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IVY
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TODAY IS DAVID’S BIRTHDAY. It’s the first time I’ve been back at Ivy Hill in my time since I was here with Scott a year and seven months ago. I’ve seen David several times, but he comes to me more now because he wants the time with his kids.
I told him about Scott and my time at Ivy Hill that first time back, and he cried. I gave him the letter Scott wrote him, and his hands trembled the whole time he read it, then he sat down and wrote him back a letter twice as long. They haven’t met face-to-face. David thinks it’s best to wait until we know if he makes it to my time for good or not. He figures Scott lost his dad once; he doesn’t want to do it to him again.
They talk about everything in their letters. I think it’s been healing for both because when David has to deal with Anna now, he’s a lot less on edge knowing as bad as he thought it was not having the time with his son, that his son saw through her, and he has some time with him now.
Scott listens and wants every detail from every visit and has remained a part of our family with weekly dinners unless David is with us. Then I meet him at his place.
Brian dragged me to this birthday celebration at Ivy Hill, saying I needed to get out of the house, and since Scott invited us, it seemed perfect. The place is busy, but then again, it always is. I wander around Ivy Hill this time watching everyone take it in and listening to the comments people make. I hear a lady ask what made David choose the roses for the stained glass over the door, and the attendant said they didn’t know.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry I heard your question about the roses. David picked the roses because they held a special significance in his family, and it was a family tribute.”
“Oh, thank you, dear. You don’t happen to know the details on it, do you?”
“No, I’m sorry.”
The piano room catches my eye, and I smile, remembering all our times there.
“Can you imagine the songs that must have been written and sang on that piano?” I hear a couple next to me talking.
“He wrote his famous ‘Stay With Me Now’ while sitting at that piano. Fun fact: David would sit with the piano bench perpendicular to the piano and not parallel like you see there.”
I smile and move through the house. I end up next to the same couple again in the back room with the waterfall and just smile.
“Scott loved to play with his cars here next to the waterfall when he visited. He said it was his favorite place.”
“Are you a tour guide here?” the gentleman asks.
Scott walks up then. “No, she is a friend of the family who has heard all the stories.” He has a big smile on his face. “Come on, Brian said you were getting yourself into trouble.”
He leads me to the backyard where a local cover band has set up to play a few of his songs. I hang out in the back, away from most of the people, and listen to David's songs once again fill Ivy Hill. When they start to play “Stay With Me Now,” an older man stands beside me.
“They are playing our song.”
My eyes snap to him and take him in. This is my David, I have no doubt. I’d know those blue eyes anywhere. He looks to be the eighty-five years old we are celebrating for his birthday today. He’s in good shape and still makes my heart race.
“David...” I whisper.
“My sweet Ivy. Walk with me?”
Tears are falling down my face now as I follow him farther into the backyard where there are fewer people. Once we hit a part of the garden where we are alone, he turns back to me with a huge smile.
He reaches up to wipe away my tears. “Don’t cry, my sweet girl.” Which of course only makes me cry harder and makes him chuckle.
“Does this mean our plan worked? It’s not you in that grave?”
He smiles and gets a faraway look on his face. “You once told me knowing the future is a burden, and I hated how you carried it alone. Well, my sweet girl, it’s time for me to carry that burden for you. I’m standing here today at age eighty-five, staring at the only girl I have ever loved. That’s all you need to know.”
More tears fall down my face, and he wipes them away again.
“I’m so scared, David, scared we are tempting fate, that something will go wrong. That I’m going to lose you for good.”
“Remember there is one other person who knows exactly how you feel. I felt it too. I was just as scared as you are now. Lean on me, talk to me, tell me this, and let me comfort you, while you in turn, comfort me. Remember this day and this meeting. My love for you is as strong as ever, beautiful.”
With that, he smiles and walks away. I want to chase him and demand he tell me everything, but I know he’s right. It’s better this way. I just have to hold on to the fact that it’s not him in that grave. Yet a nagging part of me says something could still happen. That we could slip up and change everything, and he could truly end up in the grave.
I go and find Brian, who takes one look at me and just wraps his arm around my shoulder and lets me bury my head in his chest.
“Do you want to go home?”
“Please, Brian.”
We say goodbye to Scott and head out. I don’t say a word until we get home. Kevin has the kids down for a nap when we get there.
“How did it go?”
“I saw David.” I turn to look at them.
“What? Like he’s here? Why did he go there?”
“Not my David, eighty-five-year-old David.”
“What?” Kevin asks.
“Future David was there. He wouldn’t tell me any details but said he’s alive and loves me just as much now. He told me to talk to him about my fears for all this and open up because he’s scared too.”
“Then what?!” Brian asks.
“Then he left. I have always asked him not to push so I don’t have to tell him stuff from the future, so how would it be fair for me to push now?”
“So, our plan works?” I can tell Brian is getting excited.
“I guess, but there is still a worry in my gut that it won’t, or we mess it up and it doesn’t work this time. I can’t explain it.”
“We are here, Ivy, and we aren’t going anywhere. Now go snuggle with your babies. Tomorrow is another day.” Kevin gives me a small hug, and I know he’s right.
