"I wonder why I've never noticed it before," he said.
"I think you've probably been too busy doing other things to notice," she said with a mischievous grin.
William bent over and placed a gentle kiss on Annie's scar, then moved up to lay beside her. "I'm happy you came through the surgery just fine," he said quietly, kissing her cheek.
Annie looked over at William, her eyes turning serious.
He frowned when he saw the look in her eyes. "What's wrong?"
"I recently found out that my surgery didn't go as smoothly as I'd thought."
William sat up in bed. "What do you mean?"
"I died during surgery, but they revived me in time. No one told me. I read about it in my medical records. Then I called my old boyfriend, Joey, and he confirmed it."
"You died?" William asked, astonished by what he'd just heard.
"Yes. I had some sort of reaction to the anesthesia, and it made my heart stop."
William thought back to the day Sara died during surgery after her appendix burst. An appendectomy was supposed to be routine, yet now he knew of two people who'd died during that type of surgery. Fortunately, Annie had come back to life. Instinctively, he reached over and pulled Annie into his arms.
"I'm so happy you lived," he said, his words brushing her ear softly. Then, pulling away, he asked, "What was it like, dying? Do you remember anything about it?"
Annie thought about her dreams of the colors in the sky and the warm, luminous face that smiled down upon her. She thought of the being with the blue-green eyes that reached out and hugged her tight. She thought maybe these dreams were reoccurrences of what she'd experienced when she'd died, but she didn't know for sure, and she didn't want to share this with William yet.
"I don't really remember anything," she finally told him.
William sighed. He had heard people say that they saw a tunnel of light or deceased loved ones or they felt a divine presence surrounding them when they died. He had never been a religious or spiritual man, but he believed there was something or somewhere larger than this world. At least, that was what he believed after Sara died. He hoped she had found happiness wherever she had gone after leaving him.
Annie touched William's cheek, turning his face so his eyes met hers. "What are you thinking?"
"That this is too serious of a subject to talk about on a Saturday morning," he said, then smiled. Once again he pulled her to him and, this time, he made love to her slowly, gently, and with a passion that could not deny how deep his feelings ran for her.
Chapter Eighteen
William and Annie's idyllic weekend came to an end when Annie announced on Monday that she'd be going to Seattle for a photo shoot Wednesday through Friday.
William's brows rose. "You never told me about this before," he said as they drank coffee while sitting at the kitchen island.
Annie shrugged. "I guess I didn't think about it. This shoot was booked months ago. I just forgot about it until now."
Frowning, William stared into his coffee mug but didn't say anything. Annie had the feeling he was upset about her leaving.
"You can come with me," she offered.
"Actually, I have to go down to Santa Barbara to meet with the client I'm designing the house for," William said, still not meeting her eyes.
"Well then, we'll both be busy." Annie stood and dropped a quick kiss on William's cheek before walking to the sink and rinsing her mug.
"I had hoped you could go with me," William said. "I thought it would be a fun getaway for us."
Annie turned from where she stood at the sink and looked directly at William. He seemed upset, but she couldn't understand why. After all, he knew she worked, why would her trip bother him?
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "It would have been nice to go with you, but I have to work. Maybe we can plan a getaway another weekend."
"Maybe," William said without enthusiasm. He was disappointed that her work was once again getting in the way of their time together.
Annie tried to ignore his tone, but it bothered her for most of the day. Finally, she told William she needed to go home to do laundry and get ready to leave on Wednesday. She assured him she'd see him on Saturday, when they both were back from their trips.
By the time the weekend came again, Annie had forgotten all about William's attitude toward her earlier in the week and spent the weekend once more at his home. It was Sandy's twenty-first birthday, so the four of them went out for a nice dinner at a coastal restaurant and celebrated. William was relieved that at least now Sandy was legal to drink, and he wouldn't have to worry about her being picked up for underage drinking. He could only hope she wouldn't do anything stupid like drinking and driving, and played it safe.
The weeks went by quickly and soon the week of Sam's graduation and party was upon them. Annie helped William ready the guest room for his parents. They also did a few cleaning chores that William didn't expect Alma to do, like sweeping off the decks and sidewalks, cleaning windows, and dusting off items far above Alma's reach. By the Tuesday of the week before graduation, the house was sparkling clean.
Annie had plenty to do herself to prepare for her photo shoot, and she'd planned on staying at her own place Tuesday and Wednesday before leaving on Thursday. When William invited her to attend a high school award ceremony on Wednesday night, she hesitated.
"Sam isn't just a great golfer. He's a great student," William said. "He'll be getting awards for academics. I'm sure he'd love it if you came."
Annie agreed to go to the ceremony, because she wanted to support Sam, who she had grown to love immensely, and didn't want to upset William. He still seemed put out because she wouldn't be there for the graduation, so she conceded, even though she knew she'd be stressed trying to finish everything she had to do before leaving.
On Wednesday she ran errands, paid bills, and did as much laundry of her own as possible. She had re-confirmed the time the caterers would arrive at the house on Saturday, reminded Cherise about the desserts she'd ordered, and double-checked with the bakery to make sure the cake would be delivered on time. She'd also talked to Alma one last time, too, just to make sure everything went smoothly. By the time Annie was dressed and driving over to William's house to meet him before the award ceremony, she was worn out.
She met up with Sam as she entered the house through the kitchen door. He looked sharp in a suit and tie, his dress shoes polished to perfection.
"You look very handsome," she told him, which only made him blush.
"Thanks," he said. Then shyly he added, "And thanks for coming, Annie."
Annie gave him a big hug. "Wouldn't miss it," she said, happy now that she'd agreed to come.
Sandy walked down the stairs, dressed conservatively in a simple, royal blue dress and heels. The color of the dress made her blue eyes sparkle. Annie noticed that she had toned down her makeup and wasn't wearing all her piercings, only earrings. College had ended the week before, and Sandy was living at home full time for the summer. She had just started working part time in an art shop in town and seemed to enjoy it.
"You look very pretty," Annie said to Sandy as she passed her on the way up to see William. Sandy only smiled in reply.
"Oh, there you are," William said as Annie entered the room. He was standing in the doorway of his walk-in closet and was only half-dressed, tying his tie. Annie walked over to him, placed a light kiss on his lips, and began tying his tie for him.
"You look very nice," William said, admiring her in the simple black dress she wore. Her tiny frame looked even more slender in black.
"Thanks." After Annie finished his tie, she walked over and sat on the bed to wait for him. "You're holding up the parade," she teased. "Everyone is ready except for you."
"Sorry. I was looking for my tan suit earlier but couldn't seem to find it. I want to wear it on Saturday to the graduation."
Annie thought a moment. "Didn't you give it to me last week to drop off at the dry cleaners?" sh
e asked.
"Yeah," William said as he slipped on his shoes, then reached for his suit jacket. "I figured you'd have picked it up by now."
Annie's brows furrowed. "I haven't had a chance to pick it up. I helped you clean earlier this week and had a bunch of errands to run for myself before I leave tomorrow."
"But I want to wear it Saturday," William said, sounding like a spoiled child.
Annie stared hard at William a moment before replying in an even tone. "Well, what's the problem? You can ask Alma to pick it up tomorrow on her way over here."
"Alma doesn't pick up drying cleaning for me," William said, his tone slightly annoyed. "I don't ask her to do personal errands like that."
Annie's anger simmered. "But you expect me to? When did I become your maid?"
"I never said you were my maid," William said, walking over to Annie. "I just assumed when you said you had errands to do, you'd pick up my dry cleaning, too."
"Well, you assumed wrong." Annie stood and walked to the door. "You can pick up your own dry cleaning from now on. That way, you'll have it when you want it."
"Hey," William hurried over to where Annie stood and reached out to touch her arm. She turned and stared at him, her eyes spitting fire. "Don't be angry with me. I only asked."
"No, William, you didn't just ask, you assumed. I don't mind doing a few errands for you now and again, but you can't assume I'll take over all your extra work. I have a life and a job, too. You're not the only one who's busy."
"Geez, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was such a big deal," William said, but to Annie, he didn't sound sorry at all.
Annie tried to calm her voice. "I'm your girlfriend, William. Not your wife. Please don't treat me like I am."
William's eyes flashed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that I won't be used just because I sleep with you. I'm here to be with you, not wait on you hand and foot."
"I'm not using you," William said, growing angrier. "We're in a relationship. People in relationships do things for each other. That doesn’t mean they're using each other."
Annie crossed her arms and looked up into William's eyes. "If that's true, then what have you done for me?" she asked simply. "I don't ask you to run my errands or change your work schedule or even make time for me. So tell me, William, if this is a relationship where we do things for each other, what exactly do you do for me?"
William stood there for a long moment, not knowing how to respond to Annie's question. When he didn't answer, Annie turned and walked down the hallway and stairs, leaving him behind.
They got through the award ceremony in utter silence, which didn't go unnoticed by Sandy. She and Sam had both heard them arguing upstairs but hadn't been able to make out the exact words. Sandy decided that if her dad didn't make amends with Annie before the night was over, she would have words with him.
After the ceremony, William suggested they all go out and celebrate Sam's achievements, but Annie gracefully declined. After congratulating Sam one more time, she strode off to her car in the high school parking lot and drove home without having said a single word to William.
Annie held back tears on her way home from the award ceremony and didn't let them flow until she dropped onto her sofa. How could William treat her that way? Like she was his personal maid. She had been happily running his errands as a favor to him, but at what point did all his needs become more important than hers?
Annie's tears flowed freely as she grabbed the blanket from the back of the sofa and pulled it around her for comfort. She loved William. She'd fallen in love with him so easily that it had scared her. She had actually started to believe in fate and fairy tale endings and all that cosmic crap that Cherise kept saying to her. But William didn't see her or appreciate her for who she was. He only saw her as a replacement for his wife, Sara, the woman he'd admitted to not appreciating as much as he should have.
Sara. Annie wiped her tears with the corner of the blanket and thought about the woman who haunted her dreams and who haunted her relationship with William. Had Sara been so happy with her life that she wanted it back? Or had she been so unhappy that she was determined to make William unhappy throughout his life? Why did Sara invade her dreams? Why didn't she just leave Annie alone?
Annie swiped the tears again with the blanket, angry at herself for letting her emotions get the best of her. She could usually control her emotions, but lately, it had been harder to do so. Maybe she was just stressed from her busy week and the upcoming photo shoot. Maybe she was making more of the argument with William than she should have.
"This is why I never wanted to fall in love," she said softly to herself. "It always ends badly."
A soft knock came on the door, making Annie jump. When it opened a little, Annie saw the concerned face of her best friend.
"Hey, Annie. I just wanted to check on you," Cherise said, then stopped short when she saw her friend's tear-streaked face. She walked over and sat next to Annie, pulling her into her arms.
"What happened?" Cherise asked, concern filling her voice.
Annie held on tight to Cherise, her tears falling once again. After a time, she pulled away and looked at her friend. "I think I lost William tonight," she said, her voice raspy from crying.
"Annie, no. It can't be that bad," Cherise said, soothingly.
But Annie shook her head. "He's never going to let go of Sara, so there's no room for me," she said, breaking down in tears again.
Cherise held her friend as she cried. "I know William loves you," Cherise said, over and over again. "Everything will be fine, just wait and see."
Annie wanted to believe that Cherise was right, but deep down, she thought her relationship with William might never be the same again.
Later that night, William made himself a cup of coffee and sat out on the deck. Sam had gone to bed early, after they'd returned from dinner and Sandy was hiding out in her room. She had asked him once during dinner about the fight he'd had with Annie, but he'd only shaken his head and said they'd talk later.
The night was quiet except for the soft sound of the waves lapping against the shore. The moon shone brightly, casting a soft glow on the ocean. It would be the perfect evening to share with someone you love, but here he was, sitting alone, again.
William pondered over his argument with Annie. How did a simple statement turn into a full-scale fight? He didn't understand why it was wrong of him to assume Annie would run a simple errand for him. Sara had done all of it without complaint. All he'd asked Annie to do was pick up a suit from the dry cleaners.
Wait. Technically he hadn't really asked. He'd assumed since she'd dropped it off, she'd also pick it up. That was what had gotten him into trouble.
William replayed the fight in his head again and remembered the question Annie had asked him that troubled him the most. What do you do for me? He hadn't had an answer for her then, and he couldn't think of an answer now. Annie had been running small errands for him for weeks, she'd planned Sam's party, and had even helped him clean the house. She also never complained when they stayed home more often than ate out or when the kids were a part of their weekend plans. But what exactly had he done for her? That same feeling of guilt he'd felt after his wife died washed over him with the force of a tidal wave. Was Annie right? Had he been treating her like he'd treated his wife, expecting much and giving little?
"Dad, what's going on with you and Annie?" Sandy's sudden appearance startled William enough to spill his coffee on his sweatshirt. Brushing at it, which only made the stain worse, he looked up at his daughter, who'd snatched a patio chair and sat down right in front of him.
"You scared me," William said, trying to avoid her question. "It's a beautiful night out."
"Don't change the subject. Sam and I both heard you and Annie arguing, so what is going on?"
William sighed. Even at the age of twenty-one, his daughter was a force to reckon with. She was independent with a mind of her own, and she wasn't going to let hi
m get away with brushing her off.
"Annie and I just had a quarrel. Nothing serious." He knew he was lying to himself as much as to Sandy. The more he thought about his fight with Annie, the more he realized just how serious it had been. Deep down, he knew they had crossed a line that he wasn't sure he could erase with a simple apology.
"What about?" Sandy asked.
William sighed. He wavered a moment as he tried to decide what to tell his daughter. Over the months, he'd noticed that Sandy and Annie had formed a close bond, so maybe she could actually help.
"Annie thought that I was expecting too much of her," he said. "I had only asked if she'd picked up my suit at the dry cleaners, and she got angry."
Sandy shook her head. "Annie's a busy woman, Dad. She has her own things to do. Why on earth would you expect her to pick up your dry cleaning?"
William lifted his hands, palms up, in exasperation. "Why is that such a crime? She dropped it off. Why couldn't I expect her to pick it up, too? Your mom used to do that and much more."
Sandy pursed her lips. "Annie is not Mom, and she is not your wife. You can't treat her like she's your maid."
William winced at her words. "Do you think I treated your mother like a maid?" he asked.
Sandy sighed. "I'm sorry, Dad, but yes. We all did."
William sat silent, staring past his daughter, out at the ocean. He knew she was right, but he hadn't realized that she had noticed it too.
"Dad," Sandy said softly. "You have to accept Annie for who she is. You can't treat her the same way as you did Mom."
"I know," William conceded, nodding his head. "I guess I didn't even realize I'd been doing that until Annie said something. But you know what the real truth is? I know that Annie isn't your mom. I know she isn't my Sara. But when I'm with her, I can feel Sara with me. And that's why I forget sometimes that Annie isn't Sara. It's all so strange."
Sandy understood what her father was saying. There had been a few times she'd felt the same way. "I think it's because of her eyes, Dad. They remind us of Mom."
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