A First Class Act

by Mildred Riley

  “By all means.”

  Henry reached for Dina’s hand. “Child, can you ever forgive me for what I did?”

  In a quiet voice, she responded. “I do understand how hard it must have been for you.”

  “I didn’t know what else to do. I was only twenty.” His voice trailed off.

  Dina wondered, Why stay away all those years? But she did not ask.

  As if reading her mind, Henry tried to explain.

  “For a time I blundered about, finally joining the army. Then, later, I met Charlotte.” He turned to her, patted her hand. “From the beginning I told her about you. At the time I was certain that your aunt and uncle who adopted you were taking good care of you. Didn’t know about them being killed. So sorry about that.”

  “It was dreadful, but Gram stepped in.”

  “As I remember her, she was a no-nonsense, take-charge woman.”

  “She was. I owe her, and always will.”

  Henry sighed. “Been a hard life for you, but we cannot change the past. I hope you will allow us to be a part of your future. And what you have accomplished…a Ph.D. in nursing? How did you do it? Couldn’t have been easy.”

  She told him, “One day at a time. There did not seem to be any other way. And I’ve always loved nursing.”

  Charlotte, nodding her head, agreed. “Nursing is a noble profession. Just think of all the people whose lives you’ve affected. It’s amazing, really.”

  Dina, aware of the woman’s quiet perception, realized that this was a woman who could be a friend.

  At that moment the front door opened. Drew and the children came in, excited over their purchases.

  “Look what Drew bought us!” Jeane told their parents.

  Rising from the sofa, Dina shook hands with each of them. “I’m Dina, and I’m your sister. Welcome to Boston.”

  She took them by the hands, saying, “Let me show you around. You might want to check the bathroom. Lunch is ready, and we’ll put your snacks away until later.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  As soon as their guests had washed up, Dina served lunch: chicken salad, rolls, tossed green salad, and fruit punch. Fresh fruit cups of melon balls, orange slices, strawberries, and blueberries brought ohs and ahs all around.

  Charlotte offered to help Dina clean up after the lunch, but Drew said they should leave to make the 4 p.m. check-in time at the hotel.

  When he returned home, he found Dina working at her computer.

  He leaned over to kiss her. “Well?”

  Dina shook her head.

  “I think he is sorry, but he still seems like a stranger to me.”

  “I can understand that. Today was your first time together in twenty-something years, and you have little to no history together. It will take time. You each need to be patient. His wife seems nice….”

  “Yes, she does. And the children are well-mannered.”

  “However, your father did surprise me.”

  “Really, how?”

  “Asked if he could walk you down the aisle…give you away.”

  When she answered, Drew heard distinct bitterness in her voice. “Done that once, remember?”

  “Indeed, I know that, but he said to me, ‘This time I will not be giving my daughter away. Rather, I will be proud to be joining her to the man she loves.’ I believe, honey, he really wants to do it.”

  She shut down the computer, turning in her chair to look at Drew, seated in a chair by her desk. This was the man she loved, the man who made her whole, whose love made her feel valued and secure. With him by her side, she knew she could face anything, even making peace with the man who had given her life.

  “Drew,” she said slowly, her eyes never leaving his face, “it was your mom who advised me to forgive, forget, and move forward. She reminded me that not one of us is perfect. Each of us has flaws and imperfections, and, anyway, how could I expect a twenty-year-old to care for an infant? So I’m going to do just that! I will be happy to walk down the aisle with my father, as long as you’ll be standing there, waiting for me.”

  He stood up, raising her to her feet. “Not to worry,” he said as he kissed her.

  * * *

  Because her parents, Chad and Esther Raines, had worshipped at St. David’s, an Episcopal church in Boston, and Dina had been christened and confirmed there, that’s where she wanted to be married, especially after the BU chapel became unavailable.

  February 6 turned out to be a glorious, luminous day. The sky was a brilliant blue. White, wispy clouds floated slowly, and the air was crisp, but mild.

  Promptly at twelve noon, Dina, accompanied by her father, dressed in a rented black tuxedo, entered the vestry of the church. He grasped her left arm, pulled her close, and whispered in her ear, “You are as beautiful as your mother was.”

  “Did you love her?”

  “I did. With all my heart. She loved you very much. Would be so proud of you,” he said quietly. “And thanks for allowing me to be a part of this very important moment in your life.”

  He raised her veil, kissed her softly on her cheek.

  “Daughter of mine,” he choked, “let’s get you married. Can’t keep Drew waiting.”

  The strains of the wedding march filled the church. Guests rose from their seats, turning to see the bride and her father, a wide grin on his face, taking his daughter to the altar and to the man she loved.

  * * *

  After the wedding and the reception, they changed into their going-away clothes. Drew’s brother John had placed their suitcases in Drew’s car, and with families and friends wishing them well, they drove away.

  When Dina had asked Drew about a wedding trip, he had suggested that they return to Martha’s Vineyard, which meant so much to them.

  However, Drew thought that he ought to let Dina know of his plans. They were crossing the Bourne Bridge when he said, “Have a surprise for you, my dear wife.”

  “What is it?”

  “Look in the glove compartment.”

  “There’s a gold envelope. Is this it?”

  “Yes, ma’am, open it.”

  She did so, pulling out a set of house keys tied together with a gold silk cord.

  “The house! The house is ready?”

  “Ready and waiting for us to move in.”

  “Oh, my God! I can’t wait! You dog,” she teased. “How long have you known? And you never told me!”

  “Dina, child, you had enough on your mind.”

  “Guess so. Oh, I can’t wait!”

  She leaned over to kiss his cheek.

  “Drew, you’re so wonderful to me.”

  “Isn’t that why you love me?” He grinned.

  “ ‘Let me count the ways,’ as the poet said.”

  Within the half hour they were entering a brand new paved circular driveway in front of the house. Drew stopped the car.

  “Drew, look at that! All the lights are on inside, from top to bottom. What a wonderful sight! It’s so beautiful! And it’s ours!”

  “You can bet our bottom dollar it’s ours!”

  Almost before he opened the door and unfastened his seatbelt, Dina had hopped out of the car, clutching the keys in her hand.

  “Hurry up! Hurry!”

  “My God, woman, slow down! Wait just a cotton-picking minute!”

  “I am waiting! I’m waiting!”

  She handed him the keys. He opened the door, grabbed her up in his arms to carry her over the threshold, his mouth clamped firmly over hers.

  “Welcome home,” he said as he put her down.

  “It even smells like home. Who’s been cooking in here?”

  “My folks. There’s a turkey in the oven, food in the fridge,” he told her as he led her into a fully furnished living room.

  There were fresh flowers on the fireplace hearth, and crystal lamps on the end tables. She peeked into the adjacent dining room to see the table set for two, and more fresh flowers centered under a crystal chandelier.

&nbs
p; “Your folks did all this?”

  “Yep. But all the flowers are from your family, the Lawrences. Mom helped me with the furniture, but anything you don’t like can be changed.”

  “So far, I love it! Show me the whole house!”

  “This is the living room, and you saw the dining room, and…” he led her across the hall, “…this is the family room.”

  “Very nice, Drew.”

  “The kitchen…”

  “Good Lord! Look at this! Stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, it’s perfect…and the cabinets! I’ve always wanted to have a dream kitchen like this!”

  Smiling, he said, “Well, now you have it. See that you make good use of it.”

  “Yes, sir! Can’t wait to see the rest of the house.”

  They checked out the half bath on the way to the stairs to the finished basement.

  “Oh, I like this. Perfect for you and your friends…leather furniture, large television, pool table. You’re bound to spend many happy hours here.”

  He told her, “We’ll check out the two-car garage tomorrow. Now, let’s go upstairs.”

  The master bedroom was large, with windows on the front looking out to the ocean, and on the right side a large lawn with pine and oak trees standing at the edge. There were twin chests, tall crystal lamps on the bedside tables, and a king-sized bed. A corner of the room held a desk and table, and a lounge chair faced a television mounted on the wall.

  “More flowers?” Dina observed.

  “Right, all from your folks.”

  “I have to say, Drew, they really seem to care…and that is important to me.”

  “I know. Honey, are you hungry?”

  “You know, the smell of that turkey…maybe a sandwich.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Maybe potato chips…”

  “A drink?”

  “Do we have any wine?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Dina was extremely happy that this seminar in Chicago was going so well. She could hardly wait to tell Drew about it.

  She thought about one participant, a young man named Jeff. He worked as a registered nurse at a hospital in California. He had spoken to her during a coffee break.

  “Dr. Raines,” he had addressed her, “I really agree with you that nurses could be much more effective in direct patient care if they had more authority and more decision-making powers, as well as the knowledge to teach their patients how to live and adapt to an illness.”

  “Thank you. Jeff, is it?”

  “Yes, ma’am, Jeff Williams.”

  “I do hope I’ll meet your expectations.”

  “Oh, I know you will.”

  She shook hands with him as others came forward, congratulating her on her forward-thinking ideas.

  She always kept her classes to twenty. It was easier for her to remember their names, and discussion groups of five were much easier to manage. She charged three hundred dollars for the two-day seminar sessions. At the end, a certificate gave each person twenty-five continuing education units.

  Each morning session was from nine-thirty to twelve-thirty. A coffee break of fifteen minutes was held at eleven-forty-five. Refreshments were supplied by the university’s food service department, which meant the nurses were close at hand, not having to leave the classroom, although there were those who did.

  The afternoon classes were from one-thirty to four, with a short break at two-forty-five.

  Dina started all her sessions promptly, whether everyone was present or not. She had informed them at the outset, “This is not a cheap investment that you each have made, and I want you to receive true value for your expenditures.”

  She’d noticed many nods of agreement when she made that statement, and that had pleased her. The nods let her know that this was a committed group, eager to hear what she had to say to them.

  She passed around a syllabus, an outline brief of what she would be sharing with them, as well as a bibliography.

  * * *

  She called Drew at night, anxious to let him know how things were going.

  “I’m really pleased, Drew. The class is wonderful, and, believe it or not, they seem to be very interested in hearing what I have to say.”

  “Oh, I can believe it! I’m so glad that you’re pleased. You’ve worked so hard….”

  “And Drew…”

  “What?” He heard the excitement in her voice. “What’s going on?”

  “The university wants to publish my dissertation!”

  “No way!”

  “Yes, way!”

  “Oh, my God!” His cheerful voice resonated over the phone. “You go, girl! I’m so proud of you!”

  “Thanks. I’m really excited about the idea…makes my hard work pay off somehow…”

  “You deserve all the recognition you can get, that’s my personal opinion.”

  “And Drew, how are things going for you at the university?”

  “Northeastern is great! Enjoying every minute of it. Going to school at night is no problem, and I’ve been able to arrange most of my classes so they don’t interfere with my football responsibilities.”

  “Sounds good. Glad you decided to do this, Drew, and I know your mom and dad are proud of both of their sons.”

  “Anyway, at the rate I’m going, I should have my master’s by sometime next summer. Certainly by fall.”

  “We’ll look forward to that. I’ll call you in the morning, first thing. Have a good night. I love you.”

  “Love you, too. Can’t wait to have you home. Take care, honey.”

  “I will.”

  Dina sat with the cell phone in her hand, thinking of how her life had changed.

  She was no longer an unhappy, driven, twice-orphaned girl struggling to find her way in the world.

  She had achieved her goal. Her personal satisfaction was all she had hoped for, and she was truly loved by a wonderful man.

  As she sat, the phone still in her hand, she was happy that today was the last day of the seminar.

  When she called Drew the next morning to let him know her arrival time, she hoped she would not give away the exciting news she had to share with him. She had to see his face when she told him.

  * * *

  “Yes, my dear husband, time of arrival is 7 p.m.”

  “Great! I’ll be there with bells on!”

  “Oh, you don’t have to go that far!” she teased.

  “Well, I can’t wait to have my beautiful , smart wife back in my arms again. Love you. Be careful.”

  “Love you, too. See you at seven.”

  * * *

  Her plane arrived on schedule. Waving a huge bouquet of fresh flowers, Drew called out, “Over here, Dina, over here.”

  Dina ran right into his arms.

  “Oh, Dina, honey! So glad you’re home!”

  He kissed her as if she had been away for three months, not three days.

  She clung to him, his strong arms and firm, muscular body reassuring her once more of his deep love for her.

  He released her, then kissed her again. “Let’s go home!”

  She handed him her black leather satchel that contained all that she had needed. Along with her briefcase and shoulder handbag, she had traveled light. They made their way to the parking lot. She expected to see her husband’s car, but instead he was unlocking the door of a shiny blue Lexus.

  “Where’s your car?”

  “In the shop.”

  “In the shop? What’s wrong?”

  “Not much at all. Ordered some new tires, and they let me use this one to pick you up.”

  “It’s nice.”

  “I think so.”

  He helped her into the passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt before moving to the driver’s side.

  “Look at this interior.” She marveled at the silver-gray leather seats, as well as the well-appointed console and dashboard.

  Moving her hands over the smooth surface, she said, “It’s beautiful. I
love it.”

  “You do?” He looked over at her as he started the engine.

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Well, all right!”

  He drove out of the parking lot, drove a few miles down the road, turned into a nearby shopping mall, and drove into a secluded area.

  “Drew, why are you stopping here?”

  He turned off the engine, retrieved the key.

  “You’re quite sure you like this car?”

  “I said so, didn’t I,” she said testily. “What’s with you and this car?”

  He handed her the key.

  “It’s yours, my darling.”

  “Mine? What are you talking ’bout?”

  Clasping both hands to her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief, she could not speak, just stared at him.

  Taking her hands away from her mouth, he pressed the keys into her palm.

  “I told you I would buy you your own car, and I always keep my word.”

  “Drew, you’re so wonderful to me! I’ve never dreamed of such a gift. Thank you, thank you.”

  “It’s my great pleasure. I want you to be happy. That’s my goal in life, believe me. Tomorrow, after breakfast, we’ll go out so you can drive it. How’s that?”

  “Perfect! What a homecoming gift!”

  She leaned toward him to kiss him.

  “Shall we go home now?” he asked, smiling at her. “You must be tired.”

  “I am. Tired and happy. Can’t wait to sleep in our own bed.”

  “Well, my dear, that sounds good to me.”

  * * *

  As soon as they got home, Drew asked Dina if she was hungry.

  “Not too much, but maybe a sandwich, a glass of milk. I’m too excited to eat more.”

  “Okay, a sandwich. Chicken all right?”

  “Great!”

  In their room, she retrieved a clean nightgown from her chest of drawers and went to shower.

  After she finished, she toweled her body, applied lotion, and dried and brushed her hair. She decided it was time to share her news with her husband.

  A few minutes later he came in with the food tray. He placed it on the bedside stand, stared at his lovely wife waiting for him in their bed.

  Suddenly it was as if she could wait no longer. She opened her arms to him.

  Food was not what they wanted. Never taking his eyes from her face, he stripped his clothing off and quickly joined her.