The drive to the airport was short. Even in a busy city like Shreveport, there was minimal early morning traffic on the streets. Jared and Sara arrived with minutes to spare. After the driver had put their luggage on the pavement, Jared paid him, and he pulled away.
She and Jared followed the valet to a check-in point. While he collected their tickets, Sara paced beside the counter. She was looking forward to seeing Arizona, but she was a little apprehensive. This was her first commercial flight.
Because of what Jared had told the clerk he and Sara were the first passengers to board the plane. It didn’t take long before they were in the air and headed to their first stop, a 51- minute layover in Atlanta, Georgia.
~ ~ ~
The flight would usually have taken five hours, but the pilots ran into turbulence over the coast, and had to make a slight diversion. Six hours later, they touched down in Phoenix.
Jared and Sara took another taxi to Thundercloud Ranch, his parents’ house. She was surprised by its size. From his description of their house in El Dorado, she was expecting a small wood frame house or a tepee. The lack of attention she’d paid to her tenth-grade American History class had left her at a disadvantage. She intended to find a bookstore, at the earliest convenience, where she could buy some books on Navajo Indians. Maybe some research would spare her further embarrassment.
~ ~ ~
The house was almost as large as Wisteria Hall. There was a dirt road leading to the circle drive and garage at the front of the house. Another drive led past the house and disappeared into the distance. Indigenous succulents, desert flowers, and shrubs were arranged in neat flowerbeds, in the front yard. The exterior walls were medium terracotta stucco, with dark brown wooden shutters.
It was split-level. On the top floor, were the bedrooms and a library. The ground floor comprised of a vast open-plan living room, dining room, and kitchen area, which led to a glass conservatory, and out onto a boarded patio area. At the edge, beyond the pool, the surface changed to lush green grass the full length of the large backyard. Considering Sara had been expecting dusty earth, tumbleweeds, and giant cacti as scenery, this was a little surprising, as well.
The taxi waited while they put their luggage in the house, and then drove them to the hospital. On the way, Jared called to check on his grandfather. The old man was still unconscious.
~ ~ ~
Hand in hand, Jared and Sara headed for the hospital entrance. He glanced at her sidelong and squeezed her hand as they passed through the sliding glass doors to the information desk. Her heart began to pound. She took a slow breath, swallowed hard and rubbed her palm on her jeans.
“Nervous?”
“Yes,” she nodded.
“Don’t be,” he said and kissed the back of her hand.
“That’s easy for you to say. My stomach is tied in knots!”
“They’re anxious to see you, angel,” he chuckled.
Her eyes widened. “You talked to them about me?”
“Sara, in my family, finding our perfect match or at least someone we love, is a significant thing. Finding our perfect match is next to miraculous.”
“I thought it was common among your tribal leaders.”
“Don’t you wish?” he snorted and smiled. “It rarely happens. Certainly, not this early in life. If we’re lucky, before we find our perfect match, we could spend the biggest part of our lives with someone who’s not our perfect match. For some, it never happens.” Jared’s mood darkened. She wondered why, but kept it to herself. Now was not the time to ask questions. She was there to support him and his family.
“Usually, when we find someone as I found you there’s a special meaning behind it,” his voice trailed off.
Sara tried to make her smile convincing. Great! As if I didn’t have enough pressure to deal with, now I’m meeting my boyfriend’s family, who’ve already put me on a pedestal. This gives me that much farther to fall when I fail.
And, she fully expected to fail. A relationship as distinctive as the one, she shared with Jared came at a price. One she would have to pay, but a risk she would gladly take.
Jared closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He swallowed hard and softly cleared his throat. “I wish Granddad had….”
“Don’t give up on him, Jared,” she broke in and touched his hand. “Old people might seem fragile, but they’re as tough as nails.”
He tightened his jaw. “I’m not giving up, Sara. I’m being realistic. It depends on the type of stroke he’s had, and the amount of damage it’s done. Remember, he’s had one stroke. He could pull through with minimal damage. He could pull through and be on life support for the rest of his life, or,” he hesitated and swallowed hard again. “He might not pull through.”
They approached the desk; Jared put an arm around Sara’s waist. A nurse closer to his age, who’d tried hard to impress him, gave them directions. Being polite, he made it clear. The only thing he wanted from her was what he got - information. Her high hopes plummeted when he’d kissed Sara’s forehead and told her that he loved her, right in front of the nurse. She glared at Sara, sighed and answered the phone.
~ ~ ~
They took the elevator to the second floor. They stepped out into a busy Critical Care Unit and meandered down a long hospital wing, to room 212C. A man in his early fifties, with long, black hair, sprinkled with the odd strand of silver, met them at the door.
“How is he, Dad?” Jared asked in a low voice, filled with admiration.
He shook his head. “Not good, Shiye.”
“Sara, this is my father, Thomas Thundercloud. Dad, this is Sara Foster.”
He smiled and shook her hand. “How are you, Sara? I’m pleased you could come with Jared. We’ve been looking forward to meeting you. Did you have a pleasant flight?”
Sara reflected his smile. “It wasn’t bad, Mr. Thundercloud.”
“Please, call me Tom.” He turned his attention to Jared. “You and Sara wait here. I’ll get your mother. Despite the circumstances, you know how excited she’ll be to see Sara. I think introducing them out here, rather than in the room is safest.”
He smiled. “I agree.” He leaned close to her ear. “Brace yourself, angel,” he said and deliberately brushed his lips against the side of her neck. “Mother can get a little emotional.”
His hot breath tickled Sara’s ear and fanned a familiar fire inside her. He knew it disarmed her. She fought to regain her wits while Tom collected his wife. That wasn’t fair.
~ ~ ~
A woman in her late forties followed him out. Her long black and silver hair hung down the middle of her back in a single braid. Her face lit, her eyes glossed; she hugged Jared. “Shiyaazh! I’ve missed you.” She eyed Sara approvingly. “You must be her.”
He put an arm around Sara’s waist and smiled. “Mother, this is Sara Foster, my, um,” he searched for a suitable word to describe their relationship. They were not yet lovers, but so much more than friends. “My, um, girlfriend.”
She studied Sara’s eyes and grinned. “Nizhoni!” she whispered to Jared.
He beamed and winked at Sara. She wondered what the words meant; another incentive to find some books, and the sooner, the better. Her chances of finding them on the Navajo in a hospital gift shop were slim to none. She guessed it would have to wait. It wasn’t immediately necessary. Helping Jared and his family was.
Jared squeezed Sara tighter. “Yes, she is, very!”
“Welcome, Sara,” she said and hugged her. “I’m Nadine, but you can call me Nada or Mother if you prefer.” Sara’s eyes widened. Jared gave her an apologetic glance. “I’m so pleased to meet you, at last. Jared speaks fondly of you.”
He softly groaned. “Where’s Myra?”
“At the cafeteria, getting coffee. I’ll call her and tell her to pick up two more.”
“I don’t want any.” Jared glanced at Sara. “Angel?”
“No, thank you,” she softly smiled.
“You and Sara, should go in and see your grandfather soon,” Nadine said in a concerned voice. “Tom and I will wait out here while you visit. The nurses get cranky if more than two or three people are in there.”
Jared knew Sara was nervous about meeting his family. To her, it was crucial to be accepted. He squeezed her hand. “Come on, angel.” They entered the room. He quietly closed the door behind them.
His grandfather was connected to all kinds of tubes and equipment, but he looked as if he were sleeping. His wizened face reflected no pain or suffering. Jared led Sara to the side of the bed. His mood changed to one of respect and reverence. He kissed his grandfather’s forehead and leaned close to his ear, whispering, in his native tongue. She couldn’t understand, but by the tone of his voice, she reasoned the words had been terms of endearment.
A tear slid down his cheek; he quickly brushed it away. Sara pressed her lips into a thin line and swallowed hard. It hurt to see him cry. His pain was unbearable for her. She squeezed his hand. Jared looked back at her and smiled, but it never reached his eyes.
“Granddad, you were right. She was real. She’s here with me. This is Sara. The girl we spoke about, years ago, the one from my dreams.” Of course, the old man didn’t respond, but Jared prattled on.
Sara caressed the back of the old man’s hand. It was barely warm, practically lifeless. From her own experience, she sensed death was near. “It’s an honor to meet you, sir,” she said in a small voice.
“I need to speak with Granddad’s doctor. Would you sit with him?”
“Sure,” she smiled.
“I’ll send Mother in to sit with you, so you won’t be alone.”
~ ~ ~
“Hi, again,” Nadine whispered and motioned to some chairs, in the corner. “Let’s talk.”
Sara’s eyes widened, her palms moistened. She took a slow deep breath. To her surprise, Nadine was courteous. She wanted to know all about her. When she asked about her genealogy, whether she had Indian blood in her family, Sara’s heart jumped to her throat. This is where I find out I’m not good enough for Jared.
“Not as far as I know,” Sara said and swallowed hard. “Genealogy has never been one of my stronger points, I’m afraid.” Besides, with the hatred Mother feels toward Native Americans, how could I?
Her eyebrows shot up. “That’s interesting.”
Sara’s pulse quickened. “Is that a problem?”
She smiled and patted her hand. “No, honey. It’s just interesting.” Nadine shared stories about Jared and his siblings, when they were children.
“Thanks for letting me stay in your home, Nada.”
She softly laughed. “Where else would you have expected to stay, Sara? You’re with Jared. I wouldn’t throw my daughter out on the streets or expect her to stay at a crummy hotel. You’re family. You’re always welcome at our home. I only wish we’d met under more pleasant circumstances.” She frowned slightly. “He should’ve brought you sooner.”
“We haven’t been together long.”
She softly laughed again. “You have Sara, but not in the waking world.” She patted her hand again and glanced at her father-in-law. “Jared has shared stories about you with me since you were ten. I assume he showed you his sketches?”
Sara smiled and nodded. “Yes. He’s a talented artist.”
By the way, she talked; Nadine clearly believed Sara was Jared’s dream girl. Maybe she was, maybe she wasn’t. Sara no longer cared. He’d already voiced his opinion on the subject. He didn’t care either. If the Thunderclouds believed she was the girl from his dreams, it was proof enough for her. She felt more welcome here than she did in her mother’s home.
~ ~ ~
Sara and Kaye hadn’t seen eye to eye for a long time. Nadine hadn’t judged Sara like Kaye would judge Jared. For Sara, it was refreshing to be accepted without conditions or criticisms. Eventually, she would have to introduce Jared and Kaye. When she did, she hoped her mother would at least be civil to him.
~ ~ ~
“Jared says he became a doctor because of what happened to my mother-in-law, but I think you were the reason,” Nadine said.
“I don’t understand,” Sara frowned.
“In his dreams, when you were ill or injured, it troubled him. He wanted to take care of you. He believed, by becoming a doctor, he could. You’re the only girl he’s ever been serious about. Well, truly serious about. Did he tell you about his former girlfriend from Australia?”
“Yes, he told me a little about Eve.”
Her expression hardened. “In the beginning, she seemed nice, but she hurt Jared and used him. She led him on. Eve never loved him, but she failed to tell him any of this ’til she’d broken his heart.” A glint of satisfaction lit Nadine’s eyes. “Eve was extremely jealous of you.”
“How could she be jealous of me?”
“When he told her about you, Eve changed. Jared was heartbroken but not as much as he would be if it didn’t work out with you. But enough about that.” She patted Sara’s hand again. “Eve wasn’t right for him, not like you.”
“Nada… even if things didn’t work out for us, I would never do anything to hurt Jared.”
“I know. You’ve been there with him from the beginning, even when he was with her. You could no more hurt him than he could hurt you. He loves you, Sara.”
“I love him too,” she smiled. “I know it sounds silly, considering how long we’ve been together, but I do love Jared. I have no doubts about that.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. Something didn’t fit about Sara. She covered her doubt with a soft smile. “To an outsider, it would be silly, but not to Jared, and certainly not to us. We don’t see things as the world does. Many a match is made in the land of dreams which never sees the light of day. What happened between you and Jared is rare, special. In our dreams, we may be shown our perfect match, but there’s no guarantee we’ll find them in the waking world. It all depends on how much we’re willing to sacrifice, and how patient we are. It also depends on how much we’re willing to sacrifice for them.”
Nadine checked on the old man. “You see, it used to be, in the land of dreams, every Navajo was shown his or her perfect match, but times changed,” she continued, ardent that Sara hear the whole story. “Our people became modernized. Nowadays, only a chosen few enjoy this gift - tribal leaders and high council elders, mainly. Even still, some refuse it because they don’t wanna wait. They mistake what feels like the real thing, and forget the promise, made by our ancestors.”
She paused briefly and sighed. “People put more trust in modern ways of life. Jared almost made the same mistake. Thank goodness you were patient with him and kept reminding him you were out there, waiting. Even when the mortal part of your spirit thought it had found true love, your immortal part held onto Jared. You kept steering events in the right direction for the day when you and he would meet in the waking world.”
“Nada, Jared believes I’m his perfect match, the girl from his dreams. I want to believe I am, but what if I’m not? Is there a way of knowing for sure? If the girl from his dreams is his destiny, I don’t wanna be the one who stands between them.”
“Oh you are a noble one,” she sighed. “There is a way.”
“Tell me, please, I have to know.” Sara patiently sat, waiting.
Nadine opened her mouth to speak. Sara slid to the edge of her seat. There was a tap on the door. She glanced at it. “Later,” she mouthed and turned. “Come in.”
A girl with long, straight black hair, shining like obsidian, came through the doorway with two Styrofoam cups of piping hot coffee in her hands. “Would you get this? It’s burning my hand, Mother!”
“Myra, this is Sara, Jared’s girlfriend. Sara, this is Myra, Jared’s sister.”
Her expression changed as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. “I’m so pleased to meet you, Sara. We’ve waited a long time for you.”
She frowned. How do they know so much about me? I’d been accepted as a member of their family even before I met them, and I hardly know their names. “It’s nice to meet you too, Myra.”
She glanced at Nadine. “Have you told her?”
Nadine glared at her. “No, I haven’t, not yet.” Myra cowered. Apparently, she’d said too much.
Sara glanced at Myra and Nadine. “Told me what?”
There was another tap on the door. Jared and David Whitefeather, the attending physician, entered the room. David scowled. “What’s this? I told you, two visitors at a time.”
Sara stood. “I think I could use some coffee now.”
Myra sighed. “I’ll go with you.” Nadine gave her a look of warning and so did Jared. “I’m just gonna show her where the cafeteria is – OK? Geez!” she rolled her eyes.
What was going on in the Thundercloud triangle of secrecy? Why were Jared and his mother so concerned about Sara being alone with Myra? Was she likely to tell her something she needed to know or maybe something she didn’t want to hear?