Melissa's Legacy Ch. 02-03

I counted down the days to April 19th and at the crack of dawn on that day I set out for New Britain in my rental car. I arrived mid-morning and checked into a local motel. It was a charming town and I spent most of the day wandering around the town and also asking for information on Noah Pierson. No luck on that front but tomorrow's the big day.

I went to the cemetery in the late afternoon to locate Zachary Pierson's headstone. After an hour of searching I found it. It was a modest gray granite headstone. I cried at the grave site for Melissa, for Zachary, and for my loss of Millie. I didn't know if I could survive another heartbreak so soon after Melissa's death. I stiffened up my spine and told myself that tomorrow would be the day I would find Millie.

I arrived at the cemetery at 6 a.m. It was cold and quiet with dawn just breaking. I nursed my hot coffee and contemplated my future in the eerie quiet of the cemetery. As eight o'clock rolled around I saw groundskeepers starting their daily chores and a few vehicles driving through to visit loved ones elsewhere in the cemetery. I took a brief restroom break around 11:30 and arrived back in no more than 15 minutes with another cup of coffee in hand. There was a man at the grave site. I knew who it must be.

I approached the man. "Noah Pierson?" I asked.

Somewhat startled, the man turned around and said "Yes. And with whom am I speaking?"

Noah was a handsome man. He looked to be in his mid-40's, fit and about my height. He was wearing a cashmere topcoat. "I'm Galen Kendall, a friend of Millie's."

Noah was surprised at my response. "You've seen Millie recently?"

"Why yes, she came for an interview at my office in Manhattan. I didn't have a position for her but got to know her after words. I thought we were getting close but now I can't find her."

"That sounds like Millie. Here and then gone. I think you've come a long way for nothing. Zack's death really ripped our marriage apart. Millie used to be the life of the party. She was bright and vivacious. After Zack's death she was perpetually depressed, as was I. She started relying on painkillers to sleep and to forget, and that addiction caused her to lose her job and ultimately me. We were divorced within a year of Zack's death. I think she drifted off to wallow in her sorrow and her drug addiction and I haven't seen her since. I have no idea where she is. I'm remarried and have a baby daughter."

He showed me the pictures he had on his phone. It was a bittersweet conversation, hearing more about Millie, but also hearing that I would probably never see Millie again.

Noah finished paying his respects and left about 15 minutes later. It was about noon and I was alone again at Zachary's grave site. I decided to stay until the sun went down and then go back to my motel. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon that I tried to enjoy, sitting by the grave site. As the sun started to set I saw a figure in the distance. As it came closer I recognized Melissa's coat. My heart started racing.

She approached me, but there was no warmth, no kiss. Just the hollow look of a beaten woman. I approached her and she pulled away.

"Galen, I can't believe you tracked me down. I haven't visited Zachary's grave site for four years. I thought I'd come back on his fifth anniversary."

"I thought you might as well." I was hopeful I could pull her back from her dark place.

"There's nothing for you here. I'm just a woman who has disgraced herself in everyone's eyes, including yours. You should pass by me like you do every other homeless person in New York - - without a second glance." The bitterness of the last five years was welling to the surface.

I pleaded with her. "That's not true. We connected. If you believe in karma Melissa's coat brought us together. I love you and I don't want to lose you again."

"How can you love me? I presume you've found out that I was fired from my job at the newspaper and I left my husband because I was a drug addict."

"But you pulled yourself back together. I believe in redemption. We're both broken souls. We proved that night that we can help each other heal. I'm not going to let you go. Please, let's at least go to dinner and talk about this. You owe me at least that."

Millie hesitated. I could see that her instinct was to walk away and continue to engage in self-pity, but also that her better half wanted her to give herself a chance. The better half won. "All right. I'll talk with you but don't expect for me to go back with you to New York."

I was relieved. She was willing to talk. "That's fine. When I was visiting New Britain yesterday I saw an Italian restaurant where we can get a booth, have a nice meal and talk."

We walked to my car together and drove to the restaurant in an uncomfortable silence.

When we arrived at the restaurant we were seated in a booth away from others. We each ordered our dinner and I ordered the most expensive Brunello on their list. The serious conversation began when we were served the wine.

"Millie, you shouldn't be ashamed of where you've been. You went through the worst possible thing a parent could be put through. The point is that you've managed to pull yourself out of it and make the effort to put your life back together. You're entitled to me happy again. People can forgive you."

"How can anybody have forgiveness in their heart for me? I've done things that no one should do and have seen the dark side of the world where there is no forgiveness."

Leaning forward, I told Millie, "I'm not living on the dark side. Because of you I see a purpose in my life. When you left I made it my mission to find you. I searched the women's shelter, the hotels you stayed at, and now your hometown. Can't you see you mean everything to me?"

I got through. Millie started to cry uncontrollably. "I hardly know you. We only had one night together," she said between sobs.

I went over to her side of the table and held her in my arms. She put her head on my shoulder and continued crying.

I reached in my pocket and took out Melissa's diamond engagement ring. I slipped it over her ring finger. It of course fit perfectly.

"It's not just one night. It's forever."

Epilogue

Galen and Millie were married that fall. Galen continues to work in his ad agency. Millie secured a position as a copy editor with a local newspaper. They live in Galen's apartment with their boxer Princess. They both volunteer their time at Dress for Success, an organization devoted to distributing lightly used women's business clothing to women that are looking to transition back into the workplace. This author has joined with Galen and Millie in making a contribution to Dress for Success at 32 East 31st Street, 6th floor, New York, NY 10016.