New York Airport.
Christmas 2004.
"What does it mean that the airport is closed?" Brenda had just landed in New York from London. Hers had been the last flight to land. The snowstorm over New York and the East Coast had caused the city's airports to close for safety. No plane would take off or land.
"I'm sorry miss, the airport is closed due to weather conditions."
"But I have to go to Washington by tonight"
'I don't know what else to tell you' the guy at the information point was evidently sorry but also rotten fed up with the passengers' complaints. It would have been enough for them to look out of the large windows to realize the situation and instead thousands of passengers in transit were in total panic. Stuck at the airport.
"May I advise you to look for a hotel for the night Miss Walsh"
That pronounced name made two eyes move to her. He recognized her right away. That petit and well-formed physique. The long black, straight hair. It was her.
Dylan was sitting in one of the waiting armchairs. He had just landed too. He also headed to Washington. To tell the truth, he had thought about giving up several times. To change plans but something inside him had pushed him to call Brandon, he already knew about the marriage, Steve had warned him as soon as he set foot in Los Angeles. He had asked him not to tell anyone that he had came back to LA in those days. He knew Steve would be at his word. The truth was that he wanted to see her again. Brenda. Kelly and Brandon's wedding had seemed like a great excuse to him. In the last few months something had been triggered in him, perhaps nostalgia, perhaps the desire to go home, perhaps love.
He had even thought about going back to London but knew that Brenda would never allow him to return to his life. Not after what had happened and how it had happened.
He watched Brenda pick up her luggage by snorting loudly.
The airport was filling up with people camping for the night. The hotels around were full and there was no chance to find a taxi to get to New York. They could have waited an hour, maybe two, maybe the whole night. Outside the ice storm was lashing anyone who dared to venture.
He followed Brenda with his gaze and feared losing sight of her so he took his overcoat and bag and hurried the step behind her.
She was always beautiful.
He quickly thought about how to stop her, what to tell her, it wasn't easy.
Brenda tried to queue at a coffee shop. She had been flying for eight hours and was starving.
Dylan quickly lined up behind her.
Despite the roar of people present, she was the only he could see. She always had that power over him. Brenda made the people around disappear.
"You are always wonderful," he whispered behind her.
Brenda thought she had gone crazy. In addition to hunger and canceled flight she now clearly heard Dylan's voice, a voice she would recognize in the midst of a million voices.
Dylan smiled, Brenda didn't turn around but he knew exactly what she was thinking "I'm hearing Dylan's voice" and that made him laugh.
He decided not to say anything and stay in line behind her.
He saw Brenda take her cell phone, checked the messages then a couple of emails.
It was finally her turn.
"A sandwich with salad and tuna"
I knew it, Dylan thought, she loves that kind of sandwich.
"And a bottle of water," Brenda ordered.
SHe hurriedly took her order and then turned around even faster by banging on Dylna's chest.
"Sorry," Brenda said without looking up.
"Don't worry," he replied.
She would recognize that voice really everywhere.
Brenda looked up and her eyes met his. The same look as ever, it looked like Dylan could eat her with those eyes, make a hole in her heart and slide her in.
"Dylan" she barely said.
"Hi Brenda"
"I..I" Brenda stammered.
It was her, beautiful, sweaty, tired, with her hair a little undone, in one hand a sandwich and a bottle of water, in the other she dragged her trolley. The words had damped, broken.
"I have to go," she said, looking down and walking away quickly.
Dylan was shocked by the speed with which she tried to sow him at the airport. "And where should you go," Dylan said, "maybe you didn't notice it but there's a snowstorm outside," he shouted at her as he followed her.
"I don't care I want to go as far away from you as possible," Brenda replied, marching furiously. Damn heels. Her feet hurt.
"This airport is not as big as you think anyway I keep following you until you decide to talk to me."
Brenda closed her eyes and tried to increase her pace but her feet hurt and she was tired from the trip from London.
She began to slow down. Stupid stubborn, he thought.
After that she turned around and he was still there. Always beautiful, always with that face that she would have gladly slapped.
"Why?" She asked furiously.
"Because we have to go to the same city and to the same wedding," Dylan replied, "we could find a solution together!"
"I don't do anything with you," Brenda replied.
Dylan smiled. That dimpled smile that drove Brenda crazy.
"I'm serious, Dylan, I don't do anything with you"
" come on Brenda... we are locked up at an airport for the next few hours, and at the wedding you should have talked to me"
"Not necessarily," she replied, "but luckily for you, my feet hurt and I'm tired, so I think I'll sit right here."
"Can I sit next to you?" He asked.
"No," Brenda replied, "I want to eat this damn sandwich in peace and alone.
"Which sandwich?!" Dylan asked amused.
"This" Brenda pulled up her arm. She only had the bottle of water in her hand, the sandwich must have dropped on her as she tried to escape Dylan.
"Great" she sighed with sarcasm then looked Dylan in the eye "however I sit here and without you"
"As you wish," Dylan replied a little hurt, a little amused by her stubbornness, by those eyes that shone with fire.
Brenda sit on a kind of step she had found. She placed her trolley next to her and took a sip of water. God, she was starving.
Dylan found a place right in front of her at a distance of three or four meters. He watched her as she tried to look away from him.
He opened his bag and pulled out two sandwiches she had bought before departure.
"I can't believe it," Brenda whispered ironically.
"If you want I'll be happy to share it with you," he shouted from his seat.
"No thanks," Brenda replied resolutely.
"As you wish," he chuckled, shaking his head and taking a bite of his sandwich.
Brenda snorted. She was hungry and apparently couldn't really avoid Dylan. She looked at him
"Agree, I'm too hungry to start arguing with you and my feet hurt to be able to get to the cafeteria again so Dylan..."
"Ask me please," he said knowing he would make her angry.
Brenda took a deep breath out of her nostrils. He knew very well how and when to hit her.
"Please," she said.
He smiled, stood up and took the seat next to her. Brenda moved to give him space.
He gave her the sandwich.
"Tuna and salad" he said.
Brenda looked at him.
"because I know it's your favourite "
They didn't say anything.
They ate together.
Washington.
"Brenda is stuck in New York it looks like they closed the airports" said Brandon entering the kitchen "even my parents couldn't board, they are stopped at Miami airport. They don't let any flights take off to Washington or New York.
Kelly didn't answer, she was nervous Brandon knew. Behind her the large window overlooking the street showed an intense blanket of snow coming down. Kelly had begun to bake cookies. They had taken a cooking class together, something they both wanted to learn and decided to do together. Often Brandon hosted business dinners in their apartment and Kelly felt uncomfortable having to call the catering all the time, that was stuff for Los Angeles. In Washington no, she wanted to be the hostess, cook for the guests, take care of the details. She had learned something during her interviews with restaurants for wedding planning. Especially on the quality of the food, on seasonal vegetables, on important recipes and had expressed the desire to learn.
The cooking class was the first thing they did together and even now Kelly remembered it as a magnificent experience.
Brandon saw her feverish movements as she kneaded the shortcrust pastry.
"Kelly..."
She looked at him, she had tears in her eyes.
"They won't have time to arrive, I said to come earlier, I was afraid of the bad weather at Christmas"
"You couldn't have known, Kelly"
"The forecast had not spoken of such a storm, the winter garden will be totally ruined, this frost will have made the flowers dry out" Kelly's voice was breaking in despair.
In fact, choosing the Christmas season had been a real gamble but Kelly had always loved Christmas and then Christmas had brought Brandon back to her. She could never have chosen a different month, even if it was warmer.
Brandon tried to grab her hands "don't cry, I talked to the weather news office and they assured me that the storm is passing, the flights will start again and they will all be here on time."
Brandon wiped Kelly's tear with a finger and forced her to look him in the eye "I know you're worried but you'll see that it will all work out."
Brandon's blue eyes was a sea of serenity where Kelly had always felt protected but this was their marriage, she had planned everything for months and everything seemed to be going backwards. None of the guests could get there. Her mother Jackie had failed to leave. In Los Angeles the sun was shining but no plane would leave for Washington. Not in the next few hours at least.
Kelly tried to calm down.
Brandon kissed her lips and then her forehead "everything will be fine, you'll see"
She nodded.
"I have work to finish," Brandon said.
"But you're on vacation..." Kelly sighed.
Brandon took her in his arms "I know, but I have to review a couple of articles, an hour at most, then I'll prepare a hot bath for the two of us and we'll relax together. We will light a couple of candles, I will also put the Bath Salts you love,. What do you think? You and me"
She nodded as he gave her some anticipation by kissing her neck.
"I think it's a good idea"
"Good. Can I do something for you?"
"I made a mountain of cookies," she said, laughing in tears, "do you want one?"
Brandon laughed with her and looked at the tray full of cookies of every shape "certainly" he said grabbing a couple.
New York Airport.
Dylan went back to sit next to Brenda.
"No news," he said, "it seems that even in Washington it snows heavily and they can't clean the slopes," he said, settling down next to her.
"My parents can't leave either"
"Jim and Cindy.." he said with a cheerful memory, he hadn't seen them for at least six years "where are they?"
Brenda shrugged her shoulders "my father is retired, the winter they go to Miami. They bought a house there. In the summer he likes to spend time in Minneapolis"
"Ah," Dylan said, "the old dear Minneapolis, I thought that after Hong Kong they would settle in Beverly Hills."
"And why they should," Brenda replied, "neither me nor Brandon stayed and they grew up in Minneapolis, they sold the Beverly Hills house to Rush Sanders."
"Yes, I know that Steve lives there with his family," Dylan replied.
"Oh I know you know," Brenda replied, clearly referring to Dylan's return to Los Angeles and his quick departure from London.
"Brenda..."
"No.." she said "I don't even want to talk about it."
"Sooner or later we should talk about it"
"Sooner.. or later...what? What are you talking about? We don't have to talk about anything at all, you've had a lot of time to talk to me and you've never even now it's late."
Dylan looked down, Brenda had no idea how many times he had picked up the phone in his hand, dialed her number, heard her voice answer and never found the courage, he had done it when Gina was in his bed, he had done it when Kelly was in his bed again, he had done it when there was a stranger in his bed. Tell her about it that way and at that moment it wouldn't have been romantic but there was never a day when he hadn't thought of her. Never. Not even one.
Washington
After making love Brandon and Kelly leaned together in the hot tub
"Taking in the hot tub was such a great idea," Kelly said.
"Do you feel better?" Brandon asked her as she leaned her back against him.
Kelly nodded with a "much better" smile.
"I have talked again with Joney about the weather forecast, the storm is about to end, they will clean the roads, the planes will take off and everything will return to normal."
"I hope so. Trisha couldn't get to the winter garden, I don't even know what conditions it's in right now."
"Kelly.. we could really get married anywhere ..even in this bathtub right now you don't have to worry, we don't need anything else..."
Kelly frowed her forehead and got up detaching herself from Brandon "it took me almost six months to organize this wedding..."
Brandon perceived that perhaps Kelly had taken what he had said the wrong way.
"That's not what I meant Kelly, I meant you don't have to worry if everything won't be perfect, that the two of us are enough"
"You're kidding?" She asked.
"Okay" Brandon raised his hands as a sign of surrender "maybe this conversation is degenerating the wrong way"
"I think so too," Kelly said as she got up from the bathtub and put on her bathrobe.
Brandon sighed, resting his head on the edge of the tub and looking at the ceiling.
New York airport
Brenda had fallen asleep on Dylan's shoulder, the Jet leg was beginning to produce its effects. Dylan knew she wouldn't want to fall asleep so close to him, but he loved having her in his arms again. He covered her with his jacket.
"You are a beautiful couple," an elderly lady sitting next to them told to Dylan.
Dylan smiled, he could have explained to her that they were not a couple, that they had once been but then he had behaved like a complete asshole, that he had hurt her, several times, but that he loved her anyway and it was something he couldn't explain even to himself. He loved her, he had always loved her, but Dylan was a broken person who had made a lot of mistakes.
"You made her angry?" Asked the woman.
"What?"
"I saw that you were fighting...did you make her angry?" The woman asked again.
"I made her angry many times and I was wrong many times," Dylan said.
'It happens in marriages,' said an elderly man who had just returned with coffee in his hand for his wife.
"We are Mindy and Carl Rose" the man showed up shaking hands with Dylan who returned the greeting.
"Anyway, you can see that she loves you," Ms. Mindy said.
Dylan arched his eyebrow "really? I would say she hates me."
Mindy shook her head "no she's angry but you can see that she loves you from the way she looks at you, especially when you're not looking at her."
"Are you stuck here too? Where are you going?" Asked Carl.
"In Washington," Dylan replied, "her brother is getting married and we were supposed to attend the wedding, now we just hope to make it in time."
Mindy expected him to ask where they were headed but Dylan didn't ask questions.
"We are headed to Lancaster, our flight to Philadelphia was diverted here and we stayed here. We had to spend the Christmas holidays with our son"
"He's an engineer," Mindy said.
"A good guy. However, our two grandchildren were also waiting for us, we wanted to rent a car but Carl doesn't see very well anymore and so we can't drive, we can only hope that this damn snow will stop coming down and that we can leave again".
A car. Dylan hadn't thought of this opportunity, he could rent a car and get to Washington in less than five hours.
Brenda moved and noticed that she had fallen asleep on Dylan's shoulder.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"It was a pleasure for me," he smiled.
Brenda wanted to smile at him but something was holding her back.
Dylan sighed "these are mr and Mrs. Mindy and Carl Rose, they are headed to Lancaster"
Brenda shooken hands with the two elders, she had not well understood the passage by which Dylan was talking to a couple of elderly gentlemen.
"We're headed to Lancaster," Mindy said smiling. Brenda smiled back.
"You in Washington your boyfriend told me, your brother is getting married, what a beautiful thing"
Brenda smiled "Dylan told you that too? Did he tell you he's my boyfriend?"
Dylan cleared his voice and Brenda did not contradict that information that was no longer true.
"And your brother's wife, do you like her? Do you get along with her?"
"Yes, we get along," Brenda said.
"Really?" Dylan asked, turning to her.
"I might surprise you if I told you a few things .." Brenda whispered.
"Okay..." Dylan said "I have to go and see if I can rent a car"
"What?"
"They gave me the idea, we could get to Washington by car ..it's just over four hours"
"Dylan we don't even know what conditions the roads are in"
"We will always arrive earlier rather than waiting for the accumulated air traffic to be disposed of and to be able to take the next flight. Brenda look around."
"I don't come by car with you to Washington"
"You're really stubborn" Dylan sighed "Do what you want, in the meantime I'm going to see if there's a car available" Mindy and Carl looked at each other with understanding as Dylan walked away.
"Your boyfriend really loves you a lot," Mindy told Brenda.
"Really? And how did you figure it out?"
"You can see from how he looks at you every time you don't look," Mindy said.
Brenda nodded without conviction.
Mindy got closer "if you happen to find the car, would you be kind enough to give us a ride to Lancaster? It is on the way..." Brenda smiled better and better than taking the whole trip with Dylan alone.
"Certainly," she replied.
Washington
Kelly had taken refuge in the room next to the main one, the colorless room that was supposed to be intended for a son she wasn't sure she could give to Brandon, who didn't know if would ever come.
Her wedding dress was hanging in that room and Brandon had an absolute ban on entering it, she knew he would comply with that ban even though he was not superstitious he was a person who loved to respect traditions.
Getting married in the winter, at Christmas, maybe she had really had the stupidest of ideas. It was better to have a safe month of May, at the beach in Los Angeles. For sure she would have managed to have all the people she loved around her and would not be forced to spend Christmas stuck at some airport in the USA. Yet Christmas had meant so much to the two of them, it was at Christmas that Kelly had seen Brandon come back. A few days after the phone call with Brenda, she was still at her house on the beach. She felt emptied, Jackie and Erin had gone to Cleveland with Mel, Donna and David were spending Christmas at Felice's, Steve and Janet had invited her but she had invented a commitment she didn't actually have. She wanted to be left alone a prisoner of memories of past Christmas. She didn't actually want to go to Casa Walsh at Christmas, because it would definitely make her sad, seeing that house with other people inside, the different decorations, the absence of Brandon, Brenda and even Dylan would make her feel the weight of the failure of her choices. She didn't want to stay in that house, everything reminded her of Brandon and how she had to let him go.
That day she had even taken the decorations, and she also had the cocaine still in the house, she hadn't taken it but she hadn't even thrown it away. Kelly looked in the mirror and was shocked to see how much she began to look like her mother, she had the same despair, the deep one she digs inside.
Sitting on the couch she looked at a Christmas tree, of the synthetic ones, completely bare, she needed help, she understood this, but she didn't have the courage and strength to ask anyone for help.
Someone rang at the door of her house. Kelly didn't answer, she didn't want to see anyone. They rang again and then again. Kelly was furious, she went to open the door and found herself in front of him: Brandon.
Her heart stopped. This was a memory that for Kelly was still vivid. She remembered her heart perfectly when Brandon was standing there in front of her.
After years. After a long separation.
Kelly didn't say anything and dropped into his arms and cried.
2004
Kelly sighed and looked at her dress. She had chosen it last August, right after they bought that house in Georgetown. She had fallen in love with him immediately and knew that Brandon would love him too. It was perfect. When you wear the perfect dress you recognize it, you know it.
Kelly heard a knock on the door.
"Brandon you can't enter this room"
"Yes, I know, if I close my eyes?"
"Mmmhh," Kelly replied, smiling, "better I come
out"
Kelly opened the door and found Brandon with his eyes closed, she closed the door behind him "ok you can open them"
"You're still angry, because that wasn't what I meant..."
"Sshh" Kelly put a finger on Brandon's lips "I'm sorry too," she said, resting her head against his chest.
Brandon felt the love for her and squeezed her hard to, between them, it took little to solve things
"I have good news.." Brandon whispered "Brenda calles.. she and Dylan managed to rent a car and they will arrive by tonight."
"Really? Wait .. Brenda and Dylan? I mean, is Brenda with Dylan right now?"
Brandon nodded smiling "they met at the information point.."
"And they talk to each other?"
"Apparently...! They said they have to stop in Lancaster"
"Why?"
"I don't Know"
Brandon shrugged his shoulders hadn't asked for more.
"I have to call your sister..." Kelly said laughing.
next chapter as soon as possible