Chapter Twenty-Three - Everafter
To be sure, it was a shorter combination honeymoon/vacation than they would have wished, but the holidays were ending, the kids had to be back to school, and there was that business back at Windmere that had to be managed. Ryan had reserved the corporate plane for the trip home, and Laura understood now that using it was well within their means, even if she didn't always approved of such expenditures. The flight back with two rested and excited kids was enjoyable, with Ryan and Jack talking about the cart Ryan had given Jack for Christmas while Laura and Amanda magazine shopped for furniture they would need for their "new house", whatever that might turn out to be.
The plane landed to the side of the terminal as usual, and stopped near a passenger van parked nearby. Ryan was first off, and helped Laura and the kids deplane as the crew opened the luggage compartment and started unloading what was a much more significant heap of luggage than when Ryan and Laura had set out six days earlier. Laura had maintained limits on what the kids could spend at the islands open air market when they visited, requiring them to make decisions on their purchases, a lesson that might have seemed a little onerous to them at the time, but which would enable them to make good decisions later in life. Ryan was impressed with her parenting skills, and paid close attention, learning how to be a father as he went along; he readily understood that saying "yes" all the time was of little use in raising responsible children, even if it seemed momentarily easier.
Luggage off the plane and ready to be reloaded for the trip to Windmere, Ryan handed Laura a small remote control unit with a couple of keys on the ring. "Your transport, Madam. You may want to move it a little closer to the luggage pile, or I can simple drag all of it over there; your preference."
"Is this for the van over there?"
"It is. Standard remote control. Only thing is, I think you should drive, since it's yours; I wouldn't want to scratch it or anything like that. Okay?"
"Mine? Really? You're kidding, right? Did you buy this for us? Oh, wow! Kids, see our van!"
As excited as Laura was, the kids were equally elated at having a ride of their own, something they could leave books in and video's and toys, all the things that kids need to feel comfortable. Laura quickly moved it closer to the luggage heap, which Ryan dutifully loaded into the back of the van, then took his place in the passenger's seat while she familiarized herself with the myriad of controls. Everything in go condition, the guard opened the gate for them and off they went, Laura fiddling with the seat controls on the door as they went, and asking a ton of questions in the process.
"How did you know I liked this series? They're great for kids, and look at all this extra stuff. My old van didn't have all this. And, I love the color; how did you know I liked this shade of blue? You are just such a smarty, you are."
"I cheated. Fred Dawson did a little research for me through some people he knew, so I could get something you were familiar with. I have to tell you, I ordered it out before you agreed to marry me, because you deserved it, but since special orders take a little longer to produce, it only came in a couple of weeks ago. I thought this might be a nice surprise. I sent in a color picture of you, a copy of the one taken for your Windmere ID card; the final paint coat was mixed to match the color of your eyes. So, I gather you like it?"
"No, I love it, and if I weren't driving?..well, never you mind. Too many people present, even if they are distracted at the moment. Tonight, you get repaid for this. Vitamins for supper?"
"Deal. So, what would have happened tonight if I didn't get you the van?"
"Same thing, but that doesn't mean I don't love the van anyway."
In a few minutes, the big front gate of Windmere came into sight. Ryan indicated which console button remote operated the gate, and they rolled closer to home. Normally, they would have stayed slightly to the left, rounding the big house on the east side to drive past to the cottage area, but Ryan would alter their course at just the right moment.
"Nope, not left. Bear right here?..little farther?..now turn right, slow down, hit the center button on the console, try to not go through the back wall?..and?..stop. Welcome home, Mrs. Williams."
"Ryan, this is the White House; we just went into the garage. What's going on?"
"Like I said, 'Welcome home, Mrs. Williams'. We live here now, mostly in the upstairs. I had everything moved from your cottage and my room in the big house while we were gone. The luggage will wait a minute or two. I know you saw the great room for the reception; I want to take you for a personally guided tour of the upstairs. Ready?"
"Yes, you crazy man. You knew this all the time, didn't you, and you just kept telling me you 'were working on a house' for us. Come on kids; we need to see what your dad has done this time."
Ryan nearly stumbled getting out of the van; for the first time, Laura had just casually referred to him as "your dad", and the very thought made his knees weak. The kids had made their own choices for addressing him, Amanda switching to daddy as the easiest thing to do for her, Jack still using "Sir" a lot, but reverting on occasion to the less formal "dad". Even more importantly, for Laura to recognize his role as a matter of fact, that was the capstone, the crown he so wanted. At the moment, however, there was a house to tour.
"First things first. We're going in through the door here in the garage to the mud room. In case the door is locked, here's how it works. Amanda can do this first, then Jack. Okay, Mandy, push the button, and when the little light turns green, say 'Amanda says open'. Okay? Push the button, Mandy."
And push she did, as directed. No sooner had she pushed, than the little light turned green, and right on cue, "Amanda says 'open'." The sound was almost inaudible, just a slight 'snick' somewhere in the vicinity of the door, but the light turned red before extinguishing again. Ryan reached for the knob, turned it and easily opened the door. Again pushing the button, he said "Ryan says 'lock'", and as the light turned green again, the same slight sound was made. Ryan indicated to Jack to try the door, which was indeed locked, then had Jack order it open again. The kids were fascinated by the system, but Ryan explained that while it was fun, it was somewhat expensive for a play toy; the real reason it was there was for security, and so they didn't have to carry keys on their person.
"All the outside doors on the house work the same way, voice recognition locks. But, let's continue the tour. The other door goes more directly into the great room, and we only use it for meetings and things. Anyway, there are two ways to get to the upstairs, the front staircase you saw last week, and this back one that comes from this hallway. That way, if we have to use the great room for business or something a little more formal, you kids can still sneak down here for ice cream bars when you're supposed to be in bed, if you mom doesn't catch you."
"Some kind of example you set; what kind of parent are you anyway?" Laura asked in laughing tones, knowing he was putting them at their ease in a place that was new and possibly strange to them.
Un-phased, Ryan continued the tour, heading up the back steps toward the sleeping quarters. The kids were right on his heels, excited at the new adventure.
"Okay, you kids see if you can decide who goes with which room? Ready? Go. And you, Mrs. Williams, can come with me please."
A few steps down the hall, Ryan and Laura came to a set of double doors, and opening one leaf, entered into what clearly was their bedroom, complete with king sized bed, an assortment of chests and dressers, night stands, dressing table, and several easy chairs as well as a desk and settee. The d?cor was obviously well thought out, elegant but understated, with everything the lady of the house could need; adjacent doors opened into his and hers bathrooms, while a third door opened onto the veranda over the porta cochere, yielding access to the hot tub and a screened outdoor sitting area. Laura stood in the middle of the room and took it all in, unable for the moment to speak.
Ryan broke the silence, to tell her something she needed to know before she had to ask: "Just so you know, this is all leased furn
iture, rentals. None of the original furniture is here. This is our room now, yours to decorate as you like. I hired this done solely because I find making love on the floor is hard on us older folks, and I didn't want to bring you home to an empty room. Okay?"
Laura appreciated his answering the one question she had about all this: where did Mary fit in, and it was obvious that while Mary and Ryan had designed and built the house, he intended for it to be his home with Laura. Mary was gone, a wonderful memory, but a memory nonetheless. Putting both arms around him and holding him close, she could only quietly say "Thank you. I love you so much for taking care of me."
Their reverie was short lived, however, as two wild eyed kids bolted into the room, excited to the point they could hardly talk at all. Both wanted Laura and Ryan to come see the other rooms, the rooms they believed, with accuracy, were theirs. Jack's was the closest, and he pointed with pride at the NASCAR designed bed, masculine details in the furniture, and all his things neatly arranged on shelves where he could see them, plus a computer desk, with all the necessary equipment. Amanda was next, anxiously showing off her French provincial furniture, with a canopy bed, her dolls all in a row in a display case, and the doll house on its own stand; her room also had a fully equipped computer system, and very feminine d?cor. And best of all, each child's room had its own bathroom, which would become their responsibility to keep clean. Something struck Laura suddenly, and she looked closer at the doll house; it was true, what she had perceived. The rooms in the doll house matched the rooms in the real house, including the d?cor to some extent. Such a love Mary must have had for this place, and Laura resolved in her own heart that she would always honor that memory by also loving this home, and the man that came with it.
But the tour wasn't quite over. There were three more rooms in the upstairs they had not yet seen. The first was a sitting room, mostly for the family to gather at times, maybe work on home work or to play a game or two, watch television together. The other two rooms were bedrooms, but just like the dollhouse, they were unfinished beyond the primer painted walls. Laura looked at Ryan, understanding the implied intent of these rooms. "Tricycle motors. But please, I don't know how well things are working; I'm not implying there's anything wrong; it's just that, well, women don't really have much say on when things happen or they don't. I mean, we can sort of help things along, but if nothing happens for a while, please understand. I want this for you, and for me; there is nothing I want more than to carry your child, nothing, but I don't know if or when it will happen. Please understand."
"I do understand, and I know sometimes things just don't work the way we would like them to. Believe me, I know all about that."
"Oh, Ryan, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to bring up hurts; I just want you to know how much I want this for us."
"That's okay; I understand. That's in the past. Today we start the rest of our lives, which, by the way, could include some food, if you care to visit the kitchen and browse around a bit. Or we can go to the big house; your choice."
"I choose home; that would be here, with you. Come on kids; let's go find food."
With that, the rest of their life started. Monday morning the routine set in again for the most part, kids off to school, Ryan and Laura into their respective offices to oversee their growing business empire. In some respects, things were a little simpler, now that the soap opera issue of "would Ryan marry Laura" was settled, and while everyone knew Laura was half of the duo of majority stockholders, she would never, in the years she had yet to work, ever mention the fact. That was for Ryan to deal with. It was not a matter of disinterest; that would truly be abnormal for a human being, but in fact she married the man; his wealth just came along with him. The good things it could bring she appreciated, but she appreciated even more that no amount of money could have found her a man she cared about so dearly.
In mid-February, with a chill still in the air, Laura felt a little under the weather one early afternoon. Ryan was in Conyerville meeting with the senior accountants and would be gone most of the afternoon; the traffic through the office had slowed down a little with the usual February national holidays, and Laura had a few moments in the afternoon in which nothing was very pressing. She told Marcia she was not feeling well and was going over to the White House to lie down for a bit; maybe this would pass quickly. Laura disliked not being up to speed, whether it was for business, her kids, or making love with her husband. A nap should help.
Laura walked slowly to her beautiful home, which she had come to love so much, and up the front staircase. It would be several hours before the kids came bounding in from school, just enough time for a recuperative nap. Entering the master bedroom, she paused to look in the mirror for any sign of illness, and was for some reason not surprised to see a reflection of someone standing in the doorway. Turning, she looked directly at the person, a question on her lips that was answered before she asked.
"Hello, Laura; I'm Mary. Please, don't be frightened of me. I am just who I seem to be, and I mean you no harm. I need to tell you some things, and then I'll go and you won't see me again."
"Hello, Mary; I feel as though I know you. Welcome to my home."
"Yes, it is your home now, not mine. I had my time, and although I don't know why it was cut so short, that's how things are. I came to tell you three things, and I have to hurry. I am not allowed much time for this. First, you aren't coming down with anything; you are with child, children really, fraternal twins, about six weeks along. Secondly, I hid the remote for the flat screen in the Ficus plant so Ryan couldn't change it; I needed him to see the local channel when he came home. It was the only way I could get him to see you, and I wanted so very much for him to see you and your children. He deserves so very much that which I could not give him, and which you are now in the process of doing, whether you know it or not. And finally, please tell him there is a letter for him in the secret place."
"Please, can I ask something of you?"
"I have only a brief moment left."
"How many children? Can you tell me?"
"We are not allowed to see the future directly; too much temptation I think; it's a little hard to explain how things are on this side. When I learned of your pregnancy, I saw a table with eight chairs; I don't know if that means anything or not, but I believe this will not be your last pregnancy. I have to go now."
Suddenly it came to her to ask the unanswered question: "The car; were you at the car?"
"Yes, I was. I got in a lot of trouble for that; we're not supposed to interfere, but I didn't know then what I know now, and I wanted so much to protect Jack and Amanda for Ryan, and for you. I have to go now. You won't see me again for a long time, when I come for you. Be happy. Goodbye"
"Goodbye Mary; and Mary, we love you."
Laura stood in the middle of the room, arms wrapped around herself, unsure of what was real and what was not, unsure if this had happened or not, not knowing if she was having a fever or had just spoken with someone not of her world.
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, yet 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. As she was leaving, I told her we love 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 love 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, gro
wing 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 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
About the Author
Michelle Tschantre' has accrued years of "people" lore, mostly listening and encouraging, letting them find their own way past whatever issue prompted the conversation. The WINDMERE Series of fictional events uses some of those experiences, a little science here and there, some reality now and then, a belief that there may be powers greater than we know, and an everlasting belief in good outcomes for good hearted people. It is what the author has come to believe over the years: plan for the worst, hope for the best, deal with the reality. In "Laura's Big Win", the foundation is built for the books that have followed, with some of the same people, some new faces and problems, and Windmere in there somewhere keeping it all going.
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