by Madyson Grey
Victoria laughed out loud at that, remembering all the times she’d heard those very words when Marian disapproved of something that Victoria wanted to do.
“Well, anyway, I mowed the lawn and I trimmed the dead roses, and I plan to do it again as long as I’m here. And just think of the money I saved by not calling a gardener in.”
“This is true,” Lena said. “I overheard your dad telling your mother one time a couple years back that the gardener had asked for a raise from eighteen to twenty dollars an hour, and your mother had a hissy fit. Your dad said if she wanted a nicely manicured yard that they would have to pay for it. And trust me, they could afford it.”
“Oh, I know they could. She was just tight with anything that didn’t go directly on her back or mine, pretty much,” Victoria said.
“Do you want anything in particular for supper, or shall I just fix something?” Lena wanted to know.
“Are you sure you feel up to cooking this afternoon?” Victoria asked.
“Oh, sure,” Lena said. “I feel a lot better after a little nap. I took one of the pills Dr. Stevens gave me and that did wonders for my headache.”
“No, I don’t care what you fix. Just make it something simple and easy for you. Spaghetti would be fine, then we can eat up the garlic bread that was left last night. If that works for you,” Victoria said.
“Spaghetti it is,” Lena said. “Is there salad fixings in the fridge? I’m out of touch with what we have around here.”
“Yeah, I think there’s enough for tonight anyway.”
Just then, Rafael called Victoria.
“Hey, are you home?” he asked.
“Yeah, out in the back yard,” she said.
“Can you let me in the front gate, please?”
“Oh, sorry. Sure. Just a minute while I run in the house.”
Pretty soon Rafael was driving in the driveway. By that time, Victoria had run out the front door to meet him and show off her handiwork. He was duly impressed, but asked her if she had cleaned up the lawn mower before putting it away. She told him she didn’t know it needed cleaning up.
He asked her to take him to it, so she led him around to the back yard and the tool shed. He rolled the lawn mower out of the shed and tipped it over on its side.
“See all the grass clippings compacted under here and on the blades? All that has to be scraped out, and it’s easier to do it now while the clippings are fresh than after they’ve dried on,” he explained.
“Oh, I didn’t know,” she said contritely. “I’ve never used a lawn mower before.”
“It’s OK, Vic, I’m just telling you so you will know next time.”
Rafael cleaned it for her, and then checked the gas tank for gas. It was low, so he filled it up.
“Now it’s ready to use again the next time,” he told her. “But you don’t have to do this. We can hire someone to come in and do the yard work.”
“But I had fun doing it. Really I did,” she protested. “I want to do it again. At least as often as I can.”
“You liked it?” he said. “I always hated mowing the lawn when I was a kid. That’s why I moved into an apartment, so I wouldn’t have to mow a lawn.”
“I loved it,” she said. “It felt good.”
“Well, whatever,” he said, shaking his head in wonder.
How anyone could enjoy mowing a lawn was beyond him. But if she liked it, more power to her.
It wasn’t long before Lena called them in to supper. They sat down to a good meal of spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread. As usual, they asked Lena to eat with them. Victoria told Rafael about their visit to her mother than morning and what all had taken place. She told him that the doctor had advised her not to visit any more until he gave her the okay.
“Which really suits me just fine,” Victoria said. “I hate seeing her like that, and I was dreading having to visit her every day. And how was your day?”
Rafael told her that Mr. Hall had come to see him about the company ownership. He said that the attorney had told him that the company was reverting now to Victoria, but as soon as they were married, then he would be joint owner. The main thing was that although David and Marian were technically married at the time of David’s death, that the way he had set up the transfer into Rafael’s name circumvented Marian from having any claim to it. Also, with her criminal charges, it wasn’t likely that she would receive anything other than her own bank accounts, some of which would go to pay her attorney’s fees.
“Well, that’s a relief to hear that,” Victoria said. “I wonder, though, now about the house and the cars. Even Mother’s car will have to have some change, I would think. I can’t see her driving again, at least not for a good long time.”
“He didn’t talk to me about the house and your personal inheritance,” Rafael said. “Only about the business part that pertained to me, too.”
“Yeah, I suppose he wouldn’t.”
Victoria helped Lena clean up after supper while Rafael went into the family room and turned on the TV news. After the cleanup was done, Victoria got out three ice cream bars for them to enjoy while they watched some TV. Lena lingered for a little while, then excused herself to go to her apartment.
Victoria showed Rafael the list she had made that morning regarding wedding plans and asked him if he had anything to add to the list.
He read it over, and then said, “Looks like you have it all under control, babe. You must be a good organizer. I like that. I don’t like chaos.”
“Me, either,” Victoria said. “I like spontaneity, but not chaos. There’s a difference.”
“Sure is,” he agreed.
“Rafael,” Victoria said after a few minutes of watching TV. “Do you want to move in here with me and give up your apartment? Or, if we have a choice in the very near future, would you want me to sell this house and get one of our own? What are your thoughts on this?
Rafael got up from his place on the love seat beside Victoria and walked around the room a bit, thinking.
“I really don’t know,” he said. “Well, yes, I do want to move in with you, mainly because if you moved to my apartment, what would Lena do? She lives here, too, you know, and you can’t just up and leave her high and dry. So for the time being, until we find out just what we can do with the house, I would like to move in with you. I don’t have a lot of stuff. The apartment came furnished, so I don’t have any of my own furniture, except a couple of TVs and stereo equipment. Mainly just clothes and a minimal amount of kitchen stuff. I have bunch of DVDs and CDs and a few books and stuff like that, but not a huge amount.
“As far as long term plans, I really don’t know. I think this is a really cool place and I like it here, so if you want to stay, I’m game. But if you want to sell out and move, that’s OK with me, too. I’ll leave that decision up to you. It’s your home, after all.”
“I really have no idea, either,” Victoria said. “It is home and I love it, too. But there are a lot of bad memories here, too. Especially because Daddy died here. I hate going in his office. And I used to love going in there because he was in there. Now, when I go in there, I can picture him dead. Even though I never actually saw him, I can imagine the scene. If I fear that it will be months, possibly even years, before this mess is straightened out and I know whether or not I can sell it. So I guess we’d better resign ourselves to living here for the time being.
“And of course, you’re right about Lena. I can’t just move in with you and abandon her. I hope that if we ever do sell and get our own place, that we will get one that has room for her, too. Not that I think I really need a housekeeper anymore, but it is nice. But mainly, I just want to take care of Lena.”
“Sure you do, and that’s wonderful. If and when we ever move, we’ll be sure and take her, if she’ll go with us,” Rafael said. “So shall I move my stuff over tomorrow? Since it’s Saturday, I won’t be working. I think I can do it all in one day easy enough.”
“Yeah, let’s do it,” Victoria
said. “I’ll go help you pack. I’ve never even been to your place.”
“I’ve barely been there myself this week,” he said. “The neighbors will wonder who that strange guy is going into my apartment.”
Victoria laughed at his funny. He came and sat back down beside her, put his arms around her and drew her into a long, passionate kiss. Only three more torturous nights like this, he thought as he struggled to maintain control of his passions. He would honor their commitment, however.
If there was one thing that David Thornton had drummed into his brain it was to be honest and keep his word. David told him that there was once a time in this country when a man’s word and his handshake were as good as gold. No signed contracts were needed, because men were honest and trustworthy. When a promise was a promise and could be depended upon. So he had made a pact with Victoria that they would be chaste until their wedding night, and he for one, would not renege on it.
He was actually feeling good about their decision. For several years he had played the field, had women chasing him when he wasn’t chasing them, and had sex with any and all that would. But in retrospect, he hadn’t gained anything, and he was extremely lucky that he hadn’t caught some disease. One reason he had moved from girl to girl was that dating just for sex really wasn’t fulfilling. He always felt empty, like he was missing something, but he didn’t know what. So he’d pick up another girl, and another, and another, until he was just sick of it really. He’d kept on, because he’d made a habit of it. And, naturally, he enjoyed sex.
But when he met Victoria, everything changed. He found in her what he’d been missing all these years—love. Love, trust, honesty, commitment, friendship. Those things were more valuable than mere sex. When one had those things and then added sex, it was a beautiful thing. Otherwise, sex was just cheap, tawdry entertainment. Their relationship was barely a week old, but given the circumstances it seemed like months since they’d met. That, coupled with the fact that he had been smitten with her for half his life, and the fact that David had talked about her to him all the time and practically arranged their marriage, made him feel as though he had been with her for a long time.
Yes, the wait would be worth it. Their wedding night would be something to remember for the rest of their lives. And not only for the amazing sex he was certain they would have, but for the love and commitment that was theirs. All these thoughts were chasing themselves through his mind while he was kissing her. He wondered what she might be thinking, if anything. Had he been a mind reader, he would have known.
Oh, how I love this man, Victoria was thinking. I know it’s been an extremely short time, but it seems so much longer. Thank you, Daddy, for knowing me well enough to know that he is so right for me. I just wish you were here to give me away to him at our wedding.
Oh, I can’t wait for our wedding! I can’t wait to be able to make love with this gorgeous hunk of man. He is so incredibly handsome and sexy. But more than that, he is kind, considerate, thoughtful, loving, caring, honest, and true. Nothing like I thought he was at first. Nothing like Mother tried to make him out to be. And I’m so glad. We’re going to be so happy for the rest of our lives. He’s already seen me at my worst, and at the worst time of my life. So, if he can stand by me through all of what I’ve gone through this week, he’ll stand by me forever.
At last, Rafael broke the kiss long enough to murmur, “I love you so much, Vic. Just so much.”
“I love you, too, Rafael. More than I can ever say,” she sighed. “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Their lips met again in another spine-tingling kiss that filled their souls with joy and love and the promises of forever. They spent the remainder of the evening talking about their plans and dreams for the future, interspersing their words with sweet, lingering kisses.
Eventually, they broke it up and made their way upstairs to prepare for bed. Parting in the hallway was actually becoming easier since they had stuck to their guns and done it every night. So after another sweet kiss filled with more love than either of them had ever known, they said good-night and went their separate ways.
Around midnight, Rafael was awakened once again to Victoria’s screams. He got up, pulled on his pajama bottoms, and hurried into her room to calm her down. He cradled her tense body in his arms and rocked her back and forth, humming “Spanish Eyes” until she relaxed and was once again sound asleep. He doubted that she even knew he was there. He was probably just part of her dreams again, as she had described to him before.
He waited for a couple of minutes longer, and then gently laid her back down on her pillow. Her breathing was even and she didn’t move, so he tiptoed back out of her room and closed the door. He did seriously hope that this didn’t happen on their wedding night. The place where he had gotten reservations for them wouldn’t be a good place for her to be screaming in the middle of the night. Maybe with him beside her in the bed, she would feel safe enough that the dreams wouldn’t come.
The next morning, when Victoria awoke, pieces of her nightmare came back into her mind. She couldn’t remember everything, but she could remember Marian shooting, shooting, shooting, and her daddy and Lena and herself being shot into little pieces. Then Rafael came in on a big white horse and carried her away to safety again. She could still remember the rocking sensation of the horse, and Rafael humming in her ear.
She got up and was soon ready to go downstairs to meet a new day. It was a big relief to not have to go visit her mother in the hospital. It was an even bigger relief to not have her in the house. She could really learn to love this house again knowing that Marian would never be in it. It was a terrible way to feel about one’s mother, but Marian had brought it on herself. She didn’t hate her mother, she just didn’t love her either. She didn’t really even like her mother. If it hadn’t have been for her dad, she would have been a lonely, miserable child.
Lena was in the kitchen with the coffee going when Victoria got there. Rafael was already sitting at the counter eating a blueberry muffin.
“Mornin’, you two,” she said. “Don’t I feel like a sleepyhead, with you two already up and at ’em!”
“Mornin’, honey,” Lena said. “The coffee is almost ready.”
“That’s OK, I’m in no rush,” Victoria replied. “I’ll have a muffin, too, while I wait.”
Rafael wondered if she would mention her nightmare, but she didn’t, so he didn’t either. Maybe she didn’t even remember it this morning.
After breakfast, Rafael and Victoria took her car over to his place to begin moving his things to her house. They stopped by a couple of stores to pick up some cardboard boxes to pack things in.
“This is a nice place,” Victoria said appreciatively when they walked into his apartment.
“Yeah, I’ve liked it here. The neighbors are decent, and there’s a pool and clubhouse thing. I’ve been here for about five years or more,” Rafael said.
“Where do you want to start?” she asked.
“I dunno,” he said. “I’m not too good at this moving thing. I guess I’ll start carrying out my hanging clothes and you can box up the DVDs and CDs. OK?”
“Sure. Works for me.”
Within about three hours they had all of Rafael’s things out of the apartment and it was ready to clean. They’d had to make a couple of trips to get everything, but it wasn’t bad. Victoria wiped down the kitchen cupboards, drawers, and countertops while Rafael vacuumed the carpets throughout. She wiped out the fridge and stove, and scoured the sink. Then she went to clean the bathroom. After she was finished, she mopped both the kitchen and bathroom floors.
Meanwhile Rafael had gone through everything and every place to make sure that he hadn’t left anything behind. He even checked between the mattresses, under the sofa cushions, behind furniture and under the bed, sofa, and chairs. When they were all through, Victoria carried the cleaning supplies to the car while Rafael turned in his key to the manager’s office.
Bac
k at Victoria’s place, she helped him put away his clothes. They would use her bedroom as theirs after they were married, but until she could figure out a better plan, his clothes would be in the room he had been sleeping in. She took her dad’s clothes and put them back in the master bedroom, just laying them on the bed for now. She’d eventually have to get rid of them.
He left his stereo system boxed up, but he set up one of his TVs in the bedroom he was using. He also put the DVDs in a large plastic tub he’d stopped and bought, and put it in the bedroom where they could get to them when they wanted something to watch.
Somehow, Victoria couldn’t bring herself to move into the master suite just yet. Maybe someday, when the estate was completely settled, when Marian’s fate was completely settled, and if she decided to live in that house long-term, maybe then she could bring herself to move her parents’ things out of that room and move her and Rafael in. But she couldn’t do it now. It just seemed crass to her. Rafael understood and refused to pressure her to do anything that didn’t feel right to her.
It took the better part of the day to do everything, get Rafael situated in the house, and his extra things stored away in the garage. Basically, all he was storing away were his stereo system, one TV, a small trunk with his keepsakes in it, and his tennis rackets and balls. Victoria promised him that as soon as she could figure things out, he could have all his things wherever he wanted them.
He said it was no big deal. He asked Lena if she wanted his extra TV, so she took it and put it in her bedroom. The house already had a top quality stereo system in it, so his was redundant, and he held no sentimental value in it. He said maybe he’d take it to his office and use it down there.
Sunday morning Victoria went to a nail salon and had a manicure and pedicure and hoped that nothing would happen to mess up her nails before tomorrow. Rafael went for a haircut. He also, having learned of Victoria’s red and white color scheme, went out and bought a red necktie to wear with his white shirt and black suit.
