A Time To Love

Chapter 20: "As Seasons Change"

They watched out the window, studying their mannerisms and attempting to read the words upon their lips.
"What is he saying?"
"I can't tell." Audrey began, leaning against Emily, trying to get a better view of them too, "I think I saw him mouth the word love,... or maybe not."
"You know, it would be a lot easier to see if you two weren't fogging up the window so much." Rachel reprimanded her two little sisters as she wiped the window with her sleeve.
Emily grimaced, "Sorry, Rachel."
They continued to watch carefully, holding their breaths and counting down the seconds.
Audrey jumped up as soon as she saw it and exclaimed in an elated tone, "Wait! Is he actually doing it? Is he getting on one knee?"
Katherine entered the living room at that very moment, with baby Charlie propped upon her hip, "What are you all doing?"
"He's actually doing it, Katherine! Louis is proposing to Irene!" Emily proclaimed with the biggest grin upon her face, to which Katherine replied, "You're serious? Let me see!"
Katherine scooched in between her sisters as they watched the final moment of the proposal. It ended with a nod of Irene's head, and a ring slipped upon her finger.
Irene was so elated for the moment when she could run inside and announce it to her sisters. She was blissfully unaware of the fact that they had already seen the whole thing.
The four girls hugged each other as they cried happy tears for Irene. They'd include her in it too, of course, the second she stepped in that door.
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"A time to cry, and a time to laugh...A time to be born, and a time to die... For everything, there is a season."
Audrey held Rachel in her arms, thinking of those words, comforting her as she wept. Rachel had just returned from visiting Caleb and his ill father, whom she had grown so fond of over the past two years. Rachel never expected, though, that it would turn out to be the last time she would see and talk to James Ward. He had passed away, right there in the room with her, too. His last words, 'I love you, my dear Rachel', still resounded in her head.
He had been like a surrogate father to her for those precious two years. He was always there when she needed him, but now he wouldn't be. She didn't know how she was to go on. If she was feeling this way, though, she couldn't imagine how Caleb felt.
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It seemed like everyone in Maple Grove gathered for the service in memorium of James Ward. It was a simple service, as was requested by Pastor Ward before his passing, and Caleb made sure it was beautiful and dignified, too, just like his father.
Those who knew him well weeped, and even those who didn't had teary eyes.
The first thing Caleb had done when he saw Rachel that morning was embrace her, and he never seemed to find the strength to let her go after that. Rachel didn't mind, though. She welcomed his warm embrace and the comforting arm that held her close by the whole time. They needed each other, and perhaps, this was a tragically divine way of proving it to them.
Daniel had come too, for Pastor Ward had been good to him. Perhaps that was the sentiment of everyone else there as well.
Daniel wrapped his arm around Audrey and pulled her closer while she wiped away the tears that fell upon her face, as she thought of the man who had encouraged her time and time again. She thought back to the words he had told her; 'You can't go wrong with a good friend in a great time of need'. He was right, and for so many people present that day, he had been that friend, and they'd never forget him for it.
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Some time had passed since then. January seemed to turn to April in the blink of an eye. Audrey didn't know where the time had gone; a sentiment she seemed to hold more and more as she got older.
She laid on the spring grass, with Daniel beside her, as they watched the gentle ripples that formed upon the face of the pond in front of them.
Daniel leaned over, plucked a white daisy from the grass, and handed it to Audrey, to which she placed it behind her ear, and did a playful pose before exclaiming, "Isn't it beautiful?"
"Only cause you're wearing it." He replied simply.
The rosy hue that formed upon her face was hard to hide, especially paired with the white petals of the flower that sat right beside her cheek.
Daniel noticed it and smiled to himself, although he didn't admit it to her.
"Audrey?" He alerted her, making her reply, "Yes? What is it?"
"I want to tell you something."
She raised her brow with curiosity, "What? Tell me."
He took his time before he declared, "I'm starting my medical practice."
She looked at him in that moment like he had an extra head, "Daniel, what do you mean? You can't just start a medical practice. You have to go to school for it -"
"I did, Audrey."
"What?"
He looked over at her, meeting her gaze. He had a cheeky grin upon his face.
"Daniel, are you lying to me? Playing a joke, perhaps?"
He laughed and shook his head with vigor, "No. I'm not lying." Her demeanor softened as she awaited his explanation, "I guess, there's some things I never told you -"
"Tell me now then. I want to hear everything, Daniel."
"Well, believe it, or not, I was a bit of a smart kid." Daniel began, as he brought to memory moments of his life that he had kept inside for so long. He went on, "I always wanted to be a doctor, and cause I was smart back then, I had the ability to make my dream happen. I started medical school when I was sixteen, and my
mother supported me the whole way through it."
Audrey spoke up, "I don't understand, Daniel. If you went to school for it, why did you never start your practice afterward?"
He took a deep breath before responding, "My mother had promised to come to my graduation from med school, but that day... she never showed, so I left the city, and
came back home to Maple Grove looking for her." He paused as tears began to well up in his eyes, "She never made it ...cause she couldn't. My mother had died a few days before, and I happened to be the first one to find her."
Audrey placed her hand upon his and said with deep regret, "I'm so sorry to hear that, Daniel. I can't even imagine."
He looked at her and forced a brief smile as to say 'thank you' before continuing, "I had a bright future, you know, and I was a good kid, but then my mother died,...and everything changed. I felt as though I had nothing to live for anymore. The sadness was crippling, so I started drinking. I'd drink the night away and feel good doing it, but then morning would come, and reality would set back in. My mother was gone, and there was nothing I could do about it. Drinking wasn't enough, though, so I'd try other things as well. Sex, drugs, anything to numb the pain. It didn't take long, though, for the appeal of some of those things to fade, but drinking, on the other hand, was one of those things that I never could stop doing. Eventually, I learned how to still function with it; not enough that I was really living life again, but
enough where I was surviving, which was good enough for me at that point. But then...I met you-", She looked into his eyes, meeting his gaze, "Everything changed again. I'm actually living now, Audrey. You helped me see that there was so much more to life than I had ever realized. You've always been there for me, even when I wasn't there for you. I'll forever be thankful for you, Audrey. I'm going to be a doctor, and I'm going to make my mother proud up there, and you too, Audrey."
"You don't even know how proud I already am of you." She replied with a smile upon her face. "I'm going to support you in whatever way I can, Daniel. You're my best friend."
"And, you're mine too."
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The door flung open, and Irene ran into the living room.
"What's going on?" Katherine, who had a concerned tone, asked first.
Irene tried to catch her breath, "You'll never...believe what just....happened."
The sisters shot each other looks of confusion, with Audrey being the next one to speak up, "Well, tell us then. What happened?"
"I'm breaking off my engagement."
"What?! Whatever is the meaning of this?" Katherine was fuming as she chastised Irene with her words. "How could you be so foolish? Louis is a very nice man, Irene."
"I know! I know!" Irene put her hands up in defense before continuing, "But, I don't love Louis. I was just pretending I did because he's a gentleman, and he can take care of me."
"So, what changed?" Rachel added. "You were so happy about being engaged."
"I know it seems crazy, but while I was out today,...I ran into David -"
"David Clark? The one who broke your heart?" Emily finally piped up, to which Irene replied, "Yes, him."
"And?"
"And, he told me I was making a mistake." Irene explained and continued, "That I was only with Louis cause I should be, not cause I want to be. And, he was right...about everything. It's been David the whole time. It's always been him that I've
wanted to be with, but I thought he couldn't care less about me, so I tried to forget him. I couldn't get over him, though, and I'm glad I didn't. I'm happy. I'm really happy."
"Why?" Emily asked, making Irene light up.
"He loves me too, that's why."
Their faces said it all. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. The boy who had rejected Irene some time ago was now in love with her. Irene continued to explain the situation, giving more insight into the conversation her and David had had. He had liked her back then, too, but was just too stubborn to say it, but when he found out that she was engaged to another, he finally realized that he couldn't let her go, so he finally told her. He told her how he had always felt and said all the
words he was too afraid to say before. They promised to love each other truthfully and intentionally from that day forward. They'd be together forever and forever they'd love each other.