Like You Read About (22 page)

Christmas had come and gone
. Cora was surprised, and if she admitted it, a little disappointed that Dan hadn’t asked her to marry him yet.  Kaelyn had her baby and she’d asked Dan to be the godfather, standing up there with little baby Carmen they both felt settled in the fact that their life was already full, and they had family and friends around them and that completed them.  That day he’d given her a Faith, Hope, and Love charm. She was beginning to feel spoiled by his romantic gestures. Her bracelet was her talisman when days were rough.

Kaelyn
was back at work full time again, well mostly full time, she worked a couple of days from home.  She was in the office today and Cora dragged her out to the diner for lunch.  She wanted eggs and toast, and Kaelyn was easily convinced.

While at lunch
, Dan sent a text saying he wasn’t feeling great and was going to go home and lay down for a while, he’d see her when she got home.  He’d make something for dinner and she didn’t need to bring anything home.

When she reached in to her purse
, there was a familiar pouch and a note. 

This is the symbol for happiness, which you have brought me every day since that day a year ago when you smiled at me and my new beard and started something special
. I love you. ~D

She smiled and showed
Kaelyn, pulling off her bracelet and sliding on the charm.  “I can’t believe he remembered the date of that meeting.” And on a dreamy sigh, she left far too large a tip and walked back to the office arm in arm with her best friend Kaelyn, the woman who had dragged her, carried her and walked beside her through so many things since they became friends.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you
, Kay. I feel like everything I have, including my fancy stove, I owe to you, although I won’t give you credit for the hot monkey sex, that’s all Dan.” She was smiling, she smiled all the time now, and though still shy, Dan pulled her from her shell by increments.

“Oh please, I believe I’m the one who told you to have hot monkey sex with him that first day on the conference room
table, did you do that? No… you had to wait for the romance of being snowbound… pshhh…” Kaelyn clucked at her as they hung up their coats.

Sitting down at her desk
, Cora found another pouch taped to an envelope on her keyboard, in the pouch was a silver love letter charm.

I know it isn’t quite a year since you sent me the first email, but you being brave started what has been the best part of my life, and I’ve been proud of you ever since, your ball
s are bigger than mine. ~D

Cora had tears in her eyes
. “Kaelyn, come see what he left me.” 

Kaelyn
was already at the door of her cube. “I know, and now it’s time for you to go home.”  Handing her her coat and purse, Kaelyn pushed Cora out the door. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell Mr. J you had to head home early since Dan wasn’t feeling well and you needed to pick up something for him at the pharmacy.”

Her hands were shaking as she headed down to Ringo a
nd brushed off the snow climbed in and started the car.  Taped to the steering wheel was another pouch, this one had a tiered cake, She had tears in her eyes, she took a picture with her camera and texted it to Kaelyn and then slid it on her bracelet.

Kaelyn
- I know, now start the car, pull out of the spot and head home. Dan is sick, he needs you to nurse him back to health.

Pulling out she headed Ringo in the direction of their bungalow, their house, she moved
there early in August. Mr. Smith had no intention of holding her to her lease, he didn’t even see the need for the leases, it was his son who managed his money who’d insisted.  He’d find someone else to move in, and Cora should be packing herself up and not worry another minute, and not to even think about paying a penalty, consider it a housewarming gift from him.

Pulling in to the drive behind Dan’s Honda she held her breath, turned off the ignition and got out
, either he was really sick, or was just being romantic, or today was the day.

Walking up the front porch
, she saw a note and a pouch taped to the front door,

Breathe
deeply and know how much I love you, Red, how much I will always love you, and be brave and open the door. ~D
 

In this pouch was a little cushion with two gold rings on i
t, one with a tiny diamond spec.  Her hands were shaking so hard it took three tries to get the key in the lock.

With tears in her eyes
, she walked through the door, so not brave, so very scared, but putting one foot in front of the other anyhow. Daniel was there on a blanket in front of a roaring fire, candles all around the living room, music playing, the mix from that first night, she smiled, remembering.  She dropped her coat and purse on the floor, kicked off her shoes to go and sit with Dan on the blanket, as breathing was not actually occurring, she should probably sit before she passed out.

“Oh no, you can’t sit yet,” Dan said as he got up on one knee
. “I love you. I have always loved you and I will always love you, until we are both old and neither can remember our own name and all we can eat is applesauce because all our teeth are gone.  I will spend eternity lying next to you and spend the next life with you as well, if you’ll have me, will you have me, Cora, will you marry me?”

He looked up at her, her eyes were filled with tears, and even he couldn’t remain unaffected, although if asked it was dust or cat dander and not tears in his eyes
. Oh fuck it, he loved the woman, and was so filled with the love he was crying a little.  He’d kick the ass of anyone who called him a pussy. 

Holding up a beautiful art deco style
estate ring, “You like the old-fashioned stuff, the house, the dishes, me… I thought you might like this. I went hunting all over for just the right one, and when I saw this I knew it belonged on your hand, so?”

She was still crying, nodding her head, hands over her mouth.

“You’ve got to say yes or it doesn’t count.” He chuckled, “and I’m not getting any younger here, any longer on my knee and I may be stuck.”

He always knew what to say to make her laugh
. “Yes, Dan, I’ll marry you.”

She knelt down in front of him and kissed him, first softly and then with fe
rvor.  They were quickly laid out on the blanket creating their usual pile of discarded clothing, and making love, to seal the deal.

Like Cora, my life is filled with music. The playlist Dan’s cousin created contained the songs below, as well as some others.  During early 2008, these songs were all on heavy rotation on my iPod. I’m a sucker for a love song, well a good love song anyhow.  I pulled these songs together into a playlist and listened to it on random as I wrote a good part of this book and worked on edits.  Every one of these songs reminds me of my Dan for one reason or another.  The most special of these songs is Collide, by Howie Day, it was in heavy rotation on the radio when my husband and I started dating in 2005, and although he wasn’t, and still isn’t the music nut I am, I made him listen to this song, more than once, so he’d know how I felt.

Dan and Cora’s playlist:

*John Mayer- Come Back to Bed

*John Mayer- My Stupid Mouth

*Maroon 5- Won’t Go Home Without You

*Maroon 5- She Will Be Loved

*Maroon 5- This Love

*Maroon 5- Sunday Morning

*Peter Gabriel-In Your Eyes

*Rise Against- Swing Life Away

*Snow Patrol- Chasing Cars

*Adele- Make You Feel My Love

*Adele- Chasing Pavements

*Keane- Somewhere Only We K
now

*Augustana- Boston

*David Gray- Please Forgive Me

*Sting- The Bed’s too Big Without You

*Suzanne Vega- Caramel

*Aaron Neville- I C
an’t Imagine

*Marc Cohn- True Companion

*Aqualung- Brighter Than Sunshine

*Bob Dylan- Just Like a Woman

*Carbon Leaf- Life Less Ordinary

*Coldplay- Yellow

*Coldplay- The Scientist

*Coldplay-Warning Sign

*Coldplay- Fix You

*Damien Rice- Volcano

*Damien Rice- The Blower’s Daughter

*Dave Barnes- Nothing Fancy

*Death Cab for Cutie- I Will Follow You into The Dark

*Dido- White Flag

*Edwin McCain- I’ll Be

*Edwin McCain- 3a.m.

*Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova- Falling Slowly

*Goo Goo Dolls- Iris

*Hem- Half Acre

*Howie Day- Ghost

*Howie Day- Collide

*Howie Day- She Says

*James Taylor- Something in the Way She Moves

*James Taylo
r- Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight

*Jason Mraz- You and I Both

*John Mayer- Your Body is a Wonderland

*Journey- Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’

*Neko Case- Wish I was the Moon

*Nelly Furtado- Try

*Nick Drake- Northern Sky

*Norah Jones- Come Away With Me

*Norah Jones- The Nearness of You

*Paul McCartney- Calico Skies

*Sarah McLachlan- Ice Cream

*Sarah MacLachlan- Angel

*Sia- Breathe Me

*Squeeze- Loving You Tonight

*Sting- Fields of Gold

*Thicke- When I Get You Alone

*U2- Stuck in a Moment

*U2- With or Without You

*U2- Sweetest Thing

*U2- All I Want is You

*Van Morrison- Moondance

*Van Morrison- Crazy Love

*Van Morrison- Into the Mystic

*Van Morrison- Tupelo Honey

*Mandy Moore- Only Hope

*Joshua Radin & Schuyler Fisk- Paperweight

*The Cure- Just Like Heaven

*Sixpence None the Ricker- Kiss Me

*Chantal Kreviazik- Feels Like Home

*
The Shins- New Slang

*
Colin Hay- I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You

*
Placebo- Running Up That Hill

*
Berlin- Take my Breath Away

*
Foreigner- Waiting for a Girl Like You

*
Spandau Ballet- True

*
Anne Wilson & Mike Reno- Almost Paradise

*
Billy Vera- At This Moment

*
Modern English- I Melt With You

*
Dave Matthews Band- Crash into Me

*
Extreme- More  Words

*
The Cure- Friday I’m in Love

*
Foo Fighters- Everlong

*
Savage Garden- I Knew I Loved You

*
Sade- No Ordinary Love

*
John Lennon- Woman

*
Lisa Loeb- Stay

*
Duncan Sheik- Barely Breathing

*
Paul McCartney- Maybe I’m Amazed

*
The Rolling Stones- Wild Horses

*
Boston- More Than a Feeling

*
Paul McCartney- My Love

*
REO Speedwagon- Can’t Fight This Feeling

*
Orleans- Dance With Me

*
Etta James- At Last

*
Al Green- Let’s Stay Together

*
Jim Croce- I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song

*
Styx- Babe

*
Chris Isaak- Wicked Game

*
Bruce Springsteen- Secret Garden

*
Brian Ferry- Slave to Love