Loving Lily Lavender

by Deanna Kinney

  “I hear you. My days of near death experiences are over,” I teased.

  “How are you alive? We thought they killed you.”

  I spent the next thirty minutes explaining in detail what happened, it being the third time I had recounted the story. The first time was to Lucas in the ambulance. The second was to the police, at the hospital.

  Lucas explained all that happened after they took me into the office. He said the negotiator called and told the robbers that their car was out front. They then used hostages to shield themselves, pushing them out of the way as they jumped into the car and sped away.

  The police informed us that they pursued the robbers in a high- speed chase, resulting in the robbers crashing their car. None of them were seriously injured and were currently in police custody.

  I don’t know why, but I was secretly glad that none of them were killed. Although, I could tell that Lucas felt entirely different.

  After I finished recounting my story to Meagan, she told us that the media had covered every angle of the crisis, even interviewing Randall. They were fascinated by the fact that Lucas had demanded entry into the bank after realizing that I was in there and being held at gunpoint. They had made it up to be a heroic story of a hero rescuing his love from danger, instead of a stupid man committing suicide. It took me a while to get over that part.

  “Guys, I would love to stay up and talk some more, but it’s been a long night, and Lucas and I are physically and emotionally exhausted. Would you be upset if we went to bed?”

  “Of course not,” they both agreed.

  “You’re both welcome to stay, of course, but in separate rooms,” I teased as we all hugged goodnight.

  By the time we made it up to our bedroom we could barley walk. We stripped down and climbed into bed, not bothering to shower. I didn’t even wash my makeup off, something I always did before bed. Once we were comfortable in each other’s arms, we were fast asleep.

  When I woke, it was close to ten. Lucas was still asleep, so I carefully crept out of bed and tiptoed my way into the bathroom to shower.

  When I cut the water off and pulled the curtain back, I screamed, spotting Lucas sitting on the counter across from me.

  “Oh my gosh, Luke! What are trying to do, give me a heart attack?”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “Make some kind of noise next time.” I leaned over, trying to catch my breath. “How long have you been sitting there?”

  “I felt you get out of bed and came in right after you got in the shower.”

  I wrapped a towel around me as I stepped out. I approached him, taking his face in my hands. “Lucas, I know last night scared you, but I promise you, I’m not going anywhere.”

  “You can’t promise that, Lily, none of us can. Last night I thought I’d lost you. I can’t even explain to you how that felt. The idea of never seeing you again, never touching you, never hearing you laugh, or watching you dance; it was too much to bear. My soul died last night, Lily, and now it’s been resurrected. That changes a man. The fact is—I can’t do this life without you. And yet, I know I’m holding you too tightly, and that I need to learn to let go—to have faith, but it’s so hard.” His eyes filled with tears. He pulled me into an embrace, burying his face in my chest. We stayed like that for a while until finally he raised his head and looked up at me. “Lily, will you help me wash my hair? You know, because of the stitches.” His smile was big and beautiful, and I knew then he would be fine.

  “Of course.” I laughed, taking off my towel and stepping back into the shower.

  “It’s about time you guys came down,” Meg said as we entered the kitchen. “I was beginning to think I was going to have to come up and get you.”

  “Meagan, why are you not at work?”

  “I called out today. I thought you guys might need some help. You know, someone to wait on you so you can rest.”

  “Oh, Meg, that’s sweet, but you don’t have to do that. Go home and get some rest.”

  “No, I don’t need rest, besides I want to do it.” As I looked into her eyes, I realized that not only did she want to do it, she needed to do it. The events of the bank robbery had scared her too, and she needed to be here with me. Lucas didn’t seem to mind. As long as I stayed close to him he was happy.

  “I know it’s almost lunch time, but would you guys like some coffee?” Meagan asked cheerfully.

  “Absolutely,” we both agreed in unison.

  “Oh, guess what? Meagan started. “I was watching Good Morning America this morning and they were talking about how youtube.com crashed for a while last night from all the views of the footage of your reunion. A lot of people have added music and stuff. I’m telling you these people are obsessed over you guys. Come here let me show you. I went online a little while ago to see, and some of them are awesome. This one’s my favorite.”

  She hit a few buttons and a beautiful song began to play right before the footage began, first me exiting the bank. It was like watching a movie. Suddenly I was rushing through the crowd frantically searching until my head disappeared. That must’ve been when I fell, and then I was back up and running after the ambulance, and finally our embrace, all the way to when we got into the ambulance and it drove away. Watching it was almost unbearable. I felt as if I were there, experiencing it all over again. I couldn’t imagine what it was doing to Luke.

  “Wasn’t that awesome? I cried the first time I watched it.” She stopped short as she noticed our tears. I looked at Lucas; his face was full of emotion.

  “Excuse me,” he said, quickly leaving the room.

  “I’m sorry, Lily. I didn’t even think.”

  “It’s okay. It was a beautiful video. Thanks for showing it to us. I’m sure someone will be inspired by it. Lucas is just a little raw still. He’ll be okay, but I’m going to go back and check on him.”

  “Are you going to be okay?” I asked, coming up from behind him.

  “Lily, I’m so sorry.” He turned to gaze at me. “I’ve been so consumed with my own emotions that I haven’t stopped to consider that you were also in pain. Seeing you in that video, so scared and desperate, I realized what it must have been like for you. I-I’m sorry.”

  “Lucas, you don’t have to apologize. Last night was a hard night for both of us. But it’s over now. Remember what you said to me the night of the fire? The important thing is that we’re both okay, and we’re together.”

  “You’re right,” he said, embracing me.

  “Of course I am,” I teased. “Now let's go have that coffee.”

  Later in the day, Marie and her mother came by to visit. She brought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers to thank me for defending her during the robbery.

  We also had a visit from a local news station. They wanted to interview us. They said there was a high demand from people who wanted to hear our story. We politely declined. It would be the first of many interview requests, including Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters.

  “You know, Lucas, maybe we should consider the Barbara Walters interview. I mean the simple fact that we were asked is an honor. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

  “You really think so?”

  “Well, we could have her come here and interview us in our own home. It would be fun, so yeah, I think we should. If people want to see us so bad then let’s let them see us.”

  “Okay, well let’s think about it a little longer before we decide.”

  “Oh, okay. By the way, I’m still mad at you for that stupid move you made at the bank. What were you thinking barging in there like that?”

  “Well, I was thinking that the love of my life was in danger and I was going to save her.”

  “That was stupid.”

  “Yeah, about as stupid as slapping a robber in the face so he’ll kill you instead of me.”

  “Okay, point taken.”

  “Well, I’m mad at you too,” he said. “What were you thinking sacrificing yourself fo
r that girl and almost giving me a heart attack?”

  “Well, I was thinking that she was too young to die and that I was ready and she probably wasn’t.”

  “That was stupid.”

  “Yeah, about as stupid as offering yourself up in place of me by telling them you’re famous.”

  “Okay, point taken. So since we’re both so mad at each other, how do we fix it?” he teased, moving closer until his face was just inches from mine. I could feel his warm breath on my face.

  “I can think of a way.”

  “Oh, really,” he said slowly, his eyes penetrating mine. “Maybe we should continue this discussion upstairs.” He picked me up effortlessly and carried me up to our room where we stayed for the rest of the day.

  We did that interview with Barbara Walters and it was a great experience. She was actually very kind and seemed to genuinely like us. She was smitten with Lucas; he seems to have that effect on everything female.

  The night it aired, we had a party and invited our friends over so we could all watch it together. I called my mom and told her to be watching. Lucas agreed it was a good decision. We were portrayed in a very positive light. The only tricky question was when we were asked about our faith. Lucas just answered simply, “Our faith is a part of who we are. It’s what keeps us strong, especially during all the crisis we’ve been through lately.” I was so proud of the way he handled that. He did so much better in this interview than in interviews past. Although my hand almost lost feeling as a result of his tight squeeze.

  Lucas had relaxed some since the robbery, but was still keeping a tight watch on me. He would only go to the studio on days when I was staying home. It was a little weird, but I knew he would work it out.

  I was working on another wedding scheduled for early May, but this particular wedding was unlike all the others I’ve done. Nothing seemed to be going right. It’s like it was cursed, if I believed in that sort of thing, but like I’ve said before, I never turned my back on a challenge.

  “Good morning,” I said as I entered the kitchen, leaning over to kiss Lucas on the cheek as I passed. He was sitting at the bar with his coffee, reading something.

  “Good morning, Lilianna.”

  “Uh oh, you never call me Lilianna. Are you okay?”

  “I’m great,” he responded coolly.

  “Well, you need to notify your face.” I teased, laughing.

  “You got a fan letter today,” he said flatly, holding up the opened letter in his hand.

  “And you opened it because?”

  “Because I’m your husband.”

  “Well, I don’t read any of yours.”

  “That’s because I don’t have them sent here.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because there are too many. Actually yours aren’t supposed to come here either.”

  “Well, I hope it’s a nice one.” I smiled widely.

  “Oh, it’s nice.” The remark held a hint of sarcasm, catching me by surprise. It’s not something I generally hear coming from him.

  As I read it, I smiled. It was from a nineteen year-old boy who said I was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He said he’d seen our interview and thought I was a good wife and hoped to have a wife like me some day.

  “Oh, isn’t that sweet?”

  “Yeah, real sweet,” he said under his breath. Again with the sarcasm.

  “Have you ever responded to any of your fan letters before?”

  “Um no. My publicist encouraged me to let a service handle it, but I believe they send back an autographed photo.”

  “Well, I’m going to answer this one.”

  “No!” He jumped up and jerked the letter from my hand.

  “Lucas, what’s wrong with you?”

  “I’m sorry, Lily, it’s just that we’ve had enough trouble with obsessed fans. I’m not taking any chances on encouraging any more. If you write this boy, it could be all the encouragement he needs to start stalking you, and we don’t need another Samantha situation. I mean haven’t we had enough crisis in our lives? Do we need anymore?”

  “Lucas, please calm down. I won’t write him back, I promise. Please calm down.” I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around him. He rested his head on my shoulder.

  “Lucas, you’ve got to lay this fear down. It’s crippling you, and it’s affecting both of us.”

  “I’m sorry.” He lifted his head up to peer at me and the look in his eyes was heartbreaking. “Maybe I need to pray about this. Would you pray with me?”

  “Of course I will.”

  He took my hand and led me into the den.

  Chapter Twenty

  Okay, I was so stressed over the wedding from Hades that I thought I was going to turn into a vampire and start biting people, or was that a werewolf and start eating people? Either way it was bad. Aside from that, everything else was perfect, too perfect, in fact.

  Lucas was totally back to normal and more his loving, wonderful, self as ever, all of his fear—gone. All of the obsessiveness over Lucas and I had all but died down; the robbery mostly forgotten. It was nice to live our normal lives again.

  So when Lucas entered the room, pale-faced, I knew instantly that something was wrong.

  “Lucas, what happened?”

  He looked dazed as I approached him. “My uncle died this morning.”

  “Your Uncle Dean?” He just nodded. “Oh, Luke, I’m so sorry. I know how much he meant to you. What can I do?”

  “We have to leave. The funeral is this Saturday.”

  “You mean, go to London?”

  “Of course.”

  “Luke, I’m so sorry, but I can’t go with you to London.”

  “What do you mean, you can’t go?” I could see the shock on his face.

  “This wedding is next weekend. It’s so messed up. There is no way I can leave.”

  “Oh, the wedding. I forgot. Yeah, it has been a pain, hasn’t it? Is the mother-in-law still threatening not to come?”

  “Yes, not to mention, the bride’s maid’s dresses still haven’t come in, and they still have to be fitted and altered. And on top of that, I can’t find the fountain they want, and the floral arrangements have to be changed because the bride’s discovered she’s allergic to orchids. Oh, I saved the best for last. I just found out this morning that the reception hall has been double booked, by accident, and now we have to find a new location for the reception. The bride is frantic, to say the least. Oh, Lucas, I’m so sorry. I really want to go with you, but I’m obligated.”

  “I know, believe me, I understand. These people need you the most, and there’s no one else who can help them like you can. I’ll have my family for support too. You have to stay.”

  “Thank you for understanding. It’s going to be hard being away from you. How long do you think you’ll be gone?”

  “I’ll leave as soon as it’s over, if I can make it that long without seeing you. I’m really going to miss you—so much.”

  “I’m going to miss you too, more than is rational. You know—maybe I should go. You’re more important than any wedding.”

  “No, Lily, you need to stay here and take care of your responsibilities.”

  “But you need me.” As I said the words, I began to cry, knowing he was right, but wanting to be with him.

  “Don’t cry, Lily. This will be much easier for me if you’re strong.”

  That sobered me, and I quickly wiped my tears from my face. “When do you have to leave?”

  “As soon as I get packed.”

  “So soon?” The tears came again, but I tried harder to hide them.

  “Mum says that Dad is really having a hard time and wants us all there. The heart attack caught everyone by surprise. Uncle Dean was more than a brother, they were best friends.”

  “I could see that. Do you have time for a proper farewell?” I tried to fake a smile, but I’m not sure he believed it.

  “I always have time for that, and then you can help me pack.
”

  Time passed too quickly and soon he was packed and ready to leave. I wanted to come with him to the airport, but he said it would just be harder to say goodbye, though I couldn’t imagine it being any harder.

  We kissed a long meaningful kiss goodbye, and then I followed him outside. I stood on the deck as he walked to his car. He put his suitcase in the trunk and walked to his door. He stopped, mouthed the words, “Take care of my heart”, and clinched at his chest as if he were in pain, which he was. I blew him a kiss, tears filling my eyes. He got in his car and drove slowly down the driveway, looking out the window several times as if it would be the last time he would see me.

  My heart ached to go with him, but I knew I couldn’t. If I hurt this bad now, I thought, how would I survive until the end of the week? We hadn’t been apart, but for one night, since we got married.

  I heard the doorbell ring. I walked down the hall lethargically, and when I opened the front door, there stood a tall woman dressed in a business suit. Beside her sat a big, beautiful golden retriever. She had a handful of his hair at the neck.

  “I’m sorry to bother you ma’am, but does this dog belong to you?”

  “Um, no I’m afraid not. I’ve never seen that dog before.”

  “Oh, well he was running in the road, and I was afraid he was going to get hit by a car. He doesn’t have a collar.”

  “I don’t know what to say. He’s not mine.” I tried to be polite, but the truth is I was quiet annoyed at the interruption….and my heart was broken, though temporarily.

  “Well, I’m late for a meeting. Is there any way you could take him for me? Maybe you can call the local Vet. and Animal Control to see if anyone has reported him missing.”

  “Well I really am very busy.” As I was saying the words the dog bolted into my house.

  “Oh, I have to get to my meeting. Thanks for helping. Goodbye!” she yelled as she ran to her car.

  “Wait! I—I really can’t!” I’ve never seen a woman in a business suit and heels run so fast. Then she was pulling out of my driveway. “Count to ten, Lily. Count to ten,” I mumbled.

  I shut the door and went looking for him, I guess it was a him, I didn’t check. When I came into the den, he was lying on the floor in front of the sofa.