***Willow Pond***
Jonathan came back upstairs from eating. He had eaten everything in sight, just about.
Max sat up talking with him in the kitchen.
"How are you going to break it to Mrs. H.? She's very fragile. I haven't ever seen her like this, Mr. H.".
"I don't know. I just wanted to get home to her, I didn't think about how to tell her".
"Has she spoken to her father yet?"
Max nodded.
"He called a few days ago. She didn't speak to him but she listened. I put him on speakerphone. I explained to him that she wasn't talking, just staring straight ahead, crying occasionally, and nodding. He said she did the same thing when her mom died".
Jonathan hated to hear that.
He and Max brainstormed some ideas.
"Mr. H., I was trying to take care of the estate as much as I could. I filed your death certificate. First thing in the morning, we can go to the courthouse and fix that".
Jonathan nodded.
He looked at the clock. It was almost midnight.
"Maybe tomorrow, we can call Susan Kendall to come be with Jennifer before we tell her. She will be able to keep her calm".
"She's out of town, Mr. H. She came by a few days ago, but Mrs. H. wouldn't see her. She mentioned that she was going out of town and would check on her when she returned".
"Ok".
"Is there anyone else you could trust to come sit with her?"
Jonathan shook his head.
"I am just going to tell her and whatever happens, happens".
He stood up and took his plate to the sink.
He decided to sleep in the guest room so that she wouldn't freak out and panic if she woke up in the middle of the night.
It was the hardest thing he had ever done.
He wanted nothing more than to hold her all night long, but he was concerned about her mental state. He trusted Max, and Max seemed to think that she was in a bad state.
He went upstairs and peeked in on her.
She wasn't in the bed. She must have gotten up to go to the bathroom.
He waited in the doorway. He heard the toilet flush, so he knew she was coming.
He went over and turned on the light on his nightstand.
He was standing by the bed when she came into the room.
She saw him and stared at him.
"Hi darling, it's me".
She fainted.
He yelled for Max, and then ran to her. He picked her up and placed her on the bed.
She woke up a few minutes later, saw him, and fainted again.
Max sat with her.
Jonathan had an idea.
"I'm going to go into the bathroom. When she wakes up, you explain it to her".
"Ok".
He went into the bathroom and sat on the edge of the tub.
Max was talking to her.
"Mrs. H., come on, Mrs. H."
She slowly opened her eyes and tried to sit up.
"Oh, Max, I had the most horrible nightmare. He was here, but he kept going away".
"Mrs. H., I need to tell you something, and I want you to listen to what I am saying. He didn't die in the plane crash, Mrs. H. He's alive".
"How do you know?"
"Because you weren't dreaming. He's here. You saw him, and then you fainted".
"Are you sure?"
"Positive, Mrs. H. He's here. Do you want to see him?"
She looked terrified, but nodded.
"Mr. H., come on".
Jonathan came out from the bathroom.
"Hi darling".
He knelt by her side of the bed, with a little difficulty.
She didn't say anything. She reached out and touched his face.
He felt real.
She drew her hand back, and looked at Max.
"Mr. H., why don't you explain what happened?"
"Darling, I had a checkup a few weeks ago. They found a mass on my liver and kidneys and one small one in my stomach. I decided to have a navy buddy of mine do the surgery. He is in Buenos Aires, that's why I was going there. After the surgery, I left the hospital and an orderly knocked me out and kidnapped me, and after he had me secured, he took my place on the plane. I have been trying for days to come home".
She stared at him.
"My husband wouldn't have cancer and not tell me".
He sighed. Here we go again.
"Ask me something only I would know".
"Where did we go on our honeymoon?"
"Napa Valley. The Klondike Inn".
"It was the Carlisle".
He snapped his fingers.
"Ask me something else"
"What song did we dance to at our wedding for our first dance?"
"Let Me Call You Sweetheart".
"I'm still not convinced".
"Do you think you would know if you danced with me? Like, could you tell if it wasn't really me under these clothes by dancing?"
She nodded.
He stood up, and held out his hand.
She hesitated and took it.
Max reached over and turned on some music.
Jonathan looked at Jennifer.
"Waltz or Foxtrot?"
Jonathan had this quirky habit. On every 5th step of the foxtrot, he would always step on her toes.
"Foxtrot".
They started to fox trot, and she was counting the steps and looking at him. Sure enough, on the 5th step, he stepped on her toes.
He was telling the truth.
She lunged forward and wrapped her arms around him and started crying.
He wrapped his arms around her, and just held her. He was hurting very badly at his incision, but he didn't give a damn. He had his darling back in his arms.
Max left them alone and turned the music off.
Jonathan just held her and kissed her.
"Darling, you have no idea what these past few days have been like."
"Max filled me in".
She pulled back from him, and lifted his shirt. She saw the bandages.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were sick?"
"Darling, last month was hard enough on you, I didn't want to upset you again".
"Making me think you were dead was worse".
"I didn't do that. My plan was to have the surgery, and then come home".
"Didn't you think I would see the bandages?"
"Yes, I figured you would be so happy I was ok that you wouldn't be mad".
"Well, you're partly right."
They went and sat down on the bed.
"Darling, Max told me you were barely eating, and were exercising the whole time, and not speaking at all, just nodding your head?"
"Well, I started thinking after you left that there had to be a reason why you didn't want me to go with you. And I took a shower and realized that I had gained some pounds. So, I started spending every free minute I had exercising. I figured that maybe you didn't want flabby Jennifer going with you, but you wouldn't leave skinny fit Jennifer behind next time".
"Jennifer, you are gorgeous. You were not flabby, you were breathtaking. I didn't take you because I didn't want to upset you".
"I know that now".
He hugged her again.
"This is such a mess. Max filed my death certificate. I had a hell of a time getting home. I went by the office to shower so you wouldn't see me all stinky, and Stanley Frieson was in my office, running things. He didn't believe me. Then I get here and Max was skeptical. I convinced him, and then came up here and kissed you a few times and took a shower. And then he and I had a late snack, and then I came back up here to kiss you again, and you were awake. But everyone else in my life thinks I'm dead".
She halfway chuckled at him.
"Most of that is my fault. I handled this by not speaking. Stanley came by and I indicated to him that I wanted him to run the company till further notice. He asked me if it was really true and I nodded. Max was trying to help me out, so he filed your death certificate. I'm sorry darling".
"You don't have anything to apologize for. I swear it."
He held her for a little while.
"Darling, why did you stop talking?"
"Without you in my life, I don't have anything to say".
He kissed her forehead.
"Are you sure you're alright? You are so thin".
She got up and went and weighed herself.
"I've lost 5 pounds since you left, darling".
"You didn't have 5 pounds left to lose, Jennifer".
She came back and sat in his lap.
"Darling, can I tell you something?"
"Anything".
"I'm starving".
He laughed.
"Let's go get something to eat".
He took a non-drowsy pain pill and then they headed downstairs.
"Darling, where is Freeway?"
"He's been in your study ever since you left".
When they got downstairs, he headed to the study.
"Freeway! Here boy!"
Freeway came running, and Jonathan sat in his chair and petted him for several minutes.
Jennifer sat down at Jonathan's feet.
"Daddy's home, aren't you excited?"
She started to cry again.
"What's wrong?"
"I didn't think I would get to say that again".
He helped her up and they went to the kitchen.
She made herself some bacon and eggs, and toast. He sat there with her while she ate.
"Darling, what was your exercise routine?"
"Well, I swam 100 laps a day in the pool. I ran 5 miles in the neighborhood, and 5 more on the elliptical or the treadmill. I did 500 sit ups, and 500 lunges and leg lifts. I did three workout videos back to back. I turned on the TV, and did squats till the commercials came on, and pulsing squats till they went off. I did 500 crunches, and then got back on the treadmill some more".
Jonathan was speechless. He hurt just thinking about all that.
"What were you eating?"
"Boiled eggs, and grilled chicken. No red meat, no dairy".
"All because you thought I didn't take you with me because you were too flabby?"
She nodded sheepishly.
He took her hand and pulled her onto his lap.
"I don't ever want you thinking that I don't want you ever again. Nothing could be further from the truth. And if you gained 200 pounds, I would still love you the same. Hell, there would be more of you to love. Nothing is ever going to change the way I feel about you, darling. Nothing at all".
She nodded.
"You used to take me with you, no matter what".
"Darling, would you have rather been with me in Buenos Aires seeing me have surgery like that? Seeing me in pain, and having to take care of me?"
"Yes! Remember, for better or for worse?"
"Ok, fair enough. I just felt like you have been through your fair share of hard stuff recently, and I was trying to spare you from that".
"And I love you for it. But I'm a big girl, you can't shield me from things forever, darling".
He kissed her. "I'm sorry".
"Well, normally I would be mad at you longer, but you are here and you are alive, so all is forgiven. Now, do you want to give me the full report on your surgery?"
"Well, I had that checkup when Hart Industries had their annual physical day, and the technician felt a lump in my back. So, they referred me to a doctor for an ultrasound. That turned up the kidney mass and the liver mass and the small one in my stomach. So, when they said I needed to see a surgeon, I immediately thought of Greg. I contacted him and he told me he would be more than happy to operate on me, but that he was in Buenos Aires. So, I planned the trip. He did several tests on me when I got there, and then he did the surgery. I have two holes where the kidney one was taken out, and 2 holes where the liver one was taken out. They did the stomach one endoscopically. The larger hole for the kidney one has a stitch, and the larger hole for the liver one has a stitch. Other than that, I am fine".
"So what's next?"
"Well, I am going to go with Max tomorrow to where he filed the death certificate and see if they can retract it. I also want you and I to go to Hart Industries and meet with Stanley. And, at some point, we will have to make a statement to the press. And then the best part of the day comes, when I get to take my lovely wife to La Scala for dinner."
She chuckled. "Your lovely wife cannot wait".
"At some point, we have to buy a new plane. But that can wait, I suppose".
"Darling, do you know who was on the plane when it exploded?"
"All I know is he was an orderly pushing me out of the hospital. Greg said he would check into it. But, it really doesn't matter. All that matters is I am home".
"How did you get home?"
"Greg helped me get a passport with his name and my photo. It worked till I got to New York. The gate agent in New York said it had been flagged, and that I couldn't fly without an ID. So, I started calling the house trying to see if Max could Fedex me an ID or something. Or send the other Hart Industries plane to me. But the line was busy every single time. And then I called Stanley, and he refused to believe it was me. So, I finally just spent the night in the airport, and then when new gate agents came on, I used my ID with my name and my credit card and purchased a first class ticket to come home, with about 40 minutes to spare".
"Baby, that sounds dreadful. We had the phone off the hook because the media kept calling."
"I understand".
She kissed him.
"I was brokenhearted, darling. Absolutely brokenhearted. I didn't care if I woke up ever again. Max was sad too. First time I've ever seen him cry. I don't think you realize how important you are to us".
"You two are just as important to me, darling."
She kissed him and got up. She cleaned up the dishes and they headed upstairs.
He climbed into bed next to her, and wrapped his arms around her. She was careful not to snuggle on his stitches.
"Are you sure you're ok, darling? We can take you and have you checked out, if we need to. Max said you were very fragile".
"I promise, I'm fine. You are here and that's all the medicine I needed".
She kissed him.
They made love and then fell asleep.
***The next morning***
Jonathan and Jennifer were up early. After they got dressed, Max made them breakfast. It was the first time Jennifer had eaten his breakfast in days.
She, Max, and Jonathan headed to the local registrar's office, and fixed the deal with Jonathan being dead.
"Will this be a matter of public record?"
"Yes, but not until tomorrow".
"Perfect".
They left there and headed to Hart Industries.
Jonathan and Jennifer walked into the building, and took the elevator to the top floor.
Jonathan's secretary was in a meeting in Stanley's office.
They walked right in.
Stanley seemed irritated when he saw who it was.
"You again?"
"Yes, it's me."
"Stanley, this really is my husband. It's him".
"How…."
"It's a long story. But it really is me".
"I'm sorry, Mr. Hart. It's just the news said you were dead and usually when people die, they don't come back".
"It's ok, Stanley. I am glad that you were running things while I was gone."
"So, what's next?"
"Next, I am going to call a Press conference and announce to the world that I'm alive".
"Great. I will call the media and have them come here. How much time do you need?"
"An hour".
"Great". He hurried and left the office to set it up.
Jonathan's secretary came over and gave him a hug.
"Glad you are back, Mr. Hart".
"Thank you, Kelly".
She left the office.
Jonathan and Jennifer sat down and began to write out his statement.
"Darling, what if you went first, and then introduced me?"
"Sure, whatever you want".
They wrote his statement and then headed to the media room.
Jennifer drew the curtain on the stage, and Jonathan stayed behind it.
Stanley called everyone to the conference room that adjoined to the back of the media room, and explained to them what was happening. Jonathan came out and made a brief statement to them, and after a round of hugs and applause, he went back to the media room.
Max had joined Jennifer in the media room, and it was filling up rather fast.
They were listening to the media people talk, and it was funny to hear them say they were thinking it was going to be about naming Jonathan's successor.
Stanley came out and started the press conference.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, please take your seat. Thank you for coming today. Hart Industries, has a very big announcement to make. So, without further ado, please welcome Mrs. Jennifer Hart".
Jennifer walked up to the lectern.
"Hello. My husband, Jonathan Hart recently flew to Buenos Aires. He was due back 5 days later. On the day he was due to return home, his plane exploded over the Atlantic Ocean. We all here at Hart Industries mourned the loss of this wonderful man. In the wake of the explosion, I asked Stanley Frieson, to step in as acting CEO. He did an absolutely fantastic job. We couldn't thank him more. In the last 24 hours, there were some major developments, which necessitated this press conference. Last night, it was revealed to Max, our houseman and a surrogate father to Max, and I that Jonathan was actually alive. His plane exploded but he did not. Darling, come on out".
He came out to a round of applause and tons of pictures.
"While we cannot thank or praise Stanley enough for holding down the fort, my husband will be returning to Hart Industries as CEO, effective immediately. It gives me the greatest pleasure to say that starting right now, it will be business as usual at Hart Industries. We understand that you all are curious as to how this happened. We are choosing to keep the details private, but we will say that we look forward to speaking with the FAA and finding out what exactly happened, and we are thankful that whomever was on that plane flying here wasn't able to do anything to permanently destroy what my husband has built. While we will be answering questions today, we ask that going forward you respect our privacy as we deal with the events that have taken place and try to reclaim our normalcy."
Jonathan stepped forward.
"I will answer questions for the next few minutes. But first, how about a round of applause for my lovely wife?"
Everyone clapped their hands.
Jonathan chose the first person to ask her question.
"Mr. Hart-did you suffer any long term injuries from what you experienced?"
"No, I didn't. Next question".
"Mr. Hart, do you know what caused your plane to explode?"
"No, not yet. I haven't spoken with the FAA, but I will do so, hopefully today. Next question".
"Mr. Hart, how did the news coverage of the plane crash affect you getting home?"
"Greatly. The airlines were reluctant to let me fly because I was deceased. So, I had to be creative. Took me about a day longer than it should have. Next question".
"This question is for Mrs. Hart. Mrs. Hart, when you found out that your husband had passed away, did you ever consider coming to run the company yourself?"
"I wasn't in a position to consider anything. Stanley came to see me and asked if he could help me by running the company and I said yes. And I didn't give it another thought".
"Next question".
"Mr. Hart, your family released a statement that your funeral was going to be family only. Was that because they knew all along that you were alive?"
Jennifer stepped up again.
"I promise you, I didn't know that he was alive till last night. We said family only so that I could figure out what type of service I wanted to have for him, that's all."
"My family didn't know because I had a hard time getting in touch with them, and instead of waiting by a phone, I just focused on coming home instead of calling home".
"What's next for you and Mrs. Hart?"
Jennifer smiled and looked at him.
"Dinner at her favorite restaurant, and as soon as I buy a new plane, a vacation somewhere just the two of us."
He turned to her. "How does that sound, Mrs. H.?"
"Perfect. Absolutely perfect, Mr. H."