‘My journey over the last months has been torturous and also shown on television which unfortunately I couldn’t get released from. I have grown and I hope I am a better person from what you used to know me as.’
As Violetta looked around the room, she saw many familiar faces smiling at her and a figure in green caught her eye at the back of the room. Jeff was leaning against the wall in scrubs and his big ugly black parka. Violetta’s heart leapt and then she felt the tears fall.
‘You see I fell in love during this time. I have learned that love can rescue us and we can become who we were meant to be when we are under fire. My love held my hand and my heart and helped me to become the woman who stands before you.’
The room started to murmur and Violetta looked at Jeff who nodded at her and smiled in the darkness as she lifted her head and looked out to the room.
‘I would like to introduce you to the man who saved my mother and myself. My love, Doctor Jeff Carson.’
Jeff walked up to the podium, took Violetta into his arms and dipped her into a deep kiss.
The room erupted into spontaneous applause, led by the nurses’ table. Violetta and Jeff came up for breath and smiled at the room. She clutched his hand tightly.
Jeff leaned into the microphone. ‘Sorry I was late, I had an emergency craniotomy. And please excuse my attire but I ran from the hospital and she didn’t answer her phone when I rang.’ Violetta looked at him, soaked in sweat despite the cold winter’s night, and she knew he wasn’t lying.
‘I’m sorry,’ he frowned at her and spoke quietly. ‘It meant so much to you and I was late.’
Violetta shook her head. ‘Is your patient OK?’
‘He will be now,’ said Jeff quietly.
Violetta's heart filled with pride at the man who would put another person before a party. ‘I love you,’ she said.
The TV cameras came up to the small stage and started to shoot. Jeff looked horrified and turned to Violetta. ‘How can we get rid them?’
‘Well, they don’t want to shoot married people. The producer said they were boring,’ Violetta said, her eyes dancing.
‘I like being boring,’ said Jeff, not looking at her.
‘Boring is underrated,’ Violetta said, feeling nervous.
Jeff turned to look at her. ‘Violetta de Santoval, will you be boring with me and be my wife?’ he asked quietly.
‘I will, I can’t wait to be boring with you,’ she said, and reached up and touched his face.
‘Mr and Mrs Boring,’ he said, and held her close as they walked off the stage.
He led her onto the floor and the band played the Frank Sinatra standard, ‘Hear my song, Violetta.’ And they danced, her in her black silk and Jeff in his green scrubs. And somehow, it looked right.
The next week Violetta hit number one ranking on theDaily Socialite. But she had stopped looking a while ago. Not looking back, only forward, she’d decided.
Epilogue
Grace tapped her wine glass with her knife. ‘Excuse me, I have something to read,’ she said loudly.
‘No, Gracie,’ moaned Violetta as she sat next to Jeff at the table in Spencer and Birdie’s home.
Finally Spencer’s wish was fulfilled and he and Birdie married, this time under his magnolia trees, all their children and their partners in attendance. Frank’s parents came, and Frances was so thrilled to meet with Birdie again she stayed for an extra two days to reconnect with her old friend.
It helped that Grace and Frank were married now, the bond of son and daughter-in-law was enough to reignite their friendship and they were already planning the layette for any children Grace and Frank were planning to have.
Violetta had designed her mother’s white silk suit, elegant with a tiny blue bird beaded onto one shoulder. ‘Makes you a little rock and roll, Mom,’ Violetta had said when she showed Birdie the finished creation.
The girls wept as their parents said their vows and Birdie’s younger brother gave her away. Spencer was as nervous as any young groom, and Birdie announced to the guests that she would be staying in Atlanta forever.
Now Grace and Violetta had reunited at their parents’ table for Christmas, and Grace insisted on reading aloud as she stood up in front of the family.
‘I was going to wait for Carlotta but she texted me to say she was en route, so I will save it for her to read later,’ said Grace, and she read from the paper in front of her.
