†
Kate walked into the house holding Alex. As soon as they walked into Kate’s living room, they came face-to-face with Vanessa Masters.
“Mother!” Kate said in surprise. Alex said nothing.
Vanessa took at step forward looking at Alex and the state she was in.
“Alexandra?” Vanessa looked from Alex to Kate. “What’s happened?” demanded Vanessa.
“She’s upset,” Kate said not giving other details. Kate helped Alex sit on the couch. Vanessa sat next to Alex.
“Alexandra, it will pass,” Vanessa said softly as her hand reached for her daughter’s.
Alex said nothing.
Vanessa looked up at Kate.
“I found her on Teddy’s grave,” Kate said as her eyes started filling with tears again. Kate turned around but not before Vanessa noticed the tears. “She hasn’t said a word since.”
“Alexandra, it will pass. In time, you will come to accept it, dear. This is for the best,” Vanessa said, trying to console her daughter.
Something struck a chord and Alexandra’s eyes went to her mother.
Vanessa smiled and stroked her daughter’s hand.
“You talked to her didn’t you?” Alex said accusingly.
Kate swirled around with surprise written on her face.
Vanessa just stared at Alex. “Alexandra, I don’t know what…” Vanessa started to say.
“You talked to her. How could you have gone so far?” Alex continued.
Kate just stared in disbelief.
Vanessa got up and folded her arms in front of her.
“Mother! You didn’t!” Kate said in horror.
“Yes, I did!” Vanessa replied sternly. “Alex’s career would be destroyed. She is so confused she doesn’t know what she is doing.” Vanessa said, defending herself.
“You did this to me?” Alex got up and tears filled her eyes. “You didn’t do it for me. You did it for you! It doesn’t matter to you that I love Reese and that she makes me happy. You only thought of you!”
“Alexandra, you are not yourself,” Vanessa tried to explain.
“I will never, ever will forgive you for this!” Alex said to Vanessa as she ran out the door.
“Alexandra! Come back here!” Vanessa demanded.
As the door closed behind Alex Vanessa was faced with Kate.
“What have you done, Mother?” Kate was furious.
“I did what no one else would do for her. I tried to save her from this depravity. It’s not natural, Katherine,” Vanessa said in disgust.
“It’s not natural? What is natural to you, Mother? You would rather see your child dead than with a woman wouldn’t you?” Kate said accusingly.
Vanessa stared in shock.
“Leave my house, Mother. Leave right now!”
Vanessa stared in disbelief.
Kate stood her ground.
Vanessa turned around, picked up her purse, and walked out.
†
Alex ran into the house looking for Reese.
Kate had already called and Reese, upon hearing Alex, ran down the stairs and into her arms.
Both hung on to each other tightly.
“I love you. I love you, Alex. I love you,” Reese kept saying.
“I love you too, baby. I love you too.” Alex held Reese tightly.
“Alex, I’m sorry…Kate told me she found you,” said Reese as she looked at Alex hand and caressed Alex’s hair. “I’m sorry Alex. I…”
“I know why,” said Alex as she looked at Reese with tear-filled eyes.
Reese took her into her arms again, kissing her repeatedly then gently pulling out of her arms and leading her upstairs to their room.
“Come, come, my love.” Reese helped her take her clothes off and after she removed her own clothing, she got under the sheet with Alex. “I love you, Alex.”
The tears ran down Alex’s face and Reese started kissing them away. “I promise nothing will come between us again.” Her kisses were soft and soothing.
Their lovemaking that afternoon sealed their relationship forever. The kisses were soft and the caresses were slow. When they both came, they held on to each other with the understanding that they would never let go of one another ever again.
Chapter 16
“Well, I have to admit the house is gorgeous, Reese,” Rose said as she looked around.
“Carly fell in love with the pool. And that is all that Alex needed to hear. That child has her wrapped around her little finger,” Reese said, smiling.
“Yep, it’s a beautiful place. Now all you need is furniture.”
“That…yeah.”
“What?”
“Won’t you please sit down, Rose?” Reese gestured flamboyantly to the floor.
Rose started laughing and sat down on the floor.
“Well, in the end we decided to start fresh. We put most of the furniture in consignment and the rest we just donated to the Salvation Army.”
“Starting from scratch, huh?”
“New life in every aspect of the word.” Reese’s face had a big smile.
“Well, the house is huge. Have you started shopping for furniture yet?” Rose said.
“Alex has been really busy with a case lately…” Reese’s smile dulled a little.
“Anything wrong?”
“I think she is having a hard time with one of her colleagues.” Reese looked down at her hands as she spoke.
“Have you asked her about it?”
“Alex, is processing…it drives me crazy but that is just the way she deals. I have learned to see the signs. We have argued endlessly about it. She has had a hard time, Rose. I just don’t want to push right now.”
Rose put her hand over her friend’s. “The mother did a job on her didn’t she?”
“Yeah, she really did. Alex has been through hell. And I didn’t help any,” Reese said sadly.
“Don’t blame yourself, Reese. That woman goes beyond anything I have ever seen. She used your love for Alex to persuade you. You are totally without blame,” insisted Rose.
“I didn’t have to listen, Rose, I should have used better judgment.”
“Honey, hindsight is something we all wish for,” Rose said sadly.
“You didn’t see her that day, Rose. In some ways she hasn’t been the same since,” Reese said sadly.
“Reese, Alex worships you. Don’t go putting any ideas in your head. What happened was not your fault. It is that woman that is to blame. You two love each other. Don’t let anything stop you from enjoying your good fortune. Because, Reese, if you allow it, she wins.”
Reese hugged her friend. “I love you, Rose, You are a good friend.”
“Ahem!” Both women turned simultaneously at the sound.
“What are you doing with my future wife?” asked Alex with her hands on her hips.
Reese and Rose stared at one another and then back at Alex.
Alex couldn’t hold it anymore and started laughing.
Reese jumped up and went into Alex’s arms.
Rose got up, dusting off her pants.
“Hello, beautiful,” Alex said as she looked at Reese.
“Hello, gorgeous.”
“How was your day?”
“Slaved away, cleaning all this furniture!”
Alex looked around critically then nodded. “You did a good job, the place looks great.”
“Okay, you two,” interrupted Rose, “When are you going furniture shopping?”
Alex and Reese looked at each other and then at Rose. “Tomorrow,” they said at the same time and then started to kiss.
Rose shook her head in jest. “They just have to work on the everyday details,” she said to herself.
†
“Kate, I told you I hate that color!” Alex said for the fourth time.
“But, Alex, mauve is very fashionable.”
“It’s pink…I hate pink, Kate!”
“Okay, then what color do you suggest?”
“I don’t know. Whatever Reese picks is fine, I guess.”
“That’s what she says. You are both going to kill me, you know that right?”
Alex started laughing. “Okay, okay, let’s look at the colors again.”
“How about this blue one then?”
“Umm…no, it’s too drippy,” said Alex, looking at the swatch in front of her.
“Drippy! Drippy? What is drippy?” Kate said in exasperation. “Reese said you would decide. Now decide! You are getting married in two weeks and I need to order this dress. “Pick a color or die!”
“All right…all right,” Alex said, looking at the book again. The phone rang and Kate picked up.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Kate.”
“Reese, she still hasn’t picked the color!” Kate complained, and Alex stuck her tongue out at her.
“Let me talk to her, Kate.”
“All right, see if you can reason with her. If you don’t you may have a casualty on your hands by the time you get back. I swear, she is driving me crazy!” Kate finished saying before handing the phone to Alex.
“Hello, sweetheart,” Alex said with a big smile on her face.
“Hello, darling. Giving Kate a hard time?”
“Me?”
“Yes, you!” Reese laughed. “Put her out of her misery, darling. Will you do that?” Reese played along.
“Since you have asked me…yes.” Alex let out a loud laugh. “When will you be back?”
“Day after tomorrow. Momma is much better.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t go with you, Reese, I really feel awful about that.”
“I understand, Alex. This case is very important to you. You concentrate on that case so we can have an uninterrupted honeymoon. Everything is okay here.”
“Did you tell them?” Alex asked with concern.
“Yes.”
“And?”
“I love you, Alex, that is all that matters to me,” Reese said with a sad note in her voice.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
“Yes, I am too.”
“I love you. Come home, Reese, or I will come and get you.” Alex started getting agitated.
“Alex…”
“Please?”
“Darling, nothing is going to come between us, I promise you. I love you, Alex. I love you more than life itself. Now pick the color of your sister’s dress so we can get one step closer to our wedding okay?”
“’Kay, I love you, Reese.”
“I love you, too, darling. Remember that…always remember that.”
“Okay, bye, sweetheart. I’ll talk to you tonight.”
“Goodbye, darling.”
Alex hung up the phone and looked at Kate. “Okay, slave driver.” She picked up the swatches and pointed to one.
“That’s pink! You said you hated pink!” Kate said in frustration.
“It’s not pink, it’s coral.”
“Alex, you are going to kill me. You are going to kill me!”
Chapter 17
Alex woke up with a kiss. Her eyes fluttered open and she stared into the bluest eyes she had ever seen and smiled.
“Hello, lover.”
“How did you…?”
“I took the last flight out…I missed you.” And after saying that, she kissed Alex again.
“Welcome home.”
†
“Alex, stop pacing!”
“I am not pacing, Kate!”
“Okay, if you don’t stop walking from one side of the room to another I am going to be sick!”
“Do you think maybe something happened?”
“No, nothing happened. It’s still early. Now relax!”
“But, Katie…”
“Oh no! Don’t but Katie me. I have had at least three heart attacks with you and you almost gave me an ulcer with the dress thing. Now sit!”
“All right,” said Alex as she pouted.
They heard a car pull up and both ran to the window.
“She’s here!” Alex said in both excitement and relief.
Kate looked at Alex and smiled. “Now let’s go. And remember, Alex, just let yourself be happy.”
“Kate…” Alex said as her eyes began to fill with unshed tears.
“I know…I know.”
Both sisters held each other. “Now, let’s go and get you married.”
†
The church was filled with flowers and as the music began all eyes turned to the rear. Slowly, the guests’ faces filled with smiles as they saw Carly walk in wearing a beautiful white lacey dress with a creamy coral-colored sash around her waist. She dropped petals out of a basket onto the floor as she walked down the aisle. Kevin was walking beside her in a black tux, holding a small cushion with the rings that Alex and Reese would give each other. Next Kate walked in wearing a soft, gauze coral dress. She walked slowly and happily in the knowledge that she had finally gotten Alex this far.
Alex will finally be happy, thought Kate and that made her smile even brighter.
When both children reached the altar and Kate stood next to them, Rose walked down the aisle and stood next to Kate smiling as well. The music once again announced a new arrival.
Alex was a vision of beauty as she walked down the aisle. Happiness poured out of her. She walked slowly with a new sense of purpose. She would make this relationship work. Finally, Reese would be forever hers. Alex looked at Carly as she approached the altar and gave her a big smile. Carly smiled at Kevin and Kevin pulled at his collar.
Alex reached the altar, kissed Kate, and winked at Rose who smiled in return.
Then, once again, the music started and Reese stood at the entry to the sanctuary. Both women looked at one another in awe. They had agreed not to see each other’s dress before the wedding. Now, Reese just stood looking at Alex and Alex’s eyes captured Reese. Each was thinking how beautiful the other looked. As the music cued again, Reese started walking to her love.
They faced each other as the minister said the words. Beautiful words that neither heard. All that filled their ears was the beating of their hearts. The minister touched Alex’s arm and nodded. This was the signal for her to speak. Alex took Reese’s hand in hers and placed the ring on her finger.
“Reese, I love you. I never thought I would feel love again. In finding you, I found all the beauty that I thought was lost to me. In finding you, I found that which makes me whole. In finding you, I found not only love but also hope. In finding you. I found a child; a child that we will love and share and raise together. I love you, Reese. I love you with all that I am.”
Reese smiled as a tear ran down her cheek. Then Reese took Alex’s hand and placed the ring on her finger. She took a deep breath and looked into the eyes of the woman she loved.
“Alex, you are such a gift to me. I only dreamed of love. I wished to the heavens and my gift was you. You are such a beautiful soul, Alex. You have shown me that tenderness exists and that love endures. You have shown me that there is no limit to loving. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you. I promise to share your days and your nights. I promise to help make your dreams come true. I promise to give you all the joy that is in my power. I promise to be yours forever till the end of time.”
Alex squeezed Reese’s hand.
“I love you,” Alex said softly as a tear escaped her eye as well.
Then the minister said the words, “You are now one,” and with those words, lips met and two hearts now beat as one.
The world stood still and the only two people that existed among the fog were two lovers.
“You are so beautiful, Alex.”
“You are the beautiful one. If you only knew.”
“Knew what, darling?”
“What makes me happy.”
“What makes you happy, darling?”
“The very thought of you…the very thought of you, my love.”
About the Author
S. Anne Gardner
S. A
nne Gardner has lived all over the world and is now living on the East Coast of the United States. She has a love that fills her heart and children who fill her life. She has many interests and is a published author as well as a published poet. She enjoys sailing, horseback riding, art, traveling, reading, and writing. Her family, her friends, and her music fill her life in a world that is her own.
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The Very Thought of You Page 15