A Wife for Stephen (17 page)

“I suppose so. Our ad campaign is wrapped up, and I
am well underway in the planning stages of the three new
campaigns that have been placed on my desk. Wednesday
will be fine.”
“Great.” Stephen is relieved since he has already
purchased her
ticket
in anticipation of her
agreement.
“You want to know a secret?”
“What?” Celeste could barely contain her excitement.
“Now if I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret now would
it.” Stephen says before laughing so hard he almost falls off
the bed he is lying on in his hotel room.
“You stinker,” Celeste says before beginning to laugh
herself.
“No, for real. I do have a surprise for you, but you have
to wait until Thanksgiving.”
“Ooh. You’ve peaked my interest.”
“Good. I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” he had forced
himself to say before he said more than he ought.
“Wait. What can I do to make you tell?”
“Perhaps if you kiss me I’ll tell you. But since you can’t
do that with me in Atlanta and you in Los Angeles, you’ll
have to wait until next week.”
They got off the phone right after that, but it had taken
Celeste almost an hour to fall asleep for she couldn’t help
wondering what the surprise could be.

Celeste is glad that Stephen had forewarned her about
the snowy conditions when she watches out the window as
her plane swoops in low for the landing. She prays silently
that God will not allow her plane to go careening off the
runway into a snowy bank.

God grants her petition and the plane is brought to a
smooth landing and pulls up slowing to the disembarking
ramp.

Lord
, Stephen prays as he sees the plane he knows
Celeste is arriving on coming in for a landing,
please, by
Your mighty hand, let that plane land safely
. He thanks the
Lord and smile as his request is granted.

Knowing that it will be a little while longer until Celeste
makes it from the traveler designated area into the public
area of the airport, Stephen contends himself to welcome
her by text message sending, “I’ll be waiting just inside the
public area before baggage claim.”

While he was thankful when her plane touched down
and came safely to a stop, he is even more thankful when
he
lays
eyes
on
her
as
she
steps
over
the
threshold
separating travelers from the general public.

After greeting his lady and collecting her baggage, he
bundles
her
in her
coat
and ushers her
as quickly as
possible to the awaiting limousine that has been waiting in
the designated cell phone waiting area. Celeste is surprised.
She had been expecting to be heading to his car.

Although Celeste doesn’t say anything, Stephen offers
an explanation, “I don’t like driving in the snow.”
The inside of the limo is warm and cozy, not that
Celeste ever stood a chance of getting even faintly chilled
as bundled as Stephen has made her. Her jacket had been
zipped to her chin, her gloves were put on her hands, and
her scarf had been wrapped twice around her neck. And as
if that hadn’t been enough, Stephen had kept a protective
arm placed around her shoulders.
Normally, not being use to allowing someone to take
care of her, Celeste would have felt she were being bossed
around and would have gotten upset. His actions had been
enough to make her feel that he was treating her like a
child. Celeste, being highly independent, is use to doing
things and making decisions for herself. However, Celeste
has come to know Stephen well enough to not become
angry with him. She knows that his actions are done with
nothing other than love and a need to protect her.
On the drive to Stephen’s parents’ home, they talk in the
back of the limo with the ease of a close friendship, which
is surprising even to Stephen. After his first meeting with
Celeste, Stephen thought it would take a lot longer for
Celeste to take him into her confidence. He had admitted as
much to her last week when they were speaking on the
phone.
“Well, from my perspective you must admit, it was hard
to take you at your word considering the circumstances.”
“And what circumstances are those?” he had asked.
“You told me that night that you wanted to marry me. I
thought you were trying to put one over on me.”
“Why? Because I admitted that I wanted to marry you?”
“No. Because...”
“Because what?”
It had taken Celeste a bit to gather her thoughts before
speaking. “I’ve known too many people to fall for pick-up
lines and were left with nothing more than a broken heart
and empty promises. I never want to be a statistic.”
“Well, I can definitely understand that, but in order for
you to be a statistic then that would mean that both I as
well as this relationship would have to be statistical. And
I’m not into statistics, not when it comes to how I live my
life.”
“You have a point,” Celeste admits.
“Fair enough.”
When they arrive at the Haule residence, Celeste can
smell the beginnings of a Thanksgiving feast. Although it
had been over a month since meeting this clan for the first
time, Celeste quickly falls into the rhythm of things as she
begins to help in the preparation of the meal.
After showing Celeste to the guest room where she will
be staying, Stephen helps Celeste to remove her coat, scarf,
gloves, and hat. Celeste is grateful for if she wore them too
much longer she’d be liable to pass out from being over
heated.
Stephen sees to Celeste’s bags being placed in the guest
room before allowing himself to truly revel and soak in the
sight of Celeste before him. While it has only been a short
while since his trip to LA where he last saw her, the weight
of missing being near her has grown to be heavier than he
had anticipated.
Ever since seeing her at the baggage claim area a short
while earlier, Stephen had been waiting for the opportunity
to take her in his arms and kiss her thoroughly. He couldn’t
wait any longer. Approaching her slowly and enveloping
Celeste in his arms, Stephen kisses her with all the longing
and tenderness that swells his heart.

Celeste gives in to their shared moment of intimacy,
enjoying the feel of being wrapped in the arms of the man
she loves, savoring the sweet taste of his kiss.

From the doorway, Stephen and Celeste hear the foggy
sound of a feminine voice clearing her throat, “Hmm.”
Since Stephen has been standing with his back to the door,
he turns to peer over his shoulder, looking in the direction
the sound has come from. Feeling modest and embarrassed,
Celeste goes up on her tiptoes to sneak a peek over
Stephen’s shoulder.

Celeste’s feelings of
discomfort begin to diminish with
the relief that it is not Mrs. Haule.
“Stephen, stop being selfish and hogging Celeste. Mom
and Dad are waiting for her in the kitchen, and I haven’t
even been introduced yet.” Crossing the threshold and
entering the guest room, the woman comes forward and all
but pushes Stephen out of the way to grab Celeste into a
tight hug. “It’s so great to finally meet you, Celeste! Please
forgive my brother; he’s never been good at sharing. I’m
Jolene.”
The good-natured rubbing between Jolene and Stephen
indicate how close these two really are. Having succeeded
in taking Celeste from Stephen’s embrace and into her
own, Jolene then turns towards the door with one arm still
draped over Celeste’s shoulder and urges Celeste forward.
She calls over her shoulder to Stephen, “We’ll meet you in
the kitchen. Dad will want your help setting up the fryer for
the turkey tomorrow.”

And just like that, Stephen is left standing near the
center of the bedroom, arms empty, but with a full heart
because his family has so quickly and willingly accepted the
woman to whom he has given his heart. But he knew he’d
have to pay Jolene back for interrupting his short time with
Celeste. Heck, he hadn’t even finished getting his welcome
to Philly kiss.

As Stephen makes his way into the kitchen, he emerges
to see his father releasing Celeste form a hug only to be
immediately enveloped into the arms of his mother.

The evening passes with the entire family laughing,
joking and making preparations for tomorrow’s
Thanksgiving feast.
In the
presence
of such
congenial
company, time just seems to fly by, and before Celeste
knows it, it’s nearly 1 AM, and she’s working to stifle a
yawn.

The
first
things
Celeste
does
upon
waking
up
Thanksgiving morning is thank God for the people who she
knew without having to tread downstairs, were scattered
over every nook of the family home. As blankets had been
brought out the evening before, she was told that it was a
tradition for all the family members to sleep over the night
before Thanksgiving so that they would have the whole day
together.

Celeste feels truly blessed to have met each and every
one of them as her eyes begin to sting with the welling up
of happy tears at her fortune. Although she is not related to
any of them by blood, she knows that they are all related
through the spirit of God and the blood of Jesus, the Christ.

Deciding to skip her shower, Celeste dresses quickly
and then goes to the window to draw back the curtains.
What she sees just on the other side of the glass pane
causes her breath to catch. “It’s snowing,” she says.

The soft falling of the wintry flakes is silent. She looks
down at the ground beneath her window to see that it has
covered every inch of the lawn that last month had been a
beautiful lush green. Never had Celeste seen true snow fall
before. Television had been the only snow she’s seen, until
now. Reflecting, Celeste begins to think what a shame it’s
been to live just a couple of hours drive from Big Bear and
Idyllwild, CA, yet she’s never bothered to visit.

She puts on the galoshes that Stephen had insisted on
sending her
and heads
out
her
bedroom
door.
Upon
throwing the door open, she bumps right into Stephen’s
chest. “It’s snowing!” she all but yells in excitement.

As Stephen looks down into the eyes that he feels deep
in his gut that he wants to wake up to every day for the rest
of his life, his heart is full and flowing over with love for
this woman. His woman. His gift from God.

“Get your jacket on
. I’ll meet you down stairs in five
minutes,” he says.
She had never brushed her teeth and washed her face so
fast. In three minutes, Celeste is standing in the entryway
pulling on her coat, hat and gloves. Stephen appears just
after her and does the same. With the opening of the front
door, Celeste is met by a cold unlike any she has ever
before felt.
Like a kid in a candy store, she flies down the front
steps and goes to the area that use to be the front lawn and
scoops up a handful of snow. Having been oblivious to
Stephen’s activities, she
does
not
see what
is
quickly
heading her way.
With a thump, she is pelted in the back by a snowball.
She stands to her feet and turns quickly to look a boyishly
grinning Stephen in the face. He is laughing so hard that it
is taking all his effort to remain upright. “What’s the big
idea?” Celeste asks.
“You can’t play in the snow and not have a snow fight,
Celeste. It just isn’t done.”
“Well if it’s a snow ball fight you want, then it’s a snow
ball fight you’ll get.” Crouching down she picks up two
handfuls
of
snow and tries
to
fashion
them
into
the
resemblance of a ball. It takes her so long that she is hit
with another ball from Stephen before she even finishes
making her first.
Having done her best, she fires it at him only to have
him dodge it by stepping quickly to the side. The snowball
that was intended to pelt him in the chest hits against the
front of the house. Celeste’s jaw drops open, and she
covers her open mouth with her hand.
“If you intend to hit me you’ll have to be faster than
that, Baby,” Stephen teases Celeste.
“I’ll get you yet.”
They play outside in the snow for so long making
snowballs and snow angels that they lose all track of time.
Stephen is attempting to teach Celeste how to make a
snowman when Stephen’s dad, who is curious to know
what all the laughing is about, opens the front door.
“I’m trying to show Celeste all she has missed by living
her entire life in sunny California.”
“Well don’t stay out too long or you’ll get frost bit,”
Jimmy says before closing the door.
“Don’t worry, Celeste,” Stephen says, “I won’t let you
get frost bit.” He takes her in his arms and squeezes her
before ushering Celeste to the door. “We’ll finish our snow
man later.”
Celeste had become accustomed to the icy cold breeze
that fanned her cheeks as well as the fluttering of snow as it
slowly drifted down. She liked playing in the snow and
determined that she would have more of it during the
winter. Big Bear and Idyllwild, California isn’t too far from
her home in LA, so she could easily visit some weekends
during the winter.
As
Stephen
and Celeste
divest
themselves
of
their
outerwear, Celeste concentrates on the sensational smells
that are coming from the kitchen. Bacon, eggs, and coffee.
“Are you guys hungry?” asks Yvonne, Stephen’s sister, as
she eyes them standing next to the closed front door.
“Starved,” they answer in unison and then look at each
other.
The morning passes by as they delight themselves in
food, conversation, and familial warmth. Celeste is in the
process of thinking just how much she could get use to this
life
as
she
is
helping clear
away dishes and load the
dishwasher. Almost done with her task, Stephen comes up
behind her and whispers in her ear, “Can I talk to you for a
minute?”
Celeste turns to get a better look at his face since she
has never heard him sound so serious before. Upon looking
at him she realizes that she has also never seen him look so
serious. Celeste frowns thinking to herself that something
must be incredibly wrong. “Sure,” she manages to say
before drying her hands on a towel and following him as he
leads the way to the living room.
As he hands Celeste her hat and scarf he calls out,
“Celeste and I are going out for a bit, but we’ll be back
well before dinner.”
Celeste is barely aware that anyone has responded to his
statement until Carla comes and asks Stephen to pick up
some ice cream on his way home. “It seemed to have
disappeared last night,” she gives him a quirky look before
retreating to the den.
A million thoughts run through Celeste’s mind as she is
seated silently next to Stephen in the car. But she only
gives voice to the most inconsequential one, “I thought you
couldn’t drive in the snow.”
“Are you kidding,” he says sliding her a sideways smirk
before
turning his
attention
back to
the
road.
After
navigating a turn he continues, “I don’t
like
to drive in the
snow, but growing up in Philly where it snows quite a bit,
mom and dad would not allow any of us to get a license
until we proved that we could handle driving in the snow.”
Stephen’s words hit home in her heart and snuggled in
deeply. She finds herself wondering if as a mother she
would have thought to make such a wise stipulation.
Celeste takes her mind off her thoughts as the car is
pulled to a stop alongside what looks to be a snow-covered
children’s park. As she gazes out her window she sees
swings,
slides,
merry
go-rounds,
and various
climbing
apparatus standing tall above snow banks.