The only person seventy-seven-year-old Robert Landon recognizes is his daughter, Heather. Robert doesn't know his grandchildren, Carrie and Brian. But most importantly, Robert, suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's, doesn't know his wife, Jessica. Heather is determined to rectify this situation. She knows her parents' forty-two-year relationship is a love story for the ages. Heather and Jessica concoct a plan to help jar Robert's memory, to remind him that his one true love is waiting for him. The doctor, however, warns that the plan could backfire, and Robert could become upset hearing the details of his past. From his birth in 1900 to attending college at New York University to becoming a US Senator, Heather recaps the details of Robert's life for him. She reminds him of his desire to be successful in the era prior to the Great Depression and how these events found him caught in a whirlwind of trouble: trouble with the law, trouble with trying to find a means of supporting himself, as well as trouble with an entangled weave of numerous women who were in awe of him. But will he ever be able to remember the woman from his past who calls him her husband?

Her Husband's Crossing

A Man Remembering His Past and His Love for One WomanBy Steven W. Moore

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Steven W. Moore
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4502-9942-8

Contents

Chapter 1 "Family Plan"..................................1Chapter 2 "The Encounter"................................32Chapter 3 "College Strife"...............................57Chapter 4 "Reunited".....................................76Chapter 5 "A Break And Bust".............................94Chapter 6 "Arrested".....................................113Chapter 7 "Hands Of Fate"................................135Chapter 8 "Connections"..................................154Chapter 9 "Followed".....................................178Chapter 10 "Useless Roses"...............................196Chapter 11 "Conflicted"..................................210Chapter 12 "Violent Warning".............................232Chapter 13 "Agent Surprise"..............................262Chapter 14 "Central Park Speech".........................285Chapter 15 "So Much In Common"...........................308Chapter 16 "Bon Voyage"..................................334Chapter 17 "Beach Drama".................................352Chapter 18 "Under The Lights"............................376Chapter 19 "Female Emotions".............................395Chapter 20 "The Goal"....................................411Chapter 21 "Vindication".................................430Chapter 22 "Break Up To Beach House".....................457

Chapter One

"Family Plan"

"I grabbed my sweater from the dresser, my final article of clothing that I possessed from the house. It hit me right then as I stared at my open suitcase, that my packing was done, and I realized that I was leaving the man of my dreams behind. I folded the top flap of my suitcase over and zipped it together, ceasing to now longer see the things that he had bought for me over my long years spent together with him, things that brought me such comfort and joy, joy that had now wasted away. The silence was deafening that day in a room that I once called my own, the room that I shared so many years with my husband. I stared out of the window into the clear, sunny sky, thinking back over all the years that I had spent with him. A tear fell from my eye as I walked over to his side of the bed and kissed his pillow one last time before leaving. I could still smell the all too familiar scent of him as my nose pressed against his pillow. I felt so alone as the silence worsened in the room. I was so used to having him hold me when things got rough like they were at this point, but there was no him there to console my wounded heart. After taking a deep breath, I gathered up my suitcase and proceeded to walk out of the room, a room that had stored so many fond memories of the two of us. I stopped at the threshold between the room and the hallway and turned around for one last long look. I wiped the tears from my face and spoke out softly. 'I will be back, if it's the last thing I do, I will be back,' I whispered to myself. I then turned and walked out into the hallway. I came to the living room, where there, sitting in his favorite chair, was the love of my life. I noticed that he was in deep thought as his head was turned in the opposite direction from me. I wondered what he was thinking. I wondered if I ever crossed his mind anymore. I didn't want to disturb him and I didn't want him to know that I was leaving. With tears now flowing freely down my face, I slowly and quietly walked to the foyer of the house. I took one last long look at him, gazing at every feature on his face. I was stunned at what I was about to do. The emotions of leaving him started to overwhelm me, almost overtaking me as I stood there. I felt as if I was going to pass out as the weight of the suitcase began to feel like it was going to tip me over. I realized that I must get out of there. After several minutes of staring at him, I turned around, took a deep breath, and then proceeded out the front door. As I was walking down the sidewalk toward my car, I was thinking to myself, 'I'm not letting go of him.' And I wasn't going to let go of him, I was letting go of the last few years of us, but I wasn't about to give up on him, not a chance."

A few weeks later, "I don't know if this is going to work," Heather whispered to herself as she found herself driving through a torrential, nighttime downpour in South Meadow, a suburb just on the outskirts of Arlington, Virginia. It was a cool late April evening in 1977, as Heather, with her shoulder length black hair pulled back into a pony tail, was driving her 1976 Chevrolet Impala with her daughter, eleven year old Carrie Ann riding alongside her in the front seat, and her five year old son Brian riding in the back. She was turning off of Park Street onto Lane Avenue, just miles from her father's house. She took her eyes off of the road momentarily as she stared at the wipers sloshing the water from one side of the windshield to the other, thinking about the plan she and her mother were about to carry out. It's a delicate plan, but one Heather realizes needs to be done under the circumstances. She's at the brink of losing her father, maybe for good this time, as she focused her attention back on the road. She looked back at her son in the rearview mirror and noticed the long look he had on his face. He's too young to truly realize his grandfather's condition, but he's old enough to know that something is terribly wrong with him, and she can tell it had saddened his spirits as they get closer to the house. Sometimes she wonders if it is such a good idea to bring him with her when she sees her father, but in her father's worsened state, she feels it's important for Brian to know him a little, rather than none at all.

"Are we going to have to introduce ourselves to him once again, Mom?" Carrie Ann asked. "You know the drill, Carrie Ann," Heather responded. "But it hurts when he looks at me with that blank stare, and it creeps me out too. I mean, I can remember when he once used to call me pooh bear, and give me big hugs and ask me how my life was going. Now, it's just that blank stare. It's not fair, Mom." "I know, Sweetheart, but we have to be tough for him. You have to remember, Carrie Ann, that this could be the last time you ever see him. Each time you visit him it could be the last time." Carrie Ann faced her head downward, toward the floorboard. "I know, that only makes it even more depressing," she said. "What's depressing mean?" Brian asked from the backseat. "It means feeling sad, Brian," Heather said. "Because of grandpa, right?" Brian asked. "Yes, Dear, because of grandpa," Heather responded. She began to wonder if she was doing her children more harm than good by bringing them with her. He was their grandfather however, and time was of the essence. It may be their final opportunity to see him. But did she want their memories of him to be what they were going to witness on this night? Either way, she felt they needed to see their grandfather, regardless of what condition he was in.

"I just don't see how grandma does it," Carrie Ann remarked. "She's crazy about him, Carrie Ann," Heather said, "more so than when they first met. She's tough. She has told me numerous times how she will stay with him to the end. She has said over and over again 'I will go to my grave with him.'" "They've been together so long, I just couldn't imagine them no longer being together," Carrie Ann said. That caused tears to begin welling up in Heather's eyes. Heather tried to choke back the tears. "They're a love story for the ages," she told Carrie Ann. "Are you alright, Mom?" Carrie Ann asked. "Yes, Dear, it's just tough on the whole family, you know. His illness just affects us all, not just grandma. To see him deteriorating like this, it's heartbreaking." "I know, Mom, it's just depressing," Carrie Ann said. Brian chuckled out loud. "There's that word again," he said. Brian's innocent spirit was helping to alleviate the saddening mood that existed in the car between Heather and Carrie Ann over their father and grandfather. Sure, he understood that his grandfather was sick, and he was a little down about it, but nothing even close to the discouragement Heather and Carrie Ann were feeling. He was just too young to be that depressed. Depression was a word he was hearing often in that car that evening.

"And I know it is especially tough on you, Carrie Ann. You knew your grandfather when he was well. You have good memories of him just like I do, and now to see that all gone." "It's okay, Mom, I've grown to accept his condition. It's still just strange every time I first see him, with that distant, void look on his face whenever he looks at me. I just can't get used to it." Heather placed her hand on Carrie Ann's leg. "I know, Sweetheart," she said. Carrie Ann spoke up in a sarcastic tone. "At least he remembers you all the time," she told her mom. "Hey now, you don't have to get smart about it, little missy," Heather said. "I can't help who he remembers, Carrie Ann. To be honest with you, Dear, I wish he recognized you guys rather than me." "Oh, you don't mean that, Mom," Carrie Ann said. "Yes, I do, Carrie Ann. I would much rather he knew the both of you instead of me." "But what about the plan?" Carrie Ann asked. "It wouldn't work if he didn't know you, Mom," she continued. "Might work, Carrie Ann, there are no guarantees that this plan will even get off the ground, much less be successful." "What's get off the ground mean?" Carrie Ann asked. "It means to get started, or begin something," Heather said.

"Be positive, Mom," Carrie Ann said. "I know, Dear, your grandmother has put so much time and effort into this thing being pulled off; I hope for her sake that it works." "She really is going to great lengths to make this thing work isn't she?" Carrie Ann asked. "Yes, Carrie Ann," Heather replied, "she's betting the farm on this one." "Betting the farm, what's that?" Carrie Ann asked. Heather chuckled. "She's really depending on this working, that's what it means," Heather said. "Why is she doing all of this?" Carrie Ann inquired. "One word, Dear, love. She loves your grandfather so much. Their love has only grown stronger over the years. But what's sad is that when your grandfather became sick, his love stopped, but your grandmother's love just continued to get stronger as the years grew on. That's why she's so desperate in this plan working. She's trying everything she knows to get back his love for her. Even though she's with him, he's not with her. Does that make sense, Dear?" "Kind of," Carrie Ann responded. "It's kind of like a give and take situation, right, Mom? I mean grandma is giving, and grandpa is taking, but not giving anything back in return." "Exactly, Dear, that's a great way to put it."

Carrie Ann was amazed while listening to her mother go on about her grandmother's love for her grandfather. "Wow, she must really love him," she told her mom. "As I was growing up, Dear, I never saw two people so in love. I never saw them fight once. They set an excellent example for me on how to love and care for someone." "Like dad," Carrie Ann interrupted. "Yes, exactly, like loving your dad. I learned unconditional love from them, how to be happily married, how to treat your spouse, how to treat your children, all of that," Heather said.

Carrie Ann looked at the open seat area between her and her mother. "It's sad that he can't remember any of that love grandma has for him," Carrie Ann said. "Well, I'm going to try and fix all of that, Carrie Ann." "Just don't get your hopes up, Mom." "You mean grandma, don't let her get her hopes up, that's the main thing. She's riding on this lock, stock, and barrel. I'm afraid she's really going to get hurt if this doesn't work. Yes, Honey, I don't want to get let down, but I'm more concerned with your grandma than me." "What will she do if it doesn't work?" Carrie Ann asked her mother. "I don't know; that's what I'm afraid of. She's so desperate right now for his affection. She will be crushed if it doesn't work. She's lonely, Dear." "What do you mean, Mom?" "What I mean is even though she's with your grandpa, she's not getting any response from him, and it's making her lonely. She's starving for affection, especially from him, mainly from him, but she's not getting it and that's making her lonely. Do you understand?" "Yeah. You know listening to you talk about the love they have for each other, or at least the love grandma has for grandpa, but also the love they had for each other all those years, it really makes me hopeful that I will have such a marriage. But then I look at grandpa now, and I don't know, it makes me not so excited at the prospect of getting married, or getting old." "Baby, when you find the right man, and you will, love just kind of conquers everything, no matter how tough it gets. And grandma is a perfect example of that. Being married is not a smooth ride, you will have some bumps along the way, but if your love is strong enough, if you truly love each other, then you will endure through those tough times." "Like grandma is doing with grandpa right now, right?" Carrie Ann asked. "Exactly. They're going through a rough spell, but their love is strong enough to withstand it, at least your grandma's love for your grandpa is strong enough. If your grandpa was aware of his surroundings, his love for her would be just as strong." "How do you know when you find the right person, Mom?" "I don't know, Sweetheart, you just know. Mainly when you go through a difficult time and your love is still strong, that's usually when you know you're with the right one. Don't worry about that now, Dear; you have a long time before you have to worry about that." "But I understand, Mom. If you still love that person after you've gone through a rough time, you're meant to be." "Something like that, Dear."

After a few minutes of driving on Lane Avenue, Heather finally arrived at her father's house, slowly pulling into the water soaked driveway. Her father's house was a one story, ranch style house, made with antique bricks, with orange shutters and brown trim. It normally took fifteen minutes to get from her house to her father's house, but on this rainy night, it took much longer. Heather lived in a suburb called Hathway Ridge, which was adjacent to her father's suburb. She found herself moving closer and closer to him as his years increased over time. She wanted it that way in case something happened to him that required her to be at his house in a moment's notice.

"Okay, Carrie Ann, wait in the car until I get the umbrella up and make my way over to your side of the car, that way all three of us can go to the house under it and not get soaked," Heather said. "What do I do when I get in there? I certainly can't talk to him," Carrie Ann replied back. "You're going to take your brother upstairs and play with him in my old room," Heather said. Carrie Ann had a look of disgust on her face. "Mom!" she said. "Mom nothing, I need you to occupy your brother while I spend some time with the doctor and your grandpa, okay." "But, Mom, he spits!" "Who spits?" Heather asked. "Brian, he's into this spitting thing now, even indoors." Brian began laughing in the backseat. "Brian, no spitting, you hear me?" Heather sternly warned him. "Brian, this is not funny," she continued. Heather began pointing her finger at Brian. "No spitting in your grandparents home," she told him. "Mom, I don't want to introduce myself to him again, it's so strange," Carrie Ann said. Heather snapped back. "Carrie Ann, just do it, you have no choice." It was obvious; the stress of her father's situation was getting to Heather. Carrie Ann just rolled her eyes. "Great," she frustratingly said as she watched her mother get out of the car.

Heather got out of the car with umbrella in hand and noticed Nurse Debra standing at the edge of the front porch awning waiting for them. Heather walked over and stood over top of Carrie Ann as she got Brian from the backseat. They then proceeded to the front porch.

"Heather, come in out of that awful rain!" Debra yelled from the front porch as the three made their way up the steps to the front door where Debra now had it opened for them. Heather stood at the entranceway, shaking the water from her umbrella. "Hey, Debra, terrible weather isn't it, oh my goodness," Heather said. Debra stretched her arm toward the inside of the house. "Yes, please come in," she told Heather and the children. As Carrie Ann walked in, she quickly noticed her grandfather sitting in his orange, tweed covered chair, with his untouched dinner placed in front of him on a small folding table, with a glass of water next to it, also untouched. He was just sitting there looking down at the floor. Carrie Ann approached him as she took a deep breath. "Hey there, Young Lady, what's your name?" Robert Landon asked his granddaughter. Robert stood up, a tall, skinny gentleman, six foot two, with thick, straight, combed back, ivory gray hair. A very handsome man for his age, he had very few wrinkles on his face, but it was apparent, as skinny as he was, that he was not eating. Carrie Ann tentatively walked up to her seventy-seven year old grandfather. "Hi, I'm Carrie Ann," she said. The young eleven-year old was crushed inside to have to introduce herself like that. No matter how many times she did it, she never got used to it. It broke her spirit afresh each time during the introduction. It hurt her so bad that he didn't remember her. The eight years they spent bonding seemed like a waste, she thought, as she stood there staring up at her grandfather. Robert placed his hand out to shake Carrie Ann's. "Hi, Carrie Ann, I'm Robert." That caused Carrie Ann to begin crying. She then quickly ran upstairs. Heather, witnessing the whole ordeal, was broken hearted. Once again she was questioning whether or not it was such a good idea to allow her children to see their grandfather.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Her Husband's Crossingby Steven W. Moore Copyright © 2011 by Steven W. Moore. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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