by Kaci Hart
Even thinking about it made her feel a little bit down but she would make it. That’s just who she was.
Chapter 14
“Sweetie, I can’t believe that you are really going through with this. Aren’t you going to miss it here?”
It had taken some time, but Donna had finally gotten used to the idea of moving. She had called her former professor and he connected her with the company in New York that was looking for someone to fill their position. Luckily for her, there was still an opening, so she took it. Sure it meant moving away from home just when her relationship with her father was turning around, but she thought it was the right thing to do. At least she hoped so.
“Yes mom, of course I will. But I will visit. I will call all the time. I’ll even come home every now and again to get a nice helping of your roast.”
“So there is absolutely nothing I can do to change your mind?”
“No mom. I’ve made my mind up and I’m going to New York. The company I’m going to be working for has already found an apartment for me in the city. There is a grad school right down the road where I can finish up getting my masters or doctorate, depending on what I want to do, and they are going to pay for it all. On top of that, I’ll have enough money in a few years to pay off all my student loans. I’ll move back after that and start my own practice.”
“Honey, you can do all that here now. It may take a little longer but you’ve got time.”
“Mom...I’m doing this.”
“I know. It just sounds to me like you are trying to convince yourself, not me but you’ve got your mind made up and I won’t mess with that. I guess I just think you’d be better off here.”
“Well it doesn’t matter. I quit my job, remember. I couldn’t stay even if I wanted to.”
Donna knew that she was lying. If she wanted, she could call Dr. Faulkner herself and be working again the next day. He had taken her abrupt resignation as a surprise but he was fair and understanding with her. No way was she going to let that slip out to her meddling mom.
“And you’re not even going to say goodbye to him?”
Donna stopped packing her clothes, thinking about the question. She was going to miss Nick desperately but there was nothing she could do then. She’d look like a fool running back to him and hoping he would say all was forgiven. She wished that she could. She’d give anything to be able to do so but she knew it wasn’t realistic. It just wasn’t the real world that she lived in.
Since she had told him to leave her alone, he had respected her wishes. He had not so much as reached out to her though she wished he had.
“How mom? How do I do that?”
She acted the scene out for her mom.
‘Hey, Nick. Sorry for breaking your heart. No don’t get excited about my call. I just wanted to let you know I’m leaving town for a few years. I’ll talk to you when I get back.”
“I wouldn’t know what to say to him at all. No, it’s better this way.”
“If you say so. Alright then, let’s get the rest of your stuff packed. Your dad will be here early in the morning to take you to the airport.”
“Where is he anyway? I thought he was going to be here tonight.”
“No clue but I am glad you are working things out with him.”
“You and me both. I never said this, but thank you for always being so persistent. I see now that you were always doing those things because you love me. At the time I didn’t understand and I was mean to you so I apologize too.”
“Honey, you don’t owe me an apology. I just want you to be happy.”
“Thanks. That’s all I want too.”
***
Nick sat as desk engrossed in his work. Since he and Donna had broken up, he had plunged himself into the company, not taking much time off for anything. He knew it wasn’t the healthy thing for him to do but whenever he wasn’t occupied, he was thinking of her. Of what he could have done differently. His missed her desperately but he didn’t have a choice. She had made up her mind and that was all there was to it. He couldn’t force her to love him. His secretary buzzed him.
“Yes?”
He was curt, and he hadn’t meant to be. He could tell she noticed it in tentative response. He’d apologize later.
“I have a Mr. Jeff Sherman here to see you.”
Jeff Sherman?
Nick couldn’t recall who he was at all.
“Is he on my appointment book?”
“No sir.”
“Can you ask him what it is in regards to?”
“Certainly, one second….”
He waited, trying to figure out why the name sounded familiar.
Jeff Sherman….Jeff Sherman….Jeff…...Sherman… Wait a second!
She came back on the line promptly.
“He says--”
“Never mind. I know who he is. You can send him in.”
“Yes sir.”
He had no idea why Donna’s father would be coming to his office to see him. From what he’d heard about the guy, he was concerned that he might be barging in there to fight. He’d never met the man so could only go off of Donna’s stories and her fears of him. It would be interesting to meet him.
The rapping on his door let him know he wouldn’t have to wait much longer for that at all. He opened the door to see a man with an uncanny resemblance to her. Seeing her father brought her right to the forefront of his mind and he was torn. He wanted to ask him if he knew how she was doing. If she missed him. If she talked about him. He also didn’t much like Mr. Sherman for all the things had done to her. But the man he was looking at was the opposite of what he’d pictured in his mind. The short, stout man that stood before him had a look of kindness that he didn’t see often. That was obviously not the same man that sent chills up Donna’s spine when she heard his name. It just didn’t add up.
“Mr. Sherman, come in.”
“Thank you Mr. Dellinger. I know you are a busy man with your company and all so I don’t want to take up too much of your time.”
Nick never would have guessed in a million years that that kind, soft spoken guy was the man that hurt Donna so much for the past few years. Then again, he knew that there was truth in the statement that time changed everything. Regardless, he didn’t want to judge him either way, and he was sure that he didn’t come there for that in the first place. Besides, everyone deserved to be heard out.
“Thank you for your consideration. Now what can I do for you?”
“I take it that you know Donna is my daughter.”
“Yes sir.”
“Why haven’t you called her?”
“Excuse me?”
“I said why haven’t you called her?
“I don’t know why you would ask me that.”
“Because my daughter loves you Nick. I know you know that. So she told you otherwise. You run this multi-million dollar company and I know you know how she feels about you. And you don’t seem like a daft man so the only other thing I can assume is that you don’t love her.”
Nick wanted to feel offended but the man’s smile wouldn’t let him. He wasn’t there to fight, except for his daughter.
“That’s not it Mr. Sherman.”
“Then you tell me what it is because my daughter needs you.”
“I promised her I wouldn’t. That I would give her the space if she needed, and that’s what she asked for.”
“Let me tell you something. You were making promises to a woman that was hurt and broken. You were listening to her cry out to you in fear. The last thing she wanted was for you to leave. She told you she didn’t love you because she was scared. This is love we are talking about, not a board room contract. Sometimes you have to change things for love. You do love my daughter, don’t you?”
His response was immediate.
“Yes.”
“Then go and tell her. Don’t accept any other answer but the truth. I’m asking you to, son. If not for yourself, do it for this man that messed up so much of her
life. She needs to have something good in her life. That something is you and I know you know that.”
Nick was in shock. How stupid was he that he didn’t realize what was going on? He needed to go find and pour out his heart and soul to her. If not, how could he say he loved her? If he couldn’t risk her anger. If he couldn’t fight for her, how could he ever say what he felt was real? He would never forgive himself if he didn’t.
“I’ve been such a fool this past week.”
“That’s the great thing about the past Nick. It’s over and done. Now you have the chance to change all that. Looking at you right now, I can tell how much you love her. You know, when I was in prison, her mother visited me on a regular basis. Even after how I treated them. She never let me go. Never stopped loving me. Even after all the ridicule from her family. From Donna. She was there for me the whole time still. I can’t claim to know what God’s plans are for you two or if you are even supposed to be together, but you know. Or at least you should.”
Mr. Sherman stood up, still looking at Nick.
“I just had to come by here and talk to you today to let you know the situation and to say that if your heart says that she is right for you, don’t let her fear of what the man I was cheat you both. She’s afraid, yes. But don’t you be afraid too.”
“Thank you for being so frank Mr. Sherman.”
“Anytime Nick. It’s the least I can do for my daughter.”
He turned and walked out of the office, stopping at the door.
“By the way, I just dropped her at the airport. Her plane will be boarding in about thirty minutes. She’s going to New York”
Airport?! What?
“Forgive me Mr. Sherman, but what is she going to New York for?”
“You didn’t know? Nick she’s moving away. Well that is unless you stop her.”
Chapter 15
Donna took a deep breath as her plane landed. She liked flying but hated landing. Something about waiting for the wheels to hit the runway made her stomach dance with butterflies each time.
New York City here I come.
She tried to feel enthusiastic as she got off of the plane. She was starting a new and exciting life there but to her all she felt was that all the people she loved and cared about were nowhere near by. She was in a whole new place, but she would make it work. She had always done that in life.
At least the trip had no delays or issues. All she needed to do was get her bags from the carousel. She had a rental car already waiting for her when she was ready. As she waited for the bags to circulate around to hers, she thought about Nick. The last time she was at an airport was with him, before they had that wonderful weekend where he told her he wanted her to be his wife one day. It seemed so long ago but it was less than a month ago. She wondered how he was doing. Her father tried with all his might to try and convince her to talk to Nick on the ride to the airport in Dallas.
“Donna, just think about it. At least talk to him. You don’t just fall in love and let it go that easily. I can tell that you both had something special. You don’t walk away from something like that princess. You fight for it. Especially when it’s a misunderstanding. You fight if it matters.”
She knew he was right. He and her mother both. None of that mattered though because she was there now. If she could ever get her bag, she’d be on her way to starting her new life. She watched as more people began to come up and claim their baggage. Pretty soon the carousel stopped putting out new bags. She double checked all the bags that were there, even though she knew none were hers. She had that amazingly bright pink luggage set. Nick had said he’d never be caught dead pulling luggage that color. No one could confuse that luggage with their own, yet still hers wasn’t anywhere to be found.
Great! Either some totally color blind person mistook my luggage for theirs, someone stole it or the airline lost it.
Donna breathed a deep sigh of frustration. It was not the way that she wanted to start the next leg of her life. Easy would have been nice, but that was never how it worked for her in the past. Why should she expect different then?
She grabbed her carry-on luggage and made her way to the lost baggage area. When she got there, no one else was in line.
So of all the people that come into this airport every hour, I am the only person who is missing luggage right now. I don’t know if I should feel happy it’s a short line or concerned.
She stepped up to the counter and began filling out the papers to put in a claim for her luggage. She had only had a couple of bags. She was going to have the rest of her things shipped up after she settled into her new place. Now she had the added frustration of only having her carry-on bag. She didn’t have any clothing in there at all. She’d have to go straight to the store from there. She turned around to leave and there was Nick--standing right behind her with a smile on his face.
“Let’s go Nick. I already put a claim in for my bags.”
It didn’t register for a second that he wasn’t supposed to be there. She was so caught up in everything going on that the past two weeks momentarily slipped her mind.
“Um Donna?”
When it did, she almost screamed.
“That’s more like the reaction I was expecting to get from you but I guess the real question is was that a I’m-so-happy-to-see-you scream or a oh-no-this-loser-is-stalking-me scream. Before airport security gets here, please say that it was the first.”
Donna was so excited and confused that she couldn’t talk. She simply nodded her head.
“Great. In that case, I’ve got your bags so give me a second to cancel this claim.”
Donna watched Nick walk up to the counter and cancel the claim that she had just placed for her baggage. They walked out of the office when she finally got her voice back.”
“Nick, what are you doing here and why did you take my bags?”
Nick turned towards Donna placing his hands on her shoulders.
“Donna, you know why I’m here. I need to take you home.”
“This is my home now.”
“No Donna, it’s not. Home is where the people who love you are. Your mother. Your father. Me. That’s where home is Donna, and that is where you belong. With me.”
“You really want to be with me? Someone that changes their mind with their emotions like I do?”
“Yes Donna, but I don’t see you as what you just said. Donna I love you with all my heart. You have gone through some tough times in your life and whether by choice or force, you went through most of it feeling like you were all alone. You don’t have to ever do that again. Never feel that way again. I’m here for that.”
“And you came all the way out here for me?”
“How could I not? I never should have let it get this far. You tried to push me away but I shouldn’t have let you. Donna I know you love me. I can see it in your eyes when you look at me. I can hear it in your voice when you talk to me and I can see it in your face when you smile at me. I know it’s love because I see the same things in myself when I’m around you. You can’t deny your love for me.”
Donna was taken aback. She did love Nick and regardless of what she had done and how she had treated him, he said he loved her back. And she knew it was true.
“I feel so stupid though. How can you forgive me?”
“Because that is what love does?”
Nick stepped back and started to get on one knee right in the airport, people passing by and everything. A few probably tourists even started to take pictures of them. They probably thought it was part of some New York City airport attraction. Donna couldn’t believe that the scene playing in front of her was from her very own life. She got misty eyed.
“A while back you were the most cynical person I knew when it came to love and romance. You didn’t believe movie endings could happen in real life. I believed in them until I met you and that was when I realized that the ending of those movies is the beginning of their forever. Donna, I want to have that forever with you.”<
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He reached into his back pocket and pulled the ring out. At just that time, she saw her mother and father approaching from behind Nick.
“Donna, I love you and I know we should be together. Please tell me that you will marry me.”
Donna was overwhelmed with joy.
