By Denise Rushton
Please note that these characters are not mine. This is an old story of mine that I posted years ago to the GAMM group, and figured today would be the appropriate day to bring it to this site.
Carolyn looked out to the ocean that mid-February evening. Though it was cold out, her heart was warmed by another beautiful encounter with the Captain. Over a glass of Madeira, he read to her a lovely eighteenth century poem about roses and their romantic significance. Mulling the words in her mind, made even more special read to her in the Captain's lilting tones, the glow of her happiness filled her.
But she knew that she couldn't moon over his words all night. Being a mother and sole support of two growing children meant that she would have to sweep those thoughts from her mind and get serious about writing some stuff of her own to keep the bill collector away from her door.
As she sat down, she idly looked at her desk calendar, and noted that it said February 13th. Saint Valentine's Day is tomorrow, she thought. Since there was no man in her life, at least one with any body mass, she wasn't expecting any gift on the morrow. But still, she felt fortunate. Captain Gregg gave her gifts of a more ethereal/intangible/spiritual nature, such as the poetry he read to her just a couple of hours before. But she wasn't expecting anything tangible to be waiting for her, except for the nice cards her two children would no doubt prepare for her.
She recalled the gifts that Robert used to get for her to mark Valentine's Day, and a small pang of regret gnawed at her. Ever since she was a child, she always had loved to tear the wrapping from a package, or find a surprise meant for her tucked away in a secret nook. But enough wool gathering, I have to get to work, Carolyn reproached herself.
Carolyn looked up at the sound of a knock at her door. "Come in," she called, and smiled to see her tow headed boy come in the room excitedly. "Mom," he enthused, jumping from foot to foot, "I can't wait for you to see my present to you for tomorrow, it's the best ever!!!"
"Now, darling, don't you go spoiling the surprise," she replied, drawing him into her arms for a big hug and kiss and then she sent him off to bed.
Hours later, after a fortunately productive session, Captain Gregg popped in to "their" bedroom. "Madame, you have been burning the midnight oil. Have you any idea what time it is?"
"Actually," replied Carolyn, stifling a yawn, "it's the midnight electricity, my dear sir."
"Whatever it is, it is too late for any decent person to be up and about, especially one just getting over the flu as you are."
"What would I do without you to worry about me," Carolyn teased gently, but smiled to let him know she appreciated his concern for her. "You're right, it is late. If you'll excuse me, I'll prepare for bed."
"If I must," Carolyn heard Captain Gregg's words as he dematerialized.
Upon waking the next day, Carolyn sat up in the bed, stretching to work the kinks out, when she saw it. A single red rose, sitting on her desk. Her heart leapt as she saw it, and got out of bed to pick it up and enjoy its fragrance. There was no note with it, but she knew whom it was from. Following on the steps of the poetry reading of the evening before, the rose was a delightful souvenir. Then she noticed the hand drawn cards from her children, and admired the carefully drawn pictures of hearts and pronouncements of their love for her. She couldn't help but smile at the clumsy attempt at a cupid on Jonathan's card. She unconsciously stroked her cheek with the rose as she arranged the two cards prominently on her desk.
After pulling on her robe, Carolyn went downstairs, her hands laden with candy treats for her offspring. Greeting them with a kiss and a cheery Happy Valentine's Day for Martha, Carolyn sat down to eat her breakfast. Receiving the rose made her feel like a teenager again, and Carolyn was eager for the Captain to materialize to thank him properly for his lovely gift. "So, Mom, didya like my gift?" Jonathan eagerly exclaimed, a hopeful look on his face.
"Kids, I can't thank you both enough for the lovely cards you made for me. I'm the luckiest mom in the world to have kids who would make such a terrific gift for me." Candy glowed from the praise but a shadow fell over Jonathan's face at the words. He was unusually silent for the rest of the meal. Carolyn failed to notice, so caught up was she in the amorous intent behind the single rose. She carried on about the rose to the trio at the table, and how sweet and romantic it was for the captain to leave it for her.
After the children left for school, Carolyn went from room to room, ostensibly dusting some furniture to help Martha out, but really searching for the captain. As the time passed, with no sign of the captain, she went up to the attic. This search for Captain Gregg was eating away at the romantic feelings that had filled her upon spying the rose, and in frustration she called brazenly out for him.
"Captain Gregg, where are you? The most romantic day of the year and you're playing coy. What does a girl have to do to express her appreciation around here?"
Resignedly, Captain Gregg materialized before her. "Need you rub it in my face about my disgraceful faux pas, woman?"
With a perplexed look on her face, Carolyn asked, "What faux pas are you talking about?"
"What you said about the most romantic day of the year; I cannot believe I forgot all about it."
"Oh, now you're just being difficult, Captain Gregg. All I want to do is thank you for the lovely rose you left for me."
"Alas, I'm afraid I cannot take the responsibility for that, madame. It wasn't I; you must have a secret admirer around. I still haven't gotten used to that holiday, after all there wasn't anything special about February 14th when I was alive."
"But then who?" Carolyn mused, and then it came to her. Her hand flew up to her lips as she recalled how Jonathan had gotten so chilly after she answered his question. "Oh, Captain, it was Jonathan who left it for me, it never occurred to me that it was from him. He must be so hurt."
"It makes sense that it was from him. I saw him recently counting out the contents of his piggy bank, and he was quite mysterious when I asked him what he was going to do with the money."
At seeing the look of dismay on Carolyn's face as she pondered what to do to assuage Jonathan's hurt feelings, he wished he could reach out and hug her. He knew that she would rather be tortured than do anything to hurt her beloved children.
"Madame, speak frankly to the lad, and explain your mistake. I think he'll understand."
"Captain, I hope so. I feel so badly about this."
"Don't berate yourself, there was no malice in your error. No matter what, he'll always love you."
Carolyn waited impatiently for her children to walk up the dirt road leading to Gull Cottage. At last she saw them. Looking at Jonathan carefully, she could see the sad look on his face as the pair trooped up to the house.
Candy slipped through the door first, excitedly waving a fistful of colorful Valentines, chattering about all the boys who had left them in her desk. Jonathan quietly hung up his coat and was about to go up the stairs until his mother's hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"Jonathan, may I speak to you in the parlor, please."
"Okay," he replied halfheartedly, looking down at his feet.
"Jonathan," Carolyn began, softly closing the door behind her, "I realized that I was mistaken about something this morning, and that I hurt you terribly. It was you who left the rose for me this morning, wasn't it?"
"Yes, Mom," Jonathan mumbled, trying to keep the tears from springing to his eyes as he stared at the floor.
"Sweetheart," Carolyn sat down and slipped her arm around his shoulders, drawing him close to her, "do you know why I didn't even think that it was you who left the rose for me?"
"No", Jonathan sniffed unhappily.
"It's because it was such a grown up, romantic thing to do. I still find it hard to realize that my little babies are growing up, and then to realize that my son could do such a romantic thing…well, to realize that my little boy could be so romantic. I feel privileged to be the first woman to whom you've given a rose. It won't be long before you're giving them to the woman you're in love with. I think I'm kind of jealous of her already."
"Mommy, don't be!" Jonathan cried out, turning around into her hug, "You'll always be the only girl I'll love."
Carolyn smiled, pressing her lips to his hair and kissing it, wistfully thinking about that it was going to be all too soon when those words would no longer apply. But she knew that no matter how many women he fell in love with, she'd always have a special place in his heart, a place reserved only for the love of mothers.
That night, just before bed, Captain Gregg appeared as Carolyn was organizing the pages of her latest story. "Well, madame, did you square everything away with the lad?"
"Yes, I did. I was a lot less difficult to explain my error to him than I thought it would be. Captain, I am in awe of how quickly my two babies are growing. It won't be long before they leave the nest and fly off on their own."
Captain Gregg edged nearer the desk as Carolyn spoke, and out of long ago habit he rested his hand atop the desk, near where hers were in placing the pages down for the night. Seeing her studying his hand quizzically, he self-consciously moved it.
"Would you rest your hand on the desk again, Captain Gregg?" Carolyn inquired, a shy look in her eyes. Curious as to what she was up to, he did as she bid him. Once his hand was lying, palm down on the rich wood, Carolyn took her hand and placed it atop of where the illusion of his hand was seen, so that it looked like her hand rested within his.
"I just wanted to see what it would be like to touch you, and this is the nearest I think we'll ever get."
"My dear, to be able to enfold your hand in mine. It's one of my greatest wishes as well. If only St. Valentine's Day could bring the magic required to enable us to actually touch…that would truly be a gift to treasure," Captain Gregg replied, bestowing a warm, loving look upon the beautiful woman he treasured with all his heart.
Just to have you in my life is a gift more precious than I have ever dreamed," Carolyn pondered, returning the captain's smile.