Exquisite (22 page)

“I can’t go there Mason.”

He reached down and took her hand
in his. “Why not?”

“I can’t bare the thought of her
alone and cold in the ground.”

“You know she isn’t there Lena.”
pausing he tugged her close to him and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“Graves are for the living. My mother always told me that a cemetery isn’t for
the people who’ve died. It’s a place for the living to go and visit them. She
always likened it to a resort.” he laughed a little at that, “Just one they
never check out of.”

Lena smiled,that did sound like
Catherine.

“I didn’t want to go and visit my
dad’s grave when he passed.” Mason said softly. “It took me a couple of months
then finally I went and you know what? I have some of the best conversations
I’ve ever had with him right there. In fact, he knows all about a certain
stubborn doctor that I’m crazy about.”

“You’re crazy period.” she tapped
his chest playfully feeling freer than she ever had. “Don’t try to blame me for
that.”

“Well you certainly haven’t helped
my sanity Dr O’Donnell. Come on. You’re a smart educated woman, why don’t you
let me take you to visit your sister?”

Lena felt her heart clench but then
relax as she watched a smile spread across his face. “After all you need to
introduce me. She’ll be impressed you’re finally dating.”

Mason watched her closely wondering
how far she was willing to go today. She nodded and asked softly. “Can I get
another flower? That one looks a little bit sad.”

He tugged her over to where the
other flowers were. She reached in and grabbed one then turned to face him.
“Thank you.”

“Why are you thanking me Lena?” he
reached out stroking her cheek, “You would’ve gone eventually.”

“Maybe, maybe not, but it’ll be
easier with you there.”

“In that case you’re welcome.” he
took the apron off then folded it placing it on the bench. He pulled his jacket
down off the coat rack shrugged it on and took her hand.

“My car’s out back. Lets go.”

Lena sat silently with Mason in his
car. They’d pulled up to the cemetery around twenty minutes ago and she was
trying to gather the courage to get out and cross the lawn to where she knew
her sister was buried. She knew the address and plot by heart, after all she’d
been sending flowers to her for years. She could see a row of bright yellow
flowers lining the head and foot of a grave two rows back and three plots in.
She almost laughed at that thought, it was like a chess board. Taking a deep
breath she opened the door. When she stepped out and closed it behind her she
heard a second door shut and knew Mason had also stepped out of the car. She
didn’t look over to him, just stood there looking over at the bright yellow
flowers that beckoned to her. Finally she felt him stop beside her and lean
back against the car.

“It looks amazing Lena. She has the
brightest happiest spot in this whole place.”

Lena turned to look at him and he
smiled back.

“It positively glows with
happiness.”

She blinked then looked back over
to the spray of flowers. Silently she held her hand out to him and not a moment
later she felt him slide his into hers. Taking a step forward she felt her shoe
sink into the moist grass. Keeping her eyes on the yellow flowers she made her
way toward them. Mason was right beside her holding her hand tight. Keeping her
steady, keeping her strong. She noticed there were four tall glass vases at the
foot of the grave and four across the top in front of the headstone. Each one
held three bright sunflowers all staring up at her and the sun.
Happy to be
alive.
Catherine must’ve added the vases, and right at this moment she
would’ve done anything to wrap her arms around the lady who was such an amazing
woman, and who’d touched her life. Not only had she been her one constant over
the last nine years but also for raising such an amazing man as the one who’d
come to a silent stand still beside her. Looking over at him she did something
she never would have expected, she smiled. She watched as his beautiful smile
moved onto his own lips and those dimples of his appeared. Then she turned to
look down at the grave in front of her and stated plainly.

“Cute isn’t he.”

That had been the last thing Mason
had expected to come out of her mouth. He didn’t say anything though as he let
her hand go and watched her walk around to the top of the grave. She sat down
on the grass and placed her hand where the head would lay and stroked her
fingers over it. Reaching out she moved two of the glass vases over to one side
of the headstone then she got up and did the same to the other side. Then she
went back and sat back down. He could now read the engraving on the headstone.

Carly
Brianne O’Donnell

May
12th 1983 – March 22nd 2001

Beloved
daughter of

Ewan
& Alannah O’Donnell.

Loved
and cherished sister of

Magdalena
O’Donnell

“She
took in all the wonders of life,
wrapped them in a colorful package
and gave it to us. She will be greatly missed.”

“Sorry it took me so long to get
here.” he heard Lena say softly. That was his sign to leave.

Lena stroked her hand over the soft
grass. “I wasn’t sure how I’d feel coming here. Silly I know. I’m always sure
about everything right? Not this time though. There are so many things I want
to tell you, but I can’t think of them all right now.” pausing she frowned and
tried to think of what she’d tell her if she was standing right in front of her
after nine years of being away.

“I’m a doctor now. See? All that
studying finally paid off. I’m a pediatrician down at St Luke’s hospital.
Remember where we took you that time you broke your arm?” she laughed a little
at that.

“The time mom didn’t believe you?
Yeah well that’s where I work. I love it, it makes me feel peaceful, which is
kind of crazy because most of the time it’s insane there. I wonder what you
would’ve ended up doing?”

Looking around at the flowers she
felt herself smile. “You’re right you know. These flowers are happy to be
alive. Or maybe they’re just happy to be close to you.”

Slowly she laid down resting her
head on the grass. She could smell that fresh cut smell that always use to
remind her of summer and sighed before whispering.

“I wasn’t ready for you to leave
me. I’m so sorry Carly.” she felt a tear fall down her cheek. She smiled as she
lay there. “Do you remember me telling you I’d take you to see Dave Matthews
Band if you’d stop playing their CD for a whole week, because you played them
to death? I couldn’t stand them because of you. Well I have a confession to
make. I’m kind of obsessed with them now because I took your CD, but I never
did go to their concert. It just wouldn’t have been the same without you.”

Lena found herself humming as she
lay there on the ground one of Carly’s favorite songs. She broke off at the end
and reached up wiping away a tear. Standing she brushed her hands on her legs.

“Before I go.” she grinned and
leaned down to whisper, as though she was telling her a secret. “I think I’m in
love.”

M
ason was feeling pretty happy with himself when
he walked into the hospital the next day. Although yesterday evening had been
difficult he felt as though he was one step closer to understanding how Lena
ticked. Making his way to his mother’s hospital room he stopped and watched her
as she lay sleeping. His mother meant the world to him. He didn’t really know
what he’d do if something happened to her. It’d been hard losing his father a
few years ago but he’d been sick, and they’d known he was going to pass and
he’d made sure they all knew he was at peace with himself and everything he’d
leave behind. Granted that still didn’t make it easier to deal with but at
least when they were gone you knew they weren’t suffering and they were finally
at rest. His mother on the other hand had nothing wrong with her as far as he
was aware, and the heart attack had shook him to his very core. After watching
Lena yesterday fall apart in his arms he had to admit he didn’t know how he
would’ve coped if his mom hadn’t made it. He moved into the room quietly and as
he made his way around to the chair by her bed he saw her open her eyes. A
smile lit up her face and she held her arms out to him. He walked over and
hugged her tight.

“Mason.” she said softly, “It’s so
good to see you.”

He sat on the bed beside her
reaching out to take her hand. She squeezed his lightly and smiled over at him.
“How’s my young Casanova?”

Groaning he rolled his eyes then
grinned at her, “Not you too.”

Laughing she patted his hand, “And
why not me? I’m you’re mother I get to call you whatever I like. Although I
must admit I don’t really like the fact that you’re dating all these women.”

Shaking his head he laughed softly.
“I’m not dating
all
these women mom.”

He paused then grinned and raised
his eyebrows at her. “In fact. I’m only dating one woman and you know her very
well.”

“Lena?” she asked quickly, “You and
Lena?”

Nodding he got off the bed and
walked over to the window looking out at the sidewalk below. “Yeah. I’m shocked
too. I took her to see her sister yesterday.” he told her and watched as his
mom’s mouth opened a little then shut.

“Wow.”

“I know.” he said softly. “It was
an amazing moment for us mom. What you did with her flowers, were beautiful.”

His mother blinked and it looked as
though tears were forming in her eyes. Funny, Lena had been crying over her
just the day before, and as he stood there looking at her he decided it was
time they were all in the same room together.

“She’s been coming to me for nine
years and every time she paid me for the flowers I’d ask her to come with me to
see Carly.” she shook her head slowly, “Every time she said no. Mason please be
careful love.”

Smiling he walked over and leaned
down to kiss her forehead. “I am being careful mom. Don’t worry I wont break
her heart.”

Smiling sadly she reached up to cup
his cheek, “It’s not hers I’m worried about.”

Standing up he nodded slowly, “I
know she’s difficult mom. I know she has more problems than I even know what to
do with
or
how to deal with and I’m pretty sure they all stem from
losing her sister, but yesterday we came so far. She let me inside.” He gave
her a goofy smile. “I sound like a schmuck.”

Laughing she shook her head, “No
dear, you sound happy.”

“Would you mind if I go get her?
I’d love to finally have us all in the same room, and I’m fairly certain if I
don’t go and get her she’ll be up here a little later anyway.”

“Why would I mind dear? Go get your
girl.”

He turned and walked out the door,
oh
he planned to.

Lena had just walked into the break
room after finally finishing up with her rounds this morning. She’d managed to
co ordinate a break during her day right when Shelly could. So now they were
both sitting down for lunch. Pulling out her incredibly boring ham and cheese
sandwich Lena peered over to her friends plate.

“Lasagna, really? Do you have to
bring a good lunch every day?”

Shelly lifted her fork to her mouth
then chewed and nodded. “You’ve been around me when I’m hungry. It’s not
pretty.”

“That’s true.” Lena agreed taking a
bite from her sandwich.

“You okay today?” Shelly asked
around another mouthful.

Lena’s eyes came up to meet her
friends. “Yeah. Why?”

“You seem different. Quieter than
usual, but more relaxed.” grinning Shelly sat back, “Is Mason keeping you nice
and relaxed Lena?”

Rolling her eyes she cursed the
fact that she could never keep things from Shelly. So of course that had meant
she’d come into work today and told her everything that had happened, in the
flower shop that is. She hadn’t yet found it in her to talk about their little
excursion. That was still to new, still to life altering, to divulge just yet.

“No we haven’t,
done
,
anything since a week or so ago. I told you that. We just talked yesterday.”
then with a grin Lena added, “No touching.”

“Pssh! Yeah well I don’t know what
to believe because you told me all about what happened when you both decided
with the no touching rule.”

Lena was about to reply when Brandy
knocked on the door then hurried in. She came around and stopped beside the
table. “Dr O’Donnell?”

Looking up, at her skittish receptionist,
she raised a brow. “Yes Brandy?”

“Ah you have a visitor.”

Frowning Lena looked at Shelly then
shrugged. “Can’t they come back? I’m on lunch.”

“Well yes I asked him that, but he
insisted that I come and tell you ahh that Casanova is here?”

Lena felt a huge smile break out
over her face and she actually burst out laughing. Shelly’s mouth fell open and
she dropped her arm down with her folk in it. Brandy looked back and forth
between the two of them.

“Casanova huh?” Shelly asked with
an arched brow, “Doesn’t think to highly of himself now does he?”

Still laughing Lena reached for a
napkin and wiped her face. She was just about to answer when she heard.

“I didn’t pick the name myself,
just so you know.”

Mason watched as three heads turned
to face him standing in the door. Sure, the little assistant had told him to
wait at her desk, but he’d heard Lena laughing and decided to take a chance and
walk on back. He knew she’d get a kick out of the nickname and was happy to see
her sitting there grinning like a fool.

“Ah I told him to wait at my desk.”
he heard the little assistant sputter.

Lena kept her eyes on him and said
softly. “ I’m sure you did. He doesn’t listen very well.”