Pouring rain beat down on the sidewalk and the street lamps reflected off the pavement. Traffic passed slowly by and the stars began their nightly vigil. A sign marked the entrance to a cluster of upscale buildings dubbed the Highbury Hills Apartment complex. An illuminated window on the fourth floor of building C beckoned through the evening darkness. A solitary figure cracked the window slightly to allow the fresh breeze to enter.
"Well done, Emma," a young woman mused to herself as she reclined in her favorite easy chair. A mug of hot chocolate steamed on the table beside her, the melody of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" drifted from the stereo, and a low fire glowed in the hearth. Fuzzy tiger slippers peeped out from beneath the edge of a blanket that was tucked securely beneath her chin. Her eyelids slowly lowered and she sighed with utter contentment as she reviewed the day in her mind.
"What a hectic day, but the wedding was absolutely beautiful! The flower.... the music.... the service.... and not to mention..... the bride! They both looked so happy together. So, Miss. Taylor, my beloved neighbor, is now Mrs. Weston. She has moved from across the hall to the first floor with her new husband. She will be very happy with Frank Weston and helpful to him as well. Life will be very different now and I will miss her. There won't be any more cooking lessons, chick flicks movie nights, shopping marathons, or meaningful girl talk. No, it's all over because she will be busy with her husband. I will be all alone.... except for dad....and he is growing weaker every day. Someday I will really be all alone... Well, that's a depressing thought. I don't want to think about that now. I'll think about it tomorrow."
Having resolved to delay any unhappy thoughts until the following day, Emma pushed a blond curl back into her ponytail and began to sip her chocolate. It was time to hum along with Mozart's famous "Eine Kline Nacht Musik".
Peaceful.... calm.... perfectly content....
tap....tap...tap ...
tap...tap...tap...
Emma hummed louder in a valiant attempt to drown out the sound, but she failed.
Annoyed at being interrupted, Emma stormed angrily over to the window, threw open the curtains, shoved the window completely open, and peered out.
"Get in here, George. What are you doing out in the rain and what can you possibly want at this time of night?"
The figure on the fire escape was already drenched from the few moments that Emma had left him stranded while she procrastinated about letting him in. George Knightly climbed through the window with startling grace and ease. There he stood his hair plastered to his forehead and his lanky six foot three frame unabashedly dripping rainwater on her cream carpet.
Emma turned and shot the man a look of sheer disgust, but was forced to turn away to conceal her giggle of amusement at his appearance.
"Hello to you too, Emma." George greeted her with a chuckle. "Would you mind taking my coat and loaning me a towel?"
"What do you want?" Emma demanded with a glare. "You still haven't answered my questions!"
George proceeded to slip off his wet shoes and hung up his own trench coat as he made his response.
"Well, I saw your light on and your window was open so I thought that I would just stop in to see how the wedding went. Did you cry? I also thought that I'd let you know that I am back from England and that you didn't need to come next door to feed Jack and Clark tomorrow."
"Couldn't you just have slipped a note under the door?"
"I suppose that I could've," George said as he strolled into the bathroom and returned with a dry hand towel, "but that wouldn't have been very friendly would it?"
"I guess not....." as she watched George towel dry his dark brown hair.
George flopped into his favorite chair by the fire and settled in for a nice visit. Her solitary peace obviously interrupted, Emma resigned herself to his company.
"Why not?" She pondered. "Just a few minutes ago I was complaining about being lonely. I totally forgot about George! He will always be around to keep me company."
"Tea or Hot Chocolate, George?"
"Hot Chocolate is fine."
Emma returned from the kitchen and handed the mug over to George. Then she sank back into her chair and snuggled beneath her blanket.
"Nice slippers," George teased sarcastically, his eyes glinting with humor.
"Hey! Don't knock them until you've tried them!" Emma pouted prettily. "How was your trip?"
"Fine, but busy. I got the business that I went for finished early, so I got to visit John and Izzy. Baby Sarah is beautiful. She looks a lot like you, actually. They are still planning on coming for Christmas. They should fly in on the morning on of December 15th. We had a nice visit, but the weather was lousy...lots of rain and now I get home and it's raining here too."
"I am so jealous! You got to see our new niece before I did."
"Well, I have a picture of her in my suitcase. I'll show it to you after I unpack, but not tonight. I'm a bit too tired at the moment. How's your Dad?"
"He came to the wedding this afternoon, but it wore him out. We left the reception early and I brought him home and got him settled for the night. I left a note for Mrs. Stewart to let him sleep late tomorrow. Dr. Shelley says that his arthritis seems to be responding to the treatments. So for now we just have to wait."
"That's good news. I'll probably stop in and visit him tomorrow evening. So now, how was the wedding?"
"It was beautiful! Everything went smoothly. Rev. Elton gave a meaningful message and the reception was tasteful. I'm so happy that I was able to bring the two of them together!" Emma smiled wistfully.
"You? You brought them together?" George asked in astonishment.
"Yes! Of course I did!" Emma insisted. "If I hadn't encouraged the two of them they may not have gotten married today!"
"You made a lucky guess! They fell so hard and so fast that nothing would have stopped them from exchanging their vows!"
"Haven't you ever made a lucky guess? I totally played a crucial part in bringing them together! They are on their honeymoon tonight because of me!" Emma retorted.
"Well, please don't force any other couples together! You aren't the matchmaker, Yente!" George pleaded.
"Just one more!" Emma exclaimed excitedly. "At the ceremony today, Rev. Elton looked almost jealous when he pronounced Mr. and Mrs. Weston husband and wife. I have already begun thinking about who might be a good match for him! I have several ideas already! Margaret Flynn, Karen Cater, Jenna Thompson...."
"Enough, Emma! Please have pity on Rev. Elton and give up this scheme of yours!"
"But George! He has that nice big apartment over in building F and he makes more than enough money to support a wife. He's probably lonely. Besides, every minister should be married."
George cast Emma a skeptical look.
"Yes, Rev. Elton will be the next person that I'll help in their quest for a soul mate." Emma leaned back in her chair with a satisfied smirk.
"Heaven help Rev. Elton! Emma, I am sure that he can handle his own love life!"
"George, dear boy, men know nothing about romance and love whether they are eight years old or eighty years old!" Emma stated with a superior laugh.
"Well, I am beat and lack the energy to argue with you. I think that the jet lag is catching up with me. Thanks for the chocolate and taking care of Jack and Clark for me. I'll see you tomorrow."
George stood up pulled on his coat, retrieved his shoes, and hung the towel in the bathroom. He climbed back out on to the fire escape and turned to look back into the room.
"Goodnight Emma. Make sure you lock the window before you get to bed."
Emma ignored her friend's advice and fixed her stare on the fire as she brainstormed about which women would make good candidates for the position of Mrs. Elton.
After stretching out, Emma trotted down the stairs and began her morning jog. People were just beginning to wake up and the small community of Highbury Hills was stirring to life.
Emma's jogging route took her past the main office and the manager's house that would be Sarah Taylor's... oops.... Sarah Weston's new home. Emma continued past the clubhouse and pool and skirted the edge the parking lot. Highbury Hills really was a beautiful place to live and a close-knit community. All the buildings were unique, but complemented each other with their regency style. The complex also held community events so that the residents became acquainted with their neighbors. On weekends, people would often gather in small clusters to discuss their weeks, exchange recipes, or dispense tips on the care of geraniums.
Emma controlled her pace until she reached the end of the complex beyond building J. Then she turned right to run on a path through the park. Now she let her legs move freely and increased her stride. The leaves were barely tinted with their autumn hues and songbirds chirped in the branches above her head. Emma carefully avoided squishing the earthworms strewn here and there on the sidewalk, that had been flooded out of their homes by the rain. Emma cherished her morning run as a time of personal reflection and relaxation. She allowed her mind to wander and her body to enjoy the physical exertion. She greeted several other joggers and people walking their dogs, but after twenty minutes she was ready to head back.
Upon returning to Highbury Hills property, Emma slowed to a walk before she turned the corner of building J. She peeked around the south edge of the building to see Ruth and Doris Bates pruning in their rose garden. Doris was a widow in her late sixties. She was hard of hearing and hardly ever talked at all. On the other hand, her daughter, Ruth, was an old maid who spent her life caring for her mother. Ruth could talk for hours on any subject and sometimes rambled on without any subject at all. Still, the Bates' were sweet ladies and Emma loved them dearly; they simply had to be enjoyed in small doses. Emma wasn't prepared for a conversation with them at seven o'clock on a Saturday morning, so she altered her course and ran through the back of the complex. She called hello to the Cole's and enthusiastically waved to Rev. Elton who was practicing his sermon on his patio.
Emma was on the final stretch of her jog when she noticed a moving van parked and unloading in front of building B. Now moving vans were not a rare sight in the Highbury Hills complex, but Emma's inquisitive nature lured her over to the vehicle.
"I am not being nosy." Emma assured herself. "I have a right to know who my neighbors are. Especially when the new tenant is moving into the building right next door!"
Fortunately for Emma's curiosity, Mrs. Goddard, who lived on the second floor of building B, was eager to share some information.
"Do you know who is moving in?" Emma questioned as she wiped her forehead with the back of her sleeve.
"Oh yes! Her name is Harriet Smith. She is the daughter of my college roommate. Unfortunately, she was orphaned as an infant. I couldn't believe the news when I heard that Gladys was killed in a freak auto accident leaving little Harriet alone."
Emma watched as Mrs. Goddard's eyes filled with tears. Emma reached out with a sympathetic pat on the hand and an encouraging smile.
"She was raised in Connecticut by her aunt and attended college in that area. However for the last few years, she has been living in the Canterwood apartments across town, but she decided to move here so she would have more space. I am thrilled that she will be close to me."
"She sounds lovely, Mrs. Goddard. I am looking forward to meeting her!"
"Excuse me, Emma. Harriet is waving to me like she needs help."
Emma watched as Mrs. Goddard bustled across the sidewalk to the redheaded girl who stood in the doorway.
"She is cute in a girlish way." Emma observed silently.
Then a brilliant idea struck her!
"Harriet and Rev. Elton! They would be perfect together. Harriet will make the ideal minister's wife arranging bake sales and running the nursery! Wouldn't they be charming together?"
Emma marched determinedly back to building C and sprinted up the stairs to her waiting shower. It had been decided!
"Watch out Rev. Elton and Harriet Smith! Cupid is on the way!" Emma cheered and giggled gleefully as she stepped under the descending spray.