Anna's Visions (24 page)

Tori hugged Jill tightly for a few moments, and then
she pushed back and asked, “How did you know? Did Grammy call–”

“No, Grammy didn’t call and tell me. Billy and I were
in on the surprise. That’s why I didn’t go with you this morning. I’ve just
about peed in my panties waiting for you to come home,” Jill said, and they
hugged and danced up and down again.

Tori pushed Jill. “You mean you knew last night? How
could you do this to me? Weren’t you about to burst a gut? There’s no way I
could have kept such a thing from you,” Tori said, and then added, “And I’m not
sure I like you being able to keep something that important from me!”

“Oh, get over yourself.” Jill turned Tori by the
shoulders. “Get in the house and get yourself beautiful. You’ve waited long
enough for this day.”

Tori hurried toward the side door, calling over her
shoulder, “I’ll get you for this one, Jill!”

“I’ll be waiting,” Jill said with a laugh. “Call me
tomorrow and give me the nitty-gritty.”

“Will do,” Tori said as she shut the door and headed
toward the living room.

She felt a little faint as she raced up the stairs to
get ready for their first date – their second first date

Tori’s hands were shaking with joy and anticipation as
she showered and shampooed. Then she began the process of making herself look
beautiful for the man she loved – the man she would always love.

She dropped the hair dryer twice, burned her little
finger on the curling iron, and poked herself in the eye while applying her
mascara. She searched frantically for the perfect outfit, and chose a
jade-green shirt and a light beige sweater. Then she picked up a multicolored
silk scarf that felt as soft as a butterfly wing in her hands as she draped it
across her left shoulder. Finally, she slipped into a pair of beige heels. She
admired herself in the full-length mirror and said, “Okay, big boy, your sexy
kitten is back!”

By six o’clock Tori was ready. She slipped on a tan
suede coat and waited on the front stoop. Although she was hot from all the
rushing to get ready, she pulled the coat around her to keep out a brisk wind
that had come up.

At ten minutes past six, Wes still hadn’t arrived –
but just as she was about to give up, she saw his car coming up the street. She
was waiting at the curb before he even reached the driveway.

Wes jumped out and ran to the passenger side of the
car, and opened the door like the gentleman he’d always been. As Tori gazed
upon the six-foot, broad shoulder, muscular athlete, she thought he had the
walk of an aristocrat and she thought she had been more than a mental case. She
had been a contender for the Idiots Hall of Fame. How could she have ever let
him get away?

Once in the car, Wes leaned over and gave Tori a sweet
kiss – and she again felt that old familiar spark pass between them. Everything
felt so natural, so right – and at that moment, she knew she was finally,
really, and truly
home.

As Wes put the car into gear, Tori snuggled close.
“Where are we going?”

Wes looked at Tori, winked, and replied, “I thought it
might be nice to go to the Executive Inn. That was where we went on our prom
night and on our wedding night, if I remember correctly. I thought it might be
kind of romantic.”

“I’d say your memory and your choice of restaurant are
both perfect.”

In the parking lot, Wes again opened the car door for
Tori and she took his arm as they walked inside. When the waiter seated them at
the same table where they’d sat on prom night, Tori knew that Wes had made
arrangements before he picked her up. He’d always been a romantic sort of guy.

You sly dog.
Tori
stifled the urge to giggle.

Once they were seated, Tori couldn’t tear her eyes
away from the handsome man in front of her, and she struggled against an almost
overwhelming urge to run her hands through his hair and kiss his sensual lips
on the spot.

Although she was sure the food was wonderful, she was
too much in love to notice. She could hardly wait for the moment when Wes would
take her in his arms and make passionate love to her.

Tori barely tasted anything on the plate, and she
finally folded her napkin. Wes took her hand and said in a low voice. “I
reserved us a room if you’d like to stay here tonight.”

“Again, your instincts are perfect,” Tori whispered,
looking deeply into his eyes. “Let’s skip dessert.”

“My thoughts
exactly.”
Wes smiled and
signaled the waiter.

As they stepped into the elevator, Wes pushed the
button for the third floor. They held each other tightly as the elevator rose,
then stepped out and walked hand-in-hand down the hall toward room 324.

In their room, Wes walked to the window. “I want to
draw the drapes. All we need to make everything perfect is moonlight, and
there’s a full moon tonight.”

Tori followed him to the window and when he pulled
back the drapes, the room was instantly illuminated with silvery moonlight. Wes
swept her into his strong arms and carried her toward the bed, where he gently
lay her down and began smothering her with gentle kisses. The lovemaking was
like nothing Tori had ever experienced, though she remembered how Cody could
send her orbiting in the beginning. Before she realized what a monster he was.
Before she was so drugged up that she became numb to his touch.

As Wes lay down beside her, she nestled her head on
his chest and touched his lips with her index finger. “Let’s hold each other
forever in the moonlight.”

A long, sweet moment passed before either of them
spoke as they basked in the joy of being together.

Wes finally whispered, “Tori, I want to explain some
things.”

“You don’t have to. I’m just glad to be back in your
arms.”

“I know, but I want to tell you some things. I want
you to know how sorry I am for making you feel so bad. I was young, stupid, and
scared, and when you lost the baby, I guess I couldn’t see any reason to stay
married at that time. You were acting like you hated me and you were blaming me
for things I had no control over. I know it was wrong not to stop the divorce,
but I was confused–”

“Wes,” Tori said, looking into his eyes and wiping
away his tears. “Shut up and kiss me.”

He smiled, pulled her close, and gave her a sweet,
lingering kiss. Then he looked into her eyes. “I can’t believe we’re finally
back
in each other’s arms. I was devastated when I heard
you’d left town and gotten married.”

“Well, that makes two of us,” Tori said. “I was
devastated after writing you a letter, begging you to contact me, but heard
nothing at all for three months. Why did you take so long?” she asked, even
though she’d promised herself that she wouldn’t.

“That’s a fair question.” Wes nodded. “I had a lot of
soul searching to do. I still loved you and wanted you, but it took a while for
me to convince my stupid male ego to let it all go.”

Fighting her tears, Tori asked, “Are you sure I’m the
one that you want?”

Wes touched her face gently. “Why do you think I
didn’t remarry?”

With a sly smile, she replied, “Because you’re too
damn ugly?”

Wes pulled her even closer. “
Tori,
shut up and kiss me!”

It was the most wonderful kiss she had ever had in her
life. Wes showed passion that she didn’t know he was capable of. They’d both
grown up so much.

Anna’s Note

December 16, 1976

My heart is so full of joy now. I sleep at nights and
I feel as if I’m ten-years younger. I’ve always known that Tori and Wes were
soul mates, but I have to admit I was a bit surprised when it didn’t seem that
they were going to reconcile. I should know by now not to doubt my own vibes
and visions. But for the past nineteen years I’ve been thrown for loops that I
didn’t see coming. I thought in my old age I was losing my gift. I’m not. I’ve
still got it. It feels good!

Anna West-Morgan

Chapter Seventeen

A week before Christmas, Grammy and Tori drove around
Madison and dropped money from Cody’s cash box into every Salvation Army bucket
in town. Great joy filled Tori’s heart as Grammy and she talked about how many
children would be having a truly merry Christmas that year.

After they made their rounds, Tori took Grammy home,
helped her inside the house, and kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you on Christmas
Day.”

“Bye, sweet. Thanks for letting me share the joy of
giving to a worthy cause. This is going to be the happiest Christmas of my
life.” Grammy smiled and added, “And I’ve had a bunch of them.”

“I haven’t had as many as you, Grammy, but I agree
that it’s already been the happiest so far.”

Tori hurried on home to help Momma get ready for the
big day. She was overjoyed as she helped her mother with all the preparations.
It was the first time she’d had the opportunity to learn how much had to be
done to get ready for a Christmas dinner and make it a perfect day.

Grammy and Poppy came to Tori’s house for Christmas
that year.

Tori fixed Grammy’s plate and placed it in front of
her. “I helped cook all of it, but pretend you like it anyway, okay?” She
kissed Grammy’s cheek.

Smiling broadly, Grammy replied, “Well, Mona informed
me
that I was officially retired and that she’d be doing all
the holiday cooking from now on – and you know what? That’s fine with me. I
think we’ll all survive your cooking. After all, it was made with love, wasn’t
it?”

“Absolutely,” Tori said. “In fact, that’s the secret
ingredient. You taught me
that years
ago, Grammy.”

“Enough talk already,” said Tori’s dad. “Let’s have Poppy
say the blessing so we can all dig in.”

After a big dinner, they went into the living room,
where Daddy played Santa. Grammy fussed over the pretty scarf Tori gave her,
reminding Tori that her new cane was supposed to have been her present.

“Oh, Grammy, just enjoy it as a symbol of how much I
love you,” Tori said as she draped the scarf around Grammy’s neck.

When all the presents had been opened, Momma headed
toward the kitchen, motioning for Tori to come and help, but before Tori could
leave, Wes stood. “Hold on, Mona, please. I’ve got a special present that I’d
like to give Tori, and I’d like everybody to be here when I do.”

Momma and Tori sat back down and waited. Wes walked
over to Tori’s chair, smiled, and then bent down on one knee. As he did, he pulled
a small black box from his shirt pocket and flipped it open, exposing the most
beautiful diamond ring Tori had ever seen.

“Tori, will you marry me – again?”

Tori threw her arms around his neck and screamed,
“Yes! Yes!”

Wes’ hands were trembling as he slipped the ring on
Tori’s finger. Then he kissed her hand. “This time you can have the big wedding
you didn’t get last time.”

Tori kissed him on the lips and replied, “Thank you,
Wes. It’s beautiful.”

Everyone gathered around to admire Tori’s ring and to
hug Wes and congratulate them both. If Tori lived to be one hundred, she knew
she’d never forget this special Christmas.

The next day Tori began planning their big church
wedding. She was again a princess, about to marry her Prince Charming.

Cody Baxter was just a distant memory that was slowly
melting away from her conscious mind – but the nightmares didn’t stop. There
were still times when she’d wake up in a cold sweat after feeling his evil eyes
burning into her soul.

* * * *

On May 12, 1978, Tori woke up early, knowing she still
had a dozen last-minute details to take care of. It had been three years since
she’d married Wesley Asner the first time – but she was determined that this
would be the last – this time it truly would be “till death do us part.”

Going to school year around and carrying extra credits
each semester had paid off, and Wes had graduated the week before with his BS
degree. Then he accepted a position at the new Dixon High as a biology teacher
and assistant football coach.

“You are my hero, Wesley Asner!” Tori said, turning
her engagement ring on her finger, anxious to see the wedding band that would
soon be placed beside it. She stretched her arms high over her head and yawned.
She hadn’t gone to bed until three o’clock in the morning. After the wedding
rehearsal and dinner, Jill and she had shared their last slumber party as
single girls. It had been a happy and slightly sad sleepover. It was their last
hurrah!

Tori heard the second step crack as her mother came up
the stairs. Tori sat on the side of the bed trying to snap out of her sleepy
fog. Her mother walked in and said, “Are you going to sleep all day? We’ve got
a beauty shop appointment in one hour, we’ve got to pick up your shoes, we’ve
got to go by the florist and tell them you want the extra pots of ferns–”

Tori held up her hand. “I know, Momma. Just give me a
second to wake up – and you can cool your jets! It’ll all come together.”

The wedding was set to take place at six o’clock in
the country church where Poppy and Grammy had been members for over fifty
years. Tori remembered many Sundays sitting between Grammy and Poppy as the
official “elbow poker,” in charge with prodding Poppy every time he nodded off
during a sermon.

At five o’clock, Tori gathered her wedding gown and makeup
bag, rushed out of the house, and piled her stuff into Jill’s Pinto. She shook
her head, patted the old car’s roof, and said, “How much longer can you last?”
Then she stuck her arm through the front window, blew the horn, and yelled,
“Come on Jill, get me to the church on time!”

Jill came running out of her house, her bridesmaid
dress in her arms and shoes dangling in one hand. “I’m coming!” She carefully
set her dress on top of Tori’s in the backseat, and then bumped her head on the
doorframe as she stood up. “Did I mess up my hair?” she asked, quickly checking
in the rearview mirror.

“Your hair’s fine,” Tori said. “In fact, you look too
beautiful. I’d appreciate it if you could ugly down a little bit. I don’t want
you upstaging the bride!”

“Yeah.
Like I could, Miss Beauty Queen!”
Jill replied, patting Tori’s leg.

As Jill backed out of the driveway, Tori said, “You
know, every time I get into this car, I think back to our narrow escape from
Georgia.”

Jill glared at Tori. “We don’t talk about that anymore,
remember?”

“I know, but I’ve had nightmares about him for two
years. When will they stop?”

“After today you’re going to be so happy that you
won’t be plagued with nightmares anymore,” Jill said.

“I think you’re right.” Tori smiled.

As Jill drove, they started singing, “Get me to the
church on time.”

Twenty minutes later, Jill pulled into the church
parking lot and pushed the car into park.

Tori looked out the window at the beautiful building
with the stain glass windows, tall steeple and double doors.
“Holy guacamole!
I
really
am having the big church
wedding of my dreams.”
 

“That you are, girl. And you deserve the prettiest
wedding this county has ever seen.” Jill laughed and added, “I know you didn’t
invite the whole country, but the church will be packed.”

Tori stepped from the car and when her feet touched
fresh dirt she said, “Well, spit fire. Why did I wear my shoes? I’ll have them
ruined before I get inside. She walked as if the higher and faster she made her
feet move, the less dirt she would collect.

Tori’s eyes brightened as she entered the church.
Palms, ferns, candles, and large baskets of white chrysanthemums adorned the
sanctuary. The pianist rehearsed a recital of nuptials that she was going to
play as Wes and Billy’s nephews lit the candles. Tori’s parents were already
there, and her mother was doing a host of last-minute mother-of-the-bride
things.

Tori and Jill hurried down to the basement, where the
caterer had decorated the tabletops with white linen and beautiful
centerpieces. Each table had several crystal compotes filled with nuts and
mints, and the champagne fountain was exquisite.

In the restroom, Tori and Jill dressed, applied
makeup, and admired their selves in the mirror. Tori wore a floor-length white
taffeta gown with tulle and lace. The fitted bodice was styled with a
sweetheart neckline. A fingertip veil of tulle fell down from a crown of lace
daisies, and she held a bouquet of French carnations, mounted on the same white
bible that both Grammy and her mother had carried on their wedding days. Tori
also had the traditional lucky charms: something old, something new, something
borrowed,
something blue, and a sixpence inside her shoe.

“We’re the most gorgeous belles in all of Madison
County,” Tori said. Then she cocked her head. “I think I just heard the pianist
hit a cord.”

Tori and Jill listened as Frieda Fisher, the pastor’s
wife,
begin to sing, “I Love You Truly.” She had a strong
soprano voice and when she hit a few of the high notes, Tori glanced at the
crystal, wondering if it might shatter.

Momma came downstairs, even though she’d promised to
stay upstairs so Tori wouldn’t see her cry – and break down herself.

Maintaining her composure as best she could, she said,
“It’s about to start. Are you ready?”

“We’re ready, Momma.” Tori swallowed hard and gave her
mother a hug.

As her mother hurried back upstairs, Tori took Jill’s
hand. “Okay, Jill, here we go. Thanks for everything.”

“Thanks for letting me
be
a
part of it.” Jill wrapped her arms around Tori and pulled her close. Then Jill
gracefully headed upstairs in front of Tori.

When they reached the top step, Tori found her dad
waiting for her next to the door that led to the sanctuary. Tears filled his
eyes as he held out his arm. “Are you ready, sweetie?”

“Ready, Daddy,” Tori managed to say, choking back her
tears.

Wes’ niece, the flower girl, began dropping rose
petals down the aisle.

Jill walked down the aisle.

Tori clung to her daddy’s arm and together they began
the walk, heel-toe,
heel
-toe, toward Jill, Billy, and
Wes, who stood waiting at the altar.

The light in Wes’ eyes was as bright as the candles
surrounding the altar as he watched Tori approach.

Tori took her place at his side.

The pastor asked, “Who gives this woman in marriage?”

Her dad replied, “Her mother and I do.” Then he let go
of Tori’s arm and took a seat next to Mona.

As the joy of the moment swirled around Tori,
everything seemed to become a blur. They exchanged their vows and put rings on
each other’s fingers, shared a warm kiss, and then the pastor announced them to
the congregation as Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Asner.

Tori wasn’t
going to be able to recall many of the exact words of
the ceremony, but she knew the sweetness of that day would stay with her
forever.

The reception was a gala, with music, dancing, laughter,
and good food, all shared with the people they loved most in the whole world.

Billy made the champagne toast, and then Wes and Tori
intertwined arms, and Tori touched the glass to her lips, but she didn’t let
the champagne go into her mouth. Wes gulped his down, and Tori laughed.
He
probably needs a good belt.

After the reception, Wes and Tori ran through a shower
of rice, waved goodbye, climbed into Wes’ car, and sped away, dragging tin cans
and old shoes that had been tied to the bumper.

As they drove away, Tori snuggled close and cooed in
Wes’ ear, “And they lived happily ever after.”

They spent a week in the mountains of Tennessee, and
Tori decided the mountains were closer to Paradise than the beaches of Florida.
Her love for Wes was overwhelming, and she realized that Grammy had been right
when she said their love would last forever.

Back in Madison, Tori and Wes started hunting for an
apartment that they could afford on their salaries, but her parents talked them
into living with them so Tori and Wes could save the money that would have been
spent on rent and use it for a down payment on a house.

Tori knew that if Momma could have had her way, they
would have lived with her and Daddy for the rest of their lives. They agreed to
stay just long enough to save up for a home of their own.

A month later, Tori
was
sick
to her stomach, couldn’t get enough rest, and dragged through each day at work.
Every Friday was a great relief because she’d have two days to sleep.

One Saturday morning, Tori heard the phone ring twice,
but she didn’t want to answer it. A second later, Wes yelled from the bottom of
the stairs, “Tori, Grammy is on the phone. Do you want me to tell her you’ll
call her back?”