Chapter Two: The Morning After.........
The next day, Woody was still upset about Jordan. Who wouldn't be about having the woman of your heart dump you?
Woody decided to take a nice long hot shower. After emerging from the shower, he put on his dark blue suit and light blue-collar shirt.
As he went out to get the morning paper, he saw a box that was decorated with flowers and donned the words, "Jordan loves Woody."
Feeling angry, Woody picked up the book and threw it on the couch. He sat down beside it, having no desire to look at it. However, something inside of him demanded he looked at it. Within a few seconds, Woody took the box and opened it to find mementos of his relationship with Jordan. Some contents were boring and useless, like the bag of peanut butter M & Ms they ate at the first movie they ever went to ("Love Story"). However, some were meaningful, like the picture that Lily took of the two the night they got engaged. Woody sat back on the couch and smiled at the memory.
It was the Memorial Day picnic at Jordan's uncle Ryan's beach house on Hampton Beach. Everyone was having a great time, swimming, building sand castles, and enjoying the unofficial start of summer.
Woody and Jordan were sitting on a sailboat, wet from an afternoon of water skiing, something that Woody, a native of Wisconsin, had never done before. Jordan, on the other hand was a pro at water skiing. When it came to Woody, he wasn't the best; in fact he spent more time in the water than on the skis.
Woody gave up and he and Jordan sat on the boat holding each other.
Woody closed his eyes as he remembers that day. He had never felt happier, he and Jordan had been dating for two years and were closer than ever. Each had helped the other deal with personal problems; hers was the unsolved murder of her mom and his with the tragic murder of his dad. The two had even discovered Christianity, attending a local Methodist church and joining a Bible study group, which brought both of them comfort and strength. Woody credited Jordan for his continued success in the Boston Police Department and Jordan credited Woody for keeping her saner. The two had talked a lot about what they wanted out of life; one of those issues was marriage. After a few months of talking about it, Woody was ready to pop the question. He had been given the same engagement ring that his late dad had used to give to his mom. It was a square cut, 3 caret diamond and beautiful.
Woody reached in his duffel bag and pulled out the ring. He decided to ask her right there and then.
"Jordan," he breathed.
Jordan had been resting her head on Woody's shoulder. She picked up her head and looked at him and said, "Yes, Woody?"
Woody felt all the loved she had given him come right into his heart and he expressed it. He took her hands and his and glazed at his raven beauty.
"Oh, Jordan' you're so beautiful," he said.
Jordan blushed and kissed his lips.
Woody felt all the sweetness of the kiss make him weak in the knees but he kept in control.
Woody caressed her face and said, "Jordan, we've been through a lot together in our lives."
"We have, that's for sure," she agreed.
"And we both had a hard time facing that pain and sadness," he continued. "But, together, we each found a way to get through that pain."
"And in the process, we got through to each other," she said."
Woody nodded in agreement. "And when we each had our pain stripped away, it felt like finding an old painting, and removing the bad stuff and seeing something so beautiful and that's what I saw in you."
Jordan felt tears come to her eyes. "Same here."
Woody continued, "And when you see that beauty, you fall in love with her and I fell in love with you."
Jordan started to cry. "Woody, I love you."
"I love you," he said, tears of his own forming. "And I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
Jordan had a look of excitement in her face but didn't say anything because she wanted him to proceed.
Woody took his ring and got down on his knee. With a tear rolling down his face, he asked the most important question of his life. "Jordan Michelle Cavanaugh, will you marry me?"
Jordan screamed and jumped up and down, "YES! Yes! Yes, Woodrow Payton Hoyt, I will marry you."
Woody jumped up and took her in his arms and picked her and spun her around and kissed her.........long and good.
Woody put her down and placed the ring on her finger. He then took his fiancé in his arms and held her tight.
"Jordan, I've never been happier," he said.
"Me neither," she said.
The two held each other and kissed and watched the ocean float by.
They returned to the beach where they announced the news. Of course, everyone went nuts over them and Lily quickly snapped their picture, with Jordan showing off her engagement ring with much pride. It was at that moment in time where Woody decided at that moment this was the happiest he ever felt.
And now, that happiness was gone. Woody took the picture and felt tears come to his eyes. He had felt angry the night before at Jordan but now.... are that was left was deep sadness for the woman that had broken his heart.
Woody looked at his watch, realizing that he needed to get moving, so he cleared his eyes, grabbed his coat and briefcase and left the apartment. As Woody drove to the police station, he popped his I-POD into the car and heard the song, "How do I live" by Leanne Rimes. The lyrics seemed to mirror what Woody was feeling.
Woody drew a breath and said, "That's right, Leanne. How do I live with the love of my life?"