by Marian Stack
Turtle was surprised with herself that she felt a little hesitant about entering her own home that she had so desperately wanted to be standing in. Remaining in the spot she decided to stop all movement and close her eyes and concentrate on the noises of the area in an attempt to listen for any unwanted intruders in her home, whether they were of the two or four legged variety.
As she stood in complete concentration mode she began to let her guard down and accept the peacefulness of this place she remembered so vividly, and instead of fear consuming her, she began to fill her senses with the wonderful aroma of the great outdoors. Without hesitation she began to walk towards her home stepping onto the single step that elevated her to the porch that she remembered so acutely and pushed open the unlocked door.
Allowing her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the cabin she began to notice the vast amount of damage that had occurred while she was off surviving the world outside her mountain. As she looked around the cabin she started moving and lifting pieces of furniture like the small table in the corner that always held her mother’s picture of when she was pregnant with her and the small racoon that got caught in the picture, as it was attempting to sneak a freshly picked strawberry from the basket at her mother’s feet.
Sadly, as she manoeuvred around the cabin she observed many areas that were either totally destroyed or severely damaged.
She had heard from Susan that there were always certain types of hikers who seek out cabins during a catastrophic disaster like the one they had just experienced, who just want to experience the thrill of the devastation. And with this knowledge Turtle conclude that her home was vandalized and used as a party house for just that thrill seeking reason.
Now more determined than ever to remain in her family home, she began to clean up the mess left by others and started in the living room area. As she cleaned and bagged the enormous amount of beer cans and left over food packaging, she picked-up the several bags of garbage that she had assembled in the kitchen area and took them outside to place in her jeep for proper disposal. As she tossed the bags of garbage by her jeep she looked up towards the heavens as she heard off in the distance the sound of a helicopter and simply dismissed it as being a normal sound, understanding that her mountain was not back to normal and that intense reconstruction of roads and other things would have to be restored. Dismissing the sound, she re-entered her home placing all her energies back to the task at hand.
As she worked away at her cleaning job her mind began to wander back to her time with Blair as she suddenly remembered that this very day was her wedding day. She began to think back to the party at the Foster estate and her poor choice of rooms she entered that took her and Megan by surprise and the terrible ending to that night. She also couldn’t stop thinking about how sad she was feeling for Blair who seemed to be entering into a marriage full of dishonesty and lies. And then as if her memories began to control her nervous system she found herself leaving the confines of the cabin feeling the need for fresh air, as the very memory of Blair touching, kissing and making love with her moistened her.
With her hands firmly resting on her hips and her eyes staring up at the sky, she decided to remain outside for a few extra moments as she felt the need for additional fresh air, as her thoughts about Blair and their time together became harder for her to stop fixating on every time her mind wondered in her direction.
She knew she was deeply in love with Blair but also was intelligent enough to understand all the reasons behind their possible union, and the odds of them being together would never happen in a trillion years. “Not to mention missy… that she is at this very moment marrying another.”
So as she stood in a completely frozen day-dreaming frame of mind she was unaware that the love of her life had just covertly walked up behind her.
Blair enjoying the game she softly cleared her throat and stated, “Excuse me Miss. I was told to come to this very spot to find a wonderful adventurous owner of a company that offers a “trip of a life time.” And then took the last few steps that would place her body directly, without touching, inches behind her lover’s stationary form.
Turtle barely controlling her desires to turn around and kiss the girl standing behind her, played along. “Well yes that was the correct information at the time but as you can see our business is closed for a few days.”
“My, my… always the optimist. Just a few days you say!”
“Oh my sweet…sweet Turtle Dove.” Blair stated as she took her by the shoulders and spun her around and with unchecked passion began kissing her entire face, and unlike the night at the town hall neither woman tried to stop their desires, as hands began tearing off clothing, with lips locked in such passion that Blair began to lose her balance.
And as both women fell to the ground the sudden re-positioning seemed only to give them more room to play. Their love making was fast, intense and gratifying as both Blair and Turtle lay on their backs trying to catch their breath as they lay on the soft summer grass with barely a stich of clothing between them.
It was Blair who reached for Tee’s hand and entangled her fingers and held tight, and then with love in the air and grass in their hair, Blair slightly moved first, positioning her body to lay as close as two bodies dare and began her reasoning for leaving her house to fly and talk with Turtle.
After a passionate kiss, Blair pulled her face slightly away from her lovers to begin her unrehearsed proposal, “My Sweet Turtle, I first want to apologize… No… let me begin again as I do not want this to be about anything other than love… And my sweet girl that’s what this proposal is, it’s all about love…. I want to love you the rest of my life…I want to be with you every day for the rest of our lives…I want you to want to stay with me and love me forever… I only want to breathe the same air as you… My sweet girl I can’t imagine not having you in my life as my wife for the rest of eternity…And I so badly want you to keep making me a better person, just by me standing beside you…Marry me…today…right now at my estate…fly back with me right now and marry me… Please! We can work out the living arrangements as long as we are together. I want to make a life with you…Please say something…please say yes?” And then after taking a huge breath, and with a jovial smile on her face, remaining in her strong personality she jokingly stated, “Honey that’s all I’ve got.”
And as Blair leaned in close to Tee’s smiling lips she gently and seductively offered a brush kiss, while Tee whispered out the word, “yes.”
“I’m sorry…what was that?” Blair asked Turtle to repeat her response but at the same time spoke so closely that their lips remained gently touching.
“I said…yes.” Turtle was enjoying this thing of talking while their lips remained touch/kissing.
Surprisingly Blair broke their love connection by leaping up and apologetically announced, “We’ve got to go.” Blair stated as she began to gather up her dishevelled clothing on the ground and tossing Tee’s clothing in her direction, and continued her informative talk, “Because at this very moment, I hope, my brother Joe is arranging for the guests who want to stay and attend our wedding, and that we should be back soon…so are you ready?” She asked as she held out her both her hands to help Turtle to her feet.
Without hesitation Turtle reached for her lover’s hands and gracefully leapt to her feet. “I’m ready.” But then quickly stated as she was bouncing up and down on one foot as she tried to get her free leg into her pant leg as she was moving towards the front door of her home, was that she needed a few extra moments to gather some personal items, stated again… “No not quite, just give me a minute.” She shouted as she ran back into the cabin.
“Don’t worry about that right now, there’s plenty of new clothing in closets all over my… our house.”
“Isn’t this something we should be discussing with your brother?” Tee innocently asked as they began their walk to the landing place where their ride was waiting.
“Oh don’t worry about him. It’
s a big house. And truth-be-told he had noticed our strong love connection from the beginning… and by the way he was only waiting on me to connect the dots. And besides I think you will notice he’s gone more than he stays. He’s looking for true love now too…thanks to you.”
With the sight of the waiting helicopter just off in the distance Blair stopped walking and turned to her new fiancée and inquired, “Tee honey, what did you go back into the cabin for, you aren’t carrying anything?”
“Our family wasn’t big on taking photographs and this one here,” she pulled the photo of her mother that she had tucked in the back of her waist band pants so not to damage the photo anymore than it had already been, thanks to her unwanted visitors, and then handed the picture of her mother and the racoon to Blair.
“This is a great shot and we will make sure it’s receives the frame it deserves.” And then leaned in to kiss the cheek of the woman she will soon call her wife. “Tell me more…who took the picture?” She lovingly demanded as she linked her arm into Tee’s as they continue their walk to their ride.
“Well my mother had told me it was one of their very first customers, a young wildlife photographer who wanted to take pictures from a moving raft, so he commissioned my father to be his guide. My mother was pregnant with me and the young racoon was just a lucky little thief, who by the way stayed around our cabin for several seasons. Or so my mother told me. Anyways…it’s the only picture I have of her.”
“Well it’s an adorable shot and we will make sure it is placed in our house for all to see and enjoy.”
“Welcome aboard.” The pilot extended his hand to first escort the lady of the house and then extended his hand to Turtle.
As they settled into their seats, Blair leaned in for another kiss and also lovingly checked her fiancées seatbelt, “wouldn’t want you to fall out.” She joked as she stole another peck on the cheek.
As the helicopter began its ascent, Blair’s’ hand moved to take hold of Tee’s and then asked, “Are you scared?”
“No…not at all. It’s thrilling.”
“I mean about what we are about to do?”
“No…not at all.”
“I love you.”
“And I adore you.”
As the helicopter flew over the estate grounds, both women looked out the window to Tee’s right and their reaction was the same but their feelings were different.
Blair was surprised so many of their original guest remained behind which filled her with great happiness considering her antics over the past several days, and Turtles’ only reaction was that there were so many people.
As they entered the grounds through the back gate several people ran towards Blair offering her a sense of panic which seemed to be etched across many their faces, as a flurry of questions filled the air.
“Everyone please, just give me a minute! Now is there plenty of food and refreshments, for our party guests to enjoy?”
“Yes!” the organizer of the first wedding shouted out.
“Then we have nothing to worry about. Just keep the food and refreshments flowing… because nothing can or will ruin this day.” She announced as she took her brides’ hand and escorted her into the house to get ready for the ceremony.
As Blair escorted Turtle into the bridal room both women stopped dead in their tracks as they both saw the two wedding gowns that stood eerily still as if floating in midair waiting for their humans to step into. Neither woman moved as neither women knew what the other wanted.
Was this their first civilized test?
“I’ll need to shower before getting into one of those.” Turtle laughed as she walked over to the scary mannequin that appeared to be frozen in time.
“Seriously, you are willing to walk down the proverbial aisle in a wedding gown?” Blair surprisingly questioned.
“If that’s want you want? It’s just a dress.” Turtle fearfully reached to touch the fabric to show her bravado.
Blair burst out laughing to the point she bent over, as the laughter gave her a stich in her side. “Oh… this is going to be fun.”
“What?” Turtle questioned as she had never seen Blair laugh so hard.
“Our lives together will be fun and exciting and enjoyable and I can hardly wait to start! My sweet girl I don’t care what you wear. Here let’s go looking in one of the many closets in this place and I’m sure we can come up with something other than these Cinderella dresses.” Blair lovingly took Turtle by the hand and escorted her out of the bridal room towards the many other bedrooms in the mansion.
“Well are you ready?” Blair asked.
As she looked into the full length mirror and viewed a much different looking person than normal, stated as she turned around to view her beautiful bride to be.
“Well, I’ve showered, combed my hair, brushed my teeth and put on this very soft pair of not ivory pants with matching blouse, so I guess I’m ready.”
“Are you nervous?” Blair asked as she walked closer to where Turtle was completing the last loop of the belt that was going to keep her pants from falling down.
“My only concern at this moment is the strength of this belt.” She joked, and then she reached for Blair’s hand. “Sweetie you keep asking me how I am, as if you are waiting for me to run or change my mind…well that’s never going to happen. You were not the only person that changed after we met. I never want to be that far away from you again. So I guess the only question remains, are you nervous?”
“Not a chance. Now let’s go give our friends and family a chance to witness our love.”
As the music began Blair and Turtle reached for each other’s hands without hesitation as they began their march to the ceremonial alter and the waiting minister.
As they proceeded down the rose petal laden pathway all the guess stood offering joyful inquisitive smiles, that unnerved Turtle enough for Blair to notice the slight hesitation, and reacted accordingly by squeezing her hand and moving it slightly enough that Turtle looked in the direction of the movement and then much to her absolute astonishment she noticed standing in the front row were all her dear friends.
The shock of seeing all her best friends brought Turtle to immediate tears. With tears flowing down her cheeks she squeezed her hand and responded with a lean in and a gentle kiss to Blair’s held hand. “I love you so much.”
Chapter Sixteen - Forty Years and Going Strong
As per normal, Blair decided before the minister began her traditional ceremonial words, to take a hold of the microphone and talk.
“Hello and good afternoon to all our friends and family. What a surprise to all of you that the wedding that you were expecting has been completely turned on its ear. Well trust me when I announce that even though one of the two girls standing up here is different the reasoning behind this ceremony is the same.” And then after rapid refection, “No actually it’s not the same, because as much as I wanted to be in love with Megan I wasn’t. And if she was standing here right now she would be saying the same. We loved each other but we were not in love. This day and the undeniable ending would have been swift and angry.”
And then after linking her arm in Tee’s and giving her an affectionate kiss on the cheek she continued, “Now you perhaps are saying to yourselves, what a strange thing to be saying at this time and you would be right. Everything about my love for this woman is different because for the first time I believe…no I know I am in love. And I believe I now understand what love is. I can’t ever imagine living with another by my side…ever. And with this declaration of love I wanted to tell you our love story. I want you to all understand how we have all ended up here at this precise moment. This love story began with my brother Joe who watched and understood that my life’s path was heading in a direction that was not going to end well for all parties, so he in his far-reaching wisdom decided to send me off on an adventure that would clear my head. Now for many of those who know me know that this was not an easy feat to accomplish and that of course a smal
l wager was attached to this three day excursion, and even though I had agreed to this wager I was determined to destroy him.” And then with a loving gesture of blowing him a kiss she continued, “My dear brother, I will be forever indebted to you. And yes…you won the wager but I received the gift, the gift of this wonderful woman standing beside me and before you. Never in a million years would our paths have crossed if not for my brother’s insight, and Mother Natures’ fury. So while we have you as our captive audience, please allow me a few moments of your time to tell you about our love story…”
As the two brides walked around the estate grounds ensuring that their entire slightly inebriated remaining guests were adequately cared for. Either by ensuring that their transportation needs were met or sleeping arrangements were secured, before they decided that this very long exhilarating day should come to an end allowing them to retire.
As both women began ascending the elegant expansive staircase towards their master bedroom, a room that only one of the two knew where it was located, they seem to do so in easy reflective quiet.
As Blair walked into the familiar bedroom she was not naïve to its meaning and immediately turned to introduce the room to its new mistress. “My love I know that everything about our lives has been new and different for you and I promise I will try to be as aware of your needs as possible but you will always need to let know if I have been unaware of your feelings. And this might be the first of many, as I want this room to be ours and if changes are needed or wanted… please do with this house as you want as I truly want this to be our home.” And then taking both of Tee’s hands she nervously stated, “My dear I hope you are as happy as I am?”
