Walking to the Sky by Cait Canon

Chapter 32 When Jennifer awoke at nearly 10:00 a.m. the next morning, she was not feeling nearly so celibate. They made love tenderly and showered together in the tiny bathroom. She was still shocked and amazed that they had actually found each other, and all the other news…well, she would just have to be patient. As they were dressing, Raff had to put on the same clothes he had worn yesterday. Jennifer asked where he was keeping his things and suggested they drop by so he could put on fresh clothes. He said he was glad she had brought that up. “My mother and father have hosted their annual Christmas Eve party for as long as I can remember.” He said wistfully, and Jennifer wondered what relevance that had to her suggestion. He saw the question on her face and explained, “My father’s dying wish was that she not break that tradition with his passing.” Jennifer was shocked! “He asked your mother to host a party the day after his own funeral?” She couldn’t believe he would ask such a thing of his own wife! “My mother has had many months to prepare for his death.” Raff said. “Though she is sad he is gone, she has prepared herself emotionally. You must understand the importance they placed on the social graces. I believe my mother is more happy to host this party in his honor than she was to attend his funeral.” After a moment, she decided to take a neutral stance saying, “She sounds like a wonderful and devoted wife.” Raff nodded and smiled. “I was hoping you would be willing to meet her.” He said. “Will you come to my family home and attend this celebration?” “Your family home?” Jennifer asked sarcastically. “Is it some kind of mansion or something?”

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He was absolutely deadpan when he said, “Actually, it is a castle.” She should have known. Why did she even try to make any assumptions at all when it came to Raff? “I’d love to meet your mother,” she said. “But I didn’t bring anything at all that could pass as a party dress. Do you think any stores will be open today?” “I believe I can arrange something.” He showed his teeth as he smiled slyly. An hour later they were in a small boutique owned by fashion designer Kaat Wouters. Raff had actually phoned her personally, and though Jennifer couldn’t understand the Dutch he spoke to her, she was fairly certain he had explained he needed a dress for this evening and asked her for a favor. The minute the designer saw Jennifer, she told Raff in very broken English that she knew exactly

what she should wear. She went to the back and came out with an extravagant red and bronze dress. The fabric was unlike anything Jennifer knew existed. It was woven in an intricate pattern alternating the red with bronze with some areas that were somewhat sheer. It was the most gorgeous thing she had ever seen. Kaat put it on a mannequin and retreated to the back of the store again. Jennifer looked at Raff and said she had never seen anything like it before and argued that it was too formal for her to wear to a Christmas party. He scoffed and said it would look beautiful on her. Then imitating the sound of a fanfare, Kaat returned with the pièce de résistance. It was a set of wings that apparently attached to the back of the dress and resembled butterfly wings. As beautiful as they were, Jennifer was in no way shape or form ready to meet

Raff’s mother wearing butterfly wings. He must have thought the same thing because he launched into Dutch again. There was a short exchange during which Jennifer could tell Kaat was saying the wings went with the dress and had to be worn together, but somehow Raff helped her understand it would be too trendy for the Christmas Eve party. Jennifer tried on the dress, and Kaat quickly altered it to fit perfectly. She felt very much the fairy princess and not much like herself. Kaat handed her a shawl made of the same material to wrap around her shoulders. It had crochet fringe about a foot long and added enough flair to satisfy the designer. Then she handed Jennifer a gorgeous bronze and ruby choker and a pair of shiny bronze sandals with red rubies set in them. Jennifer immediately objected to the jewelry and shoes. They were far, far too expensive. Raff said money was no object, and she could have them if she wanted them. Jennifer could not accept them for only one evening’s wearing. She asked Kaat if she could only borrow them just

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for tonight. She agreed if Raff would invite her and a guest to the party. Raff laughed loudly and said of course she was invited! They kissed each other’s cheeks and said goodbye until the party. They returned to the hotel where Jennifer packed an overnight bag. Then they boarded a train bound for Raff’s family castle in Bruges. It took about an hour to get there, and Raff had a car waiting for them. The driver stowed Jennifer’s dress and bag in the back, and Raff asked him to take them through the city so Jennifer could see the sights. She was transported back in time hundreds of years and felt as though she had stepped right into

a storybook. Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Belle would all have felt right at home here. There were just as many canals as there were roads, and swans flapped their wings as boats traversed past them. The buildings were grand, but in a far less pretentious manner than those in Brussels. Raff told her the history of the city and how it was in the Middle Ages the most prosperous city in Europe. It was the center of the textile trade, and wealth amassed here like

nowhere else at the time. But trade was diverted to Antwerp around 1500, and the city slumbered. Now it was rejuvenated and known for its hand-made lace and surprising views around every corner. When they arrived at Raff’s home, Jennifer was completely unprepared for the understated grandeur of the place. It sat among a large neighborhood of 3-story, red-roofed homes, but it dwarfed the surrounding buildings. It had to have at least six levels with towers, stone turrets, and ivy growing on several walls. They parked in the circle driveway, and Jennifer saw the big front doors open. Her stomach flip-flopped as she anticipated seeing Raff’s mother. Suddenly she stepped out, and Jennifer was totally taken aback by her appearance. She looked nothing like Jennifer had imagined and nothing like Raff. She was very thin and quite tall for her age. She had her dark hair pulled back in a low ponytail and wore dark pants and a dark turtleneck. She had big brown eyes, extremely high cheekbones, and a big genuine smile. She had an air about her that seemed very warm and authentic.

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Raff introduced them. “Mother, this is Jenni-fair McDermott. Jenni-fair, my mother, Leona Van Haute.” Jennifer reached to shake her hand, but she pulled her by her hand to kiss her cheeks and then embraced her warmly. Jennifer immediately felt loved by this woman and tears formed in her eyes. As she let go, she saw tears in her eyes as well. They were both slightly embarrassed as they wiped them away. “It is so very nice to meet you, Mrs. Van Haute.” Jennifer said. “Thank you for inviting me to your party this evening.” “Jenni-fair, please call me Leona.” She said in warm alto tones. “I am so happy to finally meet the woman who is making Raff so happy. You are a very special woman, indeed. Welcome.” She wrapped her arm around her and walked her inside. “Let me show you to your room. You will stow your things and then join me for a small celebration in the kitchen.” Jennifer was overwhelmed by her kindness. In the kitchen, there was a tray of cheeses and red wine. Leona toasted them and gave her blessing to their engagement. Her eyes misted again as she praised Jennifer for recognizing Raff’s true nature and for loving him with her whole heart. “Van Haute men are proud.” She said. “We must be unyielding in our devotion and support. You, Jenni-fair, have shown both by traveling here when my son was too proud to go to you. Raff’s happiness means the world to me. Thank you. Welcome to our family, dear.” Jennifer instantly loved Leona, and her admiration for her grew over the course of the evening. She handled herself with more elegance and grace than Jennifer would have thought possible only one day after her husband’s funeral. She wore a stunning forest green beaded gown with a matching velvet bow holding her hair at the nape of her neck. Her only jewelry was a small pair of emerald and diamond earrings. Jennifer noticed she did not wear any rings. In her own dress, Jennifer felt like a princess in Queen Leona’s castle. She felt like she looked perfect, and Raff was right that it was not too dressy. Even her borrowed jewels and shoes did not stand out in the rooms filled with dignitaries and ambassadors. As the evening peaked, Leona stopped the chamber orchestra’s rendition of Greensleeves and announced their engagement. The crowd seemed pleased Belgium’s newest billionaire would finally be settling down. Jennifer’s stomach clenched at the realization that he would, indeed, probably have to stay in Belgium. There really was no way around it. What she had to do now was decide if she could stay with him. Her head swam with champagne, and the thought of living abroad in the lap of such luxury was all too much. They were given the floor for the next dance, and Raff deftly whisked her around the room. He noticed her face had lost color and asked if she was OK. She said she felt a little tired and asked if they could retire after this dance. He said they certainly could and admitted to suffering from severe withdrawals from her attention all evening. They had been together all night, and she looked at him confused. He wiggled his eyebrows, and she understood what he meant. She smiled and shook her head.

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When they got to their room, Jennifer told Raff how much she loved his mother. “She is so graceful and elegant, but genuine and loving at the same time. I’ve never met anyone like her.” He looked seriously at her, “You remind me of her in so many ways, chère.” “I do?” She asked, and he nodded. She was sure she wasn’t so beautiful and eloquent. Maybe what he saw or felt was how much they both loved him. She thought of Chris and how much she loved him and wondered if all mothers loved their sons as much. She asked Raff what time it was, and he told her nearly 1:00 a.m. She counted the hours and decided to call Chris quickly to wish him a merry Christmas Eve. After she had carefully hung up her dress and returned the choker and shoes to Kaat’s velvet bags and boxes, she stood beside the edge of the bed in her underwear and bra. She looked at Raff, already lying on the bed, and wondered if there was a way to make a life in Belgium work. Maybe Chris could come there to finish school. Surely a European degree would look nice on his résumé. And she could probably visit Katie more than she had been able to from Dallas if she were in fact married to a billionaire! She crawled into the bed, and Raff lavished her ever so slowly. They had all the time in the world, didn’t they? They slept in each other’s arms, and Jennifer dreamed she was dancing with Raff again at the party. It was all too surreal, and was all, everything, more like a dream than reality. When she awoke the next morning, it took several moments to remember where she was. When she did, an unbearable sadness washed over her. It would never work. She could never stay. The bright sun coming from the enormous windows indicated snow had fallen during the night and cheered her a bit. She might as well enjoy it while it lasted. She jumped up and ran to the window in the nude. She stood there covered in goose bumps from the chill in the air, but still breathed onto the glass and traced the words “Merry Christmas” in the condensation. Outside, the town looked ridiculously like a Christmas card. It was almost too corny-looking to be true. She looked back at the bed to ask Raff to come see, but he wasn’t there. She looked in the restroom, but he had gone. She wasn’t sure what the plan was for the morning and didn’t know how to dress, so she took a very hot shower. She was brushing her teeth when he returned. “Merry Christmas, my love!” He chanted. “Merry Christmas, Raff!” She washed out her mouth and tried to sound cheerful. “Did you see the snow? It’s so beautiful! I’ve never had a white Christmas before!”

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He laughed and held her. “Hopefully you will have many more to come in the years ahead!” Her stomach clenched again. He read her mind, as usual, and asked merrily, “May we delay our conversation about this subject until this afternoon?” “OK.” She nodded. “What’s this afternoon?” “My relatives on my father’s side come every year for Christmas brunch.” “Oh.” She wasn’t at all sure she was up for another room full of strangers. “Were any of them here last night?” “A few.” He said. “Today will be my two aunts, and their husbands and children.” “These aunts are your father’s sisters?” “Yes. They are not fond of me,” he frowned, “especially now that Father has redrawn his will.” “Oh.” She bit her lip. “How merry.” “It will be fine.” He said. “Trust me.” She dressed and went to the kitchen to see if she could help. Leona was elegant as ever and hummed Christmas tunes as she moved about helping the cooks prepare for brunch. Jennifer did what she could see needed doing and asked for direction when she needed it. She was secretly a ball of nerves inside, but she thought she masked it well by staying busy. Raff’s family arrived right on time, and everyone kissed cheeks and smiled and shook her hand when they met her. Jennifer was very surprised when the bossy lady in the Church of Ste-Catherine turned out to be Raff’s cousin! Luckily, she didn’t seem to recognize her from the encounter. After the meal, the family gathered around the tree in the great room and exchanged gifts. There were gorgeous silk scarves, Cuban cigars, wool and cashmere sweaters, bottles of aged scotch and cognac, and gold and silver jewelry. Jennifer enjoyed watching them open their gifts and didn’t feel self-conscious at all just being a spectator. She just tried not to gawk. It was quite something to see how the other half lived. But when the festivities were about to end, Raff stood and said he had a few more gifts to give. He turned to the husband of one of his aunts and said that he knew his father had been planning to make him the curator of the family museum until he changed the will to pass ownership to Raff. Jennifer noticed a hint of resentment in the man’s ruddy face. Raff then explained that if his father trusted him with such an appointment so did he, and asked him to look after the museum for Raff for a very generous salary. The whole family grew silent as they waited for his answer. After a moment, the uncle turned even redder and laughed aloud accepting Raff’s offer.

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Then Raff turned to his other aunt, the bossy cousin’s mother. He said he understood she was to be liaison to the family accountant until the will was changed. He offered her an equally generous salary to fulfill that responsibility and report to him regularly. She beamed and accepted as well. Then Raff turned to Jennifer and said, “I have decided to distribute these responsibilities so that I may spend all the time my lovely Jenni-fair would like in the United States. She is a devoted mother and loving sister, and I am her humble servant.” Jennifer gasped as he knelt in front of her. He took her left hand and placed an exquisite ring on her finger. “It was my mother’s.” He said, and Jennifer glanced toward Leona, who was dabbing tears from her eyes. Raff continued, “I wish you to have it as a symbol of my love and devotion to you. I wish to be as good a husband to you as she was a wife to my father. I love you with all my heart, and I will go wherever you will have me.” He kissed her hand. Jennifer leaned down and kissed him. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she kissed him again because she couldn’t speak. The whole family broke into spontaneous applause. It was the merriest Christmas she had ever had. That evening the three of them were enjoying leftovers in front of a warm fire in the huge fireplace. Each of them was getting a good laugh as Jennifer told Leona how she and Raff had met and about her first impressions of him. She told her about the sculpture and what he had said about it bringing them together. But she grew quite sober as she realized it was her second visit to the sculpture that had sparked her search to find him again.

She leaned her head back on the sofa and closed her eyes. She imagined following Raff up the big silver pole. In her mind, she turned to make sure Chris was following them and then she noticed Katie, Charles, and the girls occupied places on the pole closer to the sky. They all walked toward a perfect life filled with love and laughter. When she opened her eyes, Raff was next to her on the sofa. He said, “You now see what I did that day, do you not?” She nodded and kissed him tenderly on his perfect, soft lips.