I want to be able to be in the same room without him attempting to shoot me. Or castrate me.”
“This is not a good time to ask him about marrying me,” Julia
whispered. “If you’re lucky, he’ll forego castration in order to remove your legs — with his Swiss Army knife.”
“I’m not going to ask for his permission to marry you; that de-
cision rests with you. Would you really want to marry a man your
father despises?”
Julia began to wring her hands in agitation.
He leaned over to speak in her ear. “Let me do some damage
control so it isn’t beyond the realm of possibility for him to accept our relationship. You might want him to walk you down the aisle
someday.”
No sooner had the words left Gabriel’s lips then Tom saw the
couple standing together. He smiled at his little girl widely, then glanced at Gabriel and scowled. As he stood to his feet, he brushed his jacket back so his hands could rest on his hips. He looked menacing.
O gods of women whose fathers wish to castrate their boyfriend in the lobby of the Four Seasons, please don’t let him be carrying anything sharp.
Gabriel boldly leaned over to press his lips to her forehead while staring Tom straight in the eye. Tom fixed him with a murderous
expression.
“Dad, hi.” Julia walked over and hugged him.
“Hi, Jules.” He hugged her back before pulling her behind him
protectively. “Emerson.”
Undeterred by Tom’s unfriendly tone, Gabriel stuck his hand out.
Tom simply stared at it as if it, like its owner, was felonious.
“I think we should find a quiet corner in the bar. I don’t want
an audience for what I have to say to you. Jules, do you need help carrying your luggage?”
“No, the porter has it. I’m, um, going to my room. Gabriel, I’ll
let you check into your room yourself, okay?”
He nodded, noting that Tom’s scowl relaxed slightly at the news
that his daughter was not currently cohabitating with the Devil.
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“Just for the record, I love both of you. So I’d really like it if you didn’t injure one another.” Julia looked warily between the two men, and when both failed to answer, she shook her head and walked to
the front desk. Her first order of business was to find out how well stocked the mini-bar was. P
Later that evening, after a somewhat tense but not unpleasant
dinner with her father, Julia availed herself of the gift basket of lavender bath products Gabriel had sent to her room, complete with
virginal lavender poof. She laughed when she thought of the first time he’d poofed her.
She sobered when she realized that he’d purchased lavender items
rather than vanilla, despite the fact that he preferred vanilla on her to any other scent. Perhaps this was his way of keeping her at arm’s length. Whatever his reason, she’d respect his wishes and hope that he’d change his mind. Soon.
She was soaking in the large, pedestal bathtub when her cell
phone rang. Luckily, the accursed device was well within reach.
“What are you doing?” Gabriel’s smooth voice filled her ears.
“Just relaxing. Thank you for the gift basket, by the way. How
are you?”
“I can’t say my conversation with your father was enjoyable, but
it was necessary. I gave him the chance to curse me and say that I’m a no good cokehead who doesn’t deserve you. Then I did my best to
explain what happened. By the end of our conversation, he begrudg-
ingly bought me a beer.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I’m not.”
“I can’t imagine Tom paying ten dollars for a Chimay Première.”
Gabriel chuckled. “It was Budweiser, actually. And not the origi-
nal Budweiser Budvar from the Czech Republic. He ordered for me.”
“I guess you must love me, if you’re willing to give up your pre-
tentious European imports for appalling bath water.” Julia gave the 365
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large bathtub a baleful look. She would rather have been bathing
with Gabriel than without him.
“Drinking a domestic beer is the least I could do. I don’t think
your father will forgive me for hurting you, but hopefully things
will improve. I told him that I want to marry you. Did he mention
that over dinner?”
She hesitated. “He told me that I was his little girl and that he
wanted to protect me. Then he said some things about you that
weren’t very complimentary.
“But he admitted I’m an adult and that I need to live my own
life. He said it was clear to him that you’d changed — even since
he’d seen you last. I think you surprised him. And he isn’t used to being surprised.”
“I’m sorry.” Gabriel’s voice sounded pained.
“Sorry for what?”
“For not being the kind of man you could bring home to your
father.”
“Listen, my dad thought the sun shone out of Simon’s ass. He
isn’t exactly the best judge of character. And he doesn’t know you as I know you.”
“But he’s your father.”
“I’ll handle him.”
Gabriel was quiet for a moment as he contemplated her response.
“My conversation with Tom was a good warm up for dinner with
my family.”
“Oh, no. How did that go?”
He paused. “Talking to Scott on the telephone is one thing, but
having dinner with him is something else.”
“He’s protective of me. I’ll talk to him.”
“Dad asked me to offer a toast to Mom at the wedding reception.”
“Oh, darling. That’s going to be difficult. Are you sure you want
to do that?”
There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment.
“I have some things I need to say. Things almost thirty years in
the making. Now’s my chance.”
“So you’ve kissed and made up with everyone?”
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“Basically. Dad and I made our peace on the telephone weeks ago.”
“Did you meet Tammy’s little boy?”
Gabriel snorted into the phone. “He soiled me as soon as I
picked him up. Perhaps Scott coached him to make his feelings
about me known.”
“Quinn peed on you?”
“No, he spilled milk all over my new Armani suit.”
Julia dissolved into peals of laughter at the thought of the very
elegant, very particular professor being soiled by his brother’s girlfriend’s son.
“Is it wrong that I didn’t care that much? I mean about the suit.”
Julia stopped laughing abruptly. “You didn’t care? What did you
do with it?”
“The concierge sent it to be dry-cleaned. I’ve been assured that
milk will come out of wool crepe, but I’m not holding my breath.
Suits can be replaced, people can’t.”
“You surprise me, Professor.”
“How so?”
“You’re sweet.”
“I try to be sweet with you,” he whispered.
“That’s true. But I’ve never seen you around children.”
“No,” he said quickly. “You’d make beautiful babies, Julianne.
Little girls and boys with big brown eyes and pink cheeks.”
Julia’s sharp intake of breath whistled in Gabriel’s ear.
His voice almost caught in his thro
at. “Is it premature to have
this conversation?”
She didn’t answer.
“Julianne?”
“My hesitation about marriage isn’t over having children. It comes from what happened between us and being a child of divorced parents.
They loved each other once, I think, and ended up hating each other.”
“My parents were married happily for years.”
“That’s true. If I could have a marriage like theirs — ”
“We can have a marriage like theirs,” Gabriel corrected her. “That’s what I want. And I want it with you.”
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He tried to communicate with his tone how much he desired
a marriage like the one Richard and Grace enjoyed. How he was
trying desperately to become the kind of man who could give Julia
that kind of marriage.
She exhaled slowly. “If you’d asked me to marry you before, I
would have said yes. But I can’t right now. There’s so much we need to work through, and I’m already stressed out about grad school.”
“I don’t mean to stress you out.” His voice was soft but slightly
strained.
“I thought you made your decision about having children.”
“There’s always adoption.” He sounded defensive.
She was quiet for a moment.
“The thought of having a little blue eyed baby with you makes
me happy.”
“Really?”
“Really. Seeing what Grace and Richard did with you, I’d be
interested in adopting someday. Just not while I’m a student.”
“The adoption would have to be private. I doubt a respectable
agency would place a child with a drug addict.”
“Do you really want children?”
“With you? Absolutely. If we were married, I’d consider having
my vasectomy reversed. It was done many years ago so I don’t know
how successful a reversal might be. But once we’re married I’d like to try — with your blessing.”
“I think it’s premature to have that conversation.” The arm she was leaning on accidentally slipped off the side of the bathtub, splashing into the water.
Scheisse, she thought, too worn out to call on a god to come to her rescue.
“Are you taking a bath?”
“Yes.”
She took comfort in the fact that he groaned into her ear. It was
painful that he could resist her, day after day, no matter what.
He sighed. “Well, I’m across the hall feeling lonely and sad, in
case you need anything.”
“I’m lonely too, Gabriel. Can’t we do something about that?”
He hesitated, and Julia felt hopeful.
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Gabriel groaned again in frustration. “I’m sorry, I need to go. I
love you.”
“Good night.”
Julia shook her head somewhat resignedly as she ended the call.
P
Despite the absence of her mother, Rachel almost had a fairy-
tale wedding. She and Aaron were married in a beautiful garden in
Philadelphia, and although Aaron had initially rejected the idea of having fifty doves released at the moment the priest pronounced
them husband and wife, Rachel wore him down.
(At least none of his relatives decided to practice their target
shooting.)
As maid of honor and groomsman, Julia and Gabriel found
themselves standing near the bride and groom, flanked by Scott.
Julia spent much of the ceremony peeking over at Gabriel, and he
stared at her unashamedly.
After the photographs were taken and the wedding dinner and
toasts were complete, Rachel and Aaron enjoyed the first dance. They melted into one another’s arms before their parents were invited to join them on the dance floor.
There was a moment of nervousness amongst the guests when
Richard stood, alone, before walking over to Julia and asking if she would honor him by being his partner. She was stunned by his request, as she had assumed that he would choose an aging aunt or friend, but she accepted quickly. Ever the consummate gentleman, Richard held
Julia firmly but respectfully as he moved her across the dance floor.
“Your father seems to be enjoying himself.” He nodded at Tom,
who was standing with a drink in his hand and engaged in an ani-
mated conversation with one of the female professors from Susque-
hanna University.
“Thank you for inviting him,” she said shyly as they danced to
the strains of Etta James’s “At Last.”
“He’s an old friend and a good friend. Grace and I owe him a
great deal from when we were having trouble with Gabriel.”
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Sylvain Reynard
Julia nodded and tried to concentrate on her feet, lest she stumble.
“Gabriel’s toast to Grace was very moving.”
Richard smiled. “He’s never called us Mom and Dad before. I’m sure that Grace is watching and that she’s very, very happy. I know that part of her happiness is seeing the transformation in our son.
You brought that about, Julia. Thank you.”
She smiled. “I can’t take credit for that. Some things are beyond
all of us.”
“I don’t disagree. But sometimes relationships can be conduits of
grace, and I know you’ve been one for my son. Thank you.
“It took a long time for Gabriel to forgive himself for what hap-
pened to Maia and for not being with Grace when she died. He’s a
very different man than he was a year ago. I hope that I’ll be able to dance with you at another wedding in the near future. One in which you and my son take center stage.”
An earnest expression came over her face. “We’re taking things
one day at a time, but I love him.”
“Don’t wait too long. Life takes unexpected turns, and we don’t
always have the time we think we have.” As the song ended, he kissed her hand and escorted her back to Gabriel.
Julia wiped away a tear as she sat down. Instantly, Gabriel’s lips were at her ear. “Is my father making you cry?”
“No. He’s just reminding me of what’s important.” She wound
their hands together and brought their connection to her mouth so
she could kiss his knuckles. “I love you.”
“And I love you, my sweet, sweet girl.” He leaned over to kiss her, and for a moment they forgot where they were as she reached up to
wind her arm around his neck and pull him closer.
As their lips met and their breath commingled, the noise of the
room slipped away. Gabriel pulled Julia so she was leaning across
his lap, clasping her to his heart as he kissed her passionately. When they came apart, they were both breathing heavily.
“I had no idea weddings brought out such reactions.” He smirked.
“Or I would have taken you to one sooner.”
After dancing several slow dances with Gabriel, Julia took a
turn with Scott and with Aaron, and finally, with her father. It was clear that Tom and Julia had a lot to say to one another, and their 370
Gabriel’s Rapture
expressions weren’t always happy ones. But by the end of the dance they seemed to have come to some sort of understanding, and Gabriel felt marginally relieved when she returned to him, wearing a smile.
Near the end of the evening, Aaron requested Marc Cohn’s “True
Companion” and dedicated it to Rachel. Immediately, a throng of
married couples scurried toward the dance floor. Tammy su
rprised
everyone by bringing little Quinn over to Julia and asking her to
hold him while she danced with Scott.
Julia was afraid that Quinn wouldn’t like her.
“He looks good on you,” Gabriel whispered as Quinn fell asleep
snuggled into her neck.
“I’m worried he’ll wake up.”
“He won’t.” Gabriel reached over to lightly stroke the fine hair
that decorated the boy’s head, smiling widely as he seemed to offer a contented sigh.
“Why do you want to get married and have children all of a
sudden?” Julia blurted.
He shrugged uncomfortably. “Things happened while we were
separated. I realized what was important — what I wanted for a happy life. And I went to an orphanage.”
“An orphanage? Why?”
“I volunteered with the Franciscans in Florence and they used to
bring candy and toys to the children at the orphanage. I went along.”
Julia’s jaw dropped. “You didn’t tell me about that.”
“It wasn’t a secret. I planned to stay in Assisi indefinitely, but I met an American family who were going to run a medical clinic for
the poor in Florence. I decided to join them.”
“Did you like it?”
“I wasn’t especially good at it. But I found my niche, eventually, telling stories about Dante in Italian.”
Julia grinned. “That’s a good job for a Dante specialist. What
about the orphanage?”
“The children were well looked after, but it was a sad place. They had babies there, some of whom had AIDS or fetal alcohol syndrome.
Then there were older children who would never be adopted. Most
adoptive parents want younger kids.”
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Julia placed her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry.”
Gabriel turned and gently touched the little boy’s head. “When
Grace found me, I was at an age that would have been considered
unadoptable. She wanted me anyway. I’ve been blessed.”
Julia heard his sudden vulnerability and was struck by how much
he’d changed. She couldn’t have imagined the old Professor Emerson talking about his blessings, or stroking a little boy’s head. Especially if the boy had ruined his new Armani suit.
Just before the last dance, Gabriel walked over to the DJ and
spoke to him in hushed tones. Then, with a wide smile, he returned to Julia and extended his hand.
They walked slowly onto the dance floor just as “Return to Me”
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