Miles From Home (25 page)
“Can I come in?” he asks. I can see by the look on his face that word has traveled to my former co-workers.
“Sure, come in.” I wave my hand to him and he walks to me with his arms out.
“Maggie, I’m so sorry,” he says, holding me close. “I’m here if you need me. You can fight this, Maggie, I know you can.” He pulls back and looks me in the eyes and I can see the sincerity in his words.
“Josh, you and I both know that it’s pointless. I’m not about to put my family through that. I just want to enjoy what time I have loving my baby girl and my family.” I step back and throw my purse on my shoulder. Josh swallows hard and looks around the room. I can feel the awkwardness between us. When we ended our relationship there were things that were left unsaid, and I feel as if now might be the best time for me to say them. “Thank you for everything, Josh. I wish only good things for you.” I take his face in my hands as he looks up, and I can see there are tears forming in his eyes. “You were so good to me and Ellie and I will never forget that. Neither will Ellie. You deserve so much in life; success, happiness, and love.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and whisper in his ear, “Thank you for loving me enough to let me go, I’ll always love you for that.” I kiss his cheek and walk past him towards the door. Just as I’m about to walk out, Josh turns and smiles. I blow him a kiss and walk down the hallway to the elevators.
Once Sam and I are home I call Aunt Virginia to let her know that Sam will be by to pick Ellie up, but she insists on bringing Ellie herself, so I don’t argue with her. This will be a good time for Sam and me to tell her the news. I’m upstairs putting on a pair of comfortable sweats when Sam wraps his arms around my waist.
“I hope you have something pretty and white to wear on Friday.” I whirl around and look at him, confused. “I’ve made an appointment at the courthouse. Friday will be your wedding day. No arguments.” As we stand silently looking into each other’s eyes, Sam cocks one eyebrow and swats me on my ass. Shocked and speechless, I watch Sam walk out of the room, and I grin as I finish slipping on my shirt. I take a deep breath when I hear Ellie and Aunt Virginia walk through the door. I hurry to finish up the sweet tea I’ve made for us and I set out the baked goods that were a complimentary gift from the bed-and-breakfast. Aunt Virginia hugs me and sits in the chair next to me at the table. Sam joins us after putting a Disney movie in for Ellie and sits across from me. It’s not easy telling your loved ones that your life is slowly coming to an end, but Sam helps to fill in any gaps as I explain everything to her. She’s devastated, but I know she’s strong like my mother was. It’s in their genes.
Later that night, as I watch my aunt drive away, I sit on the front steps in the dark, alone. I haven’t had much time to myself in the last twenty-four hours and I feel the need to just be still and quiet. I listen to the sound of the crickets chirping while a warm breeze washes over me. It’s the small things like this that I’ve taken for granted. I can’t even begin to process the thought of leaving Ellie and Sam. My biggest fear is that they will forget about me, and I know that sounds silly, but it’s still there. I wipe the tears from my eyes and face when I hear the front door open. Sam quietly sits on the step next to me. He reaches for my hand and raises it to his lips, softly kissing the back of my hand. We sit quietly as his small gestures tell me I’m not in this alone.
Over the next three days I find it harder and harder to concentrate on simple tasks, and my phone is constantly ringing with calls from my dad, Sydney, and Aunt Virginia. When I finally forced myself to call my dad, it was heart-wrenching. I know all the memories of how my mother suffered came rushing back into his mind, and he insisted on flying up tomorrow, but I talked him into waiting until things settled down.
Friday morning I wake to the sound of Sam in the shower, singing. I lay there with my eyes closed, listening. It’s a song I’ve never heard him sing. Usually when he’s writing a new song, he always asks my opinion, but this one is new to me. I glance over at the clock and see that it is much earlier than I had expected. Ellie isn’t due to be at school for another three hours and our appointment at the courthouse is later this afternoon. I giggle as an idea pops into my head, and I quickly sit up, removing my tank top and shorts. Then I grab a huge white bow from a box of bows in the closet and tie it around my waist. I jump back into bed before Sam finishes his shower. I hear the door open as I lay sprawled across the bed in hopes of enticing him. I watch Sam walk around the bed out of the corner of my eye, and suddenly feel the bed dip on one side as Sam lies down next to me. I feel his hand caress the side of my face as I lean into him, and his fingers travel down to my waist, to the bow. He slowly pulls the ribbon until it is no longer around me. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him to my lips. As I run my fingers through his wet hair, droplets of water sprinkle my breast while he kisses his way lower. Sam makes his way down between my legs and I spread them, giving him better access. I arch my back when he finds that one spot that makes me throw my head back and whisper his name. “Sam.”
“I love the way you taste,” Sam says, pushing me to the edge of my release.
“Don’t stop. Right there, just stay right there,” I mumble, my body shuddering.
Sam leans over me, looking down. “God, how I love you! You have no idea how my heart races when I look at you.” I pull him against me and he kisses me . . . slow, soft, and with so much passion.
We lie there breathlessly, tangled up in each other’s arms and legs. I hang on to every kiss, every caress, and every unspoken word as we stare into each other’s eyes. I’m not sure how long I will have this, but from this moment on, I promise myself that I will savor every minute with him and not take any of it for granted.
AS I STAND in the small office at the courthouse I can’t keep my eyes off of my two favorite girls. Maggie is in her off-white, ankle-length lace dress and Ellie has on a pink dress with a huge bow in the back. Aunt Virginia stands in the back and she wipes her eyes while Maggie and I promise to love each other, take care of each other, and let nothing stand in the way of those promises. We promise we will always stand side by side today and every day. I slip the band with the three different stones on her finger. This is the first time she has seen it and I couldn’t ask for a better reaction from her. Maggie is in a different world as she holds her hand out and gazes at it.
“Sam.” She leans in and whispers, “My God, you never cease to amaze me. It’s perfect, beyond perfect.”
The judge pronounces us “Husband and Wife” and Maggie looks up at me with tears in her eyes. I cradle her face in my hands and wipe her tears away with my thumbs while I lean down and tenderly kiss her for the first time as my wife. I can hear Aunt Virginia sniffle behind me while Ellie squeals and claps.
I wrap my arms around Maggie’s waist as I lift her off the floor and whisper in her ear. “I love you, Maggie Austin, and don’t you ever forget that.” Maggie nuzzles her face in my neck and lets out a muffled giggle.
Afterwards we celebrate with dinner at The Mansion on Forsyth Park Hotel, as the four of us enjoy a nice quiet dinner. I’m bursting to tell Maggie about what I have planned for our honeymoon. She knows I’ve planned something and she’s been asking me to tell her for the past two days, but I need this to be a surprise and it will be our last week together before I go back out on tour.
I can hear Maggie move around the bedroom while I stand in the closet changing out of my suit. When I come out there are several lighted candles and soft music playing. I am blown away when I see Maggie standing in the doorway of the bathroom as the soft glow of the candles bounce off of the walls. Maggie slowly walks towards me in a red and black corset with thigh-high black stockings and red stilettos. She looks at me with want and desire in her eyes and I scoop her up, carrying her to our bed and slowly removing each piece of clothing. As I untie, unbutton, and unhook each piece of the corset, I feel like I’m unwrapping the most exquisite and precious gift anyone could ever receive. Maggie moans as I slowly caress her flawless skin. I lean down to kiss her shoulder and I breathe in slowly as her scent intoxicates my senses. My skin tingles when Maggie runs her fingers down my back. She softly moans while she arches her back, and I slowly move my fingers through her folds of wetness. My whole body is like one single nerve that sends every pleasurable sensation I can imagine through me. Maggie runs her hands through my hair and down my back. I slowly move over her and position myself between her legs as I slide in with ease. Maggie wraps her legs around my waist while I move in slow methodical movements. Maggie matches each thrust, lifting her hips with each movement, and our eyes lock on one another. I can feel the build of emotion as we both get closer to our release. Our bodies respond to each other like they are one, and when Maggie tightens her legs and arms around me, I hear her scream with passion so pure that it instantly pushes me over the edge.
The next morning Maggie insists we stop by Aunt Virginia’s before catching our flight so we can say goodbye to Ellie. The minute we step into the house, the smell of pancakes fill the air, and Aunt Virginia hurries us into the kitchen for a pre-honeymoon breakfast. As we sit eating and laughing, I can’t help but notice how happy Maggie is. They way her eyes sparkle when she looks at Ellie and how her laugh is infectious fills my heart so much it feels like it might explode. Maggie and Ellie are my whole life, my world, and I can’t think about the inevitable. Most days I don’t even think about how sick Maggie is, mainly because she rarely complains unless the pain is unbareable and to look at her, you would never know it. I know that will change, but for now, I will do everything in my power to make her happy.
When Maggie and I board the small plane, she smiles and nods. “Oh, Sam, you think you can fool me. I know you all too well by now.” She knows where our honeymoon destination is: Hermann, Missouri.
She has no idea how hard it was to get the same cottage we stayed in more than five years ago, but I got it. And for the next five days my plan only includes things that can be done in bed. Maggie looks over at me and smirks as we walk the path towards the small pale-blue cottage. My hand shakes a little when I put the key into the lock and turn it. As we walk in, I can see nothing has changed; same woodsy smell, plaid curtains, and that leather chair. The same one I sat in so many years ago. The same one I sat in and watched Maggie sleep as I slowly fell in love with her. Maggie sits on the edge of the bed, facing me, and the look on her face has me a little confused and worried.
“Maggie? What’s wrong?” I kneel down in front of her with my hands on her thighs. She swallows hard and looks away as the tears slide down her cheek.
“I feel as if my life is like an hourglass, and it’s glued to a table and all the sand is quickly running out.”
I quickly fight back any emotions as I place both hands on her face and look her in the eye. “Stop this, Maggie. Don’t worry about the future, or even the past. Concentrate on right now. Just us in this very moment.” I wrap my arms around Maggie and pull her to me as I let her cry.
Later that evening we venture out and walk to the café. It had been completely redecorated, but the menu is the same good home-cooked food. Maggie watches me as I look around and fixate my eyes on the booth by the window, the same one that we sat in the first day we met. Sometimes I feel like it was luck meeting Maggie, but I know it was fate. Two people don’t fall in love so quickly and deeply without some kind of celestial help. Every day I thank those forces that put us in each other’s paths.
Maggie seems to be feeling more upbeat as we walk hand in hand through the small Midwestern town. I just hope I didn’t make a mistake bringing her here. I wanted it to be something positive for both of us, not to relive any regrets, and I want this to be a memory we both will never forget. Just as we come to the park in the center of town, I point towards the darkened sky. There above the park, two glowing lanterns slowly floating across the sky. Maggie squeezes my hand as she watches them glow as they drift, I gaze at her as she smiles. I have Tilly to thank for arranging this for me.