Perfect Timing
The first five years where the worst for her. Every corner she went down she saw images of themselves there. When life was free and innocent. A wall he pushed her against to kiss her deeper. A bench they sat on holding hands.
It was too painful for her, so without telling her parents or her friends, leaving no note or sign of why, she left. Packed her bags and left her home town with so many memories and so much sadness.
She was a 24 year old child with no idea of how the world worked outside of Baltimore. Hitchhiking, hiding in train boxes and walking she didn't care as long as she got as far away from that town as possible. She had a little money from her savings but that soon went, so every village/town/city she went to she found a little job and made enough to eat and stay warm then left for the next town. She never used her real name. She used his. Her figure changed dramatically too. No longer the cute chubby teenage from Baltimore. Living on a diet of hardly anything did that to her. She was now a slim toned woman with no home. She made no friends, she made no connections, she just moved on, next town to next town, never slowing and never stopping. Trying to get as far away as possible from her past and her broken heart.
Until one day, 3 years after getting up and leaving, her past caught up with her.
Now 27 she had become very skilled at convincing people that she was Miss Link Larkin from Texas. She had become so good that she had even started to believe it herself. Until she slept and the world was made of black and blue and a cold body of a man-child she had loved so much it killed her inside when he was stolen from her. She was working as a waitress in a small diner off some highway near California, it had been about 4 months since she started here and soon would be time to get up and go without a word. It was a beautiful spring day. She remembered smiling as a car full of children and a happy couple came bounding into the diner. They where on their way to holiday near LA and had decided to have a road trip. The couple looked around her age. Smiling sadly that she should have children with her soul-mate now, be a smiling, laughing, chubby mother surrounded by children. Not a wondering Ghost like so many others effected by the war. The family all piled into a booth, laughing and sharing a joke with each other. Walking to them with her fake smile she said in her fake Texan drawl.
"Good mornin' y'all! My name is Link Larkin and I'll be your waitress for today. What can I get ya?" The children all shouted a loud 'HELLO' back at her causing her to give her first real smile in a long time.
"Link Larkin?" Asked the father. She looked to him and tried to correct her wavering smile.
"Yes sir that's me, Miss Link Larkin from North Texas."
He nodded and went back to reading the menu. As she turned to go back to her post to wait for their order he piped up.
"I know a Link Larkin from Baltimore. No relation?"
She turned so quick she was positive she had whiplash. But she soon squashed her hope. She had no time for hope.
"I've been told of Mr Larkin. He died 8 years ago in the war."
The mans eyes seemed to a darken a little at that. She knew that look, he had been there and seen things no one could understand. She started walking away again.
"Such a strange man, but war does that to everyone. Every night he would talk about his girl back home. A beautiful girl with chocolate eyes and soft curves everywhere you touched. You could see how much he loved her from the way his eyes would sparkle."
That stopped her dead. Turning to him slowly he smiled softly at how her eyes sparkled in pride.
"He was such a brave soldier. Saved my life, something I still need to repay."
She shook her head.
"He's dead…" Her accent had gone, but she didn't care. He didn't seem to hear her as he continued his story.
"'Can't wait to get back to my Baby-doll' he'd say every night, clutching her photo like a lifeline, without that God knows what would have happened to him. You could see he was a lover not a fighter…"
Without thinking she nodded, giving him the signal he needed. His family had gone quiet, and around them they had accumulated an audience, nether cared. She had to hear the story and he had to tell it.
"The last day, there we where, finally able to go home, the years of war washed off of him and he looked 19 again. 'When I get home, the first thing I'm going to do is kiss my gal then marry her. We'll have beautiful chubby babies and die together.' He almost sang to me. Bouncing like a puppy he was… Then it happened. The bomb. It happened so quick I didn't even know anything had happened until Link jumped over me and shielded me from the shards. So much blood. He saved me. He was too tall for his own good. If the shards had hit me they'd have been straight in the head and neck and goodbye Jimmy. They hit him in the back. I've never heard a man scream like that."
They both had tears pouring out of their eyes, both connected by the loss of an amazing man. His wife had ushered their children to another table where another waitress took their order. Sliding into the now empty seats across from him she nodded for him to continue.
"I went with him to the hospital. I couldn't leave him. He gave me her photo and begged me to find her one day and tell her how much he loved her. Tell her that he wanted to marry her and raise a family and every night until she's too old to move he would have held her tight in his arms… Such a melodramatic."
He said as an after thought. She looked up sharply. He simply laughed and shrugged.
"Of course when he finally came out of the hospital 5 years later, finally walking again after all those years help to get his legs working again he demanded the photo back."
She almost choked on the lungful of air she gasped in. His smile widened.
"You're her ain't you? You're Tracy?!"
Tears exploded out of her eyes as she wept in joy. He was alive! Nodding violently she covered her face with her hands.
"I haven't heard my name in 3 years."
Reaching over he took her hand in his and grasped it tightly.
"Why did you leave Baltimore?"
Looking at him, her make-up running down her face in rivers she sniffed to try and stop her tears, a futile attempt as she knew they would never stop now.
"I… I couldn't live in a town where he wasn't. A town with so many memories."
"The week after you left, he came back. He was assumed dead, you should have held on to the glimmer of hope that there was no body in the coffin."
She shook her head.
"I did. For five years! But five years is a very long time to hope that the next corner you turn he'll be stood there looking the way he did next to his Cadillac. I couldn't stand it. We fought to be together, and after all that he was ripped away from me to fight in a war he didn't understand. He was just a kid."
"So was I. Younger than Link. And now Miss Tracy, I am going to do what I promised myself I would do. He saved my life. So I'm going to give him his back." She frowned at his statement.
"I, that is me and my family, are going to drive you back to Baltimore to be with Link once more so you can have your fat babies. You both deserve happiness after 10 years."
She laughed then. Her tears making her hiccup but she couldn't stop laughing or crying. Reaching over to him she hugged him tight, the first human contact in 7 years.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! A million times thank you! I will always be indebted to you for that!"
He pulled back and wiped away the hair that had stuck to her face.
"You owe me nothing. If you look back to everything, without you, I wouldn't be alive."
Standing up he went over to his wife and explained everything. She started crying and nodded. Walking over to her, his wife held Tracy tight in her arms and thanked her.
Baltimore was as it should be. Birds, sun and laughing. Walking down the street to collect her daughter from her mother-in-laws, Penny Stubbs felt peaceful and content. To her it was just another spring day with the smell of home baked pies drifting through the air.
Passing a tree she had to stop and stare at it for a while. That was their tree. Hers and Tracy's, from the age of 4 they where climbing that tree and making adventures. Penny had tried very hard not to think about Tracy too much, it only hurt to think about her.
She was one of the few who agreed with what she had done, if Penny had lost Seaweed she would have done the same, she was just amazed it took Tracy five years to finally do it, if only she would have waited another week.
She smiled at the tree and Ghosts laughing from the branches and carried on her walk.
From the road she saw a woman come out of a large car and thank the people who where still in. Hippies, Penny thought with a smile.
Carrying on the walk to Motormouth's she started to get a sway in her step until she saw the woman who had come out of the van run in front of her and stop at Link's house. Knocking as hard and as fast as she could Penny frowned and turned her head on the side.
Who the hell was she? She didn't stop knocking, causing Penny to get angry. Link wanted peace these days. Since he found out Tracy had run away without a word because of him he never socialized and hardly ever came out of his house. Penny and Seaweed saw him once a week when they went to visit him to check he hadn't done anything stupid.
"Link!!" She shouted at the top of her voice before knocking again. Penny started to march towards her ready to fight if she must, until Link came out of the house.
Penny knew Link would take care of her. Instead of the woman talking she fell to her knees and hugged his waist. Shocked at first Link froze before trying to pry her off of him. She was crying in joy at the sight of him. Link looked to Penny with absolute confusion until the woman stood up and started talking a mile a minute. Only managing to hear a few words she watched as Link's face went from confusion to shock, sadness to pure joy. Then he too fell to his knees and held the woman's waist.
Going down to his level the woman held his face in her hands and stared at him before kissing him in the most passionate kiss Penny had ever seen.
"I love you." She heard Link whisper breathlessly when they broke apart. The woman nodded and whispered back just as breathlessly.
"We can have our babies, as many as we can. Hold each other every night as we sleep. And die together." Link practically shouted his joy as the words left her lips. Link finally managed to drag his eyes away from the woman and looked to the flabbergasted Penny whose mouth was wide open.
Nodding in Penny's direction the woman turned to her quickly, more tears filled her eyes at the sight of her confused form.
"Penny!" She shouted.
All the blood drained from Penny's face at the sound of that voice. The voice that sounded like singing and pure happiness.
"Tracy!" She shouted back. The two girls ran for each other and held each other tight, tears blinding their vision, yet one of Tracy's hands was connected with Link's which she guessed wouldn't let go of for quiet a few months.
Later that day he sat on his bed watching her change. Penny had brought her some clothes as they where now the same size.
Tonight Tracy was going to reintroduce herself to her old friends and family. Penny was sworn the secrecy so now Link and Tracy where alone in his, now their, home together. She turned to him when she felt his eyes burn into her semi naked back. Smiling over her shoulder she zipped up the red evening dress and turned to him.
"So your nightly wish was to hold me every night until we're too old to move?" She asked cheekily. He smiled and nodded.
"Yes ma'am."
She sat on the bed next to him, their hands met automatically. Slowly tears fell out of her chocolate eyes, ruining her newly applied make-up. Reaching up to her he wiped them away with his thumbs tenderly, tears filling his crystal blue eyes also.
"When your momma gave me the letter, saying you where lost in action, I didn't cry. My momma said that when I came home after hearing the news, something in me was gone.
I never smiled, hardly talked, hardly moved, was forced to eat, but I didn't cry. I couldn't. I felt frozen inside like my heart had died along with you and I would never know what warmth was again.
At your funeral I held your mom as she broke down, I held your fathers hand as he wept. But I was like a statue. I stayed at your grave long after everyone had gone, long into the night. Just stood there and stared at the empty grave where your body would never lie but where everyone would visit to say goodbye. I still didn't cry.
I went back to school, never talked to anyone, no one bothered to talk to me. Even the teachers left me alone.
Then a few months later, I was walking home and there you where. Stood on a street corner smiling at me. It was my first smile in 2 years and my last for 8. I ran to you, but you disappeared.
And it finally hit me, I would never see you again. I'd never see you smile, watch as your eyes sparkled love at me, hear you laugh, feel your lips, touch your body. You where gone, and I was alone. It was then I finally cried. Collapsing on the floor until someone found me and took me home.
I cried so much I passed out. Every where I looked from then on I saw you. Even my window, from that night you snuck into my room and made love to me, the best night of my life. 5 years of this, until finally I couldn't take it.
I got up and left. Travelled from town to town and never stopped. I don't know what I was looking for, I think I just wanted to get lost in my sadness and never come back…"
He was shaking from his crying. Pulling him close they held each other tight enough to bruise as they sobbed. Her tears soaked through his pale blue shirt turning it see-through. His fingers ran through her wavy brown hair, breathing her in as much as he could, he had forgotten how she smelled. She just wanted to remember the feel of his body so close to her own. Pulling back they shared into each others eyes and smiled.
"Tracy...I… I love you so much. Never leave my side again. I'd rather die then live without you. I'd be in that war field any day then live one day without you next to me."
Tears streaked out of her eyes at his confession. Pushing the black hair out of his crystal blue eyes she rested her forehead against his and smiled.
"I will never leave you Link Larkin. Never. Just… don't pretend to die on me again?"
He laughed and kissed her softly.
"It's a deal."
Kissing him softly he groaned and pulled back to look at her again.
"Tracy, how do you feel about a spring wedding?" She smiled and nodded.
"I'd like that."
He nodded and pulled her back to his chest.
"Good… Cos I was thinking tomorrow."
Pulling back to look at him with wide shocked eyes she was about to say something when he kissed her again.
"I haven't been near you for 10 years. Do you think I'm gonna do the old fashioned thing and wait longer? You should have been Mrs Tracy Larkin a long time ago. We should already have 3 kids by now." He whispered against her rosy lips. She nodded and smiled wickedly.
"Ok Mr Larkin, I accept. Tomorrow is our wedding day."
Going to kiss again they groaned at the knock on the door and pulled away reluctantly. He smoothed her hair out of her face and smiled warmly. Standing up she headed to the bathroom to fix her make-up while he headed to the stairs. At the bedroom door he stopped and said softly to her.
"And as of now future Mrs Larkin, I command that you eat as much as you can and regain your curves. I don't want to be sleeping next to a bag of bones every night. I want my soft Baby-doll back."
He heard her giggle.
"You had no choice in the matter anyway Mr Larkin."
Smiling he walked down the stairs and opened the door to greet his guests. At the door stood Motormouth and Corny with their daughter Sara. Penny and Seaweed with their two children Bobby and Jayne. And Lil Inez with her new boyfriend Jack. Smiling to them all he welcomed them all in and led them too the living room.
"Make yourself comfortable, I'll tell you what your all here for when the other guests arrive."
Knock, knock, knock.
Running back to the door he opened it to reveal Mr and Mrs Turnblad. Smiling to them he asked them to go wait in the living room as his own parents came to the door.
Opening the living room door he smiled to his guests who all looked confused except for the beaming Penny who seemed to be vibrating in her excitement.
"I know inviting you at such short notice would have been an inconvenience for all but I have some important news…"
Pausing when he heard her heels click down the stairs he smiled warmer than any of them had seen in a very long time.
"…I'm getting married."
Everyone gasped. He felt guilty when Mrs Turnblad started crying. She thought he had finally given up on waiting for Tracy.
"Who the hell is she?" Asked Mr Turnblad who tried to comfort his wife.
"How can you have fallen in love so quickly, you never leave the house?" Demanded Motormouth.
"What about Tracy?" Shouted Seaweed. Link looked to them all and frowned.
"What about her?" He asked, causing all of them to gasp. Just as they where going to rip him to shreds he reached out into the hallway and held her hand pulling her softly for them all to see. Everyone went quiet, the venom in their eyes almost making Link and Tracy run.
"I'm very happy with the news actually." She spoke. Everyone went quiet. Looking at her like she was a Ghost.
"We found each other again. And we're not going to be separated anymore, so tomorrow we want to get married. Its 10 years late, but Trace is going to become Mrs Larkin." Link spoke with tears in his eyes, she looked to him and smiled.
Edna stood up and walked over to them both slowly. Looking into her daughters eyes she squealed and held her tight in her arms.
"My baby, you've come back to us!"
Tracy held her mother back just as tight, tears filling their eyes in happiness. Everyone got up and crowded around her when her mother let her go. Pulling her away from Link, panic rose in her chest when she couldn't see or feel him next to her.
"Link?" She asked, politely he pushed his way through Seaweed and Corny and rushed to her side. Taking her hand and holding her close, she smiled and leaned her head against his chest.
When everyone had finally sat down Link sat on his usual chair with Tracy on the arm, almost on top of him.
"Why did you go Tracy?" Asked Motormouth. Tracy smiled sadly and shrugged.
"What would any of you do if you lost the one person you love so young? Link was and is my everything as corny as it sounds. Without him I just didn't work. Don't you remember how I was?"
They all nodded and tried not to make eye contact.
"I'm sorry I left you all like I did. You must have been so worried. But I had to do it, I had no idea that if I waited another week we'd have been together much sooner. I wish things had worked out different, but it didn't, Link and I are together again, and we're getting married tomorrow."
It had been hard work, it had taken 10 years too long to happen, but finally, it was happening.
Link turned around when he heard the music and felt his heart miss a beat when he saw Tracy, in a beautiful white off the shoulder dress, her hair had been placed in a simple yet elegant bun by Maybelle, her veil was covering her face but even in the darkness he could see her mega watt smile. Her father held her hand, tears brimming in his blue eyes.
Finally reaching him, Tracy smiled and kissed her fathers cheek, then Link held his hand out and shook Wilbur's hand firmly. Looking at each other Tracy and Link held hands tightly and turned to the vicar.
"Who is giving this woman to this man?"
"I am." Said Wilbur in a croaky voice, clearly trying to hold in his tears. Through it all Edna was heard sniffing.
"We are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. This has got to be the strangest wedding I have preformed, not only have these two not seen each other in 10 years, but they only found each other again less than 24 hours ago. But looking in their eyes you can see how much they love each other. I believe you two have written your own vows? Link can you start?"
He nodded and turned to Tracy, holding bother her hands and smiling.
"Tracy, the second I saw you 11 years ago, dancing your heart out with Seaweed in detention, I knew I loved you, I know I've never seen anyone as beautiful as you in this world, and I know I never will. 10 years without you was agony. When I got back from the war and you had gone because of me, I felt my heart stop. But yesterday, there I was, reaching my last hour, going to end it all. And then there you where. Stood on my doorstep, tears in your eyes and promises of forever on your lips. But I give you my promise to never let us be separated again. I will love you with my last breath baby doll."
Tears followed down her cheeks at his statement. Holding his hands tighter to know he was real she smiled and spoke barely above a whisper to him.
"Link, I have loved you since I was 13. You seemed like this unreachable thing that I could never have but wanted so badly. When you noticed me I thought I was dreaming, you looked past what I looked like and saw me for me. I fell in love with you when I was 16, when you showed me you wasn't this unreachable thing but a boy, real and in love with me. When the letter came that you where lost to me, I died. A life without you was nothing, and now you where back to the beginning, this unreachable thing that I could never have but wanted so badly. I became a ghost, and in a town with so many memories of you down every street I had to leave. But now we're back together and I am never letting you out of my sights again. I adore you. And until the day I die I will prove to you how much I love you."
His baby blues where filled with tears, running his fingers over her skin gently he smiled and wanted nothing more than to hold her forever. Placing the rings on their fingers they waited for that moment to come.
"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may-"
They kissed passionately, causing the entire room to erupt in applause.
"-Kiss the bride." The vicar spoke with a bemused smile on his face.
Tracy and Link Larkin lived a full life, 9 months later they welcomed their first child into the world, a little girl called Edna-Lou, then came their twin boys Jimmy and Tommy, then Daisy and finally little Jack. At 47 their daughter Edna-Lou married Seaweed and Penny's son Bobby and had a little boy called Liam. By the time they where in their 60's they where surrounded by children and grandchildren.
Now at the age of 61 they still live in Baltimore where Link works as a mechanic and Tracy owns her own salon, he teaches his kids and grandkids how to dance properly while Tracy fattens them up cos they always look underfed.
And they kept their promises, every night they fall asleep in each others arms, and have not in 40 years of marriage, spent one day away from each other.
The End