„I think we have each lived the other’s life, Grace. What could be a better way to learn? It is bound to make both of us more understanding. It is not what I asked for, but it is the true gift of that wish.“
She stood up then, moved away from him and made a circuit of the room. „Clear thinking is impossible when we are so close. Do you think that door has a lock? I have never had any reason to care before.“
As he went to the door, Grace faced her one last fear. David said he would have no money to leave an heir. But leaving money to one’s offspring was not the only reason men longed for children.
He would never have a child from her. Heaven had decreed otherwise. They would have to talk about it sometime. But neither one of them had spoken of marriage; perhaps they never would. She would not ruin the joy of the moment. She would be selfish for a little longer before she reminded him that he had to make a choice.
He turned the key with a satisfied „Aha“ and pulled it from the lock. Holding it as though it was a battle prize, he came to her and presented it with a bow.
She took it and set it on the table with the coin, the glitter distracting her just a little. She turned to him. „How did you come to have a magic coin, David?“
„My daughter Poppy gave it to me.“
Amazement and a little thread of fear trickled through her.
He stopped kissing her neck. „What is it?“
„You have a daughter?“ She moved out of his arms, looked at the coin and wondered.
„Yes. They are not precisely my children. There is Poppy, who is nine, and Billy, who is not quite a year. I am their guardian and will raise them as if they were my own.“
He was not smiling, but watching her with an intensity she had not seen before. She realized that he was afraid. „Children were the rest of my wish last night. I wished you would love me as much as I wished for children.“ She raised his hand and kissed it. „Oh, David, I will love Poppy and Billy. As I would my own.“
She flung her arms around him and kissed him fully, then leaned back in his arms. „Why did you never tell me about them?“
„Because you never asked. You were very careful never to ask of my personal life.“
„Only because you were so offended at all the information George had given me. You called it spying. After that, I was ever trying to respect your privacy.“ When he did no more than shake his head, she had to nod in agreement. „No more secrets. Never again.“
„Did I hear you say that you would love my children as you would your own? Does that mean you might marry me?“ He paused, then added, „Two children are not the traditional wedding gift, but will you at least consider it? I cannot imagine life without you.“
This kiss was happiness, pure joy given from one to another. It would anchor their world forever. Another thought occurred to him, and he gave her a devilish smile. „Or can I use the children as a bribe?“
She laughed. „Children? Two children? And one is a babe? David, I cannot imagine a better wedding present.“
Epilogue
London, England March 2007
The girl sat in silence as the docent ended his story. „Why, that was wonderful.“ She leaned forward in her chair. „Is it true?“
When he would have answered, she shook her head. „No, don’t tell me. I want to believe that Grace and David are as real as you and I and lived forever happy. Did they ever have any children of their own?“ Again she answered her own question. „No, but Poppy and Billy were enough.“
„I guess I’d better catch up with Jim,“ she added, but she didn’t move from the seat. The docent waited patiently. The question burst from her. „What do you do when you are just days from leaving a country that calls to your soul? I can’t imagine leaving. The thought of Topeka makes me shudder, and not because it’s still winter in Kansas.“
„Why can’t you stay?“ the docent asked.
„There’s the whole visa thing. Jim says I can come back, but once I’m home there are my sisters and mother and grandmother and best friends from school. Not a one of them would understand. They think Topeka is perfect.“
„For them it may be.“ The docent handed her the coin. „Take this with you as a memento. It will remind you that anything is possible.“
„You can’t give that away!“
„Of course I can.“ The docent shrugged. „I can get another one easily.“
She let him talk her into it. It was only later, as she sank onto a bar stool at Earl’s Place, that she actually considered whether the coin was magic. She put it on the bar in front of her, then picked it up and held it tight. „I wish there was a way for me to stay here.“ The coin felt warm, but then, the place was filled with people, the room overheated, the crowd cheering as they watched the last minutes of a soccer game.
She hadn’t spotted Jim yet, but it hardly mattered. He wouldn’t be interested in anything but the score. Instead she watched as the bartender worked his way to her spot at the end of the bar. Not the usual guy. An extra hired because of the crowd? With a practiced efficiency he took orders, got drinks and made change.
He was nice enough looking, and then he smiled. It changed his pleasant face to fabulous. It was a smile that made the world a brighter place and drew an answering one from her.
„What can I get you?“
His accent was different, not at all suited to a pub. This voice belonged at Eton or Oxford. Or somewhere with Prince William.
She pointed to the wine bottle he held, for some stupid reason not wanting to open her mouth and betray the fact she was an American. She’d forgotten about the magic coin and it fell from her hand, rolled along the bar toward him and onto the floor.
She gasped and stood on the stool, trying to see where it had gone.
„Under the cooler.“ He considered. „Is it important to you?“
„Oh, yes,“ she answered, „it’s very special.“
„Right then.“ He squatted, reaching under the cooler. He looked up at her with a grimace. „Time to do a little cleaning down here.“ He stretched a little farther and with a triumphant „Yes!“ stood up and handed her the coin.
„Thanks,“ she said, „thanks a lot.“
He nodded and held up the wine bottle, and when she said, „Please,“ he poured her a glass. She reached for her purse, but he waved off payment. „Give me a look at the coin. That’s all the pay I want.“
She was about to hand it back to him when the room erupted into shouts and cheers. The game was over and any number of thirsty sports fiends surged toward the bar.
„If you like, I can wait until the crowd’s gone.“
He leaned across the bar and smiled at her. „Great. That’s exactly what I wished you would say.“
The Passenger by Ruth Ryan Langan
For Jennifer and Betty, who know why.
For Nora, Mary, and Mary Kay -
friends and fellow believers.
And for Tom. Always.
One
„Just one more shot, Josh.“
„Josh. Over here.“
The crush of photographers stood elbow to elbow, vying for that one special shot of this amazing athlete who had caught the attention of the world’s media.
A reporter’s voice could be heard speaking into his microphone. „Josh Cramer isn’t your typical athlete. A free spirit, he doesn’t fit into any mold. Having already set a new world’s record for sailing the Atlantic solo, and taking an around-the-world hot air balloon trip, he has now completed his latest adventure, extreme skiing in the Alps. This isn’t for the faint of heart. As our viewing audience can see by the footage that has been released, Josh was launched from a helicopter, skiing through narrow passageways that looked for all the world like ice chambers. Josh Cramer’s fearlessness, as well as his rugged good looks and charm, have brought him international acclaim.“