Chapter 4

Clarissa.

Clarissa was doing her best to stay calm. Eva was trying to help in her own way, but the constant chatter really was annoying. She elected to just stare out the window and take in as much of the scenery as possible. Asha hadn’t said so directly, but she had a feeling this was the last time she would see any of them, or be here.

She was amazed at just how much she had missed in her life. She had seen snow from her window facing the garden, and she had been allowed to go out there to sit occasionally, which let her see some plants and animals, but nothing like this. The mountains they passed through were bigger than she could have imagined, and she wished more than anything she could climb to the top.

She saw more wildlife than she could have dreamed existed. Foxes, bears, wolves, birds. She took them all in, memorizing their patterns and colors. Clarissa loved animals. While she wasn’t well enough to have a pet, there was a time when she was young when she wanted to become a veterinarian, until she realized the severity of her own disability, Still, Eva had brought as many books as she could find on animals to her, and Clarissa had done her own version of studying. Since she couldn’t leave the house often, a tutor had been brought in for her regular schooling.

Asha had always made sure she had plenty of schoolwork to do.

She felt the van start to slow down and realized Asher was turning them off of the sparse country roads they had been driving on for hours, and into a decently populated area.

Asha chose then to speak up. She spoke in a thick Russian accent that everyone attributed to her coming to Alaska with her parents when she was a young girl.

“Asher, we will meet him at the church, have the ceremony, and then adjourn for luncheon before Clarissa and Dylan head to the airport.”

“Where is he taking me?” Clarissa asked quietly.

“He lives on a large ranch in Texas, so I assume you will be going straight there.”

“Does he know?”

“Know what?”

“Does he know that I am in a wheelchair?” She pronounced every syllable with annoyance.

Asha chuckled to herself. “Of course he knows, dear. That would be quite a shock if I left that particular detail out.”

“What about my doctors? We really didn’t have a lot of time to contact them, and make sure new ones are ready for me there. Do you know who will be taking me, or how soon I will go? I have to have my injections next week.”

“Clarissa, I know you’re nervous, every bride is nervous on her wedding day. But I promise you, everything will be taken care of. I will go to the doctors here and get your files transferred over. I told Dylan what specialists you would need to see ahead of time so he could get them set up.”

This answer didn’t satisfy her. Yet another thing in her life that was out of her control. She thought she would at least be able to choose her own doctors now. Aside from her main doctor, Asha had assembled what could be known as her own personal team of specialists.

She had a neurologist she met with monthly, as well as a neurosurgeon for her spine. He was the one to make sure she got her injections on time. If she didn’t she was in excruciating pain for days on end. She also saw a few neurology students regularly so they could study her case, and help to treat her constant migraines, dizziness and occasional seizures.

What she wanted to tell Asha was that her nerves had nothing to do with her getting married. She had barely been allowed outside, and now she was having her entire world turned upside down, and she had almost no say in any of it. She had only ridden in a car a handful of times, and now she was expected to take a 16 hour plane ride with a complete stranger to her new home?

Clarissa resolved to be quiet for the rest of the ride. It didn’t help to argue with Asha, she had tried when she was first made aware that she had found someone to marry her off to. Asha had none of her normal patience that day, and was furious that she had refused the marriage. She had finally gotten Erik to come in and talk her into the marriage, and explain that it was for her own safety and well-being that she moved to another part of the continent. It was then that she had agreed to the marriage to keep them happy.

Clarissa didn’t have long to be quiet. Within ten minutes they were pulling up to a beautiful old brick building that had enormous multi-colored windows surrounding the door. She was busy gawking at the glass stories the windows depicted, and didn’t even notice Asher put the car in park. Before she knew it, he was opening her door and asking her questions.

“Are you ready to go?” She couldn’t figure out if he was feeling bad for her, or if he actually cared that she was about to do this, but she nodded her head, and helped to undo the harness that held her chair steady in the car. Asher lifted her up and set her gently down on the path that led into the church.

“Are you ok?”

“No, but I don’t have much of a choice do I?” She huffed as she rolled past him to the entrance of the church.