Three months had passed since Randy's death. Trevor was living with Zhou's brother Tao in Chinatown in San Francisco. It was one of the few places where he never heard rumors about her death. Probably because most people didn't speak English. He was sure he turned eighteen but he didn't even know what day had been his birthday. When he wasn't sleeping, he was sitting on a bench at the ocean with the urns that held the ashes of the Carter family. He tried every day, but he couldn't let them go and say goodbye forever. For some reason watching the waves alone made him want to sob. He left the beach carrying the full urns back to Chinatown.
He dropped into a chair in Tao's Chinese urn shop defeated.
"You must find love to heal and let them go," Tao said.
"It's only been three months." Trevor held his head in his hands. "I can't say goodbye to her and I've tried every day since I've been here. Look, she's still sitting here beside me." He rested his hand on the urn.
"You have a loving heart. You must love again to move on. I have just the thing."
He handed Trevor a newspaper. Trevor took one look at it and threw it back at the old man.
"I'm not getting no mail-order bride." He folded his arms.
"But these are young ladies in need of love. Your Randy told you to love again, didn't she?"
Trevor rolled his head in frustration. "Yes, I told you what she said. I don't want to do that right now. Maybe in a year or two ... or three."
"Here's one that sounds like a girl for you. She's an orphan looking for husband. No in-laws is a bonus, believe me." He looked up at Trevor and winked. "I can't make out her last name. I think it's Russian but she goes by ... Um ...What name is that?" He pointed, showing it to Trevor.
Trevor paused and then squinted at the old man before he read it aloud. "You know what is on the paper but you can't read Mimi?" Trevor's heart began to race. "No. That's not right." He rubbed his hands together and then rubbed his brow.
"I don't understand," Tao said.
"I don't understand you. Why are ya bringin' this up? Why is her name Mimi?" Trevor was on his feet and leaned against the wall on one arm so he could look out the window with his back to Tao. He pressed his fingers into his eyelids. It was just a weird coincidence.
"They take on first names that are easy to say in English. I did that too when I came here."
"Can I meet her first?"
"No, it doesn't work that way. Read this."
"When choosing a mail-order bride, the bride and groom may not meet until the day of the wedding as to not forfeit the expense of bringing the bride from overseas." Trevor paced the room. "It costs money, doesn't it?"
"I will pay for it if it will help you. You need to be needed to get better."
"I need some air." He walked the streets for hours contemplating what to do. Randy wanted him to love again. Maybe the name Mimi was a sign that the girl was meant for him. If not, he couldn't handle it if he was going to be haunted with reminders of Randy forever.
Trevor waited another day before he made his decision. He felt he was betraying Randy when the words. "I'll do it." Fell out of his mouth.
Tao helped Trevor find a nice suit to wear when the day of the wedding finally arrived. He only needed to show up and did whatever Tao told him to do so he wouldn't run away.
The bride requested that they marry on the beach with horses to ride away on when the ceremony was over. That was the hardest, saddling up Al to marry someone that wasn't Randy. He swore he could tell that Al was disappointed in him as he rode the horse down to the beach.
A preacher stood on the sand a safe distance from the incoming waves with Tao and his son as the witnesses. They waited with Trevor for his mail-order bride to arrive. He fidgeted adjusting his jacket constantly still doubting he was doing the right thing.
Trevor struggled to keep Al still as he sidestepped all over the beach from the noise of the crashing waves. Trevor had to keep turning him in circles until Al suddenly stopped and pricked his ears up.
Completely covered in white, sitting on a horse at the other end of the beach was his bride. Trevor sat as still as Al with his heart racing as it jumped into his throat to strangle him while he took in the veiled figure on the horse coming their way. He was almost wishing that Al would suddenly take off and take him far away as he squinted to make out the horse. A chestnut a lot like Storm. At least she had good taste in horses and didn't get a pretty looking, spirited one, like Al. Then he froze. It wasn't possible. Al pulled on the reins and started to stomp, wanting to run to the other horse, not away.
"You aren't a stallion, boy. Easy." It struck him that Al must have been telling him it was true. Or maybe he just wanted her back so badly he was imagining it. He gave Al some rein. Al took off in a gallop for the horse and the girl. Trevor had to blink the tears back. It wasn't possible.
The horse was remarkably similar to Storm. Al pranced around the horse, tossing his head up and down until he rested his muzzle on the girl's lap.
Trevor was so close, but he still couldn't see her face. He could barely breathe. All he could see was her hands. The way she held the reins was similar to Randy. But that was silly.
"What's your horse's name?" Trevor barely choked out.
"I call him George."
Trevor was off Al's back and pulled her off the chestnut, setting her down gently in front of him. He reached for the veil and paused when he noticed her hair was the wrong color. It was red. He hesitated. But she called the horse George. The voice was the one he longed to hear. His mind could be playing tricks on him. He wanted her back so badly. He tossed the veil over her head. When he saw her face, he fell to his knees holding her tight with his cheek pressed against her stomach.
"I don't believe it," he whispered.
She ran her fingers through his hair. He had longed to feel that every night when he couldn't sleep. His chest was so tight, he could hardly stand it. She helped him to his feet.
"Randy." He kissed her face all over until he finally met her lips.
"It's Mimi now. Randy and Miranda Carter died that day. There would be no peace for us if they continued to exist." She rested her hand against his cheek as she gazed into his eyes.
He was sure he was dreaming. It wouldn't be the first time he dreamed she came back.
"I don't understand. You died in my arms." He kissed her again. She felt real. His tears landed on hers.
"It looked like it, didn't it? I was given somethin' to make it look like I died. It kind of felt like it too. I was sick for days afterwards."
"But you were shot. I watched Butch shoot you."
"He helped me set that up. He shot a blank and it wasn't my blood. Ya weren't supposed to show up though. I didn't want ya to watch me die. But I was told that it was far more believable that you were there to witness it. I still cry remembering what happened that day. It broke my heart to do that to you." Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"How come ya didn't tell me that ya planned all that?" He pulled away with a sudden fury boiling up inside.
"Then I wouldn't have really died, would I? Ya wouldn't have been so convincin' anticipatin' me comin' back the whole time and that wasn't gonna happen right away." She kissed him longingly.
He pulled away. "Ya coulda told me. Doin' this to me was cruel. Ya come back like nothin' happened and I've been cryin' every day since thinkin' you were gone forever. I wanted to die." He backed away from her. "I still have your ashes. Whose ashes have I been carryin' around?"
"It's just ash from burnt wood. Butch heard how several outlaws had faked their deaths when they were tired of bein' on the run. Many of them were able to slip away and live a quiet reformed life elsewhere. I don't know what I took because it's a well-kept secret, but that medicine slows everything down so it looked like I died. Butch gave me an opportunity that I had to hurry and act on before everyone that wanted to see me dead had their chance. The ones that weren't there have heard Miranda Carter is gone. That name can be a legend now that the rest of the country believes I died. All those men that were out to get me have no reason to chase us anymore. They can talk about Miranda Carter all they want. No one ever has to know that I was the one that almost tied with Annie Oakley to be the best lady sharpshooter in the West. I can quietly marry you now. The way I always wanted it to be. That is if you'll still have me." She reached out for his hand. "I wanted to do this not just for me, but for you. I love you so much. They tried to take you from me too many times. I had to do this to make it stop. It can be me and you now. Trevor and Mimi Jones. And to think you were about to marry some girl you had never met." She winked at him.
Trevor allowed Randy hold his hand with both of hers even though fury still burned in his cheeks. But at the same time he was filled with tremendous relief. The swelling in his chest that told him all was right in his world again. The painful anguish began to ease. He desperately wanted to forget the memory of losing her.
The preacher married them on the beach with the sound of crashing waves and seagulls almost drowning out his words. Trevor removed the necklace from around his neck when it was time to exchange rings. Randy's Pa and Ma's wedding bands fell onto Randy, or rather Mimi's, palm.
"You were gonna use these?" she asked.
"No I had others. Should I use these?"
She nodded eagerly.
He smiled at the girl he loved with every fiber of his whole being. The preacher had them say their vows as they placed the rings on each other's fingers.
When they were allowed to kiss, there was nothing sweeter than Trevor kissing the girl he thought he lost forever.
When the wedding was over, they strolled along the beach barefoot. She teased him when she found out Trevor never went anywhere without the urns but her eyes welled up with tears when she apologized again for the pain she caused him.
Trevor shrugged as he handed her the jar with Randy's ashes in it. She dumped the burnt wood ash on the incoming wave. The surface of the water swirled with gray until it was carried away by the waves when they receded.
Trevor handed her the other urn. She walked along the beach with teary eyes as she cast each handful of ash into the wind. The dust floated away as her veil billowed out behind her.
"I miss you, Pa," she whispered. "Trevor helped me keep my promise, just the way you wanted it."
Trevor rested his hand on her shoulder and handed her the last one. She held out a handful of ash on her palm and let the wind blow it from her hand that time, doing the same with each handful, watching until all there was nothing left.
"Goodbye," she whispered, hugging her arms tight against her chest. "Calling myself Mimi just makes me think of my Ma. I don't know why the name Randy doesn't do the same thing and make me think of my pa."
Trevor held her back against his chest, wrapped his arms around her, and rested his cheek against her head.
"I don't know how long it will take me to get use to your red hair." He held a strand up in front of his face.
"I hope not long." She turned around in his arms and pressed her lips into his. "I feel like I have waited forever for this day."
"I thought it was lost forever." Trevor held her face in his hands. "How does it feel to be Mrs. Jones?"
"Nothing has ever felt more right."
A wave crashed into their bare feet. Mimi giggled and clung to Trevor. He swept her up into his arms. She kissed him as he carried her down the beach with Al and Storm following like pups behind them.
The End....