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Kissing her hair, then her face until I find her lips, I promise her.
I promise her everything we both feel already.
“Just let me show you,” I tell her. “Give me a chance and let me show you how different life is on the other side.”
One look and I can tell she’s prepared to meet me every step of the way in this.
“Isn’t it just a little too soon, Mark? I mean, look at my dad. Our situation. Should I really just throw my hands up in the air and let Dr. Love take care of it all, without any sense of duty of my own? Without even trying to work something out for myself?” she asks.
I was impressed by her fire at first but hurt by it now. I thought we’d been over all this, I guess she hasn’t come to terms with things as they really are.
With me in her world.
“Would you prefer it if I left you both alone? You and your dad?” I dare her, cringing internally as I hear the insanity of my own threat.
I’d never leave Evelyn. Never let her have to deal with any of this on her own, but I have to ask her point-blank.
“Of course not,” she gasps, those tears almost coming now. And I take her in my arms again, where she belongs.
Where I know she’ll always be from now on. No matter our joys or sorrows.
“Don’t mistake me, baby,” I tell her. “I love you and your dad. I’ll always be here for you both, always,” I remind her, rocking her gently as I ignore the staring faces drifting by.
“Come home now,” I tell her. “I know it’s been a lot to take in, but you need rest yourself. I think we all do.” I reason with her, feeling her head nod against my chest.
“You really mean it though?” I hear her finally ask. “You’ll take care of… everything?” Her eyes looking up at me and winding me up.
“Of course,” I assure her with a shrug. “But, I just might need you to take care of me every once in a while,” I remind her. Knowing my life’s nothing without her in it anymore.
It never was.
I hug her tighter and lose track of how many times we tell each other how much we love one another until it’s clear it really is time to go home.
Waiting for a cab out front of the hospital, I hear myself suggesting I might be taking more than a three month break from work.
Her hand in mine, with her other running across her belly she looks up at me.
“I think I’d like that,” she admits.
“Roomy,” she adds, teasing me already, but I don’t mind it at all.
The softness of her hand in mine, the scent of her hair in the cab ride home, and the surprise in her eyes when we pull up through the gates when I open them remotely from my phone.
All our parcels are neatly stacked and delivered as promised. Although early, makes me smile.
Anything she wants.
Anything she needs.
It will always be there for her. For all of us.
Our family. The one I know we’ll make and grow from now on in this house.
Home.
“Here we are,” I announce, helping her out of the cab and slipping some bills to the driver.
It feels like I’m coming home for the first time. The whole place seems brighter, cleaner.
New.
“No servants here, I’m afraid,” I announce, reminding us both of the strangeness of our arrival at the island house we just left.
“Good,” Evelyn announces, getting to work in lifting some of the parcels from the front porch.
“That doesn’t mean I want you to do everything,” I chuckle, lifting the boxes from her arms after opening the door.
Maybe some permanent staff would be a good idea?
I shake off the thought.
That would be stupid. Although plenty of people I know do have permanent housekeepers, I usually just have a lawn guy and a house cleaner when the place needs it.
“I can manage,” she smiles, and I see a tinge of guilt as I’m sure she counts each box.
All for her.
Those clothes and whatever else she wanted I insist she get.
“There’ll be more boxes yet,” I muse aloud, guiding Evelyn into the foyer. Glad when she doesn’t seem taken back by the size of the place.
“Not sure how much stuff you have, but there’s no shortage of room for it here either.”
Epilogue
Three Months Later
Evelyn
“I’ll be late for class,” I try to protest, but not even trying to escape his strong arms as they drag me back over to the bed, both of us laughing as he kisses me.
“I can get you a medical certificate,” Mark offers, making me remind him of the stack of sick notes already on my tutor’s desks.
‘No wonder you want to study medicine, Ms. Partridge. Your own health seems to be a case study of its own!’
