Disclaimer: No I don't own Gary, Marissa, Crumb, Chuck, Cat, Patrick, Nick Sterling or any other character from Early Edition, and I'm not profitting financially from this story. The rest of the characters do belong to me, but I thought I'd share them with y'all.:) Oh and don't be just a reader, be a feeder. I love to hear your thoughts.
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A Heart's Reflection
by Shana
Chapter 15
If you were my own
To caress and hold
I would shower you with love
And drown within your soul
Because I live and breathe for you
And I really need to know
~~~~~~~~~Mariah Carey
"So, how was Thanksgiving with your family?" Marissa sat down at the desk across from Gary and gave him one of her knowing smiles. His defenses went up immediately.
"It was nice......... good food." His answer was casual, but he knew she wouldn't be fooled.
"And good company?" She smirked at him over the rim of her coffee mug.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Come on, Gary, give it up. It's me you're talking to. Tell me what happened."
"Fine. You want to know? I'll tell you what happened. My mom played matchmaker all day, and my dad...... well, he blurted out something about the paper right at the dinner table." Gary's voice held a note of outrage.
Marissa choked back a laugh at Bernie's inability to keep a secret. She knew Gary wouldn't see the humor in it. "So what, Gary, don't you think you should tell Aimee about the paper anyway?"
"I-I want to, but......what if she doesn't believe me? What if she thinks I'm nuts?" He stood and began pacing the small office.
"She won't think you're nuts. She cares about you, Gary, so when are you gonna do something about it?"
He stopped pacing abruptly and turned to face her. "Y-You really think she cares about me?"
"Yes, I do. I may be blind, Gary, but even I can see that you two are right for each other."
"I-I told her about Marcia last night. Well, actually my mom told her first." He still wasn't sure how he felt about that.
"Oh!...... Well, I'm sure your mom thought she was only trying to help. She worries about you. How did it go with Aimee?"
"It....It went...She's easy to talk to." Gary couldn't explain how he'd been able to open up to Aimee more easily than anyone else.
Marissa just smiled knowingly. "Tell her about the paper, Gary. She'll understand." She got up and went out to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, leaving Gary to his thoughts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gary came into the loft later that evening after stopping a Japanese chef from fileting a man during his hibachi presentation. Aimee was watching another old movie. She had the cat curled on her lap, and a big bowl of popcorn in front of her.
"Hi!" Once again they both spoke at the same time and laughed.
"How was your day?", Aimee asked. She knew he'd been out with his mysterious paper, but she didn't let on. He didn't seem to want anyone to know about it, and she respected his privacy. 'I hope he'll trust me enough to tell me about it someday.' She sighed.
"It was good." Marissa's words came back to haunt him. 'Tell her about the paper, Gary. She'll understand.' Erica hadn't been so understanding at first, accusing him of having a fear of commitment and suggesting he needed therapy. Of course, there was no comparison between Aimee and Erica. He sometimes wondered what he'd ever seen in Erica in the first place. Still, he was afraid.
Aimee could see that Gary was struggling with something. She wanted to help, but wasn't sure how, so she offered the only thing she could think of....food.
"Are you hungry? I could make you something."
"Yeah, I could eat."
She made some of her Grammie's famous omelettes and they sat down on the couch to watch the movie and eat.
"I think I've saved enough to get a decent apartment now. Do you think I could have some time off tomorrow to go look?" Aimee's heart was breaking to think of leaving, but she was getting a little too comfortable to stay.
"S-Sure." Gary's heart was breaking to think of her leaving.
A heaviness settled over him as he tried to sleep later. He knew Marissa
was right. He should tell her how he felt and tell her about the paper.
It seemed simple enough, but it was the most frightening thing he'd ever
faced.
Chapter sixteen
Wanna go with me?
Do I have to wear
A shirt and tie?
We can take a limousine
But everybody there will
Ask us why
~~~~~~~~~Plus One
"So, did you tell her?" Marissa got right to the point the next afternoon when Gary came in from a few saves.
"Well, n-no."
"Coward!"
Before he could respond, a knock sounded on the door. Gary opened it to find Nick Sterling standing there. It was the last person he expected to see.
"Gary, how've ya been?" He stepped into the office, shook Gary's hand and clapped him on the back as if they were old and dear friends.
"Nick! What are you doing here?" The last time he'd spoken to Nick was the night of the fire at the opening of the children's hospital.
Marissa cleared her throat, drawing their attention.
"Oh, you remember Marissa Clark, don'tcha Nick?"
"Yes, Miss Clark, it's nice to see you again. How are you?"
"I'm fine, thank you. If you'll excuse me, I have to check on things in the kitchen." Marissa unfolded her cane and left the office, while Gary offered Nick a seat. He was burning with curiosity as to what Nick wanted.
"So, Nick, what brings you to McGinty's?" Gary sat down on the corner of the desk.
"I just stopped by to see if you got my invitation to the charity ball
at the Hilton. I was hoping you could come. It's for a great
cause---Doctor's Without Borders."
"Oh. Well, I haven't gone through the mail yet, but I'm sure it's here somewhere." Gary haphazardly flipped through some papers on his desk. He had no interest in attending another of Nick's charity functions. He hated wearing a tux, and mingling with rich people who generally acted like snobs.
Aimee peeked her head in the door just then to let Gary know she was leaving for her apartment search when Nick spotted her.
"Aimee? Is that you?" Nick's smile widened as he recognized the attractive young woman he'd stitched up several weeks before. He'd often wondered what had become of her.
"Nick. How are you? It's nice to see you again." Aimee smiled at the friendly doctor who'd been so kind to her on her first day in Chicago.
"Y-You two know each other?" Gary was growing more and more uncomfortable with each passing second.
"Oh yeah, we're old friends, right Aimee?" Nick winked at her knowingly.
Aimee just laughed. "Nick's the doctor who stitched up my leg for me. I didn't know you two knew each other. What a coincidence."
"Yeah, what a coincidence." Gary was starting to feel sick to his stomach, as the green eyed monster, jealousy, reared its' ugly head. He couldn't bear the thought that maybe Aimee had feelings for Nick.
"Well, I'm sorry I interrupted. I'll come back later. It was good seeing you again, Nick." With a sweet little wave, Aimee left the room.
"I can't believe she works here. I've been thinking about her a lot lately. Maybe I'll ask her to go to the charity ball with me. Oh, unless of course, you and she........?" Nick looked to Gary with an expression that said, 'please say no'. He'd already lost one woman to this man.
"Well, as a matter of fact, w-we're........dating." Gary couldn't believe the lie that just flew out of his mouth, but he wasn't about to do nothing when he stood the chance of losing Aimee to Nick.
"Oh, I see." Nick was clearly disappointed. "Well, then, you're
a lucky man. I guess I'll be seeing you both at the charity ball,
right?"
"Right." Gary swallowed hard. Now, not only was he stuck going to the ball, but he'd have to convince Aimee to go with him. He sure hoped Marissa was right about Aimee's feelings for him.
Nick said his goodbyes and went back out to the bar. He caught sight of Aimee again and went over to speak with her. Gary watched from the shadows of the office door as Nick took Aimee's hands in his and kissed her on the cheek before leaving. He felt the knife in his stomach twist at the sight.
Aimee stood and made small talk with Nick for a moment, but her heart wasn't in it. Before he left, he took both her hands in his, kissed her on the cheek, and said, "See you at the ball." She just watched him walk out, a confused look on her face. 'Ball? What ball? That man must be losing it, he's starting to speak in mysteries.' She shook off all thoughts of Nick and his possible mental lapses and went back to the office to speak to Gary.
As soon as she entered, Gary said. "I-I need to ask you a favor."
"Sure." 'As if there's anything I won't do for you.'
"I have to go to this charity ball on Saturday night. Well......it wouldn't look good to show up alone, so I was wondering if you could maybe go with me."
'Ah, so that's what Nick was talking about. A date with Gary, hmmmm, whatever will I decide.' She almost laughed outloud, except for the thought of all the money she would have to spend on a formal evening gown and shoes. 'Gary's more than worth it though.'
"Well, I'll have to ask my boss if I can have that night off." She couldn't seem to wipe the grin off her face.
Gary's grin was as wide as her own. "I think that can be arranged."
Chapter seventeen
I'm afraid that
You will leave
As my secrets
Have been revealed
In my dreams
You'll always stay
Every breathing moment from now
~~~~~~~~~~~~~Plus One
Aimee was running late. She'd spent all day shopping for a dress and all the accessories for the charity ball, and it'd taken quite a toll on her checkbook. The anticipation of her date with Gary pushed the worry out of her mind. She was supposed to meet him back at the loft at seven, and it was already 6:30. The hairdresser was just putting the finishing touches on her hair, pulling little ringlets out to frame her face, while the rest of the curls were piled on top of her head. She studied the effect and decided she liked it. She just hoped Gary would too.
Gary stood in front of the mirror struggling as usual with his bow tie.
It was almost seven and still Aimee had not returned. He wondered if
she'd changed her mind. He'd decided tonight was the night he'd tell
her everything---about the paper, and about his feelings for her. His
stomach clenched as all his insecurities came back to mock him. 'What
if Marissa's wrong? What if she doesn't really love me? What
if she doesn't believe me about the paper?' He was just about to throw
the tie on the floor in frustration, when a vision in green came walking
through the door. Her dress was the color of her eyes, and her hair
was all
done up in curls. The light from the lamp cast a gleam across the two
wedding bands suspended around her neck.
"Need some help with that?" The vision spoke, but Gary was too lost in the spell that she'd cast over him to respond right away.
"Huh?" He swallowed hard as she advanced toward him.
She laughed. "Do you need some help with that? The bow tie?"
"Uh....yeah!"
Aimee laid her matching coat and purse across the back of the couch and went to help Gary with his tie. 'What this man does to a tux, should be illegal. I'm gonna have to fight the women off him tonight.' Her usual expertise with bow ties flew right out the window as her eyes drifted toward his mouth, his neck, his jawline. 'He smells so good and we're close enough to kiss. Ok, down girl, get yourself under control here.'
Gary's thoughts were running along the same track as Aimee's. 'I'm gonna have to fight the men off her tonight. She's so beautiful, and she smells so good. What if I just leaned down and kissed her right now.'
"Ok, I think that oughta do it. I used to tie my Grampie's bow ties all the time." Aimee's face flamed as her voice came out all husky.
"Th-Thanks! Y-You look beautiful." Gary's whispered words raised goosebumps on her flesh.
"Thank you!" She didn't trust herself to say anything more than that,
with the way her insides had suddenly turned into cream of wheat, all warm
and mushy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gary started the jeep, but he couldn't put it in gear yet. He wanted to tell Aimee about the paper now, but an icy fear gripped his heart. The subject of his turmoil lay on the console between them. It seemed to be laughing at him as he struggled to find a way to begin.
Aimee grew concerned as they just sat there. Gary had gone pale and had a death grip on the steering wheel. She thought that he might be physically ill. She reached out and touched one of his hands, which was cold as ice.
"Gary, are you okay?"
"Huh? Uh yeah. I just wanted to talk to you about something." His voice cracked and he cleared his throat.
"What is it?" Now it was Aimee's turn to feel an icy fear.
She imagined all kinds of terrible possibilities. 'Maybe he's got an
incurable disease, or he's going bankrupt, or he's fallen in love and needs
me to get my things and move out of his apartment, but doesn't know how to
break it to me.'
"I-It's about the newspaper. Th-The one that comes to my door every morning."
A wave of relief washed over Aimee and she almost burst out laughing. She was so happy he was finally trusting her with his secret. It was adorable to her how nervous he was, but she decided to help him out anyway.
"You mean the paper that tells the future? The one you use to save people's lives everyday? I already know about that."
"Y-You do?..........How do you know?" Gary was stunned. It never occurred to him that she would already know. This was not the reaction he'd expected.
"Well, one day I brought the paper in for you and I saw the date, and the headlines were strange. Then I thought about how you always have it with you and how you're always running mysterious errands and how you saved my life and how you didn't seem surprised about the fire at my hotel. In fact, it seemed like you felt guilty about the fire. Then there was the day you took me to Wal-Mart and you had to make a stop along the way, and I knew it had to do with the newspaper. I'm no genius, but it didn't take long to put the pieces together."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"I figured if you wanted me to know, you would tell me. Otherwise
I'd just keep it to myself. I'm glad you thought you could trust me
enough to tell me." She glanced down shyly, then met his eyes again
and smiled.
Chapter eighteen
You're the only one
Who knows my secrets
You're the only one
Still you're the only one
Who never leaves
And I wake up to this mystery
~~~~~~~~~~~~Caedmon's Call
Gary finally put the jeep in gear and drove off. He'd answered Aimee's questions about the paper as best he could, but there was so much he didn't know himself. He felt unburdened. To think that after all his worrying about her reaction, she already knew. Now all he had to do was tell her how he felt. It seemed so easy, but his heart crashed nervously against his rib cage at the thought.
With each passing mile that drew them closer to the Hilton, Aimee grew more nervous. She'd never been around wealthy people and had a sudden image of doing or saying the wrong thing to embarass herself or Gary. Her lack of culture and refinement felt as if it were tattooed across her forehead in big bold letters that said, SMALL TOWN GIRL. She twisted the strap of her new purse in an agony of self-consciousness.
They arrived all too soon for her comfort, and the valet opened her door and helped her step out of the jeep. She waited as Gary came around from the other side.
"Gary, I'm a little nervous. I've never been to anything like this before. What if I do something wrong?" She recalled the countless times in the past when her mouth got ahead of her brain.
Gary just stood there amazed that this beautiful, self-assured woman could suddenly feel so self-conscious. If anyone was bound to screw up, it was him. He smiled at her reassuringly and took her hands in his.
"You'll be fine. Just be yourself." He kept one of her hands in his, and as they walked in together, he heard her take a deep breath.
The entrance to the ballroom was elegant with ornate ceilings and marble tables. Aimee gazed at her surroundings in awe. Gary helped her with her coat and handed it to the coat check girl. As he took the claim ticket from her hand, he heard someone calling his name. The voice sent a chill through him. He turned and found himself face to face with Erica Paget.
Aimee didn't know who the beautiful blonde was that had just spoken to Gary, but she could tell he was surprised to see her. She stood and observed as they began speaking, and tried her best not to feel jealous. It wasn't working very well.
"Hello Erica. I...... thought you moved back to Galena."
"I did, but I got a job offer here in Chicago so I came back. I'm manager here at the Hilton. So, how've you been?"
"Fine. How's Henry?"
Aimee was secretly hoping Henry was Erica's husband. Her hopes plummeted as she heard the next words.
"He's fine. He's with his father this weekend."
"Oh, that's nice. This is Aimee. Aimee, this is Erica. She used to work at McGinty's" Gary was trying to be polite, but Erica was making him feel very uncomfortable. Her eyes were shooting daggers at Aimee. He took her hand in his again and pulled her closer to him in a protective gesture. Whether he was trying to protect Aimee or himself wasn't quite clear.
A thrill of happiness shot through Aimee when Gary took her hand again. She smiled at Erica and said. "It's nice to meet you."
"Yeah, you too." Erica's words dripped with insincerity.
"Well......... we're gonna go in to the ballroom now." Gary was anxious to leave Erica's presence behind. "It was nice to see you again", he lied.
"Yeah, it was really good seeing you too. I'm *sure* we'll run into
each other again." Her words left no doubt that they would run into
each other again if she had any say in the matter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gary sat and watched as Aimee danced with an elderly gentlemen whose name he couldn't remember. He'd been right about fighting off the men. It seemed like they were all lining up to dance with her, not that he could blame them, she was the most beautiful woman in the room. Finally the song ended and Aimee returned to the table.
She sighed as she sat. "Here I thought that rich people had the best manners. Ha! That man just told me the most disgusting dirty joke. Apparently he hasn't heard of the term 'sexual harrassment' yet, but I was kind enough to fill him in on it."
Gary burst out laughing at her declaration. He'd never met a woman
who could make him laugh the way she could. He was more determined than
ever to tell her how he felt.
Chapter nineteen
Now that I can see
The mystery's revealed
Now I'm coming clean
I can feel my fears released
Now it's crystal clear
I'm falling for you
~~~~~~~~~Jaci Velasquez
"Dance with me." Gary stood and held out a hand to Aimee who smiled and took it. He pulled her close. She felt perfect in his arms, as if she were made to be there. He wished he could keep her there forever. The soft scent of her perfume was intoxicating. He longed to kiss her.
Aimee felt as if she were in heaven in Gary's arms as they swayed to the music. She sighed contentedly, wishing she could stay there forever. She closed her eyes and imagined herself married to Gary. 'I'd help him with the paper as much as I could, and I'd greet him with a kiss everyday when he came home. I'd listen to him tell about his day and give him shoulder massages and make all his favorite meals.' Her fantasy was abruptly cut short when Nick tapped Gary on the shoulder and asked if he could cut in. Aimee fervently hoped he would say no. She had no desire to dance with anyone but Gary.
Gary could think of no polite way to refuse Nick, so he reluctantly released Aimee. A stab of jealousy went through him as he watched them dance.
"May I have this dance?" Erica stood there expectantly.
"I was gonna sit this one out." He had no desire to dance with anyone but Aimee.
"Come on, Gary. I won't bite."
He could see that she wasn't going to give up. He put as much distance between them as he could while they danced, but Erica soon closed the gap.
"I've missed you, Gary. I think I made a mistake in leaving."
"N-No, you were right. We weren't right for each other." He released her as the song ended and returned to Aimee. With a determined glint in her eye, Erica watched them and began to formulate a plan.
Gary and Aimee sat back down at their table. Both feeling happy to be back with the other. Gary started to work up the nerve to tell her how he felt when Erica interrupted again.
"So Aimee, what is it that you do?" She started to sit next to Aimee when she tripped and *accidently* spilled champagne all down the front of Aimee's dress.
"Oh my goodness. I'm so sorry. Let me show you where the ladies room is." She took Aimee's arm and led her off. When they got there, Erica excused herself without so much as a second look at Aimee and went back to Gary.
The restroom attendant offered to help Aimee get the stain out of her dress. Her nametag read 'Rosa', so Aimee introduced herself. While they worked on the dress, they chatted. Rosa was used to being ignored by the wealthy women who came in, so this was a novelty for her. She felt as if she had made a new friend.
Meanwhile, Erica had planted herself in Aimee's chair and was doing her best to monopolize Gary's attention. She wasn't very successful. He kept glancing toward the hallway where the ladies room was, keeping an eye out for Aimee. After about ten minutes, he wondered aloud what was keeping her. Erica volunteered in her sweetest voice to go and look for her, but she had no intention of finding her.
She went to the ladies room and discovered that Aimee was just about finished.
"There you are. Gary's been looking for you. C'mon, I'll show you where he is." She took Aimee by the arm and led her farther down the empty hallway. They stopped at a door which Erica opened. "I think I saw him go in here." With that, she shoved Aimee in and slammed the door, locking it behind her.
"Hey, let me out!" Aimee began pounding on the door. After
a few minutes, she realized that no one was close enough to be able to hear
her. The room was pitch black and very cold. She felt around
for something to help her, but a sudden fear of spiders and other creepy
crawling things overtook her as her hand touched something fuzzy and unfamiliar.
Her imagination began to conjur up images of her skeletal remains being found
in a year or so, the flesh eaten away by rats. Every little sound became
an unknown terror. Goosebumps covered her skin and she began to
rub her arms in an effort to warm them, brushing
one hand painfully across the spot where Erica had gripped her. A bruise
was sure to form there, but what would it matter when she'd be dead soon
anyway. She pictured Gary reading about the discovery of her body a
day ahead of everyone else. 'Ok Aimee, pull yourself together here.
You're not going to die. Gary wouldn't just leave without you.' The
thought of Gary brought some comfort to her tortured thoughts. 'He's bound
to miss me soon and come looking for me. In the meantime,
I'll just stay calm.' She clasped her grandparent's wedding bands and
began to sing to herself a song her Grammie always sang to her whenever she
had a nightmare as a child.
Erica returned to Gary, after wiping the triumphant gleam out of her eye and replacing it with one of confusion.
"I couldn't find her. The restroom attendant said she thought Aimee might have gone home. She heard her say something about catching a cab."
Gary found that hard to believe. Aimee wouldn't just leave without
saying anything to him. Something wasn't quite right. Ignoring
Erica, he got up and went in search of her.
Chapter twenty
Etched on my soul
Your love is so true
Always in my heart
In your arms forever
Here in my soul
~~~~~~~Plus One
Rosa came out of the ladies room at Gary's knock. She was used to men coming in search of their dates. Women tended to lose track of time in the luxurious surroundings of the lavishly appointed restroom. A handsome young man stood before her with questions in his eyes.
"I'm looking for my date..........Beautiful woman, wearing a green dress? Is she in there?"
"Oh, you mean Aimee?" Rosa smiled at his description of the friendly young woman she'd just met.
"Y-Yes Aimee. Do you know where she went?" Gary didn't know why he was surprised that this woman knew her. Aimee had a way of making people love her even after the briefest of introductions. He was the prime example, and Erica seemed to be the exception.
"I saw her go down the hall with Miss Paget. She told Aimee you were looking for her."
Now Gary was really worried. Why had Erica lied to him? "Could you show me?", he asked.
Rosa grew concerned when she saw the worried look on his face. She hated to think that anything had happened to Aimee. She led him down the empty hallway where she'd last seen her and Erica. They stopped when they heard a muffled voice singing behind one of the doors.
"Aimee? Is that you?" Gary tried the doorknob, but it was locked.
"It's me. Can you get me outta here? I'm scared." Aimee's voice sounded so small, like a little lost child. It nearly broke Gary's heart. He was prepared to tear the door out with his bare hands if that's what it took.
"I'll go find the keys. Don't worry, I know where they are." Rosa did her best to sound comforting, but she was worried too. That room led to a seldom used storage area in the basement that had a reputation among the hotel employees as being haunted. She didn't believe that, but she still never went down there alone.
"Aimee, Rosa's going to get the keys. We'll have you outta there in just a few minutes, okay." Gary leaned his head against the door as he spoke, as if by touching the door he were touching Aimee. In an effort to distract her from her fears, he told her the story of how his dad embarrassed him at the school Father/Son picnic when he was twelve by mooning a busload of girls, one of which was the girl he liked. The sound of her laughter reassured him that she was ok.
He spotted Rosa and a man in an expensive suit coming toward him. Rosa had a set of keys in her hand.
"Aimee, here comes Rosa with the keys. We're gonna get you out."
While Rosa tried several keys, the man with her introduced himself to Gary. "I'm Michael McAllister. I'm an executive for the corporation that owns this hotel." He handed Gary a business card. "I can't apologize enough for this incident. Rosa tells me that one of my employees is responsible for this. I want you to know that she will be dealt with severely."
Rosa found the correct key and opened the door. Aimee squinted against the sudden bright light as Gary pulled her into his arms. "You're cold", he whispered, and took off his jacket and put it around her, then pulled her close again. "Are you all right?"
"Yes!" It was all she could say, because being in Gary's arms had
more of a warming effect then he could've imagined.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A short while later, they were seated across from Mr. McAllister in his penthouse
office. Erica stood before them and apologized under threat of being
arrested for assault. She was told to collect her things and leave
the hotel immediately and that if she ever returned she would be charged
with trespassing. As she walked out she shot a parting glare at Aimee.
Mr. McAllister was effusive in his efforts to make amends. He extracted
their promise that they would call him if ever there was anything he could
do for them.
Chapter twenty-one
Face to face we embrace
We drink of love's sweetest wine
Whispered names fan the flames
Each touch is frozen in time
I can feel your heart
And the rhythm of it echoes through my soul
~~~~~~~~~~Amy Grant
Gary and Aimee retrieved their coats from the coat check girl. The ball was still in full swing, but neither had a desire to go back. Gary held Aimee's coat as she put it on. He was still a little worried about her as she hadn't spoken much since being released from her prison.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
Aimee smiled up at the man she loved more than anything. He was so sweet to worry about her. "Yeah, I was just wondering if I could go back and look in that room that I was locked in. If I don't, I'm gonna have nightmares about what possibly was in there, when knowing the truth will probably be less frightening."
She never ceased to amaze him. He found Rosa and asked her if she would unlock the door again, then he took Aimee's hand and followed Rosa down the hall. A blast of cold air hit them when she opened the door. The only light seemed to be a bare bulb with a very short chain that hung from the ceiling. Aimee glanced around. There was an old mop leaning against one wall, which must've been what she'd brushed her hand against. There were some old rusty buckets and other sundry cleaning supplies, all of which looked to be expired years ago. There was a staircase that led to what she could only describe as a dungeon. It looked like the room that time forgot, but still she was glad she'd taken another look, because her imagination had created a much worse picture.
"Thanks Rosa." Aimee gave the woman a friendly hug and said goodbye.
As she and Gary waited for the valet to bring the jeep, he said, "Are you hungry? We didn't even get dinner."
"Yes, I am hungry. I could go for pizza." She smiled thinking back on the pizza place he'd taken her to after her shopping excursion.
"Pizza it is." Gary smiled thinking back to the day they'd eaten
pizza after her shopping excursion. He headed the jeep in that direction.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They were seated at a corner table and the waiter came to take their drink
order. He kept his eye on Aimee the whole time. It was as if
Gary wasn't even there. Gary wondered if he'd even get his drink.
Sure enough, the waiter came back with only one drink in hand. He was
clearly enamored of Aimee, and Gary couldn't blame him. He only brought
Gary's drink when Aimee requested it. She seemed puzzled at the waiter's
odd behaviour.
"I think he's got a crush on you", Gary teased, but he knew it was true.
Aimee laughed. "Really? Hmmm, maybe if I play my cards right we can get our pizza for free. You know, a wink, a smile here and there, he'll be putty in my hands."
Gary laughed too. He knew what it was like to be putty in her hands. He hoped she'd save all her winks and smiles for him. A slow song began playing on the juke box. He held out his hand to her. "Dance with me again."
She took his hand, thinking, 'I'll dance with you forever'. Gary pulled her close as they swayed to the music. He held her hand over his heart where she could feel the staccatto rhythm that matched her own heartbeat. He longed to whisper words of love to her.
"There's something I want to tell you", he whispered, but when she looked
up into his eyes, all rational thought left him and he could think of nothing
but kissing her. He bent his head and touched her lips with his own
in a kiss that started out soft and tentative, but soon turned more passionate
as all their pent up feelings for each other were unleashed. Of their
own accord, Aimee's hands roamed across Gary's neck and into his hair.
Gary's hands were doing a similar exploration of their own when the clanking
of dishes brought them back to reality. They broke off the kiss and looked
at each other wide-eyed and
breathless until Aimee spoke.
"Well, there goes our free pizza." She could've kicked herself for saying something so stupid at such a romantic moment. Once again her mouth had not consulted her brain. Gary looked surprised, then burst out laughing. He wondered if he'd ever be able to predict what she'd say or do next. He hoped he'd get the chance to try.
"I'm sorry, that was such a stupid thing to say. Kiss me again and I'll think of something better." 'Oh Aimee, what is wrong with you, just shut up.' She could feel her face heating up.
"Gladly!" Gary pulled her close again and kissed her hungrily. When he pulled away he cupped her face in his hands and looked into her eyes and said, "I love you......you know that? I love you so much."
Aimee didn't know it was possible to be so happy. She felt as if
she were about to float away. "I love you too", she whispered as tears
of joy pooled in her eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"There's one more place I want to take you.", Gary whispered, as he held
the jeep door for her and they shared a few more intoxicating kisses. Aimee
could barely speak from the effects of his touch. She just nodded.
He headed to a building that was under construction, where he'd saved one of the construction workers a few days before. The man had been so grateful, he showed Gary around the new building. The view from the unfinished top floor was a spectacular panorama of the city. Gary was eager to share it with Aimee.
As they drove, some of Aimee's common sense returned. She began to
worry about where she was going to live, because she sure couldn't stay with
Gary tonight, not after all those kisses they'd shared. She was an
old-fashioned girl who believed in waiting till marriage to give herself
completely to a man, and Gary was a temptation she wasn't sure she could
resist.
Chapter twenty-two
When I'm a sparrow in winter
You are a seed I find
When I'm a heart with a splinter
Your blood keeps me alive
If I could call you a color
You'd be the deepest of blues
If I had my pleasure of anything
You'd be the one that I'd choose
~~~~~~~~~~Jaci Velasquez
Gary opened the construction elevator and led Aimee over to the window. They had to step carefully to avoid some of the debris left by the workers. The view of the city was breathtaking. Lights twinkled like a million sparkling diamonds. Aimee took a few steps closer to the glass and gasped as a sharp pain went through her right heel. She bit her lip against the pain and tried to ignore it.
Gary stood behind her and gathered her in his arms resting his chin on her head.
"You're the best thing that ever happened to me. I never thought I'd be able to have a life with the paper, but you've shown me I can."
Aimee turned in his arms and touched his face, all the pain in her foot forgotten for a moment. "I'm so glad." It was all she could get out before their lips met again. Then Gary planted soft kisses along her temple and eyelids, eventually finding her lips again.
When they broke apart once more, Aimee spoke the words that had been burdening her heart. "Gary, I really have to find a place to stay now. I can't keep living in your apartment, it wouldn't be right." The pain in her foot was increasing as she spoke, and she led him over to a crate where they could sit.
He took her hands in his and with a teasing gleam in his eye, said "Are you afraid I won't be able to keep my hands off you?"
"No, I'm afraid I won't be able to keep my hands off you." She teased him right back, but it was the truth.
He grew serious again and placed a hand to her cheek, making small stroking motions with his thumb and whispered, "I can't live without you. You didn't just move into my home, you moved into my heart, and if you left, it would just shrivel up and die. Marry me." He held his breath waiting for her response, which wasn't long in coming.
"Oh Gary! Yes, I'll marry you." She laughed and threw her arms around him. They held each other tightly, and she whispered in his ear, "I've found my heart's reflection."
Both agreed they should get married as soon as possible. Aimee had no family to share in her joy, so a big wedding did not appeal to her. Besides, she was already living with him, so it seemed prudent not to wait. The pain in her foot began to intensify causing a tear to slide down her cheek. Gary noticed the tear and grew concerned.
"Are you okay?" He began to fear she might've already changed her mind.
"I stepped on a nail before, and it went right through my shoe and into my heel. It's really starting to hurt."
"What? Why didn't you say something?"
Aimee began crying all the harder at the annoyed tone in his voice. "I didn't want anything to spoil this time with you." She wiped at her tears with the back of her hand.
"You're crazy, you know that?" He wasn't sure whether he should be angry or happy at her answer. He felt a little of both. "You should've told me."
"I'm sorry, but could we argue about it later? It really hurts." At her words, Gary's anger fled. He wiped away her tears and pulled her close. "I'm sorry", he whispered. He examined her foot and saw that indeed a nail had gone through her shoe. Then he scooped her up and carried her to the elevator, wondering how this woman could send him into a tailspin faster than anyone he'd ever met.
Once in the elevator, Aimee whispered, "I'm liking this, maybe I should step on nails more often." She kissed him softly all along his neck and jawline, until she felt Gary's arms stiffen.
"If you keep that up, we're never gonna make it to the emergency room." His voice was raspy and sent chills all through her.
"Sorry. I'll behave, I promise." She sounded anything but sorry.
Chapter twenty-three
I've got my mind made up
I've got to love you or leave you fast
'Cause I've been thinking clear
And I don't know how long it'll last
~~~~~~~~~~Caedmon's Call
Aimee sat in the waiting area of the emergency room hoping she'd get in to see a doctor soon. Gary was in the hall using the pay phone. He'd suddenly had an urgent need to make some mysterious call. She smiled at the way he kept looking her way to make sure she was all right. She clasped the rings at her neck and spoke again to her grandparents. 'Grammie and Grampie, I've found my heart's reflection. He's the most wonderful man, and we're getting married. I wish you could meet him. I just know you would love him as much as I do. I hope you know that I'm happy, really happy!'
Gary hung up the phone and went back to Aimee. He sat down beside her and took her hand. "You doing okay?"
"Yes, I was just talking to my grandparents about you."
"Yeah? All good I hope?"
"I was telling them how much I love you, and how I know they would love you too." She paused for a moment. "Gary, would you wear my Grampie's ring when we get married?"
"I'd be honored to wear his ring." He kissed her and whispered that he loved her too. Her name was called just then and Gary scooped her up again and followed the nurse down the hall to the examining room.
It took some time for the doctor to get her shoe off since it was literally
nailed to her foot. He and the nurse finally had to cut it
off, which was a painful process for Aimee. Gary sat beside her and
held her hand throughout the whole ordeal, wishing he could take away her
pain. They treated her wound and finally the nurse gave her a tetanus
shot and she was released.
As Gary carried her back out to the jeep, she fell asleep. Her head rested on his shoulder and he could feel her warm breath on his neck. He felt an overwhelming love for her and wondered how he'd ever survived a day without her in his life. He placed her in the seat as gently as he could. She awoke as he was reaching across to fasten her seatbelt, and she kissed him on the cheek and promptly drifted off again.
She awoke again when the jeep stopped and Gary got out. A little disoriented from all the events of the day, she asked, "Where are we?"
"We're home", Gary answered as he carried her inside.
"Home, that's the nicest word in the whole English language." She yawned. "I'm so tired."
Gary laid her gently on the bed and pulled the covers over her. She sat up suddenly when she realized where she was. "I sleep on the couch, remember." She was a little panicked, because she was determined that they would be married first before sharing a bed.
He laughed at her panicked expression. "Don't worry, I'm gonna sleep downstairs on the couch in the office."
"Oh Gary, I don't want to take your bed."
"You'll be sleeping in that bed from now on", he said huskily. "Especially if you marry me tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? But how?"
"I called Mr. McAllister. He pulled some strings, and everything is arranged. All you have to do is say yes."
"Yes", she whispered. "I can't wait."
He kissed her tenderly and listened to her even breathing for a moment
as she fell asleep again. The sight of her in his bed was a little too
appealing. Images of lying next to her and holding her and kissing her
overtook him. 'Oh boy!', he thought. He gathered some blankets
and a pillow and headed for the couch down in the office, afraid of what might
happen if he tried to sleep in the same room with her.
Chapter twenty-four
From the moment you opened my eyes
I have seen the world in a different light
From the dawn to the setting sun
I am overwhelmed by all that you have done
~~~~~~~~~~~Jaci Velasquez
Gary awoke early the next morning, wondering if last night had been a dream. Had Aimee really agreed to marry him today? A sudden fear that it had been a dream passed through him, but the fact that he was on the couch in the office reassured him that it was reality. He had a sudden need to see her and touch her just to be sure. When he opened the door to the loft, he saw she was still asleep. Unable to resist, he bent down and kissed her softly, then left her sleeping as he took a shower.
Aimee awoke and had a sudden fear that last night had been a dream. 'Did Gary really ask me to marry him?' The pain in her foot as she stepped out of bed reassured her that it was reality. She heard the shower running and smiled, eager to see him and touch him again. She made herself a cup of tea and munched on a blueberry muffin while she waited for him to emerge. 'Oh Lord, please don't let him come out in only a towel. There is only so much temptation one woman can bear.'
Gary came out of the bathroom in jeans and a t-shirt. His eyes sought out Aimee immediately. He crossed the room to her, but Aimee met him halfway. He pulled her into his arms and whispered, "good morning" before kissing her.
"Good morning!" She ran her fingers through his still damp hair, reveling in the feel of it as they kissed. She pulled away and looked into his eyes. "I thought I might've dreamed last night. Are we really getting married?"
"Today, if you still want me."
"You're all I want. I love you." They were interrupted by the cat and the thunk of the paper. Gary reluctantly released her and headed for the door while Aimee headed for the shower, thinking she might have to make it a cold one after that kiss.
Gary read through the headlines distractedly, his mind conjuring up images of the woman in the shower. He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts and tried to focus on the paper. There were two things this morning he'd have to deal with before he and Aimee could get married: a woman who would accidently leave her baby on the top of the car and drive off, and an elderly man who would be found dead in his home after an apparent slip and fall.
Aimee came out of the bathroom and saw Gary reading the paper. She hoped there wasn't too much that demanded his attention on today of all days.
"What's in the paper today?", she asked.
Gary pulled her onto his lap and kissed her. The paper was the last thing on his mind at the moment. She pulled away after a moment and said breathlessly, "Gary, we have to behave. Now tell me what's in the paper."
He showed her the two stories and said, "I'm gonna have to go take care of these before we leave."
She snuggled up against him and asked, "Why don't you just use the phone?"
"Howzat?"
She laughed at the confused look on his face. "The phone, silly. Why don't you just call?" She stood and crossed the room, gathering the phone book and the cordless as she went. Then she came back and resumed her place in Gary's lap.
"What's the address of the man who fell in his house?" When Gary answered, she called 911 and gave the operator the information. Gary watched amazed as the story changed before his eyes. It now said that the man had been found in time and would recover from his injuries.
"Ok, next story. What's the woman's name?" She thumbed through the phone book as Gary read off the information from the article. When she found several listings, she dialed the first. It sounded like an elderly woman, so she apologized and tried the next one. A harried sounding woman answered, and there was a baby crying in the background. Aimee quickly concocted a story. Gary could only hear one side of the conversation, but it seemed Aimee barely gave the woman a chance to speak.
"Hi Mrs. Walters, I'm from the Sun Times subscription department. Oh my, I can hear you've got your hands full with that baby. They can be a lot of work, can't they? My sister has two and one time she got so distracted she left the youngest on the roof of the car and nearly drove off. I don't think she ever would have forgiven herself if little Molly had been injured. Well I won't keep you. I can call back at a more convenient time. You take care of that baby now. I wouldn't want to read in the news about a baby left on the roof of a car like my sister's. Bye Bye!"
They watched the story change before their eyes. Aimee had never seen this before and was quite in awe. "Wow, so that means we succeeded?"
"No, that means you succeeded. How'd you come up with that story so fast?" Gary was amazed at how easily she'd changed the two articles. He would've actually gone to both homes at the time specified, probably running late as usual, and most likely would've been called a nut and accused of any number of things.
"Oh, Grammie and Grampie always accused me of having an overactive imagination. I was always making up stories as a kid. I guess I got good at it. Now how is it possible that we're getting married today? I don't even have a dress, and what about your parents and Marissa?"
"I called my parents and Marissa last night and they're meeting us at 10:00am. You'll have a dress, don't worry. You'll have everything you need."
"You're all I need", she whispered.
Chapter twenty-five
There is a union of two becoming one
Deep inside my heart
I know that I belong
You have given everything to me
The least that I can do
Is give it back to you
~~~~~Jaci Velasquez
Aimee sat in one of the Hilton's lavish suites wearing a simple, yet elegant wedding gown. Mr. McAllister had arranged for a local boutique to bring all their gowns and let her choose. They'd also altered it for her immediately. He had one of the small banquet rooms transformed for a wedding ceremony and a photographer was waiting. She sat in front of the mirror having her hair done. All this attention had Aimee feeling like Cinderella and Gary was definitely her Prince Charming. She couldn't believe Mr. McAllister had done all this for them, but she supposed he was afraid of being sued over the incident from last night.
She clasped the rings at her neck and wiped a tear from her eye. 'Grammie and Grampie, today is my wedding day. I always hoped you'd be here to share it with me, and maybe you are. I love you both and I hope I'm always as happy in my marriage as you were. Thank you for giving me such a good example.' She removed the chain and took off the rings, then refastened the chain around her neck.
Marissa stood in another suite helping Gary with his bow tie. Bernie was scoping out the room and exclaiming over every little amenity he could find. "Hey Gar, did you see they even have a tv in the bathroom? You could practically live in there. This is some fancy place!"
Gary ignored his dad and spoke to Marissa. "Marissa, thank you for....well, you know."
She smiled. "I know and you're welcome. You deserve to be happy, Gary, just don't forget that."
"I won't!" He pulled her into an embrace and spoke the words he'd only told her once before. "I love you!"
Marissa wiped her tears and said, "I know, Gary, and I love you too."
Lois had arrived in Aimee's suite a short time earlier and was enjoying some pampering as well. She sat beside Aimee trying not to cry. It was clear she loved her soon to be daughter-in-law already. She hugged Aimee tightly and spoke through her tears. "I'm so glad Gary found you. I've never seen him so happy."
"I never really had a mom and dad, so thank you for making me feel like a part of the family, Mom." They both cried some more and laughed as the hairdresser stood patiently waiting for them to finish.
Marissa came in just then and announced that the groom was ready. Aimee went to her and hugged her, thanking her for her part in bringing she and Gary together.
Gary and Aimee had agreed only to tell Bernie, Lois, and Marissa they were getting married. They wanted some time to themselves before telling everyone. It was hard to convince Lois not to make a big fuss, but they'd promised her she could throw a party for them later. Gary wasn't sure his dad was up to the challenge of keeping another secret, but he counted on his mom to keep him in line.
Gary and Bernie, decked out in tuxes, were waiting in the banquet room for Aimee's entrance. Bernie clapped his son on the shoulder and said, "Way to go, Gar. You got yourself a keeper this time. I'm proud of ya." Finally, Lois came in with Marissa and hugged Gary and told him through her tears that she was so glad he found Aimee and that she was proud of him. She went to stand beside Bernie, and Marissa stood beside Gary. Soft music began to play as Aimee made her entrance.
Gary just smiled, at a loss for words as he watched Aimee coming toward him, limping slightly and looking more beautiful then he'd ever seen her. In her arms she carried the red roses he'd given her just before they'd separated to get ready for the wedding. Unable to resist, he pulled her close and kissed her when she reached him.
"Ahem!" The minister cleared his throat and looked pointedly at the couple. "We haven't gotten to that part yet." Bernie and Lois were doing their best not to laugh as Gary and Aimee both blushed.
The minister smiled at the couple who were so obviously in love. He'd done many weddings and yet had rarely seen a love this strong. The picture they made helped erase some of his cynicism about modern age marriages. He cleared his throat again and began the ceremony.
"The reason we're here today is to witness the joining of Gary and Aimee in holy matrimony. Gary, do you take Aimee to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and to cherish, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others and clinging only to her till death do you part?"
"I do." Gary's words rang out clear in the small room as he gazed at the woman who was his heart's reflection.
"Aimee, do you take Gary to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and to cherish, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others and clinging only to him till death do you part?"
"I do." Aimee's words were nearly choked out by emotion as she gazed at the man who was her heart's reflection.
Aimee placed Grampie's ring on Gary's finger as she repeated after the minister. "With this ring I thee wed. I give it to you as a symbol of my unending love and devotion."
Gary placed Grammie's ring on Aimee's finger as he repeated after the minister. "With this ring, I thee wed. I give it to you as a symbol of my unending love and devotion."
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. *Now* you may kiss the bride." The minister laughed at his own little joke, but no one else was paying any attention. Marissa and Lois were wiping their tears, and Bernie was giving Gary a thumbs up sign.
Gary cupped Aimee's face with his hands and whispered, "I love you, Aimee Hobson", then he kissed her softly. Goosebumps broke out all over Aimee at his whispered words. She could hardly wait to get him alone.
After hugs and kisses of congratulations from Bernie, Lois, and Marissa,
they said they're goodbyes. Mr. McAllister had arranged for Gary and
Aimee to have the honeymoon suite for the night and had all their things moved
there. He handed Gary the key, offered his own fervant wishes for their
happiness, and reminded them that the hotel staff was at their disposal if
there was anything else they needed. Aimee thanked him for his generosity
and Gary shook his hand. Then he took Aimee's hand in
his own and led her to the elevator and on to their room.
Chapter twenty-six
Oh won't you take me in your arms
That's where I belong
Together we are safe from harm
Together we are strong
I will hold your heart in mine
And guard it through the night
Let the stillness of this moment
Speak to us of all that's right
With our love
~~~~~~~~~~~~Amy Grant
"Finally alone!" Gary scooped up Aimee and carried her into the honeymoon suite. He kicked the door shut behind him and proceeded into the bedroom where he set her down gently next to the bed. "Have I told you how beautiful you are?", he whispered as he pulled her close and kissed her.
"Mmm, no." Aimee began planting kisses along his neck and jawline. She reached up and pulled off his bow tie and tossed it to the floor. Her hands slid up his chest and under his jacket, pushing it off his shoulders. He dropped his arms and let it fall to the floor.
"You're so beautiful!", he murmured as his fingers began pulling pins out of her hair. The curls fell to her shoulders releasing the soft scent of her shampoo. He inhaled deeply and kissed her neck just below her ear. He ran his hands across her back and began fumbling with the buttons of her gown. Aimee laughed softly and turned around to give him better access. With each button he undid, he planted a kiss along her spine. When he unfastened the last one, Aimee turned to face him again.
"Gary, I never........you know." Her voice was husky and she glanced away shyly.
"I know." Touched by her words, he reached out to stroke her cheek gently. "It's been a very long time for me too. Are you nervous?"
"No, I'm not nervous. I'm..........excited." Her face turned pink at this confession, especially when Gary laughed softly.
"I'm glad to hear it." He pulled her close again and kissed her passionately.
Her hands stole up his chest and began unbuttoning his shirt. She pulled
it off of him and began kissing his bare chest moving up to his neck and
jawline then back to his mouth. He moved her back and laid her gently
on the bed, coming down with her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some time later, they lay snuggled up together in the bed. "Are you okay?" Gary asked.
Aimee sighed happily. "I feel like I died and went to heaven."
"Me too." Gary kissed her neck softly.
"Gary, this room is nice and all, but......I wanna go home." She turned in his arms to face him. "I want to be in the place where I fell in love with you. Is that okay?"
Gary was moved by her sweet plea. There wasn't anything in the world
he wouldn't do for her. "Anything you want is fine with me."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They snuck in through the kitchen of McGinty's and peeked in the office door.
When they saw it was empty, they charged in and ran up the stairs hand in
hand, laughing as they went, like children playing hide and seek. At
the top of the stairs, Gary dropped their things and pulled her close again.
"I love you more than anything in the world, more than I can even say." He touched her face and looked into her eyes.
"I know. I love you too, more than anything. You're my hero. Not because you saved my life, but because you gave me a job and a place to stay when I had nowhere to go, and because you opened doors for me and took me shopping and apartment hunting. Those are the things that make you my hero. You cared for me when I was all alone in the world." Tears started raining down her cheeks and Gary kissed them away. Then he carried her into the apartment and deposited her on the bed.
"This is where I want to be with you, in your bed", she whispered.
"You mean our bed", he corrected, and then they spoke no more words for
a while.
Chapter twenty-seven
There's no night and there's no morning
Without your loving arms to hold me
You're the heartbeat of all I do
I can't live a day without you
I live because you live
You're like the air I breathe
I have because you give
You're everything to me
~~~~~~~~Avalon
Aimee lay in Gary's arms again, wondering if it was possible to die from an overload of happiness. Gary had fallen asleep and was softly snoring, which made Aimee smile. She played with the ring on her finger and marveled at how things had changed so quickly. 'Was it only a few weeks ago that I met Gary? I feel like I've always known him. I guess it's true what Grammie always said, when it's right, it's right and you just know it.'
Through the window, Aimee could see that snow had begun to fall. Big, fat flakes drifted lazily to the ground. She stood and pulled on Gary's shirt and went to get a closer look. It was the first snowfall of the season, which had always felt like a magical time to her. She touched the windowpane, mesmerized by the beauty of it. It took her back to childhood days when she'd get all bundled up and go outside to play. She and her best friend Abby would build snow castles, making up stories about the snow princess who lived there and how she met her prince. Then they'd go to every yard in between their two homes and make snow angels. They'd pretend that they could pass messages to each other through the snow angels whenever they were apart. When they got cold, they would run into Grammie's kitchen where she always had hot chocolate waiting for them.
A pair of strong arms went around her, breaking through her memories. "Hey beautiful! Where'd you go?"
She turned and put her hands on his chest, her fingers playing with the fabric of his t-shirt. "I was just watching the snow fall. It's beautiful, isn't it? It feels like God's wedding gift to us. Does that make sense?"
He lifted one of her hands and kissed the palm. "Mm hmm. You're cold!" He rubbed her arms in an effort to warm them and she buried her face in his chest.
"I was just thinking it'll soon be Christmas. Decorating for the holiday was always one of my favorite things. Grampie would bring the tree in and Grammie and I would decorate it while he sat by the fire and 'supervised'. When the tree was all done, I use to lie down beneath it and look at all the lights and make up stories in my head until I fell asleep. Grampie and Grammie would wake me up and send me off to bed." She laughed at the memory and cried a little too, to think of her first Christmas without them.
Gary held her tightly. "I know you miss them. I wish I could bring them back for you."
"Thank you." She smiled through her tears and kissed him.
"If you want, we could get a Christmas tree tomorrow", he whispered against her hair.
"Really? I would love that. You are the sweetest man, you know that?"
He didn't answer, just kissed her and led her back to bed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Over the next few weeks, Aimee and Gary fell into a routine. Neither
had ever been so happy. Aimee would help him with the paper as much
as she could, while she continued running McGinty's with Marissa. She'd
leave little love notes and silly poems for him to find when they were apart
during the day. They'd gotten their Christmas tree and decorated it
together, then they had laid down beneath it, told each other stories about
their childhood and loved each other. Before they knew it, Christmas
Eve had arrived.
The alarm went off and the too cheerful dj gave the weather report. Gary untangled himself from Aimee and shut it off. He was just about to drift off to sleep again, when the cat and the paper announced their arrival. He snuggled closer to Aimee and tried to ignore the sounds outside the door, but they persisted.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming. It's Christmas Eve for crying out loud, can't you give me a break for once?" Gary grumbled all the way to the door.
Aimee sat up in bed and watched him, trying not to laugh. She twisted her wedding band around her finger and spoke to her grandparents. 'Grammie, you should see my husband. He's so cute when he's grumpy, just like Grampy was in the mornings. He's so much like you, Grampy, in so many ways. He's a wonderful man. I'm so happy.' She made her way to the bathroom as Gary scanned the headlines.
Gary set the paper aside. It looked to be a light day, which he was thankful for. He had to go pick up Aimee's Christmas gift sometime during the afternoon. He heard the shower running and decided to join her.
Aimee was thinking about how she needed to pick up Gary's Christmas gift sometime during the afternoon, when he peeked around the shower curtain and said, "Good morning!" She laughed and grabbed his arm and pulled him in.
Chapter twenty-eight
I can hear you calling
In a whisper you say so much
In a dream I'm falling
But I awaken within your love
I find you waiting
I find you, arms stretching open
~~~~~~~~~Avalon
Gary came into the loft around 6:00 that evening. McGinty's had closed
early for the holiday and all was quiet. He looked around for Aimee
and found her asleep under the Christmas tree. His heart sped up at
the sight of her. One hand was over her head, half buried in her hair
and in the other she grasped a small brightly wrapped gift. She had
a sweet little smile on her face as if she were dreaming happy dreams.
He hoped they were all of him. He sat down beside her and watched her
sleep for
a moment. She'd been getting up with him every morning at 6:30 and
working late with Marissa just about every evening. No wonder she was
tired. He was used to the hectic hours of dealing with the paper, but
she wasn't. He vowed to make her sleep in from now on. He leaned
down and kissed her softly.
Aimee awoke to find the prince of her fairy tale dream kissing her. She smiled up at him sleepily. "Hey, how long have you been home?"
"Not long. Merry Christmas!", he whispered, before kissing her again.
"Have I slept that long?", she laughed. "I thought it was Christmas Eve."
"Ah, well Santa came a little early this year." He pulled out a small package and handed it to her.
Aimee opened the box and gasped at what she saw inside. It was a heart shaped emerald charm with tiny diamonds all around it. "Oh Gary, it's beautiful."
"There's something on the back.", he whispered and watched as she turned it over to examine it.
She held it to the light and read it aloud. "To Aimee, the reason my heart beats. Love forever, Gary." She was unable to speak, and tears started flowing down her cheeks. 'Grammie and Grampy, if you're watching over me, you must've been whispering in my ear and Gary's too. I didn't believe it was possible to happen twice.'
Gary pulled her into his arms. "I didn't mean to make you cry.", he whispered.
Aimee laughed and wiped her tears. "You make me so happy. Help me put it on." She turned so he could unclasp her chain. It had felt strange to wear the chain without her grandparents rings these past weeks. She threaded the gold strand through the loop of the charm and held her hair as Gary put it around her neck and clasped it again. He kissed her neck before she had a chance to release her hair again. Goosebumps broke out all over her.
"I have something for you too." She handed him the box that she'd wrapped just before she'd fallen asleep.
"You're my gift.", he whispered and kissed her again before unwrapping the package. Inside he discovered a beautiful gold men's watch.
"Look on the back.", Aimee whispered.
He turned it over and read the words, "To Gary, the reason my heart beats. Love forever, Aimee."
Email the author: shana93@optonline.net
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