A Winter Dream

Chapter


Four


No matter the roughness of the sea, Ashley is the anchor to which I’ve secured my heart.

Joseph Jacobson’s Diary





The rest of the evening was about as festive as a train wreck. The brothers and their wives cleared out as quickly as they could without being overly obvious, with the exception of Simon, who grabbed his wife and stormed out just minutes after my father’s presentation. I wanted to leave too, desperately, as did Ashley, but my mother and father kept us there until the last. It was after midnight when I dropped Ashley off at her apartment. It had been a long, silent ride from the party, and Ashley just held my hand, unsure of what to say. I walked her to her doorstep.

“Do you want to come inside?” she asked softly.

“No. I’m tired.”

“I understand.” She leaned forward and kissed me. “I’m sorry about tonight. That was awkward.”

“You think?”

She grinned. “Yes, I think.”

“I just don’t get how my father could do something like that. Telling the dream was painful enough, but the coat . . .”

“He just wants to show you how proud he is of you.” She leaned in closer. “Like I am.” She kissed my face. “Come inside.”

I exhaled slowly “Sorry. I’m just . . . miserable.”

She leaned back, groaning her displeasure. “All right. I understand.”

“I never should have told my dad about the dream. Maybe I’m to blame. What did I hope to gain from that?”

“You’re not to blame. How could you have known that he’d share it?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. But it was stupid.”

“Maybe,” she sighed, “but it’s over. Everything’s going to be okay. They’ll get over it. Even Simon. I bet by Monday everything will be back to normal.”

“You don’t know my brothers,” I said. “This hurt runs deep.”

“Then it’s their problem, not yours.”

“Their problems are my problems.”

“No, they’re not. Their problems are their problems and your problems are your problems. You’ve got to stop carrying other people’s problems.”

“It’s just hard. I care about them.”

“Sometimes I think you care too much.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“Sometimes it is.”

“Do I care too much about you?”

She grinned. “You can’t care too much about me.”

“I thought so.”

We kissed again. “You sure you don’t want to come inside? I’ll give you a backrub.”

“That sounds good. But it’s late. I told my parents I’d drive them to the airport in the morning. They’re leaving at six.”

She groaned. “Masochist. There you go again, suffering for others.”

“Okay, I admit it. I’m a pathetic pleaser.”

“Where are they going?”

“Phoenix. One of their golf trips.”

“I’m glad someone’s having fun.”

“He’s earned it,” I said. “I’ll call you when I get back from the airport.”

“All right,” she said. “And don’t forget about our celebration next week.”

“What day?”

“Any day’s good. You decide.”

“How’s Tuesday?”

“Tuesday’s good. We’ll celebrate then.”

“That is if my brothers don’t kill me on Monday.”

“They’ll be over it. And you’ll be in a better mood for our celebration.”

“As long as it’s just the two of us.”

“You can count on that.” She leaned forward and this time we kissed at length. When we parted, I said, “I love you.”

“I know. Ciao, sweetheart. Don’t forget dinner at my parents’ on Sunday.”

“I’ll pick you up at six.”

“Grazie.”

I opened her door and she went inside. As I walked to my car, I thought, no matter how bad things were, at least I had Ashley. And nothing could come in the way of us.