Laura's Big Win

by Michelle Tschantre'

  Ryan had returned from his meeting, and was informed by Marcia that Laura had not been feeling well and had gone to lie down. Old fears bit at him; this is how it had started out with Mary; surely this was not happening again. His heart was heavy as he made his way quickly to the White House and up the stairs two at a time, to find his Laura standing in the middle of their bedroom, her arms still wrapped around herself, perfectly still, but with a look of confusion and disbelief on her face.

  “Laura, what is it? What’s wrong?”

  “Ryan, just hold me. Please, hold me close.”

  Ryan wrapped his strong arms around her, over the top of her arms, holding her against his own body, his strength serving as her strength; Laura trembled slightly as though taking a chill. Finally, when the trembling had subsided, she spoke in a quiet voice while still safely in his arms.

  “I have to tell you something, and I want to tell all of it before you say anything, because I don’t know if it’s real or not, and I hope it is real, for both of us. Mary was here, just now. I came to lie down because I didn’t feel good, and when I came into the room, she was just here; I don’t know how. She said she had three things to tell me, and they are these three things: first, I’m six weeks pregnant, with fraternal twins, your twins, and she thinks there may be more after they’re born; secondly, the remote for the flat screen, the one you couldn’t find, she hid in the Ficas plant so you would see the local channel, with me and the kids in the shelter; and finally, she said there is a letter for you in a secret place. I asked her about the car accident with Mr. Collins; Ryan, she was the one who turned the wheel. I just know she was here, I’m sure of it. And Ryan, as she was leaving, I told her we loved her, and I meant it. And that’s it; that’s all. I don’t know if I’m awake or dreaming, but I am so sure that happened.”

  “Wait here.” With that, Ryan walked over to a large picture decorating one wall of the room; pulling it gently from one side, the picture swung out on hinges to reveal a small wall safe Laura had never before seen. Ryan had actually forgotten about the existence of the safe, but quickly recalled the combination and spun it open. Inside was a solitary letter, addressed to him. “Laura, come, please sit by me. I want us to see this together.”

  “My Dearest Ryan; I know I will not be here much longer, even if you don’t want to admit that to me. My strength is almost gone. I have asked Marcia to write this for me, and I want you to thank her for me. She is helping me say what I have to say. You know how much I love you, and if it is possible, I will continue to love you even in the next world. I can’t give you what you so deserve, a child to love; that was never to be. I want you to know, that if there is any way possible that I can have anything to do with making that come true, even in the next world, then I will do anything and everything I can, to the extent of trading my own well being, to see that come true. You are and always have been my one and only love, and I know you have loved me truly. I don’t know why this has happened to me, but it has and there is nothing any of us can do about it. I want you to go on, to find another someone you can truly love; you have so much of that to give, and deserve so much in return. I regret I will not be here to be that person, but when you find her, love her as you have loved me, and that will be all she can ever ask of you; it will be more than enough. I am tired now, and the end is closer. I love you. Mary.”

  Laura gently put her arms around Ryan and held him until the great sobs subsided into an occasional sharp intake of breath. Finally, with the same difficulty speaking that Laura had trying to tell him what had happened, Ryan spoke: “I know you saw her, and talked with her. I wish I had been here, but you are whom she wanted to see; you are doing what she wanted to do, and it’s very clear to me, you are her choice for me. She is very wise, and I am doing as she asked: I am loving you with all my being. I think she had guided the both of us to this end. And there’s something else; do you notice the scent of roses in the air?”

  “I do, now that you mention it. Strangely, that night in the shelter, when I had to make the decision to stay there or come here, I remember thinking just briefly someone had rose perfume on; I think she was there, guiding.”

  “And the day we got married, I went for a run but turned off and went to the pond instead; when I was unsure, not of you, but of myself, and whether I could be what you wanted, I smelled the scent of roses, and the thought came to me that I was being given a second chance, you were my second chance.”

  “I told her we loved her; I think she has done this for us. I don’t pretend to understand it, but I do believe it. This may sound silly, but do you have a picture of her somewhere that we could put maybe in the great room; she would have loved that room, and it seems only right. I think it’s the least we could do; I am proud to have met her.”

  “There is a painting I had done. I had it removed, because I thought it might be a problem for you. But, I think you’re right; the great room would be perfect. I’ll find it, if you’ll help.”

  And that’s how it came to pass that the picture of Mary Williams was placed with loving care in the great room of the White house, to watch over the home she had loved. Ryan and Laura had just finished placing the picture in a place of honor, when Jack and Amanda bounded in from school, full of their usual energy and wanting to tell their parents about their day. It wasn’t usual that Laura or Ryan would be in the great room, so Laura called to the kids when they came in the back door. Entering the great room, the kids paused only for a second to glance at the picture now on the wall. Jack commented, almost just in passing, “Look, Mandy, it’s the lady who steered the car. Who is she, mom?”

  “It’s a long story, Jack, but someday we’ll talk about it. I think you’ll like the story.”

  That fall, almost exactly nine months to the day after they were married, Ryan and Laura Williams became parents of twins. It was a fairly uneventful birth, but just as the second child was born, both Ryan and Laura caught the scent of roses in the air. It happened again two years later when the second set of twins was born.

  Three days after their birth, Ryan and Laura had taken their new babies home to Windmere and the White House; Ryan had returned to his office to keep things moving along while Laura recuperated. That afternoon, Dennis Anderson darkened the doorway to Ryan’s office, knocking lightly. Ryan looked up, seeing Dennis, and noticing that the big man looked very strange: “Come in Dennis; what’s up? Is something wrong?”

  “No, sir. I mean, I…..hell, I don’t know. Can you come with me for a minute? I can’t tell you about this; you have to see it. Out in the garden, by the cemetery.”

  Ryan rose and followed Dennis into the garden. Rounding the corner of the house, as the cemetery came into view, Ryan understood why Dennis was floundering for words. There in the cemetery, at the head of Mary’s grave, stood the American Beauty rose, in full leaf, with six perfect flowers, the first time it had ever bloomed.

  Dennis was still at a loss for words, but tried his best: “It just isn’t right; I mean, it should be dormant this time of year, and it’s never done very well anyway; never has bloomed. I’ve done everything I know how, and it just sort of sits there. Now this. I don’t know what to make of it. I had to show somebody.”

  “You did right, Dennis. I can’t exactly explain it either. We planted this to honor Mary; instead, I think she’s telling us everything is okay now. Six great kids, six great roses. More than a coincidence I think. My guess is, tomorrow the rose will be done; Mary has what she wanted. I might be nuts, but I think that’s the deal. And Dennis, if you’ve never believed in the hereafter, start.”

  The next day, Dennis Anderson removed the dry stalk that the day before had been in bloom. In what would have seemed strange to anyone else, he carefully burned the remains and sprinkled them over the grave. Mary had what she wanted.

  In the years that followed, many things came to pass at Windmere, but none like the orchestrated events that brought Ryan and Laura together as one. Some things did happen as an
eventual result: Dennis and Angie Anderson would have one son, and adopt a daughter. Franz and Bernice Smith married and lived in the carriage house; they would have no children but were great surrogates for watching the children of others. Judge Harry would finally retire from the bench for good on his 80th birthday, and pass away quietly into the night on his 87th. Father James Jesse retired but stayed in residence at St. Matthews as sort of a bench player; he and Harry would continue to make guest appearances at weddings, and Fr. Jim did recruit a substantial number of parishioners. Leslie Friend became Mrs. Jason Jefferson, graduated from EMT school, and had a second child, a girl named Laura. Doris Cook and Marie Hernandes, along with some other associates, published a Windmere cookbook, including a section on the proper digging of roasting pits. Roger Brown retired, again, and with his wife, became a traveler for Windmere. Some years later, Calvin Harrison, with his wife, would do the same. The Christmas vacation of his senior year in college, Jackson Williams saw the beautiful Victoria Hernandes for the first time in several years; they would be married within a years’ time. Amanda loved her doll house so much, she redecorated it several times, growing into a highly successful interior designer. In his later years, after a continuing succession of failures at about everything, Richard Nessing developed early onset Alzheimers disease; his last days in a locked treatment unit were paid for by Jack and Amanda for the sole reason that it was the right thing to do; Jack had never forgotten the talk at the pond. The state allowed Windmere to expand the little cemetery behind the White House, but it was restricted to former employees of Windmere and their spouses; others need not apply. In a local law firm, the principles met, called in one of their associates, and terminated him point blank for his reprehensible treatment of a young, impressionable, and pregnant housekeeper; he never discovered how they found out, but Harry didn’t like unfinished business. And in the end, all other things aside, Mary did indeed have what she wanted.

  Epilogue

  Ryan had been gone for almost two years now. They had moved out of the “White House” some years ago when Ryan had proposed that Jack should become Windmere Corporation CEO; the Board of Directors agreed. Ryan and Laura became travelers for a few years after that, but only for new facilities where they were not known, finally retiring to their cottage for most of the year. Their golden years goal was to spoil first grandchildren, then great grandchildren as often and as much as possible, and they were successful to a level not unacceptable to the children’s parents.

  Now, Jack was considering retirement, so quickly had the years gone by. Laura was not tired of life, but without Ryan, things just did not hold the interest they once had. The grand’s and great-grand’s couldn’t offset the loneliness in the quiet hours. She did not long for death, but neither was she afraid of it, and she looked forward to the promised reunion in the afterlife she believed in. It was a warm fall evening, and she dozed a little in her favorite rocker, comfortable and satisfied that she had led a complete life as her thoughts wandered back over the years, to Ryan, and to their life together.

  “Laura……Laura? It’s Mary. Ryan asked me to come for you; he’s busy watching over some of the great grand kids just now. Besides, you know how men are about all this girl talk stuff, and we do have a lot to catch up on. Remember, I told you I would come for you, but I can’t stay here very long. Are you ready to go?”

  “Yes, I’m ready. I remember your promise, and I’ve been waiting. I can smell the roses.” Looking back as she walked out of the cottage, Laura saw herself still sitting in the chair, but realized her spirit was free.

  The End