A WONDERFUL MEMORY
DEDICATED TO KIM CROSBY AND ROBERT WESTENBERG, THE INSPIRATIONS FOR THIS STORY.
BY: MICHELA ANDERSON
PROLOGUE
The air in Missouri had turned cold and crisp. The last of the Autumn leaves had falled off the trees, and the birds had all left to find a warmer environment. Kim Crosby stood at the cold, frosted window, watching the snow fall on the dead grass. She held a hot, steaming mug of hot chocolate, topped with a layer of marshmallows and a sprinkling of chocolate shavings; just the way she liked it. The porcelain mug read "If The Shoe Fits..." on it's side. As she took a sip of the sugary concoction, she rested her head on the edge of the window frame. To Kim's surprise, the doorbell rang. She was sort of relieved, because her thoughts were then shifted from the stresses that clouded her mind to whatever was waiting for her outside the door. Who would be out in this weather? she thought. She opened the front door and saw nothing, or no one, but a small package wrapped in brown paper. Kim couldn't imagine who would be sending her a package, Christmas was over, and she hadn't ordered anything online. She took the package inside and opened it up carefully.
Inside the cardboard box was another box, only this one was wrapped with golden wrapping paper, with a red bow, the color rich as blood. Tucked underneath the bow was a card, which Kim opened without hesitation. The card read as follows:
Dearest Kim,
I miss you and your husband terribly, and wanted to wish the both of you a happy holiday. Please tell your daughter that she is becoming more and more like her mother with each passing year. Inside is a gift for you and your family. I hope it brings you all as much joy as it has brought me throughout the years. Remember - no one is alone.
- Warmest wishes,
B.P.
Kim read through this letter a few times before she realized that the gift was from her long distant friend, Bernadette. It made sense why the package was late, no packages from Los Angeles or New York ever shipped on time. She smiled as she ran her fingers over the signature, and remembered the good times the two of them shared. She remembered the gift, and took it into her living room. She slowly tore apart the gold paper and nearly fell over from the sight of what was inside. A shoe...but not just any shoe. Her golden slipper. A broach, a medal of sorts, which she had no recollection of. And lastly, the DVD that contained some of the best memories of Kim's life - the 1989 taping of the original cast of Into The Woods.
A large smile slowly made its way across her face. She closed her eyes, and remembered everything, as if she were really there. The memory of the smell of fresh paint, sawdust, and powdered makeup was stronger than it had ever been. She felt the pain in her legs and lower back from running around with only one shoe on half the time, and falling all over the place. She was back there...in the studio...on the stage...where she was happiest. She put the DVD on, and as it started playing, her thoughts took her back to the Martin Beck Theatre.
CHAPTER ONE
The first days of rehearsals were never easy, especially when creating a role. Kim stepped out of the cab, and took her first steps towards the rest of her life. She was so grateful for the opportunity, being new to the stage. Not wanting to be late, she arrived almost 2 hours early for rehearsal. She had her script memorized, the music perfected. Kim was prepared, and excited for the day ahead.
As the other actors arrived later on, Kim grew more and more sure of herself, seeing how friendly and warm the others were towards her. She sat down on a bench as she looked around, letting her surroundings soak in.
"Quite a lot to process, isn't it?" Kim looked up as she heard a voice beside her, and saw a cheery, yet sophisticated looking woman. "I'm Joanna. Nice to meet you." She smiled, and stuck her hand out. Kim smiled back and shook her hand. "I'm Kim. The pleasure's mine." She looked around for a moment. "Is this everyone?"
"Hmm..." Joanna looked around to verify. "I believe Bernadette is yet to show up. You know the big hollywood actresses, always fashionably late!" she chuckled. Kim laughed slightly along. In all the commotion, she had forgotten that the Bernadette Peters would be there. She admired her greatly, but had heard rumors that she was a bit of a diva, which made Kim a bit nervous. Joanna chimed in once again, interrupting Kim's insecurities. "Oh hey, there's Robert Westenberg. He did Sunday In The Park With George a while back with Barbra and Bernadette. Pretty cute, huh? Lucky us!" She said slyly, laughing. Kim looked over at him, and smiled. He was good looking...very good looking, actually. She couldn't place her finger on it, but there was something about him that Kim found very intriguing. Before she could contemplate the thought too much, he was standing right front of her introducing himself.
"And you must be my Cinderella." Robert laughed. "I'm Robert. It's a pleasure."
"Same to you," Kim replied. "I'm Kim. Looks like we'll be spending quite a bit of time together!" She giggled the way she always did around new people. That nervous giggle she hated, but everyone around her found adorable.
As they were speaking, a woman with wild red hair walked up. Bernadette Peters. Kim gasped softly, "Oh, hello!" she said, surprised. "It's an honor to be working with you, Ms. Peters." She shook the actresses' hand and smiled. "Oh, please, call me Bernadette! If were going to be a family, we might as well be on a first name basis, shouldn't we?" She laughed. All nervousness and fear flooded away when she realized that these aren't your typical snooty actors. These were real people.
CHAPTER 2
After weeks of rehearsals, a studio recording, and endless promotional events, tonight was the big night. Opening night. The cast had never been closer, and Kim could not have been happier.
They finished their last minute rehearsals, and as the audiences filled their seats, the actors were in their dressing rooms running their lines one last time, finishing their hair and makeup, and making sure they had all their costume pieces. Of course, characteristic of her always-wanting-to-be-ready nature, Kim was ready long before everyone else. She sat on the small couch in her dressing room, in full costume, reading a book...Cinderella. It was a bit strange for her to read the story, then look in the mirror see Cinderella looking back at her.
A knock came on the door, and a familiar handsome face peeked inside the door. "Hey...you ready?" He asked with a smirk. "As I'll ever be," she replied.
"Doing some last minute research, I see." "Oh, yeah, well...you can never be too prepared, I suppose." Things became silent for a moment, and Robert knelt down next to her, noticing how nervous she really was. "You've got this. You're more prepared for this than anyone in the show. Break a leg. I know you'll be absolutely wonderful...you always are." Kim put down her book and hugged him close. As she pulled back, something stopped her. She felt something pulling her back, something magnetizing her back towards him. It could have just been her imagination, but it wasn't. She realized that she really was getting dangerously close to him, but she didn't try to stop it either. Just as there was no more than an inch between their faces, the harsh florescent lights above them flashed on and off. Places.
Before she could blink, she was rushed onstage by one of the stage manager's many assistants. The music began, and she fell instantly into character. "I wish..." she started the show off. After Cinderella had proved herself to be the prince's bride by being the foot to fit the golden slipper, Kim took Robert's hand and he lifted her onto a horse made of cedar wood. And with a single leap, he was right behind her, and they were "riding" off. She was smiling like an idiot, but of course she never would have realized it. Luckily, it just happened to work for the character. Kim had been in love before...but nothing could have prepared her for this...whatever it was.
The rest of the show went perfectly...it ended with another "I wish" and those words could not have been more true to what Kim's heart was screaming.
At the cast party, Kim sat at a table alone. She took a sip of her white wine and watched Robert being crowded with people showering him with congratulations and praise over his performance. Kim was perfectly content just to watch him from a distance.
"You love him, don't you?" Kim looked over. Bernadette was seated to her left, smiling at the fact she knew exactly what was happening.
"What?" Kim innocently replied with her usual nervous giggle, pretending not to know what she meant.
"I knew from the first moment I saw you two together on the first day of rehearsals."
Kim blushed and looked down. "Well, what's one to do? It's not exactly something to be taken lightly..." Kim looked back over to Bernadette, with hopeful eyes. "You have to tell him." she replied bluntly, and got up and went to talk with a press representative.
Kim knew that Bernadette was right. If she never acted on her emotions, she would never get anywhere with them. Now, the only issue was finding the right time, place, and manner.
After sleepless nights and a thousand phone calls to her mother, Kim finally made a decision. She called Robert and told him to meet her at the theatre, at 5 o' clock for some "last minute rehearsal time". If she was going to do this, it would be done right.
That evening, she sat on the edge of the stage, waiting for him. For nearly the 30th time, she glanced down at her watch. 5:04. She closed her eyes, her heart pounding incessantly.
"Ah, the performer in her natural habitat," a familiar, deep voice chuckled. And there he was, just like that. Kim smiled at him and laughed softly. "Shall we run the scene?" he asked as she stood up, looking at him nervously. She bit her lip, averting her eyes to the floor. "You didn't really want to rehearse, did you?" Kim shook her head slowly, keeping her eyes to the ground. "I wanted to talk with you about something." she said timidly, her thumbs unconsciously playing with each other.
"Well, sure. Go ahead." he said calmly as he took her arm and sat her back down, sitting next to her. He looked at her quizzically.
"W-Well..." she stuttered. "Have you ever felt so strongly about someone, you couldn't bear not being with them, or near them, even if it's just in the same city, or country, even? So strongly, that every moment is spent thinking about that someone, wishing that someone knew how you felt and they felt it in return?" She rambled, switching her view from her fiddling fingers to his striking brown eyes.
Robert took a long pause, thinking of what to say next. He was absolutely speechless. Finally, to Kim's relief, he spoke. "Not until I met you." The tone of his voice had instantly switched from platonic to sincere and soft spoken. The words were so simple, and yet they had so much meaning for the both of them. They meant everything was about to change. Before she could blink, they're lips were tightly locked with one another's. The kiss seemed to last forever, and as they pulled away, their lips lingered just for a moment, softly brushing up against each others. Robert's arms pulled her close to him, as he kissed her on the forehead. Kim sighed a sigh of gentle relief, and closed her eyes. She had her prince.
CHAPTER 3
3 months later, the show was still going strong, as was Kim's and Robert's relationship. Before every show, he left a pink rose on her makeup dresser. One rose for every day he loved her, as he said. Each flower had a small note attached to it, always with some sort of sweet message. Kim walked into her dressing room before the Friday night show, and found the rose she looked forward to finding every day. She looked at the tag. It read:
Meet me in the studio at 11:00.
I love you today, tomorrow, and forever. Remember that.
-R.W.
Kim smiled and put the note down. Her heart felt the same way it did every time she read his cards, like it could have flown out of her chest right then and there. A thousand ideas rushed through her head about what he had in store for her, which made getting through the show relentless. She tried to keep her focus, but her thoughts always trailed back to Robert. The note puzzled her, and thinking about him so much even caused her to stutter on a few of her lines, which very rarely happened. She had no idea what he was planning, and couldn't imagine what was ahead.
Finally, it was over. She rushed to her dressing room, changed out of her costume, signed autographs at the stage door, and hurried home. She changed into his favorite dress of hers. An elegant, short, black dress. Of course, it was winter in New York, but she didn't mind. If it made him happy, that was all the warmth she'd need.
Once she arrived to the studio, she ran into the empty studio, careful of the patches of ice on the sidewalk. She opened the door to the main room, and was shocked at what she saw. Robert, in a classic black and white tuxedo, standing in the middle of the room in the exact spot they had first met. He was surrounded by thousands and thousands of roses, and candles lining the walls. In his hand, Cinderella's shoe. He held out his other hand to Kim. She took it without hesitation, and looked at him curiously. From inside the shoe, he pulled out a small, red velvet box. "Kim, when I first saw you in this very spot, I could tell something amazing was going to happen. I never thought I'd meet someone who I could love as much as I love you, but now that I have, I can't imagine living a life without you in my arms. I do, and always will, love the fair maiden who loses her shoe on a nightly basis. I guess you could say our story is almost fairy tale. Now all we need is our happily ever after." He spoke softly, almost in a whisper. He opened the box to reveal a beautiful ring, a gold band encrusted with a beautiful, sparkling diamond. "A jewel whose beauty could never exceed that of yours." he said, spoken like the true performer he was.
Kim's jaw dropped. Her mind hadn't quite caught up with her heart, and she was speechless. Her heart fluttered, as if a thousand butterflies had been awakened inside of it. Was this really happening? Was she really just offered the opportunity to spend the rest of her life with the one man who really made her happy?
Slowly, Kim got down on her knees. She took him by the shoulders and pressed her lips to his cheek. Still slightly trembling, she whispered in his ear. "Of course I will."
CHAPTER 4
"ENGAGED? Kimberly Ann Crosby, what on Earth are you thinking?" This was Kim's mother's reaction to the news. Kim looked out the small, dressing room window and held the phone slightly away from her ear, trying not to damage her hearing from her mother's yelling. "Now, mom...I know it seems sudden, but Rob's...different. He's sweet...caring...he always wants to know how I feel about anything and everything. He actually cares about what I think. He puts my needs before his own. There's just something about him...no matter how bad of a mood I'm in, he always knows how to make my day a thousand times brighter. When I'm around him...I'm worried my heart is beating so loud he can hear it. I really do love him, Mom..." Kim turned around, and saw Robert standing in the doorway, smirking at her. "Uh, Gotta go, Mom. Love you, take care, bye." She hung up and threw the phone on the small black couch that stood across the room from the closet.
"So, you told her, huh?" Robert said with a chuckle, walking into the room over to her. "How much did you hear?" she replied, realizing she had fallen into sort of a trance as she talked about him. "Pretty much everything from 'ENGAGED?'" He laughed again at his near-perfect impersonation of her mother. His voice became sweet and soft again. "And I sure did like what I heard after." Kim blushed. "Well, I meant every word of it." she replied sweetly.
They both giggled together, holding each other closely and their foreheads resting upon one another's. The two were perfectly content to stay just that way forever, until they heard a knock on the door. Kim hesitantly broke free from his grasp and opened the door. It was Joanna and Danielle, smiling brightly as usual. Joanna poked her head into the room, and waved at Robert. There was something suspicious about the two women today. "Hey guys, we have a little surprise for the two of you. If you'll just put these on and come with us..." Danielle gave them both black blindfolds and smiled as they put them on. Not wanting to get separated from him, Kim grabbed Robert's hand and held on tightly as the two women lead them to another building.
Hundreds of stairs and a cab ride later, they finally arrived at their location. They felt the masks being pulled off their faces. In front of the both of them was total darkness. "Bob? Sweetheart? Where are we?" Kim whispered, as she squeezed his hand slightly tighter. Suddenly, the lights flashed on and a loud chorus of people yelling "Congratulations!" and "Surprise!" followed by a thunderous round of applause. They were at The Glass House Tavern, Kim's favorite New York restaurant. Rob and Kim laughed together in surprise, as they were greeted by their fellow cast members and family members of the couple. They hadn't told anyone yet (other than Kim's mother, of course), but Kim wasn't surprised they already knew. She hadn't taken off the ring since Robert gave it to her, thinking no one would notice. And maybe they didn't, maybe they just knew by the way they had acted during breaks, rehearsals, or any off time the group had. Either way, everyone knew now for sure, and Kim wouldn't have had it any other way.
A couple hours later, the party was going just as wonderfully as it was when it had started. Bernadette and Joanna planned the entire thing, and rented out the entire restaurant just for the party. Even Kim's mother, who she had just talked to on the phone, was sitting in a booth. It turns out she had been landing into the airport when they talked, and was on her way to the party. She had known the entire time. After the group had finished their entrees, the waiters brought out desert - the couple's favorite red-velvet cake, complete with sparkler candles and all. Kim laughed and laughed as the candles went out, looking around at all the people who she cared so deeply for. She turned to Robert, and was surprised when he smashed a handful of soft, sugary, white buttercream icing in her face. She gasped, and laughed some more, reaching over sneakily to grab a handful for herself. As he was laughing at her expense, she gave him a taste of his own medicine. The crowd burst into laughter, and Kim realized at that moment that her life could not have been any better. But when she looked to her left, she noticed something wasn't quite right. Her mother was grasping at her heart, and her facial expression grew cold and panicked.
"Mom? Mom! Answer me!" Kim half-sobbed, kneeling over her mother who was now lying on the floor. "Call 911!" Kim yelled across the room, to the waiters at the front of the restaurant. Robert rushed to the phone and called the paramedics, who showed up in no time. It wasn't long before they were loading Kim's mother onto a gurney and into the ambulance.
As the ambulance drove away, Kim buried her face in Robert's chest, her hands shaking. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Come on, we should get to the hospital." he said, trying to seem strong for the sake of his new fiance, but in reality, he was just as worried as she was.
Once they made it to the hospital, they waited for hours on end. The waiting room was cold, and seemed to be completely lifeless. It was empty, other than the two of them and the receptionist at the front desk. Kim's head rested on her soon-to-be husband's chest, and his arms were wrapped protectively around her as she cried softly. He moved the hair from her eyes and tried to calm her. He wiped the tears away from her eyes slowly and carefully.
Finally, Kim was able to stop crying long enough to speak. "What if she's not alright? What if she doesn't make it? I don't know how I could live with myself...what would I do with out her?" Her voice shook. Robert turned to face her as she started to cry again. "Look at me," he said strongly. "I can't say what will happen. I don't know what the future holds for her, or for us, or for anyone. But whatever does happen...we'll get through it. Together. And it will be alright. Because we have each other." Kim somehow managed a soft smile though her tears, and hugged him tight.
Finally, the doctor appeared in front of them. He moved with caution, and a sense of remorse filled the room. "Ms. Crosby...I'm afraid your mother has suffered a major heart attack." Kim's mind began reeling. A heart attack? How can that be possible? Her mother was very healthy, and her eating and excercise habits were better than anyone's that Kim knew. "I-I-Is she going to be o-okay?" She stuttered, her heart pounding in her chest. The doctor looked down. "I'm afraid she didn't make it. We did everything we could. I'm very sorry." And just like that, the doctor was gone. And so was her mother.
"Oh, my god..." Robert whispered, pulling her close to him again. Kim fell apart, every shred of hope she had was gone. She had just lost the one person she could count on for anything. The one person who knew her better than anyone. The only mother she'd ever known. He fought to hold back his own tears for Kim's sake, but his efforts failed. He began to cry with his heartbroken fiance.
They sat in silence for quite some time, Kim still crying in his arms. Robert had finally pulled himself together. It had been almost an hour. There was only one thing Rob could think of that could possibly calm her down. He began to sing softly to her:
Mother cannot guide you
Now you're on your own
Only me beside you
Still you're not alone
You are not alone
Truly
No one is alone
Sometimes people leave you
Halfway through the wood
Others may deceive you
You decide whats good
You decide alone
But no one is alone
Mother isn't here now
Who knows what she'd say?
Nothing's quite so clear now
Feel you've lost your way?
You are not alone
Believe me
No one is alone
Truly
You move just a finger
Say the slightest word
Somethings bound to linger
Be heard
No one acts alone
Careful
No one is alone
People make mistakes
Fathers, mothers
People make mistakes
Holding to their own
Thinking they're alone
Honor their mistakes
Everybody makes
One another's terrible mistakes
Witches can be right
Giants can be good
You decide what's right
You decide what's good
Just remember
Someone is on your side
Someone else is not
While you're seeing your side
Maybe you forgot
They are not alone
No one is alone
Hard to see the light now
Just don't let it go
Things will be alright now
We can make it so
Someone is on your side
No one is alone.
As he sang, he stroked her hair with one hand and her arm with the other. His voice, as Kim noticed, sounded differently than it did when he performed. There was something about the way he sang that made her feel that everything would be alright, with time. The lyrics he sang were true as true could be. It wasn't until he had finished the sweet lullaby that Robert realized she was asleep in his arms, her cheeks still tear stained. He picked her up carefully and carried her to his apartment, which was only a short walk away.
When he arrived at his home with Kim in his arms, he took her into his bedroom and laid her down on the bed, covering her up with the thick down comforter. Before leaving the room, he placed a small kiss on the top of her head, hoping no more disaster would occur.
CHAPTER 5
The next morning, Kim awoke in Robert's bedroom, wondering if the previous night's events had really taken place, or if it was all just a terrible, terrible nightmare. She poked her head outside the bedroom door and walked into the living room. No Robert. She knocked on the bathroom door. No one there either. She opened the door to the living room and on the coffee table sat a cup of her favorite coffee, a strawberry cream cheese bagel, and a grapefruit. Her favorite breakfast. Next to the place setting was a beautiful rose, perfectly in bloom. Her daily reminder of his love for her. She read the note.
Sometimes people leave you halfway through the wood.
Do not let it grieve you. No one leaves for good.
I love you. I'll be back at 10 AM.
-R.W.
Kim smiled softly at the note and his sweeping signature. She loved when he added quotes from the show into them. She closed her eyes, smelling the beautiful red rose. Once she had re-read the note once or twice, she looked over to the clock above the hardly-used stove. 9:57. And without a moment to spare, the latch clicked and the door swung open. He walked into the living room and saw her. She looked up at him.
"It wasn't a dream, was it?" Kim said with a tone of hopelessness in her voice, realizing that the past nights events really had happened, and her eyes were now flooding with tears. "No." he said softly, and ran to embrace her.
Kim and Robert's understudies were kind enough to offer to perform for them for a few days while they recovered, free of charge. In her mother's will, she had said she wanted to be cremated, and didn't want a large ceremony that would leave everyone penniless. Things would be simple, and easy.
CHAPTER 6
A good year and a half later, all was well and right with the world once again. Kim had gotten used to not having her mother to call every day for advice. She found a new source - Bernadette. She was like a second mother to Kim, and they talked about everything. Men, clothes, past experiences, things she and her mother used to talk about.
But now, Kim had a new challenge ahead of her: The wedding. She had most of the details taken care of, but now, it had to go off without a hitch.
She and Robert decided to get married where they were both happiest - on stage. Their stage. Kim called the theatre's manager and acquired permission to do so, and then it suddenly began seeming real. This was all really happening.
Now, Kim was getting ready to make possibly one of the biggest decisions of her life. The dress. She decided to take Bernadette and Joanna with her gown shopping, because those were the two women, besides her mother, she really looked up to and valued their opinions. They were her best friends. The small group of women went to a cluster of bridal boutiques in the Upper East side of New York. They were walking the streets, laughing about something Joanna had said, when something in a window stopped her. It was the perfect dress. It was off white, with golden lining and a sash just below the bust line. It had a sweetheart neckline, and a ball gown skirt. She walked up to the window, Joanna and Bernadette not too far behind her. She looked at the dress as though it were the groom himself.
"Well, any girl who looks at a dress that way and doesn't at least try it on is just plain stupid!" Joanna said, as all three of the women laughed and ran into the store. Once she put on the dress (with the help of at least three of the store's employees), she knew it was the one. "Oh, it fits like a glove..." she sighed, examining herself in the gown. "You look just like a princess. How does it feel?" Joanna asked, smiling. "Like...well..." Kim tapped her chin, searching for the right words. "It feels the same way as when that special someone has his arms tied around you. It just feels...right." She wrapped her own arms around herself, smiling brightly. She said with a giggle, and turned towards them. "This is it."
After that, everything seemed to be fairly easy. Finding the cake, DJ, and bridal party was simple. Writing her vows was even easier, because everything she wrote came straight from the heart. Before she knew it, the big day was finally here.
CHAPTER 7
Breathing steadily and carefully, Kim walked over to the doors where, once they were opened, the rest of her life would begin. The ushers opened the double doors, the music started, and she began to walk rhythmically down the aisle towards Robert, being careful not to trip over the long train of the dress. She saw no one but him, not even the bridesmaids or the groomsmen. Before she could take another breath, she was right in front of him. His hands were reaching out for her, and she took them gracefully.
The minister began to speak, but Kim didn't hear a single word he said. It was only when Robert began to speak that she really heard what anyone was saying. And this is what she heard: "Once upon a time, a young woman and a young man fell in love. People say life never works out as a fairy tale, but mine started in one," The crowd laughed. "When a prince met his princess, the same happened to me. I knew from the beginning this would be more than just your average every day fairy tale, and I was right. You are so much more than that. We are so much more. And I promise I will spend every waking moment giving you endless support and affection, just as every true princess deserves. I will make sure that no harm comes your way, and you are always protected. I swear to be not only a husband, but also a shoulder to cry on, a life companion, and your best friend. And now, we really can have our happily ever after."
Knowing the fact that Robert had written these himself really proved to Kim how amazing he truly was, and how much she really did love him. She smiled warmly, looked at him with eyes that only said one thing. "I love you." She began to say her own vows.
"From the first moment I saw you, I knew that you were the right one for me. Through the first month I knew you, we became best friends. On opening night, we were a couple. And today, we become husband and wife. Your generousness, heart, mind, and curiosity inspire me in ways I can't begin to explain. You help me to be the best person I can be. We've been through good times, devastating times, laughter, and sorrow. But we didn't go through it alone. Because we had each other," she smiled, and gave his hands a small squeeze. "And from this day forward, I promise to devote myself to you, eternally. I promise to grow old with you, make a home with you, and do whatever else life throws at us with you. I will always be honest, caring, and respect your opinion as much as you respect mine. Someone very close to us wrote that no one is alone," She turned her head and winked at Stephen Sondheim, who was in the 3rd row. "Now I'm certainly not alone."
The rest of the ceremony was quick and simple. The rings and the "I do's" were fast, and then it was done. The groom kissed the bride, and they were husband and wife. It was a feeling Kim could not even describe to herself.
CHAPTER 8
Kim woke up, shivering. It was freezing, and when she opened her eyes, she was back in her home in Missouri. She had fallen asleep, and everything that had happened was nothing but a great memory. Sitting up, she took the gift box off of the coffee table and placed it on her lap. She took out the shoe, and put it on her foot. It still fit perfectly, the way the costumer had intended it to. Then she saw the medal, the one she hadn't recognized, and instantly remembered what it was. Robert's favorite medal from his prince's costume, the one that he used to say "represented everything he lived for", his work, his family and cast members, and most importantly, his princess. Kim.
She held it up, turning it from side to side as she watched it glitter in the lamp's dim light. On the back of it, she noticed a small engraving in the gold plate. It said, "And they all lived happily ever after." Kim smiled, realizing that Bernadette must have done this for them.
Right at that moment, Robert came through the door from a long day at his job teaching at Drury University. Kim jumped up and ran to greet him, and as they kissed, he noticed the medal in her hand. "Is this what I think it is?" he asked, taking it from her. "Bernadette sent it, believe it or not. I have no clue how she found it. Look on the back." A large smile came to his face as he read the engraving, and he hugged her tight. Kim then heard the school bus pull up at their door, and looked out the window. Her three children, Katie, Joel, and Emily came running down the driveway and into the living room. She and Robert hugged each of them, all busily asking each other about how their days went. She looked around at her husband, her home, and her 3 children. "I guess we really did live happily ever after, didn't we?"