HAPPY FOREVER AFTER

As they looked over their menus, Daniel stole a glance at Emma. Seeming to sense his perusal, she looked up and offered a tentative smile. He smiled back, captivated by the sparkle in her dark eyes.

She was…beautiful. And this time when she looked at him, he didn’t see the dark anger that had sparked so often the past weeks. That made him happy.

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Emma stared out the window as she munched on one of the tasty little confections whose name escaped her. It had cheese and shrimp. She wasn’t sure of the other ingredients, but it was good and she was starving.

The sky had started to soften. Wispy pastel tendrils flirted across the horizon as the sun sank lower. She closed her eyes and allowed the soft breeze to soothe her fried nerves.

She’d expended more emotional energy over the past months than she had in a lifetime. She wanted to exist free of distress. Just for a little while. She wanted to forget the nights she’d been unable to sleep or the nights she’d lain awake hurting so much that she’d wondered if it would ever stop.

Now she just wanted to be. Now she could at least pretend that the past months hadn’t happened. That she and Daniel had always been a happy couple without all the emotional crap. Daniel was trying to make things right.. She was too. And she appreciated his efforts. He hadn’t asked her to marry him again but he had certainly been playing the part of the solicitous husband.

“Penny for your thoughts?” he said.

Slowly she dropped her gaze from the beautiful sight and turned her head to Daniel.

“I was thinking that it’s easy to pretend here.”

He stared at her for a while. “Pretend about what?” he asked.

“Everything” she said simply. “It looks so beautiful… Relaxing”

“We could pretend,” he acknowledged. “But we don’t have to. We are past that now”

“So did you get things straightened out at the office?” she asked, not wanting to delve into pretend versus real. They were supposed to forget the past.

“Yeah. Just a misunderstanding. I should have it cleared up by tomorrow. I have another joint meeting in the morning with the partners. If all goes well, I’ll be finished and we’ll have some time to ourselves to do what we want.”

“That’s good?” she said carefully. Wondering what he had in mind for all the time he wanted them to have to themselves.

“I just think we should spend some quality time together… You know, before the baby comes” he said as he studied her.

She nodded, but said nothing. He watched for a while, then he returned his attention to his food. They returned back to house after eating and went back to balcony where he had found her that afternoon and they sat there.

The tension between them was intense. But they filled the silence with talks about their families, Emma telling him how much she missed work and other small talk. Till Daniel blurted out.

“Will you sleep with me tonight, Emma?”

Her eyes widened. He cursed.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

“That came out completely wrong,” he said. “I’d like for us to sleep together. Actually sleep. In the same bed. I’d like to hold you again. Nothing more. Just let me hold you.”

The idea of lying in his arms, of snuggling into his body and tangling her legs with his… It was so compelling that she suddenly wanted it more than her next breath. Taking a deep breath, she nodded.

He reached over, took her hand and simply held it, their fingers wound tightly. He leaned back and positioned himself up on his elbow at an angle and then pulled her so she could rest against his chest.

She leaned her head back in the crook of his neck and gazed dreamily up at the sky. He turned his face so that his lips brushed across her cheek in a kiss and then he too glanced skyward.

“Make a wish,” she murmured.

“I have my wish. Now make yours.” he said.

She took a deep breath and held it for a long second. Then she closed her eyes and made her wish. She wished that things would get better and remain better between them.. For their sake and for the sake of their baby.

After a moment, Daniel stirred under her and then carefully pushed her upward so he could move from behind her. He got to his feet, stretched a bit and reached down for her hand.

Thinking he was ready to head back inside the house, she let him pull her up. But instead of walking toward the door leading into the house, he took her closer to the bars.

The moon shone. The sky was filling rapidly with stars, scattered like fairy dust across the horizon.

How fanciful she was tonight. Wishes and fairy dust. It seemed appropriate for such a magical setting, though. Maybe she’d wake up in the morning and this would have all been a dream. She hoped not.

If that was the case, she was determined to exist in her dream world for as long as possible. It was perfect.

Without a word, Daniel took her in his arms and began to move. She looked up and him and smiled.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Dancing with you” he said simply.

“But there’s no music,” Emma said.

“Doesn’t matter,” he replied. He gathered her close and she tucked her head beneath his chin, leaning into him as they swayed together.

Closer and closer they melted together until they were barely moving at all. She was tucked securely against his body, a perfect fit. He laid his cheek atop her head and turned slowly, his feet guiding their rhythm.

Finally they stopped moving at all and stood locked together as night fell around them. He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed the top of her head. She tilted back so that she looked into his eyes and she saw need and desire, but she also saw hope.

He was going to kiss her. She thought. And she wanted him to so badly..