The neighboring tree outside Winnie's bedroom window began to rustle again as she laid in bed counting the number of times the tree shook. She was unsure of the reason she was prohibiting the start of her day.
As the events of the prior day began to replay in her head, she rolled to the opposite side of her bed. The conversation from the night before had ended with Jesse riding away heatedly with Winnie practically on his heels. Winnie did not want for him him to leave they way he had and she was very distressed that he had to come to that. There was still so much she wanted to know. She wanted to know about the rest of the Tucks. Were they aware of Jesse's road trip to come for her? Did they think she would come back with him? Those thoughts plagued her for a few hours after she retreated back into the house. She turned again to stare at Isaac who lay in a chair asleep with one of his medical books open on his torso. He had stayed with Winnie overnight, only after he'd insisted since she seemed quite upset. Besides, she didn't want to give Isaac any reason to think that Jesse may return to her house, so she agreed. Being the gentleman that he was, Isaac had no issue sleeping in the chair next to her bedside.
She glanced at her alarm clock on her nightstand and frowned when it read a quarter past six. She recollected Jesse saying that he was staying at the Gamble Inn closer to town. It was no more than fifteen minutes away. He probably wouldn't check out until eleven, maybe ten at the earliest. Winnie knew she had more than enough time to get there.
Isaac's eyes opened slowly when he heard Winnie's movement. "Morning Miss Foster," he exhaled stretching his arms.
Winnie had risen from her bed and reached for her satin robe that lay at the foot of her bed. No matter how modern the times, she was still quite innocent and didn't want Isaac eyeing her in her nightgown just yet. "Good morning. I hope you slept well. I know that chair isn't the most comfortable."
He stood to stretch his legs, "Actually, it wasn't too terrible. I do enjoy watching you sleep." He walked around the other side of the bed toward her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'm going to get out of here. I need to open the store by nine. Besides, I don't want my parents thinking I've made a dishonest woman out of you before the wedding," he chuckled.
Winnie smiled lightly at his chaste statement, "As if they haven't thought that already. Your mother has been insisting that I wear an ivory dress. I don't care to have that conversation with her again."
Isaac laughed and pressed a light kiss to her lips, "Speaking of the wedding, our bands should be finished this weekend and ready for pickup. I might close the store for lunch and head there to see how they are coming along."
Winnie began throwing her abundance of pillows that she had placed on her chaise back onto her bed. Isaac started helping her.
"Hey, would you consider moving into the master bedroom after the wedding?"
"Why? What's wrong with my bedroom?"
"Nothing is wrong with it. I was saying, I mean we would have our own bathroom and we could turn this into another guest room."
"I don't know, Isaac. That was my parent's room. It would feel a little weird being in there. All their things are in there and you know I can't part with it." Winnie answered a little defensive.
"It's not a big deal. I just thought we would have more space in there for my things as well. Don't worry about it, love. We don't have to. It was just a suggestion. We can stay in here." He grabbed her from behind around her waist and held her. "You're so delicate, Miss Foster."
She patted his hand, "Come on, didn't you just say you had to get going?"
Isaac closed his eyes and breathed into her, "In a second, I just want to hold you right now. Just think, in a few short months you're going to be Mrs. Isaac Eugene Blanc. Then, I can hold you every morning for however long I want."
For a split second Jesse's face distracted Isaac's words.
"I have to get in the shower and run my own errands." Winnie excused. Isaac slowly released Winnie, not before pressing another kiss to the side of her face, "Alright, alright." He gave in and backed away, "I'll call you later this afternoon."
Winnie nodded, "Okay, I'll talk to you later."
Isaac gathered his belongings and made his way to her bedroom door. "Are you okay though, love?"
"Uh huh, why?"
"You just seem a little out of it," he leaned against the door frame, "Are you okay with Jesse being here? I know he just showed up out of the blue after years of not seeing him... I'm just wondering how you are dealing with it."
Winnie began straightening up her bed and folding her comforter, "No, it's fine. It has been a while, but I'm over it…I'm over him."
Isaac may or may not have noticed her lack of eye contact, "Considering the way you guys left things seems a little unresolved. He's the reason it took you so long to even go out with me. I mean he and his family just packed up and moved away. Don't you think about how things would be if they had stayed? Do you think you would be marrying him right now?"
Winnie drinking from the spring was proof enough that she had sought a future with Jesse, but Isaac didn't know that. "I haven't thought about it. Not that it really matters much now," she lied. It was really uncomfortable having to be dishonest to Isaac's face in that manner, but what else could she say. I'm eternally stuck at 19 and you and I have no real future together. That sickened her.
"Okay, I'll leave the subject alone. I can tell him coming back after all this time is a lot for you. I just don't want him coming in here and getting any bright ideas," Isaac joked half-heartedly.
"Well, that's something you won't have to worry about much longer. He's going back home today." She confirmed. Winnie walked around the other side of her bed and started fluffing her pillows as Isaac gave her an examining look. She could tell out of her peripheral vision that he was sizing her up.
Isaac took his hands out of his pockets and stood up straight, "I love you, Winnie. You remember that, okay?"
She turned around and smiled softly, "I love you. Don't ever forget it."
Isaac gave her one last smiling glance and walked out of the room.
Winnie sighed heavily when she realized that Isaac was out of earshot. She walked over to her curtained window and drew them further back to let in the early summer light. She walked to her antique mirror that had been present since she was a kid and looked through the glass. A small laugh escaped her when she recollected the days of corsets. Her mother used to tighten them to the point where she could barely breathe. Her mind crossed over to Mae Tuck and how she had unfastened it for her that first night she had stayed with them. For some reason, that had meant something to her. That one memory set off a chain reaction of thoughts she had worked hard to suppress since dating Isaac, of Jesse and her. The night they danced in the moonlight. That time she had went swimming with him and was terrified of drowning. The way carried her like she was so fragile, as if she was some sort of prized possession that he wanted to keep in pristine condition. That stuck out the most. When he poured his heart and soul to her about his family and their lives. He had trusted her with their deepest secret. Winnie remembered the mixture of feelings that had started in her stomach and smiled when she realized they were butterflies. Then, she remembered her first kiss and smiled heavily at how she completely caught Jesse off guard. Her smile began to fade as she ran a soft brush through her locks remembering she and Isaac's first kiss of October 2009, just a year and a half earlier.
"I'm seriously thinking about going blonde," Eliza's voice rang elatedly across from Winnie.
A puzzled look overtook Winnie's face, "Liza your hair is a gorgeous color. Why do you want to destroy it by coloring it?"
Eliza gathered the ends of her dark chestnut hair to one side and began picking at them. "I don't know. I just want something different. I mean I'm twenty four and still have the same hair style I had when we first met."
"That was only five years ago. Why don't you just cut it? I did." Winnie ran her fingers through her shorter hair. Two months before she had chopped her waist length naturally curly hair right at her shoulder. It scared her at first. She had spent nearly a century with her hair the way it was since she was a kid.
"You have a round face though. My head is much too oval to accommodate shorter hair. My hair has always been so long." Eliza pouted.
Winnie shook her head and continued with her work. It was a little after eight and she and Eliza had agreed to meet at the Mid-Manhattan Library to work on their broadcasting assignment. They were both working toward their M.A. in Journalism. They had been roommates in undergrad and after months of just superficial conversations, they became really good friends. During the three times Winnie had gone through this charade of college, she had never lived in a dormitory and was pleased to say that she wouldn't miss it at all. A couple of months ago, they moved from their dorm to an off campus loft. During their dorm life, Winnie was introduced to Isaac, Eliza's older brother, who was in medical school to become a pediatrician. Isaac had taken an immediate interest in Winnie. He thought she was beautiful, proper, and wise beyond her years. She was definitely the kind of girl his parents would approve of. However, Winnie was stubborn and sarcastic, something that took him by surprise. She let him know right off the bat that she did not want to be in a serious relationship. So, they remained friends. They often hung out in mostly groups, of course.
After the past year of dancing around the issue, Isaac approached Winnie. She stood her ground, but was willing to really get to know him. She knew he was kind and had a certain gentleness about him. Isaac was also very charming and wouldn't take no for an answer. For the past couple of months they had been toying with the issue of dating and Isaac didn't want to rush her. He would wait as long as he had to. Winnie did open up to him a little about her life, like things she enjoyed and the places she still wanted to see. In all the years that she had existed, she had not ever flown on plane. Isaac had told her that he would show her the world. Jesse had promised the same thing.
"What are you fussing about now?" Isaac interrupted.
Winnie jumped slightly at the bass of his voice. He was standing above her and Eliza surveying them.
"Where did you come from?" Eliza replied perplexed.
"Winnie told me you guys would be here working on your projects. I just finished my clinical rotation and was about to head home."
"But your apartment is in a completely different direction," Eliza countered.
Winnie noticed the slight look of embarrassment that came across Isaac's face, "Well, I also have a book that I need to check out that wasn't at the campus library…I'll be right back."
"You know he is in love with you, right." Eliza mused.
Winnie nodded through the shade of red on her cheeks, "He is not. We're just friends."
"But you like him," She countered.
"Yea, what's not to like?" Winnie coolly replied.
"So, go out with him then. You guys have been beating around the bush for so long. I can sense the tension and it's a little nerve wrecking. Please just go for it already." Eliza excitedly advised.
Winnie huffed and rolled her eyes. She knew Eliza was right, but could she bring herself to completely let someone else in?
"Fine," she muttered before she rose out of her seat, "I'll see if he wants to go grab something to eat with me."
"That's more like it." Eliza approved.
Winnie strolled over to a far row of books in the opposite corner of the library where Isaac stood surveying.
"Find what you were looking for?" Winnie asked.
Isaac carefully shook his head, "Not really…the book must be checked out already."
Winnie playfully nodded, "Yeah, it must be." Isaac cleared his throat and scratched the nape of his neck, "I guess I should get going."
"Hey, um…I haven't eaten a real meal all day. I was going to stop and get dinner. Do you want to come?"
"I don't want to intrude with you and Liza." He informed.
"Actually…it's just me. Liza hasn't gotten much done. So, she's just going to stay and I can meet back up with her so we can go back to the apartment."
"Oh, okay then. Um, what did you have in mind?"
"Liza, where are you? We're standing out in front of the library. It's about to close." Winnie stated aggravatedly into her phone.
"Sorry, I left a little bit after you guys. I'm at Adam's and he's helping me with the project."
Winnie was sure Adam was doing everything, but helping Eliza with the project. However, she didn't want to say it in front of Isaac.
"Okay, I guess I'll see you 'later' then." Winnie confirmed before hanging up.
"She stopped at a friend's place. She'll make it home okay." Winnie declared.
"Oh, okay. Well, I'll walk you home." Isaac retorted, with a small smile hinting at his lips.
"Thanks again for dinner. I've never been to Bryant Park Grill. The food was good." Winnie expressed.
"Thanks for the invite. I'm glad you enjoyed it. We should go again sometime." Isaac probed.
As Isaac escorted Winnie home, they chatted about the evening, laughed and made jokes. By the time they made it to her apartment building, Winnie was heaving.
"He does not wear a toupee," Winnie laughed. Isaac was joking about a faculty advisor that walks around constantly with his hair looking slightly lopsided.
"Yes, he does." Isaac chuckled, "His hair looks like it is going to crawl off his head."
When her laughing slowed, Winnie still had a wide smile across her face.
"You're cute," Isaac breathed. Winnie quickly glanced down to hide her blush.
"Thanks…um…It's pretty late. You still have to get home." Winnie reminded.
"Oh, don't worry about me, Winnie. I can take care of myself."
"Maybe we could do this again…sometime soon?" She requested taking Eliza's advice.
"Definitely," Isaac established, "That sounds like a plan."
Winnie was taken off guard as Isaac leaned in to press his lips to the side of her face that she had actually turned to face him. He grazed her soft lips and froze. Winnie directed her stare and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Sorry, Winnie. I didn't mean to." Isaac defended, quickly moving back.
"It's okay. I turned my head at the last second," she claimed,"…that wasn't too bad."
"You should see me on my best day," he teased, "You would have fallen flat…but seriously...that was an accident."
"I believe you," Winnie breathed. Something inside her was telling her to back away and go inside, but something much more defined was holding her in place.
"Goodnight, Miss Foster," Isaac responded softly. He slowly turned to walk away and Winnie reached out to touch his hand. Isaac was slightly taken aback, but pulled in to see her purpose for getting his attention.
Winnie nervously stepped toward him without saying a word then slowly reached up with her other hand to cup his face.
Isaac took his free hand and gently wrapped it around her waist and asked, "Is this okay?"
She nodded in response as he slowly leaned his head down. Her eyes closed on cue and she inhaled as she felt his breath on her. An enlightening smirk spread across Isaac's face as their lips came into contact.
Winnie gasped lightly to herself as she felt his warmth and gentleness. It had been almost 100 years since she had kissed a man. She had to keep herself from melting into him. He had complete control and guided her effortlessly. She could practically feel him jumping uncontrollably because this is what he had spent the past four years longing for. She felt so innocent and delicate to him. Isaac tried so hard not to come on too strongly and released her with her eyes still closed.
"You are one amazing person, Winifred Foster." Isaac credited.
She smiled and cleared her throat, "You should see me on my best day."
"I can't imagine it gets much better than that, but I will take you up on your offer." He teased, "I'll call you tomorrow?"
"Okay," she whispered calmly and watched as he walked away.
Winnie couldn't fathom how after all this time that each time Isaac kissed her, it would always feel just like the first. She put her brush down and maneuvered her hair into a bun. She soaked in a warm bubble bath as she thought of how she would approach Jesse. She wasn't sure what she was going to say and how she was going to say it. The one thing that she did know is that he wanted answers…real ones. For instance, about the issue with the spring and who knew of it? Winnie wasn't sure that Jesse was completely sold on the idea that she didn't know anything about it, when she was just as shocked as he was. Something told her that was the least of his worries now. Isaac was top priority at the moment. She was sure the question of her feelings for him would come into play somehow and prayed like crazy that it didn't.
In spite of how happy Winnie felt on the outside, she had been devastatingly lonely on the inside. During Winnie's first cycle at college, her father died of an aneurism. Winnie was heartbroken and all she wanted was for Jesse to come and rescue her. She took an entire year off school to stay at her mother's side. Winnie spent her days at the spring, waiting for Jesse and her nights rocking her disheartened mother to sleep. Her mother started to become very ill and all Winnie could do was watch while she deteriorated of a broken heart. A year turned into another and another. Slowly, her mother began putting the pieces of her life back together, trying to be strong for Winnie.
Around the time of Winnie should have been approaching twenty-two, her mother started to push for her to get married and settle down. She attempted to match her with the dominant and wealthy men in town, but Winnie didn't want anyone except Jesse. Winnie started to become upset because by that time everyone had forgotten the Tucks. It was very seldom that someone would mention their name or Winnie's 'kidnapping' from years before. She didn't understand what exactly Jesse was waiting for. Tension had completely died down and the only thing holding her in Treegap was her mother.
"Tuck. His name is Jesse Tuck." Winnie confirmed.
The distracted woman continued on with her phone conversation while juggling a million and one other things.
"Excuse me, ma'am. Could you please just put the phone down for one second?" Winnie breathed exasperatedly. The woman raised her index finger to let Winnie know she would only be a few seconds longer. Winnie sighed with relief.
The woman ended her phone call and smiled lightly. "My apologies ma'am, I was experiencing some confusion with booking. How may I help you?"
"I am looking for someone by the name of Jesse Tuck. He is staying here and should be checking out this morning. I'm his…I'm an old friend." She blurted out.
The woman typed something into her computer and looked at a logging book next to her. "Tuck? Yes, Jesse Tuck...he was here. Actually, he checked out about fifteen minutes ago. I'm sorry."
Winnie's face fell immediately, but she smiled through it, "…Well, um…thanks."
"Not a problem, is there something else I can do for you?"
Winnie shook her head, "No, that is all."
Winnie turned to walk away trying desperately to hide her disappointment. He didn't even want to say goodbye? Why would he after what happened?
She slowly exited the French doors of the Gamble Inn and stood on the sidewalk of Main Street. On the other side of the street was an old antique shop and adjacent to that was another row of buildings housing a local bakery.
Winnie stepped off the curb and made her way to the bakery, anything to keep her from losing it. She would be just in time for the vanilla and chocolate filled pastries that were usually set out around that time. As she stretched out her right arm to grab hold of the door, it flung open almost knocking her clean over.
"I am so sorry," A delicate male voice frantically expressed.
Winnie quickly collected herself, dusting off as if she had fallen, "It's fine. At least you missed my face." She lifted her head to take a look at who she assumed was just a stranger.
"Jesse," she acknowledged.
His eyebrow furrowed, "Hey, I was just leaving."
Winnie nodded, "I know. I just left the Inn and they said you checked out."
Jesse stuck his hands into his jean pockets, "Yeah, I'm headed back to North Carolina."
Winnie took note at how casual and laid back he appeared. It was as if he didn't have a care in the world.
"So, you're leaving just like that," She stated evenly.
"There's no reason for me to stay." Jesse countered emotionless. He brushed past her and she relished the contact.
"Don't do that, Jesse. Don't shut me out." Winnie pleaded, "I want to apologize to you and I didn't want you to leave like this.
"Apology accepted, Winnie. Now, if you will excuse me. I really need to get going."
The look on Winnie's face made Jesse's heart melt. He hated himself for acting as if he didn't care. He cared so much that his whole body ached to even stand near her. He knew she was holding back tears.
"Please, don't do this here," Jesse expressed concerned, "Don't cry."
"I won't ever see you again." She whispered under lowered eyelids.
Jesse clenched his jaw so tight she thought it would pop. It just hurt too much to see her with someone else, even if it was all a lie.
"Why do you care if you see me again? You made it very clear that he is the one you want to spend the rest of your existence with. Were you planning on telling him about you or about the spring? If it's still possible, I'm sure you want him to drink from it, don't you?"
"No. Of course not," Winnie forced out, "I love him, but I don't want this for him. I only wanted this with you and now that I don't have you, what is the point?"
"You chose not to have me, Winnie." Jesse countered, "You were the only thing that kept me going for all these years. It never crossed my mind that you would leave me here on this earth without you. You kept us all going. We wanted you to want us."
Jesse approached his bike and picked up his helmet, "I love you, Winnie. I also know that isn't enough. That's why I have to leave. You've built this life for yourself with him and I don't think we fit in it."
Winnie shook her head and almost choked on the tears that were about to erupt, "You do. All of you do. I wouldn't be standing here if I thought otherwise. I would be dead."
"Do me a favor," Jesse stated before raising his helmet to his head, "Don't send us a wedding invite."
"Hey, Win." Liza's blissful voice chimed through the phone.
"Hi, are you busy?" Winnie inquired sheepishly.
"I'm just editing my video demo to send in for that internship the one with Weiss Publishing House, the one I told you about. You should have applied also." Liza had dreams of being an editor-in-chief of some prominent company in New York City.
"Oh, right. Sorry, I'll leave you to it. I'll just talk to you later."
"I'm not too busy to gossip. What's going on?" Eliza pressed.
Winnie gulped. She didn't know how to express to her fiancé's sister that she was desperately in love with someone else.
"Well, Jesse just left. He's headed back to North Carolina." Winnie tried to state nonchalant.
"What's the matter? You sound funny. Did you not want to see him?" Liza spoke. Winnie could hear her slamming her fingers into keys in the background.
"No, no. It was good to see him. He's just leaving so quickly that we really didn't get to catch up. I was really attached to his family. It just sucks I won't get to see them."
"Well, now you know where they live. You can always visit them. There's still the rest of summer if you can find time in the midst of wedding planning."
"I told you I just want a small wedding. It should only take two seconds to plan."
"You only get married once, Winnie. I'm sure Isaac wants you to have a big wedding. Besides, I don't think my mother is going to let you live that down. You know how she is."
"I know, I know. The wedding planner she hired from California will be coming here next week. She thinks we should have it in the city. I'm perfectly fine with my backyard."
"I bet you are. Although, that would be lovely. So…are you going to invite Jesse?" Liza laughed.
"That isn't funny, Liza. Why would I do that?" Winnie attacked.
"Sorry, calm down. I was only half serious. You said you were close with his family. Why don't you invite them?" Eliza apologized.
"I can't. It's just complicated. They really loved that Jesse and I were together. I wouldn't make them sit through a wedding consisting of me getting married to someone else.
"It was worth a shot. Would you be opposed if I batted my eyelashes a little?"
"Considering that he went back home. I don't think you have a chance." Winnie uttered.
"You never know. If you invite him to the wedding…" Liza snickered.
"I am not inviting him." Winnie spat, "stop saying it, please."
"Gosh, no need to be so sensitive, Win." Liza countered.
"You know what? You still have work to do and I have to go grocery shopping. Goodbye, Liza." With that Winnie concluded their conversation.
She was a little baffled that Eliza would even have the nerve to suggest getting together with Jesse, even if it was just a joke. She was just way out of line. Winnie knew the type of girl Liza was and if she really wanted Jesse, she would definitely go for it, friend or not. She tried to disguise the ache in her chest from the final farewell between Jesse. Why did it have to be this way? She silently asked herself.
After returning home from the grocer's, Winnie made herself lunch and retreated to her dad's meticulously kept study to catch up on the most current affairs. A New York Representative had sent lewd photos of himself to a Washington woman and a Senator from North Carolina had been indicted on charges of conspiracy and violating campaign finance laws. How wonderful, Winnie spoke allowed. Bored with what was occurring in the world, she began skimming the internet for potential Honeymoon locales. Perhaps the island of St. Lucia or Kauai, Hawaii, would be suitable. Winnie assessed the reviews about the St. Regis Princeville Resort. She also researched Bermuda, Tuscany, and Barcelona. Nearly every place she looked up involved boarding a plane.
After about an hour of deciphering which would be best, Winnie decided that she should start dinner. It had been a few hours since she had last talked to Isaac. He had dropped by the jeweler to check on the status of their wedding bands. He informed her that he would be grabbing a bite to eat with his parents and wouldn't be joining her for dinner that night, but suggested they would drive to New York City for the weekend so he could make it up to her. Eliza had spitefully decided to do a rain check and told her to come by the next afternoon to go over wedding plans with her mother.
Winnie quietly hummed as she rinsed her vegetables when her doorbell rang, catching her off guard. Maybe Liza had decided to come by after all, she thought. She immediately sat down the vegetables and wiped her hands with a kitchen towel. "Just one second," she called while walking toward the front door, "I'm so glad you decided to pull yourself away..." Standing there in all of his youthful glory was Jesse.
Jesse could have lied to Winnie and said he couldn't fathom a reason why he came back, when in reality, he knew exactly why.
"You're right, Winnie. I couldn't leave like that." He slowly breathed. "Almost halfway there I realized I couldn't just go back home."
Winnie's soft pink cheeks were a couple shades away from a bright red. She blinked through her glassy eyes and swallowed hard.
"I'm sorry, Winnie. I'm so sorry." Jesse apologized, "I'm sorry I hurt you." He moved toward her and before she could even object he pulled her into his arms. For a second, he thought that she would pull away. He was taken aback when she leaned her head into the space between his neck and shoulder. She had an overwhelming grip on him and slightly sobbed into his leather jacket. He moved his hand along her back as if he consoled her.
"You kept your promise," Winnie almost stated inaudibly, "You came back for me."
He released his hold on her and cupped her face between both his hands, "Yeah, I did and I always will."
A tear betrayed her and started its way down her softly freckled cheek. Jesse raised his thumb and slowly wiped it away, "I would tell you not to cry, but I'm assuming these tears are of happiness."
Winnie chuckled through her insistent sobs and Jesse laughed along with her.
"That was all I ever wanted. I just wanted you to come back." She stated clearly.
Still holding her face, Jesse pressed his forehead to hers and whispered, "If I told you I wanted to kiss you right now, would you hold it against me?"
Winnie's eyes met his and she felt that instant connection that she had been waiting so many years to return to her.
"No, but…it wouldn't be appropriate," she breathed, "I….this doesn't change anything. I do love Isaac. I know you don't agree with or like my decision, but it's the right thing."
Jesse nodded releasing her face. He was not giving up that easy.
"You're not his…not yet," Jesse reluctantly countered.
"I will be at the end of summer." She affirmed.
"So, we have the summer."
Winnie thought it best not to respond to that statement, but instead invited him inside for dinner.
"Do you need any help?" Jesse casually volunteered. He removed his jacket and hung it on the coat hanger near the door.
"I didn't realize you cooked," She responded amazed.
"Well, Mae has recently kept me in the kitchen. With times changing, I thought it best if I knew how to help take the load off of you."
Winnie smiled to herself, "I'm fine. You can sit. I would like to hear more about them."
He tucked his hands snugly inside of his jean pockets, "Well…" He started leaning against the door panel as he picked up the story where they left off.
"We settled in Charlotte almost seven years ago. Mae really loves it there. I don't think she will ever want to leave. We'd been all over. We moved to Maine when we left here. We didn't have much, you know that...but we made do. Miles, Tuck, and I worked odd jobs and we saved most of what we earned. We eventually landed some pretty good jobs building because we were all so good with our hands. We met a guy who was willing to help us invest a good amount in stock, luckily a little before the crash in '29 we had enough cushion to get us by."
"We stayed in Maine for a few years and drifted up and down the East coast, moving from one small town to the next. It was going on fifteen years that I hadn't seen you and I often wondered and worried about you and how you were adapting. I had it in my mind that when we came in contact again that I would have a more stable 'life' established for you, so we wouldn't have to be as nomadic as we were. We could just settle down and focus on being together. Charlotte seemed like the perfect place."
Jesse paused and they made eye contact. Winnie gave him a solemn smile, "My dad passed in 1917 while I was at school in Syracuse. My parents had bought a little flat for me near school, but I moved back after the funeral to look after my mother. On the eve of his funeral, I'd made my decision to drink from the spring. I know you expected me to once I turned seventeen and I tried. I came very close to actually drinking from it then, but what Tuck had said to me was still very fresh in my mind. It had only been two years since you had left. I guess I just didn't have a sense of urgency. When my dad died I became so afraid. I saw how withdrawn and lifeless my mother became. Nothing at all the way she had been when my grandmother passed. I couldn't allow her to go through that again because of me." Jesse wanted to console her all over again, but let her continue. "I feel what Miles has gone through now. It's just hard to understand until it actually happens to you. Once my mother became somewhat of herself again, she started pressuring me to get married and to make a life of my own. She was so persistent that I eventually had enough and sat down with her one night and told her everything...about the spring...you and I. She actually took it much better than I expected. She knew I would need to leave eventually and not come back for a while and risk anyone noticing that I wasn't aging. I informed her that if you ever came looking for me, to tell you where I was. I traveled around the midwest for a while, popping in and out every few years so she would know that I was alright. I thought maybe I would come into contact with you if I stayed moving. I came back in the late forties to put her to rest. She had passed in her sleep and like my grandmother, she went peacefully."
"I'm sorry, Winnie." Jesse whispered, "It was selfish of me to ask you to spend forever with me. You had to watch your family leave you and there was no one here for you."
"In spite of, I still had pleasant moments with them. I just wish I could have had forever with them also. She had no interest in living an endless life without my father." She turned back to browning the ground beef she had in a pan.
Jesse eyed the lettuce and tomatoes she had laid on the cutting board near the sink. "I can cut those for you. I'd like to help.."
Winnie nodded, "I don't mind."
He rolled up his sleeves of his button down to wash his hands, "Are you and Isaac planning on staying here in Treegap?"
Winnie glanced up from her task and shook her head, "He's not moving in until after we're married. We're planning on living in the city for a bit. Why?"
Jesse wanted to cringe, but smiled lightly to himself. He didn't know how to ask the next question he really wanted an answer to. "Winnie," he began, "I know it's really none of my business…and I know that the times have really changed, but…."
She noticed how uncomfortable he had gotten and wasn't sure of where he was going. She reached for the colander to drain the meat without taking her eyes off of him.
He started chopping the tomato and stopped hesitantly, "…have you slept with him?" he didn't turn back to look at her face out of fear he had gone too far.
"If I had, would that change how you feel about me?"
"…I…suppose not. I meant it when I said I will love you until I die. Nothing that you've done would change that. I don't want you to feel ashamed like you owe me an explanation or anything…I just wanted to know." He continued cutting and he heard Winnie softly exhale.
"Well, it's not that I haven't thought about it. Like you said, times have changed. I mean I am marrying him, but…no. I… haven't and it's not because I don't want to. It just…once it happens, it can't be undone."
Jesse tried so hard to disguise the pleasing feeling he had. He cleared his throat with a more serious question in mind, "Do you have a date set?"
Winnie started dumping the ground beef in a large container, "Yes, August 27th. His mother chose the date. I practically didn't have a say. "
Jesse chuckled half-heartedly, "A little overbearing is she? Be careful who you choose as a mother-in-law?"
"I didn't really choose her," Winnie remarked helping him separate the vegetables into different containers, "she is just really protective of Isaac. He's her only son and they are really close."
Winnie removed two flour tortillas from the pantry that she had made a few days prior. "I have fresh shredded cheese and sour cream in the refrigerator." She desperately wanted to change the subject to something completely unrelated to the issues at hand.
"Is it the right decision?" Jesse continued, "If he's choosing you, he's also choosing this." He pointed to the both of them, "An eternity. You said you didn't want that for him, and why is that? You don't have much of a choice. I don't think fifty years from now that you would go unnoticed. How do you expect to be joined with someone you can't even share your entire self with?"
Winnie huffed, "I will tell him…eventually. It's nothing that I need to worry about now."
Jesse shook his head, "Before or after the wedding?"
Winnie began putting the fixings on the tortillas for their dinner. "Do you like sour cream? It's homemade."
"Great, Winnie. Continue changing the subject. And yes, I do."
She completed their plates and sauntered over the kitchen table, "When are you leaving?"
"Trying to get rid of me so soon?" He smirked.
"Not at all," she teased, "I just assumed that they were expecting you back sooner rather than later."
"Not really. I told them a few days. They knew we would probably be catching up?"
Winnie shifted slightly in her chair.
Jesse eyed her movement, "I don't mean to make you uncomfortable, Winnie. They just thought…we'll just leave it at that. Would you like to say grace?"
"You can go ahead." She answered.
"Do you mind me taking your hand?" He suggested, "I promise to keep it short and simple."
Winnie slowly raised her hand from the table and moved it towards his raised and reacted when they made contact again.
Jesse smiled and snuggly clasped her fingers, "Dear God, thank you for this amazing meal that Winnie has prepared. Also, I want to thank you for bringing me back to her. I have missed her deeply. I also hope to prepare many more meals with her in the future…Amen."
"Amen," Winnie added.
They leisurely ate their dinner and discussed more of the spring, if it were likely that someone knew and could have went out of their way to cover it up. Jesse hinted at the possibility that her mother could have told her caregiver before she passed away. Winnie wasted no time shooting that down. There was no doubt in her mind when it came to trusting her mother with such a secret. She'd never felt threatened about exposure even believing her mother was behind the covering of the spring.
"That was filling. It was very good." Jesse complimented.
"Thank you." She rose from her chair to begin clearing the table.
"I want you to come back with me, Winnie." Jesse requested, "...to Charlotte. Just for a couple of days. I know they would all be extremely happy to see you."
"I would love to. I just have some things to take care of here. The wedding planner will be here Wednesday." She confirmed.
"I'll have you back by Tuesday." He promised.
"I can't just pick up and leave with you, Jesse. I don't think Isaac would understand. The only way I could, would be if he went also." Winnie declared.
Jesse huffed, "Yeah, that's not uncomfortable. What about Eliza? Do you think she would go and Isaac would be okay with it?"
"Maybe," Winnie thought, "If she says no, I'm going to have to go another time."
Winnie and Jesse retreated to the living room as she phoned Eliza, who was completely thrilled about it. Winnie assumed it had more to do with Jesse than it did her. They had come to the conclusion of taking a flight out the following morning. Eliza said she would start on the arrangements while Winnie called Isaac.
"Hello, love." Isaac commented.
"Hi, sorry I waited to call you so late. I know you were probably heading to bed soon."
"Don't worry about it. By the way, my mother wanted me to remind you about brunch for tomorrow. She wants to go over some wedding stuff before the planner gets here."
"Yeah, I know. About that...," she started nervously, "Do you think she would mind if we pushed it back a few days."
"Maybe," Isaac supposed, "Trying to hold out as long as you can. You know she means well."
"No, it has nothing to do with her." Winnie assured, "I actually wanted to visit North Carolina for a few days. Eliza already said she would accompany me."
Isaac yawned, "What's in North Carolina?"
Winnie made eye contact with Jesse who prompted her to continue the conversation, "Well, you remember Jesse's family? They are practically the closest thing I have to family and I haven't seen them in years. I just thought I could stop in and let them know about the wedding."
"I guess that sounds reasonable and Liza agreed to that? When will you be back?"
"Tuesday afternoon. Liza is looking for flights and a hotel right now." She established.
"You're taking a plane?" Isaac asked in utter disbelief. "This must be some trip. You have never taken a plane."
"I know. It's just a really long drive and I knew Liza would not sit still for that long."
"I'm not opposed. Just be careful and call often. We haven't really been away from each other for any long period of time."
"We will. If it's not too much trouble could you drive us to the airport? I'm pretty sure distance wise we're much closer to Albany International, so we'll probably end up leaving from there."
"Try to find something as early as possible. I'm opening the store tomorrow at nine. I can probably shoot for ten."
"I know. I'll start packing now and I'll give Liza a call back." Winnie apologized.
"Okay, call me as soon as you know when your flight leaves."
Eliza was able to secure a flight that departed from Albany the following morning around 6 a.m. Jesse sat contentedly in Winnie's bedside armchair as she packed her suitcase for her early morning. She asked for his help in fetching certain items to make the process go a little bit faster. He was planning to head out as soon as he made sure she was all squared away. It was approaching nine thirty when Winnie finished her packing
"I'll give you a call when I get there," Jesse commented, "I probably won't make it till about one in the afternoon."
"Okay, put mine number in your phone and give me yours as well. Our flight gets in a little after twelve. We have a layover in Philadelphia." Winnie zipped her bag and Jesse reached to take it from her.
He sat it at the entrance of her bedroom door. "I think I should get on the road. I have a long drive. I may stop a couple of times to rest."
"Thanks for helping. I'm really excited about this. It may be hard to get some sleep."
"Please, get some sleep. You have a spectacular weekend ahead of you." He leaned in and gently raised his hand to her chin, "I almost don't want to leave."
"Jesse," Winnie pleaded, "You can't do that."
"Though I don't think you'd stop me, I'm not going to kiss you, Winnie." Jesse whispered, "That would only complicate things further." He tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear and Winnie briefly closed her eyes. "Or unless you want me to," He added.
"I…I'll see you tomorrow," Winnie breathed, "It's getting late."
Jesse nodded intently, "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow."
When they reached the foyer, Jesse grabbed Winnie's hand, "Goodnight, Winnie."
Winnie gently squeezed his hand because as long as she breathed she never wanted to utter the word goodbye to him.
