Chapter 10

Both Steve and Maria had their phones turned off for the week, and when they got back, their phones chimed all the way back to Vero Beach with messages and emails and for Steve, photos from the wedding. They got home at the time they promised, even though it required a speed run up I95 from where they got off the boat at West Palm Beach, which they both hate. They pulled into the driveway exactly at 11:00 AM and Maria’s nurse Darlene pulled in next to them and helped haul luggage and souvenirs into the house... their house. Steve and Maria were exhausted, but so much in love. “How did the wedding pictures come out?” she asked.

“Don’t know, we just got them,” said Steve, as he sat down on the couch next to Maria. Then he noticed she was pale and sweating. He pressed a palm to her forehead, as one would do to a sick child. Her skin was cold and clammy. “Oh darling, is it happening?”

“Oh shit,” she groaned. “Well, at least we had a week together without MS interrupting us.” She smiled through the onset of mind warping and body paralyzing exhaustion. She even got to go fishing and caught a sailfish. It was undersized, but it was a sailfish and the fight was exhilarating. Years of walking with crutches made her arms strong enough to easily win the fight with that fish. “Is it ok if we don’t go on that campout?”

“It’s fine,” said Steve. “I can move the camper back over to the pool and we can camp there.”

“You sure you don’t mind? I’m so sorry...”

“It’s ok ... it truly is. West Virginia isn’t going anywhere.” Maria’s sorrowful look showed Steve she didn’t believe him so he gave her a kiss and said, “There’s always time for us, and if you feel better in a while we’ll go up to Sebastian and you can show off your new husband to Sally Ann and Kent.”

Darlene took Maria’s blood pressure, then sat down on the other side of her. Sometimes snuggling is despised by MS sufferers but on rare occasions it’s appreciated and luckily this was one of those times. “Let’s see those pictures, I want to see how fat I look,” said Darlene.

“Here’s the one with all of us and Father Ewen,” said Steve, as he handed his phone to Darlene.

“I look so fat,” groaned an average sized Darlene, “but your phone takes great pictures.”

Steve showed the picture to a slowly sinking Maria. “That wasn’t my phone, the deacon used his phone and sent them to me, my phone has been shut off since before the wedding.”

“What was the deacon’s name? We should send him a thank you card,” said Maria.

“He’s a New Yorker like you too, his name was...” Steve thought hard for the guy’s name. So much has happened this week! New Yorker ... starts with A ... his mind spun as he tried to remember. “Weird guy said he was from Honkers, so I thought he was a goose hunter...”

Darlene and Maria both started laughing, “Not Honkers, YONKERS!”

“Yeah, he said the same thing, I like my version better ... Alfredo! That was it, he was named after unhappy noodles. Alfredo Grouchy.” Steve looked proud of himself that he was able to get a name he only heard once right.

Both women went silent. Finally, Maria whispered, “do you mean Alfeo Gronchi?”

“Yeah that’s him. I like my version better.”

Oh Steve, that deacon just signed our death warrant ... I think I can save you... “Honey? Can you carry me to bed?”

“You must be feeling bad,” said Steve sadly, as he carefully scooped her up from the couch.

“I am.” Oh God, how could this have happened? Shit, shit, shit! “I can’t even move my legs!” She started jerking in his arms and he nearly dropped her. “Natalia! I need Natalia!”

Darlene pulled back the covers of the newly wedded couple’s marriage bed, and Steve laid Maria down carefully. He was so concerned for Maria that he didn’t notice that this was the first time he’s ever been in her bedroom. Everything was white: the walls, the doors, the bed, the dresser, the writing desk. Even the cedar chest was white. It was kind of creepy to Steve. “Please,” Maria begged, “If you love me you’ll get Natalia for me.”

“She has your car; can’t she drive it?”

“She wrecked it yesterday,” sighed Maria and showed Steve a picture that was on her phone. He looked at the small blurry picture and recognized that type of damage. He’s seen it in the streets of Afghanistan, and Iraq, and Lebanon.

“Someone tried to kill my stepdaughter,” he growled. He felt a twinge of pain over this. Natalia is his daughter now, his responsibility. She may only be nine years younger than him. His wife is Natalia’s mother, which makes Natalia his daughter.

“What? No,” said Maria, then she switched to a tone of voice that she prayed Steve understood. “It was an accident darling, that’s all it was.” She couldn’t stop lying to him. She knew he would find out about her past eventually, but she wanted her dreamworld to go on.