The Moment She Knew

by Christine Farrey

  “Hello Lucy. It’s nice to see you again.” Connor gave Dr. Graver a peck on the cheek.

  “Connor, how are you doing my dear boy? I talked to Amelia recently she tells me you have a birthday party coming up. I was excited to receive an invitation, but I will be out of the country giving a lecture in England, but when I return we must meet for lunch.”

  “Of course,” Connor replied.

  “So this is Miss Caitlyn Winters? It is lovely to meet you. Any friend of Connor’s, is a friend of mine.”

  Callie had a smile on that wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. “Uh yes. Hi. Its nice to meet you, so nice. I have your books. Not just have them, I read them.” Callie put her hair behind her ears as she stumbled on her words.

  “I hear you teach literature at a community college. Why don’t we grab some tea before the lecture and have a chat?” Callie and Dr. Graver went off while Connor took out his phone. He had made a small list of things he wanted to do for Callie. In Callie’s apartment, sat a small list, places she wanted to go and things she wanted to do. He was going to help her out with them because she deserved it. Connor smiled as he marked the first item off his list.

  Callie was smiling even wider when she found her seat next to Connor. “So how did it go?” Connor whispered. “Amazing. Just amazing. She gave me some pointers and ideas and her email address to keep in touch. I got Dr. Lucille Graver’s email address! I feel like a guy who got the hot girl in the bars phone number and it’s not a fake.”

  Connor laughed, “That is the weirdest comparison I think I have ever heard.”

  Callie looked down at her lap and started fidgeting with her hands. “I’m sorry Callie. I mean it was a good comparison just, a bit weird because I haven’t heard it before.”

  “No I don’t care about that. This is thoughtful. Guys aren’t supposed to be this thoughtful. I’m being serious. It’s not a nice idea, but a thoughtful idea and that means so much. Even if we didn’t get to talk and just came here for the lecture. The gesture itself made this an amazing date.”

  “Well I guess I am off to a good start in this dating thing.”

  “Connor, I think you are doing remarkably.”

  The lecture ended and the audience asked a few questions. Dr. Graver said her goodbyes and reminded Callie to keep in touch.

  As they walked along the street Connor reached for Callie’s hand. She saw people hold hands in stores or when walking down the street. She thought it looked weird. She always made fun of those people and swore not to be one. She didn’t understand the gesture. The way she felt when Connor held her hand, almost felt like he was sending electricity through her body. She looked over at him and smiled. He held her gaze, bringing the backside of her hand to his lips and kissing it gently. She now understood why people held hands.

  “Seriously that was awesome. I had a tea with Dr. Graver, I got a few new books to start my library and I have the best guy in the world who made it happen. I really can’t thank you enough.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek. As she went to pull away he grabbed her face with both hands and really kissed her. “Callie, it was, without a doubt, my pleasure,” he smiled. Hand in hand they headed back to the apartment to pack, in a few hours they would be back in New Haven.

  Chapter 16

  The rest of the month was going to be busy, not just with school but with life in general. With her mother’s birthday coming up and then Connor’s, she still didn’t know what to get either person. She had plans to do the seasonal festivities, apple and pumpkin picking, baking, hay and horror rides and visiting the local vineyard.

  “What are you planning on doing on your actual birthday?” She wondered if he would be back in New York.

  “Nothing.” He didn’t do anything on his birthday and she now knew why.

  “Listen I know you hate your birthday and all but maybe you should do something, nothing big. The vineyard is nice this time of year. We can have lunch with some friends up there. Or we can go apple picking; I can make you a pie. Or we can stay in and I can make you dinner.” He looked reluctant. “Come on. It might be fun.” He still looked reluctant.

  “Do I have to bribe you?” She didn’t want him alone on his birthday.

  “A bribe does sound good.” He was sitting on the couch flipping through a book.

  “Fine, what will it take?” Now she was talking, she saw him smile.

  “What. Do. I. Want,” he thought about it as he put the book down but he already knew what he wanted. It was written all over his face.

  “Seriously? That’s what it will take for you to say yes?” She shook her head putting away the dishes.

  “Oh definitely, I am a guy.” Connor had slept at Callie’s almost every night. It was ironic because Callie was the one always asking if he wanted to sleep over. She felt relaxed with him around and to be honest, she loved the sex.

  “Ok, if that’s what it will take.” She was still shaking her head.

  “Now I can’t wait for my birthday. I plan on occupying you all night so rest up. Also I can make us a birthday sex mixed playlist, if you want.” Ever since their first night together, when Connor played music for Callie, it had become a staple thing in the bedroom.

  He checked his watches and then headed back to Ryan’s apartment. Callie had been meaning to ask him about the watches now that he was opening up more to her. She thought maybe she should ask Ryan to see if he knew.

  “Oh that thing, he carries it in his pocket but it doesn’t even work. I believe his mother gave it to his father on their wedding day or something like that.” She heard Ryan crunching on something.

  “Wait, but it doesn’t work?” Callie asked.

  “No he just looks at it.”

  Callie knew what she was doing for his birthday. “Ryan I need you to get me that watch.”

  Chapter 17

  It was the 17th and they arrived at the vineyard, it was one of Callie favorite spots. The view, the weather, the food, it couldn’t have been any more perfect. They had packed fruit, various cheeses, meats, olives and breads. She met up with a few friends and introduced Connor to everyone. Connor knew some of the people from the college.

  They sat at a table near the rest of the group. Callie looked out the window admiring the beautiful breezy fall day. This time of year was beautiful in New England. Her favorite holiday was approaching soon. It was a bitter sweet day. The sadden expression took over Callie’s face. “Hey,” Connor said as he reached for her hand. “What’s wrong?”

  “Halloween is coming up, I love the holiday but it is also James’s birthday.” Connor knew a little about James. Callie had briefly spoken about him on their walks. “I know you must miss him.” Connor rubbed his thumb over her knuckles.

  “Very much. He was my best friend. I mean sometimes he was a shitty friend but still. You know, I said that to him, a few days before he died. We were on the phone and I was mad over something stupid. I felt like I was being placed on the back burner and I told him he was a shitty friend. I never got the chance after that to tell him that I loved him regardless. He was my shitty friend and there was no one else quite like him.”

  Connor opened his mouth, wanting to ask questions but quickly shut it not wanting to upset her. “It’s ok, you can ask me.” She knew Connor was going to have questions.

  “Were you in love with him?” Callie laughed at his question. “No. I loved him purely and innocently. A life together wasn’t an option. We didn’t belong together in that way.” Callie continued looking out the window.

  “Do you mind me asking what happened?”

  “He just didn’t wake up one morning. It was unexpected. I took from the situation that life is not guaranteed. I changed as a person, not a lot but enough.” Tears in her eyes began to surface.

  “Well I think you turned out to be an amazing person.”

  “Yea, you’re not too bad yourself.” Callie gave his hand a light squeeze.

  She excused herself from the table. Connor was go
ing to give her a moment and then go and check on her. Just as he was getting up Callie returned with a 2 layer square red velvet cake cover with cream cheese frosting. As Callie walked in the room with the candles lite, Connor watched how her face lit up. Not just from the glow of the candles but from the light in her eyes and the smile on her face. She nodded at Ryan and he joined her, along with others and they all engaged in singing happy birthday. People sitting at surrounding tables joined it as well. Connor kept his eyes on Callie as he blew the candles out and made his wish.

  After cleaning up Connor asked if she wanted to go for a walk before they left. They walked around the vineyard and Callie stopped to look in her bag.

  “You lose something?” He asked.

  “No, I have something for you.” Callie pulled a small wrapped box out of her bag.

  “I told you not to get me anything,” Connor looked surprised.

  “I actually didn’t know what to get you and I wanted it to be special so technically I didn’t get you anything. I more fixed something.” She had the widest smile on her face.

  Connor opened the box and inhaled a sharp breath, “You had it?” Connor looked in the box and there sat the watch he had carried around in his pocket for years.

  “Yea it was only missing for a couple days. I figured you would have noticed but Ryan said he came up with a good excuse so you wouldn’t think anything of it.”

  “Really because he told me he hasn’t seen it but maybe the dog ate it.” Connor rolled his eyes.

  “He doesn’t have a dog,” Callie responded.

  “I know!” Connor exclaimed.

  “He really is just a mess.” Callie laughed.

  “So you fixed it? I just can’t believe it.” Connor was in shock. He had brought it to a few places but they said the parts no longer existed to fix it. He always looked at it, he didn’t know why. He didn’t expect it to start working all of a sudden.

  “And had it buffed. There aren’t too many ‘watch fixers’ but I found one about an hour away. He said it’s a great watch, that it just needed some tuning up and he had the parts.” He slipped off his current watch and replaced it with that one. “My mother gave it to my father on their wedding day; she said time would always be on their side. Or so I was told. I don’t know much about my parents but Amelia said this was left for me by my mother.” She remembered Reed saying time wasn’t on their side, she thought about their conversations a lot lately even though she hadn’t seen much of him. Connor thanked her and hugged her tight. “You really are something,” he whispered in her ear. She was just glad he liked his birthday gift. He pulled away from the hug to kiss her. After a moment he just stared at her and smiled.

  “What?” She was smiling back.

  “You. Just, you.”

  Callie bit her bottom lip.

  “I want you to know how beautiful you are and how deeply I have fallen in love with you, your heart, your mind, your soul. I can’t help but smile when I say your name or think of you. I still battle so many demons but when you’re around, they’re silent. I wished for you, you know. It was a couple years ago. I was going through something and I felt, lost. I needed someone to save me from myself. The moment I saw you walk through those red doors, my heart literally skipped a beat. I love who I am when I’m with you. I honestly have no idea how I lived life before you. I just want to say that I love you, that I need you and that I’m yours.” His eyes never left hers.

  “Damn it. You’re good.” They both chuckled.

  “If we are going all mushy then I guess I should tell you that I have loved very few people in life and none of them come close to my feelings for you. That first night I met you, all the way home I thought about you. The next day when you sent me the text message about the song we danced to, I know it sounds silly because I thought you were in New York and nothing would come of us, but all I could think about, all I was hoping, was that you weren’t in love with someone else. I really believe in happy endings for other people, but not for myself. The whole ‘fairytale’ ending wasn’t in my cards. But you Connor, you’re my once upon a time.” Callie looked into his eyes, she brought her hand up to touch his lips and gave him a gentle kiss. “Happy birthday Connor.”

  Connor exhaled deeply. “It’s a good thing I asked you to dance and won you over with my moves.” Callie laughed. “Speaking of my moves, on to birthday sex!” He said with his hands in the air. People at the vineyard turned in their direction. She laughed again, forcing his hands down as they headed home. On the car ride home all he focused on, was his watch.

  Chapter 18

  A few nights later Callie was home alone. She was exhausted from the previous weeks of nonstop events. Connor was staying at Ryan’s apartment so he could catch up on work. Callie had a cup of tea and went straight to bed. Her thoughts drifted to Reed.

  “Long time, no see. Life treating you well?” Reed was walking towards her.

  “Yea actually it is. Is this a different beach? It looks familiar but not the one we visit normally.” Callie was looking around.

  “You have been here before. You are glowing, like you have maybe met someone?” Reed wasn’t up to date on Connor since it had been weeks since she talked to Reed last.

  “Yea things with Connor are turning out well. I sometimes think it isn’t real or think why out of everyone he loves me. It is still new, this whole dating thing, so we are taking it one day at a time.” Callie couldn’t help but smile when she mentioned Connor.

  “That’s good, things take time. It doesn’t happen overnight. The important thing is not to give up. If you want it, than you make it work. Life will be up and down. Life is not perfect; people are not perfect, just remember this. You will face a lot before you end up comfortable with your surroundings, just don’t give up, ok?”

  “Ok got it. It’s weird you say this like you know it will happen to me. Or is it because you have been through this before?” Reed looked young but was a man wise beyond his years.

  “Both,” Reed said as Callie looked out into the water. She realized she was at the beach her and Connor walked to.

  Callie woke up. She and Reed visited the same places. She never had been to a place with Reed in her dreams that she went to in real life. She found it odd but maybe this was something new.

  Chapter 19

  “I don’t want to wear that dress again.” Callie had clothes tossed all around her bedroom.

  “Why not? I liked it on you.” Connor was laying on the couch with his head resting on a pillow.

  “I don’t like any of these dresses,” Callie yelled from the closet in her bedroom. Charlie jumped on the couch next to Connor.

  “You have other dresses?” Connor asked.

  “Yes Connor.” Callie sounded annoyed.

  “Well I’m sorry. You don’t strike me as the girly type that wears dresses.” Connor closed his eyes realizing what he said, after it already came out of his mouth. Callie flew in the living room in her bra, underwear, stopping to give Connor an evil eye. She was returning to the bedroom when Connor asked her to stand in front of him again. She did.

  “What?” She swung her arms up.

  “I’m just enjoying the view,” he smiled and continued to pet Charlie.

  “Right now, I don’t like you.” She pointed at him with seriousness.

  “Right now, I’m horny. You already have most of your clothes off. Just leave those heels on.” He gestured to the red high heels she was wearing. She cursed at him and returned to her bedroom desperately hoping something new would appear in her closet.

  Connor laughed. He loved how she got all riled up. It was true; some woman just looked flat out sexy when they were pissed off. Her nostrils would flare and she would clench her jaw for a second but only for a second because then she would rotate biting and sucking on her bottom lip, oh those lips. Lastly those eyes, those beautiful blue eyes would widen and he could see the fire in them. Connor didn’t know if he loved her eyes or lips more. Both were dead g
iveaways to her mood, he had discovered that over the past few months.

  “Well just pick one. We are going to be late.” He looked at his father’s watch. He admired how she came up with this idea. He later found she had searched for a while, bringing the watch to every watch and jewelry shop, hoping someone had the parts to fix it. She finally found a place over an hour away. It was creative and genuinely thoughtful. He loved it. He loved her. He told his family about her and they were excited to meet her tonight. Callie was nervous about meeting them and that was a big part of her distraught mood.

  “Ok how about this one?” She walked out in a long sleeve black lace dress. Under the lace, the dress had a layer of nude silk fabric from the chest area to the hem near her thighs. There was a diamond shape opening at the back of her dress. The dress fell to mid-thigh and Callie wasn’t sure it was appropriate enough. She paired it with nude heels and a black clutch. She had makeup on that made her blue eyes pop. She let her hair down in its natural wave.

  “Wow, I have never seen your hair like that, it’s gorgeous. You look... just… hot damn woman you really are just, breathtaking,” he said as he held his heart.

  He was one to speak. He stood in front of her wearing a dark beige suit, black button down shirt and a black tie. He could be in his jeans and converse sneakers or in a suit like he had on now, regardless he was beautiful.

  She looked away. “Thank you. Are we ready?”

  “Yes we are.” He held out his arm for her to take.

  Upon arriving at his parents’ house in Milford, Callie wondered the rest of his family would be like; all she had was her encounter with Devin to go by. She hoped his family liked her.

  Callie’s jaw dropped when she saw his parents’ house. She should have known it would be amazing. “Wow. So your parents live here?” She didn’t mean for it to be a question. “Yes they do. Quinn is actually moving back in soon. She is done with her internship in the city.” Connor talked about Quinn and her love for art. She had gone to school for art therapy and wanted to open up her own studio. “That’s exciting to have her so close to you now.” Connor talked about how proud he was of her, he just wished he could see her more.