughter knew no different; we were still Mama and Daddy.
The past year was not much different from when I first arrived at Ben’s after my sister’s death. The big change that happened was my move back into Ben’s house. Initially, I resisted. The biggest and lamest reason for my hesitation was the fact that I didn’t want to sleep on the bed that he and my sister shared. Once Ben caught a whiff of why I refused him, he went into spring-cleaning mode.
With the excuse that he had to baby-proof the house, he asked me to go shopping with him and we replaced much of the furniture. That’s when Ali moved from a crib to a big-girl bed, and Ben and I moved into a new four-poster bed. I felt guilty for pushing Ben to make huge alterations for me, but I was also relieved. He later told me, had he known that changing a bed would get me to move back in, he would have done it much earlier. I was grateful for his sensitivity. Ben was gratef
ul I insisted we keep pictures of Melody throughout the house. Ali was grateful she was finally out of the crib. Her pink, princess, canopy bed made her squeal with joy.
“What do you say, Marni Montgomery? Baby first or marriage first?”
“Was that a proposal? If so, you’d better try again, Ben Howard. That was a lame-ass proposal if I ever heard one.”
“Lame-ass?” He faked a surprised look. I had that don’t mess with me look. “OK. I’ll right my wrong if you’ll get off the pill immediately and head upstairs with me.”
“Ali is in the house, Ben,” I chastised.
“So? Has that stopped us before? I’ve no idea why it would start bothering you now, but we can send her to Grandma’s for a few hours if you like.”
“Stop with the charming attempt at seduction and get to work,” I warned.
Ben grabbed me and kissed me long and hard. “Tonight?”
“Whatever, Ben. After that kind of proposal, your wish will not be my command.”
“Damn. I’m losing my touch with old age. I’ll have to Google how to propose to your girlfriend.”
Girlfriend. What a funny word for us. We were so much more than boyfriend and girlfriend. Those monikers were appropriate back when we were sixteen, but now—I didn’t know how to explain who and what we were.
Anyone who didn’t know us well already believed we were married. Since Ali was our daughter, what else would they think? The only part that gave us away was the lack of rings on our fingers. Our status, or lack of status, didn’t bother me. In my heart, we were no different than husband and wife. Our relationship was a solid one. I felt no insecurity about where I stood in Ben’s life. I figured if and when he was ready, we’d get married.
After Noah, I didn’t believe I’d ever have a husband, more children, or a family. Once married and pregnant, Ben would have turned the impossible into a reality.
Were we ready for this final step? Absolutely! I believed I’d be Marni Howard since I was ten. A little late, but we were finally getting married—with a daughter as our witness. What a crazy ride this has been for all of us. With all that Ben and I lived through in our young lives, I expect the next fifty years to be nothing but boredom. As I thought this, I couldn’t help but smile. Life with Ben Howard would always be a thrill ride.
Epilogue - Noah
Happy Days ~Pratt & McClain (Theme song from Happy Days)
Three years later…
“Noah?”
Where was that familiar voice coming from? I couldn’t see much beyond the gaggle of kids in the sand box.
“Noah!”
I knew that voice and I couldn’t believe I was hearing it again.
“Marni!” The oncoming figure was a beautiful one with a grown redhead next to her and another possible redhead inside her. “What brings you to New York?” Perhaps it was inappropriate, but I reached out to hug and kiss my once-fiancée.
“Ben had a meeting here so we thought we’d take one final trip before the baby arrives.” She pointed to her protruding belly.
“I guess it all worked out well for your family?” I asked with a grin.
“Yeah, it did,” she answered in an abashed tone. “You’re making me feel embarrassed about my ‘staying single till I die’ speech. At the time, that’s what I believed, Noah. I’m sorry if you feel deceived.”
I smiled at the squirming woman in front of me. “If you hadn’t let me go, I wouldn’t have this little doll in my life.” I picked up my daughter from the sandbox and placed her at eye level with Marni. “I should thank you for this bundle of joy.” I kissed my little girl.
Marni looked extremely happy for me; her uncontained smile was infectious. “She’s gorgeous, Noah, and looks so much like your mother. How old is she? Where’s her mother? How did you two meet? How long have you been married? Oh my gosh, I’m so happy for you!” The questions kept coming. “I assume you live in New York? Are you still with the Navy? How are your parents? Is your father married?”
So many years and so many life-changing events later, I was glad to have run into Marni. Though our relationship ended, I hoped we’d one day meet up and see how our lives turned out. I was devastated when we broke our engagement and angry with myself for walking out on my fiancée when she was most in need. That one act of selfishness made me wake up and live life more responsibly.
I joined Dad at sea for eighteen months and didn’t communicate with a non-Navy woman for about the same amount of time. Focusing on my career, I figured if it was meant to be, I’d bump into a woman somewhere, somehow, at some time.
Crazy enough, that’s how I met my wife, Julia. She was a Navy officer and had been on assignment for about as long as I had. This was her first long stay away from home, and she was incredibly land-sick when her ship docked after ours. With the excuse of being woozy, she ran right into me. I helped her recover physically. She helped me recover emotionally. Six months later, we were wed and pregnant with our first child. Of course, to this day, I still tease my wife about her “purposely” running into me.
“Julia, Cecilia’s mother, was a Navy officer but she’s a stay-at-home mom now. We met as co-workers, but Julia decided the Navy wasn’t for her.” I gave Marni the condensed version of our love story.
“You named your little girl after her grandmother? Cece must be over the moon.”
“She is, but now I have Carson and Eli looking for two more boys to join the Bergstrom clan so they can each have a grandchild named after them.”
“Your parents are healthy and well?”
“All three are doing beautifully, Marni. How’s your mother?”
“She’s still living in the house you and I originally purchased, and enjoying life. She’s been traveling here and there with Ben’s parents, but what I’d really like is for some nice man to sweep her off her feet and romance her. She deserves a good man.”
I chuckled. “I said the exact same thing to Julia last night. I need Dad to get out there and use the Bergstrom charm to romance some nice woman. We didn’t work out—you think there’s a chance our parents might fall in love?”
Marni laughed and laughed. “It’s worth a try. Your dad is quite dashing. The son had to get it from somebody.”
“You always were a charmer, Marni.” Up until now, I’d totally neglected to say hello to Alice. I decided to right that wrong. “Hello Ali. I’m sure you don’t remember me, but I know who you are. You’re just as beautiful as I remember.”
“Hello.” When she answered with a smile, she resembled her mother even more. “May I push your daughter on the swing?” she offered.
“Beautiful and kind! Wow. You are the spitting image of your mother.” Marni and I watched Ali struggle to get Cecilia on the swing. Once accomplished, they enjoyed each other’s company.
“Tell me more about your life,” Marni insisted. I led her to the nearby bench and explained all that had happened since we parted.
“Now, we live next door to Mom and Carson—compliments of Mom, Carson, and Eli. I have a desk job in New Jersey, and I was thinking about going into the private sector. Julia and I are perusing options.”
“You have pictures of Julia? I’d love to see what she looks like. I can’t tell you how good it is to have run into you today. Occasionally, I’ve wanted to call you to catch up on life but didn’t know how you might receive my intrusion. What a serendipitous encounter. I can’t wait to tell Ben.”
“So Ben?” I queried.
“After you left, Ben and I went through many ups and downs. We couldn’t define what we were; there were no explanations for all that had happened in our lives. He eventually wanted to try for a relationship but I gave him the same spiel I gave you.”
“Good to know he suffered too,” I kidded.
“In the end, we chose what we knew best—friendship. That worked. From friendship, we tried for a relationship and that worked too. Once the relationship was in place, marriage was the natural step. We wanted siblings for Ali.”
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br /> “I am truly happy for you, Marni. Not that I regret any of our time together, but you and Ben were always meant to be. Your timing was just off. I hope you’re living the dream, and Ben is treating you like a princess.”
“I am and he is, Noah.”
“You deserve the best.”
“Noah.” She spoke seriously while reaching for both my hands. “I want to say thank you and I’m sorry.” I waited for her to explain. “Thank you for always being there for me when you could have left so many times. Your unselfish love helped me through many difficult days. It’s also given me some beautiful memories that I will always cherish.”
“I loved you, Marni.”
“I know you did and that’s where the sorry comes in. I’m sorry if you felt used. After all you suffered through—my separation with Ben, the pregnancy, Melody’s antics—you saw no fruits of your labor. As I told your Mom after we separated, I loved you very much. It just wasn’t enough for us to make it to the end.”
I gave the woman I once loved another hug. “You are a wonderful memory for me. If you hadn’t let me go, I wouldn’t have met Julia and we wouldn’t have created Cecilia. Let’s only focus on the good in our past relationship.”
“Mom. Cecilia doesn’t want to be on the swing anymore and I can’t get her out,” Ali called.
“I guess that’s our cue to end this reunion,” Marni stood up and we walked toward our daughters.
I pulled Cecilia out of the child’s swing and reached for one last embrace. “Be happy, Marni.”
“You, too, Noah,” she responded with a smile and started walking away with her daughter.
“Who was that, Mommy?” I heard Ali ask.
“A very good man,” Marni answered.
If I never saw Marni Montgomery again, I’d be content knowing she was well cared for and loved. With such history between them, what else could they be but grateful they’d found one another again? The two were in perfect harmony as husband and wife.
I couldn’t wait to go home to tell Julia and my parents about Marni.
