First a Dream (Dreams Come True #1) (2 page)

***

Gabriel

Sighing, Gabriel parked at the office. As he exited the BMW, he ran a hand through his dirty blond hair and tried to collect himself. The day had not gone as it should thanks to the weather. His meeting began later than anticipated when the client’s flight was delayed. The snow increased travel time on the busy Montreal streets, ensuring he was late coming back from his class at McGill University and even later for this meeting with the president of the company, his father.

“You’re late.”

“The weather…” He struggled to explain the challenges he’d faced.

“I expect more from you, Gabriel!” His father’s voice had boomed as soon as he’d closed the office door behind him.

Throwing his hands in the air, Gabriel had shouted in exasperation. “What?  You expected me to grow wings?  There are things we cannot control in this life, father. I would think you’d know this by now.”

“Watch your tone with me.” The older man scowled. “And I should think by now you’d know there are very few things we
can’t
control.” He leaned back in his big leather chair. “I will accept, however, that the weather is one of them.” He folded his hands on the desk. “I’m ready to discuss the status of several projects. Oh, and I need your business cards.”

With a frown, Gabriel sat in the chair across from the desk. “They aren’t ready yet. I was supposed to get pictures today, but...weather.” He watched as his father glowered at him. “I’ve rescheduled for next week.”

“Your course work. I need you to be done on time.” His fingers were drumming on the desk now.

Gabriel licked his lips and chose his words carefully. “I’ll be taking the last few classes I need in the States over the summer since I that’s where I found them being offered. Don’t worry. I’ll be done on time.” He stared evenly at his father and prepared to field the next question.

His father leaned forward. “Won’t that make for a long daily commute?” One eyebrow arched dangerously.

Swallowing hard, Gabriel admitted, “I plan to live there near the SUNY Plattsburgh campus during the week. My classes are only Monday through Thursday. I’ll come back on the weekends.” He had given this much thought. At twenty-four, he was eager to be more independent. He loathed living at his father’s house.

The man gave him a discerning look. “As long as you’ll be done your classes, I suppose. You’re dismissed. I’ll see you at dinner.” Then without even saying a formal goodbye, he turned his attention back to the open file on his desk.

Slowly, Gabriel stood. “Don’t you want to hear how the meeting went with the clients?”

Without even looking up, his father responded. “I’ve already spoken with the clients. I know precisely how the meeting went.”

“I closed a multi-million dollar deal.” His arms fell limply at his side.

“I know.” There was an edge to his voice as he stopped working to stare at Gabriel again. “Is there something you wanted me to say?”

“I suppose ‘congratulations’ is too much to hope for. See you at dinner.” Then he strode from the room. He hated the way his father made him feel, so small and insignificant.

The worst part was that he was supposed to be in the States right now. He glanced at his watch. He imagined he would be finishing up his photo shoot right now, making plans for a late dinner, and even going out after. He would stay in the nicest hotel room the small city had to offer before registering for classes and securing a summer apartment from the list the realtor had faxed him. Scowling, he hopped in his BMW and listened with some satisfaction as the engine purred to life. “Next week will be better,” he said to himself.

Chapter Two

Isabella

Though Jack never respected their wedding vows, he had apparently respected everything she’d said the night before. When she woke in the morning, Isabella discovered he’d never come home. She had no idea where he was staying and she reminded herself not to care. She had once heard divorce compared to a death in the family. Isabella had disagreed then, but disagreed still more vehemently now. Divorce wasn’t a death
in
the family; it was the death
of
the family. The perfect little family Isabella had struggled to create was now dead. Jack and her sister had killed it. Somehow she still had to function. Somehow she had to get up every day and take care of the kids and get Konnor to daycare and Rebecca to kindergarten. Somehow she would hold back the tears that were constantly stinging her eyes, their water level so close to the surface. She was afraid of one wrong move, someone saying the wrong word at the wrong moment, causing a fissure in the facade she had fabricated.

As soon as the bus picked up Rebecca, Isabella dropped Konnor off with her neighbor who ran an in-home daycare and then she drove to work. Fridays were always busy at the studio and she relished the activity. With any luck, she and Kristofer wouldn’t even have a chance to talk.

After parking in her usual spot behind the studio, she took one final look at her face in the rear view mirror. Her brown eyes were tired looking, which made perfect sense as she’d had little sleep the night before. Her honey brown hair had been pulled up into a ponytail. Isabella should’ve done more than her usual powder for shine and lip gloss, but she couldn’t seem to find the energy to do so. She practiced smiling a few times. Satisfied with the results, she stepped out of the vehicle and walked carefully to the front door.

“We really need to salt the sidewalk,” Isabella commented as she walked through the door, determined to keep busy. “I’ll get right on that.” She started for the utility room in the back.

“Morning, gorgeous!” Kristofer greeted her as he looked up from the computer. His broad smile faded. “Oh. Rough night?”

“Salt.” She spoke firmly and pointed to indicate she was on a mission.

“Fine. Of course, you know you’ll be telling me eventually, right?” Kristofer stood up from the desk and crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at her. “Go salt, then I’ll fixing your face. I can’t have you scaring away business.” He smirked and gestured for her to go about her business.

Isabella opened her mouth to protest, but knew better. He was the boss and she couldn’t afford to lose this job, especially now. Even more, she’d never do anything to disappoint her professor, Dr. Pam, who had recommended her. “Okay,” she mumbled as she left the room.

It only took a few minutes to take care of the sidewalk, not nearly enough time to pull herself together. Feeling even glummer than when she left the mall the night before, Isabella slowly walked back into the building to face the inquisition. Maybe it didn’t have to be that bad. Maybe she should be proactive. A smirk played at the corner of her mouth as she imagined Kristofer’s reaction. Throwing her shoulders back, she pulled open the door and marched directly to the desk where he worked.

“So, last night…” Isabella waited for him to turn and face her. It didn’t take long. Immediately, he whipped around and faced her.

‘Yes?” His face was a combination of interest and concern. His hands were clasped tightly in front of him.

“I took your advice and it backfired in the worst way.” She took a deep breath as she saw all hope drain from Kristofer’s face.

“Oh, doll. I’m sorry. What do I know about relationships?  I haven’t been with a man in...I don’t know how long. You should never listen to me.” He reached to give her a hug.

Isabella held a hand up between them. “Wait. I have to get this out. I haven’t told anyone yet. Not even the kids.” She remembered how she rushed them out of the house before they could even ask about their father and her hands started shaking so she tucked them in her pants pockets. “I caught Jack in the back room of the toy store fooling around with my sister.”

His hand shot up and covered his mouth as he gasped. Then Kristofer sat down hard in his chair. “Well, you could just knock me over with a feather.” His brows knit together. “Why are you even here?  Go home!” He stood and tried to push her toward the door.

Shaking her head, Isabella struggled to explain. “No. I need the hours. Especially now. And I need to feel normal. And and...I don’t want to deal with it. I’ll have all weekend for that. Please let me stay. I’ll be fine. I promise.” She whipped around to face him, hands clasped under her chin.

“Oh, baby girl, whatever you need.” He pulled her into a hug. “If you ever need a day, you just let me know. Got it?” Kristofer lifted her chin with his forefinger as he studied her face. “Now your face. I’ll teach you to fake it ‘til you make it. And if you look amazing, you’ll start to feel amazing too.” He grabbed her wrist and brought her back to the makeup room.

“But...appointments!” Isabella worried about clients showing up and not being there to greet them.

Glancing at his watch, Kristofer shook his head. “We have twenty minutes before the first one. Even if they show up early, I’ll still have time. And besides, I love doing makeup. Just shut up and let me!”

An unexpected laugh escaped her lips. How could she be unhappy around these antics?  With a grin, she acquiesced. “Okay, but you have your work cut out for you.”

***

As Isabella drove home, she realized she hadn’t heard from Jack all day. So it was a huge surprise when she arrived home, two kids in tow and opened the front door only to discover he had emptied out all of his possessions in their absence. There was a note taped to the door she had grabbed on the way in. As the kids scampered up the stairs to their rooms, she finally read it with shaking hands.

Isabella,

              Sorry about everything. I hope you

know that I will never love anyone like

I love you.

               We need to get together to distribute

the movie collection. I wasn’t sure what you

wanted.

Love, Jack

Isabella realized he must have scrutinized every item he took carefully, cautious to not take anything that Isabella might lay claim to.
That’s right
, Isabella thought,
you’ve taken enough from me already.

She continued to analyze the brief note.
Never love anyone like you love me
, Isabella snorted.
Just as well for your next victim I suppose
. Then she walked around the house, did a quick once over. Her favorite chair was gone, the flame stitched club chair his father had purchased at an auction was one of their first pieces of furniture and happened to fit her perfectly, but it was Jack’s anyway. Some of the cookware was also gone, as well as the old dishes and silverware. He had taken the video games, which didn’t upset her in the least. There in the built in bookcase, the movie collection remained untouched. The apartment seemed strangely vacant. All of the clutter and mess she usually complained about was missing.

There were no stacks of bills and catalogs, no half-done jigsaw puzzles, no partially assembled model cars. There were no remote control vehicles, no Jack toys of any kind. Finally Isabella climbed the stairs to the bedroom where the closet door exposed a gaping vacant area his clothes used to occupy. The electric razor which always stayed plugged in and dangling over the sink...gone. No deodorant, no toothpaste, no shampoo, not one piece of Jack remained.

Isabella inhaled deeply.
I will not cry. I will not cry
. Rebecca and Konnor had passed her on the stairs and were now watching television in the living room. Still, they could wander upstairs at any time. She couldn’t let them see her cry. It was such a foreign act, they were bound to be frightened. Isabella staggered over to the bed, lowered herself to the floor, and reached into her pocket to grab her phone. She hadn’t even spoken to Jessie since the “mall incident” had occurred.

“Isabella, what happened?” Jessie’s voice was both concerned and stern, demanding a response.

“He’s…gone…Jessie,” Isabella whispered through controlled breaths. “He’s… really…gone.”

“Don’t move. I’ll be right over,” her friend commanded in a hurried voice before abruptly ending their call.

So Isabella didn’t. Jessie arrived less than twenty minutes later from the outskirts of town with her toddler, Stephen. The door was unlocked and she heard it creak as Jessie let herself in.

“Stephen, play with Konnor and Rebecca,” she suggested gently.

A moment later she heard Jessie slowly mount the stairs. When she reached the landing, Jessie peeked over tentatively to assess the situation. Isabella was in a crumpled heap next to the bed. She wasn’t crying, but the effort she exerted not to was pained her greatly. Her face was red. Her breathing was ragged, her appearance haggard.

Crossing the room silently, Jessie knelt by her friend and began stroking her frizzing hair. “I don’t suppose you’d consider letting those tears out?” Her voice was quiet and serious.

“I ...can’t...” Isabella struggled to maintain her composure.

“What your grandmother did to you all those years ago was a terrible thing, Isabella. There are times you have to cry, you must cry. If you don’t cry...” Her voice trailed off.

Isabella knew what she was thinking. It was what Isabella herself feared. What if she just lost it? “What...if...I...can’t...stop?” Her eyes darted about nervously.

She sighed. “All right. Maybe you aren’t ready to cry yet.” Jessie stood up and walked into the master bathroom. Soon Isabella heard the sound of water filling the tub. From where she lay, Isabella could see Jessie lighting the candles. The Yankee Candle scents of Hyacinth and Seaside Holiday mingled with Clean Cotton. There was another scent too, ummm Warm Vanilla Sugar bubble bath. Isabella sat slowly, propping herself up on one arm. She felt weak from the drama of the past twenty-four hours.

Wordlessly, Jessie walked over, helped her onto the edge of the bed, undressed her, and prodded her toward the bath tub. She steadied Isabella as she slipped beneath the bubbles into the soothing warm depths. Jessie walked over, turned off the lights, and whispered, “I’ll be back up after I feed the kids and clean up, okay?” Isabella nodded. Then Jessie pointed to the hook on the back of the door where Isabella’s solitary bathrobe hung limply. “In case you want to get out before I come back.”

In the distance, Isabella could vaguely hear her children clamoring to help with dinner. This was just another adventure to them. They were so good, so easy to be with. At some point, Isabella felt the tension slipping away. Her shoulders weren’t as tight. Her leg muscles weren’t aching like they had been, and even her back felt less strained. From out of nowhere, a new seed was planted in Isabella’s head
. I’m going to be just fine.
The thought really surprised her. She had to try it again, say it aloud to make sure she meant it, and believed it. “I’m going to be just fine.” Excitement bubbled inside her.

“I know you are, Isabella.”

Startled, she looked at the door and realized Jessie was peeking in on her. Her cheeks burned from her earlier actions. She wore a shy smile. “You don’t have to worry about me. I won’t break, or crack, or whatever it is you thought was going to happen.” Feeling stronger now, Isabella stepped out of the bath tub. She grabbed her bathrobe and cinched it around her. Gliding past her best friend, she crossed the carpeting to her bed, then climbed under the comforter and leaned back against her layers of pillows. Jessie pointed to her night stand. There were more candles lit, and two of her enormous mugs sat steaming on a tray. Isabella shot her a confused look.

“I wanted you to eat something and get some rest. One is decaffeinated tea, prepared just the way you like it.” She was about to explain the other mug, but was interrupted.

“Nine sugars?” Isabella was doubtful. Her friend had always cringed watching her make her teas.

Jessie gave a full body shiver. “Yes, Isabella, nine sugars. Nine big, heaping sugars.” Isabella laid there contented with the answer. “And the other mug has chicken bullion in it. I didn’t think you could stomach anything too harsh, but I still floated some oyster crackers in it.”

She sighed contentedly. “I love you, Jessie. You know me so well. Can you stay while I eat?” She watched for a reaction. “I’ll even talk now. I promise.” She raised her fingers in a mock pledge.

“Actually, I called Jeff. And if you want, I’m yours for the night.” Jessie really had thought of everything.

She was quiet for a moment before speaking. The offer was tempting, but after ruminating on it for a matter of seconds she shook her head with certainty. “I can’t let you do that. You’ve been too good to me already. How about if you just stay until my kids are asleep?” Isabella needed to start getting used to being alone now, and accept she might always be. She couldn’t rely on Jessie forever.

“I’ll come back upstairs after the kids are fed. It’s a frozen pizza night.” Jessie smiled brightly.

“They’ll love that.”