“Jerry, it is so beautiful,” she whispered. “In Russia everything is gilded this, and solid-gold that, to make it shine and sparkle, but what has been done here with grey stone and dark wood and arches and vaults is… the raw, primitive power of God the Father.”
“Yeah. Wow.” Soft, elaborate pipe organ filled the air while they stared at the dozens of pillars arranged in four rows down the length of the cathedral, the dozen or so astounding stained glass windows filtering the crisp afternoon light, and sharp-peaked archway after vault after archway, all the way up to the roof, far above them. Alternating with the pillars were tall, white-lit Christmas trees, magnificent in their simplicity. Jerry was stunned. The nave had to be almost a hundred feet across and a hundred and fifty long, he estimated. It was the biggest non-sports arena space he’d ever been in, and yet, even with no more than twenty or thirty people scattered throughout the pews, it seemed as comfortable and intimate as his Aunt Mavis’s sitting room.
Ana stepped forward, lowered herself to her knees, and stretched out, prostrate. Her forehead touched the stone floor with a soft thump, but no one seemed to notice. Jerry bowed his head, crossed himself, and waited until Ana stood beside him again and took his hand. In silence, she led him forward, to the rear-most row of pews. She nudged Jerry to the long wooden bench on the right, while she took a place on the opposite pew to the left of the wide aisle. He started to follow her, but she already had her head bowed in prayer, so he went to his “assigned” pew on the right, swung down the padded kneeling bench, and lowered himself onto it. A quick glance over at Ana showed that she was glowing ever so slightly, almost in a holy light. And then it hit him.
He wasn’t just in a church on New Year’s Eve, he was there with the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nicholaevna Romanova, of blessed royal blood. Not only hadn’t she been struck down or banished from his world when she entered this holy cathedral, but she seemed to be enhanced somehow. Tears escaped his own eyes and he lowered his head and whispered a prayer. “Dear God. Um, Holy Father… I ask for nothing for myself because You’ve already given me so much, so I ask You to please give guidance to that beautiful, lost soul over there. Help her find her way. I don’t want her to leave, but sure would love it if You could give her a hint of why she’s here with me and not with her family, wherever they are.
“Speaking of family, Father, say hi to Dad for me, and hold him close. Tell him it’s all good down here, for the most part. Also, could You send some love my mother’s way, please. Some days I think she’s as lost as Ana is. And please bless my new friends and family here in Victoria, and send a huge divine hug to Isis and her family. Please send that beautiful little girl someone who will appreciate her amazingness, never pity her, and take joy in everything she’s capable of.
“Oh, and before I forget… thank You. Except for the occasional headache, you’ve given me a pretty cool path to tread so far. Thanks. Love Ya.”
A shuffle of cloth on cloth and leather on stone told Jerry that Ana was done. He kept his head bowed and eyes closed and looked up only when he felt Ana’s weight make the bench creak beside him. She smiled, but fortunately the glow was gone. No, he corrected himself; there was a little extra shine in her eyes. She lifted his hand to her lips and kissed his palm, then closed his fingers over it to hold the kiss tight. He smiled and stood, letting her take him by the hand and wander off to explore the cathedral. They drifted along, unhurried, warmed a little by the winter sunlight filtering through each story-telling piece of stained glass, feeling the solid, cold stone of the pillars, and marvelling at the Christmas tree decorations obviously done lovingly by the children of the congregation. Pipe cleaner mangers and cut-out-and-crayoned angels hung side by side with gingerbread snowmen and more tinfoil stars than they could count.
“It is marvellous, Jerry!” Ana whispered. “May I please make something for your tree?” She reached out and gently nudged a hanging tinfoil star, making it spin a little left and then back right.
“Our tree. Of course. I’m sure there’s tinfoil in our kitchen. Pipe cleaners may be scarce, but where there’s a dollar store, there’s hope. We may have to wait a few days. The stores are all probably closed tomorrow, New Year’s Day. But we’ll see what we have at home to get you started.”
“Wonderful!” And then she went back to her self-guided tour, leading them to every nook and cranny open to the public.
JERRY FINISHED UP his call to Bryce the carriage driver, confirming all of the details for the evening, and disconnected the call. He could hear Ginnius and Ana behind the changing curtain in the costume shop, giggling and whispering, and so he closed his eyes, just to rest them. He didn’t hear the scuff of shoes on the worn hardwood floor, or the soft cough, but he felt the tap on his shoulder when Ginnius woke him.
She whispered softly, just between the two of them. “If you haven’t already fallen in love with this chick, Jerry, you will now.” She raised her voice for Ana to hear. “And now, for one night only, Anastasia, Queen of the First Night Ball!”
What sleep he didn’t blink away in the instant before the curtain swung open, vanished in wisps blown on a wind of pure beauty when Ana stepped out, made a tiny curtsy, then spun slowly to show off Ginnius’ work. The emerald green taffeta caught the light in such a way that Jerry was certain the dress shimmied and shivered around Ana like a living thing. He’d never seen anyone so beautiful in all his life.
Ana stopped her spin and faced him, waiting. He was silent, so she prompted him. “Jerry? Is it acceptable? What do you think?” Then another thought occurred to her. “Are you well? Are you having a spell?”
She took a step toward him, forgetting about herself, but Jerry raised a hand to stop her. He took a deep breath. “If being completely overwhelmed by the exquisite grace and refined beauty before me is a spell, then I am fatally wounded and you are my slayer. Wow, wow, and… wow.”
Ginnius and Ana both laughed, then Ginnius ushered Ana back behind the curtain. “Let’s get this in the box. Jerry, your tails are hanging in the men’s change area, if you want to duck in and try them on, now that we’ve done the big reveal.”
“Sure thing, though I hardly think anyone will even notice me when Ana walks in. I could be in Bermuda shorts and a tank top and I’d be lost in the blaze of her sun.”
“There will be two questions on people’s lips tonight, Jerry. Who is that beautiful princess, and who is the man lucky enough to be her prince? You won’t be noticed first, dude, but you will be noticed, and talked about.”
“Then I suppose it behooves me to dress my best. Give me a minute and we’ll see if I measure up.” He found his costume where Ginnius said it would be, pulled the curtain shut, stripped down, and climbed into the finely crafted suit one piece at a time. It took almost five minutes for him to figure out all of the various and sundry parts. Most of that time was spent struggling over the studs in place of buttons. Eventually he was ready, and took a quick, squinting look to check himself out in the narrow mirror, straightening the white bow tie and shrugging the jacket to adjust how the small shoulder pads sat. “Not bad, if I do say so, myself.”
“What was that, Jerry?”
He grabbed the curtain and pulled it back. “I said, I clean up okay.”
Back in her sweatshirt and jeans, Ana laughed, and threw herself into Jerry’s arms. “You are the most beautiful man in the world! Yes, I think you clean up very well.”