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The Lake House Chapter 8 “You were not there. You didn’t come.” oOoOo Terry was reading those words without understanding. Did he read her right? In two years, he will not be at the appointment with Candy? An appointment he’s been waiting for for two years with all his heart? “I don’t understand. Something must’ve happened. I’m sorry. I have two years in front of me. We can try again.” oOoOo “No, Terry. It’s too late. It already happened. It didn’t work.” oOoOo “ Don’t doubt me Candy. What about “Persuasion?” You told me they waited. They saw each other again, they had another chance.” oOoOo “Life is not a book, Terry. And everything could end in a second. I was having lunch with my mother at the Daley Plaza, and a man was killed in front of me. He died in my arms. And I thought: “It can’t just end like that, on Valentine’s Day. And I thought about all the people who loved him, who were waiting for him at home and who were not going to see him anymore. Then I thought: “ What if he has no one? What if you live your life and nobody is waiting for you?” So I drove to the Lake House, looking for some kind of answer and I found you. And I allowed myself to let myself get lost in this beautiful fatasie where time had stopped. But it’s not real Terry. I have to learn to live the life I have. I’m begging you, don’t write me anymore. Don’t try to find me. Let me set you free. “ Terry was sad. But he kept writing her. She will probably not go get the letters anymore. oOoOo Candy, on her side, continued her life. One evening, she got a phone call from Anthony who wanted to have diner with her. She accepted with joy. It was a pleasure to hear his voice again, He was real… Her missed appointment with Terry had made her come back to reality. Her romance with a man from the past was not the way to go… Really? Because, she missed Terry. But she had to hold on… and live the present moment. - I’m going to stay in Chicago now… - Really? Said Candy - I found a job here, it pays well and it’s Chicago… - That’s a great news… After dinner, he took her back home to her place. They were in her building and she saw Terry’s tree… She shouldn’t be thinking about him, so she looked at Anthony who leaned to kiss her. She had to get Terry out of her head so she kissed Anthony back… oOoOo Meanwhile, Terry was walking around the house and he saw Huey running… - Huey! All of a sudden, he started thinking about that day when he had followed her to Anthony’s house. So he decided to move. Candy was going to leave in the house after him, right? He was going leave it to her. He started packing his stuff and there was also his pack of letters which they have exchanged and that he cherished with all his heart. He kissed thepack of letter and put it in the box. Then he went to pu the box in the attick… and he thought about Candy’s letters,she was talking about boxes that were in the attic and she had found it there when she moved in… He went to Lakewood where Anthony was working. The latter had seen him by the window of his office… He was talking on the phone to Candy : - You’re coming this weekend? No? You don’t miss me a little bit? I’m going to call you back, Candy. He hung up the phone and got out of the office to meet Terry. - Do you still want the Lake House? It’s what Candy wants. - How the heck do you know what Candy wants? - Trust me, said Terry giving him the keys to the Lake House and leaving. Anthony looked at him go and he head the dog bark. - Hello you! Said Anthony crouching to caress him… oOoOo Terry moved into an apartment in Chicago and his brother helped him move. Later, he was looking at the plan of the Lake House and he tried to make the modifications on paper… - What do you think? He asked his brother. - You are fixing it… why aren’t you doing your own work? - Because she lives there… - You’re talking about the girl from the future? Said his brother - Candy, her name is Candy. - You’re still writing to Candy? - No. - Why? - She told me not to do it anymore. - Why? - Time… - It’s a good think! You need to be with a real woman, said Henry smiling. - Henry, said Terry, listen to me. While it lasted, she was more real for me than anything. She was more real than everything I have known. I saw her. I kissed her. I love her and then she wasn’t there anymore. She not here anymore. Henry was sad for his brother, he had noticed how he was happy when he was writing to Candy…and she wrote him back… oOoOo Candy was in her apartment changing channels on the television and she ended up falling on the movie “Notorious” and she started watching it. She started thinking about the time she was writing Terry… No. she had to stop thinking about him. Anthony was there, but she didn’t love him like she loved Terry and she didn’t want to use him as a stand in… So she had told him, after the kiss, that they stay friends. Candy turned off the television and walked to her bedroom and she felt a noise on her floor which was covered with a little carpet. One of the wooden floorboard was loose and she opened it to see what was there, she found a small packet covered with plastic. She opened it , it was attached with rubber bands and she found her book “Persuasion” by Jane Austen. He did say he was going to find a way to give it back to her. By being two years behind, he was able to hide it during the contruction. She knew he was full of attention with the tree incident which appeared as if by magic… And that floorboard that started to move and screech. She opened the book and inside, there was a red rose dried and It was at the page where he had underlined the sentence saying: “There couldn’t have been two hearts as opened, taste so similar, feelings so united” She closed the book and pressed it on her heart and closed her eyes. She thought about Terry again… oOoOo Two years later… For Terry, it was now January 1st 2006.He was looking out the window and he was thinking about Terry. They were now at the same time frame as when they were writing each other… oOoOo For Candy, it was the year 2008 and she had bought an old house and she had called Anthony to show it to him. - What do you think? - It’s a dump! Said Anthony. - With a good architect we could make renovations… - Renovations? You have your apartment… - I’ve been living there for two years… I want a change… She thought at the house she had liked so much during her “walk” with Terry… She wanted the same thing… - I have already contacted an architect. You want to come with me to see him? She continued. - All right, said Anthony. So they went together, to see the architect for the renovations of the house. They went inside the building where there were lots of companies and they found a company that Candy had contacted, it was “ Visionary Vaguard and Associates:. - It’s a new company, said Candy, walking next to Anthony. - A new company? - Yes, new and cheap… - Oh, good for you then,,, They got inside the company, the doors were made of glass. The receptionist greeted them warmly. - Hello, Dr. White, please have a seat, I’m going to announce you… - Thank you, said Candy smiling. She was going to have a seat on an armchair and Anthony sat on the other armchair. She took an envelop out, it was red from her purse and gave it to Anthony, saying: - By the way, Happy Valentine’s Day. It was Valentine’s Day. Anthony took the envelop. It was a friendship card, not a love one… - Oh my God, Candy! I didn’t get you anything. I was so preoccupied lately and… - It’s ok…, she said smiling. oOoOo Terry was with his brother. They were getting out of the building where the architect office was. It was Valentine’s Day… - Whoa, said Henry. - It’s globalwarming, said Terry smiling. oOoOo The architect arrived to greet Candy and Anthony. - Dr. While, she said, welcome to our company. Candy stood up to shake his hand smiling. He asked them to follow him to the conference room, to discuss the project. He had some plans of a house on the table that Candy was looking at, she thought about the house she had visited with Tery and that she had found so beautiful. She wanted the same thing. A young woman arrive smiling to greet them. She had brown hair and was pretty. - Hello, she said, I’m Veronica Vanderbeck. - Anthony, he said shaking her hand. - It’s good to see you abain, Dr. While… - Hello, said Candy smiling They started discussing about the house and the modification they intended to do. - Is it possible to have an atrium? Said Candy - Of course, said the architect smiling. oOoOo Terry and his brother were crossing the street when he asked him: - You want to come and have a drink with me, after work? - No, sorry, I can’t. I’m going out with Vanessa for Valentine’s Day… - Wait a minute, said Terry, say that again… - It’s Valentine’s Day, I’m going out with my girlfriend. Drink some cold Champagne and eat oysters and maybe little chocolates… - It’s today…? - February 14th. - February 14th, 2006, said Terry thinking. Candy had talked about that date in one of her letters… Why was that again? He had to go back and read Candy’s letters at the Lake House. - Yeah, said his brother. - Have fun buddy! Said Terry smiling, I have to go… - Thank you! Bye! oOoOo Candy, had finished her meeting, she took her coat to put it back on. - Thank you again for choosing our company, said the architect smiling. - Shall we go? Said Anthony But Candy had stopped talking, she was frozen on the spot for a few seconds, attracted by the drawing framed on the wall in the conference room. She went closer… - What? I have to go back to work, said Anthony - Wait… who did this drawing? She said looking at the drawing closer. - In fact, it’s my brother who did it, said the architect - Who is your brother? Asked Candy slowly. - Terrence Grandchester. Do you know him? - Yes, said Candy smiling, yes, I know him. Do you know how I could get in contact with him? Is he somewhere in this office…? - I’m sorry, said Henry, Terry’s brother, euh… he… he’s dead. - Dead? Said Candy, with a broken voice. Candy had the impression that they were stiking a knife in her heart. She had tears in her eyes. - It’s been exactly two years ago today, in fact. He had an accident… There was a silence and Inside Candy’s head, she started thinking fast, at a 100 miles an hour… - Where? She asked sadly. She left the office running, Anthony followed her. - Candy! What’s going on? Where are you going? Candy!? - I have an errand to run, you can go back to work…, she said running as fast as she could. oOoOo Terry was in his truck going to the Lake House… oOoOo Candy had taken her car and she was driving to the Lake House, as fast as she could… oOoOo Terry arrived at the Lake House and got out of the car…and ran toward the house… oOoOo Candy arrived at the Lake House and she wrote a letter very fast… oOoOo Terry was inside the house in the attic looking for Candy’s old letters… oOoOo Candy got out of the car to walk to the mailbox. She put the letter and lifted the red indicator and she prayed Terry would be there to take the letter. She waited for a while and it didn’t move. She put her hands in front of her eyes and she started crying, kneeling in front of the mailbox. oOoOo Terry had found the letter in which Candy was talking about Valentine’s Day 2006 and about the accident at the Daley Plaza and that a man was dead… and that was the reason she came to the Lake House. oOoOo Candy was crying outside under the mailbox. She was thinking about that day… She was having lunch with her mother. - It’s Valentine’s Day and it’s 15 degrees! Said Candy, we’re not in Chicago! Last year we had a snow storm! - They say it’s global warming! Iceberg are going to start to melt and water is going to cover the earth. Thank God we won’t be alive to see it. oOoOo Terry was on the sidewalk about to cross the road and he was looking at Candy and her mother having lunch. “Terry, I know why you didn’t come that evening. It was you at the Daley plaza, that day. It was you. Don’t go, please. Wait, please. Don’t look for me, don’t try to find me. I love you and I took me all this time to tell you, but I love you. oOoOo Candy was still sobbing under her mailbox. oOoOo “And if you still care about me, wait for me. Wait with me, wait…” oOoOo Terry was on the side of the road. He didn’t cross the street and he took Candy’s letter out and he read: “Wait two years, Terry. Come to the Lake House. I’m there, waiting for you” oOoOo Candy was looking at the mailbox and the indicator came down and she heard a car arriving. He was there! She turned around to go and meet Terry. - You waited…, she said with love Terry jumped on her lips with hunger and he took her face in his hands, she kissed him back and she put her arms around his neck, she was caressing his long hair. They kissed for a long time. - I love you too, he said, still kissing her… Then, they walked both of them to the Lake House, still kissing while walking. They got inside the Lake House. There was some furniture, it was a little chilly. They found a comforter and they covered themselves, curled up against each other. - You came to warn me, said Terry - When I understood that it was you the accident men that day and why you didn’t come to our date… to think that I did everything to save you… - And that accident brought you here and you “met” me… - There’s a silver lining for everything? - Yes, since you saved my life… but I have to admit, it was hard to wait two years… but you were worth it, my love… oh I love you so much, and it’s so good to finally have you in my arms!!! How did you figure it out? - I was at “Visionary Vanguard and Associates”… and I saw your drawing of the Lake House and I asked who had done it and the architect told me that it was his brother, Terrence Grandchester and he asked me if I knew you. I said yes and I asked him if you were somewhere in the office… so he told me that you were died exactly two years ago today… Your brother ”recognized” me… She thought about the incident while continuing to tell the story: Henry looked at her. - Wait a minute, Candy White, Candy. You’re his mysterious pen pal from the future! - Yes, it’s me! Said Candy, where did it happened? - It was the famous accident at the Daley Plaza, on Valentine’s Day 2006… - I was there, said Candy crying, it was him, oh my God! It was him! She might still be able to stop terry from coming, he was coming for their date!!! - Excuse-me, I have to go… - And I ran out of there to come here. And Anthony followed me… - Anthony? You got back together? - No, we’re just friends. I couldn’t forget about you… and what about you? how is it that you’re here? - I wanted to have a drink with my brother when he refused saying it was Valentine’s Day and that he was going out with his girlfriend… - You didn’t know? - I lost track of all time when you “left “ me - Oh my love… - I remembered the date of our date and you had said that I had missed and that in my head I never would’ve missed it for the world… so I decided to come here and read your letters again, more precisely the one in which you were talking about the accident… and when I came out, I saw the indicator was up, which meant you had written me a letter… - Oh my God! You were here by chance? - To read your letter… - Thank God… - I was crazed with joy to get a letter from you, even if the content didn’t please me… two years? But for you my love,I would’ve waited for 100 years if I had too. But I have to ask you, why two years? - Well, because of my time it was two years later for you…I had already lived 2006… - And 2007… I get it. - Thank you for waiting for me. - Thank you for saving my life. I knew you were the woman of my life. I love you so much! He said with love. - I love you too, my love… They kissed again for a long time savouring every kiss, every tongue lick with all the tenderness in the world. - What were you doing at my company by the way? He asked with they stopped kissing. - I didn’t know it was your company, I didn’t pay attention to you brother’s family name… but I bought a house that I wanted to renovate… - Really? - Yes, I want it like the house number 27… - I like that house a lot too… I’m going to help you make your dream come true… - I chose your company because it was new and in general, the new ones are cheaper… - Well, as the wife of one of the owners, I’m going to make you a special family price… - Wife? - Yes, my love. Candy, will you marry me? - Yes, Terry! I want to be your wife! She said laughing. He took a ring out of the pocket of his pants. A beautiful solitary with a gree emerald, the color or her eyes, which he put on her finger. She smiled and put her arms around his neck to kiss him on the lips for a long time. They had been patients and they were finally together when the time was right, when destiny had decided it was finally the good moment. They had learned to love beyond home, beyond time and even beyond death. Love will never fails.
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