Jenny’s day at work went by a lot easier than she thought it would. The whole staff was respectfully distant and didn’t crowd her or pester her with questions about her father. She had a feeling Gina took many of them aside and gave them all a stern lecture on being professional in their place of business. She was glad to have someone like Gina at work, a person who got to know her before finding out about their past. On her way home, things were just as quiet and when she pulled into the house, she was surprised to see the house so dark. There was only a light glow coming from the living room and she had no idea what was going on. Jenny got out of the car and slowly walked up and unlocked the door. After she came inside and locked the door behind her, she started to look around the room.
“Hello?” She called out. “Is anybody here?”
“Just me, Jenny.” Gabe called from the other side of the living room.
Jenny could barely see him from the glow of the candles and then she realized where the glow was coming from. Gabe had set the table for a romantic dinner for two, complete with win, flowers, and lit candles. The biggest shock came when she got close enough to see Gabe for herself. He was dressed up in what looked like an extremely expensive tuxedo.
“Wow.” Jenny said as she checked out the threads he was wearing. “What’s going on?”
“I’ve got something very cool to show you.” Gabe said as he reached out for her hand. She reached out and put her hand in his and he led her to another part of the living room. Gabe turned the lights on to reveal what was hanging on the wall. Jenny covered her mouth when she saw it.
“Oh my gosh!” Jenny said, looking up at it, “Is that what I think it is?”
“That it is.” Gabe said as with a proud smile. “That’s the poster that started Dick’s legacy. Dick was playing a concert in San Jose, California one year and he spotted a kid in the crowd with this sign. Dick loved the sign so much he invited the kid to come up on stage to hang with the band. He was able to show everyone else the cool sign he had made, and because of this poster fans have been calling your father Evel Dick for over two decades.”
“Hang on,” Jenny interrupted, “How the hell did you know this concert was in San Jose?”
“Because I was there,” Gabe answered. “This concert in San Jose was one of a dozen or so shows that Tom and I traveled to check out. Tom had his license at the time and told our parents were going on a scout trip to a campground. Instead, we drove across four states to check out the Horsemen.”
“I’m confused,” Jenny said, “Why did Dick give this to you?”
“He didn’t give it to me.” Gabe answered. “I would prefer to say that he returned it to me. This was my sign, I made it.”
“That was your sign?” Jenny asked. “But that means…”
“Yes,” Gabe confirmed, “I was the kid Dick invited on stage.”
“Don’t fuck around on this,” Jenny said, as she became defensive, “You better not be lying about this!”
“I can prove it,” Gabe replied. “I know everything, especially what happened backstage that night.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jenny said as she was trying to avoid giving away any details herself.
“After I was onstage,” Gabe continued, “Dick asked me to go backstage so that he and the entire band could autograph the poster for me. Since they were only halfway through the show, I was left backstage with all the kids of the band for at least an hour or so.”
“Keep going,” Jenny said, as she had an inkling of where this was going.
“Well, I was hanging out with all these kids,” Gabe said, “Kids I had only heard of only to realize they were normal kids, just like me. All except for Alex, he really did have the potential to be even greater than your father.”
“I know.” Jenny confirmed.
“Anyway,” Gabe continued, “When I went to Dick’s dressing room, there were three boys and one girl in there and I could tell that the boys were being really mean to the young girl.”
“I never told anyone this,” Jenny said to him.
“Most of these kids were not even related to any of the band members,” Gabe said, “Just troublemakers that had snuck backstage when no one was looking. Security wasn’t as good back then as it was today, so one of the oldest boys was pressuring the young girl to do something she wasn’t comfortable with. Something her mother told her never to touch or use backstage.”
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“I was there so you don’t have to sugar coat it.” Jenny said, as she remembered everything, “They were pressuring me to take heroin. I didn’t want to do it and they were being pretty forceful about it.”
“I could tell you were upset,” Gabe added, “So I came into the room and kicked the needle right out of the big kid’s hand and a whole fist fight started. That’s when Alex and a few roadies came into the room and all hell broke loose. You told Alex what they were trying to do, and he almost killed that kid for trying to force drugs onto you.”
Gabe paused for a moment.
“After the room was cleared,” he continued, “Alex and the roadies were kicking those kids out of the backstage area, it was just us left in the room. You thanked me for helping you with those boys, and then.”
“And then I kissed you,” Jenny finished for him. “It was just a small peck on the lips for being so brave and saving me from those mean boys. That was my first kiss.”
“It was mine too,” Gabe confessed. “But… that’s when Dick came in and caught us. All he saw was his only daughter kissing the little boy with the sign on the lips. He didn’t seem too impressed with me.”
“No, he wasn’t.” Jenny remembered. “He kicked you out of the backstage area as well before anyone had a chance to tell him what you did.”
“He didn’t like the fact that we were kissing, but I’m not sure if he’s aware about all the other stuff.” Gabe said to her as he kept looking at the poster, “Alex and I were the only ones who knew what was going on back there. I think Alex took that secret to his grave and this is the first time I’ve told anyone.”
“I spent years looking for a kid in San Jose.” Jenny admitted to Gabe. “But I never found him.”
“That’s because I wasn’t from San Jose,” Gabe explained. “I was there because of another road trip with Tommy, which is why you never found me.”
“And all this time, you were from the same town as Gina.” Jenny said as she noted the irony. “What are the odds of me moving here of all towns?”
“It’s stuff like this that makes me want to believe in fate.” Gabe said as he put his arms around her, “Like it was our destiny to reunite.”
“It sounds so romantic,” Jenny said as she looked up at the poster. “I can’t believe Dick had kept this sign all this time.”
“He said it’s ours to keep.” Gabe informed her. “He said it was an engagement present.”
“Well, that’s a little premature, we’re not even…” Jenny had turned around to see Gabe had gone down to one knee. He was holding up a small box that was open to reveal an old but very beautiful diamond ring.
“Jennifer Mitchell.” Gabe said as there was a tear in the corner of his eye. “We were destined to be together after finding each other over twenty plus years after our first kiss. I loved you this much even before I knew that and was making plans to purpose to you before Dick even came to town. I hope you will do me the honor of being my wife.”
Jenny had tears in her eyes. “What about Dick?”
“I have his blessing.” Gabe said as he stood back up.
“Like we ever needed that before,” Jenny said as she smiled and gave him a big kiss. “I would be honored to marry you Gabriel Davis.”
He placed the ring on her hand, and she looked at it for a moment.
“It’s so beautiful.” She said, looking at it.
“It’s your mother’s ring.” Gabe replied. “I was saving to get a ring of my own, but Dick insisted because he wanted you to have it.”
“I remember it,” Jenny said as she loved it. It fit perfectly on her ring finger too as if it was meant to be there all along. Fate was telling them it approved of their union with each small hint.
“Hungry?” Gabe asked.
“I’m starving!” Jenny said as she hadn’t eaten since lunch and even then it wasn’t very much. But when was a little hesitant to eat because she had no idea what Gabe made for dinner.
“Relax.” Gabe said as he lifted the lid from her plate, “I ordered Chicken Alfredo from your favorite Italian restaurant.”
Jenny laughed, that had to be her Dad’s idea. “That’s Dick’s go to advice: when in doubt, order out.”
Gabe took a seat after Jenny took her chair and they sat down and enjoyed a lovely meal together. The food was great, and Jenny had a feeling something like this was coming soon by the way her Dad talked to her the day before. Yet she had no idea about the poster and the ring. She also never expected to see it happen so soon but with Dick’s health in question she was happy Gabe didn’t make her wait too long.
Jenny couldn’t remember when she was this happy and she was looking forward to living the rest of her life with Gabe and Michael, and even Dick in there somewhere too. Life was just the way she wanted it, despite her past coming back to be a part of it. As they finished their supper, Jenny looked around.
“Where’s Dick and Michael?” she felt bad that she had forgotten about them while being so overwhelmed by what Gabe had been showing her the entire night.
“Dick and Michael crashed at the lush hotel that Dick has been paying for but rarely using for almost a week now.” Gabe answered with a grin on his face. “That means we have the house to ourselves to just relax and hang out together.”
“That’s great because I need to get to bed early. I have a long day at work tomorrow.” Jenny giggled as she was clearly pulling his leg.
Gabe raised his glass that was still half full of wine. “Here’s to the future and hopefully many more great years together as husband and wife.”
“I like the sound of that.” Jenny said with a glint in her eye. “But there’s one thing I would love to do right now with this handsome man before me.
“And what would that be?” Gabe asked her.
“I would like to dance.” Jenny answered. “Preferably something non-Horsemen if you please.”
Gabe walked over to the stereo and put on something soft and slow to dance to, and he walked over and took her hand. They started to sway around the room and held each other tight while trying their best not to step on each other’s feet. They had each other and that was all they had to worry about that night. They shared a soft kiss and kept dancing in the living room, for the night was only beginning.