The Covenant Chapter Forty Two

Hearing a gentle knock at the door, Rick's heart races wondering if this could finally be the answer he is waiting for or if a door will be shut forever.

"Yes?" hesitantly asks Rick forcing his reluctant voice to raise just above a whisper while reaching for the door in front of him.

"It's Annie" in a higher pitched voice than normal, swallowing then attempting to calm her nerves and then methodically breathing deeply to help herself relax.

"I'll be right there" offers Rick trembling at the sound of her voice and acknowledgement that the day of reckoning has begun.

As he opens the door, Annie impulsively hugs him "Please don't go.  I don't ever want to be away from you again."

After a moment of holding her as waves of shared feelings evolve around them, Rick raises her chin so he can look deeply into Annie's eyes.   He searches and finds the answer in her tears. After gently kissing her, Rick whispers in her ear, "I'm not going anywhere unless it is with you."

While sharing hidden emotions of love and devotion that have beenf hidden and stowed away in protection of their hearts for so many years, Rick and Annie find comfort and sincerity in the arms of each other.

"Why didn't you write to me?" asks Annie finally with enough courage to ask the question "I wanted to hear from you so much!"

"I didn't want to go through being rejected again for a final time.  I'd rather continue to loving you from a distance that have you confirm that I needed to let you go" honestly replies Rick feeling the exposure of his true feelings.

"I would have let you know that I still cared and wanted to be with you" remarks Annie holding his hand and snuggling into him once again.

"Why didn't you try to see me when I was on furlough?" inquires Rick unaware of what her response will be.

"I did try.  But it seemed every time I tried, something or someone would get in the way.  I did see you a couple of times at a few meetings but you were across the room and as soon as I was able to reach where you had been standing, you had already left and I couldn't find you" Annie fearfully continues lost in the memories "In my insecurity,  I thought that perhaps you were intentionally hiding from me."

"I would never run from you" confirms Rick kissing the top of her forehead and bringing her closer to him in his embrace which Annie lovingly responds to.

"So when should we talk to your dad?" practically asks Rick thinking of things to do before he marries Annie.

"How about today?" replies Annie "I've think we've waited long enough for each other.  All our closest friends are here, why not elope but also including them?"

Smiling not concerned at all about the wedding but looking forward to a marriage with the love of his life, "It sounds like a wonderful idea to me!"

A week later ....

"I'm telling you Alice Hammer, I'm getting the bouquet this time.  I am prepared!" competitively remarks Jennings concentrating and shuffling her feet as if preparing for a fast dash.

"All right you do that" replies Alice Hammer with a wink "You might have some competition this year".

Under the table Alfred squeezes Alice Hammer's hand to wish her good luck before she leaves to join the other single ladies in a small circle in the Fellowship Hall of the local corps.

As the handful of women gather, Jennings does a couple of stretches and practices a couple of jumps as Annie comes to the front with her beautiful floral bouquet.

Feeling the excitement of the moment, Alice Hammer leans over to her and giggles,  "Mr. Woodhouse needs to get prepared!"

Annie's voice carries over the entire room "One ... two .... three!"  The bouquet flies high into the air, gracefully soaring over Lauren, then Ariel, above Beth,  and finally aiming perfectly between Alice Hammer and Jennings both exclaiming "I got it!" while harshly slamming their heads into each other and awkwardly falling to the floor.

An unexpected hand slowly reaches out amidst the chaos, as the floral bouquet neatly falls into her hand as if designed to from the beginning, "Ohhh ... look what I have!" happily cheers Lydia Russell aiming her eye directly at Mr. Elliot across the room but loud enough for him to hear without question,  "I wonder what this next year holds for me?"

 

The End

 

 

 

 

 

The Covenant Chapter Forty One

"Who am I?" asks Jennings as Alice Hammer stands next to her  while shaking her head in a room full of women with cards with famous brides attached to their foreheads at Lauren's bridal shower.

"You know the rules, I can't tell you.... you have to ask questions about the person and figure it out yourself!" replies Alice Hammer delighted in all things that might relate to a game.

"Ummm... is she famous?"  questions Jennings raising her eyebrows but careful to keep the index card attached with duck tape to her forehead which everyone agreed after her suggestion would stay in place better than regular scotch tape.

"Oh, most definitely" answers Alice Hammer not wanting to give away much knowing her friend's competitive spirit.

'Would I know her?" curiously consider Jennings being a fan of movies from all genres. 

"Yes!  You might have even smelt her!" providing a hint Alice Hammer giggles.

"What?" wrinkling her nose, Jennings narrows her eyes assuming her best friend is misleading her.

"She likes purple" chimes in Lauren with a laugh full of memories at the comparison of the one wearing the card and name that is written "Just like you do!"

"Who was she married to?" demands Jennings feeling a bit confused and not liking the feeling.

"You can't cheat!" admonishes Alice Hammer wearing a famous princess on her forehead whom she would be excessively happy to meet had the opportunity ever been arranged.

"Is she can American?" inquires Jennings analyzing the card taped to Alice Hammer in pretty pink letters.

"Oh yes, you probably saw her plenty of times on TV or movies!" honestly Alice Hammer replies having spent many hours as a teenager unsuccessfully experimenting with a variety  of eye shadow colors to exude the same glow and hue as the star.

"Oh, well your lady is not ..." cofounded examines Jennings rubbing her chin  between her thumb and index finger similar to a detective she read last week in one of her favorite novels.

"I didn't ask yet!  You have to wait until I ask!"  wanting to play by the rules but appreciating the head start, Alice Hammer replies "So she is a foreigner!"

"I guess you could say that, she lived overseas, but she seemed more American to me because she was always in the magazines ..." answers Jennings remembering a stack of "Faces" magazines collecting dust in her closet but ones that she can't seem to have the heart to throw away.

"Am I Princess Grace?" swoons Alice Hammer posing with one foot in front of the other and raising her hand gracefully as if to say "ta da" and with her head thrown back with wide eyes and a smile as if she has just eaten a hot potato as she has seen Princess Grace of Monocco do in many old magazine photos.

"No, you are not!" bluntly replies Jennings with the result of snapping Alice Hammer back to reality.

"Was there anything she was known for?" inquisitively asks Jennings aggitated that finding an answer was not as simple as she had originally thought.

"Jewels and her beautiful eyes" immediately replies Alice Hammer flickering her eye lashes and swooping her hand over her neck as if wearing an imaginary necklace of priceless diamonds.

"Well that could be any celebrity  ..." plainly remarks Jennings "a little makeup and mascara with some money, it always seems to do the trick."

"No, no, no, no ..." gently refutes Alice Hammer and throwing out a helpful but unnoticed hint "her eyes were like velvet."

"What?" confused asks Jennings "Soft like material like I use to use many year ago for my Sunday School class?"

In response Alice Hammer stares her down.  "Really? Like Material? " and then wistfully adds "mmm.....Think color and beauty!"

Taking a moment Jennings thinks very hard, "What was my husband like?"

"Well, you've had a few to choose from" begins Alice Hammer hoping this answer will lead to a final resolution.

"ohhhh ... Elizabeth Taylor!" confidently answers Jennings nodding her head as if she has known all along.

Instantly Alice Hammer rips the duck tape off of Jennings who yells and massages her rather red forehead "Ouch! What did you do that for?"

"You won!"  exclaims Alice Hammer "I so much enjoy games at bridal showers!"

In response, Jennings rips off the card from Alice Hammer "Ouch!  ..... Who am I?" looking over Jennings shoulder trying to read the card at the same time.

"Princess Diana!" exclaims Alice Hammer that there would not be any other person in the world she would rather be for that moment trying to toss her non-existent bangs with a shy smile "She's my favorite!"

"I don't think that is quite the look" remarks Jennings at her friend's mimicking attempt that looks a bit more on the quirky side than similar.

"How about this one?" Alice Hammer portraying a rather cheesy smile with wide eyes.

"Not quite there yet, keep trying .... well, I wonder how you got to be so lucky" states Jennings glancing over to Annie who secretively smiles having been the hostess to pass out the cards to the shower guests.

Soon after the games end while the guests are mingling over red velvet cake and strawberry punch, Annie sits quietly on the sofa considering the moments of the day.

Wanting to check her messages, Annie glances at her phone to see that Rick has sent a single line text. "Check your email."

As the guests chat away with each other, Annie opens the note titled "For you alone" and begins to read

"I can no longer wait in silence.  I must speak to you since we are so close again.  You pierce my soul and I am half in agony and half in hope that it is not too late.  Tell me now that your feelings are not gone forever.  I'm offering myself to you again with a heart even more belonging  to you now than when  you broke it so many years ago.  I have loved no one but you during this time we have been separated.  You are the reason I came here.  For you alone, I think and have planned my life. Have you not been aware of this? Do you not understand how I feel about you? I can hardly write.  I know you well, your voice, your nuances, your heart.....all of them are all known to me. You are amazing and wonderful.  If ever you believe that men can be faithful and loyal, I am one.  After the party is over, as soon as possible, a word or a look will be enough to decide whether I speak to you about sharing a future with me or to let go of my memories  forever.  Rick."

Taking  second to consider what to do next, Annie stands up and quickly grabs her coat.  Turning to Jennings, "I'm sorry something has come up and I have to go, can you let anyone know that asks."

"Are you all right?" concerned asks Jennings trying to politely swallow a mouthful of cake while speaking

"Yes, everything is fine.  I just need to catch someone before they leave" explains Annie while rushing out the door putting an arm into the sleeve of her coat as a warmth of the room invades the cold of the outside.