The Unicorn

Jen blushed, realizing I was talking about her. Then she grinned. "What shall we do today? What do you usually do on Sundays?"

"I usually go to church or go fishing."

"You go to church?"

"That surprises you?"

"Not really, although I've never heard you talk about religion."

"I usually don't, and I don't try to recruit others to my way of thinking."

"Is it too late to go?"

I checked the time. "It's too late for Sunday school, but we have time to get there for the sermon, if you dress quickly enough."

She giggled as she moved. "I was a fashion model! There are professional quick change artists out there slower than me. Ten minutes and you better be ready."

I shaved and checked my closet, choosing an old suit, not wanting to wear one of Steve's and bring up memories. True to her word, she was ready before I was.

She was dressed simply, a knee length dress with a high neckline, but the woman could make a tow-sack look good. Heads turned and conversation slowed. I was greeted by my friends and introduced Jen, and then the sermon started. I liked the preacher we had now quite a bit. He was a much calmer person than the one that preceded him. That guy was all hell-fire and damnation. It wasn't long before we thought him unstable. He found out we were talking to the governing board about maybe transferring him and had a meltdown in the pulpit. The next sermon was almost impossible to understand, ending when he pulled a pistol out and started ranting about how we'd never replace him. It was a very tense twenty minutes before the cops got there. In force. An usher had slipped out and called them the minute the gun appeared. Negotiators were called, a SWAT team showed up, then the news media.

Two deputies were quietly crawling among the pews, getting the children out while the negotiator kept his attention. Another usher unlocked the back door and the police got close enough to taser him, waiting until he waved the gun in the air. A good thing, because when the juice hit him, he fired twice in reflex. Come to find it out, he was having a mental breakdown triggered by the death of his wife and a dependency on prescription drugs. The church managed to get the charges reduced and get him into rehab. He sent a nice long letter of apology later from his new posting in Africa, a place he volunteered to go to in atonement for his sins. You could look up if you're in the right pew and see the outlines of the patching over the bullet holes.

The sermon was about marriage, commitment and the pressures of modern living, and how to deal with it and stay firm in your commitment. "Commitment to marriage should be second only to your commitment to God. Strong, loving relationships are the cornerstone of modern society, the place of strength after your faith in God. And just like God, you should always, always be there for your partner."

I saw a lot of nodding and a lot of uncomfortable people. Jen seemed to be hanging on every word. Most people were surprised that as we filed out he gathered Jen up into a big hug. Turning her loose, he grinned.

"You don't remember me do you? I'm Mike Flanagan's father. I don't have words to express how much your help has meant to our family. I speak of you often, telling people you are proof that angels walk on this earth."

Jen was flaming red but smiled. "It was just a little thing I could do to help. How is your son doing?"

"He's fine, in total remission. The surgeons seem satisfied they got it all. He's to the point he's back with the fire department, although they won't let him do anything strenuous yet."

So this was the angel he spoke about so often. He told us about it, how his son was dying and even as he prayed he was giving up hope when an angel appeared before him, telling him his son would be all right. Faster than he could understand his son was on a medical jet to a major cancer center, and in surgery in less than ten hours. There was never any discussion of cost and he never saw a medical bill. He called it a modern day miracle.

He thanked me for bringing her to church so he could finally express the gratitude he felt, asking if she lived nearby. Jen stepped in before I could answer. "I'm living with Jaime right now, Reverend. Unfortunately, it isn't in sin, but I'm working on it."

The preacher got a little red but grinned. "Well, before it gets that far, think about my sermon today. I've never officiated at the wedding of an angel."

Jen promised to give it serious consideration and she'd get back to him. I grinned at her as we drove home. "What?"

"I've never slept with an angel before. I thought the glow last night was from my neighbor's street lamp. I have to say it was very nice."

Jen colored slightly before grinning back. "Oh, I can be a real little devil when I backslide. That only happens when I'm in love. But when it happens, it burns hotter than any nuclear bomb ever detonated. What shall we have for lunch?"

We stopped at the Country Club. I knew the chef and they usually put on a pretty good buffet. Once again a place went quiet when we entered. I figure sooner or later I'll get used to it. The food was excellent and she surprised me with how full her plate was. Michel came out and walked among the patrons, stopping at our table. Soon they were in a rapid fire discussion I couldn't have kept up with if it was in English, much less the French they were speaking. He kissed her on both cheeks, told me he thought I was the luckiest man alive, and continued circulating.

"What was that all about?"

"Food, honey, we were speaking food. He really is quite good." I wondered about the honey comment but let it go.

We went home, odd, me saying that, at least mentally, and she insisted I finish my rocking chair project. "I'm not here to disrupt your life. I have a few things to do and maybe I'll join you. Maybe I can help, if you'll let me."

She grabbed her laptop out of her vehicle and disappeared into the spare bedroom.

*****

I was almost finished dry fitting everything when she came into the shop two hours later. She sat on a stool and watched for a few minutes before coming over and giving me a hand. I was grateful for the help; sometimes you needed three hands on these projects. When everything was in place, we stood back, her admiring it while I looked for flaws.

The seat was a bit uneven on one corner, so before I glued everything up I'd have to fix that. One of the back spindles looked a little off and I might have to adjust the length so it would seat better, but other than that it looked good. Jen helped as I gently took it apart, laying the pieces out on a long table. I took the seat over to the sander and adjusted it, then I measured the hole, took a little off the bottom of the spindle in question, and it was ready to glue up.

I was going to stain the parts first. That way I could get a good even coat, and it would make the whole thing more durable. Not quite sure how dark to make it, I asked her opinion.

"What does the rest of the furniture in her house look like?"

Excellent question. Sarah had mostly upholstered pieces, but the few pieces of wood I remembered had a medium tint. I got out three different stains and a scrap piece of wood, rubbing a bit of each on the board.

Jen pointed to the lightest one without hesitation. "This one. It'll make the grain of the wood really stand out."

She wanted to help, but I discouraged it. "Most beginners put too much on at one time and it darkens it more than we want. Take the scrap piece and practice if you like, or watch me."

Jen watched for a while, then grabbed a pair of rubber gloves and played with the scrap while I finished. There wasn't a bare spot left when she was done, but I had to admit she caught on quicker than most beginners. She glowed under my praise.

Four hours later, right before bedtime, I glued everything up and clamped the chair. In 24-hours I would check the glue, and if I felt it was set I'd take the clamps off. If not, I'd leave it at least another day.

We went to bed separately and I was so tired I didn't realize she had slipped in until I woke the next morning. She felt so good I just held her until I had to get up to make it to work on time.

*****

I grinned all day at work. Even the most aggravating subcontractor I had didn't bother me, which I think bothered him. My good mood lasted until I got home to find a really pissed off female waiting for me.

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I thought you might like to sleep in."

"You need to let me do the thinking around here."

One look at my face and she knew she had made a mistake. "I'm sorry, honey. That came out all wrong. What I meant to say is that I wanted to get up with you, maybe even cook you some breakfast. Is that so bad?"

"I appreciate the thought. I live by myself, remember? I'm used to taking care of myself."

Her frown deepened. "I understand. It's just that I like to pull my own weight. I don't want to be a burden."

I eyed her, remembering the first few times I'd been around her. She could barely find her way to the kitchen and couldn't cook for diddly. Her maid did most of the meals for them. Something was starting to smell.

Jen changed the subject. "Look! I made dinner."

Well by golly she had, and it smelled great. She beamed when I told her. "It's not quite done. Another hour should do it."

I took advantage of the time to go over the rocking chair one more time. Deciding it was as done as it was ever going to get. I called Sarah. "Come by tomorrow and pick up your chair." She was so happy she was still gushing when I hung up.

Dinner was excellent, probably the best meal I'd ever had. I noticed bouquets of flowers in random places and she smiled. "I picked them out of your garden. I hope you don't mind."

"Pick all you want. I used them to bait pollinators in for the vegetables, but decided I liked them so much I seem to plant more every year. It's a shame, really. Lots just go to waste. I'm sure there are people out there who would enjoy a bunch from time to time."

The next day she went to a craft store and bought a bunch of vases and some ribbon. She'd called Jan first, outlined her idea and Jan immediately endorsed it. She was in the garden when I got home Friday with five gallon buckets and garden shears. Every bucket was filled with flowers. She waved me over.

"I hope you were sincere when you said you wished others could enjoy the beauty of your flowers. I called in a pizza because we're going to be too busy to cook. Now, if you'll finish the buckets, I'll start arranging."

There were 25 vases, and she must have had some experience, because she crafted the flowers beautifully. There were African daisies, different colors of zinnias and cosmos, and in the center, towering over them all, a sunflower. I tried to help but gave up pretty quickly, limiting my contribution to filling the vases with water and packing them carefully into the boxes she had bought when she was finished arranging them. Two hours later we were finished, and had flowers sitting all over the house. The smell was almost overpowering, especially if you mixed it with the pizza.

Dinner done, showers over, we sat on the couch, she with a glass of wine, me with a ginger ale. "I think I've been pretty good at holding it in, but what in the world are you going to do with all these flowers?"

"I'm not going to do anything with them. WE are going to the hospital tomorrow and give them out, starting in the children's ward. Please say you'll help me."

Not how I envisioned spending my Sunday but the look she gave me made me feel like I'd be kicking a puppy if I said no. "All right."

She just glowed. There was no other way to describe it. She slid into my arms and snuggled for a while. I dozed off and she woke me saying it was time for bed. I stumbled into my bedroom, not realizing she was right behind me. She slipped off her robe and twirled, making the translucent gown she had on rise. I got a microsecond view of two very nice cheeks before it settled down.

"Bed. We're going to need our sleep."

It took me a little while to calm down enough to go to sleep. She snuggled, feeling the iron bar between us, before giving me a nice kiss. She was out in seconds. It took me an hour to get to sleep.

We went to church again the next morning, and I saw Jen in a pretty serious discussion with the preacher. I was wondering what it was about when he handed her a paper.

After lunch at the Country Club, where I had to listen to a twenty minute conversation in French, we were home.

Jen teared up a little when I pulled Steve's truck out of the shed I kept it in, but was smiling by the time we got the flowers loaded. There were twenty-five vases and I figured we'd just dump them at the nurse's station and leave. Wrong, wrong, wrong. There were also a bunch of stuffed toys and I wondered what that was about.

Three nurses and Jan met us at the door, rushing out to help carry the flowers and animals in, giggling and talking a mile a minute. Jen pulled out the list the preacher had given her and started prioritizing.

After the first stop, I was ready to go home. She was five years old, and she was dying. The nurse told us she liked horses, and Jen had a unicorn among the stuffed animals, so she got that out for her.

There was no one in the room when we got there. Apparently, the parents were divorced because of the pressure of the situation and wouldn't be in the same room at the same time, so she went long periods without any company at all. I was beyond furious when I heard that. If she was my child, you couldn't have blown me out of her room with five pounds of C4.

Despite the bald head and the frail frame, the child was all smiles that she got visitors, along with a unicorn. And flowers! Jen told her that I'd raised them and she asked if she could come see them when she got out. We both promised she would be more than welcome. I got up abruptly and walked back to the station, taking a bouquet apart and weaving a garland for her head, something my mother had taught me when I wasn't much more than the child's age.

Jen looked up sharply when I walked back in, but smiled through tears at the reaction of the child when I snugged the garland around her head. We had to take pictures of her with both of us, and a nurse who came in to check her vitals told her she would print a couple out for her to enjoy. I still have one of me holding her carefully while she snuggled to both of us. I took it out once in a while after she passed, and remembered we were able to give her at least one good day.

We were planning to spend about fifteen minutes with her before moving on, but we stayed an hour, until her medication put her to sleep. Jen took ten minutes, redoing the makeup that had run from her tears. I just wiped my eyes and told the nurses I had allergies. We gave out nine more bouquets to children, then switched to senior citizens. The child ripped my heart out, but the sight of those old people, many of them alone in this world, weeping with gratitude to be seen as a person, broke it into little pieces. One ninety-four year old woman cried like a baby while she snuggled the stuffed sheep she had picked, then hugged us as hard as her frail body would allow.

I thought we were done until Jan brought us to the nursery. The sight of all those babies finally caused Jen to melt, coming in to my arms and weeping great tears, no doubt thinking of Steve and their missed opportunities. When she finally recovered, Janice asked if she'd like to come and volunteer, rocking babies who had no one. She said it did the children good to be held and it helped with their development.

"Why don't the parents rock them?"

"Some of these children get left here by their mothers, unable to care for them. Others may have a single mother with dependence issues. Some are born and have to go through drug withdrawal immediately. Those are the ones that really need to be held."

Jen said she would be there Monday morning.

*****

It was a quiet ride home. Jen got into sweats, dragged a pillow and blanket to the sectional and demanded I snuggle with her. Emotionally wrung out, we both went to sleep, waking up just in time for a light supper and back to bed. I didn't even comment when she shrugged out of her sweats and climbed into bed in just her panties. We went right back to sleep.

She made sure she was up early enough to make me breakfast, a breakfast she made while wearing just a t-shirt and panties. It was a great view and brightened my day considerably. I thought about it as I ate my bagged lunch. I knew she was sending me a message, but I was on the fence. A love affair with her would be stuff dreams are made of but I had to be realistic.

She was worth millions, a lot of millions. I made 62 grand on a good year and lived in a manufactured house. It was a nice house and I'd upgraded it quite a bit, but it would never be the mansions she was used to. I was pretty sure if we lived together as a couple, cracks would start to appear, and I couldn't get over her history of just disappearing if things got stressed. I would never be able to handle that. I decided the best thing we could do was air everything out, my expectations and fears, as well as hers.

That plan did not get a chance to work because when I got home it was to a very pissed off Jen. "Your GIRLFRIEND came by today. I don't know who was more surprised, her or me. She apparently got in from her business trip a little early and came by to surprise you. Well, SURPRISE!"

I took a deep breath. "Jen, why are you so upset? Did you think I lived like a monk, pining for something I could never have? I live in the real world, honey. I can't just disappear if things don't suit me and just pop up months later like I was never gone, let alone expect people to accept it."

Shocked did not even describe the look on her face. "I told you I was mourning and trying to get my life back on track. Yes, it was rude and thoughtless to disappear on you and my friends, but I have a habit of not thinking things through. If I had, I would have never married Steve or met you."

That shocked me. I thought they were deeply in love. She saw the look on my face.

"That didn't come out right. I did love Steve. A lot. But I figured out pretty quick that Steve was a pretty selfish guy. Yes, he loved me, but he loved the thought of his beautiful ex-model wife on his arm at business functions just as much. I was his validation that he had made it in some way. I made it very clear I wanted a family but after being put off for two years I realized I was going to have to force the issue. I found out something interesting while I was going through his papers after he died. He'd had a vasectomy a year after we married. I suspect he was going to get tested, show me he was shooting blanks, and maybe I would forget the whole thing. It wouldn't have worked, because I remembered how paranoid he was about precautions while we dated. After I read that, I realized that we'd have eventually drifted apart."

I had to think about that for a bit. I knew Steve was selfish, but I didn't think he was that selfish. "I'm sorry, Jen. For you and the fact that a man who was my friend would do something like that."

She sighed. "What are you going to do about your girlfriend?"

"I'm going to call her. Then I'll probably go see her. She's been gone on a training course for three months. It was in England. She's a lot like you in many ways. Oh, she's pretty but she'll never be as beautiful as you. She's a successful woman making it in a male dominated profession. She's the very first female the company thought enough of to send to that course. She'll probably make VP in three or four years if she stays on track."