"Just a minute." Something had distracted Laura from the other events of the day and she wanted to investigate it further." Jean, what did you mean when you said 'I wish I had known that before...', before what? Robbie and I had just agreed you are part of our family, the same as James."
Jean shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Today is not about me Laura. You and Robbie have some important and serious issues to deal with."
"We will, right after you explain. What's going on?"
Jean gave each of them, Robbie, James, and Laura, an appreciative nod. "Much as I am thrilled to find I am part of your family, I'm afraid we are going to have a long distance relationship." She paused and it was so quiet in the room you could hear the proverbial pin drop. "While I love this job here in Oxford, my personal life has not been very fulfilling and lacked development."
Laura suspected as much. "I'm sorry, Jean. We should have paid more attention, given you the stage to express yourself."
Robbie was recalling past comments made by Jean, ones that as a man he largely pretended to ignore in order to avoid having to discuss them. It was difficult enough talking with Laura about personal things. He couldn't imagine doing it with Jean. Some memories surfaced, 'Mr. Innocent is indisposed' and 'At least one of us looks forward to going home at night.' He looked at her sheepishly. "I'm afraid I never offered to listen, to let you be on the receiving end of some advice or friendship. I was lost in my own world, first in pain, then in joy with my second chance at life."
"Robbie, after a rocky start, which I have to admit was mostly my fault, you became my most trusted officer, the one I could always rely on to be a good cop. You weren't in a place in your life to be my personal advisor, nor would it have been appropriate as I was your boss. You offered me your best and for that I will be forever grateful."
She turned towards her newest inspector. "James, this Laura and Robbie's day. I want to briefly say you also mean a great deal to me. From serving as my walking Wikipedia and being a constant reminder of the need for spirituality in one's life, without you I don't know how I would have gained the knowledge and courage to make some needed changes."
James was speechless, and for once, quoteless. "Thanks ma'am."
"Now Laura, the greatest tragedy is that you and I never took the opportunity to become friends earlier on. Perhaps we will cross paths in the future.
Laura, even more than Robbie and James, took those words to heart. "Jean, obviously you are talking about leaving Oxford. The missed opportunity of our friendship doesn't have to be permanent unless we let it."
"You are quite right Laura. Now, this is enough about me. Robbie, isn't it about time you explained to Laura why you have that document in your pocket?"
Robbie pulled the envelope out and saw the expectant looks from the rest of the family. "Our Lyn told me about a website..."
Laura couldn't contain her surprise. "You were looking at it for your daughter?" Had she misread his intentions? Lyn must have told her father that she and Tim were planning a Gretna Green wedding in Scotland. Laura planned to use the form she printed to start a conversation with Robbie about why he was looking at a website about weddings in Scotland.
"Yeah, I thought you knew all about it."
Jean and James looked at each other in horror. This was taking a turn in an unexpected and unwelcome direction.
Laura tried to get a hold on her emotions. "Not long after we returned from Italy, I saw the website you were visiting. You left it open on my laptop. I was curious and checked it out."
"Why would you do that?"
"Why wouldn't I? I'm sure Lyn wouldn't mind."
"Not for Lyn but because you said you're not..." This wasn't the conversation Robbie wanted to have.
"I'm not what?" Laura wasn't going to let Robbie off the hook.
"You're not, I mean you said once, you're not the marrying kind."
"When did I say that?"
"The day we talked about Dr. Gansa's devotion to his wife. I said he took his marriage commitment seriously and you said you don't have to be married to be committed."
"I see, and from that you decided I'm not the marrying kind."
"Well, you never got married. I'm sure there were people who asked you."
"What people are you so sure about?"
"Uh, well the dictator, for one."
She made a face not caring for his description of her old boyfriend. "Yes, Franco did ask me to marry him. I turned him down, told him I was committed to someone else."
"You were going to marry someone else?"
"No Robbie, I was committed, not ever expecting to marry."
"And then there was Al-"
James had to interrupt. "Robbie, you are about to mess things up."
Jean agreed. "James is quite right. Robbie, today is about the future not the past."
"I know. This isn't the proposal I had planned."
"No, it's not what hospital gowns are made for." Laura wasn't sure she heard him correctly. "Did you say proposal?"
"Yes, I was on the website for us, not my daughter. I did mention an idea to Lyn and she told me where to get more information."
Jean was hoping to move things along. She held out her hand. "Robbie, may I have your envelope please?"
Robbie, knowing he needed help, handed it to her.
Jean opened it and unfolded the paper inside and held it up for Laura to see. "As you have already determined Laura, and seen, as you have one of your own, this is a Form M10, Scotland's Marriage Notice Application Form." She paused to make sure everyone was on the same page. "Robbie, you can begin again and explain why you wanted to show this to her today and here of all places. And that is an order."
"Yes ma'am, thanks Jean." Robbie was grateful to her.
She fixed her gaze on Laura then transferred it to Robbie. "Don't go back to before, stay in the after."
"Laura, I wanted to ask you to marry me before we had results. I didn't want you to think I was asking you because there was something wrong with you, or because there wasn't. It doesn't matter. Either way, this is what I want. I hope it's what you want."
"Why Gretna Green?"
"It's been in my head since the time we almost went to the opera. James was trying to find out about our plans, how many hotel rooms, that kind of thing. And he said we were good together. He was right although it didn't stop me from protesting a bit too much. I told him we weren't planning to elope; I didn't even know the way to Gretna Green. If he hadn't been distracted by his guitar being stolen he probably would have kept after me about it."
James remembered the conversation. "No Man's Land."
"What?"
"Gretna Green was part of the Debatable Lands, otherwise known as No Man's Land, between England and Scotland and claimed by both. The border was finally drawn in 1552 and Gretna Green was the first village on Scotland's side. The marriage laws in Scotland were not as strict as England's and Gretna Green became famous for clandestine weddings and elopements." James looked skeptical. "When you said it I didn't think you were serious about eloping Robbie."
"I wasn't when I said it, then the idea kept coming back to me, to take the plunge so to speak. I wanted the end result but I didn't know how to get there." He took Laura's hand. "And then when you told me you booked two hotel rooms I realized you wouldn't want an old grouch like me."
"You mean if..." Laura's mind wandered back to the weekend they almost went to the opera. Did they almost elope too?
"We don't have to get married in Gretna Green if you would rather have a proper wedding here in Oxford, or we could go back to Italy, whatever you want, if you want." Robbie was aware she hadn't exactly answered yet.
"You can have a proper wedding in Greta Green now according to the website. My great grandparents got married there, had an impulsive Blacksmith Wedding. My great grandmother was 17 and her parents wouldn't give her permission to marry, said the man was unsuitable."
"What was the matter with him?"
"He was a policeman. Her parents said cops did not make good husbands. They were wrong. While it wasn't perfect or fairytale, they had a wonderful marriage."
Jean watched as Laura and Robbie gazed at each other. Now they were getting somewhere. An important part of life is knowing when it's the right time to go. "James, it is time for us to leave. While we may be a family or sorts, right now we are distinctly overcrowding a moment meant for just the two of them."
James agreed. "I hadn't planned to enter this No Man's Land in the first place." He gave Robbie and Laura a big grin. "Good luck, don't break a leg."
Jean and James opened the door to find Dr. Gennib Shresth, the chief radiologist, standing outside.
"I really must speak with Dr. Hobson now."