Second Chances (96 page)

“Go get changed,” Brian instructed, throwing her a t-shirt and pointing her toward the bathroom.

When she returned, the sheets were pulled back and Brian had undressed.  Wearing only shorts, he sat patiently on the bed awaiting her return.  “Where do you want me to sleep?”  He asked, glancing over at Chloe, sleeping comfortably on the narrow cot.

Inhaling nervously, Sarah replied, “You can sleep here, I guess.”

He smiled wickedly.  “Good, then I guess I’ll massage those shoulders after all.”

After less than five minutes of his therapeutic touch, Sarah had drifted off to sleep.  That was when Brian felt most comfortable talking to her, when he knew she wouldn’t hear him.  “I love you, Sarah,” he murmured, still massaging her back with a gentle touch.  “You are amazing.  Thank you for doing this for my family.  Thank you for coming here with me.”  He leaned over to sniff her hair.  He rubbed his cheek against hers then kissed her ever so lightly on the temple.

Tonight he would sleep well.  His dreams would be sweet.  In fact, he thought he’d probably sleep well all week.  He would have Sarah next to him all those nights, as long as he could keep himself in check.  He had to behave, had to be trustworthy. 

The week flew by, but the energy and anticipation only seemed to grow.  Every day someone else would come up with an idea for the Irish Wake.  Sarah’s only fear was that it would grow too big for Mrs. Waite to handle.  Whether the rest of the family had noticed or not, Mrs. Waite appeared to be growing weaker with each passing day. 

Thursday night, Mrs. Waite asked to speak with Sarah in her room.  She had decided to go to bed just after the sun set that evening.  Sarah knocked lightly on the door of the master bedroom. 

“Come in, Sarah,” Mrs. Waite murmured.  She was lying propped on her side in the king sized bed.  Her bare scalp shone from the candles flickering on the nightstand.  The shadows playing across her face gave her eyes a sunken appearance.

Sarah tried to look happy and carefree as she made her way to the bed, but she was never good at hiding her emotions.  And right now she was afraid.  She feared that the end was closer than anyone had imagined.  She worried that Mrs. Waite might not even last the night.  A lump formed in her throat as she tried to picture Brian’s reaction when the inevitable happened. 
I’ll be there for him
, she vowed.

“I know you will, Sarah,” Mrs. Waite said smiling sleepily.

Sarah inhaled sharply.  “You know I will what?”  She asked, even though she was certain that she knew the answer.

“Brian will need you.  He cares very deeply for you, and I can see why.”  She motioned for Sarah to come sit on the bed.  Once Sarah complied, she grabbed the young woman’s hands.  “You have an energy surrounding you.  You have a gift for taking what life dishes out and growing, no
thriving
from your experiences.  You are strong in ways that you don’t even know.”  She was getting excited now and it was zapping much of her strength.  Sarah sat quietly, watching her with a furrowed brow.  “Come get me tomorrow morning,” Mrs. Waite said.  “We’ll watch the sunrise together.  Just the two of us.”  She tried to stifle a yawn.

“So, you rest now.  I’ll come get you a few minutes before dawn.  I’ll make us some tea and popovers.  They’re my specialty.”  Mrs. Waite nodded slightly.  Her eyes were closed and she wore a peaceful expression on her face.  Sarah bent and kissed her forehead, just as she would Chloe.

By the time she reached Brian’s side at the pool, her eyes were glistening.  He had been watching her weave through the crowd to meet him.  In anticipation he had set down his glass and turned to greet her with open arms.  She walked into his chest and pressed her head against his heart, trying to quell the urge to cry.

“I put Chloe to bed,” he said quietly.  “Why don’t we go check on her?”

Sarah nodded. She knew what he was doing.  He was getting her away from everyone so that they could talk and she could cry if she needed to.  He was so good with her.

They reached the bedroom, and he closed the door behind them.  They climbed onto the bed and she collapsed into his arms.  “I’m so exhausted,” she said quietly.  “I’m emotionally drained all the time.”  She sighed then added.  “And I think we need to talk.”  She told him of all her fears, of her conversation with his mother, of her hopes for the following day.

“Everyone will be here by ten in the morning,” he reminded her.  “We’ll limit the ceremony portion to about two hours, I think.  The bush has been purchased; the balloons will be blown up after breakfast.  Everything will be splendid.”  He held her close, inhaling the floral scent of her hair.  “You know my family adores you,” he murmured into her hair. 

Sarah sat up instantly.  “What makes you think so?” She asked eagerly, their endorsement suddenly very important to her.

He sighed.  “Where shall I begin?”  He smiled at her.  “Well, for one, you walked into this situation that would have made any outsider uncomfortable, but instead you gave comfort to those around you.  They all have the utmost respect and admiration for you, Sarah.  In one short week they’ve fallen in love with you.” 
And I love you all the more,
Brian thought sadly.  He watched her for a reaction.

“They are all so easy to be around.  I love them right back you know.”  She gazed at Brian affectionately.  “Would you mind if I went to bed early tonight?”

“No,” he said quietly.  “Would you mind if I joined you?”

Sarah’s alarm went off around four in the morning.  Brian stirred slightly.  She gave him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek.  “Go back to bed,” she whispered.  “I have a date with your mother.”  One eye perked open at that.  “We’re watching the sunrise together,” she explained.

She threw on her black bikini and a pair of beige shorts then padded downstairs barefoot.  Once inside the kitchen she began preparing the popovers.  She had never made such a large batch before, but the kitchen was well stocked.  She boiled water and let the tea bags steep in the ceramic mugs.  Sarah was so consumed with what she was doing that she was unaware that she was being watched.  When she finally glanced up after pulling out her third tray of popovers, Mr. Waite was looking at her with a smile.

“Was I too loud?” Sarah asked apologetically.

“No, not at all,” he said.  “I just knew you’d be coming for my love soon, so I decided to get up and go jogging.  I’ll stay out of your way.”

Sarah wiped her hands on the towel she wore over her shoulder and walked around the counter to him.  “I want to thank you for having us, Mr. Waite.  I hope Chloe and I weren’t too intrusive during this time.”  She moved to shake his hand, but he gave her a warm hug instead.

“I should be thanking you,” he said.  “You swooped in here and helped us all.  You gave us a sense of purpose when we were all at a loss.  I’ll be forever grateful to you, Sarah.  Brian’s lucky to have found you.”

“He’s become my best friend,” Sarah admitted.  She glanced out the window where the first hint of pink and orange were beginning to color the horizon.  “Wow, excuse me.  I have to go get your wife.”  They hugged once more and parted.

Sarah wheeled Brian’s mother out to her chaise on the patio.  She handed her a hot tea and placed a warm popover on the table beside her.  They watched the sunrise in silence, savoring the ever-changing colors of the sky and sun.  It promised to be a relatively clear day, a bit on the warm side.  The world was still, save for a few birds.

At last, after easing over the horizon for several minutes, the sun took its rightful place in the sky.  Mrs. Waite turned to Sarah.  “You have a deep appreciation for the natural world, don’t you, Sarah?”

She nodded.  “I like to think so.  I have vegetable and flower gardens.  I grow some herbs.  I love the water and being outdoors in every season but winter.”  She shrugged.

“That’s enough,” Mrs. Waite said.  “Thank you so much for everything.  Thank you for being here and making breakfast and the magic you’ve worked with my family.”  She closed her eyes.  “I’m just going to rest a bit.”

“You’re more than welcome.  I’m just blessed to be around all of you.”  She kissed the woman on the forehead, and then dropped her shorts before heading to the pool. 

As she walked to the end of the diving board, she glanced up to the second story balcony.  Brian was there, watching her.  He gave her a wistful smile, then turned and walked back into their room.

By ten, nearly one hundred people had assembled in the backyard.  Everywhere Sarah looked, people were sitting on blankets and chairs, standing, and leaning.  She swallowed hard, took a swig of sweet tea, and opened the ceremony.  “Hello, I would like to welcome all of you here to celebrate Emma Waite’s life.”

Her children put together a version of “This is Your Life.”  People she hadn’t seen in years had gladly come from far and wide to be with her.  The grandchildren sang her favorite songs.  A purple lilac bush was planted in her honor.  They held a massive balloon release, and listened to music while the balloons soared out of sight.  The remainder of the day was spent with everyone grazing happily on the buffet tables, telling stories, sharing memories, and explaining the impact Emma had on their lives.  The day was a huge success.  Everyone tried to thank Sarah, but she refused to take any credit. 

At the end of the day there was a marked difference between this night and those of the past week.  Emma Waite refused to go to bed.  She had been up since dawn, had only had the one brief catnap after watching the sunrise, and although she was visibly tired, she insisted that she stay up.  “Midnight, maybe,” she said when her husband asked when she might consider joining him in their bed. 

Mr. Waite looked worried.  He had spent the entire day hovering by her side.  He waited on her hand and foot, refusing to let anyone else help him.  “She’s taken care of me for over forty years,” he would say.  “I don’t have enough time left to repay all of that.”

Gradually everyone left except the immediate family.  Midnight arrived.  Those remaining watched expectantly, hoping Emma would decide that she was ready for bed.  When her husband leaned over her and asked quietly if it was time, she shook her head weakly, pulled him in closer, and whispered something in his ear.  He nodded, stood up, and made an announcement.