Chasing Stars (43 page)

“You are the best husband I have ever had,” she says.

“Aren’t I the only one?” I grin at her lovely face. “There is a snowstorm coming our way. Marit--mom called to say she just left a pot of warm tortilla soup for you.”

“Oh, Will, families bring soup when you are sick.” She is teary. “I’ve got to get used to that.”

“You will, baby.” I jog around the car and open her door. Carefully, I scoop her off the seat, kicking the door closed. “God, you are heavy,” I joke. She has lost over fifteen pounds.

“Am not.” She grins.

“No, baby, you are perfect, and I would carry you to the end of the world.”

I stride across the wooden path, and we enter the meadow.

“What’s that?” Portia squints her eyes.

“A swing bench.” I smile. “I had it put there for you. I knew you would want to come here, though not as soon as today.”

“Oh, Will, you are so perfect.”

“Yeah, I’ve been accused of that before.” I sit on the swing and adjust her on my lap.

“And very modest, too…” She smacks my chest.

“Just realistic.” I grin.

“Too bad our home is not built yet.” Portia rests her head on my shoulder.

We sit in silence for a few minutes listening to the soothing babble of the brook.

“Will, the night I was drunk at your studio. What happened that made you bring me to your home the following day?”

“You said that
The Little Prince
was the only book someone ever read to you,” I say, remembering the sadness that was embedded in her every word that night.

“And?” Her face is expectant.

“
The Little Prince
is also the only book anyone ever read to me.” I smile. “When Dominick came to live with me somehow he had sneaked the book inside his luggage. We were not allowed toys or books, y’know.” I observe the bubbling of the creek for a moment as memories of him flood my mind. “After they dumped him in, they locked the door. I was afraid of Dominick, so I curled in a corner. Dominick opened the book and said, ‘Do you want to see it? There are pictures, and we can make up the stories. But guess what? Soon I will learn to read, and I can read it to you every night.’ He honored his promise and, for years, he read me the book, every single night. I can recite all the words. It’s all committed to memory. Dominick was the only person I had loved, until I met Dan and his family. Yet I could not save him. I don’t believe in coincidence, Portia. When you told me the significance of that particular book, I knew, it was somehow linked to a second chance in my life. I was clueless to what it was, but I took the leap of faith.”

“Saving me was your redemption, Will.”

“I was never the one doing the saving, Portia.” We sit in silence for a while. “You rescued me from an insipid existence.”

“You saved me, Will,” she sighs. “There is a tangible peace in this place,” she murmurs, her head resting against my chest.

“Yeah, you are right.” I smell the gardenia scent of her hair and a shiver runs through my body. How could I ever live without the delicious scent of hers?

“Will, I had a dream before I woke up in the hospital.”

“Yeah…” I stroke her hair and smile when I see the first flakes of snow dancing slowly down and across the field.

“I can only remember tidbits of it. I met with God.” I hear a smile in her voice. “He had very white teeth,” she adds amused. “Anyway, he told me my time here was up, but we would be given a second chance.”

“Thank goodness, he came to his senses,” I murmur against her hair.

“Do you believe it was real, that I met with God?” She glances up, and her eyes are inquisitive.

“Of course, baby, you were in a coma. People have some wild tales after coming out of a coma,” I reassure her.

“He also, told me: ‘Go back and make your other half happy. You two bring a smile to my face. I have waited for you, for so long, I will wait a little more. Right now, seeing you and Will together gives me great joy.’ Then, he hugged me good-bye. I was walking away, and he called to me and said, ‘Hey Portia, don’t doubt your value again. Up here, we are crazy about you. I am happy you chose to be with Will, I really like happy endings.’ Then, he winked at me. Can you believe it? God winked at me.” She is serious, and amused at the same time.

I laugh and kiss Portia’s lips. “Oh, Portia, I have been telling you all along, how precious you are, and it took God himself to say it, so you would believe it?”

“Funny thing is that before, I never thought I was valuable. But now I know deep down that I am.”

“And I will never let you forget,” I whisper in her ear.

We sit, watching the swirls of snow begin to intensify in speed.

“Will, let’s go inside. The doctor said I’m ready to go to Aurora.” She bites her delectable lip.

“Now, you tell me.” I spring up, with her in my arms.

A thin blanket of snow already covers the ground. I glance at the woman I love, tucked safely inside my embrace.

I know Portia is my safe heaven, and I am hers. So, I reach to heavens, and thank God, for creating my other half.

Though a cold wind sweeps through us, I feel warmth embracing us. I know angels have been assigned to care for our safety.

Portia rests her head on my shoulder, her hand wraps around my neck. I smile and stride to our piece of heaven, where we will stay until one day we go to our eternal home.

The End

“I love it up here,” Will whispers in my ear.

“Yeah, this is a remarkable place.” I drink from a bottle of water, and snuggle inside his embrace, which has become my favorite place.

We are at the summit of Sleeping Giant. Hiking has become a family routine at the Miller household. The foliage covers the ground and the autumn air is crisp. Red, yellow, and orange clouds burn on the horizon, matching the color of the trees’ canopies. The sun will be setting soon, and the sight is breathtaking.

With a sigh of contentment, I remember a long time ago when I stared at distant stars and dreamed of having a family. On those days, unknowingly, I endeavored to be happy. But the feelings flooding my heart today are beyond happiness. Today is our two-year anniversary and life with Will is perfect. My lonely past is a distant blur.

Yep, a lot has happened.

After the brief encounter with death, I spent several months in physical therapy. Will delayed the beginning of his classes at Yale until the fall semester, so he could be by my side during my rehabilitation. Finally, I received a clean bill of health. My leg had multiple fractures and the doctors inserted pieces of metal to hold things together. In order to walk again, I had to endure plenty of pain and torture.

Surprisingly, since the accident, my father has faithfully visited me weekly. Yes, I kid you not. He spends Sunday afternoons with us, and then has dinner with us at Dan’s. It took me a while to get used to seeing him eating a burrito. I wonder if Priscilla is upset over him spending so much time with me. It is safe to say, I forgave him. We take long walks together. He looks so broken to me at times, and his eyes are filled with regret. It makes me want to cry. Yeah, I still have a disorder with my tear ducts.

As a wedding gift, Dad paid for the house we built. It is a lovely house, surrounded by a beautiful garden. At first, Will was adamant that it was unnecessary, but I convinced him to accept. Dad is trying to redeem himself and one of the only ways he knows how to is through his money. Side note: Dad and my youngest sister often hike with us. I am incredibly proud of Dad and he has become the greatest patron to Dan’s church.

Dan, who also I call Dad, is delighted that now he can do all the projects he had always dreamed, but had lacked the funds. The latest innovation to the church is a pantry house, to give food to families in need. Guess what? I volunteer there once a week, piling up cans of goods. For real. I am a new and improved woman.

To my greatest disappointment, Stefan refused my offer to move to Connecticut. But I am ecstatic for him. We just finished filming a movie that he wrote and directed, which releases next summer. He is a genius. I am completely biased, but the movie turned out freaking awesome. Critics who have already seen the movie seem to agree with me. Unbelievable, I know. But all the time he spent behind the scenes during filming taught him well.

My life is not perfect, only because I miss Tarry and Niki so much.

Tarry has officially moved to London. He met a French supermodel and they decided to establish their home in Europe, where she does most of her modeling. Whenever he comes to America, he zooms by to see us. He always has a lame excuse that he is too busy with his career to visit more. But I know better. Tarry is deep into drugs and he does not want any confrontation about it.

Last year, Nillie and I staged a drug intervention for Tarry. He went to rehab for a month before checking himself out. He tells me he has since tamed down to almost nothing. But his avoidance of me tells me otherwise.

Niki got married over the spring. Ready for the shocker news? She has a baby. Yeah. She and the horrendous CEO gave birth to the most amazing baby boy. His name is Noah. Nillie has also been distant and isolated in her twenty-six million dollar mansion in the hills of LA.

I am no longer the selfish, self-centered person I once was. But, in all honesty, I wish with all my heart that my friends were near me. They have their lives, just as I have mine. We nurture our friendships the best we can. But it is inevitable that we all move along in different directions. Still, I am broken without them.

Tragically, I never met Tim. Mel’s husband was killed in an ambush, one week prior to his returning home. Ten days after his death, Mel delivered their baby. Ella is gorgeous. She enlightened our lives when darkness tried to reign. Mel is one strong woman. But for the last two years, I have held her in my arms countless times while she wept.

Mel and I became more than friends, we are sisters. She even taught me to knit. Please don’t judge me, but I just freaking love to knit. Want to hear something really cheesy? When I am not working or making love to my husband, I knit for a foundation that benefits underprivileged kids. I possess swift fingers, I might add. A skill that came in handy this week.

“Will, do you know how much I love you?” I spin to face him.

“Well, I have an idea. But why don’t you go ahead and refresh my memory.” He grins.

I open my backpack where we’ve stowed the water bottle and retrieve a small box. “Here, I hope this will help to clarify it. Happy anniversary!” I hand him the package.

He shakes the box, trying to guess what’s inside. “Thank you, baby.” He frowns as his fingers remove the bow, and then rip through the paper.

He gasps when he sees what’s inside. He looks up, seeking my eyes.

“Portia?” he growls.

“Yes, Will. You are going to be a father.” I smile sweetly at the man who means the world to me.

Will swallows hard. His trembling fingers reverently caress the knitted baby shoes. A teardrop rolls down on his cheek. His voice is a low rumble when he finally speaks, “Portia, you are saying that we are having a baby?”

“Yes, Will. I am pregnant. I found out over a week ago. But I waited for our anniversary to tell you.” I answer, a little worried. Will seems in shock.