Heroes Never Die (7 page)

Stephanie waited for a few minutes, with no one saying anything.  Then she glanced at Brian.  He shrugged his shoulders.  Then her dad spoke.  “You crazy lovebirds,” he groaned as his mouth began to bend at the corners.  “You have my blessing.”

And the champagne went “Pop!”

Chapter Five:

One week remained before the wedding.  As Stephanie packed for her honeymoon, she noticed the étagère holding her dolls and stuffed animals.  She slowly reached for the doll that had been her childhood companion and fondly stroked its hair.  Then she suddenly realized that she was leaving the only security she had ever known and she began to feel panicky.  I can’t go through with this.  She threw herself across the bed, hugged her doll close to her chest, and cried with loud sobs.  She heard her dad’s familiar footsteps on the stairs.  Moments later, she heard a tap on the door.  “May I come in?”  The doorknob twisted open and then she heard her dad walking toward the bed.  “What’s wrong, Stephanie?” he asked as he sat down on the bed beside her.  “Did you and Brian have an argument?”  She shook her head no.  “Then what?” he pressed.

Stephanie wondered whether he would understand.  She sat up and threw her arms around him.  “I never want to leave you, Daddy.”  She could feel his hand brushing her hair while he gently rocked her in his arms.  His hands were soothing, his embrace calming, and she felt safe again.  I want you to hold me for the rest of my life.

Stephanie’s sobs turned to quiet whimpers.  Robert lifted her chin and looked deeply into her eyes.  “You, young lady, have a classic case of the prenuptial jitters.”  She frowned at him.  His diagnosis was too simple to explain all of her pain.  “You’re running blindfolded into unknown territory and it’s scary.  Everyone goes through it.”

She wanted to cling to her security.  “You’re right, Dad.  I am scared.  But why shouldn’t I be?  Look what I found,” she said as she nodded toward the nightstand.  “A picture of Kyle.  Do you see what he wrote?  ‘Stephanie’,” she mocked in a deep voice, pretending to talk like Kyle.  ‘I will love you forever.’  “Forever isn’t very long, is it, Dad?”  She began to whimper again.  “What if wedding vows are nothing but a big farce?  What if Brian…”

“Brian isn’t like Kyle,” he interrupted.  “And I’m confident he’ll be good to you.  Even so, there are going to be a lot of unknown obstacles in your marriage, but those obstacles are what will cause you and Brian to draw even closer together.  Before you know it, you’ll be clinging to each other instead of to the things that used to make you happy.”

Stephanie’s spirits were beginning to lift.  Still, the thought of leaving her dad crushed her.  “And you know what?” he asked with a consoling smile.  “I’ll always be here for you.”

She let out one last whimper.  “You promise?”

“I’ve never broken a promise yet, and I’m not about to start.”

Stephanie looked into his eyes.  She suddenly felt able to meet every challenge in her new life with Brian.  “I’m sorry for the outburst, Dad.  It’s just that I’m exhausted.  I still have so much to do before the wedding.  Brian’s family is coming in tomorrow and I’m nervous about meeting them.  I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in days because my mind won’t stop racing.”

“I want you to come downstairs with me so I can give you a mild sedative.  It will help take the edge off so you can get some rest.  It’s also time for the world news and I don’t want to miss it.”

“Oh, great, the world news.  Like I don’t feel bad enough?”

“Come on, Critter.  I just want to hear the headlines.  Then I’ll turn it off so we can talk.”

“Critter?  You promised you’d stop calling me that!  Please don’t tell Brian that was your pet name for me.  He’ll never let me live it down.”  She saw the devious twinkle in his eyes.  He was so guilty.  “You already did, didn’t you?”  Stephanie watched him race out of the room.  It’s a good thing I love you, Dad.

***

Stephanie snuggled up to her dad in the family room.  She glanced up at him.  As usual, he was watching the world news with acute interest, so she turned her focus to the TV.

The commentator delivered the grim report with a sober face.  “The war between Iran and Iraq is heating up tonight as Russian-backed Iraqi troops continue to pound the Iranian border with massive artillery.  The Iranian government has reported heavy casualties to both civilian and military life.  It now appears as though Iraq will be able to keep its vow to take Tehran.  Just how far will this war go?  Fred Peterson is live in Saudi Arabia to give us an up-to-date report.”

The television flashed to a live picture of Fred Peterson standing inside a military base in Saudi Arabia.  Fred began, “The recent developments here in Saudi Arabia are just as grim as the war between Iran and Iraq.  Tonight there are rumors that King Abdullah Hamid will close his military base to American forces.  White House and top Pentagon officials are scrambling to find out why King Hamid has suddenly changed his foreign policy.  Their only hope is to bring King Hamid to the bargaining table.  Without this strategic military base, it will be virtually impossible for the United States to intervene in the Iran-Iraq war.  And the life-blood of oil flowing to the western world would cease…This is Fred Peterson, reporting live from Saudi Arabia.”

Stephanie was feeling the calming effect of the sedative, and she was not alarmed by the report.  Disruptions in the Persian Gulf were nothing new; besides, the war was in a distant land, and she was in the safety of her home snuggled up close to her brawny dad.

Chapter Six:

Today was Stephanie’s wedding day, the most special day of her life.  She and her maid-of-honor, Kaitlyn McFadden, were dressed in silk undergarments as they lay upon Stephanie’s bed and leaned against the headboard on fluffy pillows.  Stephanie wiggled her toes.  “Don’t you just love our pedicures?” she asked as she took a sip of her mimosa.  “I think we picked the right shade of red, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Kaitlyn said as she waved her hand in the air to show off her manicure as though she were a beauty queen.  “I thought I would die laughing when the manicurist said the shade was called, ‘I’m in the Mood for Love.’  It’s a good sign, Steph.  You’re starting out right.”

Stephanie giggled and let out a dreamy sigh.  “I didn’t think I could ever be this happy, Kaitlyn, but I am.  Brian is the most wonderful man in the world.  Just the thought of being with him makes my skin sizzle.”

“Wow, the nail polish is really doing the trick.  Down girl!”

Stephanie screamed with laughter.  “I think the mimosas are doing the trick.  Pour me one more, will you?”

Kaitlyn crawled over Stephanie’s body to reach the pitcher of mimosas on the nightstand while balancing her own mimosa as she did.  She caught her long golden-brown hair under her knee and then she buckled on top of Stephanie.  Kaitlyn burst out laughing.  “Help me, Steph.  I’m stuck!”

Stephanie thought Kaitlyn’s predicament was the funniest thing she had ever seen.  The more Kaitlyn struggled, the more distorted her body looked.  They both laughed so hard that Stephanie could feel the bed shaking.  Then Kaitlyn tumbled off of the bed, head first, and onto the floor.  Stephanie gasped.  “Are you okay?”

Kaitlyn finally peeked up over the edge of the mattress, holding her mimosa high in the air.  “Saved it!”  And they burst out laughing again.  Stephanie reached out for her hand and pulled her back into bed.

Kaitlyn was finally able to stop laughing.  “I miss our college days, Steph.  Those were the best days of my life.”

“We sure had fun, didn’t we?”  Stephanie agreed.  “Promise we won’t lose touch?”

“Promise.  And I want you to be my maid-of-honor when I get married--well, matron-of-honor now.  I’m very happy for you, Steph.  Oh, and before I forget, I want you to open your wedding present.”

“Present?  You know how much I love presents!”

Stephanie watched Kaitlyn slide off of the bed, feet first this time.  She walked over to the corner of the room, opened her duffel bag, and pulled out a small rectangular box wrapped in beautiful ribbons.  She returned to the bed and slid in next to Stephanie.  “This gift is in tribute to the only girl I know who set off a smoke detector by using the microwave.  Here you go, Steph.  I hope you and Brian really enjoy it.”

“I have no idea what it could be,” she beamed as she pulled back the beautiful violet ribbons.  “The ribbons match my wedding colors.  You are so thoughtful, Kaitlyn.”

“Hurry up and open it,” she squirmed.  “I want you to love it.”

Stephanie opened the lid on the box and noticed the gift certificate.  “Date Night Cooking Classes!”  She squealed with delight.  “This will be so much fun.  Thank you, Kaitlyn.  I love it!”  She hugged Kaitlyn and kissed her cheek.  “Let’s just hope that I don’t have to use a microwave.”

“So,” Kaitlyn asked, “where is Brian taking you on your honeymoon – someplace exotic like Bora Bora?”

“If he could, he would.  But he’s saving for a down payment on a house we fell in love with.  It’s a darling Cape Cod about ten minutes from here.  Do you remember Jonathan Chelsey from my graduation party?  He’s letting us use his vacation home in Destin, Florida.  It has a sundeck, a heated pool, and it’s right on the beach.  The pictures he showed us are beautiful – emerald water, white sand, boy, girl – the perfect honeymoon hideout.”

“Sounds wonderful,” Kaitlyn sighed.  “You’ll never want to come back home.”

There was a loud knock on the door.  Stephanie gave Kaitlyn a puzzled look and shrugged her shoulders.  “Who is it?” she called.

“It’s Rowdy.  I have a special delivery for Stephanie Mitchell, soon to be Mrs. Brian Fairchild.”

“You remember Rowdy, Brian’s best man?” Stephanie asked Kaitlyn as she slid off of the bed and breezed toward the door.  “You know, the man who lives up to his name?”

“Are you girls decent in there?” Rowdy called through the door to tease them.

“No,” they shouted in unison.  Stephanie cracked the door just wide enough to see Rowdy holding a bouquet of red roses.

“These are from Brian,” he said as he held the roses out to her.

Stephanie was thrilled.  “They’re beautiful.”  She opened the door a bit wider to accept her roses.  “I love that man.  Thank you, Rowdy.”

Rowdy handed the roses to Stephanie.  “Are you sure you don’t need some help in there?”

“Rowdy!” she scolded, secretly amused.  “Don’t you need to go pick up Brian?”

“Everything is under control,” he boasted with a charming laugh.  Then Stephanie saw a serious look come over Rowdy.  It was so unlike him.  “I’m very happy for you, Steph, and I wish you and Brian the best of everything.”

Stephanie kissed her finger and touched it to his nose.  “You’ve been a good friend to Brian and me, and we both love you very much.”  She noticed his grateful smile.

“I do have one question though,” Rowdy said with a puzzled look on his face.  “Maybe you can help.  Do you think it’s time to get Brian out of bed?”

“Rowdy!”  Stephanie meant to scold him this time.

“I’m out of here.”  He laughed as he darted down the stairs, and Stephanie heard the door slam behind him.

Stephanie set the roses on the dresser.  Kaitlyn followed her, and they both took turns smelling the fragrant flowers.  Then Stephanie took the envelope from the holder and handed it to Kaitlyn who opened the envelope and read the note out loud.

‘To My Beautiful Bride.  You are my once-in-a-lifetime dream come true – I love you with all my heart – Brian.’  Stephanie stood still for a moment and relished the words.  She could never love him more than she did at this very moment.

“Oh, Stephanie,” Kaitlyn sighed.  “That’s so romantic.  I wish Brian were mine.  He is so dreamy.”

Stephanie laughed out loud.  “It has to be the nail polish – down girl!”  The door opened and Jan bounced into the room.  Stephanie was glad that Jan was overseeing all of the fine details.  She was always so elegant.  Stephanie knew that Jan would add a classy touch to her wedding, too.

“Hello again, ladies,” Jan said, bubbling with enthusiasm.  “Stephanie, everything is set up outside and it looks absolutely spectacular.  The guests are beginning to arrive, so it’s time to get dressed.  The photographer will be up in a moment to take some candid shots.  I’m going back downstairs to make sure all of the last minute details are done right, but I’ll be back when it’s time to walk down the aisle.  Now try to relax and have fun.”

“Oh, Kaitlyn,” Stephanie squealed after Jan left.  “It’s almost time.  I wonder if Brian is as nervous as I am right now.”

“Get real, Steph,” Kaitlyn giggled as she slipped into her strapless tea-length dress.  “Brian only has one thing on his mind right now.”  Then she carefully removed Stephanie’s gown from the garment bag.

Stephanie held her arms up while Kaitlyn pulled the satin gown over her head.  It gracefully fell to the floor and the girls smoothed and patted until every seam was in place.  Kaitlyn attached the flowing train of lace and lifted the train away from Stephanie until its length stretched across the floor.  The photographer walked into the room and began snapping pictures.  “That’s it.  Hold it – hold it,” he said over and over as he walked around the room to get every angle.

Stephanie stood in front of the mirror while Kaitlyn fastened a diamond pendant around her neck.  Then Stephanie put on her mother’s tiara.  The overlapping diamond hearts glimmered with brilliance.  She turned from side to side to admire her reflection.  I feel like a real princess.