* * *
"What do you think, baby?" he asked. They were standing in the
middle of an expansive, ceramic-tiled living room, beyond which
panoramic sliding glass doors beckoned to a spacious lanai with a built-in
swimming pool, cabana bathroom, separate dining area and custom-made
grill. A screen-door a few feet behind the pool led across a half-acre of
sturdy saw grass to a beautiful handcrafted dock and boat slip; the
Intracoastal Waterway glistened in the distance.
"Wow! It's absolutely magnificent, Kenny!" she marveled. "Although
I gotta admit, I was a goner from the moment we pulled up in the
driveway!"
She recalled the impressive arches, Roman columns and fairytale
turrets that graced the front of the two-story, five-bedroom home, capped
off with an S-tile roof and three-car garage. Professional landscaping
utilizing bougainvilleas, hibiscus and palm trees of differing varieties
added a warm, finishing touch to this shining example of renowned
Florida architecture.
"Thank you, sweetheart. I'm really excited about it."
"As you should be. You've worked really hard, Kenny. I can't think of
anyone more deserving of a place like this. And I'm sure the kids are
going to love living here, too."
"Well, with the market being the way it is, I figured now was the time
to make my move. I've always wanted to live on the water, though if I
could, I'd buy a place on the beach. But even in a down-market, I couldn't
quite swing that. So, I settled for the Intracoastal." He sighed facetiously.
"Sheesh, you're really slummin' Ken!" They both cracked up.
"C'mon, I want to show you upstairs."
He escorted her to a gorgeous, curving staircase reminiscent of the
Von Trapp family mansion in The Sound of Music. Its marble steps were
partially covered by a thick, mauve carpet while the wraparound balcony
led to spacious bedrooms on either side. Once at the top, Ken opened the
white double doors of the Master bedroom, revealing an exquisite space
that overlooked the dock and patio to the south and the front lawn to the
north.
"Oh, I just love French doors!" Maddy exclaimed, running past the
light oak, king-sized bed. She stepped out onto a large veranda, where a
breathtaking view of sunlight dancing on the water and streaking through
lush, tropical foliage greeted her. "Gosh, it's so private, too! No neighbors
directly across; how nice!"
He came up from behind and slipped his arms around her waist,
igniting a firestorm within.
"Yes, I thought so too," he agreed, nuzzling her neck.
"What a great place to have your morning coffee," she noted, leaning
her head to the side to allow him easier access.
"Mmm-hmm," he murmured. With that, he turned her in his arms
and drew her into another passionate kiss. When they finally came up for
air, he brought their foreheads together and held his hands around her
waist, eliciting infinite memories of similar interludes.
"Madeline, I've missed you so much," he whispered hoarsely.
"I've missed you, too," she barely choked out.
"I never once forgot about you, you know. I read your letter so many
times I could probably recite it verbatim now from memory. God, you
don't know what it did to me." He stopped for a moment, overcome with
emotion.
"Kenny, it was meant to make you feel good," she reminded him
softly. "There were so many things I never said to you, so much I'd left
unfinished. When I thought back to some of the hurtful things I did in
the past, I-"
"Shh," he placed two fingers on her lips. "Listen to me, sweetheart. I
hurt you, too and I am just as sorry for that. For whatever reason, the
timing just wasn't right for us back then."
"That's true in so many ways," she admitted. "You were ready and I
wasn't. I honestly wasn't prepared for someone like you to feel the way
you did about me, and I definitely wasn't ready to be your bride. Ugh,
when I think about how naïve, how frightened I was of life, it astonishes
me. Sure, we could blame other people or outside circumstances, but the
fact is, Kenny, I still had so much growing up to do. I never would've
made you happy then, no matter how much I might've tried."
"It's ok, sweetheart," he gently stroked her face as he spoke.
"Hey," he said when he noticed a tear trickle down her cheek, "This
is all behind us now, right? I'm here, you're here and it's a brand-new
beginning." Maddy nodded her head, unable to utter a sound.
That's when he scooped her into his arms and carried her back inside.
He strode up to the bed and carefully laid her down on top of a fluffy
forest green comforter. Then he picked up a remote control and clicked
on the stereo before climbing in next to her. Soothing love songs filled
the air, enhancing an already emotional exchange.
"Like old times, right?"
His voice was comforting as he took her in his arms and planted a
kiss on her forehead. Maddy laid her head on his chest, unable to
distinguish now between fantasy and reality. Were they really lying here together
or was this just another exquisite visualization exercise? At this point, she didn't
care; all she felt was an overwhelming mixture of gratitude and awe, along
with an intense desire to freeze this moment forever.
Of course, the weighty burden of having to coming clean about all of
the things that had transpired during her personal odyssey of mind, body
and soul development hung over her like a black summer afternoon storm
cloud. She kept thinking back to Ann's strict admonitions about absolute
honesty.
"Maddy? You ok?"
"Yes, I'm just a little shell-shocked, baby. I still can't believe we're
both here like this. It's a miracle."
"I know the feeling, sweetheart. How long has it been since I held
you like this? A lifetime, I think."
"And yet in some ways it feels like yesterday," she sighed.
"Kenny?"
"Yes?"
"There's so much I have to tell you."
"Same here, sweetheart. A few things have happened over the last,
oh, thirteen or so years," he chuckled.
"I'm serious."
"So am I," he agreed. Then, feeling her tense up in his arms, he asked
with genuine concern, "What's the matter, my beautiful Madeline?"
Like an unrestrained dam, the tears began to flow freely, try as she
might to hold them back. Ken held her even tighter though his
continuous efforts to coax an explanation out of her only seemed to
provoke a fresh eruption of tortured emotion. Finally, he decided to
simply remain silent and wait for her as they lay there in the stillness of a
secluded tropical afternoon.