Roy did his homework. He told me that, because we would be going on a honeymoon cruise, I wasn’t going to get my money back for anything in the world. We have to go as a couple.
He told me to practice calling him Roy and he would call me nothing but Anna. He said that we had to start acting like a couple too. We would need to start holding hands and putting our arms around each other. That I would need to practice sitting with him as my lover not my son, and that I needed to practice smiling too.
“Why are you doing all this son… Roy?” I asked.
“Mom… Anna, you have wanted to go on a cruise for as long as I have been here. I want you to go. This is paid for and, unless you have a boyfriend around that we don’t know about, I am your best choice.” He smiled at me and said, “Let me restate that… It would be my privilege and honor to escort you on this cruise. You know maybe I am being greedy, but I want to give you this.”
I couldn’t help it; I loved my son even more now. “OH. Shit son… Roy, there is something you might like to know. Ahhh … well…”
“What is it mom… Anna? Damn, this is going to be harder than I thought.”
We both laughed then I finally got out, “Roy, well you see, I paid for the captain to remarry me and your dad during the cruise.”
“Anna, the law that allows captains to marry people has pretty much been abolished. Nowadays they just preside over a pleasant, yet fake, ceremony. It is just something to do, and say you did, and I would be fine marrying you anyway. Anna…”
We both smiled at the way he said “Anna”.
“So, you won’t be embarrassed at marrying, dating and hanging onto your old mom for a whole week?” I asked.
“Hell no… it would be a privilege to be with you. I will be the envy of everyone on the ship.”
I went to him and gave him a big thank you kiss that would have offended a lot of the self-righteous hypocrites that I would normally avoid at all costs. But they didn’t know what this young man was going to do for me. Roy was going to help me to fulfill my dream, my dream of sailing the seas on a cruise ship. So, I kissed him again.
We practiced being a couple a lot. He was wonderful at remembering to call me “Anna”, and I got pretty good at not calling him son. And when I forgot, I would make it sound like “Sonny Roy”.
At the house, I had the locks changed and had three security cameras installed as well. A security firm would monitor the cameras while we were on the cruise.
Eric had filed for divorce and, after reading the divorce documents, I signed and returned them to the court without complaint. The settlement proposed that I would keep the house and our savings. Eric, I am sure, cheated us out of several thousand dollars, however I was just glad that it was over.
Chapter three: Cruise date arrives
The day of the cruise departure eventually arrived. Finally we boarded our ship and I could feel tears in my eyes as I walked up the gangplank holding my date’s arm. I pulled him to me and held him tight.
We were at one of the landings, just looking around, when one of the other passengers said. “Is this your honeymoon? You look like a wonderful couple.” I was suddenly tongue tied and couldn’t think of anything to say when Roy spoke up. “This is my fiancé”, he said in a pride filled voice. “We are to be married on the ship. When is our wedding Anna???”
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