by Joachim Jean
Danny got so choked up, he couldn’t speak. This poor boy, raised by his brother, a full scholarship student, who lived in a trailer, never had people applauding for him before. The audience rose up from their seats in a standing ovation for Danny, he was overwhelmed. Eliza and Callie were crying. A few tears escaped from his eyes, making invisible trails down his cheeks.
He glanced up briefly at the ceiling, sure his brother, Kyle, looked down on him and smiled. What do I do now, Kyle? They’ll all catch me crying and you’ll have to beat my butt.
“Dan…do you want to say a few words?” Mac urged from the podium, motioning Danny to join him.
Danny shook his head, but the clapping became a chant and didn’t stop until he raised his hand to speak. Danny stood up again, taking a drink of water and struggling to control his emotions, he cleared his throat.
“I want to thank the University and the committee members for this honor. I’ll try to justify your faith in me. I am hoping this book will generate more understanding for the men and women in the military who come home from Iraq and Afghanistan irreparably changed and for those who do not come home at all. Thank you so much,” he said and sat down.
Thunderous applause rocked the room.
Mac came over and congratulated Danny. “Well done on all fronts, Danny. You sure proved out my decision to hire you. I’m proud of you. Congratulations.”
Danny got up and gave Mac a hug.
When Mac gave the signal, the band started to play. The first number was always Unchained Melody Mac and Callie’s song. Danny got up and offered his hand to Eliza. She smiled up at him as she stood up. Danny put his hand on her waist and pulled her in close to him.
“I guess this means we can get married,” he whispered.
“You did it. I’m proud of you, Danny.”
He leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her lips.
* * * *
Mac took Callie’s hand and they stepped out on the dance floor. He pulled her close, this being his only opportunity all evening for a few private moments with her. Callie still cried, using Mac’s handkerchief. Callie put down the handkerchief long enough to see Danny and Eliza come up next to her.
“This is so wonderful Danny. I’m proud of you and I know Kyle would be too.”
“You have to read his memoir, Eliza it’s amazing, riveting. What an experience. And the literary magazine… pure genius using love as the topic,” Mac said.
Callie smiled up at Mac, touching his cheek. He bent down and kissed her soft lips.
“You look beautiful,” he said, his eyes glittering with desire.
“Later, Dean.” Her lashes fluttered slightly as she blushed.
“It’s a date,” Mac replied.
“Hey, you, two, get a room,” Danny teased before moving Eliza toward the bar.
After the first dance, Eliza danced with University supporters and Danny danced with wives. He reserved a tango to dance with Callie. They cleared the floor and received a round of applause. Regular dancing resumed and by ten the magical evening came to a close.
Dr. Weiss approached Danny.
“Congratulations, Danny. I’m proud of you. Look what you achieved. You worked hard. I’m happy to see your love life smoothed out, no?” she asked, glancing at Eliza.
“I couldn’t have done this without you, Dr. Weiss,” he said, giving her a hug and kiss on the cheek. “Eliza and I are getting married.”
“I wish you happiness.” She hugged Eliza and Danny.
When the ballroom cleared out, Callie, Mac, John Lawrence, Annika, Eliza and Danny had a final drink together and talked about the evening.
“Our supporters love the new initiatives you two cooked up. It didn’t hurt the literary magazine won third place, too. I had no trouble getting funds for the magazine for the next three years.”
“Danny, how are you going to beat your topic next year?” the president asked.
“I might have to change the topic to sex,” he joked.
Chapter Twenty-Five
When they returned to Eliza’s place, Danny remarked how the house was different.
“I forgot to ask you why you painted the house?”
“Remember you said you wanted to start our life together in a new place? Instead of buying a new house, I changed this one. The new paint job is only the first step. Here, this is yours,” she said, handing him a shiny new key with his initials on the key ring.
Danny opened the door and was surprised to see all the walls previously painted white were alive with color. The living room was now beige with a brand new sectional sofa in dark brown. The refinished floor proudly wore a large, handsome oriental area rug. He walked into the kitchen which had a warm burnt orange on the walls and the dining room was taupe. Even the hall color changed.
“Let me take you on a tour.”
She led him into the bedroom, which had been painted a light, warm gray. The black bedspread contrasted with accessories in white, bright reds and oranges. On the floor were two dog beds, one with “Blue” embroidered on the front and one with “Rocky”. On the long wall opposite the windows there were new his-and-hers modern dressers in black lacquer.
“Beds for the dogs? Outstanding.”
“A brand new bed for us, too,” she said, pushing her hand down on the mattress.
Danny stood unable to speak.
“I’ve never known you to be speechless when faced with a bed, Danny Maine,” Eliza teased.
“You did this all for me?”
“There is more,” she said, producing a brand new dark blue man’s robe from the back of the bathroom door.
“Stop right here,” he said, looking at the bed.
“Soon enough. Soon enough. Come.” She took his hand and led him to a totally empty room with white walls.
“What’s this?”
“The nursery, for our baby, decoration to come.”
“You want to have a baby?”
“I want to have a baby…with you.”
Danny took her in his arms and kissed her. “That’s all I need.”
“There is more.” They went downstairs to the basement. “Indoor/outdoor carpet down here,” she said, pointing to the floor. “So when your Kiwanis friends come over and spill beer, I won’t care.”
The finished basement room had soft green walls. A brand new pool table took up space in the middle of the room and a card table nested in the corner, next to a small wet bar.
“Your man cave, sweetheart.”
Upstairs Eliza opened a door resembling a closet door. She turned on a light and led him up the twisted stairs. The attic at the top of the stairs had been newly renovated. The small room had two skylights plus a window at one end, to brighten the space during the day. A brown leather loveseat, a good sized desk and a two-drawer file cabinet accompanied a desk. On the desk a name plate read, Professor Daniel Maine.
“This is your study, where you can write your book, work on the magazine, prepare lessons….do whatever you want,” she said, beaming.
Danny burst into tears. Eliza hugged him and waited for him to calm down.
“Does this qualify as a new place for us? Do I have your approval?” she asked.
He nodded.
“Okay, so will you marry me, Danny Maine?”
“Oh yes. Yes, I will,” he said, wiping his eyes.
“Okay then. Now we are officially engaged!”
Danny pulled a velvet box out of his pocket and placed the emerald and diamond ring in the box on her finger. He took her in his arms and pressed his lips against hers. His tongue took possession of her mouth and his arms drew her closer to him as her body molded to his.
“You had the ring with you?” she asked when they broke.
“Just in case.”
“It’s beautiful,” she said, watching the ring catch the light.
“So are you, Sweetpea. Inside and out.”
The grandfather clock in the hall chimed midnight. Eliza turned the adjustable lights
down low. Danny took off his uniform and hung it up with care, and then he unzipped Eliza’s dress. When she stepped out of the gown, he moved closer and caressed her bare shoulders with his strong hands. Eliza gazed at her emerald engagement ring while he nuzzled her neck.
She turned around to see Danny stripped down to his boxers, his eyes glittering in the lights. He reached around behind her to unfasten and remove her bra. Then he slid her panties off and picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bed. He laid her down gently, dropped his boxers and got in beside her.
“I’ve been waiting a long time for tonight,” he said, feasting his eyes on her.
Eliza put her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear.
“Me, too, sweetheart.”
He took his time rediscovering her body in the soft glow of the warm light. As their desire threatened to spiral out of control, he took her expertly, lovingly and with passion. Afterward Eliza rested her head on Danny’s shoulder while her hand stroked his chest as they lay together.
“I thought…” Eliza began.
“What?”
“Maybe…I’d change my last name…to yours.”
“You want to be Eliza Maine?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.
“I think having the same name would be easier for me…for us.”
“Great! Mrs. Danny Maine.” He smiled broadly.
“Mrs. Eliza Maine,” she corrected, cocking one eyebrow at him.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Danny gave his landlord notice and moved into “the new house”. Rocky and Blue came, too. They went from room to room sniffing, nervously, getting to know the place. Rocky found his way onto their big bed and Blue took up her spot on the floor next to Danny’s side.
Plans for their wedding got underway. At first, Eliza wanted to run down to City Hall, but Callie objected. She pointed out Danny never had a real wedding and while it didn’t have to be elaborate, he deserved to dress up and be a real bridegroom. Kaitlyn and Sally wanted to walk down the aisle for their mother, too.
They planned a small ceremony at the Kiwanis Hall. Eliza asked Jonesy to help with the invitations. John Lawrence offered to give Eliza away. Eliza tapped Callie to be her matron of honor with Sally and Kaitlyn as bridesmaids. Danny selected Mac to be his best man.
While he prepared for final exams, the courts were slowly moving along. Edna had been scheduled for release on her own recognizance but with no place to go. Her legal aid lawyer tracked Danny down.
“You have no legal obligation to help your mother, but she is going to be released in a few days with no place to go. Can you help?”
“I contacted an old friend of hers who is willing to let her stay with him for a while.”
“How can I get in touch with this guy?”
“I’d better call him and get back to you.”
He planned a trip to Riverton and asked Eliza if she wanted to join him.
“A chance to meet your real father? I wouldn’t miss it.”
Danny told Eliza on their way to Riverton he didn’t called his father to tell him they were coming.
“Why not?”
“I’m not sure I would get the green light. He’ll be there, I doubt he’s going anywhere.”
“It’s a nice day for a drive.” She sat back and closed her eyes.
They arrived at River Hollow at ten o’clock in the morning on a cold but sunny day. Leftover snow from a recent storm still melted off the trees and shrubs. There were a number of residents on benches and walking the grounds. Danny looked around and found his father on the same bench by the same copse of trees where he first saw him. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, then wiped his sweaty palm on his jacket before he closed it around Eliza’s dry one.
“Hi, Dad.”
Jonathan Weeks turned around, confused at first. Then he recognized Danny.
“Danny! Nice to see you, my boy. Who’s this?”
“This is my fiancée, Eliza. Eliza, this is my dad, Jonathan Weeks.”
Weeks got up, bowed and kissed Eliza’s hand.
“I see where you get your charm.”
Weeks laughed.
“What brings you here, Danny? Not only to introduce your lovely future wife?”
“No, Sir. I’ve come to talk to you about my mother.”
“How is Edna?”
“She’s getting out of jail soon and needs a place to stay. You said she could stay with you. Do you still feel that way?”
“The least I can do…”
“Thank you. Thank you so much. I’m going to see her today. We’ll pick her up tomorrow and bring her here.”
“Let’s have some tea. I’d like to get to know this beautiful fiancée of yours. Got to see if she’s good enough for you, son,” Weeks said, his eyes twinkling as he took Eliza’s arm.
They walked and talked for half an hour, then Weeks reluctantly gave Eliza back to Danny and treated them to tea and donuts in the cafeteria, where they chatted for another forty-five minutes. Danny asked lots of questions and Weeks obliged him with detailed answers. They both preferred spinach to peas and hated lima beans. Weeks read adventure stories when as a boy. So did Danny. Neither one cared much for science fiction books.
“You have good taste in women, son.”
“How do you know? I’m the first one you’ve met.”
“I don’t need to meet any others to know that you are the gold standard, my dear.”
“Boy, I could have used a few lines like that when I was in high school, Dad.”
“You’re getting married, Danny. It’s too late now.” Weeks chuckled.
They bid farewell to Weeks and drove to the jail. Danny didn’t want to see his mother again. He wanted Eliza to wait in the car, but she insisted on coming in with him. They brought Edna out to a room without any partitions.
Edna Maine looked smaller than Danny remembered, even at his house. She stood about five feet three inches tall, slim, with salt and pepper hair. Her eyes were hazel, like Danny’s, but they looked tired, her clothes, her skin…everything about her drooped, giving the impression of exhaustion. Danny found her depressing.
“Good news, Ma,” he said, in a hurry to get the meeting over with.
“Yeah? Who’s this?”
“My fiancée, Ma, Eliza.”
“You’re getting married?”
“Your lawyer called me. You’re getting out tomorrow and…I found you a place to stay.”
“Where?”
“Jonathan Weeks said you could stay with him for a few weeks.”
His mother stood there and didn’t say a word. Then she started to cry.
“He wants you to come, Ma.” Danny began to fidget.
“I loved him so much…I haven’t seen him in over twenty years.”
“I’ve seen him and he wants you to come. So we’ll pick you up here tomorrow and bring you to his place.”
“I can’t go like this. I don’t have any clothes, or anything.”
“I’ll take care of that, Mrs. Maine. What size are you?”
“What do you think?” Edna stretched out her arms and turning around.
Eliza looked her over.
“A four or six?”
“Maybe a six,” Edna said as the guard returned to get her.
Eliza stopped at the desk and addressed the female guard sitting there.
“Excuse me, could you give me directions to the nearest shopping mall?”
“Riverton Mall,” the guard said and pulled a pen out of her pocket and wrote down directions.
“Does that mall have a woman’s clothing store and hairdresser?”
“Saracino’s Hair and Milton Misses clothing are there.”
“Great, thank you,” Eliza said, folding the paper and putting it in her purse.
After they got in the car, Eliza turned to Danny. “You can’t take her over to your Dad’s place looking like that.”
“Why not?”
“Your dad is a ladies’ man. He needs someo
ne who looks better than Edna does. We need to get her some clothes, a haircut, manicure and some other stuff.”
“Do we have to spend a fortune?”
“Come on, take a right at the next light, we’re going to the Riverton Mall. Remember she saved your life.”
“You’re right. Let’s go.” He turned the car around reluctantly and headed over to a shopping center.
They bought Edna dresses and pants, jeans and sweaters, underwear and nightgowns and returned to Riverton early the next day. Eliza took her into the ladies room, where Edna put on a pretty dress and scarf. Then they took her to the local hairdresser. Eliza applied a little makeup and she looked like a new woman. Even her tired expression took on some life when she looked in the mirror.
When they got in the car to go to River Hollow, Edna appeared nervous, chewing her lip and playing with the power window button.
“I don’t think this is a good idea. Can’t we go to your house?”
“I don’t have my own house anymore, I’m living with Eliza. You need to get a new life for yourself, like I have. Be nice to Jonathan.”
When they arrived, Jonathan Weeks wore a suit and tie. He looked nervous, his eyes darting around never lighting on anything for long, but when he saw her, his eyes lit up and he smiled at her.
“Edna!”
He took her hands in his. She smiled at him.
They held hands for a minute, then Edna put her arms around him and hugged him. He put his arms around her, holding her close. Edna cried into his shoulder, quiet sobs that shook her small body. Danny didn’t want to watch, but he couldn’t turn away. For a moment, he wondered what his life would have been like if they had gotten together when he was a boy. After he dropped off her suitcase, Edna and Jonathan were ready to be alone.
“Thank you,” his mother said, giving him a hug.
“I’ll be back when you have to appear in court.”
