SWEET NOVEMBER: THE REUNION
Nelson smiled and waved one customer goodbye, just as another walked in. He walked briskly behind the counter and leaned across it warmly.
"Welcome to Books on the Corner, ma'am. Can I help you with anything today?" he asked with a smile.
The woman was a brunette. Short and pretty. She took off her sunglasses and gazed around the shop, as if in slow motion. She took in the old antique shelves, filled with everything from fiction to fantasy.
A few indoor plants sat atop the shelves, and the walls of the building were painted different colours.
"Yes" the woman finally uttered, after taking her time to process this quirky, quaint little book store. She turned and fixed her eyes upon Nelson. "I'm looking for someone. I'm looking for -"
The woman paused. She caught Nelson's name tag out of the corner of her eye, which spelled his name in clear, bold letters.
"Nelson. Are you Nelson?" she asked, bewildered and shocked. She didn't expect it to be this easy to find him.
Nelson instinctively leaned forward across the counter, concerned. "Are you alright? Do you need to sit down?" He could sense the woman felt uneasy.
"I'm fine" the woman replied, her tone uncertain. She hesitated, then began around the end of the counter, circling around so she was on his side of it. She walked right up to him and looked up into his eyes, her own ready to well with tears. It was obvious she had something very important to tell him, and she didn't want to mess it up.
"Nelson, my name's Claire Deever. I'm -"
Nelson's heart immediately fluttered, and all kinds of emotions washed over him. He knew that surname.
"You're Sara's sister, the one that she ran the pet website with?" he asked tentatively, somehow maintaining his composure.
Claire nodded. "Nelson, she's ..."
His heart sank. She's what, he wondered? No, please no.
"She's changed her mind" Claire added, "she wants to see you again"
The flutter to his heart returned. He visibly braced himself by leaning against the counter, clearing his throat as he looked down at Claire.
"Alright" was all he could manage to say, "Can you give me a couple of minutes? I need to tell the boss something's come up"
Claire nodded, sniffling. "I'll wait outside"
As she began towards the door, Claire looked through the little shop again. So quirky. Sara would have loved it. Maybe that's why Nelson, the man Sara had told her so much about, worked there. He understood her sister in so many ways.
Nelson emerged from the store, keys in hand, flipping the sign on the door to the side that read CLOSED, and locking the door behind him.
"Is that where she lived, up there?" Claire asked, motioning to the cute double-story apartment across the road from the book store.
Nelson briefly looked up at it, then back at Claire, giving her a nod. "I bought it" he revealed, "I live there now"
They walked side-by-side down the street, until they spotted a cab on approach. Claire moved as if to hail it, but Nelson stepped out onto the road and hailed it for her, ever the gentleman. They got in.
Silence permeated the back seat of that cab for a long while. Nelson sat rigid, hands clasping his knees nervously. Claire stared out the window, unsure of what to say, but she eventually did muster up the courage to break the silence.
"So you were Sara's November?" Claire asked.
"Yeah" Nelson replied, "November"
It was November 1st right now. A whole year since he'd met Sara. It was November again.
"How's she doing, Claire?" he finally asked.
"She has her good days, and her bad days" Claire answered. "We saw a doctor right after she came home last December, and he gave her only two months. But she bounced back in January, and outlived everyone's expectations. It was only last month she became really ill"
Claire's voice cracked, and she covered her mouth with her hand in a desperate attempt not to cry. "She's in hospice now, Nelson. But she's adamant she wants to see you"
Nelson stared out the window, swallowing a lump of regret in his throat. "I'm sorry, I should have come sooner. I ..."
"No, Nelson. Don't be sorry. It was her choice to make. My sister's stubborn, and if you had come earlier, she might never have forgiven you. You just had to wait for her to make that choice"
Nelson nodded. "Yeah, you're right"
The cab stopped outside a quaint little brick building upstate. It had been three hours drive from San Francisco to get to the Deever's hometown.
Nelson paid the driver, and both he and Claire got out. Now it was his turn to absorb everything visually, just like Claire had done at the book store. He stood motionless for at least a minute, glancing around the quiet streets. It was a peaceful little town. Even the building before them was charming, not at all like a typical hospice.
"Are you ready?" Claire asked.
Nelson nodded.
They entered the building. That walk down the corridor seemed like an eternity, but finally they got to the last room on the right. Nelson was ready to walk through that door, but Claire reached out to grab his arm, stopping him.
"Thank you for coming, Nelson. You don't understand how adamant she was. How much she wanted this. How much she needed this"
Nelson nodded. "I needed this too"
"I'll leave you to go in alone, have a bit of time to yourselves" Claire said.
"Thanks, Claire"
As Claire walked back down the corridor, Nelson turned back towards the room. He tentatively stepped forward, grasped the door handle, and opened it.
The doorway - as well as the rest of the room - was filled with balloons and streamers. All the kind of things that were supposed to make somebody happy. Nelson navigated through them as best he could, and immediately bashed his shin on a piece of furniture.
He spilled into the room and almost fell forward. "Ah, shit!" he exclaimed, hopping along past the culprit, a low-sitting side table.
"Excuse you" a soft, weak voice said.
Time seemed to stop. Nelson turned towards the voice and saw her. Sara laid in a small bed, hooked up to several IV and breathing tubes. She was pale, and gaunt, and had lost so much weight, but in Nelson's eyes she was still perfect.
"Hi" he said, voice trembling.
"Hi" she replied, smiling up at him. It took her all of her energy, but she managed to raise one of her hands, and motion for him to come to her.
Nelson was by her side in a second. He gently took her hand and prevented it from falling. He kissed her hand, before setting it back down gently upon the bed.
And then he collapsed beside the bed, overcome with emotion. He sobbed, lowering his head to rest upon her stomach. He felt her fingers running through his hair.
"I've missed you, Sara Deever" he whispered to her with raw emotion, fighting against the tears that wanted to flow.
"I've missed you, Nelson Moss" she replied, choking back tears of her own. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for sending you away"
"No!" Nelson insisted. He lifted his head and sat up straight, grasping both her hands in his, and looking up into her eyes. "Don't be sorry, you have nothing to be sorry for. You're perfect, and it was your decision to make. Besides, I'm here now"
His words eased her soul. The grief and the tears vanished, replaced by a weak but appreciative smile. "You are" she replied affectionately.
"And it's November again" he whispered, "It's our month again"
"It's our month" Sara replied, "and this time it's never going to end"
Nelson leaned in close to kiss Sara on the cheek. She turned her head to face him, offering her lips instead. It was a gentle, loving kiss.
"So what's on the cards for tomorrow?" Nelson asked. He was sitting in the chair beside the bed, while one of the hospice nurses gave Sara her medication.
A few hours had passed since his arrival.
"Mom and dad are coming to visit" Sara replied, "They really want to meet you"
Nelson smiled. "I can't wait" he replied, leaning forward and staring into her eyes, savouring the moment.
The moment was interrupted when the nurse handed Sara a big pill. The poor girl almost coughed it up trying to get it down.
"Hey, eat your vegetables" Nelson joked.
Sara almost spat out the water she was trying to wash the pill down with.
The nurse patted her on the shoulder then turned away from the bed. On her way out of the room, she leaned in and whispered to Nelson. "She hasn't been this happy for weeks. Thank you for coming"
Nelson smiled and nodded, but he didn't take his eyes off Sara. In fact, as soon as the nurse was out of the room, he had pulled the chair right up beside the bed so he could take his love's hands in his own.
They talked for the rest of the afternoon. Time seemed to stand still as they reminisced about their November one year ago, and all the fond memories they shared.
"Hello, hello, hello!" a Scottish accent rang out from the corridor. Its speaker emerged through the door a moment later, holding a huge bouquet of bright orange sunflowers.
"Chaz, Brandon! What a surprise!" Sara exclaimed. Her voice sounded almost normal, and she was sitting up, holding hands with Nelson.
"Well look at you darling, gorgeous as always!" Chaz beamed, hurrying across the room to Sara's bedside.
"And look who's turned up!" Brandon added, leaning in to give Nelson a hug as he arrived there too.
Nelson smiled, and helped Chaz find a vase for the flowers.
"She finally let you come over, eh?" Chaz asked Nelson, purposefully speaking loud enough for Sara to hear.
"Finally. Now she won't be able to get rid of me!" Nelson answered.
"Yeah, well, did you pack your pyjamas for a sleep over?" Chaz teased.
"I was hoping I could borrow some of yours" Nelson shot back.
"Oh shush, you two!" Sara called out to them, giggling.
Brandon sat by Sara's side and braided part of her hair. It had grown down to her shoulders.
Chaz and Nelson talked about how they'd both ended up here. "Claire got in touch a week ago. She asked me if I knew where you are. Hope you don't mind"
"Not at all, never!" Nelson replied.
"That reminds me!" Sara interrupted from across the room. The two made their way back to her bedside so she didn't have to shout. She continued, her voice quieter now. "Where did Claire find my Nelson? What has he been doing this past year, Chaz?"
Chaz laughed. "Oh, just seeing a few broads, you know!" Chaz joked. Sara rolled her eyes.
"The book store across the street" Nelson revealed, "The one you like. I'm working there now. As for the apartment, our apartment, I bought it"
"Terrible neighbour!" Chaz added. The entire group laughed.
Later that evening, after Chaz and Brandon had left, it was just Sara and Nelson again.
The nurse returned to give Sara her medicine once more, and Nelson waited patiently in the chair beside the bed.
Once the nurse had left, Sara immediately turned to Nelson, and patted the space beside her on the bed. "Come over here, mister" she said to him.
Nelson obediently followed that order, gently sitting down on the bed beside her. It took some care, but he slowly climbed under the covers with her, making sure not to knock any of the drips or tubes that were connected to her arms.
Tentatively, he laid his head down on the pillow beside her, and wrapped his arms around her from behind, embracing her lovingly.
Sara's eyelids grew heavy. "Time for bed, I'm exhausted" she told him. But she did muster up the energy to turn her head and look over her shoulder at him.
"I love you, Nelson Moss" she whispered.
Nelson smiled down at her. "And I love you, Sara Deever" he replied, following his words up with a gentle kiss to her neck.
They fell asleep in each other's warm embrace.
Nelson stirred from his slumber. He turned his head towards the window. It was still dark out. He raised a hand to rub his eyes, then focused on the clock on the bedside table. It was almost five in the morning, far too early to get up.
His other arm, beneath Sara, had fallen asleep. He carefully pulled it out from under her, while kissing her neck once more.
He readjusted his sleeping position, embraced her once more, then paused. His arm was draped over her shoulders, and his hand gently resting over her chest. Her chest. It was still. She wasn't breathing.
"Sara!?" Nelson exclaimed, immediately sitting up. "Sara!?" he repeated, gently shaking her shoulder. There was no response.
Nelson jumped up from the bed and rushed over to the light switch, turning it on. He then rushed back to Sara's side and grasped one of her hands, trying to rouse a response. Her hand was cold.
He looked down at her. Sara's eyes were still closed, and her lips were formed into a content smile. She was gone, but she was at peace.
She had held on until their reunion, and then slipped away peacefully, painlessly, in the arms of her Sweet November. Her Sweet Forever.
"Oh, Sara ..." Nelson whispered, leaning over to kiss her forehead. He collapsed by the bedside and broke down into tears.
THE END