The Jacob Chronicles

NEVERMORE TO PART

art and story by Vincent Peters

EARLY FALL 2009

Sarah stood in the living room of Catherine’s apartment with a look of utter satisfaction as she surveyed a job well done. It was finished. She was officially moved in. The sea of cardboard boxes just a fading memory, she could now go about the more pleasant business of getting things in order for this evening.

She had been looking forward to this moment ever since she had sprung the surprise on Jacob when she had visited for his birthday. After retiring to the guest chamber after his celebration dinner with family and friends, she had hit him with the news…

* * *

DECEMBER 12th, 2008

They sat down on a small loveseat situated across from the foot of the guest chamber bed and, as Sarah reclined back against him, she once again melted into his comforting embrace as they simply enjoyed the company of the other and the conversation that ensued.

In the course of their conversation, Sarah shifted her position a little to better face him. “It just dawned on me that I haven’t given you your birthday present yet.”

“Yet? I thought your being here was the present.”

“Nnnnnnope. My being here is the warm-up act for the present.”

“Well then, by all means, proceed.”

Sarah gestured for him to come closer before she whispered into his ear. “The Hancock Foundation is opening a branch office in Manhattan and I will be moving here to help head it up. Your mother has graciously offered her apartment for me to use. So, come sometime next year, we will never have to say farewell ever again. Happy Birthday, Teddy.”

Jacob’s eyes went wide and his mouth hung half way open from surprise. “Do you remember what I said earlier when you first arrived?”

“I do.”

“I was a bit premature, please allow me to rectify that situation. Best Birthday Present……EVER!!!”

* * *

EARLY FALL 2009

Sarah looked out the balcony door windows at the setting sun which, to her seemed to be taking its own sweet time going down tonight. “You’re dragging your anchor on purpose, aren’t you?” she said to the twilight sky outside. “Oh, well,” she sighed. “More time to make sure everything is perfect.”

It had been one year to the day that she had met Jacob for the first time. As she busied herself, her mind was awash with so many fond memories of that day. It had been the first time she had heard him say her name, held his hand, shared so much so effortlessly with someone and had it all reciprocated in kind.

She wasn’t the same person she had been a year ago, that much she knew. What had begun with his writings had blossomed by the end of that first day into something both unexpected and wondrous, only to rise to new heights the following day and every day since, whether they were together in person or in spirit. Through her knowing Jacob, she had learned to love again, to laugh again, to know what it meant to feel safe and, through his own contagious joy of life, she had come to know that same joy, one that had been so notably absent from her life since her childhood had been abruptly shattered.

Sarah was in the process of making a few minor adjustments to various details when a very welcome knock came from the balcony doors. Bounding across the room, she opened the doors to reveal a familiar face which bore a grin from ear to ear.

 “Hiiiiiiiiiiii!  I’m your extremely downstairs neighbor. Welcome to the building.”

“Thank you!” She chuckled as she found herself engulfed in a hug.

They stood, arms around one another, forehead to forehead, and let the moment sink in.

“I bet I know what you’re thinking, Teddy,” she said, looking up into his eyes.

“Oh, do you, now?”

“Mmmmmmhum.“

“And what would that be?”

“That when the evening ends, it’s only going to be see you later instead of see you in a few months.”

Jacob smiled and held her a little tighter. “Then you would be correct. That is exactly what I’m thinking, and have been since my last birthday.”

“Can I pick a gift or what?” she said with a chuckle.

“You can indeed.”

Jacob entered the apartment and out of habit tossed his cloak across the back of the sofa. As soon as he did, he abruptly gathered it up into his arms once again.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I just realized that I always used to lay my cloak there when I visited with Mom, but this is your home now and it felt somehow presumptuous of me to leave it there.”

Sarah managed to hold back a giggle at his thoughtful reaction. “I appreciate the gesture, Teddy, but this was kind of a family home for you home long before I came along so…” She walked over to his side and took him by the arm, “make yourself at home in my home, your home, our home – any way you wish to think of it.”

He smiled at the feelings the phrase ‘our home’ had spawned in both of them and laid his cloak to rest in its traditional place of honor on the back of the sofa.

 The pleasant moment was suddenly interrupted when Jacob shot a disapproving glance at the door, a deep low growl escaping his throat when a knock resounded through the apartment.

“It’s okay, Kitty. No need to go into guardian mode. I’ve been expecting this visitor. It won’t take long, but you might want to step back outside for a moment,” she said, placing her hand on his cheek which elicited a churr of acknowledgment from his feral side.

“I’ll be right there!” she spoke across the living room at the unseen visitor at the door. She turned back to Jacob. “It’s okay, really. This is just part of our little anniversary gathering I arranged.”

“My apologies, Sarah. He can be a little blunt about things, and he is not as accepting of strangers as I am.”

“And I appreciate the fact that he has my safety at heart,” she said, placing a soft kiss on his cheek, “Now scoot- both of you!”

With that, Jacob retreated to the safety of the balcony, stepping into the shelter afforded by the brick wall between the doors. He stood there on the balcony wondering what she had in store when his nose gave him the answer a few seconds after he heard the door close and lock.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” she said, returning to the living room doors.

Jacob, in true goofball fashion, slowly craned his head around the corner, making a succession of overly exaggerated sniffs, culminating in one long inhalation, followed by a very contented purr.

“I tracked the pizza place down. They gave us the first meal we ever shared together, so I thought it was very fitting that they do so again on our anniversary.”

Jacob stepped back inside and nuzzled her cheek,” Did I ever mention that I love the way you think ?”

The two sat side by side on a small patio rocker on the balcony, listening to the live music rising up from Central Park below, reminiscing about their first meeting, eating their fill of Tony’s Deep Dish and making plans for their visit to Broadway in the Park the following day.

The hour had grown late and Jacob gathered his cloak to begin his journey home. They hugged one last time on the balcony, and before he climbed the trellis, they enjoyed a brief kiss in the shadows. “It feels as if I have waited a lifetime to say this, Sarah.”

“Go for it.”

“Good night my dearest. I will see you again come the morning at the south portal, say…10 am?”

“It’s a date, goofball,” she said in tribute to her message to him the year before. With an even wider smile she added, “See you tomorrow.” With that she watched him briskly climb up and over the roof line, disappearing into the night.

* * *

The South Portal- 10 am

Sarah stood, bedecked in her Belle costume, watching the festival attendees milling about in the morning light when in her mind, she heard a warm and friendly greeting. “I’m here, Belle.” In her mind’s eye she imagined him as he had been the day they had first met face to face, but when she turned to face the drainage tunnel, her eyes beheld something entirely unexpected.

Jacob stepped out into the sunlight and stood there, arms wide as if to say tadaaaa. His princely attire from the year before was nowhere to be seen. In its stead he wore only a cloak and a pair of knee length trousers that had been very distressed at the knees. His hair was unbound and hung wildly about his neck and shoulders, and his bare feet dug into the soft soil that had accumulated at the entrance.

“Auditioning for Chippendale, Teddy?”

“For what, now?” he said as he approached her.

“That’s a topic for another time, but may I say please don’t be too surprised when I have to fight off the ladies when they get a look at you.”

He slowly walked toward her, posing a time or two for her amusement. “You like it?”

“In a word……duh!”

“Last year, the Prince had all the fun. This time the Beast gets to come out and play.” He produced a single red rose from under his cloak in a masterful sleight of hand trick he must have picked up from Sebastian, and presented it to her. “Shall we, my Lady?”

“Only on one condition,” she said.

Jacob tilted his head slightly to the side. “What one condition?”

“No turning yourself into a living piñata this time, okay?”

“If I may borrow a phrase from you, Sarah. When it comes to being used for batting practice at the Broadway in the Park Festival – been there, done that, got the t-shirt, all funned out.”

“Good!” she said, as the two disappeared into the festival crowd, arm in arm.