The Truth Behind It All

Chapter 22

August 26, 2012

            Ana Marie's hands are trembling as she runs her hair brush through her hair. All her life preparing for this, and yet she felt sick. She looks at the clock hanging from the wall. Thirty minutes and she will leave to Phoenix airport. She stands studying herself in the mirror. Her blue blouse fitted her perfectly, slightly going down her shoulders, she turns in place studying her faded blue jeans. Did she look too . . . too provocative? She should probably change, but it's one of her best blouses. But it has been three weeks since she last saw Adam, she wants to look good for him. She approaches her closet but she stops and turns to the mirror again. Does she look good enough to meet her in laws?

            Finally, not wanting to be late, she decides to keep the blouse and risk it. As she is driving towards the airport, she is recounting her plans in her head, making sure everything was settled. Adam's parents will sleep in her room, she will sleep in her mother's and Adam will spend the night at Jorge's bar. Tomorrow morning, she will take a long shower, she will take her sweet time to do her own hair and make-up, and at five thirty she will walk down the aisle. She stops at a red light and starts reviewing everything. At two tomorrow, Mrs. Jones will come and adorn her house. Mrs. Jones, with her brand new kidney, insisted to do it for free, so all Ana Marie had to tell her was the theme colors. White and Green. She picked green because green means life. And that is Adam's and hers own theme. Life. Fighting for a good life. Surviving death and choosing life.

            As Ana Marie is going to get ready, Mrs. Jones, along with her family will be in charge of making Ana Marie's mother's house good enough for a wedding. Jorge wanted to buy dinner. And since it was going to be a small, family and friends only wedding, he also insisted to do it for free. Ana Marie always knew it was going to be a small wedding, when she discussed it with Adam over the phone, he said he was thinking the exact thing. The ceremony was going to be simple. Jorge and she will walk out her room as the piano music (supplied by one of Adam's sister in law) is being played lowly. She will approach Adam and the Pastor Oscar, who Ana Marie knows since she was a kid, will do what he has to do. Nothing fancy, just a simple wedding ceremony. After all, it didn't matter how the wedding was going to turn out, as long as she gets to marry Adam.

             At last, she parks her car and enters the not so full airport. Across the room is where she will wait for Adam and her future mother and father in law. She holds her purse tightly making her knuckles turn white. Will they like her? Are they friendly? She takes a deep breath and remembers Adam's words as they spoke on the phone the day before. "They will love you, trust me."

            She looks at her watch and sees that five minutes has passed to the accorded hour. She starts to get worried. Five minutes late can mean anything, a windy weather, a turbulent flight, a drunk pilot. She shuts her eyes tightly, she wasn't making herself any good thinking like that. When she opens them again, in the distance, she can see Adam walking in his confident slow stride, he was easy to spot. A tall man with broad shoulders, he was the tallest man in the airport. He seems to be looking for her in the crowd. She stands on her tip toes trying to make herself seen. She takes gigantic steps forward as she tries to walk in her toes like a ballerina. His eyes land on her and he smiles. Ana Marie smiles back as she hurries her step.

            "Hey," Adam says once they reach for each other. He pulls her into a strong embrace leaving her breathless.

            "Hey, how was the flight?" she asks trying to soothe her nerves.

            "Oh, it was alright." He turns around to look behind him and approaching them is a senior couple, a tall man with silver hair and a woman in a very elegant dress. The woman waves her hand flashing her white smile.