He stood and lent her his hand to pull her up. “I understand. Can we meet again tomorrow? I’ll wait here at the diner for you.”
“Yes.” She gave him a hug goodbye, although what she really wanted to do was kiss him. She also didn’t want to give him false hope in case she had to say no when tomorrow came.
Oh, how she hoped this path was the right one for her, because she desperately wanted to run forward with James and to never look back.
* * *
James drove back to the Morrison’s home after his whirlwind evening with Gloria. He hoped Tommy would understand, and he hoped he wouldn’t wake the baby with his late arrival. But when he got there, Diana was up anyway feeding Little James his midnight meal.
“Jim,” she said as he walked through the doorway and into their living room. “We’d wondered what happened to you.” And then she saw the giant smile that hadn’t left his face all evening.
“You found her, didn’t you?”
He sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “I did. Oh, Diana, I did.”
“Tell me everything. I have all the time in the world. But first, there’s someone who would like to say hello.” She placed the baby in his arms, and his heart swelled even more than it already had.
This could be his future, too. Gloria only needed to say yes to unlock all the wonderful possibilities.
* * *
He returned to the diner at opening, having only secured an hour or two of sleep, if that. He’d taken care of his godson and sent Diana to get some sleep. The baby provided great company as he paced through the house and thought about his beautiful evening with the woman he loved, the woman he hoped would soon be his wife.
He started just with coffee. An hour later, he ordered a plate of eggs sunny side up. Two hours after, he added a glass of water, then a hamburger and fries. Around three o’clock, he began to worry, so he had a strawberry milkshake to calm his nerves. When evening rolled around and Gloria still hadn’t shown up, he was absolutely beside himself.
“What’s wrong, honey?” a young and vibrant waitress brought him a fresh glass of water. “I just started my shift, but the other girls tell me you’ve been sitting here all day with that forlorn look on your face.”
“I’m just waiting for someone, but I’m not sure if I missed her.”
She nodded. “You wouldn’t be waiting for that woman you sat here with all last night, would you? For Gloria?”
James’s ears perked up at the mention of Gloria’s name, a new spring of hope welling inside him. “Do you know her?”
“Sure do. We went to school together. She was on the quiet side, but nice.”
This gave James an idea. “You wouldn’t happen to know where she lives, would you?”
“Actually, I do.” She wrote down an address on her order pad and tore it off for him.
James made sure to leave a very big tip before he darted out of the restaurant.
* * *
He found her home easily enough, but when he arrived, he was shocked to find that it was empty. All traces of furniture and personal belongings were absent. He saw only an endless stretch of freshly groomed carpet when he peered inside the large porch window.
But she’d said she was leaving in a few days, hadn’t she? Had his proposal scared her away, made her decide to leave earlier than originally planned?
Of course it had. How stupid he had been to come on so strong. He’d had years to fall in love with her, to learn every contour of her face, but she’d known him for hardly twenty-four hours now, and for only six when he made his proposal.
He should have been more considerate, less forward. How could he have made such a colossal mistake?
But then he realized it wasn’t himself he was angry with, but rather God. Why would he send so many signs leading James straight to Gloria only to offer him heartbreak in the end? Hadn’t he suffered enough at the hands of the commies as they kept him confined to their dank prison for so many months on end?
He was a good person, damn it. He didn’t deserve this, and Gloria didn’t either. Even though she had decided to run away from the possibility of their life together, he knew the decision couldn’t have come easily. He knew she cared for him, too. He could see it in her eyes, in every single gesture she made when they’d been together.
He sank down to the porch stoop, unable to leave. Leaving felt too final. Leaving meant he’d have to move on, find something new to do with his life, now that its sole purpose had been taken clean away from him.
He ran over all his options in his head, but his thoughts kept returning to Gloria. He took out the picture from his breast pocket and ran his thumb over her faded cheek. He sat there for a long time. The lack of sleep from the night before caught up with him, and he drifted off there on that unfamiliar stoop with his knees tucked into his chest and his head resting on his arms.
He awoke to a gentle nudge on his arms. When he looked up, she was there. He closed his eyes again, certain it was a dream.
But then she spoke. “James? James, are you all right?”
He darted to his feet, wiped the sleep from his eyes. “Gloria,” was all he could manage to say.
She sat down beside him. The heat from her body warmed him up. “I came looking for you at the diner, but they told me you were here.”
He still couldn’t be sure this wasn’t a dream. “But I thought…”
“That I was gone?” She laughed softly. “No, I came as soon as I could. We had to be out of the house for the new tenants today, which meant moving our things out and staying with family close by. And, well, because of all that, I had so much work to do before I could come to see you. But it did give me a lot of time to think about…about your offer.”
“And?” James stood. Somehow he knew he couldn’t take the news—whatever it may be—sitting down. He felt he needed to be standing the moment his life changed forever, standing and ready to move forward. Or to move on.
She reached for his hands and pulled herself up, clutching his hands in hers as if letting go wasn’t an option. Her eyes searched his, and he knew. Before the words even escaped her mouth, he knew.
“And I’d like to accept. James, I’d like to be your wife, if you’ll still have me.”
Epilogue
Gloria powdered her nose and stared at herself in the vanity’s mirror. She marveled at how flawless her skin looked, how perfect the ringlets in her hair hung beneath her veil. Yes, everything about this day was perfect—as was quickly becoming the story of her life.
It had all happened so quickly, really. First James’s impassioned proposal, then telling her parents, buying a new home together in the suburbs. She’d insisted upon a small civil service, feeling no need to throw money away in exchange for a party that only lasted a single day. But the upcoming nuptials had given Mama a purpose despite her illness. Gloria marveled at all she had accomplished while sitting on the sofa and dialing various florists, cooks, and wedding guests on the phone.
And now the day had come. Mama proudly helped Gloria into the same vintage dress she had worn when she married Papa more than twenty years ago in Mexico. It had been the one thing she insisted upon bringing to America, should she ever have a daughter and the ability to pass it down. Less than a year later, Gloria had been born, but Mama never mentioned the dress until recently.
“Do you know why we named you Gloria?” she asked now as she applied rouge to her daughter’s cheeks.
“For Abuela?” Gloria puckered her lips, so her mother could apply a berry-colored stain to her lips.
“It’s more than that. Here, press.” She extended a tissue toward Gloria, so she could set her lipstick into place. “I always knew you were a strong one like your abuela. I always knew you would bring greatness to our family. I just never knew how exactly until now. Gloria, you have changed everything for us. Do you know that?”
She hugged her mother tight. “Don’t be silly.”
“I’m very seri
ous, Mija. Because of you we still have a home, and now Papa and I are even becoming citizens. After so many years of calling this country home, we finally can say we are Americans. That’s all I wanted before I died, that I see my daughter happy, my sons taken care of, and that I become an American.”
“I wish Rico were here.” Gloria did her best not to cry and ruin her mascara.
“He is here, Gloria. Can’t you feel him close by?”
Gloria smiled.
“Come now, your groom, he is waiting. Are you ready?”
Her father was waiting near the back door, and as Gloria and Mama arrived, he took her by the arm and walked her through the backyard toward the place where James stood waiting. He looked so handsome in his dress uniform.
Festive decorations lined their white picket fence. Friends and relatives sat huddled around the altar in folding chairs adored with ribbon. It was quite the scene, but Gloria couldn’t appreciate it because she couldn’t take her eyes off her groom as she walked toward him. Toward their beautiful future together.
Life was meant to be lived, not simply survived. She understood that now, and—oh—how she looked forward to every wonderful day that was yet to come.
All I Have to Do is Dream
James loved the way Gloria looked when full with child—the sway of her hips as she scuttled around carrying the extra burden, the way her face and breasts filled out just a little extra, and her hair became thick and wavy. He never grew tired of it, just as he never grew tired of spoiling her and their four precious little girls. She had wanted to stop at Constance, but he had convinced her to try one final time for a son. He knew she craved a little boy every bit as much as he did, and besides, pregnancy suited her well.
When he returned home from work that evening and wrapped her in his arms, she saddled him with a kiss so ferocious, so needy, that he doubted they’d even stop at five. One day they’d have a whole brood of children running circles around the both of them—too in love with each other and with their family to have the heart to stop.
“Daddy! Daddy!” Beverly cried, racing into his arms and peppering his cheeks with kisses.
“Daddy!” Victoria said, tugging at the hem of his coat. “Look what I made in school.” She held up a colorful finger painting for his appraisal.
“Da-da!” Even Constance, who was just learning to speak, seemed pleased by his arrival.
“There’s mi hijo,” his mother-in-law called from the couch where she sat with her swollen ankles propped up. “Abuelo and I have a special surprise for you after supper.”
“What is it? What is it?” His little girls chanted, jumping up and down with excitement.
“Let’s have supper first. Your mama has worked so hard to prepare it, after all. Then.” Her eyes twinkled with mischief. “Then we will have your surprise.”
The girls raced through dinner. Even James found himself shoveling in each spoonful much faster than usual.
“Can we have our surprise now please, Abuelita?” his eldest, Victoria, asked.
“Yes, come outside and see!”
James helped his ailing mother-in-law to her feet and held onto her arm as they followed the girls into the front yard. Even before he saw it, he heard the girls’ exclamations of joy rise up into the air like bright bunches of balloons.
“Wow!”
“Is that for us?”
“It’s the biggest bus I’ve seen in my whole life!”
Sure enough, a giant gleaming camper stood proudly by the curb. His father-in-law stood before it jangling the keys in his direction. “Your last chance to make a special memory before the new baby comes,” he explained. “Go, make it a good one.”
He winked and tossed the keys toward James, who caught them with ease.
“It’s too much, Mama!” Gloria argued, but James could tell from the look on her face that she was quite pleased by the gesture.
“Hush now,” her mother chided. “Go, enjoy yourselves. Just the six of you. Soon you will be seven, and the girls need this time besides. Your papa and brothers will take care of everything while you’re away. When you come home, the nursery will have a fresh coat of paint and the house too.”
Her father nodded. “Go. Take the weekend. We will be all right on our own for a few days.”
* * *
Gloria cuddled with her daughters on the blanket they’d spread out in the grass, while James worked on getting a fire started.
“I’m hungry, Mama,” Jacqueline said.
The baby kicked at the sound of its sister’s voice, and Gloria smiled to herself. Even though this was supposed to be their last big hurrah before the baby joined them, she was still very much a part of this time as well. Gloria thought of the baby as a she, because, well, she and James had a track record and all.
“We’ll eat soon. First Daddy has to get the fire going, then we’ll roast hotdogs and marshmallows and corn. Doesn’t that sound yummy?”
The baby kicked again, harder than before. “Hush, little one. You’ll get some too.” She giggled and tried to relax, despite the growing pain in her abdomen. Her daughters ran through the campgrounds and in and out of the RV, playing tag and getting out their pent up energy from the long drive.
The girls screeched with delight. Normally, the sound of their fun would bring a smile to her face, but this time it shot straight through her brain causing a wicked headache. Then came a hard bump, knocking the wind right out of her. She looked to reprimand the daughter who had obviously run straight into her during play, but the three bigger girls were tearing through the camper, and Constance sat nearby playing with her favorite stuffed bear.
Kick.
The baby. Oh no, she…
Twist.
But Gloria wasn’t due for another three weeks, and she always carried to term—a few days past it actually.
Sploosh.
Her water broke, leaving her with no other possibility. But they were at least an hour and a half from the nearest hospital, from Mama and home. And James…
A searing pain ripped through Gloria, and she cried out from both the pain and shock of it all.
Her daughters came bounding out of the trailer.
“Mama…?” She could hear tears in Jacqueline’s voice as the little girl—the one who had always been the most nurturing of the bunch—pressed the back of her hand to her mother’s forehead to check for fever.
“Mama, what’s wrong?”
“The… baby…” Gloria huffed, having a hard time getting the words out.
That was when her hero arrived.
The moment James saw her, he dropped the bundle of sticks he’d been carrying to feed the fire and ran to her side.
“Girls,” he said calmly. “Go inside. Victoria, get some water. Jacqueline, bring out the sleeping bags and towels. Beverly, mind Constance. The new baby has decided we shouldn’t have all this fun without including him.”
Gloria stopped worrying then and put all her trust in James and in God. Neither would let her or this baby down. She was sure of it.
* * *
“Victoria, can I trust you with a very big favor?” James asked when the girls returned with the supplies as requested. “I need you to help your sisters have their dinner and then put them to bed. Can you do that for me, sweetie?”
“Yes, Daddy.” Her eyes darted toward her mother and a frown crept across her small face. “Is—is Mama going to be okay?”
He laughed to help put her and the others at ease. “Of course, of course. The baby is on the way. I’ll come in and wake you up once he’s here, okay?”
“Okay.” Her mind seemingly put at ease, Victoria skipped away, ushering each of her younger sisters into the van.
He poured some water into a cup for Gloria, then, when he was sure his daughters were out of earshot, asked, “Is everything okay, mi corazon? Should we move inside?”
She squeezed his hand and attempted to smile. “No, no, I want to be here under the stars. It’s a nice change from a
ll those times at home staring up at the ceiling.”
“Should we drive back to town? I can—?”
She placed a hand on his arm as if to stop him from fussing. “I don’t think we’ll have enough time. This baby is not quite as patient as the rest.”
“Patience is overrated.” He settled down with her and began to massage her calves between the contractions. If he kept talking, perhaps she’d be distracted from the pain. He had nothing else to give her as an analgesic, so his words would have to be enough.
“I had to wait years—years—to meet you. The hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. Maybe this baby feels the same. Nine months is too long to wait when it comes to meeting the most wonderful woman in the whole entire world.”
He hadn’t meant to get so sentimental on her, but as he watched her push through the pain of labor to bring them this beautiful gift of another perfect child, he just couldn’t help it. As much as he was continually overwhelmed by his love for her, James felt his affection surge to even higher levels.
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he said with tears in his eyes as he held tightly to his wife’s hand. “Everything they put me through in that camp, all of it, was worth it, because it led me to you.”
“James, stop.” She attempted to let go of his hand.
He’d gotten too corny for her, but he wanted to make sure she knew. “I mean it, I love you so—”
“No, James. Stop. I love you too, but I need you to get ready. The baby’s coming right now,” she huffed. “We need to… focus… on… Aaaah!”
And their fifth child came screaming into the world, bright red, full of spirit, and…
“It’s a boy,” he whispered. Then louder, “Gloria, it’s a boy! Meet our son!” James cut the cord, then placed the baby on his mother’s chest and covered them both with a blanket to protect them from the chilly night air.
“I’ll be right back. I have to go tell the girls! Oh, they’ll be so happy, Gloria. I’m so happy!” He kissed her forehead, then the baby’s, leaving mother and son alone briefly so he could go get the rest of the family to share in this moment.
Cupid's Bow: The First Generation Boxed Set Page 13
