A Beautiful Fall

by Chris Coppernoll

  Samantha said good-bye, offering her usual help if there was anything he needed. She hung up the phone and listened to the sounds of her house. Jimmy was sleeping—everything seemed as it should.

  Except for one thing. She missed Emma.

  o o o

  Michael finished the last of the work on the Macintosh house while Bo was laid up at Christina’s place. It was his first trip back to the scene where his best friend had almost died.

  There wasn’t much to do. Michael leaned the ladder against the side of the house, scaling to the rooftop again. He collected tools, nail clips, and scraps, tossing them safely to the earth below. In the yard where Bo had fallen, Michael found the nail gun he’d been holding, hidden in the tall grass. He loaded everything into the truck and headed back to town.

  Michael hadn’t planned any visits that morning. He was as surprised as Samantha was when he found himself knocking at the Connors’ door around eleven thirty. Before the door opened, he looked down at his work clothes, checking to see if he was presentable.

  “Michael?” Samantha said, opening the door. Upstairs, Noel moved the shade from his bedroom window and saw Michael’s truck parked out front.

  “Hi, I ran into Jim at the Mobil station and asked if he thought it’d be okay for me to pay you a visit.”

  “Sure, it’s fine, Michael. Come on in.”

  Samantha swung the door open wide and he stepped into the Connors’ house.

  “Thanks,” he said, wiping his boots on the doormat. “I can’t remember the last time you and I got the chance to talk, just the two of us.”

  “I can’t believe I remember this, but I do. It was at the high school football game,” Samantha said. “Probably twelve years ago.”

  “Good memory. That sounds about right.”

  “Well, do you want to come into the kitchen? You probably don’t drink tea, do you?” she asked. “I’ve just baked banana bread, and there’s a fresh loaf cooling on the kitchen counter.”

  “Ah, sure. Tea would be great,” he said, as they walked together through the living room.

  “You know, Michael, I kind of hoped we’d get a chance to talk at some point. Have you spoken to Emma since she’s gone back to Boston?”

  “No.”

  Samantha went about her business of serving tea and bread.

  “Here you go,” Samantha said, handing Michael a cup of tea on a saucer. She set down a plate and napkins on the table between them. “The baby’s just gone down for a nap, so we should have a little time before he needs attention.”

  Michael sipped the hot tea, burning his lip and scalding the roof of his mouth. He set the cup back on the saucer.

  “I just wanted to talk to you about something,” he said. “It’s been on my mind yesterday and today.”

  Samantha gave him her complete attention.

  “Are you still keeping it?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” she said. “How about you?”

  “Yeah, me, too,” he said, suddenly looking disappointed and frustrated. “I really thought something was going to happen this time. It had been so long, I just expected some different outcome.”

  A silent tear fell from Samantha’s eyes. She wiped it away quickly.

  “I just feel like maybe there was more we could have done, I just don’t know what it is,” she said.

  “Does Christina know?”

  “I’ve never told her. What about Bo?” she asked. “Have you ever said anything to him?”

  “No.”

  Samantha shook her head.

  “It’s the only secret I’ve ever kept from Jim in all the years we’ve been married. I guess he probably suspects something, but he’s never asked me.”

  Samantha looked away. “We were so young, but I really feel like it had meaning. Like it was a calling. I just never imagined it would go on for this long.”

  “I think I would like a slice of the bread,” Michael said.

  “Help yourself.”

  Michael carefully unfolded the neatly wrapped foil. The bread was still warm. He took out one slice and laid it on his napkin.

  “The vow,” he said.

  “The vow,” Samantha repeated. Michael noted how silly it sounded coming out of the mouths of adults. “When my mother asked me, ‘Who’s gonna take care of that little girl now?’ I knew the answer. We made a promise that day to watch over Emma, and I know we’ve done our best. I haven’t done it perfectly, but you do what you can.”

  “I can’t believe how young we were when we did that. You were her cousin, so it made sense that you’d want to keep an eye on her, but I was just a guy who felt drawn to her. It was probably just a little grade school crush.”

  “Whatever it was, we kept our eyes on each other, and tried to make sure the people we loved were okay. I think maybe we knew we were supposed to do that. I don’t think my mom would have called what she did a pledge, but she looked after so many people over the years, including Will and Emma. Surely that’s where we got the idea. Or maybe we would have done this anyway. God does work in mysterious ways.”

  “So how do you think we’re doing?” he asked.

  “I don’t know,” Samantha said. “She’s so wonderfully complicated. She’s a mess!”

  They laughed.

  “What do you think drew you to love Emma so much?”

  He tore at the soft bread.

  “You know … I just saw her. From the very beginning I saw something in her that was … for lack of a better word, special. Then, at every turn, what I saw in her grew, changing into something bigger. We played softball when we were kids and I saw it. I noticed her standing at the high school dance without a partner and it wasn’t loneliness that drew me to her—it was something more. Of course, it all culminated in that amazing summer when we laughed and loved and dreamed together. When she left so suddenly, I couldn’t stop ‘seeing’ her. You know what I mean? I prayed for her for a dozen years, that she was well and that God would take care of her. I don’t know, Samantha. Even though for a brief time I thought we were meant to be together—and maybe I still do—I guess I have to admit it’s more likely that God just made me a shepherd. Calling it The Vow just gives all of this a name.”

  Michael leaned back in his chair and popped a piece of the banana bread into his mouth.

  “You sound a lot like Noel.”

  “In what way?” Michael said, placing his hand on the cup of hot tea, then deciding to let it be.

  “I think his only interest is being the right person at the right time. You must have a special calling on your life too. To love her, and live without her. I’ve watched it all my life.”

  “Sometimes I feel like a minor character in my own life. I fit in with everything going on in Juneberry, but there’s this one piece in me that never feels quite right. I guess all I can do is watch and wait for God to restore that, and believe I’ll see one day why He cast me in this role.”

  “Does she know how you feel?”

  “Not really. At least I don’t think so. I have a feeling all she sees is the romantic yearning … and I’m not going to deny the truth of that. But the deeper love? The love that wants the best for her no matter what? I really don’t know if she understands that kind of love.”

  “Did you ask her if she wanted to stay?”

  Michael nodded his head. “Yeah, she wanted to go back. It’s just something I have to come to terms with. We fit together so well, but I just don’t think she sees it. I can’t even assume she’s had the same experience I’ve had then or now.”

  “Oh, I don’t think that’s true.”

  “You don’t?” he said.

  “No. You should have heard her talking about your relationship on Sunday. She described the two of you as soul mates. I think she really loves you,
Michael. It’s obvious to everyone but her. Or maybe you’re right—maybe she just doesn’t know yet what love really is.”

  Michael didn’t speak; he just stood up at the table to leave.

  “God’s still at work, Michael. Who knows what will happen next. You’ve always done what you knew was right, so keep trusting God. We vowed to look after Emma, and He’s vowed to look after us. For twelve years, that meant little more than daily prayer. Then we got to spend ten days with her. God might just be up to something with all that. All we can do is keep praying, keep listening. And wait.”

  o o o

  Bo tried to get comfortable on the large floral sofa in Christina’s sitting room. The couch was large enough with its extralong cushions, and a million and one pillows, yet with nothing but silence around to distract him, he was fidgety.

  He’d read the morning newspaper and eaten eggs and toast for breakfast with a glass of orange juice. Christina had brewed a pot of coffee and lovingly checked on him every thirty minutes. But Bo was used to working hard every day, figuring out what needed to get done on the job site, and fixing whatever was broken. He just wasn’t the kind of man who could lie around all day, even if it was his body that now was severely broken.

  Christina came in the room around noon to check on him.

  “Are you doing okay?” Christina asked, walking into the pretty white room.

  “I’m ready to get this cast off. How long have I been wearing it?”

  “Three days. You ask me that every time I come in here.”

  “Sorry, I’m not used to sitting still for very long.”

  Christina sat down on the couch with him, taking his hand in hers.

  “It’s too bad you’re not a wedding planner. This would be a great time to write the invitations and make up a checklist of things we need to do.”

  Bo made an exaggerated frown.

  “I’m just joking, Bo, but I do think we need to find something constructive that you can do. Is there anyone you want to talk to?”

  Bo thought for a moment.

  “Yeah, there is,” he said. “Michael. I promised I’d call and I haven’t done that yet.”

  “Well see, there you go. Let me get you the phone.”

  Christina left for the office, where she kept her portable phone. She returned in less than a minute and handed the receiver to Bo.

  “I’m going to go write for another thirty minutes or so, then I’ll come back out and fix us some lunch. How does tuna salad sound?”

  Bo rolled his eyes.

  “Okay, how about I carve up some of that roast beef from the other night and make sandwiches?”

  “Christina?”

  “Yes?”

  “I love you.”

  Christina smiled and left the room. Bo dialed Michael’s cell phone and he picked up on the first ring.

  “Hey, you’re not looking for a new hammer man, are you?”

  “Next time we’re going to nail your feet down,” Michael said. “How you feeling?”

  “Bored, but that’s to be expected, I guess. Christina’s taking real good care of me, so I can’t complain. How about you?”

  “Hanging in there.”

  “Hey listen, I’ve got two things I want to talk to you about. First of all, I’ve asked Christina to marry me in November and I want you to be my best man. Will you do it?”

  “Of course. And you’re going to be out of your cast by then, right?” he asked.

  “If I have to rip it off with my own hands.”

  “That’s great news, Bo. I’m happy for you, man.”

  “There’s one other thing that’s been on my mind since Monday. I’ll have to tell you the whole story sometime, but I want to apologize for what I said about Emma. I think I was just mixing up my ex with every other woman on earth, and she didn’t deserve that.”

  “It’s no problem. I understand.”

  “You need to go after her, Michael. It’s time for you to tell her how you feel.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Let’s just say it came to me in a moment of clarity. You and Emma are meant to be together, and if I said anything to derail that, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything ’cause I think … well, who cares what I think. You and Emma ought to be together and that’s the bottom line.”

  ~ Twenty-five ~

  When I see you walking down the street

  You’re the kind of girl I’d like to meet

  You’re so pretty. Oh, so fine

  I’m gonna make her mine all mine.

  —THE SWINGING MEDALLIONS

  “Hey Baby”

  “So, was there any part of Boston you missed?” Colin asked Emma over lunch on Friday at Francesca’s near the Commons. The elegant little Italian restaurant overlooked a rainy Beacon Street. He scratched at the fine linen tablecloth with his fingernail. The ice chips in their water glasses swayed with the rocking of the table.

  “Yes, of course,” she said. “But … you seem agitated. Did I do something to upset you?”

  Colin stopped picking. “Sorry, I’ve had a lot on my mind recently.”

  The waiter came by and removed their salad plates without speaking. A moment later he refilled their water glasses.

  Colin sat up straight and put his hands in his lap. “Continue,” he said.

  “There’s not much to say. It’s just that the fast pace here in Boston kept me from remembering my roots. It kept me out of touch with people who matter to me. It’s a whole other side of who I am.”

  “I don’t follow you,” Colin said. “What whole other side?”

  Emma wasn’t sure just what she wanted to share with him or how much Colin could understand.

  “As much as I like what I do—representing someone who needs help—I’ve realized sometimes I need help too.”

  Colin smiled, but Emma couldn’t tell if it was a real smile or something to fill the space because he didn’t know what she was talking about.

  “Well, there’s more to life than just work, Emma.”

  She laughed.

  “Am I hearing right? Did Colin Douglas just say there’s more to life than work?”

  “I don’t just work, Emma. There are a few things you aren’t aware of,” he said.

  Emma tilted back her chair. “I’d love to hear about those things. What’s something you truly care about?”

  “Well, I care about lots of things. I exercise regularly at the gym, play tennis and racquetball. I have a social network there—people I like to visit with every week. Sometimes I play a game of cards with the guys at the club. They’re retired lawyers who have a lot of great stories. I am a staunch supporter of the Sierra Club because I appreciate wildlife and the outdoors. I have a good opinion of which restaurants in Boston and Cambridge are the best and could probably write a review column for the Boston Globe.”

  Emma laughed.

  “I like hearing those things about your personal life.”

  Colin smiled.

  “And there’s more … before the first of the year I’ll probably buy a time-share on Martha’s Vineyard because I really look good in shorts,” he joked. “And I enjoy loafing around in netted hammocks. Oh, and dropping quarters into fortune-teller machines on deserted boardwalks. See? There’s much more to me than just brilliant legal work, Emma.”

  She laughed.

  “You’ve made a compelling case, counselor. But it’s people that really matter most. Who are the people in your life you care most about?”

  “I have a father in a nursing home an hour away from here, where my brother lives. I share in the responsibility of taking care of him.”

  “I’m sorry, Colin. I didn’t know that,” Emma said. “And your mother?”

  “She passed
away when I was young. I never knew her very well.”

  The waiter appeared with their entrées. “Chicken with lemon grass and red pepper.” He set Colin’s plate down in front of him. It was a culinary work of art.

  “Curry eggplant with summer squash and asparagus.” He presented Emma’s plate, and offered them both fresh ground pepper, which they declined.

  “Enjoy your meal.”

  “I think what’s important for you to know, Emma, is that I have an eye for appreciating beauty. I can tell excellence when I see it in art, film, or food. It’s a gift I employ in my work and in my personal life.”

  Emma took a bite of her meal. “Mmm … based on the flavor of this curry eggplant, I would have to agree. You do have good taste in things, Colin.”

  “Not just things, Emma, people. Take you, for example. You have depth and intelligence, and a basic goodness about you. And most importantly, you’re honest and caring. Do you realize how rare that is in the world?”

  “In some places it’s less rare.”

  “When something is rare, it has value. I’m not just a lawyer, Emma. Law is just a means to an end. I’m someone who’s going to succeed in life because I’m determined to win at things I want to win.”

  “I’ve never heard you speak so candidly.”

  “I think I’ve been derelict by not showing you the scope of my ambitions. We hold very unique positions in Boston law, Emma. The opportunities for us here are rich.”

  “You’re the second person to tell me that in the last two days,” Emma said.

  “That just confirms that what I’m saying is true. I know what I want. What about you, Emma, do you know what you want?”

  “I don’t think I’m as ambitious as you are,” she said.

  “Why not? Robert thinks your future’s extremely bright. He thinks you can write your own ticket. I happen to agree with him, with only one caveat.”

  “What’s that?”

  Colin put down his knife and fork. “You’ll need a partner, and I don’t mean at the law firm.”

  Emma had spent the last two days thinking about Robert’s proposals and predictions, about her future at the firm and a possible political career. She had convinced herself it was primarily a ploy on Robert’s part to keep her at the firm.