Part 6

“Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul

- and sings the tune without words, and never stops - at all.”

- Emily Dickensen

*Part 6

The girls had barely gotten into the gushing of planning a wedding and shopping for dresses when Cecilia came over to invite the group to start making their way to the theater, allowing them extra time to seat Eric.  Her public face was a brave one, but to those closest to her, the disappointment of his engagement was a visible glint in her eye.

Melissa and Beth helped Eric into the cart for the ride to the theater, but Hayden hung back for a moment.  “Ceese?” he asked putting his hand softly on her shoulder.  “You going to be ok?”

“Me?” Oh yeah, of course…I’m fine,” she rambled a bit too quickly for it to actually be believable.  “Why wouldn’t I be…fine?”

He had a way of looking over his eyes and raising a single eyebrow that always got her.  “This is me, remember?  Do you really think you could have a crush on my brother in law and not have me know about it?”

Poor thing looked dumbfounded.  Surely she had been cleverer than that - more, stealthy in the concealment of her feelings.  The intense stare she got from Hayden told her otherwise though.  Apparently she had been an open book and her shock quickly turned to embarrassment.  “Does he know?”

“He’s as clueless as us men are at times, but Lissa and I know.  We’re here if you need anything.”

“I never thought we…I…oh god.  I mean, I know he loves Beth, I never would have done anything like…” but she stopped that thought as quickly as it had started, not ready to hash up old, painful memories for her or for Hayden.  It had been her sister, Myleen, who had shot Melissa and left her for dead, all under the delusion of loving Hayden.  She had believed she could have had a relationship with him if Melissa were out of the picture.

“You are nothing like her,” he said firmly, knowing where she had avoided going.  “Don’t ever bring yourself down to that level.”

Now only able to nod in agreement, Cecilia felt better for some reason.  There were people who understood, people who would listen…friends who cared for her even if her sister was felon and she had a crush on a soon to be married man.  Those last internal thoughts made her snicker and caught Hayden’s attention.

“Better?” he asked.

“Better,” she smiled.  “You’d better go, so you can sit with your family.”

“Then let’s go,” he said offering up his elbow in true gentleman fashion.  “You’re our family too.”

It happened again, she was reduced to blushing and nodding as she excused herself to find George.  As inviting as his offer was, she still had a job to do.

“Meet us there,” he compromised.  “I’ll save you a seat.”

She could still only nod and turn additional shades of red.

*****

The all-digital theater at the Ranch was the place to see any Star Wars movie…any movie for that matter, but for the crowd gathered for today’s show, it would be the ultimate fan experience. 

Hayden kept a seat open to his left for Cecilia while Melissa stepped over Beth and Eric to take the seat on his right.  In the row immediately behind them were chairs marked for Ewan, Eve, Rick, and of course, George.  “Sis!” Eric squirmed in his seat, “Look at that!  George is going to sit right behind us!  This is unreal!”

“Listen up my favorite fan boy,” she chided in return.  “You get tonight and possibly part of tomorrow to gush and then we’re going to begin to melt your brain with wedding plans.  Got it?”

Hayden laughed not so successfully under his breath while Eric quickly agreed.  That was more time than he thought he’d get to gush and immediately his mind wandered to how many viewings he could fit in before his time was up.  While he was still attempting the math in his pain medication filled head, George did a quick welcome and introduction of the long anticipated Episode 3.

Nothing went to a fans gut faster than the opening down beats of John Williams’s classic theme or the perfectly timed appearance of “STAR WARS” on the screen.  Seated to his sister’s right, Eric excitedly patted her hand.  “This is it!” he grinned.  “It’s been a lifetime but the circle is going to close, right here, today!”  Melissa couldn’t help be grin back at her giddy brother.

Hayden couldn’t help taking quick glances to his right as the movie progressed, watching his wife’s reactions and how varied they were.  He could watch her and see she was sucked into the emotional side, but if he looked past her to his brother-in-law, Eric was enthralled in the conflict.  Never had a conflict been so eagerly anticipated as the dual between Obi-Wan and Anakin. 

Melissa knew when those scenes had been shot.  It had been the most difficult of times between she and Hayden.  A time when it seemed there was no light at the end of the tunnel for either of them.  While the audience watched the entire screen, she focused only on Hayden.  His anger terrified her.  His anguish would haunt her.

As the final frames closed on the Tatooine sunset, the theater went ballistic with cheers – giving George and Rick a standing ovation.  MTV resumed filming and set about getting peoples initial reactions.  They should have interviewed Eric, but given their target audience, they stuck with music celebrities leaving Eric to jammer away at Beth and Eve.  Melissa would have joined but, she was still stunned by it all.

Hayden turned around to find George giving him applause.  “The perfect Anakin!” he announced with that cheeky grin. 

Melissa turned around to take in the crowd and she caught Ewans eye.  “Brilliant,” was all she could mutter.  Reaching over the seats he hugged her as best he could.

“Find me after all of this,” he whispered to her.

“Beautiful?” Hayden’s voice broke them apart as she fought back the dampness forming in her eyes.

“I’m speechless,” she gulped before hugging him to buy her a few extra moments to compose herself.  “It was more than I ever dreamed.”  That certainly was one way to think of it.  There was no doubt in her mind that he knew what she was thinking, he always knew, but this wasn’t the place or time to reopen that particular wound.

The guests made their way out of the party.  Hayden, Ewan, Natalie, George, and Rick were all promptly hijacked for on the spot interviews.  “Allie is going to hate the last scenes of the duel,” Beth directed at Melissa.

“I’m sure!  I wonder if she knows that her son is going to be so toasty,” she tried to smile, “but Tove will love it.  Gotta love the differences between mothers and brothers.”  Just as Beth was about to question her, that rich brogue came up behind her again.

“Missy!” Ewan very nearly purred.  He insisted on pestering her with that nickname after Beth let it slip once.  She really did need to work on proper retribution for that little blunder.

“Who you callin’ Missy there Laddie?  I’ll be kickin’ that fine Scottish arse of you’re forgettin’ who you’re talkin’ to,” she joked.

“You saw me win there right?”  It was his way to breaking into a difficult subject and the people around them knew and just kept walking, leaving the two of them alone.

“Yeah…” came the breathy reply, but before she could say more, he wrapped his arms around her and waited.  “That anger…that was real wasn’t it?”  He didn’t need to confirm it with words, he just held her tighter and tried to lighten things up.

“He was inspired all right.”

“Ewan…” was all she could get out before her eyes became glassy.  She didn’t want to be that weepy wife, it was too much weakness for her liking.  Fighting her eyes to pull the tears back in, she choked down the lump in her throat.

“He identified, that’s all.  He and Anakin had a lot in common – they loved completely and made incomprehensible sacrifices in the name of that love.”

“It was just so hard to watch because I know…I know how much I was hurting but no one caught me on film.  How can he watch that and not…”

“Remember?” Ewan interrupted.  “I’m sure he can’t but it’s in the past.  You’ve moved on.  Your paths are the same as the movies.  You get the happy ending.”

“You’re right.  Thank you my Master,” she laughed out of relief, happy that she felt like joking.

“Live long and prosper.”

Laughing together, Ewan walked her back to the barbeque and toward the arms she needed most.