Chapter 6

The meeting with Frank and Elise Dunne was somber and quiet. They offered their condolences to Jack on the loss of his father. Frank and Mike had become good friends over the years and even with the death of their daughter, they had remained in touch. The four often got together for bridge or just a social evening and although it hadn't been as frequent since Shannon's passing, they felt the loss of their friend very deeply.

Jack struggled with how to tell them of his love for Donna and in the end, he stuttered and stammered and finally got it out. He was relieved that they were supportive and congratulatory. They had no illusions that Jack would live in mourning for the rest of his life. They would meet again at the Memorial Service, but Jack felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders with their approval.

The service was relatively small; held in a Chapel in Burnaby and the plaque was placed in the cemetery not far from the family home. Just over two dozen attended the services and most gathered at the Matheson home on a dreary Thursday afternoon in November to celebrate the life of Michael Allan Matheson, born December 11, 1930. He didn't quite make his seventy sixth birthday.

Earlier that week, Marilyn and young Mike had joined Jack at the Mountain Shadows pub for a drink and to share a few memories of their father/grandfather. There were more than a few tears shed early on that afternoon and in the end, they took a taxi home rather than risk the short drive with the amount of alcohol they had consumed. If the Dunne family were of Irish Stock, the Matheson family was acting Irish that afternoon. Jack had called it a pre-wake and the mood, after the tears, was upbeat and sprinkled with laughter.

They remembered the good times, the quirks of Mike Senior, the warmth of the family that had been missing for a few years, and how lucky they were to have shared this time with a fine man. Jack took the opportunity to tell Mike and Marilyn about Donna. They too were happy for him and Mike wanted to meet her. He had a car and could drive to Courtenay on the weekend; staying at Jack's house. Marilyn smiled and wished she could meet her as well; perhaps in the future when things had settled down.

When they arrived home, Muriel was a bit nonplussed at their buoyant mood, but relaxed as she saw they were all together as family at this important time. It was the first truly upbeat moment she had experienced since that fateful afternoon.

His mother held up well at the reception and Joanne was always there to help and support her. If Muriel became forgetful or lost in memories, Joanne stepped in to rescue the moment. Jack was now certain that his mother's friend was going to be a very important part of her life in the near term and beyond. He was beginning to get a sense of comfort and confidence about her future.

He phoned Donna every evening and they talked and began to plan their future. He hadn't yet asked her to marry him, but he would never do that over the phone and he needed to find a ring to make it official. Then there was the practical matter; they each owned a home and only one would be required. Where would they live?

Donna knew it was only a matter of time before Jack would ask her to marry him. She sensed no hesitancy or lack of commitment on his part and she would be patient with him. It was a big step for him. It was his second life-time promise and it wouldn't be easy; especially after the unhappy ending to the first. For her part, she had been on her own for a long time and had only begun to realize how much she had missed during those years. Her only regret was not having met Jack Matheson a long time ago.

Marilyn had returned to Ottawa two days after the Memorial Service and Mike had gone back to school a day earlier. Jack was going a bit stir-crazy in the house himself with his mother and Joanne and decided to spend some time on his own. He headed out on the road in his car without a destination and eventually ended up at the Brentwood Mall. He wandered around aimlessly until he found himself walking by a large jewelry store.

He had thought about asking Donna to marry him and to do so would require a ring of course. He looked over the selection in the counter display without any of them popping out at him. It wasn't urgent and when the woman clerk approached him, he told her he was just browsing. The thought crossed his mind; exactly who would be 'just browsing' for engagement rings? Perhaps it wasn't that urgent after all.

He stopped at an espresso kiosk, ordered a latte and was heading for the seating area when he heard someone call his name.

"Jack? Jack Matheson?" a woman's voice called. Jack turned and his eyes widened as a very beautiful, mature blonde walked toward him. He searched his memory for some clue toward recognition but none came. She looked to be about his age; perhaps a bit younger. She was expensively dressed, very well coiffed and made up like a model. How would she possibly know him?

"You don't recognize me, do you." she smiled. It was a beautiful smile.

"Ah ... no ... no I don't. Sorry." Jack admitted.

"Merilee Wright." she smiled that dazzling smile again.

"Merilee! Wow! You look ... terrific. It's been years since I've seen you. I'm surprised you recognized me."

"Well I probably wouldn't have if it hadn't been for that magazine article on you a few years ago. You know the one about the top entrepreneurs in the province?"

"Oh ... that ... I'd forgotten all about it." he said with a slight smile.

"I haven't. You've turned into quite the handsome man, Jack." she said coyly.

"Yah ... well I guess I do look a lot different than I did in High School." he admitted. He looked at her and chuckled; almost to himself.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"I was just thinking ... you were my ... uh ... vision of the perfect girl. I see you haven't changed." he said a bit more boldly.

"Aw Jack ... that's sweet. But you never even asked me for a dance, much less a date." she said with a furrowed brow.

"Ah ... well ... you were well out of my league. Remember, I was the class nerd and I looked the part." he confessed.

"That's too bad. I always thought you were kind of cute and so smart. I often wished you were interested in me."

Jack stared at her for a minute. "Well, you could have fooled me. I didn't think you even knew I existed." he grinned.

"Why don't we sit over there?" she pointed to an empty table. "We have a lot of catching up to do." She smiled that lovely, bright smile and there was no way Jack could have refused her.

They sat opposite each other and Jack sipped his coffee tentatively, waiting for Merilee to make the first move.

"Well, I know what you've been up to, Jack. It was all in the magazine article." she said brightly. "And you're married with a son, if I remember correctly."

"Ah ... well ... that was then. My wife died three years ago." he said in a more matter-of-fact voice than he felt.

"Oh ... oh ... I am sorry Jack." she said sincerely. "That must have been very hard for you ... and your son."

"Yes ... it was." he agreed. "Cancer is never easy to deal with and Shannon's was a long, slow, painful process."

"Oh Jack. I can't imagine. That's so sad."

"Well ... it's been three years now and I'm finally coming to terms with it." he said with resignation. "But what about you? You look very ... professional ... like a model or something." he stammered.

She laughed at that and again that special smile shone through. "I'm in Advertising for Parker-Lewis. We handle a lot of TV and Movie promotions."

Jack glanced at her left hand and saw no rings. "No husband?" he asked directly.

"No ... not currently. I've had a couple of marriages, but I think I'll go it alone for a while until I really find Mr. Right. Are you interested?" she asked with a sly smile.

"Well ... Merilee ... this is so sudden. Don't you think we should get to know each other better." he laughed.

"Of course! Why don't we have dinner tonight and we can get the preliminaries out of the way?" she said with what appeared to be a serious look.

Jack sat back for a moment considering her comment. "Sure ... why not. Where would you like to go?" he asked, hoping he was calling her bluff.

"Well ... how about Jardine's?" she suggested without seeming to pause.

"Fine. Where can I pick you up?"

She reached in her purse and handed him her card. "That's my address on the card. How does seven sound?"

"Fine ... I pick you up at seven and I'll call Jardine's and make a reservation." he volunteered.

"Oh don't bother ... they know me and they always have a table. Trust me." she said with an air of authority. She put her hand over his and looked at him with another of her smiles. "I'm really looking forward to this." she said, leaning forward and placing a kiss on his cheek. With that, she rose, waved with her fingers and turned and headed back into the mall.