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Garret looked to the clock from his leather-bound volume of Hamlet. He closed the book, smiling as he changed his gaze to the teens in the lecture room at Aspen Grove High. "Ladies and gentlemen, it seems our time has come to a close," he said as the collection of 15 students began gathering their paraphernalia. "Finish reading the scene. Then be prepared for class discussion Monday morning. Also, have those journal entries typed and ready to turn in to me next week. Wednesday, I should think."
Garret straightened from where he leaned against his old wood desk at the high school. "Have a wonderful weekend, ladies and gentlemen. When I see you Monday, I will be a married man. I do apologize, ladies."
Girls and boys alike laughed as they bid him farewell, filing out of the small lecture room with well-wishing, congratulations, and/or promises to attend the reception that evening. Garret returned each with a nod and a smile as he gathered his class notes, books, and papers he needed to somehow correct over the special weekend. Any student that lingered with a question, worry, or something similar, received an appropriate response and a card that held his cell phone, home number, and email. The students had long-since become accustomed to these cards and loved receiving them. It made them feel important.
To Garret, they were.
Garret retrieved his briefcase from the desk and exited the classroom to the hallway, talking with other students from his varying classes along the route out of the school. At Aspen Grove High School Garret taught Literature, Drama, and Poetry. Amy hadn't been allowed to take up her teaching position, per doctor's orders as well as lack of time due to her rigorous physical therapy schedule. Garret had stepped into the position instead, and after six months at the small high school, he didn't regret the decision. Encouraging and teaching the students at Aspen Grove never failed to teach him something new of Literature, Poetry, and life in general.
They gave him a new perspective.
Garret exited the high school, made his way down the brick steps, and then along the walkway to the faculty parking south of the main administration building. It was a remodeled house separate from the old brick building of the high school. He tossed his briefcase into the backseat of his roadster, put the top down - the early spring sunshine just beckoned for it - and then started up the roadster to an accompaniment of hoots and hollers from the students. Garret chuckled with a slight shake of his head as he backed out of the parking lot and squealed toward home.
The cell phone in his jacket pocket on the passenger seat of the roadster blared Toccata & Fugue. Garret took up the earpiece, which he always inserted into the phone when he drove, and tucked it into his ear before hitting the 'talk' button. "Harrison here."
"Hi, Harrison. Burke here."
Garret smiled. "Hello, Amy. How was your day?"
"Great," she answered in a bright tone. "How about you? Did you keep the kids busy until the last bell?"
"Would I do that?"
Amy chuckled. "Yes. You do it every day."
Garret checked his rearview mirrors before passing a tractor on its way home from bailing the fields of alfalfa hay. "I have yet to hear a complaint."
"That's because they love you to death, you big softie."
Garret chuckled. "Yes, dear."
Amy laughed. "Anyway, I wanted to let you know that mom and I picked your tux up from the cleaners. Dad's gone to get extra chairs for the backyard, and he's going to pick up Pastor Gary on the way back. Oh, and did you get a confirmation on that Bed & Breakfast?"
"I did."
"I really appreciate it, Garret. Thank you."
One side of Garret's lips twitched. "I am honored you called upon me to help. Here I was terrified I would only be in the way."
"You're never in the way," Amy said in a soft voice.
There was a moment of silence, and then she released a slow breath. Garret could almost visualize her lying on her stomach on the couch flipping through a bridal magazine as she held the phone to her ear. Then she would push the magazine aside and tuck her hand and arm under her as she smiled into the phone.
"The silence beckons my spirit home," he said softly.
Amy sighed. "Garret, I feel like I'm stuck in a dream. Are we really getting married today?"
Garret's smile softened as he turned down the somewhat graveled driveway. "Yes, dearest muse, we are to be married today."
"And you really don't regret leaving New York? Not for a second?"
"When I do, I have but to pack you off to the symphony or the opera for a weekend, sweet. That will be enough to remind what I have escaped."
Amy sighed again, and Garret could nearly see her very carefully positioning herself onto her back - a strict no-no that she sometimes forgot. "Dad wanted me to tell you that he's giving you a 5 acre plot of land for a wedding gift. He's hoping you'll build a house on it, complete with dog house for Bernie."
Garret pulled up to Adam Burke's home two miles south of the elder Burke's residence. Garret had been living there since moving to Aspen Grove nine months previous. He turned off the ignition. "I am honored, Amy, and you and I can begin choosing a house design as soon as we return from our wedding weekend. Will you tell him?"
"Sure."
Garret could hear the broad smile in her tone. Adam stepped out of the house onto the front porch - he was nearly 6 foot 4 with a brawny build and tousled caramel curls that never stayed out of his face - and waved a greeting.
Garret returned the wave and then leaned back into the leather seats of the roadster. "I must away, sweet muse, but only until this evening."
"Alright. I love you."
"As I love you."
Silence. "So… I'll see you later?"
Garret smiled. "Yes. You will."
"Alright. Bye."
"Good bye, Amy."
Sigh click
Garret tucked the phone away, leaving the rest of his paraphernalia in the roadster as he climbed out and headed toward the house. "Did your mother perchance bring my tuxedo?"
"Yup. Hanging in your room. She wouldn't let me touch it."
Garret chuckled and passed into the house to change.
Garret looked down at his Rolex with a slight smirk as he waited by the pastor at the end of the carpeted aisle in the backyard of the Burke home. He actually enjoyed the feelings of nervousness that mercilessly rolled his stomach into a knot. When was the last time I felt nervous? Definitely when he had awaited any type of good news regarding Amy's accident more than two years before. Definitely when he had finally decided to reiterate his proposal last year. Definitely when he had decided to teach at Aspen Grove High more than six months ago. But previously? No. Not for many, many years.
Garret checked his watch again, immediately feeling a firm nudge at his elbow. He looked to his left to intercept Adam's grin. Garret reluctantly smiled, giving his soon-to-be brother-in-law a partial shrug. Adam chuckled, shaking his head as he moved his gaze to the grass at his feet.
Garret had enjoyed the chance to get to know Amy's family over the past nine or ten months. Garret had found Adam Burke to be a 'trouble-maker' who enjoyed practical jokes and roughhouse play. Much to the entire family's surprise, Adam and Garret had instantly clicked. Adam had so reminded Garret of his own brothers, men that Garret hadn't seen for years, that the instant connection with Amy's brother had been an unexpected blessing.
So had the connection to Amy's father, Richard.
Richard Burke was a no-nonsense Baptist who only respected a person when they earned it. Garret had fallen victim to many an intense, philosophical, and often religious discussion with the nearly sixty-year-old man. Garret, who had never backed down from a challenge in his life, had answered Richard Burke's questions as succinctly and honestly as possible. Many of the conversations had become a little heated, as much as a Baptist on-fire for the Lord could get, but such a response only reminded Garret of his own roots in Catholicism. His mother had been as devout as Amy's parents.
The love Garret felt for Amy's mother, Elizabeth, had been almost instantaneous upon his meeting of her nearly twelve months before.
While completing the filming, Garret had personally taken Amy to any and all professionals, specialists, and therapists suggested. While many of their opinions had been negative, a great many of the others had eagerly taken up treatment, offering suggestions of stretching/strengthening exercises, surgeries, and other remedies that would help in the lowering of the inflammation/swelling/accumulation of scar tissue within the injury near Amy's lower spine.
Shortly after the movie was released to theaters, Amy received word of a physical therapist in her hometown who had expressed interest in her case. So Garret had organized Amy's move back home, unable to accompanying her due to the demands on his time. Then, after Amy had received the Best Supporting Female Actor Oscar, Garret had traveled to Aspen Grove to not only present it to her, but to finally take the promised vacation Amy had suggested while still filming.
Garret's first impression of 'Liz' Burke encompassed welcome and compassion. Later, as Liz took him on tours of small Aspen Grove after hours, the two had talked of philosophy, 'why's, and the meanings of life. Garret hadn't realized that grief and confusion had given rise to a carefully controlled rage until Liz had carefully peeled back the layers keeping it in check. Then she had encouraged him to voice the rage.
Amy had obviously learned the art of communication from her mother.
Vacation over, rage released, and newfound purpose discovered, Garret had promised to return in three months time to live in Aspen Grove on a more permanent basis. True to his word, he had even arrived a day earlier than expected--
Nudge.
Garret caught the tail end of the cue given to the pianist just as Adam nudged his arm. Garret straightened his tuxedo jacket as the processional began. Several of the students from his different classes caught his eye to give him the 'thumbs-up' or a wink or grin. He responded with a distracted smirk as his gaze continued to focus on the silk tent set up at the extreme end of the carpeted aisle, which was all of 10 meters long. One of Amy's cousins as well as a student from Garret's Drama class had been chosen to pull the tent flaps aside when Amy was ready to emerge. They received the signal from within and nodded to each other to pull the silk aside…
…Amy emerged dressed in white satin, long flowing veil, and white roses in hand as she walked down the aisle supported by her father. Garret's throat tightened as tears of relief and awe burned his eyes. He smiled and just barely kept himself from rushing forward to envelope her in a tight embrace.
Amy and Garret as well as her parents had been diligent in performing her daily routine of strengthening exercises. The physical therapist and doctor had kept close eye on the swelling and scar tissue, giving encouragement whenever it was needed. Amy's determination had inspired Garret's hope that she would indeed accomplish what she wanted: to walk at their wedding.
Now, although her gait was a trifle sluggish and uncertain, she walked those 10 meters to his side, beaming the entire way.
"Who gives this woman to this man?" Pastor Gary asked.
Richard Burke cleared his throat of the emotion Garret saw in his eyes. "I do. Her father. Richard Burke."
Then Amy was steadied as her hand transferred from her father's arm to Garret's. Garret covered it with his and smiled down at her. "You will never cease to amaze me, sweet muse," he whispered.
Amy looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, which also glistened on her cheeks. "Good," she whispered in a choked voice. "Now let's get married. We have those lists of suggestions to exchange, remember?"
Garret withheld a laugh.