Til We Meet Again (11 page)

“It’s quite possible,” Dean replied as he ran his hand over a crate that sat in front of him.  “Definitely not this one, it says ‘Matthew’ on it.

Katie smiled.  “I have an idea,” she said.  “Come over here and just hold my arm.  I’m going to close my eyes and try to see if I can lead us to the right one, you just need to make sure I don’t walk into anything,” she told him.  She felt like she was crazy but then she thought that if Grace had been talking to her earlier that she might be able to open up enough to Grace again to find what they were looking for. 

“You are insane, aren’t you?” Dean teased.

Katie nodded.  “Humour me will you.”

Dean crossed to where she stood and took her arm. 

Katie closed her eyes and tried her best to clear her mind.  She felt a warm sensation come over here and she began walking.  She had a picture of the room in her head and she didn’t fumble once as she walked through the cluttered space.  Grace was pointing to a trunk that was buried under two others and she was smiling.  “It’s right here darling, you would have found it, because I have faith in you.  You will be very happy with Dean and your babies.”

Katie opened her eyes.  She hadn’t moved.  She looked at Dean.

“Still waiting for you my dear,” he told her.

“I was walking, I know I was, I felt it.”

“We haven’t moved a centimeter my dear,” he reinformed her.

“Forget that, I know where it is,” she said and began walking in the same direction she had in her mind.  They came to the same stack of trunks and she pointed to it.  “It’s that one down there,” she told him.

Dean lifted the trunk on top away.

“Is it heavy?” Katie asked.

“No, it isn’t thank goodness,” he replied.  “It actually feels like it’s about half full.”

While Dean moved the second one away, Katie went over and opened the first one.  In it was clothes packed to the brim and lined up along the bottom were shoes.  “This should have been heavier than you said it was, it’s lined up with shoes and filled to the brim with clothes,” she told him.

He stopped and looked at her as he set the second one down, which had also felt like it was only half full.  He popped the top open and it too was filled with heavy coats and boots.  He looked around him and said a silent thank you to Grace uncertain of why.

“So this is it,” Katie said as she stood in front of the remaining trunk.

“Go ahead, open it,” Dean said.

Katie bent down and lifted the latch.  Slowly she pulled up the top and inside was layers and layers of tissue.  She slowly pulled away the paper and came to heavy plastic.  She lifted it out finding it was very heavy.  At the end was an old hanger and she found a spot that she could hang it from and opened the plastic.  “This is it,” she said.  She touched the fabric and fell in love with it at once.  She lifted the skirt to find all of the petticoats underneath and was instantly overcome with tears.

“What’s wrong?” Dean asked as he crossed the room and touched her shoulder.

“It’s just the feeling I get from the gown.  Tears of joy, happiness, and all of that good stuff,” she told him.

“Wow,” Dean said.  He looked at the gown hanging in front of him.  “It’s beautiful,” he whispered.

“I know,” she replied.

They carried it downstairs and put it on the bed with the others in the spare room.  “I’ll probably have to have that cleaned,” Katie said. 

“You should also try it on,” Dean told her.

“You’re right.  I’m going to need some help with that though, I’m sure,” she said.

“Don’t look at me, I don’t know anything about that stuff,” he replied holding his hands out.

“My mom and dad are coming and staying the weekend of Thanksgiving, I’ll get my mom to give me a hand with it then,” she said.

They decided to take a walk to the park and just enjoy the nice weather they were having despite it being early in the fall.  They had both seen colder Septembers on several occasions but today was a day when they could get away with wearing shorts and sandals. 

While they walked, they talked about the wedding and what they would all have to do in order to get things in order and be able to get married in three months. 

“Well, what can I do?” Dean asked.

“How about you look after booking the restaurant for the reception.  Call them and see if it’s available and book it.  It’ll be harder to find a place around Christmas time,” she said.

“I’ll do that first thing in the morning, right after you call the doctor,” he told her.

“Okay, and I’ll put a call into the church and see if it’s available for a wedding on December ninth,” she offered.

“Then what?” Dean asked.

“Then we need to find a florist, and a photographer, and you need to rent a tuxedo and we need to figure out who we want in our wedding party and…”

“Okay, I get the idea,” he said cutting her off.

Katie smiled.  “Oh, and invitations will need to go out soon,” she added.

“Already?” he asked.

“Yes, they need to go out about six weeks before so that we can get reply cards back and then give a final count to the caterer,” she explained.

“This is too much work, no wonder Grace and Donald eloped,” he replied.

“They didn’t have a choice, her parents didn’t approve remember?” she reminded him.

“Oh, yeah, right, I forgot, I keep getting this whole thing mixed up,” he told her.

Katie stopped walking and looked up at him.  “Thanks for being such a great sport through all of this,” she said.

Dean looked at her.  “Hey, I have to admit I didn’t believe you at first but now that I’ve seen most of the proof myself, I’m a firm believer in all of that spirit stuff,” he told her.  “And I still think you’re wonderful and I love you more and more with each passing dream,” he teased.

Katie laughed.  “Gee, thanks, he’s only marrying me for my dreams, now I get it,” she teased back.

Dean gave her a playful swat on the bottom and they started walking home. 

“Why don’t we order Chinese tonight?” Dean suggested.

“That sounds good, now that I’m hungry again,” Katie replied.

When they got back to the house, Katie went to place the order while Dean built a fire.  The evening would cool off a lot and it would be nice to eat their supper in front of the fire with some romantic music playing.  He wanted to celebrate with her about their wedding and their baby and planned on opening a bottle of wine when he realized she shouldn’t be drinking that anymore.  He thought maybe he could find some red coloured fruit juice in the fridge that would have to be a substitute.

“It’s all ordered and will be on its way shortly,” Katie said coming back into the living room where Dean was just setting the screen back in front of the fireplace.

“Sounds wonderful, come and sit down,” he said as he rose and went to the couch.

She crossed the room and settled in beside him.  He put his arms around her.  “You know what I was just thinking?” he asked.

“No, I can’t read your mind, just the minds of the dead,” she teased.

Dean laughed and gave her a squeeze.  “Do you really think that Grace only told
you
about all of this?” he asked.

“I do.  Who else would there have been.  She and Donald’s family were the only ones to know.  And they’re all gone now,” she reminded him.

“But I can’t believe they kept the secret all that time.  I can’t believe that even the birth and death announcements claimed them as the parents of Grace’s baby,” Dean added.

“Some people will go to great lengths to hide stuff like that, especially in those days,” Katie said.  “And don’t forget that these babies were born at home and what was put on the certificate had to be taken as authentic at that time.” 

Dean nodded.  “How times have changed,” he said.

They sat silently for a few minutes before the doorbell rang and Dean went to collect their food while Katie got plates and forks from the kitchen.

“Forks!  You don’t want to use the chopsticks?” Dean teased.

“No, as a matter of fact I don’t,” Katie replied.  She hated attempting to use chopsticks.  It was fun trying a few times but then she just wanted to eat her food before it got cold.

They sat down and Dean opened all of the cartons and placed them on the coffee table. 

Dean got up.  “Forgot something,” he said.  He first turned on the stereo and placed a CD in the player.  Then he went to the kitchen and returned with two wine glasses filled with red liquid. 

“Dean, I shouldn’t have that,” Katie said as he set the glass down in front of her.

“Oh, I know, I found some of that juice you like so well in the fridge and thought it would make an excellent substitute,” Dean replied as he sat down.

Katie smiled.  “Thank you,” she said.

They ate, and listened to the music as it played in the background.  They talked about the details of the wedding and when they would announce that she was pregnant.

“I think we should wait until after you’ve been to the doctor,” Dean said.

“They’re not coming for two weeks, I think we have a little time,” she replied.

Dean laughed and they started cleaning up after their supper.  Dean refilled their glasses and they sat in front of the fire and cuddled. 

Katie set their glasses aside and straddled Dean.  She kissed him on the mouth, along his jaw and his neck.

“Gee, how do you think you got pregnant?” Dean asked trying to be serious.

“I don’t know.  I’ll have to ask the doctor tomorrow,” Katie replied continuing to kiss him.

“I think she might have a problem with you not knowing,” Dean said.

“I realize that but what if I truly and honestly convince her that I haven’t had sex,” Katie replied stopping and looking into his eyes.

“I think she’d send you straight to the loony bin,” Dean answered as he kissed her neck.  “We were always careful though weren’t we?” he asked.

“I think it was too little too late,” Katie replied.  “Remember that first time when we surprised each other and never really had any thoughts about protection, I think that might have been when.”

“That’s kind of a nice thought though,” Dean said.

“You think so?” Katie quizzed.

“Yeah, I do.  It’s kind of like an omen or something.   Our love created another human being that we can love just as much,” Dean said.

Katie thought for a moment as tears filled her eyes.  Those were sweet words and she really wanted to marry this man more than anything in the world.

“Why are you crying?” Dean asked.

“I don’t know.  That was such a sweet thing you just said and I’m going to be overemotional for the next several months,” Katie replied.

“Oh great, better get a new package of handkerchiefs out and laundered,” Dean teased.

Katie playfully swatted him and then pulled a blanket over them.  “I’m getting cold,” she told him.

“Why don’t I take you to bed and I’ll warm you up again,” Dean suggested.

“Alright, I’ll let you do that.  What did you have in mind?” she asked.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Dean said slowly as he got up and he checked the fire. 

Katie carried the glasses to the kitchen and gasped with surprise when Dean picked her up as soon as she walked through the doorway and carried her off upstairs where he deposited her on the bed and took a moment to admire her body after he’d undressed her.  Her skin was so soft and smooth.  It didn’t appear at first that she tanned a lot but he could see the exact outline of her bikini.  She moved her legs slightly and they parted for him.  “You are so beautiful,” he told her.

“Make love to me Dean,” she invited.

He did as she requested but held her tightly in his arms after and held her there until he heard her breathing not only slow, but taper right off to the smooth, shallow breaths of a deep sleep.  Then he got up.  He was too wide awake to sleep and he went to her office and turned on her computer.  He had some work to do but also wanted to see if he could find something that would help him help Katie to plan their wedding.  He glanced over at the bed where the wedding gown lay still half covered in plastic and he walked over and ran his hand over the smooth silk.  He wondered how Grace had felt wearing this gown and marrying a man that would always take second in her heart.  He felt warm all over when he touched the gown though.  She was very happy when she wore it.  Perhaps she had really gotten over Donald more than she ever said she did.  What if Katie eventually got over him?  He didn’t want to lose her, or the children he had with her.  But she wasn’t like that.  This was their chance to see that Grace and Donald were happily reunited under much better circumstances.  This was their chance to show the world that two people can be as happy as they should be.  He wondered again if Grace would revisit Katie in her dreams but didn’t figure there was anything left to say.

Katie woke a little later on to find Dean not in bed with her.  She listened for a moment thinking perhaps he’d gone to the bathroom but never heard anything.  She had been dreaming about Grace but she was only there to wish her well with the wedding and the baby.