There seemed to be hundreds, thousands of people, all walking around Stephanie now, all of them, going about their day, some laughing and talking with each other as they passed along, others, simply sitting down, catching up on a good book or reading the latest magazine.
It was all noisy and crowded, not like the in and out experience Stephanie usually received, but definitely one Steph had become accustomed to while living with Mark for the past several weeks. Looking back at Bernard, Stephanie almost ignored his question completely, her mind seemingly absent from the present.
"I'm … I'm sorry, it's quite noisy in here, can you repeat what you asked?"
"I asked," the older gentlemen in an all blue suit with a golden eagle on his lapel, who was helping Stephanie with her luggage, continued. "I asked, are you from round here, you know, New York, or are you visiting your folks, your family, or somebody."
Nodding now, Stephanie smiled weakly, "Yes … no. I mean, I was born and raised just up the road … Greenwich, actually."
Noting the ring on Stephanie's finger, Bernard asked in a deep Southern accent, "Not trying to intrude ma'am, but what's a pretty young thang like yourself doing flying across country like this all by yourself? Your husband or the one that's courting you ought have seen you to your flight, if you don't mind me saying so."
Smiling and laughing just a tad, Stephanie waved her hand back and forth, saying, "Oh, no, no, you see, my husband, he's … he's … away on business, and he couldn't make the trip. He's usually with me all the time … it's just this one time, you know?"
"I should hope so. I know a pretty young lady like you can most likely take care of herself, but you can never be too careful these days. Ain't like it was when I was coming up, young man from Georgia. Nope, thangs have changed."
Nodding, Stephanie's mind all over the place, replied back, "Right, right."
Walking out into the front of Westchester County Airport to an awaiting black car, the clouds in the sky creating a gloomy overcast, a chauffeur standing outside of it, awaiting to take Stephanie back home, her real one in nearby Greenwich, Steph, as Bernard packed her luggage into the trunk, rummaged through her purse, looking for spare change. Not finding any, Steph asked, almost embarrassed, "Bernard, I hate to bother you …"
"Not bothering me, ma'am," as he continued to load Steph's luggage in the trunk of the car. "This here my job."
"Yes, thank you, I appreciate that, but I was wondering did you have any spare change maybe for a payphone? All I have is solid bills."
"Sure, thing, Ms. um…"
"Calaway … I mean, McMahon …?"
Handing Stephanie the change for the payphone, Bernard, curious, laughed and asked, "Well, which is it, Calaway or McMahon?"
"McMahon, sorry. My mind is … it's … it's all over the place today. Just have a lot going on today," stuff smiled in a huff, but clearly, she wasn't in the mood for a lot of smiling.
"Naw, naw, it's ok. Look, Gone head, make your phone call, while I finish putting your stuff up."
Nodding and smiling, Steph walked back inside the airport, her stomach feeling the worst it had in weeks, similar to the feeling when she was strapped to that symbol, about to become Mark's bride. Maybe because for the second time in one month, she was being ushered into a life direction she wasn't willing to go down.
Everywhere Steph looked, there were families, a couple swinging their toddler son in the air as they held both of his tiny hands as they walked along, a group of friends all laughing with each other while they walked through the airport, one guy even giving his other guy friend a wedgie, and there was Stephanie, all alone.
On Thursday, after Mark showed her the tape of what happened to Ryan, the two both made the mutual decision that perhaps it was best for their relationship if they both took some time off from one another. Initially, there were to be no hard feelings; Mark assured Steph that whenever, if ever, she felt ready to work on their relationship again, that he'd be right back in Texas waiting on her, but Steph couldn't get over what he had purposely done to Shane and Vince, and that was the primary reason why she decided to make the trip back to Connecticut … alone.
The night before Steph left was very awkward, however. Mark kept his distance from her, and in turn, Steph did the same … and it hurt. Mark was the first man that she had ever fallen in love with, and she had given up so much for him, her friends, her family, her virginity, and now that they were separating, everything she had done, Steph felt she had done in vain.
Everything that she had sacrificed for her marriage was in total failure, and in short, that made Stephanie feel like a failure, as well, since she, only at the age of twenty two, was heading down the lane of most likely divorce. She and Mark, just like the previous nights, didn't even sleep together. In fact, the next morning when she was stirring in the bed, honestly feeling around for her husband's body, which was usually right beside her, it wasn't there.
The only thing Stephanie did find once she realized the dire nature of her predicament was an envelope at the foot of the bed, inside, $3,500, to help pay for her plane ticket, travel expenses, and anything else she needed in between Houston and Greenwich. And that was that. A taxi came by and picked Stephanie up around ten that Friday morning, dropping her off at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, and she arrived back in near Connecticut around six that evening.
The most daunting thing of all for Stephanie, other than separating from a man whom she had assumed was the most important man in her life, was the fact that she didn't even get the chance to kiss her husband goodbye. And that was enough to bring her to tears.
Walking over to a payphone booth inside the airport, brushing the water that was slowly trickling down her face away, Steph entered the seven digits of her home telephone number, praying deep inside that Linda, Vince, or Shane wouldn't answer the phone. She had to get herself together first, and even over the phone, Steph could tell she sounded a mess. After the phone rang four times, Steph heard a familiar voice on the other end of the line.
"The McMahon residence, this is Gracie speaking, how may I help you?"
"Gracie … this is Stephanie, please, just … don't ask any questions, please, just tell me, is my mom at home?"
"Steph … Stephanie … she is! Oh, my God, are you alright? Just tel…"
"Gracie, please, put my mom on the phone, just don't tell her who it is, please, I don't want her to be alarmed. Please."
Hearing the receiver drop, Steph put another quarter into the payphone for good measure, just in case Gracie, their longtime housekeeper, was off fetching her mother for more than two minutes. Hearing the phone pick up, Linda spoke into the receiver. "You've reached the McMahon residence, this is Linda McMahon, may I ask whom I'm presently speaking with?"
"Mom…"
"Stephanie?!" Linda, in heightened alarm screeched out. She hadn't heard the voice of her daughter in more than two weeks, and here she was, over the phone, speaking with her, the sound of her only daughter's voice making tears roll down her face almost instantly. "Stephanie, dear God, tell me, are you alright? Where are you? Has Mark hurt you? Wh…"
"I'm fine, Mom," Steph reassured, as she fed another quarter into the payphone. "I'm fine. I'm almost in Greenwich."
"You are?! Please, tell me where, I'll have a car to come and get you, your father and I will…"
Cutting her off once again, crying herself now, Steph reassured, "No, mom, no. You and Dad stay where you are. I have a car. I'm just calling to let you know that I'll be home soon. I'm coming home," Steph said within tears, the man in the next phone booth looking over at her strangely.
"Stephanie, how soon? Where are you? Please tell me, we need to know this."
"I'm at the airport, mom. Please, I've got a car and everything. I just called you to let you know to … to just be waiting for me, maybe in about an hour, ok?"
Nodding on the other end, tears of joy rolling down Linda's face, the elder McMahon said, "Please get here, baby. We've all missed you terribly."
"I know, Mom, I know. Talk to you when I get there."
"Please, Stephanie. I love you, ok?"
A tear slipping past Steph's chin, dropping onto the receiver, Steph whispered back, "Love you too, Mom," as she slowly place the phone back on the cradle, the change from the call clinking against the spare change door, as she wiped her face free of tears, walking back outside to the car, where Bernard had finished packing all of her luggage.
"Well, Ms. McMahon, you're all set. I hope you have a pleasant trip."
"Thank you, for your help." Reaching inside her purse and wallet again, Steph didn't have any small bills, and since she was thankful for Bernard's help, she gave his a crisp, brand new $100 bill for his service, which of course, blew him completely away. Clutching the money in his hand, Bernard started, "Oh, no, ma'am, I can't talk all this. This too much …"
"No, please, take it," Steph stated as she grabbed his hands, pushing the money almost back to his chest. "I want you to have it. I insist."
Tipping his hat to Stephanie and smiling, Bernard said, "Well, thank you ma'am. I think I might even get me a steak today. You have yourself a blessed one, hear?"
"Yes, thank you. You too."
And with that, with the chauffeur opening the door for her, Stephanie stepped inside the backseat of the car, mentally trying to reprogram herself back to Greenwich living, the quaintness and serenity of small city living on a big city budget; all the high end shops and boutiques, the family owned businesses, the small government buildings, and the outrageous mansions that seemed to be separated from each other by life years instead of feet.
The more and more Steph passed through town and eventually through her subdivision, with the tall wrought iron gate to keep non-residents out, Steph began to miss Houston more and more. On one hand, Steph did genuinely want to be back, she wanted to see the people whom she honestly missed, her parents, her brother, even the housekeepers and other hired help, but on the other hand, she felt empty without Mark driving through the huge cityscape.
One of the many things that surprised her the most about Mark, even though he was very unpredictable at times, was the fact that he was really a good … and responsible … driver. And while that part honestly baffled her about him, Steph couldn't let Mark get away with the atrocities that he had committed. If she did, he would simply continue to step all over her any time he felt like it, and quite frankly, Steph was tired of being a doormat.
As the car came around a heavily wooded bend, Steph realized that she was pulling up to a very familiar white gate — the gate of her childhood home, the gate that separated so many memories for, her family, and her old life — and she was mere seconds from being reacquainted with all of them.
As the gate opened and the car drove up the long circular driveway, Linda and Gracie were both standing outside, anxiously awaiting Stephanie's arrival. As the chauffeur exited the driver's door, Steph felt butterflies all through her stomach. Would her family immediately ask about her time with Mark? Would they want to know if she and Mark had consummated their marriage? Would Linda and Vince immediately want her to strive for a divorce?
As the driver stood over the passenger door next to where Stephanie was sitting momentarily, then finally opening it, as Stephanie stepped out, smelling the pristine Greenwich air, both Gracie and Linda rushed to her, hugging Steph, kissing her, crying, ecstatic, excited, and beyond joyful to see the girl back in one piece. Linda was weeping openly and uncontrollably now, squeezing Stephanie so hard in an embrace that Steph didn't even know her mother was even capable of.
That scene must have carried on for another four or five minutes, seemingly going on forever, and while Steph knew that everyone would more than likely be enamored by her return, she on the other hand felt nothing but numbness, both inside and out.
