2-22-2024 6:40pm

Chapter 30: The Beach..."Deceptions in the Air"

Beth Callahan Editor

Cover by Peter Poast Publications with Photo by Junior Cruz

Similar to what newspapers in the 19th Century did the www.warrencountypost.com. will publish a chapter a day from the book Deceptions in the Air. This fictional book is a blend of reality and conspiracy with a mix of Biblical Prophecy. My hope is that you enjoy the story, while it puts a desire in your heart to seek Truth.

Chapter 30: The Beach

The flight from DC to Wilmington went great. Once Alex and Bri were settled and their seat belts buckled, the two began talking about the first time they met and the different places they had gone.

“Remember that huge wave that washed us into shore when we were body serving, and you wouldn’t get up because your top was all twisted around? You just laid there, letting wave after wave crash over until Carson and I promised to turn around?” Alex laughed.

“Yeah, I do. Thank you for bringing that embarrassing moment back to life. That’s like a teenage girl’s worst nightmare!” Covering her mouth as she started to yawn, she added, “it’s hard to believe it was almost 30-years ago. Time really does go by fast.”

“You're tired,” Alex said putting his arm around her. “Please, rest your head on my shoulder and try to sleep.”

“I don’t want to fall asleep. We only have two days together before I have to go back to Michigan. Sleep would be a waste of time,” Bri said closing her eyes as she rested her head on his chest.

“Bri, Honey. We’re getting ready to land,” Bri heard Alex saying as she began to open her eyes.

“I did fall asleep! Why'd you let me fall asleep?” Bri asked, feeling around her lips to be sure she didn’t have sleep slobber hanging from her mouth.

“Because I wanted to be able to spend time with a refreshed you,” Alex said as he bent over, wiped the side of her lip and then gently placed his lips upon hers.

As the plane was landing, Alex took Bri’s hand into his as he looked out the window. Bri just looked at his sculptured Roman face. Even though he had aged, he was just as handsome to her as he was the day she met on the beach.

“What are we going to do first?” Bri asked.

“Well, I thought maybe... we would rent a car and go into downtown Wilmington. We can walk around and do some sightseeing,” Alex said.

“That would be nice, a relaxing stroll. With no cell phones?” Bri said.

“No cell phones. No meetings. I promise,” Alex said as he softly leaned forward for one more kiss before the stewardess announced that the passengers were allowed to leave the plane.

Once off the plane, the two headed for the rent-a-car service.

“How about a convertible. I always pictured you and me in a convertible driving along the ocean highway... some place,” Alex suggested.

“Alex, I like your way of thinking!”

While they were driving, Alex told Bri about this really neat church he had visited a few years ago.

“I’d love for you to see it too,” he said.

“Really, why?”

“One of the reasons you have always been so special to me is because of your faith. You were brave enough to tell me about God and how He loves me. Several years ago, when I was on a business trip here, I stopped in this church and just felt a special presence. I felt as though God was there with me, preparing me for something. I can’t explain it, but because of your love for God, I just want to take you there.”

With the wind blowing through her hair and the sun shining down upon them, it was the first time Bri had seen Alex really relaxed since they had been together in DC.

“Look what I got here,” Alex said as he turned up the radio.

“Oh my gosh, Weekend in New England... Barry Manilow.,” Bri said. “I can’t believe you remember.”

“I know... I bought you his album for your birthday. Do you remember? he asked.

“How could I have forget? I still listen to it!”

“We’re here!” Alex announced as he pulled into a city parking lot. As they walked down the street towards the church, Alex told her how he loved working on service-oriented projects that helped educate people and brought peace and harmony to mankind.

Bri was on an emotional high — being with Alex and hearing him talk of God, politics, and helping others. She really wasn’t paying attention to how he was phrasing his words. She was excited about hearing the words she wanted to hear... God, love, peace, and helping others.

What possibly could be wrong with a man who speaks of these words? she thought.

Alex had her stop in front of the church and read the sign, St. James Episcopal Church and Burial Grounds established 1729 across the river.

“Wow... this place is beautiful,” Bri said, as they walked up the steps to the early Neo-Gothic Revival building with pinnacled squared towers and lancet windows.

The large wooden doors were standing wide open.

“Can we go in?” She asked with hesitation as Alex put his hand forward escorting her in first.

He explained that during the Revolutionary War, British General Cornwallis used the old colonial church as a hospital. Then, in 1839, the old building was torn down but the bricks were used to rebuild this new church. T.U. Walter, who was the architect for the US capitol dome, designed this new church. It was again used as a hospital during the Civil War.

As he talked, the two walked around the interior of the historical church building. Alex shared more of the church’s history, such as the painting thought to have been created by Spanish artist and scholar Francisco Pacheco (1564 -1654) called Ecco Homo, Latin for Behold the Man.

The dance of the sunlight upon the stain glass windows caught Bri’s attention.

“Look how beautiful,” she softly said in awe of the paintings.

“I know,” he agreed. “They are magnificent. They were designed and created by Silas McBee, an Episcopal writer and architect.”

“The wood work is amazing. I would hate to dust it though,” Bri laughed.

“My practical Bri. Always finding unique and strange ways to look at great art,” Alex said pulling her into his arms and kissing her.

When the two existed out of the door onto the steps of the church’s entrance, Alex motioned to Bri to sit next to him on the step.

“Bri,” Alex said taking her hand. “We’ve actually known each other for a long time... really most of our lives.”

“I guess you can say that if we include our marriage years… even though we weren’t married to each other though” Bri agreed with a nervous laugh.

“Sure there’s been some gaps in our years, but we always seem to pick up where we left off,” he added, trying to keep her on a serious track for a moment.

“Bri, I’m going to try to ask you to do something that you can do exceptionally well on everything except when it comes to you… I need you to be serious for a moment. It’s really important. It’s about us… and our future. I know you, you’re not good at talking about you. And in a strange way that’s something I love about you... you don’t take yourself super-seriously. You’re able to find humor in your mistakes, but it is also something I have finally figured out that you use to keep people at a distance. I don’t want to be at distance from you anymore. I want to be with you as much as possible. And just not as intimate friends, but also physically intimate.”

Bri felt as if someone had just knocked the air out of her as her mind began running a hundred miles a minute. Us and physical… Oh, Lord, help me. She prayed. My desire for him is, well you know… but this thing about sex in marriage. Lord I’m 47. I should be able to have sex with a man to be sure he’s right… Right? At least that’s what everyone tells me. Oh God, help me. Why did you have to write that in the Bible? And it’s like one of the top ten. Oh God, I can’t deal with this.

“Bri it’s okay,” Alex said with a huge smile, noticing Bri’s nervous twitch of rubbing her hands together. “Actually, I think what I am going to suggest will be good for us.”

Bri just looked at Alex and smiled as she tried to figure out what he was going to say.

“Bri, I’ve loved you since the day I met you. And each time I see you, I find that I love you even more. I look at your life and all the things you’ve done, and I think I should have been there to help you. That should have been you and me raising a family,” Alex said, getting a little agitated at himself for the decision he had made of not pursuing her in his youth.

“Alex, it wasn’t meant to be… you would have never done what you’ve done. I know you, too. If you would’ve had children, you wouldn’t have put your time into your career like this… this hologram project is like your child... and it’s a project that is really important to help the world in all kinds of ways.”

“All I ever really wanted was a family with a woman I love. Actually, I did all the things I did in college because I wanted to become a better man — for you. I wanted to become somebody your family would accept. I didn’t want to be the alcoholic like my step-dad, but then, we didn’t have that chance. And then to see how you ended up with an alcoholic anyway and to see you were alone all those years raising a family by yourself, I think, why couldn’t I have been there with you?”

“Alex, we can’t go back in time. We have to accept what has been.”

“I know that… and I also know we have the chance to finally move forward. And that’s what I want to do. I don’t want to lose you again. I want to be a part of your life all the time… till the death do us part thing,” he said pulling out a little black box from his jacket's pocket with a beautiful diamond sitting in a white gold band.

Bri sat there giving Alex a blank stare that quickly grew into an ecstatic grin.

He relaxed and smiled too.

“This wasn’t how I planned on asking you to marry me. Let me start over,” he said as he got down on one knee and took her hand.

“Bri, I love you with my entire being, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me and allow me the privilege to be your husband?”

Bri’s smile faded into a rather serious look.

“Alex, for a man, you’re like… still young. I mean your dream has always been to have a family… children of your own. I’m not having any more children. I have had my two or actually three. I’ve been the soccer mom, the homeroom mom. I’m ready to help my two leave the nest and make it on their own. My next phase will be grandchildren… sometime within the next five to 10 years. You get to retire in two or three years, right?”

“Yes, maybe even sooner,” Alex answered.

“You can find a woman who is in her early 30’s and have your family. I don’t want to take that from you.” She said this with every bit of strength inside of her, knowing that she was giving him the opportunity to leave her life once again… and this time, probably forever.

“Do I have to love this younger woman?” Alex asked a little humorously with some sarcasm, adding, “or, do I just grab a fertile 30-year old?”

Bri laughed... realizing she didn’t quite say it right. “Of course you would love her.”

“Would I love her, like... let’s say, I love you? And, would she love me like you love me?” he asked.

Bri sat there quietly staring into Alex’s deep blue eyes. “I don’t think any woman will ever love you as much as I love you.”

“It’s true I could probably fall in love with a younger woman who could bear my offspring!” Alex said, watching Bri as her facial expression showed anguish. “But, I would never love her like I have and will always love you. I don’t want to marry a dream. I want to marry you, Brianna Paige Taylor.”

Alex took the ring out of the box. Bri gave him her hand. Alex, then, took the sparkling band and gently placed it on her finger.

///