Chapter Twenty-Nine
"So, you're square on all the details?" I asked. I couldn't believe my luck. Finding him was too perfect for words.
"Yep. Don't worry, brother. I'll be there." He smiled and shook my hand.
"I don't know how to begin to thank you." I said.
"Man, you gave me enough material to last me a lifetime. That's all the thanks I need. See you Saturday?"
"Yes. Saturday," I confirmed.
"I knew you had it bad the minute I saw you," he quipped.
"Dude, you have absolutely no idea how bad."
"Adele's House. Octavia speaking. How can I help you?"
Oh, thank you, sweet baby Jesus for not letting Sookie pick up.
"Hello, Octavia. It's Eric." I could hear a sharp intake of breath across the telephone line, and I flinched, knowing this would possibly be the first of many hoops I'd have to jump through.
"Hello, Eric. How are you feeling?" she asked coolly.
"Much better, thank you. They've let me out of the hospital," I replied.
"That's very good news. Now what can I do for you, son?" Her words were clipped.
"I'm calling you because I need your help. I want to talk to Sookie, but I'm afraid she would run if I just approached her out of the blue."
"Eric, you have to understand. You've hurt her so badly. I cannot possibly convey to you the state she's been in since the accident. Maybe now's not such a good time." Her maternal voice had suddenly gone in to overdrive.
"Octavia. Please. I know I was a right jackass the way I treated her when I woke up. I feel horrible about it. But, Octavia…I remember now. I remember you, I remember her…I remember Jacob. All of it. I need to get them back, and I'm afraid this won't work if I can't convince you to help me."
The pregnant pause after I finished speaking was almost unbearable.
"What can I do, Eric? Just tell me and I'll do it."
"Oh, thank god. Thank you." I exhaled the breath I'd been holding, and then began to tell her all about the plan.
When I'd finished speaking, I heard her sigh. "Eric. What if I can't make it happen?"
"You have to, Octavia. I'll do the rest of the work. Just convince her. Convince them. I know you can," I pleaded.
"Alright, Eric. I'll handle it. Don't worry. Now when will your letter be arriving?"
"Tomorrow afternoon. I'm sending it over with a courier."
"I'll make sure she gets it. Promise me you'll make this right, Eric. I can't stand seeing her like this."
"I'll never let her go again. I promise. She's mine," I stated firmly.
"Good boy. I'll see you Saturday. Good night, Eric."
"Goodnight, Octavia. Thank you."
Two down, a hell of a lot more to go.
"Yes, Eric. We're all set," Pam growled. Clearly, she was annoyed. We were sitting at my kitchen table, papers and checklists organized neatly in front of us.
"Please, humor me. This is too important. Let's go over it one more time."
"Fucking fine. But this is the last time. You're going to drive me insane. Have you forgotten the fact that I've practically run your life for God knows how many years now? I think I can handle this."
Oh yeah, she was definitely annoyed.
I chose to ignore her rant. "The packets?" I asked.
"Being printed as we speak. Picking them up tomorrow and bringing them straight to Sam."
"Good. And the invites?"
"Emailed, called or hand delivered. I've got an assistant on the phone right now confirming the RSVP's."
"Excellent. Any progress in Louisiana?"
"Judge Hicknell will keep the license on file until he hears from us. Same with Lafayette…who, by the way, is royally pissed off at you right now."
"I'll call him as soon as I get off the phone with you. He'll live. Continue."
"He, Jason and Daphne will be here Saturday afternoon. I've chartered the plane for them."
I hesitated. The potential answer to the next question had me on tenterhooks. "Jacob?"
"I'm working on it. Eric. You have to understand how difficult it is with the situation being what it is at present. After Saturday, if everything goes according to our plan, there will be one less hurdle we have to jump over."
"Okay. Okay. I guess I can't ask for more than that," I sighed.
"It'll all work out. I promise you. You just have to be patient," she said.
"I've waited for them my entire life, Pam. I don't want to wait one more minute."
"If you've waited that long, what's a few more days? Have faith, Eric. That's all I can say."
She was right. I knew she was, but every ounce of me wanted to hold the two loves of my life in my arms…immediately.
"Pam, if I haven't told you lately, you're the greatest sister and friend anyone could ever be lucky enough to have. Thank you." I grabbed her hand and kissed it.
"You're welcome, brother." She smiled at me and then rose from the table to leave. "I'll talk to you tomorrow. Now get some rest. You look like shit." She picked up the stacks of papers and shoved them in her bag.
"Good night, Eric," she called out from the front door, which slammed behind her as she left.
Sleep. Yeah, I could definitely have used some at that point. But not yet. There were two more calls to make. I ran my fingers through my hair, took a deep breath and picked up the phone.
"Lafayette, its Eric." I steadied myself, waiting for the barrage of words to spill forth from his lips.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Mr. Forgetful."
Yeah. It was going to be worse than I thought. "Lafayette, you know that wasn't my fault."
"Yes, I know that. What I don't know is why you acted a damn fool towards her. She's been nearly inconsolable. I told you when I met you that I'd kick your ass from Bon Temps to Shreveport if you hurt her. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't."
"Because I love her, L. Because I didn't mean to hurt her. Because I'm going to spend the rest of my life making it up to her if she'll have me." I was near tears, hoping he heard it in my voice.
A loud exhale passed from the other end of the line. "You're lucky I like you, chere. Very lucky. But just so we're clear...never again. You will never hurt her again. Do we understand each other?"
"Completely," I replied.
"Good. Now tell me what I can do, sugar." His tone was considerably lighter now, and I was grateful for it.
"Has Pam informed you of all the details of the plan?" I asked.
"Yes, she has."
"Then that's it. Just get here. We're taking care of everything else."
"Alright, then. I'll see you Saturday, darlin'."
"Thank you, Lafayette. I owe you one. Probably more than one, for that matter," I confessed.
"Don't worry baby. I'll let you know when it's time for me to collect," he cooed.
Hanging up, I knew somehow he would.
"Hey Sam. How's it going?" I asked. I'd called him at the gallery.
"Pam said you were going to be annoying tonight," he joked.
"I'd be tempted to say 'Fuck Pam' if she hadn't been so incredibly amazing through all of this. I just called to check in on everything."
"We're good here, brother. Everything is ready. It's you're turn now. The rest is up to you."
"Thanks again, Sam. I know this has been hard on you. I'm sorry you were stuck in the hospital with me when you should have been with Daphne in Shreveport." I'd felt terrible about that, actually. He was supposed to visit her, but he stayed at my side instead of going. I was damned lucky to have the friends I did.
"Yeah, that kinda sucked, but she's a good girl. She understood. Besides, I'll see her in a few days. Don't worry about it. That's what friends do for one another."
"You're more than a friend, Sam. You're my brother. I hope you know how I feel about you." I meant every word of it.
"I do, Eric. Now get some rest. You sound like shit," he said.
"Yeah, I've gotten that more than once tonight. Thanks, Sam. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Go get your girl, Eric. It's not the same around here without her. Goodnight."
I reminded myself to buy him and Daphne a nice long vacation when this whole thing was done and over with.
Just one more thing to do now and I couldn't sleep until it was finished.
Dear Sookie,
I know your first instinct might be to rip this up before you read it. If I were in your shoes, I would probably be tempted to do the same thing. But please, bear with me and finish this letter. If you choose to toss it afterwords, I'll completely understand, though I sincerely hope you won't.
I cannot begin to express to you how sorry I am for the way I have treated you. While I know that the memory loss was not my fault, they way I reacted to you in the hospital was completely inexcusable. I have had several weeks to reflect upon it, and I still cringe at the thought of the words that spilled from my lips. I was an insensitive ass, and for that, I cannot ever apologize to you enough.
I've though long and hard about the events of the past few weeks, and I've come to the conclusion that even though I couldn't remember you, you must have made a remarkable impression on me for me to have given you my mother's ring. I swore to her that I wouldn't give it to anyone unless the person loved me as much as my mother loved my father. That was something I never once took lightly. So, logic dictates that you must have loved me fiercely for me to have let go of such a treasure.
I'm sitting here, alone at my kitchen table, in a house that doesn't feel like a home because there's nothing to fill it but my loneliness. Once again, logic has crept in, and I've realized that I've let go of another treasure. Of course, I didn't know that two weeks ago, but I assure you, I know that now.
There is so much that I want to say to you…so much I have to say to you, if you'll only let me. I realize that I may be asking too much of you by asking you to speak with me. Hell, I probably don't even have the right to. But nonetheless, I need to try. I'll regret it the rest of my life if I don't.
Please, Sookie. Let me be able to look upon your beautiful face when I speak the words I so long to say to you. I'm humbled, on my knees, begging for you to allow it. Come to me. Come to me this Saturday, and let me talk with you a while. There should be nothing left unsaid between us.
Meet me on Third Avenue between St. Marks Place and 9th this Saturday at seven o'clock in the evening. Please be there. I'll wait all night if I have to, but please, oh, god, be there.
Yours,
Eric
I placed my pen down on the table and read and reread the letter so many times that I'd memorized it. I hated not being able to tell her that I remembered her. It was a risky move, but the plan was contingent upon her being surprised. I was already giving too much away by asking her to meet me where it all began. I hoped she would overlook that fact until I was standing in front of her.
I placed the letter in an envelope, sealed it, and then wrote her name on the front. She'd get it tomorrow afternoon. I'd have to wait more than twenty-four hours to see if she would show. She had to. My life, her life, Jacob's life…our life, the one I wanted more than anything, depended upon it.
