Sleeping through the Beauty Read online

  Sleeping through the Beauty

  REGINA PUCKETT

  Without limiting the rights under copyright(s) reserved above and below, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

  Please Note

  The scanning, uploading, and distributing of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the copyright owner is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Brief passages may be quoted for review purposes if credit is given to the copyright holder. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  Copyright © 2012 Regina Puckett

  Photographer: @Piotr Marcinski/Dreamstime.com

  Editor: Hercules Editing

  Cover art designed by: Charity Parkerson

  All rights reserved.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Writing is such a lonely profession by nature but since joining Twitter, I have finally found a group of likeminded people with whom to share ideas. I would like to thank all of my new friends on Twitter for keeping my spirits up during the times I had begun to doubt if anything I have written has been worth the effort and time. It is always good to be reminded I am not alone.

  Long after the actual writing process comes the complicated process of trying to talk the readers into taking a chance on what you have poured your heart and soul into. I would also like to thank everyone who has taken that chance.

  When we fell in love, it was once upon a dream

  “Are you planning on eating takeout again tonight?”

  A leading question from his brother was never a good sign so, to stall for time, Phillip tossed his tie onto the back of the sofa and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt before asking, “Why?”

  “Donna called and told me to invite you over tonight for a Christmas Eve meal at her mom’s house.” Roger paused before clearing his throat. “Her father was killed in a car wreck a year ago today, so even though they are going through the motions of cooking up a nice holiday meal, I don’t think they are in the spirit. Just reading into what Donna is saying and deliberately is not saying, I get the feeling she doesn’t want to be alone with her mom tonight. It’s certain to bring up unwanted memories for both of them.”

  There was nothing like a little guilt thrown in for good measure to make it impossible to turn down a dinner invitation. Phillip rolled his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck. Was it too late to wish for a fairy godmother to magically appear and rescue him from what was certain to be a depressing Christmas Eve meal? Damn. He hated family obligations.

  Roger laughed at the long pause in the conversation. “I know what you’re doing, so stop it.”

  Phillip grunted and switched the cell phone to the other ear. “What do you think I’m doing?”

  Roger’s snort turned into deep chuckle. “You’re over there at this very minute, racking your brain and trying to think of a good reason you can’t come.” He filled in the next extended pause with a lengthy sigh. “Just come with me like the wonderful brother you are. I know holiday traditions have never been big in our family, but maybe it’s time to try to do something better than our parents did. How many dreary Christmas Days have we had to spend with nannies or left at the boarding school? We’re adults now, so maybe it’s time to begin a few of our own traditions. We should celebrate every holiday together as a family from now on. I don’t want to turn out like Mom or Dad. Do you even know the name of Dad’s current bimbo?”

  The mention of their parents always depressed the hell out of Phillip. It was easy to see his little brother wasn’t above pulling out the big ammunition. “This girl must be something special if you’re willing to discuss Mom and Dad. I haven’t heard you talk about either one of them in a couple of years.”

  “I’m going to ask Donna to marry me tonight.”

  Phillip plopped into the nearest chair. “You’re going to do what?”

  “I love her and can’t see living my life without her. That’s another reason I want you there tonight. You’re the only family I have. Dad’s somewhere in France and doesn’t even remember he has two sons. I’m almost certain Mom is, at this very moment, at the house in the Hamptons in an alcohol-induced stupor. You know she never would have had either one of us if she hadn’t been desperate to hang on to Dad. Why, I’ll never know, because he certainly isn’t any prize to be had. Really, all we have is each other. That’s all we have ever had so, if we don’t change that, it’s all we’ll ever have. I want more out of life than lonely holidays and an empty house.”

  That statement of love and loneliness was all it took to convince Phillip to go anywhere his brother wanted him to go. Roger was right about them not having parents they could depend on. While Phillip never spent a lot of time dwelling on his parents or their disinterest in their children sometimes during the times normal families got together for the sheer pleasure of being together, it crossed his mind that there was nothing typical about his family.

  He and Roger had never had a Christmas with his parents. What would it be like to celebrate the holidays like a normal family?

  “Okay.”

  The next few moments were filled with a pregnant silence. “Okay? Okay, as in you’ll go?”

  “Don’t sound so surprised, little Brother. I wouldn’t miss your engagement for the world. I do love you. I know I don’t say it often enough, but I do. I want to be there to see your bride-to-be’s happy face.” Phillip leaned forward and rested both elbows on his knees. “She is going to say ‘yes,’ isn’t she?”

  Roger laughed. “Of course. Why wouldn’t she? I’m a good catch. I’m the entire package of good looks and boyish charm. What’s not to love?”

  Phillip chuckled but, at the same time, his heart compressed. Mixed in with the happiness for Roger, there was that nagging thought that an engagement meant he was soon going to lose the only family member he had ever loved. Phillip shooed away the unpleasant notion and refused to let it take root. He loved his baby brother too much to dampen his excitement.

  Phillip managed to sound cheerful. “If we’re going to the dinner, I need to grab a quick shower and a new change of clothes. No one wants to see me in my stern lawyer suit. Its dullness depresses even me. Give me Donna’s address and I’ll meet you there.”

  Two hours later, with a stomach filled to capacity with turkey and dressing, and a dishwasher loaded with dirty dishes, Phillip found himself all alone in a strange, empty kitchen. As soon as the meal had been consumed, Roger had volunteered for the younger folks to do clean-up duty. Of course, they had all agreed and immediately set about ushering Mrs. Briar out of the dining room. Two seconds after the dishes were loaded and the counters wiped, Roger had flashed a grin in his direction and, without a single word, had vanished outside with Donna in tow.

  Roger was probably out there in the freezing temps and falling snow, proposing marriage. With nothing better to do, Phillip headed in the direction of the living room in search of Mrs. Briar. At first, it appeared as if no one was in the room. The only light emanating from the room was coming from a television set. Since he had never been in the house before, he was at a loss about what to do next. He stood poised in the doorway, trying to decide if he should enter, or go back to the empty kitchen and wait for Roger and Donna to come back inside.

  While indecision kept Phillip rooted in the doorway, he absentmindedly focused on what was playing on the television. It appeared to be a home movie of the Briar’s rec
orded from an earlier Christmas celebration. A much younger Donna and another girl were both sitting on the floor by a brightly decorated Christmas tree. An older man kept moving in and out of the camera range, handing out gifts, and then heading back behind the tree to refill his arms with more presents.

  The smiling, self-appointed Santa was dressed in a faded blue bathrobe. His face was creased in a wide smile as he went joyfully about his duties. Both of the young girls giggled as they unwrapped each gift. The young version of Donna had much longer hair and it was pulled up into a tangled ponytail. She looked happier than he had ever seen her.

  Phillip didn’t recognize the other girl in the home movie. Even though her long blonde hair was a tangled mess, she still looked very much like she could have been the angel that had just fallen from the Christmas tree top. Both girls were still in their disheveled bedclothes. It was like watching a scene straight out of a Hollywood Christmas movie. Everyone was teasing each other and laughing. It was just as he had always envisioned Christmas to be with real families.

  When Donna finally called the robed man “Daddy” it became clear why Mrs. Briar was sitting in the dark on the anniversary of her husband’s death with only an old movie for company. As soon as Phillip realized what he was intruding on, he turned to leave, but Mrs. Briar must have seen him lingering in the doorway, because she called out, “Please stay. I can turn this off.”

  Phillip wavered between leaving and staying, but good manners stopped him from deserting her, so he went in and sat on the sofa with his host. “Please leave it on. I would like to watch this with you, if you don’t mind.” He wanted to see more of the fallen angel. Who was she and why did she tug at his heart in ways no one had touched him before?

  After a moment, Mrs. Briar nodded and then refocused her attention on the television screen. “Thank you. Donna doesn’t like watching them. She says it just reminds her of how much we have lost. You see, last year, we didn’t just lose my husband. In a way, we also lost my oldest daughter, Rose. She was with my husband that night. She suffered serious head trauma and is still in a coma. The doctors don’t know if she’ll ever come out of it. Donna won’t even go with me to the nursing home anymore.” She turned back to face the screen.

  Phillip hadn’t missed the tears, even though she had lowered her lashes in an attempt to hide them. He didn’t say anything, but he sat and watched the sweet family scene unfold. It was everything he and Roger had never had growing up. It made him think about whether it was better never to have such love or to have it, but then lose it without warning.

  “You have two very beautiful daughters, Mrs. Briar. Do you mind talking about Rose? I would like hearing about her.”

  For the first time that evening, Mrs. Briar’s face brightened. “I would love to. I don’t get many opportunities to talk about her anymore. It doesn’t take long for friends and family to lose interest in another person’s grief. Rose was a beautiful child, who grew into a beautiful woman, but she’s not just that way on the outside, she’s so beautiful on the inside too.” She leaned in to be closer as if to tell an important secret. “Do you know what Rose was going to do after graduating from the university? She wanted to build a place where children who were too old to live any longer in foster homes to stay until they received their higher education.”

  Sadness settled back onto her face. “That’s my biggest regret, that I talked Rose out of going ahead with the project. She wanted to begin three years ago, but her father and I told her there was plenty of time to do it after she completed her education. Now she might never have the chance.”

  Phillip covered her hand. “She still can. You mustn’t give up hope.” He leaned closer to her and smiled. “Why don’t I drive you over to see Rose tonight? That would make a lovely Christmas Eve surprise for her.”

  It was heartbreaking to see such hope fill Mrs. Briar’s face, but then, without warning, it vanished.

  “I can’t ask you to spend Christmas Eve with an old lady. You must have better things to do tonight than drive me to the nursing home.” She smiled, but it was tainted with a hint of sadness. “I appreciate the kind thought, though. You and Roger have the best manners. Your parents must be so proud of the two of you.”

  Phillip didn’t bother contradicting her. “I would love to meet Rose.” He leaned closer and whispered conspiringly. “Don’t say anything before Roger and Donna come back in with the happy news, but I think we’re soon going to be family. You might as well get used to seeing me.”

  It took Mrs. Briar a moment, but then a look of understanding and a smile lit her face. “You mean?”

  Phillip nodded.

  She stood and waved for him to do the same. “Let’s go tell Rose.”

  He found himself answering her bright smile with one of his own. He stood and offered her his hand. “What a wonderful idea.”

  To sleep and not dream of love is the saddest thing of all.Phillip stood out of the way while Mrs. Briar fluttered around Rose’s bedside. The older woman tucked in covers, and then, without anything left to do, she combed her daughter’s short, blonde hair.

  After the tender grooming, Mrs. Briar slipped the comb into her purse. “Rose is going to hate how short her hair is. They had to remove a section of her skull to reduce the swelling.” She smoothed the hair off of Rose’s forehead and then kept her palm flat against her forehead as if unable to break the contact. While she never said a word, her expression spoke volumes about the love and pain she was feeling.

  After watching from the doorway, Phillip finally walked over and stood by the side of Rose’s bed. Her expression was so serene and she had to be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen before. Her skin had the appearance of the finest alabaster, but without its coldness or hardness. It took every ounce of willpower to not reach out and run a hand down the length of her arm to see if it was as soft as it appeared to be. It also wasn’t exactly correct to call the color of her hair simply blonde, because that was too general of a term to describe the shimmering highlights that sparkled and shimmered, even under the harsh overhead fluorescent lights.

  Rose was dressed in brightly colored pajamas designed with pink and purple flowers and trimmed with purple satin. Even though their activity echoed loudly around the almost bare décor of the room, her thick lashes never moved or gave any indication that she was aware there were visitors in her room. As he stared at her peaceful expression, it was difficult for Phillip to imagine she might never wake up again. That thought made Phillip’s chest tighten and for a moment, he found it hard to exhale. She was too perfect to be doomed to such an existence. Surely, she was destined for far more. She had plans, dreams, hopes, and a bright future ahead of her. How many people did he know who had nothing but selfish plans and the only dreams they had were for no one other than themselves? Surely, God didn’t waste the best part of mankind to the confines of a nursing home bed, trapped within a damaged brain. Phillip refused to believe that was to be Rose’s fate. She had to wake up one day and do all the good things she had planned on doing. People would profit from her goodness.

  “Did Rose have any of her plans written down?” His voice sounded loud in the small space, so he cleared his throat and lowered it. “I know a few people who might be able to help make her dream for the youth center become a reality.” Maybe this was why he had trained in the legal field when his heart had yearned for another profession. He had the knowhow and he was acquainted with people who had the money and resources at their disposal to put such a project together. With Rose’s vision, there wasn’t any reason her dream couldn’t be a reality in the near future.

  Phillip reached out and touched Rose’s hand. Even though he would have liked to be able to keep it there a little longer, he only lingered long enough to absorb some of her warmth before pulling his hand away again. “We should get the ball rolling for her so when Rose wakes up, she’ll see that we believed in her enough to carry on with her dreams. The moment she comes out of the coma, we’ll turn
the project over for her to run. She can finish what we weren’t able to complete.”

  When Phillip met Mrs. Briar’s eyes, he was pleased to find her smiling. Her voice sounded hopeful. “Do you think she would like that?”

  I dreamed of loving you.In spite of being exhausted, Phillip pushed through the nursing home double doors and waved at all of the familiar faces.

  “Mrs. Burks, what are you still doing up this time of night!” Phillip leaned forward so he was at eye level with the older woman.

  Mrs. Burks was alert, but because of an earlier stroke, she was sitting slumped over to one side in the wheelchair. She didn’t answer, but after carefully studying his face, she gave a cheeky grin that revealed a healthy pink set of gums.

  Phillip knelt and covered one of her wrinkled hands with his. “You waited up for me?” He couldn’t stop from laughing when her answer was devilish wink. “Mrs. Burks! Are you flirting with me? What will I tell Mr. Burks? You’ll have us fighting duels over you next. My reputation will be tarnished beyond repair.” He stood and kissed the top of her head and then gently lifted her chin so she could see his face. He leaned in and whispered so only she could hear. “If you ever need a knight in shining armor, I’m your man. I’m not much of a horseman, but for you I would do everything within my power to protect your honor.” He leaned and kissed the side of her cheek. He gave her one last smile before hurrying down the long hall toward his ultimate goal, Rose’s room.

  Phillip closed his eyes and took a deep breath before pushing through the door to Rose’s room. He reopened them only after he was fully in her room and the door was closed. It was a silly game he had been playing ever since he began visiting Rose every night after work. It was an irrational hope that one evening he would discover her sitting up and alert. The moment his eyes were open, a stab of disappointment pierced his heart. Rose was still lying with her eyes closed. Nothing had changed since his last visit.