For the second time in a week, Rick found himself staring out at
a window at the airport tarmac. Waiting for A.J. to get his ticket
processed, he couldn't bear to look at Laurie now that it was time for
goodbye.
Oh, sure, it was only for a few weeks, that was settled.
"We can fly in after school on Tuesday, we'll avoid some of the traffic that way", Laurie had said, blinking rapidly as they unloaded the luggage at the terminal. He and A.J. and Mom had said their farewells to Robert and Robin before they went to school. Only the promise of a Thanksgiving in San Diego had kept the tears to a minimum, and Cecilia had to give each kid a extra hug before they boarded the bus.
They had also stopped to see Chief Joseph, who took Rick aside as A.J. and his mom made a last minute purchase.
"I hope you will be back, Rick, you and your family will always be welcome in my home."
Rick gazed at him. "Chief, I promise we will be back. But tell me, Why didn't you say anything about knowing my dad?"
The elder smiled. "I wanted to see how much of my friend I saw in his sons. I didn't want you to think I was comparing my memories of him to you. No son should have to walk in his father's shadow."
Rick moved, cleared his throat. "Uh, well thank you, Chief. I know it made Mom happy to share some time with you. You know, there's no way I could take Laurie and the kids from here, this really is their home".
Chief Joseph put his hand on Rick's shoulder. "Rick, you and Light deserve to make a new beginning for yourselves and Robert and Robin. Wherever you make a place for them; it will be their home. I think they deserve to see if that place will be San Diego or here." Just then, A.J. popped his head in the door. "Time to go." Rick shook hands with the elder, then made way for his brother to make his farewells.
Now that it was time to say goodbye to Laurie, he looked down at her for the first time that morning, his heart heavy. She was smiling up at him, and he gathered her in his arms and held her close. "We'll be together soon, I promise, sweetheart," he whispered. Her voice broke, "I know, but it's not the same, I don't know why I'm such a baby about this." She stopped when Cecilia came up to them and put her arms around both.
"Now you two quit that or you'll have A.J and I in tears. We'll see you in two weeks and six days, so I want to see a smile." Laurie gave her a watery grin and hugged her. "I love you, Aunt Ceci, please call me when you and the guys get in, ok?"
"Ok!", A.J. chimed in, coming up and embracing her. She laughed and then turned to Rick, who bent down and kissed her. Laurie clung to him until the boarding call was sounded, then released him and said "Two weeks, six days".
"Drive safe." was all he manage, as he picked up his carry on and followed his mom and brother thru the entry way.
Filing into their seats, Rick plopped himself down and stared out the window at the terminal, seeing Laurie standing at the glass. "Here, Rick." He turned to see his brother holding out an envelope to him. "What's this?" he grinned half-heartedly, "a summons?" A.J. shrugged. "Chief Joseph handed this to me this morning when I stopped to say goodbye, he said we had earned it".
Rick torn open the envelope to find two sets of dog tags, each on a long chain. A small piece of paper was enclosed, and as he read it his eyes misted over.
Rick and A.J., Many years ago your father and I exchanged dog tags as a sign and memory of our friendship. I think the two of you deserve to wear them in his honor.
Vaya con Dios
Your friend, Joseph Windwalker
He looked up at his brother and wordlessly handed him the note. A.J. read it and turned away for a moment, then showed the paper to their mom. She smiled at him and then at her oldest. Rick handed his brother one set of tags.
"Thanks". A.J. gazed at the tarnished metal, then looking out the window, said, "Rick, do you really love her?"
"Yes".
"Then ask her to marry you, cause I don't think either of you will be able to stand it if you don't". he said, grinning. His brother stared at him, "But what about the business, what if she doesn't want to live in San Diego?" "For goodness sake, we could always open an office in Phoenix, and I really think I could handle running things with you there part time. Besides, Laurie and you belong together, and if you don't marry her, I will!"
"See, now what are you waiting for?" Cecilia leaned over, facing Rick. "Whatever differences you have about where to live and raise the kids, nothing is more important then the love you share. After all you too have been through, do you really want to take a chance on waiting?"
Rick cleared his throat, then hugged his brother and planted a kiss on his mother's cheek. Beckoning over the attendant, he said "How long until we take off?" She looked out the window and pointed at the line of aircraft waiting to take off. "Unfortunately, sir, we are going to be delayed about 30 minutes, there's fog along the coast of California and San Diego is reporting bad visibility." He stood up and whispered in the attendant's ear, pointing out the girl still standing at the terminal door.
She nodded, and then asked him to wait a moment. Going over to the other stewards, she talked to them, and then came back over.
"Ok, Mr. Simon, once we open that door, you have five minutes."
He thanked her, then told A.J. and Cecilia, "I'll be right back." As he moved past them to the aisle, she put something in his hand. Following the attendant to the door, she opened it, then they went down the
entry way. Pausing at the terminal door, he saw Laurie was still standing by the window, now wiping her eyes with her scarf. The attendant was standing beside him, she looked at the girl and then said, "Do you have a ring?" Rick started to panic, and then realized Cecilia had stuck a box in his hand. Opening it, he saw his grandmother's Engagement ring. He smiled and said, "I do now". Walking over to the terminal window, he stood behind Laurie.
"Sweetheart". She turned, startled, then stared at him. "Rick, what are you doing? Aren't you taking off now?"
He got down on one knee and looking up at her, replied, "I couldn't leave without asking you one thing. Laurie, will you marry me?"
Her eyes filled with tears. "Are you sure? Is it ok with A.J and Aunt Ceci?"
He grinned at her, his heart thumping loudly in his ears. "Yes, darling. They practically threw me out of the plane. I only have a couple of minutes, so, will you put me out of my misery and marry me?"
She smiled thru her tears, "Yes, Rick, oh yes!" He took her hand and slid the ring on her finger. She looked at it and gasped.
"Oh, Rick, it's beautiful!" He stood up and kissed her, to the accompaniment of whistles and applause from a small crowd attracted by the proposal. They both looked around and Laurie blushed and said "Thank you." The flight attendant came over and hugged her, saying "Congratulations, Ms. Scott, I hope you'll be very happy! Mr. Simon, we have to go now." Laurie thanked her and then embraced him again.
Heading back to the plane, Rick turned back at the doorway, and said, "Tell the Chief he was right, we're not ending anything, we're beginning!"
By JTBWRITER 11/2003
"We can fly in after school on Tuesday, we'll avoid some of the traffic that way", Laurie had said, blinking rapidly as they unloaded the luggage at the terminal. He and A.J. and Mom had said their farewells to Robert and Robin before they went to school. Only the promise of a Thanksgiving in San Diego had kept the tears to a minimum, and Cecilia had to give each kid a extra hug before they boarded the bus.
They had also stopped to see Chief Joseph, who took Rick aside as A.J. and his mom made a last minute purchase.
"I hope you will be back, Rick, you and your family will always be welcome in my home."
Rick gazed at him. "Chief, I promise we will be back. But tell me, Why didn't you say anything about knowing my dad?"
The elder smiled. "I wanted to see how much of my friend I saw in his sons. I didn't want you to think I was comparing my memories of him to you. No son should have to walk in his father's shadow."
Rick moved, cleared his throat. "Uh, well thank you, Chief. I know it made Mom happy to share some time with you. You know, there's no way I could take Laurie and the kids from here, this really is their home".
Chief Joseph put his hand on Rick's shoulder. "Rick, you and Light deserve to make a new beginning for yourselves and Robert and Robin. Wherever you make a place for them; it will be their home. I think they deserve to see if that place will be San Diego or here." Just then, A.J. popped his head in the door. "Time to go." Rick shook hands with the elder, then made way for his brother to make his farewells.
Now that it was time to say goodbye to Laurie, he looked down at her for the first time that morning, his heart heavy. She was smiling up at him, and he gathered her in his arms and held her close. "We'll be together soon, I promise, sweetheart," he whispered. Her voice broke, "I know, but it's not the same, I don't know why I'm such a baby about this." She stopped when Cecilia came up to them and put her arms around both.
"Now you two quit that or you'll have A.J and I in tears. We'll see you in two weeks and six days, so I want to see a smile." Laurie gave her a watery grin and hugged her. "I love you, Aunt Ceci, please call me when you and the guys get in, ok?"
"Ok!", A.J. chimed in, coming up and embracing her. She laughed and then turned to Rick, who bent down and kissed her. Laurie clung to him until the boarding call was sounded, then released him and said "Two weeks, six days".
"Drive safe." was all he manage, as he picked up his carry on and followed his mom and brother thru the entry way.
Filing into their seats, Rick plopped himself down and stared out the window at the terminal, seeing Laurie standing at the glass. "Here, Rick." He turned to see his brother holding out an envelope to him. "What's this?" he grinned half-heartedly, "a summons?" A.J. shrugged. "Chief Joseph handed this to me this morning when I stopped to say goodbye, he said we had earned it".
Rick torn open the envelope to find two sets of dog tags, each on a long chain. A small piece of paper was enclosed, and as he read it his eyes misted over.
Rick and A.J., Many years ago your father and I exchanged dog tags as a sign and memory of our friendship. I think the two of you deserve to wear them in his honor.
Vaya con Dios
Your friend, Joseph Windwalker
He looked up at his brother and wordlessly handed him the note. A.J. read it and turned away for a moment, then showed the paper to their mom. She smiled at him and then at her oldest. Rick handed his brother one set of tags.
"Thanks". A.J. gazed at the tarnished metal, then looking out the window, said, "Rick, do you really love her?"
"Yes".
"Then ask her to marry you, cause I don't think either of you will be able to stand it if you don't". he said, grinning. His brother stared at him, "But what about the business, what if she doesn't want to live in San Diego?" "For goodness sake, we could always open an office in Phoenix, and I really think I could handle running things with you there part time. Besides, Laurie and you belong together, and if you don't marry her, I will!"
"See, now what are you waiting for?" Cecilia leaned over, facing Rick. "Whatever differences you have about where to live and raise the kids, nothing is more important then the love you share. After all you too have been through, do you really want to take a chance on waiting?"
Rick cleared his throat, then hugged his brother and planted a kiss on his mother's cheek. Beckoning over the attendant, he said "How long until we take off?" She looked out the window and pointed at the line of aircraft waiting to take off. "Unfortunately, sir, we are going to be delayed about 30 minutes, there's fog along the coast of California and San Diego is reporting bad visibility." He stood up and whispered in the attendant's ear, pointing out the girl still standing at the terminal door.
She nodded, and then asked him to wait a moment. Going over to the other stewards, she talked to them, and then came back over.
"Ok, Mr. Simon, once we open that door, you have five minutes."
He thanked her, then told A.J. and Cecilia, "I'll be right back." As he moved past them to the aisle, she put something in his hand. Following the attendant to the door, she opened it, then they went down the
entry way. Pausing at the terminal door, he saw Laurie was still standing by the window, now wiping her eyes with her scarf. The attendant was standing beside him, she looked at the girl and then said, "Do you have a ring?" Rick started to panic, and then realized Cecilia had stuck a box in his hand. Opening it, he saw his grandmother's Engagement ring. He smiled and said, "I do now". Walking over to the terminal window, he stood behind Laurie.
"Sweetheart". She turned, startled, then stared at him. "Rick, what are you doing? Aren't you taking off now?"
He got down on one knee and looking up at her, replied, "I couldn't leave without asking you one thing. Laurie, will you marry me?"
Her eyes filled with tears. "Are you sure? Is it ok with A.J and Aunt Ceci?"
He grinned at her, his heart thumping loudly in his ears. "Yes, darling. They practically threw me out of the plane. I only have a couple of minutes, so, will you put me out of my misery and marry me?"
She smiled thru her tears, "Yes, Rick, oh yes!" He took her hand and slid the ring on her finger. She looked at it and gasped.
"Oh, Rick, it's beautiful!" He stood up and kissed her, to the accompaniment of whistles and applause from a small crowd attracted by the proposal. They both looked around and Laurie blushed and said "Thank you." The flight attendant came over and hugged her, saying "Congratulations, Ms. Scott, I hope you'll be very happy! Mr. Simon, we have to go now." Laurie thanked her and then embraced him again.
Heading back to the plane, Rick turned back at the doorway, and said, "Tell the Chief he was right, we're not ending anything, we're beginning!"
By JTBWRITER 11/2003