Angie of the Garden

Chapter Fourteen-1

A beardless Sebastian Simms sat on the couch in the old house, silently surveying the various items that constituted all his earthly possessions. The boxes along with the suitcases he had packed did not seem as though they should have been able to hold the contents that one would have expected to accumulate after more than 30 years of living. Yet Sebastian felt as contented as he had at any point in his life. He had just accepted an offer to work on Wall Street again. The younger Simms was also moving back to Manhattan. Most importantly, Clare Johnson was back in his life.

"I guess Frank and I will have to watch the ballgames by ourselves now," Hollis remarked as he walked into the room.
"You guys can come into the city and watch a game with me there, you know." "That's true. So when do you start work?"
"Monday morning. Would it surprise you to learn that I'm completely petrified?" "Not at all," Hollis replied as he sat down next to him.
"But at least I have a shot. I'm back on the street again."
"You make it sound as though you're destitute," Hollis pointed out with a laugh. "Thanks for boosting my confidence," Sebastian replied in the same manner. "There's nothing to worry about. You have a real talent for investing. So even though it might take a while to get back into the routine, you'll do well in the long run, I'm sure."

Hollis slapped him on the back, much as their father used to do when they were younger.

"Courage, my friend," Hollis added.
"Thanks big brother."

They took his belongings out to his car. Frank was mowing the lawn nearby. He interrupted his work to say good-bye.

"You don't take any shit from those people," he told him. "I'll come over there and kick their fancy asses all over Manhattan if they give you a hard time." "I appreciate that, Frank."
"You take care now," the groundskeeper added while shaking his hand.

Olivia and Annabelle came out to bid him farewell. His niece had become almost as tall as her mother. This made Sebastian aware of how fast the years were going by. Hollis did not have to be reminded. Annabelle brought that point home to him everyday.

"I'm sorry to see you go, Sebastian," Olivia said with all the sincerity she could muster. She hugged her brother-in-law for good measure. "Good luck with your new position."
"Yeah, I hope it works out for you Uncle Sebastian," Annabelle added as she did the same.
"Thanks so much. I'll talk to you soon."
He embraced his older brother once more before driving away.

In the coming months Sebastian proved that Hollis had been correct when he said his brother had a talent for investing. The rest of the staff soon came around to the same conclusion. Simms could hardly remember what it was like to do anything else for a living.
He was about to leave the office one evening when Jason Anderson, his supervisor, summoned him into his office.

"You've really fit in well here," he told Sebastian. "Do you miss the bagel shop?"
"Only at breakfast," he replied with a smile. "I haven't found anyplace that makes a bagel quite as good."
"What are you doing tonight?"
"I'm having dinner with my girlfriend."
"Does she like Broadway?"
"Yes."
"I have two tickets to Light up the Dark. A client gave them to me. But my wife and I have other plans. They're yours. You've made quite an impression on me. Keep up the good work. And have a great time."

Sebastian thanked him and then practically floated home. He certainly appreciated the theater passes, but the compliment meant much more. Sebastian called Clare.

"Guess what? We're not just going to dinner; we're going to dinner on Broadway. Then we're seeing Light up the Night, courtesy of Prism Investments."
"That sounds great," said Clare. "One of the women in the office told me about a fantastic new restaurant down there. I'll make reservations."

Sebastian and Clare savored their meal before filing into the theater. He found the play to be trite. Sebastian was trying not to doze off when the sound of a familiar voice made him sit straight up. An actress who was sitting near the back of the stage caught his attention.
Sebastian stared at her emerald green eyes. This was the woman who had appeared in the garden at Fairhaven. Clare asked him if anything was wrong.

"No, I'm fine," he whispered.
"You don't look fine," she whispered back.

Sebastian smiled at her. That was assurance enough to allow Clare to enjoy the rest of the play. Her date was transfixed on this one actress for the rest of the evening. The theater emptied quickly after the play ended to rousing applause. Sebastian hustled Clare to the stage entrance door behind the theater.

"Why are we standing here? Do you want someone's autograph?"
"The woman who played Carolyn is the same person who's been in Hollis'
garden." "What?"
"It's her. I'd recognize that woman's voice and face anywhere."
"I thought you never got close enough to get a good look at her."
"No, I said I never got close enough to take a good picture of her. But there was one night when I walked right up to her while she was speaking with Hollis. She ran away and disappeared. My brother would never let me anywhere near her after that."
"According to the program her name is Rachel Robe. Are you sure it's the same person?"
"I know it's her."
"Is she going to walk through the wall?" Clare asked teasingly.