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Date Posted: 18:41:38 03/05/01 Mon
Author: Lakota
Subject: Waiting For You - Chqpter 21

Waiting for You – Chapter 21


Monday, January 3rd, 1944 – 1:00pm


“Tell me, Sami, doesn’t anyone in this crowd know how to pack lightly? Every time I’ve come to Grand Central
Station lately, it’s a wonder I haven’t been in traction to straighten out my back after helping with the bags. What in
the world has Lucas got in here, anyway?”

“It’s all the things he bought as gifts for everyone in England through the months he was there. He had me help him
wrap everything in Christmas paper when he surprised me and came to spend the day yesterday. It’s a good thing
Carrie saved so much of the wrapping paper from her gifts or we wouldn’t have had enough. Maggie told him on the
phone late last week they were going to have another Christmas just for him since he didn’t get home in time. He’s
awfully excited about going home.”

“Yeah, I could tell when he showed up at my room a little after six this morning and we weren’t due to get to the
apartment until eleven. I had late duty and didn’t get to bed until nearly three this morning and thought I was going to
get to sleep in until at least nine.”

“Mike, be honest. Do you think he looks better than he did last Wednesday when he got off the train?”

“Only about a million times better. He’s got color again; the burns are healing quickly on his fingers. I think there may
not be any scarring at all. He’s got mobility in them already and the physical therapy will completely restore use of
them. The bones in his arm, according to the x-ray we took yesterday morning, are mending the way they should.
He’ll need to do the exercises to regain the movement and strength in the arm but I don’t see any complications. I
already called Dr. Craig Wesley at University Hospital and scheduled an appointment for Lucas to get in to have a
check up and be assigned to a physical therapist while he’s in Salem.”

“I’ll make sure he gets to the appointments and does the exercises without overdoing it.”

“Of that I have no doubt, Sami. Honestly, you’re the best medicine Lucas could have. I can tell he’s already putting
back on some of the weight he lost. Every time we‘ve been at the apartment, he’s constantly munching on something.”

“You noticed that, too? I have a confession to make, Mike. I called Alice Horton and asked her what some of his
favorite snack foods were and fixed a few. I figured I’d just put them where he could find them and he’d eat.”

“And eat and eat. That’s very clever of you, Sami. May I add I gobbled up a few things, too, and I didn’t need to put
weight on? Seriously, I don’t know if he’d be in as good a shape as he is going home if you hadn’t come to New
York to meet him and I don’t just mean physically.”

“I know. Strange, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I didn’t exactly come here with the purpose of welcoming him home, Mike. I was going to just blurt everything
out about the letters and let him deal with it. I had spent four years telling myself over and over that I could never have
Lucas in my life again. Suddenly, Belle was forcing me to face him and I was terrified.”

“Why terrified?”

“Because, I knew the longer I stayed around Lucas, the more difficult it would be for me to keep the promise I had
made to Kate about not letting him find out that I still loved him. I had lied for so long to everyone about not loving
him, most of all to myself.”

“You don’t have to answer this if you think I’m being too personal, Sami, but what made you decide to not tell him
about the letters right away? I mean, you said you were just going to lay it all out for him and be done with it.”

“It wasn’t just one thing. The first was Belle giving me the box of letters Lucas had written before I left and making me
pinky swear to read ten of them before I saw Lucas. She knew if I pinky swore, I wouldn’t back out of the promise.
Smart girl, huh?”

“Yeah, I have to hand it to her, she certainly has learned how to handle people. Marlena may find her daughter
following in her footsteps as a psychiatrist.”

“Once I read that first letter….really read it…ten times to be exact, on the train, nearly all my resolve was scattered to
the wind. I didn’t read ten letters…….I read them all before I saw him at the train station. I realized in doing so I had
an advantage over Lucas. I knew what he felt and thought about me,….about us…..it was all in the letters. He hadn’t
held anything back. Lucas knew nothing of what I felt…..except what Belle made up in the letters she wrote to him. I
hate to say this but it was a feeling of superiority…power, in a way. I actually understood how Kate must have felt
when she set Lucas and me up that night at the prom. I held someone’s future in my hands just as she had done.”

“There’s a big difference, though, between you and Kate, Sami. You did everything out of your love for him. Kate did
it out of jealousy and possessiveness. You gave him up….set him free the way he wanted…. or so you were led to
believe. Kate wanted to make sure she wouldn’t have to share him by getting rid of you. The strange thing is if she
had just let you two be together, she never would have lost Lucas’ love at all.”

Sami nodded and looked down at her shoes, regaining her composure before she continued.

“I still had this image of Lucas being the joking, light-hearted person he’d always been when we were together. I saw
the photos he’d sent Eric from England when he was with his buddies and the girls he’d dated. That’s why when he
stepped down from the train, I barely knew it was Lucas. That was the other thing that made me change my mind
about telling him everything right away. He was so………..fragile……not just because of the visible limp or the cast
on his arm or even the circles under his eyes. It was something in his eyes….no, something that WASN’T in his eyes.
It was as if he were dead. It frightened me to see him like that. I just knew if I told him everything right then and there,
I’d be killing him. I know that sounds dramatic but it turned out I was very nearly right, Mike. I do believe if I hadn’t
followed him out to the terrace at the hotel, he might have done something drastic.”

“But he didn’t because you followed your heart that night and now you two are going back to Salem together the way
you should have been all this time.”

“Isn’t it wonderful? We know we’ve got some things to work out but I’m not afraid any more.”

“Would one of those things be seeing Kate?”

“I’ve mentioned to Lucas about seeing her. She is his mother and she’s already been nearly destroyed by the death of
one son. I won’t keep Lucas away from her no matter what she’s done to me. He is adamant about not having any
contact with Kate. I’ll encourage him but I won’t force him.”

“I think that’s best. He can be stubborn when he’s been hurt.”

“I know. It’s one of the characteristics we share. It should certainly make for a lively future together, don’t you
think?”

“Well, I suspect the disagreements should be interesting.”

“They were before so I doubt that will change!”

Mike smiled as he looked at his watch and noticed it was nearly time for the train to depart.

“That watch Carrie gave you is beautiful, Mike. She was so excited on the phone telling me before Christmas what
she was getting you.”

“I couldn’t believe it when I opened the box. Did she tell you about the engraving?”

“Yes, she kept trying out different phrases while she talked to me so she’d get just the right one. Do you have any
idea how much my sister is in love with you?”

Mike stared at Sami before lowering his gaze and nodding.

“Good, because she waited ever so long for you to know. I’ve never seen anyone happier….well, except maybe Jenn
when she introduced Jack to the whole family at Christmas or myself these past few days.”

They smiled a knowing smile at one another – words seemed superfluous. Mike looked over the top of Sami’s head
down the long concourse for signs of Carrie and Lucas amid the swarming crowd of travelers. The time to board the
train was fast approaching.

“Any sign of them, Mike?” Sami asked as she turned her head following where she’d seen Mike’s eyes scanning the
throng.

“No, and it’s about ten minutes before the train pulls out. Usually, Lucas wants to be early for everything. I wonder
what’s keeping them?”

“If I could hazard a guess, maybe they’re talking in a similar way as we’ve been. They have been close friends for
almost as long as I’ve known Lucas. I’m hoping that maybe you and I can be good friends now, too, Mike.”

“I’d like that very much, Sami. Something tells me you’re right about them talking somewhere. Let’s start heading
toward your train car so you can board as soon as they get here.”

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

“Lucas, don’t tell me you’re still buying things to take with you back to Salem. You’ve got enough gifts for everyone.”

“I couldn’t resist this. It’s for me. I found it in a shop in the train station. It’s a miniature Statue of Liberty. I never got
to see it this trip so this is the closest I’m going to get until I come back in mid-February.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you wanted to see her.”

“Oh, yeah, Carrie, all of us coming back want to see her standing there in the harbor. She’s welcoming us home. We
flew over her on the way to Langham Field but I couldn’t get a good look because my seat was on the other side of
the plane.”

“When I get home today, I’ll write down on the calendar in the kitchen that one afternoon we’ll go out so you can see
her as close as you want when you’re here next time. That’s a promise.”

“Thanks, Carrie. With everything that happened there really wasn’t time to go and I don’t think I’m quite ready to
climb the stairs inside her just yet.”

“Are you feeling all right?”

“I’m fine…just still a little shaky. I need to work on building up my strength a little more. Mike’s got me all set up to
start my physical therapy at University Hospital and Sami’s going to drive me to my appointments.”

Carrie smiled at Lucas as he talked.

“What’s that smile for?”

“You know.”

“What?”

“You’re sounding so domestic all of a sudden….you and Sami.”

“Domestic? That’s probably one word I hadn’t thought of to describe us . It almost makes us sound boring.”

“Oh, boring is something that will never be used to describe you two - - you can count on that.”

Lucas pretended to be offended for a few moments and then broke into a broad smile before returning to a serious
mood.

“Actually, Carrie, boring might not be so bad after what we’ve put each other through the past few days…..hell,
years. Everything I tried to do to get over Sami never worked. I kept wondering what was wrong with me that I
couldn’t just accept that she didn’t love me any more. It drove me crazy and I did some pretty stupid things. I used to
sit on the curb late at night across from the penthouse and stare at Sami’s window wondering what she was doing, or
even worse, who she might be doing it with.”

“Well, spending a certain length of time growing up around a psychiatrist, I’d venture to guess you were punishing
yourself for what happened at the prom. Guilt can make people do terrible things, especially to
themselves………….which leads me to a question I hesitate to ask but I’d like to know the answer, if you’re willing
to tell me, that is.”

“A question? Sure, Carrie, you’re one of my best friends. You know you can ask me anything.”

“I’ve know, but, I’ve never asked you anything like this before.”

“Okay, lay it on me.”

“On New Year’s Eve….when you realized Sami hadn’t written the letters and you left the ballroom……did
you…….would you….I mean……could you……”

“Yes, Carrie……I thought about taking my life.”

“Oh, Lucas…I was afraid of that.”

“Carrie, it only was a fleeting thought, really. Mike probably told you what happened involving the bomber?”

Carrie nodded as she fought to keep her vision from blurring by restraining the tears that threatened to appear.

“It’s what they call ‘survivor guilt’. Learning about the letters didn’t cause me to have it, I came home with it deep
inside me. Sami told me she knew something was wrong when she saw me initially. That’s why she didn’t say anything
about the letters, then. I admit, coming home knowing I was going to see Sami was what made me keep going for the
first few days I was in the hospital in England. When she met me here last week, though we’d been apart for four
years, I could still sense something was wrong. I think I knew even then she wanted to tell me something and it wasn’t
‘I love you.’”

“True, but you know what?”

“What?”

“I think that’s exactly what she wanted to tell you that day. When she first called me and told me about the letters on
Christmas Day, there was a lilt in her voice that had been missing for a long time. Whether Sami admits it yet, I think
Belle gave her the excuse she’d so desperately wanted so she could see you again.”

“Hey, you seem to be becoming quite the expert on love, Miss Brady. Would it have anything to do with a certain
older brother of mine.”

“It most certainly would, Sergeant Roberts.”

“I thought so. He gave me nearly the same analysis when we were talking about Sami.”

“He did?”

“Yup. I can only guess you two consulted on this case.”

“For hours. Really, Lucas, we just wanted you and Sami to finally be together again….if that’s what you wanted,
too.”

“Ohhhh, I wanted it…I’ve wanted it so badly since the moment Sami walked away from me at the prom four years
ago. Now, I have her back and nothing or no one is going to ever take her away from me again….not even the war.”

Carrie seemed to visibly shudder as Lucas finished his declaration.

“Are you all right, Carrie? You look pale.”

“I’m fine, Lucas…..it’s just getting chilly. Come on, we have to hurry. I haven’t been watching the time and it’s less
than ten minutes before you and Sami need to be on the train. Follow me, I know a shortcut through this crowd to get
us to the platform.”

Carrie took Lucas’ left hand, dodged the incoming crowd from the platforms and eventually was walking beside the
train that was to take Sami and him to Salem.

“There they are. Hey, where have you been? It’s nearly time for the train to pull out.”

“I’m sorry, Mike. Lucas and I got to talking the way we always do and time got away from us. Where’s Sami?”

“She’s waiting down the platform near the train car they’ll be riding in. Looks like you’ve been shopping again, Lucas.
I don’t think you can get another item in your duffel bag with all the cramming in the world.”

“That’s okay. I bought this in the train station. Pretty neat, huh?”

“A Statue of Liberty? Somehow, I don’t picture you as the tourist trap merchandise kind.”

“Normally, that would be true, Mike, but this little lady means a lot to me. She represents being home in a lot of ways.
I’m back on US terra firma - I’m heading home to be with the family who from the first day I arrived in Salem made
me feel wanted, and, I’m free again to love and be with the girl who’s had my heart since I was sixteen years old.”

“Well, no wonder you had to buy her. I have to admit I never grow tired of seeing the original Lady in the Harbor
standing steadfastly out there each time I take the Staten Island Ferry to Carrie’s. We better get a move on.”

“I can barely see Sami and she’s looking a little anxious. Look at her, will you? Isn’t she about the most beautiful thing
you’ve ever seen?”

Mike looked across at Carrie and said, “Almost the most beautiful thing.”

Carrie felt her face warm at the compliment. Lucas noticed the look that passed between his brother and best friend
and smiled in recognition of what Mike was telling him. He waved his good arm in Sami’s direction to be sure she
knew he was not going to miss the train and the three headed toward her at a quickened pace.

“Lucas, I was beginning to worry. What’s in the bag?”

“Oh, just a little remembrance of my first time in New York with you. You’ll probably find it kinda corny but I’ll
always remember this week and what it meant for us when I look at it the rest of my life.”

He once again removed the little Statue of Liberty from the paper bag to show Sami. She smiled rather than rolling her
eyes the way he thought she would.

“Come on, you two. Let’s get you on the train. The conductor just gave the last call for boarding.”

Sami hugged and kissed her sister and whispered, “Thank you for everything, Carrie. I owe you so much.”

“Hey, that’s what sisters are for. I loved having you here. It was like being home for awhile since I couldn’t really go
to Salem for the holidays.”

“That’s not much considering all you did for me.”

“I didn’t do that much, Sami.”

“Oh, but you did. You listened to me Christmas night on the phone and encouraged me to come to New York and
face Lucas. I know, now, how badly I wanted to all along. I just needed someone to give me permission to do it.
Lucas and I will never be able to repay you.”

“Yes, you will…..by loving and being together. I couldn’t want anything more for either of you.”

While the sisters shared a moment, the brothers did likewise.

“Mike, I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have you stationed here so I could see you when I got stateside.
Coming back with all that guilt I was carrying around inside was bad but the minute I stepped off the hospital plane
and saw you calmly waiting for me, it began to get better. Thanks for everything, Mike.”

“I’d do anything for you, Lucas, I hope you know that. If you’re still having the nightmares and depression, talk to
someone at University Hospital, will you? Don’t carry it around alone.”

“I won’t. Actually, since Sami and I made up it’s been a little better each day. I know loving her alone won’t make
what I saw go away any time soon but I don’t feel like I betrayed the guys any more by having lived. I am beginning
to understand it was just fate, luck of the draw.…whatever you want to call it. I won’t ever forget them but I can’t
give up living the rest of my life to punish myself for something I couldn’t change.”

“That’s right. I’m glad you see it that way, now. I knew for awhile, anyway, you didn’t believe that. You take care of
yourself and her, too. She loves you very much, Lucas.”

“Yeah, I know. We’ve still got four years of our lives to catch up on. That’s part of what we want to do when we get
to Salem…..go to all the places we liked to spend time together back then…..talk…..hold hands…I can’t wait to get
home.”

“Give Dad, Maggie, Gran and everyone a hug and kiss for me, please.”

“I will, Mike.”

The brothers embraced for several seconds before separating and looking at the girls watching them.

“All right, you two, get on that train and go home, will you?”

“Yes, sir, Captain sir. Carrie, I’ll call you when we get to Salem. I’m going to stay with Grandma Alice. She’s got so
much room and Aunt Maggie and Uncle Mickey will be there often. Phillip’s already called and told me he’s planning
on spending over night at Gran’s plus a couple of days with me. It’s my turn to play big brother. I think I can do it….I
had a great example to learn from.”

Mike smiled at his brother as he slipped his arm around Carrie’s waist.

“I’ll call you, too, when I get to Mom and John’s, Carrie. I can’t wait to see Belle’s face when she learns how
everything turned out. I’m almost afraid to tell her.”

“Why?”

“Because, Carrie, I don’t think we want her getting the idea that just because this time she was right to meddle that
it’s a good thing for her to do again any time soon, if ever.”

“Good point….but, I think she’s learned her lesson. Let her off the hook Sami. She’s going to be so happy to see you
and Lucas together…..the way we all are. In her sixteen-year-old mind she just acted on what all the rest of us knew
was true….you two never stopped loving each other.”

Lucas gave Carrie a warm embrace as did Sami to Mike.

“I’ll see you in about six weeks, Carrie. They have me tentatively returning to Langham Field before I’m assigned to a
new crew.”

“See you then. Oh, before I forget, Kurt and Victoria wanted to be here to see you off but they’re in Washington, DC
today on business. Victoria said to tell you she’ll give you a chance to win back your pennies again one of these
evenings.”

“Tell her she’s on.”

“I like both of them. They’re swell people. I told Victoria I’d scrounge around home and find a photo of Erica and
send it to her.”

“Wait, Sami, she asked you for a photo of him?”

“Yes, she said she was just curious to see what our brother looked like after having met us. Just among the four of us,
I think she’d be great for him, don’t you?”

“Okay, okay….on the train, now, Sami. Isn’t one matchmaker in your family enough?”

“Lucas is right, Sami, for heaven’s sake don’t tell Belle what Victoria said. Goodness only knows what she’d do with
that kind of information.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Carrie. I have no intention of ever saying a word……….but, they would be attractive together,
yes?”

“Sami!! Train……board……….now!”

“Oh, all right…..all right, Lucas. Can’t a girl just think out loud? It’s not like I’m thinking they’d ever fall in love or get
married……maybe just pen pals through the way…maybe meet afterward, you know. He’s far from home at sea and
she’s away from her family in Europe.”

Mike and Carrie couldn’t hide their amusement at Sami’s sudden interest in arranging a correspondence between their
quite, sensitive brother, Eric, and the graceful, intelligent Victoria. Though the other three wouldn’t admit it aloud, a
similar thought had crossed their minds on occasion.

The train slowly began to move as Sami and Lucas took their seats near the window, waving to Mike and Carrie as
they walked beside the slow-moving train. The train gained momentum and was soon gone from view.

“I never thought when she came here a little over a week ago they’d be going home together and maybe planning a
future.”

“You’ve been a good sister to her, Carrie.”

“And you’ve been a good brother, Mike.”

“Speaking of sisters, we’ve got about two hours before the Jack and Jenn’s train pulls in.”

“Yes? Do I detect a man with a plan?”

“Are you hungry?”

“Why, what do you have in mind….as if I didn’t know.”

“Well, if we leave right now…we could be at Ratner’s for lunch without the lunch crowd and still be back here in
plenty of time before the train gets here from Salem.”

“Mike….Mike…Mike….”

“What….what….what?”

“You’re going to look like a pastrami sandwich if you keep this up. I think I created a deli monster.”

“Actually, you created a dilly, as in pickle, of a deli monster.”

“Okay, stop right there. We’ll go …but only if you promise to stop with the puns. I thought with Lucas leaving town
I’d be spared.”

“He’s been teaching me.”

“I was afraid of that. Come on, let’s go get you a pastrami.”

“I think I’m going to try the blintzes again, too.”

“To keep this conversation in the venacular…..’oy’.”

They linked arms and walked through the station, grabbed a cab and headed for Ratners, much to Mike’s delight.

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