The Unimaginable

by Dina Silver

  “Thank you for your e-mail,” he said.

  I glanced down for a second and couldn’t help the corners of my mouth from turning upward. “Maybe it was a little harsh.”

  “It wasn’t, and you were right. I was being a coward, and I have been for a long time. I think it took me spending time with Imagine to come to the realization that like her I was damaged. But where she was beyond repair, I’m not.” His eyes narrowed. “I saw myself in her, beaten and broken, and although she couldn’t be fixed, I can be. I’m convinced of it now.” He sat forward and rested his elbows on his knees but kept his eyes on mine. “I love you.”

  My heart leapt.

  “And I don’t want to waste any more time,” he said. “I’m pushing forty, and we love each other, so why wait to be together? I knew what I had with Jane was something special, and it was gone too soon.” He paused and shook his head. “And to think you almost were too. I’m smart enough to know that what we have is also extraordinary. The fact that you’ve fallen for me despite everything we’ve been through and everything I’ve put you through . . . the fact that you still want me is a gift. You are a gift, and I don’t want to be scared anymore. I have no intention of losing you again. Certainly not on my account.” He came closer to me. “It doesn’t have to be today or even tomorrow, but I’m determined to spend a lifetime with you if you’ll let me.”

  I looked away from him for a moment, out a window that overlooked the water. He’d chosen the right path. I turned my attention back to him. He wasn’t anxious or eager or overzealous. He was calm and strong and confident. As always.

  “I think you know how much I’d love to spend my life with you,” I said, and he leaned in and kissed me. “I hoped you’d come around, of course, but more importantly I wanted you to realize that you deserve good things and good people in your life.”

  He nodded and sat back. “Thank you. I know, and guess what?”

  “What?” I asked.

  “My parents and my sister are coming to Phuket. My nephews too.”

  “They are?”

  “Yes. I called them a week ago and invited them out here. So you should know you’ve made many people very happy, not just me.”

  I smiled. “That’s wonderful news.”

  “It is, and I can’t wait to see them. It’s been way too long.” He reached for my hand. “And they can’t wait to meet you.”

  “You told them about me?”

  “Of course I did. What kind of a creep do you think I am? If I’m going to introduce my family to the woman I’m going to marry, I’m certainly not going to treat it like a dirty little secret.”

  My eyes went wide. “What if I’d rejected you?”

  “You wouldn’t.”

  I tilted my head and raised a brow.

  “So, Jessica, will you marry me one day?” He knelt before me. “Soon?”

  “I will.”

  Chapter 36

  Four months later

  August 6, 2011, a federal jury in Florida convicted three Somalis on murder, piracy, and other charges stemming from our attack. All three faced potential death sentences. Bridget’s and Quinn’s families were on hand for the trial. The other ten pirates who surrendered pleaded guilty to piracy and were each given mandatory life sentences.

  Soon after he returned to Phuket, Grant rented a home on the beach, and I moved in with him, but not before Mr. Knight drilled him with questions regarding his intentions. So I left my coral walls and limited pantry space and unpacked my things into a house with a walk-in closet, king-sized bed, and built-in washer and dryer. Alak would be coming to my place to do his laundry from then on, and for his first visit I had a surprise for him.

  I met him out front as he laid his bike on the ground.

  “I want to show you something. Come with me,” I said, taking his hand.

  We walked around to the back patio, where there was a large cardboard box, open on top. “Take a look inside.”

  He knelt beside it. “Kittens!”

  “Grant and I found them the other day down by the beach. We think they’re a few months old, because they’re not super tiny, so we’re going to keep them. Would you like to help me name them?”

  He nodded.

  “Any thoughts?” I asked. “They’re both boys like you.”

  He thought for a moment. “Maybe I should get to know them first.”

  I placed my hands on my hips. “I think that’s a great idea. See what their personalities are like before making such a big decision.”

  He sat down as the cats hopped out and climbed all over him, all three of them huggers. I watched as he held them close in his lap, and then I ran inside when I heard the phone ring. “Hello?”

  “Where you?” Niran said. “You suppose to be here now. Decoration is waiting on you. Lots of work to be done.”

  I glanced at the clock on the microwave. “I’m so sorry, I’m on my way!”

  That summer, Sophie had met a man. He was from Australia and had come to the bar one night looking for her. His name was Jack Taylor, and he was a friend of a friend, who, when he found out Jack was traveling to Phuket, gave him Sophie’s name and told him to look her up. And look her up he did. Jack was a former rugby player. He was six foot five, two hundred pounds of solid muscle, and when he walked into The Islander looking for Sophie, it was like Russell Crowe walking into the Coliseum in Gladiator. He conquered her heart and convinced her to move back to Australia with him.

  Needless to say, as sad as Niran was to lose her, he was always eager for a reason to throw a party. That evening he’d planned an elaborate going-away bash for Sophie and invited everyone we knew on the island, even a handful of our students and their parents. Grant went to the flower market for us and purchased handmade bouquets for each of the tables, and then helped me and the rest of the staff hang hundreds of additional strands of lights on the trees and the bar. Once the restaurant was decorated, Alak and some of his friends came by to assemble paper lanterns just like we had on New Year’s Eve in Patong. Sophie had loved them so much, and I couldn’t wait to surprise her with them.

  As it turned out, I was the one who was most surprised when a half hour before the party was to begin, there was a tap on my shoulder. When I turned around, my sister Caroline was standing before me. She and I screamed so loudly that we frightened everyone nearby and ourselves. I could hardly breathe.

  “What are you doing here? I must be hallucinating!”

  She cried tears of joy and hugged me tight. “I can hardly believe it myself!”

  I just kept shaking my head back and forth and finally looked over her shoulder at Grant. “How on earth did you keep this from me?”

  He shrugged. “I have my ways.”

  I looked at my sister and put my arms on her shoulders. “Oh. My. God. You’re here! You’re in Thailand. I’m . . . I’m . . . I don’t know what to say. Was your flight okay? When did you get here? Do you need anything?”

  “Allen and I arrived a day ago. We’ve been at the hotel adjusting to the time difference and eager to see you.”

  “I can’t believe he kept this from me. I can’t believe you’re here!”

  “Well, I certainly wasn’t going to miss your wedding.”

  I lifted my head and locked eyes with Grant. “My wedding?” I laughed out loud and then ran to him. “Are you telling me I’ve just spent the afternoon decorating this place for my own wedding?”

  He shrugged and pulled me close and kissed me. Grant was all I’d ever dreamed of. From the moment he stole my heart, I knew I would never be the same. I stood and wrapped my arms around him and buried my head in the base of his chest, and he gently caressed my hair.

  “I love you, Jessica.”

  “I love you too.”

  “May I borrow the bride?” Caroline asked, and then led me around back to Niran’s office, where Sophie was waiting for me with three white sundresses.

  “All right, love, what’s it going to be? Sexy, sassy, or sweet?�
�� She held them up one at a time.

  But before I could respond, Niran—who’d changed into a gold lamé robe and rhinestone crown—walked in and lifted me off my feet. “You my bride today!”

  Sophie rolled her eyes.

  “I take good care of my girl,” he said.

  “Thank you, Niran.”

  “I see you down by the water when you’re ready.” He patted my head and left.

  I chose the sweet dress, which had a halter-style neckline and came just above the knees. Caroline pulled my hair into a low bun and pinned white orchids into it.

  “He’s a wonderful man,” she said to me.

  I nodded. “He really is.”

  “I’m so happy for you, sweetheart. You’ve grown into such an incredible young woman. Mom would be so proud.”

  I smiled and gave her a hug. “I think she would be.”

  Once I was dressed, Sophie and Caroline walked me down to the small pier that belonged to the restaurant, where Grant and Niran and a few other guests were waiting just after sunset. My head was spinning, and Grant was as relaxed and poised as ever. He’d changed into a white linen dress shirt and khaki shorts.

  “Come, come,” Niran said, and Grant took my hands in his as we faced each other. “We gather today for wedding . . . and little bit for going-away party.” He paused. “But mostly for wedding. Be sure to celebrate with many drinks and food,” he told the small crowd that had followed us down there.

  Then he instructed us to kneel before him, and he placed a garland of flowers around both our necks. I’d seen him officiate many weddings before, and if it were an American couple like us, he’d read standard American vows but incorporate a few Thai traditions. He reached inside his robe and pulled out a small laminated card.

  “Do you, Mr. Grant Flynn, take Miss Jessica Gregory to be you wife? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death?”

  I raised my brows and smirked.

  “I do,” he said.

  “And little Miss Jessica, do you take Mr. Grant to be you husband? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer . . .” He leaned toward me and whispered, “I leave out the poorer.” He winked. “In sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death.”

  “I do.”

  “Okay, very nice,” he said, and then waved to Alak, who brought forth a large conch shell filled with holy water for one of Thailand’s most renowned wedding blessings, the water pouring. Niran asked us to place our hands in front of us, palms together, and each one of our friends and family took turns pouring a trickle of water over our hands from the base of the thumb to the tips of our fingers.

  “By the power of Niran, I now pronounce you husband and the wife.” He lifted his arms. “You kiss bride now!”

  We stood and locked lips, and everyone cheered. Tears were spilling out of my eyes as Grant embraced me. Maybe he would keep my heart safe after all.

  He released his grip and gestured with his head toward the sky, where dozens of glowing lanterns slowly rose from the water’s edge.

  “Next to you, it’s the second most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he whispered in my ear.

  It was close to midnight when the majority of the crowd had filtered out. Sophie and Jack went home early to spend some time alone because Jack had to head back to Australia two weeks early without her.

  Caroline and Allen were wide awake and both a little tipsy, something I’d never seen before but quite enjoyed.

  “This was just the loveliest thing in the whole world, Jess. I can’t believe my baby sister is married.”

  “I can’t believe you’re standing here saying those words to me.”

  Grant squeezed my hand.

  “So,” she said, “where would you like to have your honeymoon?”

  Grant turned to me. “We obviously hadn’t discussed that. What do you think, Jess? Fiji? Maldives? Maybe New Zealand?”

  Caroline was ripe with excitement and awaiting my answer.

  I looked up into Grant’s eyes and shook my head. “How about New York?”

  Chapter 37

  Grant and I stole a moment alone and walked up the lit path to a terrace that overlooked the water.

  “I have a gift for you,” he said.

  “You do?”

  “Yes. It’s back at the marina.” He lowered his chin. “Can you meet me there in fifteen minutes?”

  I crossed my arms. “What have you done?”

  “You’ll have to come see for yourself.”

  “Where should I meet you?”

  “On G Dock.”

  I brought my hand to my heart.

  He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around my waist. “I told you I traded Imagine in for someone else. You didn’t think I meant you, did you?” He smirked.

  I smiled and slowly shook my head. “I can’t wait to meet her.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.” He dropped his arms, kissed me, and started to walk away.

  “Wait! How will I know which boat it is?” I shouted after him.

  “You’ll know,” he said without breaking his stride.

  I quickly changed back into shorts and a tank top, hopped on my bike, and rode the ten-minute ride to the marina. I walked around the side of the main building to the back, where the docks were lined up alphabetically, and located G Dock. My heart was beating out of my chest. I pressed open the gate and made my way down the brightly lit dock past the first few boats—all were cabin cruisers, no sailboats—and read the names as I moved forward.

  Ragtime.

  Miss Kim.

  Bad Latitude.

  Lyndi R.

  Second Wind.

  Deck the Hulls.

  And then I saw it. My chest tightened, and my eyes filled with tears, but I was grinning from ear to ear.

  The Mighty Quinn.

  Grant appeared from below and stood facing me on the stern. “What do you think?”

  I took a deep breath before answering. “He’s magnificent.”

  Grant stepped forward and extended his hand.

  Epilogue

  GRANT

  One year later

  Jessica had asked me to grab a few things from the boat, so I hopped in our rental car and drove back to the marina on the Fiumicino River. No matter how many times I’d been there, I would never get accustomed to driving through the streets of Rome.

  Once aboard, I grabbed a small duffel bag and filled it with pajamas, T-shirts, underwear, and a few toiletries. The past two days had been harrowing. I tossed the duffel on deck and sat down with a beer and a pad of paper. We’d been told we’d have to stay in Italy for at least eight weeks, we just didn’t think Jessica would go into labor so soon.

  She and I had been sharing a triple fudge gelato at the base of the Spanish Steps when it happened. She dropped the ice cream and clutched her stomach. “I think my water just broke.” Our eyes locked.

  “Well, our spoon certainly did,” I noted.

  I ushered her into a cab with an Italian driver, who couldn’t have been happier to deliver us to the nearest hospital. He clapped and waved his arms around, recounting the births of his twelve grandchildren for us. Jessica silently begged me to ask him for silence, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I held her in my arms and comforted my wife until we arrived.

  Forty-eight hours later, Sophia Caroline Flynn was born.

  I took a sip of my beer and began to write. The words I was putting down on paper came to me the moment I saw my daughter’s face, and they needed to be told. I’d never been presented with such beauty before. She and Jessica would forever have my heart.

  Once I was through with the letter, I folded it into an envelope, placed it in the duffel, and said a prayer for my life before getting back into Roman traffic.

  My girls were awake when I returned.

  “Hey,” Jessica said, “we misse
d you.”

  I placed the bag on the end table and took the letter out.

  “Is that your note?” she asked me.

  I nodded.

  “Can I read it?”

  “Of course you can.”

  Jessica handed me our child, and I handed her the letter.

  Dear Sophia,

  Welcome to this crazy world of ours. I sure hope you like to travel, because your mom and I haven’t planted roots anywhere in almost two years. Scratch that . . . I just hope you like boats.

  Thankfully, it’s been a long time since I’ve been to a hospital, and this time I couldn’t be happier for the reason that brought me back to one. In fact, sitting next to a hospital bed for two days awaiting your arrival made me think of someone else. Someone I loved once, and someone who led me to your mom.

  Jessica paused to look up at me, and I leaned in and gave her a kiss.

  I want you to know how much your mom and I love each other, and how much we love you. How much we’ve talked about your arrival, and how eager we are to get to know you better. We can’t wait to hear the sound of your voice. We can’t wait to see if you’ll like dresses or jeans, or prefer blue to pink. We can’t wait to show you the water and our world, and we can’t wait to see what an amazing woman you’ll become. We’ve imagined all of it.

  Mom and I want you to know that you can do anything with your life. That we will take care of you and teach you everything we know and give you every opportunity to follow your dreams. Imagine us smiling and cheering you on every step of the way.

  As for what you do afterward . . . we can only imagine.

  A Note from the Author

  This book was inspired by two truly unimaginable stories. The first one begins with following your dreams—and we can all take a lesson from Jane and Marc Adams, friends of mine from college who purchased a sailboat, took their three young kids (Caroline, Grant, and Noah) out of school, and sailed around the world on a boat named Imagine. They set sail from Monroe Harbor in Chicago, Illinois, in August of 2008 on course for an adventure of a lifetime.

  Jane, a nuclear pharmacist, and Marc, who works in consulting sales, both put their careers on hold and chose to educate their children through homeschooling and firsthand experiences. Nearly four years, forty thousand miles, and forty-two countries later, they returned to their Chicago home, their schools, and their careers with a new perspective on life. They lived their dream.