The doors open and he led me by the hand up the flight of stairs that led to the roof. When he pulled it open, my jaw dropped.
There, on the roof of my office building, was a helicopter.
It was a smaller one, but it was a helicopter no less.
“Beau!” I gaped.
He grinned.
The man loved to spoil me.
“Happy Valentine’s Day.” He winked and walked me to the doors, where a pilot and Jason stood. “After you.”
Beau helped me into the seat and positioned the earmuffs over my head. “Cute.” He kissed me quickly before getting in the other side.
The pilot got in and, shortly after, the helicopter came to life. I put my hand in Beau’s. “I’ve never been in a helicopter before.” I looked at him, but spoke into the little microphone attached to the earmuffs.
He looked at the pilot. “Shall we take this pretty lady to dinner, Hal?”
The pilot looked over his shoulder and spoke into his mic. “Let’s do it.”
And then we were in the air.
I squealed and laughed like a teenaged girl.
It was unreal.
I watched out the window as we flew over the city lights and out over the water. “That’s Stanley Park!” I pointed excitedly out the window.
Beau smiled and let me enjoy my moment.
We flew over the bridge, and then Beau leaned across my lap and pointed down. “See that light there? Just across from that boat in the water?” I nodded. “That’s my house.”
I delighted. “I love your house.”
“You’ll have to come see it for real sometime.”
I pressed my lips to his.
And we kissed.
We kissed with our eyes closed so tight that I barely noticed when the helicopter landed on the top of Cypress Mountain.
The runs on the ski hill were still lit up for the evening riders.
“We’re here,” he said breathlessly against my lips.
Beau was the closest I’d ever been to a Prince Charming.
He was valiant, generous, and so very over-the-top.
The blades slowed down and Beau insisted on being the one to help me from my seat, even though Jason could have easily gotten there much quicker.
There was a pathway lit up with hanging Christmas lights that led to a table in the center of a large deck surrounded by four propane heaters.
“You could give date planners at The Bachelor a run for their money,” I joked—or, well, half joked. It was mostly the truth.
Beau laughed.
Instead of pulling a chair out for me, he pressed the button on a small speaker on the table, and music drifted out across the snow.
“Dance with me?”
I took his hand. “Of course.”
He pulled me tight as the soft melodies played.
I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and rested my cheek on his chest.
“You’re wonderful,” I told him.
He didn’t answer for quite some time. Just moved me slowly in the cold air until finally he found what it was he so wished to say.
“I would love you with absolution, Charleston,” Beau whispered to me as we danced. “But something tells me you won’t let me do that just yet, and for the life of me, I can’t understand why.”
I lifted my cheek from his chest and looked into his perfect blue eyes.
He wasn’t asking me to give him something I couldn’t.
He was just being open.
He was just being Beau.
I pressed my lips against his.
He kissed me back, before whispering, “It’s okay. I’ll wait.”
Oh, the rogue nature of inarticulate hearts.
I hoped Beau wasn’t suffering at the hands of mine.
Tuesday, April 16th, 2017
April wasn’t spring for me.
April wasn’t the beginning of longer days for me.
April was the month Henry died.
They say April showers bring May flowers. In my world, April showers brought with them a world of hurt.
My cellphone rang from somewhere in the apartment.
I pulled the blanket over my head, ignoring it.
This week would mark the ten-year anniversary of Henry’s death.
“Hey, Bumfuck Police, I’m being chased by a guy who likes to pull tongues out of severed heads with his teeth. Is there a special extension for that?”
I was watching one of my all-time favourite horror movies, the 2001 classic Jeepers Creepers. Listening through the quilt as Darry yelled at Trish.
My cellphone rang again.
I didn’t answer.
Every year, on the week leading up to April 22nd, I stayed home.
I didn’t go to work.
I didn’t go out.
I didn’t see friends.
I just wallowed in misery until it was time to get in my car, drive to my parents’ house on the day of, where we would miss Henry together.
I heard Trish scream and pulled down the blanket.
I loved this movie.
Henry had loved this movie too.
He always sang that stupid song.
“Jeepers creepers… where’d ya get them peepers…”
I smiled to the room.
My eyes felt heavy from crying.
I’d cried so much.
Drifting asleep on the sofa, I heard my cellphone ring again.
“Jeepers creepers… where’d ya get them…”
Jolting awake, I gasped.
The credits were rolling on my television screen and my heart ran a thousand miles per minute.
Maybe I should watch something else.