Never Let You Go (a modern fairytale) (44 page)

On Friday they stopped in to see Professor and Mrs. Foster, sharing their good news, and Professor Foster handed them a check, calling it a wedding gift, and Ruth asked them to please keep in touch. When they opened the envelope outside and found out the check was for five thousand dollars, they raced back inside to return it. But Seth and Ruth, hands interlaced, eyes kind, insisted that the amount was right, and asked that they keep the money to start a good life and take a little of the sting away from the name Foster.

Sabrina arranged for the wedding dinner and cake, Maya picked out a bridesmaid dress for herself and a flower girl dress for Prudence, and on Sunday night, Holden stood next to the fireplace in the McClellans’ living room and smiled as the woman of his dreams took her place by his side and promised to be his wife.

The officiant, a judge who was a friend of Roy’s, smiled at the couple and said, “We are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of these friends and loved ones, to join together Holden Croft and Griselda Schroeder in holy matrimony, instituted by God since the first man and first woman walked the earth. Therefore, it is not to be entered into unadvisedly, or lightly, but reverently and soberly. Into this holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined.”

Holden looked into Griselda’s blue eyes, focusing on her unspeakably beautiful face, remembering her as a child, a teenager, an adult woman climbing the stairs to his apartment, his love, his life, his angel.

“Do you, Holden, take Griselda to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish, in good times and bad, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto her for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” he said, squeezing her hand.

“Do you, Griselda, take Holden to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish, in good times and bad, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto him for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” she said, her smile brilliant and strong.

“Who has the rings?” asked the judge, and Quint stepped up, winking at Holden and handing them each a simple gold band.

The officiant nodded, and Holden took a deep breath as he slipped the wedding band onto Griselda’s finger.

“I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. As it encircles your finger, may it remind you always that you are surrounded by my enduring love. I give you this ring as a symbol of my faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I give you this ring because no matter where I am on this earth, I b-belong to you and only you until the d-day I die.”

***

She couldn’t hold back the tears as Holden pledged his eternal love and fidelity to her, but she took a deep breath and smiled for him, trying not to tremble as he held out his hand and she slipped a matching gold band onto his ring finger.

“I give you this ring because I have already given you my heart, my soul, and my life. As it encircles your finger, may it remind you always that you are surrounded by my enduring love. I give you this ring as a symbol of my trust. As I place it on your finger, I join my life and my destiny with yours. I give you this ring because no matter how far apart we are, I belong to you and only you until the day I die.”

Holden nodded once, blinking furiously and taking her hands in his once again, before looking back at the judge, who intoned, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

At first, Griselda had hesitated to add a Bible verse to their wedding ceremony since Old Testament verses accompanied some of her worst memories. But when the judge suggested this
New
Testament reading, it had felt so right, described their love so perfectly, she had quickly consented. And now she looked up at Holden as the words were said.

Patience. Kindness. Protection. Trust. Hope. Perseverance.

It was perfect. It was them.

She nodded at him, and he grinned at her in return.

“Holden and Griselda, may the blessings of life, the joy of love, the peace of truth, and the wisdom and strength of spirit, be your constant companions, now and always. I now pronounce you husband and wife.” He turned to Holden. “You may kiss the bride!”

As their friends and family cheered, Holden placed his palms on her cheeks, and Griselda looked up into his eyes as they cemented their formal vows with words of their own:

“I jump,” she whispered.

“You jump.”

“Never let me go.”

“I promise.”

“I love you forever, Holden,” she said.

“I love you forever, angel.”

Gray eyes met blue, fingers intertwined, hearts pressed together, and Holden and Griselda, who’d been lost then found, apart then together, unloved then cherished, pressed their lips together and finally crossed over the river into forever.

“Gris!” exclaimed Claire, waving from a bench that looked out on the base parking lot. “I saved you a spot.”

Griselda made her way through the crowd, grinning at her very pregnant friend. “Baby ended up waiting for daddy to get home, huh?”

“And just in the nick of time,” said Claire, pointing at her massive belly. “
This
is happening any minute.”

“All this excitement? I bet your water breaks when he kisses you hello,” teased Griselda, taking a seat.

Claire sighed. “Did this tour feel longer than six months? Or is that just me?”

It always feels longer
, thought Griselda, remembering the spring day, half a year ago, when she kissed Holden good-bye and watched him step onto the bus for his second tour to Afghanistan.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she said. “At least they’re home for Thanksgiving this time.”

“You two going East?” asked Claire. “To see family?”

Griselda nodded. “That’s the plan. Hannah’s turning three. Can you believe it?”

They’d missed Thanksgiving and Hannah’s first birthday due to Holden’s first deployment, but they’d managed to make it last year, and Griselda was overjoyed that they’d be there again this year. Hannah Croft Davis was a delightful, smart, beloved little girl who was still learning how to be nice to her brand-new little brother, according to Maudie’s most recent letter.

“I’m surprised the doc’s letting you fly,” said Claire, looking pointedly at Griselda’s tummy, which wasn’t quite as round as her friend’s yet.

Griselda placed her palms protectively over the swell under her red baby-doll top. “I’m not even seven months yet! Don’t rush me.”

“Oh, yeah,” said Claire with a tired sigh. “I guess I was thinking of me. Not allowed to fly until after she comes.” Claire nudged Griselda in the side. “Does Holden know yet? That you’re having a boy?”

Griselda shook her head. “No. But he’s going to find out today.”

“Oh!” said Claire, shifting to the side to pull something out of her purse. “I almost forgot! I wanted you to sign this before the baby gets here. I bought it off Amazon.”

Griselda looked down at the familiar, colorful cover of her first book of children’s fairy tales. “Claire! You didn’t have to do that! I would have given you one for free.”

“Nuh-uh,” she answered. “I’m a paying customer!”

Griselda took the proffered pen, signing her name and writing a message to Claire and Graham’s first child, a girl they planned to name Grace, before handing the book back to Claire.

“‘Dear Grace,’” Claire read. “‘May you find your Sun King too. Love, Lady Starlight.’ What does it mean?”

“It means I wish her happiness,” said Gris softly.

Their conversation was interrupted by a sudden chattering among the other family members around them. Mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers, wives like Griselda and Claire, and their children stood up from the bleachers as the big white truck pulled into the parking lot bearing the luggage of the returning platoon.

“They’re almost here!” exclaimed Griselda, leaping up and helping Claire to her feet.

First the white truck, then the white school buses
, she thought, her heart leaping with excitement to see her husband again. Holding Claire’s hand, she strained up on tiptoes to see if the buses were coming around the corner yet.

“Any minute!” said Claire, squeezing her friend’s hand.

A moment later, the joyful whooping and clapping started, and Griselda looked up to see three white buses approaching the empty parking lot. The buses pulled in and parked as the roar of the crowd grew louder. Her eyes started to water with anticipation, and she scanned the buses, wondering which one held Holden.

“They’re here!”

Cameras clicked and flags waved. Little children in their patriotic best asked, “Where’s Daddy?!” while holding homemade welcome signs, and the whole crowd laughed and smiled, whooping and clapping.

As the buses parked, the crowd surged forward for their reunions, and Griselda gave Claire a careful hug before dropping her friend’s hand. Khaki-covered Marines started filtering through the crowd as they exited the buses, looking for loved ones with big smiles and glistening eyes.

Griselda’s heart thumped like crazy as she searched their tan faces, recognizing some, but looking for the one she loved, and then . . . there he was, just a few feet away, sliding his hat off his shaved head with wonder, and beaming as his eyes caught hers. She laughed, tears streaming down her face as he closed the distance between them. His eyes dropped, just for a second, to her belly, before sliding back up to her face.

“Gris,” he said, pulling her into his arms and dropping his lips to hers.

He kissed her tenderly, their tears mixing together as she instantly remembered how he felt, how he tasted, how he loved her more and better than anyone ever would or could.

Breathless, she dropped her forehead to his shoulder, and he held her tightly as he whispered, “I missed you like crazy,” close to her ear as they rocked back and forth together.

She leaned back to kiss him again, smiling and laughing and crying as she answered, “I love you forever.”

“You feeling okay, Mrs. Croft?” he asked, stepping back and letting his eyes drop to her swollen tummy.

“I’m feeling pregnant,” she said, smoothing her hands over the bump. “And I missed you.” She grinned up at him. “And so did our son.”

“Our . . .?” He sucked in a deep breath, his eyes wide.

“Our son.” She nodded, cupping his cheeks and giggling through her tears. “We’re having a boy, Holden.”

“G-Gris,” he murmured, blinking his eyes, his lips trembling, overcome.

He clutched her against him again, resting his forehead on her shoulder as she laced her fingers on the back of his neck, savoring the feeling of his strong arms around her. And her heart sang, for this was Holden: her best friend, her confidant, her lifelong protector, the keeper of her memories, the father of her child, the love of her life, her beginning and her end—Holden, whom she loved, whom she trusted, who belonged to her, was beside her once again.

I jump, you jump,
she thought, resting her head in the curve of his neck and breathing in the scent of his sweet-smelling skin.
We did it. We’re on the other side, my love.

“Ask me if I’m whole or broken, Griselda Croft,” he said, leaning back to tenderly place his palm on her belly before looking up at her with tears in his beloved gray eyes.

“Are you whole or broken, Holden Croft?”

“I’m whole, angel,” he said, staring down at her face before drawing her back into the heaven of his arms. “I’m finally home.”

THE END

Dear Reader,

Thank you so much for reading
Never Let You Go
. I hope you enjoyed Holden and Griselda’s love story.

As I wrote this book, I was very much inspired by the real-life story of Elizabeth Smart, who was kidnapped from her home at fourteen years old and reunited with her family nine months later, after enduring unthinkable abuse, including rape and brainwashing. With the love and support of her church and family, Elizabeth managed to “come back” from her nightmare and build an amazing life for herself: she married a wonderful man, published a book, started a foundation, and she gives hope to the survivors of abduction and abuse with her story every day.

I wondered if I could write a story in which the hero and heroine were abducted and endured abuse but somehow managed to survive, to find each other again, and to build a life for themselves. After losing a beloved pet named Gretl and rereading the fairy tale
Hansel and Gretel
,
Never Let You Go
was born.

In the Grimm brothers’
Hansel and Gretel
, the brother and sister held captive by the witch leave a trail of bread crumbs to find their way home. Well, there are no literal bread crumbs in this story, but the figurative ones are clear. They are love, faith, trust, and the strength to hold on when all hope seems lost.
Those
are the bread crumbs that matter in all of our lives, and the very ones that lead Holden and Griselda back into each other’s arms.

In honor of the inspiration Elizabeth Smart’s story gave me in the writing of this book,
I am pleased to give back 25% of my gross royalties for June and July 2015 to the Elizabeth Smart Foundation,
which aims, among other things, to support the
Internet Crimes Against Children
Task Force and to educate children about violent and sexual crime. For more information, go here:
elizabethsmartfoundation.org

Love,

Katy

Turn the page for Katy’s
Never Let You Go
playlist . . .