Years of Summer: Lily's Story (26 page)

“Some church, I can’t remember the name of it.  It was a Baptist church I believe.”

“Okay, do you remember anything about that?  It was a really long time ago I know, but I didn’t remember it either except vaguely.”

“Lily, you’re killing me here.  Will you please tell me what you’re talking about?”

“Okay, you asked me if Jace was still here would we still be what we are.  My answer is yes, because of this.”  I handed him a small wrapped package.  “Before you open that, remember you said or rather wrote that there was something about me when you saw me that first day in ENGLISH 101?”

“Yeah, why?”

I pointed to the little package.  “This should help you figure that out.”

He began opening the package.  I wanted him to be as surprised to see it, as I was to find it.  He was grinning and shaking his head as he opened it.  He opened it upside down and when he flipped it over, the look on his face was priceless. “No way, Lily this is us, but we were like five years old.”

“I know; how ironic is that? We were sweethearts in kindergarten. I found the picture when I was going through some old picture albums back in March, the day after you left to go home after the snowstorm.”

He was still in shock.  “Wow . . . I mean . . . wow . . . how . . .”

“. . . could you forget that?”

“Well yeah, that is unbelievable.  Did you remember this?”

“Only vaguely, until I saw the photograph.  Then when I saw it I remembered that we were at Katy Midships house on a class Easter egg hunt.  We were in K-5, and you held my hand and we hunted Easter eggs around her backyard.  Then I remembered you taking me to sit in her backyard swing.  I also remembered that you told me I was pretty and I told you I liked your hair.  That is when you kissed me on the cheek and Mom just
happened
by at that time with her camera and caught you kissing me on the cheek with me having the surprised little girl face.  Then I was mad at you because you left me in the swing and went to play with the boys.”

Dave laughed out loud.  “That is the part I remember now that you mention it.  You were so mad at me.”

“Well what do you expect?  You kiss me on the cheek at the tender age of five and then run off on me.  That wasn’t nice, Dave.”

“I was five, what do you expect?”

I was jokingly serious.  “I expect you to spend the rest of your life making that up to me.”

He answered me in a jokingly serious way.  “I accept that challenge and will do that to the best of my ability.”  There was a promise somewhere in that phrase.

* * * * * * *

The next day was Dave’s interview with Mr. Handley.  He was so nervous.  He came by to see me first to get my opinion on his interview outfit.  Wow, did he look gorgeous.  He had on a light blue, long sleeve, button-down shirt, a silvery-tan tie and khakis.  I would have hired him on looks alone.  I kept my fingers crossed for him, but I had a feeling this would be his new position.  He was gone about three hours. 

I started getting worried about him and then about five minutes later he pulled into the driveway.  Relief washed over me.  I met him out on the deck with Sunshine standing right next to me.  Compared to Dave I looked like Ms. Country-girl.  I had on denim shorts and a white-cotton blouse and flip-flops, an Alabama girl’s summer wardrobe. 

Dave ran up the stairs and grabbed me up and spun me around and Sunshine danced around with us too.  I hoped that by the way he was acting; he either had a really good interview or something better.  He set me back down and looked me over.  “Wow, you look really beautiful, especially in white.”  He gave me a strange look like he was imagining me in something.  I had a feeling I knew what it was.  It made me happy, but scared me at the same time.  I took the attention away from myself.  “So, how did it go?”

“How would you like to help me celebrate tonight?”

“What are we celebrating?”  I was hoping I knew the answer.

“Well actually we are celebrating two things tonight?  By the way I’m going to need your help for the rest of the summer.”

“Okay, what two things are we celebrating and why are you going to need my help the rest of the summer?”

“First we’re celebrating a future—that is becoming clearer and clearer.”  He brushed my cheek gently with his fingers.  “Secondly we’re celebrating the newest member of the Jones Valley Elementary third grade faculty.” 

I screamed.  “YOU GOT THE JOB!!  THAT IS FANTASTIC!!”  I flitted to him and hugged him.  “So, you’re going to need my help for the rest of the summer to work on your classroom?”

“Exactly, can you help me?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t dream of being any place else.  Can Sunshine come too?”

“Of course, I don’t think you could leave her behind anyway.  Not because I don’t think you can make it without her, but because she has become a part of you, and I love every part of you.  Especially, the way you look in that outfit.”

“So, how are we going to celebrate tonight?”

“Well depending on how you feel about it, there is this really nice restaurant, you have to dress up, but I have been dying to take you to it.  I have only been there once for Senior Prom, but it is a Japanese restaurant called KOBE.  It has great food and they cook it in front of you if you want to sit at the grill tables or you can choose to sit off . . . at a table for two . . . in a cozy corner . . . where no one is around.”  He looked deep into my eyes and caressed my face.  He was searching for something.  I knew what it was.  All I had to do was act upon it, but if I was honest with myself, there was no action required, because it would happen eventually and what did it matter whether it was sooner or later. 

If I was honest with myself I never would have started dating Jace to begin with and Dave would have never started dating Brianna and we could have been together two years earlier, so why not go ahead and let it happen.  There was no fear of losing him anymore and had not been since March.  I gave myself the time I needed to understand that back in January and February as I wrote all of those
Letters to My Future. 
I found my future during that snowstorm and it was confirmed for me the Thursday Dave stayed at home.  My future was shown to me by reminding me of my past through that one photograph.  The Lord works in mysterious ways.  Way more mysterious than you would ever guess.

Chapter 17

I knew what he was looking for.  I allowed it to come through; I had nothing to lose and everything to gain, with just one small emotion—trust.  I knew what I trusted and that was we both had been led down certain paths in life that crossed at certain points.  Each one of those points had a significance just for us and the final step would lead to a new beginning.  My life had been given to me, saved, and renewed by one man—Dave.

I looked deeply into his eyes and he saw what he wanted to see.  If I could describe the way that felt to me I would, but there are no words.  He was mine and I was his for now and forever.  He became rather emotional.

“I love you, Lily, you are the key to my future.”

I cried as I said something only he would understand.  “I love you too, Dave.  My life is yours and don’t ever leave me in the swing again to go play with the boys.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it Lily girl. Something tells me I’ll have more fun with you anyway.”  We embraced each other strongly and just held on.  “Now, Lily I want you to do a couple of things for me.  Go take a nice bubble bath or something that will help you relax, hot shower, whatever.  Then I want you to find a dress, preferably something like your blouse, because you look so beautiful and I am going to come pick you up in a couple of hours.  I want to show you my classroom, where you’re going to be spending the majority of the rest of your summer, and then we’ll go to dinner.  I will make reservations for us.  Do you want a grill table or a table for two?”

“Definitely a table for two.”

“Okay, kiss me and go get ready.”  I did and he left.  I believe I figured out why he was gone for three hours.  He just needed that job and my promise to make his decision.

I went to start me a bubble bath. It was so relaxing. Sunshine joined me in the bathroom and I started talking to her like she was human.  I started getting nervous because I started thinking about what if.  “What if I’m wrong about his plans for tonight?  I don’t want him to see me disappointed.  I am resolving not to be disappointed if what I think about his plans is wrong.  As long as we’re together that is all that matters.  Right Sunshine.”  It was funny, she barked in agreement.  “Sunshine, you like Dave don’t you, you miss him too when he’s not here, don’t you?”  She looked at me with her deep sparkling brown eyes as she rested her head on the side of the bathtub.  I reached to pet her head with a hand full of bubbles.  I believed her answer was yes.  I stayed in the tub until it started losing its warmth and then decided to get out.  I put on my bathrobe and walked to my room to get ready.  I had an hour and fifteen minutes. 

As I walked into my room, the summer afternoon sun was streaming through my windows.  My room was painted yellow, so with the combination of the sun and my sunny yellow walls, it was like walking into the sun itself.  It was warm and inviting.  I didn’t close my blinds because no one lived behind us and I didn’t want to shut out the sun.  So I was getting ready with my windows wide open. 

Sunshine jumped up on my bed and lay across the sunbeam that was there and the sun reflected off of her blonde-red fur.  It shimmered and made her look like a furry angel instead of a dog.  She looked up at me with her precious brown adoring eyes.  She loved me unconditionally, just like Dave loved me unconditionally. 

I went through my closet; I had the perfect dress in mind.  It was a white eyelet sundress that tied around the back of my neck.  It was the same material as my blouse I had on earlier.  I also pulled out my strappy white heels.  That would add about three inches to my height, but still no match for Dave’s 6’2” perfect muscular build considering I was only 5’4”.  I put my dress on and started my make-up while my curling iron warmed up.  I decided to put ringlet curls in my hair without fluffing them out and pulling a little of it up in a small twist crown with a mini-clip at the back of my head.  That took a little while. 

I heard Mom pull into the basement from her workshop she had that day and when she came up the stairs, I greeted her.

“Hey Mom, how did your day go?”

“It went fine. Lily, you look beautiful.  I take it you and Dave are going out?”

“Yes, ma’am.  Guess what, Dave got that teaching position he interviewed for today.”

Mom was happy.  “Oh honey, that is wonderful news.  I know he’s excited and I know you’re excited for him.”

“Yes, ma’am.  He asked me to help him get his new classroom ready over the rest of the summer.”

“I know you will be glad to help him.  Lily, you know how much he loves you right.”

“That kind of came out of left field, but yes ma’am I know.”

“Do you feel the same way about him?”

“Yes, Mom, I do.”

“Lily, you know all he was waiting on was a job so he could take care of you.  You know that too, right?"

“Yes ma'am, I know that too and I couldn’t be happier than I am right now.”

“Are you going to let it happen, baby?”

“Yes, ma'am.  I love him.”

“Please don’t take this wrong honey, but what about Jace?”

“Mom, Jace is just a memory from my past, one that I will never forget, but never pull forward.  The past is the past and should never make it into our future.”

Mom hugged and kissed me.  “That’s my girl.  I’m very happy for you.”

“I’m happy for me too.  I love you, Mom!”

“I love you too honey.” 

Dave must have already talked to Mom and Dad.  How else would Mom have known about those things?  I wonder when he did though.  Oh well it didn’t matter.  I went to put on my shoes as I heard Dave’s truck coming down the road.  Sunshine heard it to.  I went to get her gear and put it on her and waited in my room for him to come in.  I heard him jogging up the back stairs and he opened the door.

“Lily, are you ready?”

“Coming.” I called back. As I walked into the den he saw me. His eyes sparkled beautifully.  They reminded me of the sun going down over the water.

“Wow . . . You look beautiful.”  He had changed out of his shirt and tie and into a short-sleeve summer button down that was yellow and light blue plaid.  He took my hand and right when he did someone snapped a picture.  I wasn’t sure whether it was Ally or Mom, but I didn’t care either.

“You ready to go Lily?”

“Sure let’s go.”  He took my hand and led me down the deck stairs carefully.  I climbed in and then Sunshine jumped in next to me.  We headed off.