“I’m sorry to hear it.” Everett accepted the houseplant, which sat in a small, wicker basket. “Thanks for the plant.”
“Oh, you’re welcome. I would have baked you a cake instead, but I’m a terrible cook,” Melba said with a pleasant chuckle. “Yes, indeed. One of my floppy cakes is no way to meet and greet a new neighbor, I always say.” She titled her head as she took in a deep breath. “But I also stopped by to tell you Sam Wentworth, next door to me, is in the hospital with a broken wrist. Sam should be fine in no time, but I just wanted you to know. We all keep up with each other around here.”
Everett thought maybe he should help in some way. “Should I go and see Sam. . .in the hospital?”
“Oh, no need to go right now. Lark is there. But it’s nice of you to ask. You know, you’re going to fit in really well here, Everett. Yes, indeed.”
Once Melba had gone, her words still clung to him.
No need to go. Lark is there.
If there were ever a problem or a need, Lark would always be there because she was the kindest, most generous human being he’d ever known. Not to mention a woman with the sweetest kisses.
Now that Lark had gone to the hospital for a visit, the neighborhood did seem quiet.
Too quiet.
He missed her electric guitar adding her own wild additions to his classical music—two very distinct genres of music, yet they meshed in some strange and wonderful way.
Just like we do.
Everett fell on his bed, exhausted from an overload of feelings. He gazed at the moonlike ceiling. He’d thought of himself as such a rock, but Lark had managed to tenderly smash his indomitable mind-set with her dainty, velvet mallet. One week in the shadow of those intense eyes and he was toast. Worthless to do anything but love her.
The fact remained, Lark would always be an artist-type with a grin brimming with impetuosity—a real loose cannon with some zany added to the fuse. But Lark was also the dearest woman he’d ever met.
The only question that could possibly remain is—should I marry her?
Everett drifted in and out of sleep all night. In the morning, he awakened sweaty and tangled in his bedding as if he were Scrooge waking up from a horrific night of time travel. As his dreams gained clarity in his mind, Everett realized he’d indeed been like Scrooge—stingy with his money
and
with his feelings.
In one of his nightmares, he’d seen his epitaph:
Here lies Everett Moss Holden III, a miserly bean counter, survived by no one.
He’d tried to run, but as in most night terrors, it became impossible to even move a muscle. He’d thought,
No. I don’t want to grow old alone. I want to give more—love more. Well, at least all my nightmares finally have some good use.
He knew now his life needed some modifications.
Everett rose from his bed and sat down at the kitchen table to write out his apology to Marty. When he’d finished pouring out his thoughts onto the paper, he tore up the letter and decided to talk to his brother straight from the heart. He gazed into the living room at the piano.
Who knows? Maybe a dose of forgiveness and some music will ease my nightmares and headaches.
He took a stroll to the coffee table to pick up Lark’s photo. He smiled as his hand went to his heart. Everett vowed that after he made all things right with his brother, he would take care of some business next door, as well. Maybe he’d even utilize a little spontaneity again. “Okay, Larkspur Wendell, prepare to be dazzled.”
Lark woke up thinking about Everett, and she wondered how a creative God planned on working out all the messy details of their lives.
She smacked her lips. “Oww.” Her mouth felt like a litter of dust bunnies had played all night in there. And had she aged ten years overnight? How in the world had she made it past age thirty without needing coffee in the morning? Suddenly she wanted some.
A large amount. Right now.
After two large mugs of French roast and a visit to her tire swing, Lark made her way up to her studio loft. She was eager to squeeze some fresh oils onto her pallet and load her camel-hair brush with paint, but she knew the sketch on her canvas still lacked something she couldn’t quite grasp. The balance still looked off, and there was no intrigue. No
joie de vivre
. But maybe God would give her the inspiration she needed today.
As she stared at her canvas, Lark detected a movement out of the corner of her eye. She looked down into her neighbor’s backyard. Everett appeared to be putting up a birdfeeder. He dropped the huge thing on his toe and then hopped around in pain as seed spilled everywhere in his backyard. Lark gasped, wanting to help him. Everett patiently refilled the container, hung it up on the tree limb, and then sprinted back down the steep hill to his house.
Why is he running? What is he up to?
Lark looked back at her work. Maybe she just needed some sugar reinforcement.
Jellybeans. Yes.
Lark glanced into her big glass bowl.
Empty!
Okay. Calm.
There was plenty of backup licorice in the desk drawer. She pulled out two sticks and let them hang out of her mouth as she chewed. Before long, she had both pieces consumed.
Mmm.
Creativity flowed more easily on a sugar high.
Did I hear the doorbell?
Everett?
Lark dropped her pencil in the jar and trotted down her spiral staircase to open the door.
“Skelly. How are you?” Lark tried not to show her disappointment.
He had a funny expression as he touched his lips. “Uhh. You’ve got—well, your lips and mouth area sort of look gray. Are you okay?”
Lark thought for a moment and laughed. “I’ve been on a licorice binge.”
“Oh.” Skelly grinned. “I don’t have time to come in, but I had some news. Jeremy made me a formal offer to be the chef at the church. It’s not a lot of money, but I think I would like it. What do you think?”
“Yes, it’s perfect. What a God-gift.” Lark hugged Skelly, noticing he’d put on some fresh clothes and he had a faint smile on his lips.
“And the Valentine’s banquet is coming up, and I’d like you to play that song you entitled ‘Rose,’ ” Skelly said. “Would you?”
“I’m a little rusty,” Lark said. “Maybe you can sing harmony with me.”
“You bet.” A shadow passed over his face. “You know, I think my taking this job would please Rose. I thought maybe she’d be upset with me if I sort of just wasted away down here. Maybe she’d want me to do something more useful than just throwing pots and pans.”
Lark smiled. “I think Rose would be very proud of you. Just as I am.”
“You gave me the courage to do this. I guess what I really came over to say this morning was. . .thank you.” Skelly wiped his eyes.
They hugged again, and then Skelly hurried down the stone walk but this time with purpose in his step.
What a difference a week can make.
Skelly mentioned the word courage. In fact, that word had been popping up a lot lately. Lark glanced up and noticed the bracelet Calli had given her. It sat on the entry table as a reminder of her pledge. How odd to push Everett toward bravery, and yet she didn’t have the guts to follow through with her promise to Calli. She slipped the delicate pearls on her wrist. Such lustrous beads from the stress and strain of humble creatures. Something so lovely coming from so much pain. Life was just that way sometimes. For Everett and for her and for everyone.
Well, she certainly couldn’t force Everett to fall in love with her. She could only apologize for her rambunctious spirit, love him, and pray for him. In the meantime, she would follow the path the Lord had made clear. What had Calli said? “Your art is a gift from God, and He expects you to share it.”
Lark nodded as she headed toward the kitchen. After all, how could she encourage others to follow their dreams when she kept hers at a safe distance? She wondered how she’d allowed such a large facet of her life to become so weak and cowardly. Was it from being an only child? Too pampered growing up? Or had she known too much success too soon, and now she secretly required all life-journeys to be easy?
Whatever the reason, the time had come
.
Lark pulled out the kitchen drawer that contained the small directory of galleries—a list she’d been avoiding for a long time.
Today, I will follow through with my future, even if it doesn’t include Everett.
Her last thought gave her some real heartache, but she knew she would keep her pledge no matter what happened. Lark blew out a puff of air. She reached for a backup package of licorice from the pantry and stuck two more twists in her mouth.
On the other hand,
she thought,
maybe when Everett put up the birdhouse, it was a sign of change.
The doorbell rang again.
Everett?
This time a shy-looking stranger stood on her porch. He stuttered a bit and then handed her a huge bouquet of lavender roses. She thanked him with a tip and a hug. He looked at her funny, blushed profusely, and scuttled back to his van. Lark opened the card. It read,
I am a lone vase, and you are the bright flowers that fill it. Affectionately, Everett. P.S. All is well between Marty and me now, thanks to God and a little neighbor lady I know.
Guess it’s my turn to cry.
Lark kissed the card as she blinked away the tears. She looked up at the Almighty and thanked him for helping Everett. If he had ever been on the same road as her old professor, Dr. Norton, he certainly wasn’t now.
Then Lark got an idea, but this time she knew it wouldn’t muddle anyone’s life, another step to being more responsible in all areas of her life. She finally realized what had been missing on the canvas in her studio. The young woman had been alone in her garden. She’d been content and had even donned a faint smile on her lips, but the path to the garden had also been empty. If Lark sketched in a gardener coming up the path toward the young woman with his hands full of lavender roses, people would be moved. Well, at least Lark knew she would be stirred by the scene.
Yes. Two people, poles apart, coming together for a lifetime. Loving each other even when everything seemed against them.
Lark put the roses in a vase and trotted up the stairs to her loft. Once she’d sketched in the gardener, it would complete her vision for the painting. And she prayed it would be her finest.
Just as she reached for her pencil, the doorbell rang again. This time about ten times in a row.
I’m coming. I’m coming. Couldn’t be Everett. He would never ride the doorbell like that.
A deliveryman the size of a grizzly bear, spewing some pretty creative adjectives, handed her a big box with a lavender bow.
She accepted the gift and handed the man a tip, but he continued to stand there as if he were waiting for something else. Surely he didn’t want to know what was in the box.
Isn’t this supposed to be a private moment?
Oh well. Maybe he was friendless and never got any presents. So Lark decided to rip open the box in front of him. She never could open boxes with dignity and patience. In fact, she felt like some squealing was in order when she tore back the tissue paper and gazed at the gift inside—a starched, white shirt all folded up neatly. She pulled the shirt out of the box and laughed.
Everett
actually remembered what I said.
“Must be a private joke of some kind,” the man said.
“Yeah. It is.” She pulled out the card and read it out loud. “I was never good at giving gifts to women. Until now. You inspire me! Yours, Everett.”
The big guy nodded. “That’s real nice.”
Did he actually sniffle?
“Well, have a good day,” the man said, giving her the same strange look as the other delivery guy. He lumbered off the porch and back into his flow of delivering objects of importance from one life to another. Lark recognized his lonesomeness and breathed a prayer for him.
Immediately on shutting the door, Lark put the shirt on over her sweats.
Nice. Crisp and fresh.
Then she reminded herself not to paint in it.
The doorbell rang again.
Boy, maybe I should just prop the door open with my shoe.
This time the delivery guy was a teenaged girl from one of the local grocery stores. “Hi. Are you a”—she stopped to look at the clipboard—“a Larkspur Camellia Wendell?”
“That’s me.”
“This is for you then.” The girl handed her the box. “We don’t usually do deliveries, but I offered to come. I already know what it is. I made up the box a few minutes ago.”
The young woman looked desperate to tell her what she knew. “Okay,” Lark said. “So what’s inside the box?”
“S’mores. Can you believe it?” The young woman went at her gum like a cow chewing in fast motion. “I mean, guys used to call the flower shops and have flowers delivered, you know what I mean? Now they call the grocer for cheap candy, marshmallows, and graham crackers. I mean, hello? How cheapo is that?”
“I think it’s perfect.” Lark handed the teenager a tip.
The young woman motioned to her mouth. “Well, I sure hope you love this guy is all I have to say.” The girl’s grin showed almost all her teeth. She walked off, still chatting. “Men. It’s like they don’t get it. They’re from Pluto. Or is it Mars?”
Okay, that was a semi-weird encounter.
In spite of the cold weather, Lark left the door open this time. Just in case Everett showed up as her next surprise. She opened the box with one tearing sweep. Sure enough, inside the box were all the makings for s’mores as well as a few packages of cocoa. She read the card that came along with the gourmet s’mores.
Please invite me to your church. I’ll bet you’ll get a different answer this time.
He’d signed it,
Love, Everett.
Lark did a little jig. Guess she had a few things to share with Calli.
But when Lark pulled the goodies out of the box, two folders fell out. She opened them.
Oh my, my, my. Two airline tickets to Paris? I can’t believe it. No wonder the delivery girl was grinning from ear to ear when she walked away.
At that thought, the man of her dreams, who also happened to be the boy next door, came striding up the walk wearing a tux. When Everett arrived at the front door, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her before she could even let out a single thank you. And among kisses, it had to be a ten. What Lark would really call a crying-in-your-popcorn, chick-flick kind of kiss, intended to make all the females in the audience cry a river. “You are so
my
guy. I guess this means you forgave me for all my impetuous meddling. My silly games.”
Everett pulled away for a moment. “Well, what happened with my brother was long overdue.”
“But I am sorry.”
“You are forgiven.” Everett picked her up and kissed her. “By the way, did I get it right? The romantic thing?” he asked with a bashful grin.
“Oh, you got it
very
right.”
Everett tugged on the tail of her starched shirt. “I like your shirt.”
“Me, too.” Lark cocked her head at him. “Hey, you must have been taking a crash course in romance lessons.”
“Not really. I think it was all there. Just didn’t want to waste it on all the wrong women.” Everett grinned.
“But Paris?” Lark shook her head.
“Tres bon!”
“Well, since you’re learning the language and all.” He shrugged and grinned.
Mist stung Lark’s eyes. “I’ve never been to Paris before, but I’ve always wanted to go.” She let out a big breath of air.
“And of course, there is the Louvre in Paris,” Everett said. “I thought you might have a bit of interest there.”
“Interest? The paintings! The sculpture!” Lark bit her lower lip. “I’ve dreamed of going there ever since I was a little girl. I suppose that’s why I’ve been learning the language. But I’m not sure why I’ve never gone.”
Everett pulled her to him. “Because you were waiting to see it all with me.”
“Yes. I suppose that’s it, and I just never knew it, until now. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather share Leonardo’s
Mona Lisa
with than you.” Lark absorbed all the love of the moment. In fact, she felt certain this very scene would wind up in a painting someday. “Thank you so much.” Lark kissed him again, just to make sure the moment was real. “By the way, you look very fine in your tux. Are you wearing it for any particular reason?”
“I wanted to ask you out tonight. . .only I wanted to do it in style since I’m taking you to the Whitestone Bistro on Beaver Lake.”
“Really?” Everyone in the area knew Whitestone was
the
restaurant for serious romance.
Everett looked down at her lips and grinned. “Your lips are extra sweet, but they are the color of my tux.”
Color of his tux?
His tux was gray. Lark pulled back in horror. She glanced in the mirror. She’d forgotten that her lips were tinged dark gray from eating licorice sticks. Lark laughed. “And you still
kissed
me? So that explains why the delivery people kept looking at me funny.”
Everett threw his head back in laughter.
Lark liked the way he looked down into her eyes with such tender love. “I got your note about Marty.”
Everett shared all the revelations of the night. Then Lark’s heart soared with joy when he told her of his apologies to his brother and their reconciliation. “I’m so happy for you both.” She squeezed his hand.
“Oh,” Everett said. “And I discovered some essentials.”
“And what are those?” Lark kissed him on the chin.
“Well, the important stuff can’t be found in the hard drive of a computer, but right here.” He lifted her hand up to his heart. “Do you want to know what else I see?”
Lark nodded. “Yes, I do.”
“I see you and what you are to me,” Everett said. “My
joie de vivre
. . .my sweetness of life.”