Dream Girl

The Great Impression

15 Years Later

Ben walked up the staircase and into his large bedroom. He smoothed out the blanket on the bed in an attempt to rid him of his nerves. He then walked over to the mirror above the dresser and gussied up. He sprayed on his favorite cologne and took one final look. "Dad?". Ben turned around and looked at his daughter standing in the doorway. "What's up Merritt?" he asked as he walked over to her. "You look nice," she smiled. Ben was wearing a herringbone print button down, black chino pants, suede penny loafers, and a Baume & Mercier stainless steel watch. "You think she'll like it?" he asks. "She might," Merritt shrugs.

"Well let's go get your brother's opinion on this," Ben says as he and Merritt walk down the hallway to the staircase. They walk down the stairs and into the living room where Thatcher was sitting. "My boy," Ben said. Thatcher turned around and looked his father up and down. "Where are you going?" he asked. "I'm meeting a special lady tonight. I've already told you this". Thatcher raises his eyebrow and nodded. "I don't remember you saying anything about that but if you say so". Merritt walks over and smacks him on the back of the head. "Don't hit your brother," he scolds.

"He deserves it for being so forgetful". Carrie, the housekeeper, walks into the room. "Mr. Simmons I have to get going," she says to him with a heavy Jamaican accent. "That's alright, you don't have to wait around. Their aunt will be here to watch them while I'm gone". She looks over at the kids. "I left the two of you some plantain in the kitchen". Their ears perk up and they walk out of the room. "You look very nice Mr. Simmons," she smiled widely. "I have my date tonight," he gleamed. "I know. You've been talking about it nonstop for a week now," she chuckled. "I'm just very excited for it".

"Well you have a nice time. I'm sure you'll impress". Carrie leaves the home and Ben looks at his watch. He walks into the foyer and yells into the kitchen, "One of you call your aunt and see where she is". He walks up the stairs and goes back into his bedroom. He takes one final look at himself before he smiles at his reflection and leaves the room. He walks back downstairs and goes into the kitchen. "She said she's up the road," Thatcher says. "Alright, well I have to get going. I trust that the two of you won't destroy the place in the few minutes you'll be alone," he says as he points at them. "No guarantees," the twins say in unison.

Ben walks out of the house and gets into his Mercedes-Benz SUV. He takes a deep breath before he starts the ignition and pulls out of the driveway and onto the road. He drives to the home where he first encountered Rhys all those years ago. The home had been converted into a bed and breakfast about five years earlier. Ben walked in and nodded at the man at the front desk. He walked out the back door and stood for a moment in the backyard. He faced where the stairs were and gathered himself. He was a walking bundle of nerves at the moment and he didn't know why. After a few minutes, he took a slow walk down the stairs.

There she was. Wearing an orange cowl-neck sleeveless top, black crop pants, and point-toe leather flats. Her hair blew around her full cheeks as she swung. Her fragrance danced in his nostrils. Rare oud wood, rosewood, cardamom, and amber wafted through the breeze and enraptured him. She used her feet to stop the swing and walked up to him. "Benjamin," she spoke softly. She cupped his jaw with her hand and smile gently at him. She grazed her long almond shaped nails along his cheek. The subtle signs of aging were visible on her skin. He leaned down and kissed her. 

She grabbed his hand and guided him to the gazebo. "It appears that they've taken good care of this place," Rhys says as she sits down on the wooden bench. "All the profit is inside the house," he says. "But it's good that they've kept this area up. It would be a shame if they let it fall into disrepair". Rhys looked around at the little hideaway. It's as if this area had been frozen in time. The gazebo was still in near perfect condition and the swing had been maintained after all these years. "It's as if this place was waiting for us to come back," she smiled peacefully.

The two of them talked for hours before she stood up. "I want to go home," she said to him. Ben nodded slowly and the two of them walked up the steps. They walked through the B&B and then got into Ben's car. They sat silently as Ben rode through the streets of Philadelphia. He pulled into the driveway and the two of them got out of the car. Rhys opened the door and the lights in the dark house turned on. The twins, Leslie, Ziggy, and her family yelled, "Happy Anniversary!". Rhys smiled at everyone as the twins came and hugged her. "Happy anniversary mom," they said in unison.

Rhys stepped back and looked at Thatcher's hair. "I'm gone for three weeks and your hair turns into a rat's nest?" she jokes. "I wanted to try something new," he said. "And you let him do that?" she said as she looked over at Ben. "You can't tell the boy anything. He thinks he knows it all". Ziggy and Leslie came over to hug Rhys. They all moved into the kitchen and sat down for dinner. They sat and reminisced over the pot roast dinner that Carrie had cooked before she left and kept warm in the oven.

Once dinner was over, the kids had washed the dishes and gone into the living room to watch television. The adults were in the kitchen laughed over mugs of tea to help the food digest. "I just wish Sybil could've been here for this," Leslie said. Sybil Mixon had died three years earlier, but she was able to attend their wedding eleven years earlier. "If it wasn't for us, she would've died completely alone. It's a shame her kids acted like they couldn't be bothered with her". Leslie raised her mug and the group followed. "For Sybil," they said in unison. They clinked their mugs together and took a sip in her honor.

Rhys looked at her guests and thought about how things had changed for everyone over the years. Leslie had divorced her husband and found a new lease on life. She started her own catering business and finally had great relationships with her children. Leslie had finally realized that in order to be happy, she needed to let go of the dead weight that was her husband and live for herself. 

Ziggy had adopted three kids to start the family she always wanted. She had gotten married a few years after Ben and Rhys but soon divorced her wife. She then married her now husband who she met while on vacation in Bermuda. They bonded over their similar upbringings and the many things they've gone through to get to where they were now. He accepted her three children as his own and they live a fairly happy life. She was now vice-president of the publishing company where she started as an intern.

Then there was Ben and Rhys. They got married eleven years ago and had twins Merritt and Thatcher nine years ago. Rhys' career as a stylist really took off. She had gotten an editorial in Vogue Magazine and even styled some red carpet looks. Once she felt as though she made a name for herself, she decided to take a step back and be a columnist for Vogue. Ben had retired from the NBA four years ago to be more involved with his family. He also felt as though he had given all his body could give. He gave the best years of his life to the NBA and now he just wanted to relax at the Simmons Estate, formerly the Wymore Estate, with his devoted wife and kids.

When the celebration had ended, Ben and Rhys retired to their bedroom. The two of them cuddled in bed. Rhys had her hand placed flat on his chest and Ben was running his fingers through her hair. "So tell me something," Rhys said to him. "Was that spark still there all these years later?" she asked. Ben smiled and rubbed on her shoulder. 

"The spark never left".