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Chapter 168 - The Full Circle
"James, do you take Christine, for your lawfully wedded wife, to love and cherish from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health?"
"I do".
"Christine, do you take James, for your lawfully wedded husband to love and cherish from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health?"
"I do".
The wedding turned out beautifully. It's big, fun and crowded unlike Mary and Mason's. The Capwells had been mingled with countless members of Jimmy's large family; laughter and joy sounded all around. Theda wipes her tears of happiness; Jimmy's younger brother embraces rosy-colored Christy who has her baby bump, bored Chip and Sammy are playing hide-and-seek right during the wedding reception... And the bride and groom happily slift off to their honeymoon at the end.
"Finished your films?" Mary asked Mason.
He looked at the film counter of his camera.
"Nearly. The last one has only a couple of free shots. Let's take them".
Mary nodded. Mason set up the self-timer, then put his camera on the mantelpiece and stood in front of it, putting his arm around Mary.
"You have cake frosting on your cheek," Mary reached out to wipe it as there was a soft click.
"Oh," she grimaced. "Sorry".
"Do not be silly," Mason kissed her nose. "I'm sure you're look charming".
Mary giggled and then leaned her head against his shoulder.
"What a day, huh?"
"The good one," Mason admitted. "I'm not the wedding type except our own, of course, but this was lovely. I hope your sister will be happy with Jimmy".
"Me too. Jimmy's a good guy, and he loves Christy. They will be OK".
Mason was not so optimistic in his heart but he thought better don't mention it. Mary was pleased for her sister, no reasons to spoil her mood. Moreover, she's may be really right about it.
"I am glad that your mother got the children," he changed the subject. "We can spend some time alone, just you and I. Can relax and have drink of wine by the fire".
"It is tempting," Mary smiled.
"OK, I'll just take the camera to my study and then fix the fire..."
He started to upstairs but suddenly he was stopped by the voice of Mary. "Mason!"
He turned and walked toward her. Mary stared at the portrait on the wall. The same Mason's portrait that was painted by her earlier and did so much hurt to Mason.
"I thought you burned it. Why not?"
Mason shook his head. "First the fire and drink, then the talk, OK?"
Mary nodded and walked to the bar to pour the wine for both of them. Mason ran upstairs and just came back a moment later.
He quickly fixed the fire and sat down on cushions prepared on the floor. Mary handed the glass of wine to him and sat down beside.
"So... why did not you burn this painting?" after a pause she asked running her finger over the embossed pattern of pillows.
"At first I wanted to," Mason confessed and sipped his wine. "It was too painful to see myself turned inside out. But something stopped me," he shrugged. "Maybe it's because you were who painted it? Or may be because I just could not deny the truth anymore".
"But why you hang it on the wall in the living room?" Mary raised her head and stared into his eyes.
"Recent events had been changed me," Mason said slowly. "I still cannot say that I'm a new man but I can see some things in a new way".
"For example?" Mary laced her fingers with his.
"It's hard to explain. My life. My past. This portrait..." He sipped the wine again. "It is... a truthful, let's say. You drew me just the way I am. And though I do not see myself through your eyes, does not means I would not wanted to but I do not... feel shame and disgust for myself anymore. You love me as just me. And this means something".
Mary's eyes seem flashed and then she nodded. "You have the right to be who you are. And you have the right to be loved," she said firmly as if carving every word in stone.
"I knew it," Mason said, stroking her palm. "But in fact, I never felt it until now. That's why I took the portrait out of the closet. I want to see the real me whenever I come in this room. I want to remember that I have the right to be myself".
"I am glad," Mary admitted with relief. "I want the same for you. And I want to be proud of you. Of you as I see you".
"Because others do not see me like you do?" Mason realized. "You want to show the real me for everyone and say that you're proud of me?"
"Exactly!" Mary smiled and rubbed her cheek against his shirt. "Pour me another," she handed the empty glass to him.
Mason obeyed and then sat down on the cushions again, pulling Mary closer, hugging her from behind. They stayed silent for a time.
"Do you remember that we'll have our anniversary soon?" Mary asked and looked at his face sideways.
Mason nodded and smiled.
"How I can forget the wedding date on Christmas Eve?"
Mary giggled.
"Well, yes, it's the memorable calendar memo!" She paused. "A lot has happened during this time..."
"The year was challenging," Mason agreed. "But it was our. Did you give your gift to Christy, did you?" He asked suddenly.
"Yes, I did," Mary could not help but smiling when she remembered this. "I did not expect my sister had been so pleased".
When Christy saw the painting, first her expression even didn't change. But then it slowly dawned on her and she looked unbelived at Mary.
Mary smiled nervously: "You asked me to make some painting so I dre..." She could not finish the sentence because Christy hugged her, squeezed tightly.
"Thank you," the younger sister whispered. "I never thought that is possible".
Mary hugged her sister back and looked at the painting again. It showed some symbiosis of past and present. The family house was painted as it was once upon a time and as it was painted as the background in previous Mary's failed attempt makes the portrait of her parents. But there were not Theda and Kenneth in front of it, but Christy and Jimmy. They wear their very casual clothes and Christy had a swaddled tiny baby in her arms. And there were a shadowy figure on the top right corner of the painting, seems he's watching for the couple.
"I did not too" Mary admitted. "But I really tried. I wanted to make this possible".
"Thank you!" Christy pulled away, wiping her eyes and smiling happily. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" And she kissed her older sister on the cheek".
"Christy was delighted," Mary emerged out of her memories. "She does love the picture".
"That's not surprising. You make it really good".
"Yes, but... you do aware from your own experience that it can be somehow a negative, not a positive. But Christy even did not make clear what she wanted to see on it. I could give her the picture of a goldfish from the pool of your father's garden".
"But you gave her the unique family portrait. Christy knew she could count on you. Mary... did you never regret that you did not choose the way of arts?"
"Means not became a starving artist? Never. My profession has allowed me to earn a living, and I always wanted to help people. And I could not live for drawing. It is not so important for me. And on top of everything else I would never met you then, and this is unacceptable to me".
"And you do not think that it's the price is too high?"
"The price of our meeting?" Mary raised her head and looked at him. Mason's face was serious. "Of course, no".
"You've been through. Even through death".
"And so? It just happened. And no, I absolutely do not want to consider the idea that I could have lived all this time without meeting you. Never!" A cold shiver suddenly shook her.
Mason anxiously rubbed her arms along the entire length. "I'm sorry. I did not mean to upset you".
"Well, then do not talk about this idea," Mary paused and then added: "When I was in the hospital having my amnesia, sometimes I dreamed about my past. Dreamed of the real life. Actually our real life. And the worst thing was to wake up and realize that it's all just a dream. And it became even worse when I dreamed of you".
"But I have not been just a part of the dream, I really existed".
"Yes. But I was not aware it and seriously believed that you're just some kind of... I do not know, may be the character of a book, a movie... just a part of my imagination at all. It felt so painful, so hopeless... now I know it was not my dream, you exist and even still love me," she slightly smiled. "But my memories of the time when I did mot know this... it felt terrible even now. So I've already had it in some way. I already had the life where you were not".
"For not too long, fortunately," Mason embraced her, held her close.
"Yes... although it was only a few months for me but you actually spent whole year believing that I'm dead. So let's no talk about it, okay? It's all in past. Now we are together and no one and nothing can hurt us".
"I agree! Let's go upstairs. Bedroom?" Mason released Mary and stood up.
"Let's go!" Mary grabbed his offered hand and rose gracefully.
Mason headed for the stairs but turned back when he noticed that Mary did not follow him. She stood in front of the portrait again but it was for just some half a minute now. Then she turned around, smiling caught Mason's sight and caught up with him in a few steps.
"I love you," she leaned against his shoulder.
"I love you too," he put his arm around her and gently stirred her up the stairs. "And I'm going to prove it to you all night".
Mary giggled, and they began to going up to the second floor. To their own bedroom. Of his own home. Of their own life.
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