The Florencia Lozano Homepage - Fan Fiction
SOULMATES
BY CAROL |
CHAPTER
59 |
From chapter 58 (a refresher):
Todd: Welcome home, Tea. There are a lot of people that missed you.
Tea smiles. They both hear a noise and turn in the direction of the mouse-like sound. Tea bends both knees and positions herself on the level of their wanted and enthusiastic intruder. She throws both of her arms open and it takes only about two seconds for Short Cake to cross the distance between them and come crashing into her mommy’s arms.
Marissa: Mommy!
Tea: Oh Marissa. Is it really you? I love you, so, so much! (Tea is crying as is Marissa.)
Todd: (Looking down at the greeting card moment, his sarcasm unable to contain itself) Ewwww. No doubt she’s YOUR daughter!
Todd continues to watch but thinks to himself about this duo sitting before him, crying happy tears for each other and probably themselves as well. Other doubts on paternity can remain just that at this moment. Todd isn’t even concerning himself with the DNA of Tea’s child. He is just happy that mother and daughter can finally be with each other. He is concerned, however, with what the daylight will now bring. He knows first hand that just because you shine the light on the beast, it doesn’t always make it go away. Sometimes, the darkness of the beast can overpower the daylight, like none of God’s clouds ever could.
Chapter 59
Minutes had passed since Todd watched Tea take hold of Marisa. It seemed like an eternity. He had removed himself from their personal space, but he hadn’t removed himself from the room. He watched in awe as these two held hands, palm to palm. Neither spoke a word, but a tremendous communication and bonding was taking place. Tea rocked on the floor as Marisa cuddled inside her mommy’s comfort. She sat in her lap, curled up like a kitten. Tea hummed and pet her head, calming herself in the process. Todd was humbled by it all, realizing this was part of the adventure he had missed with his own Shorty when she was really young. He thought back to times when Tea had rocked his own daughter this way, calming her to slumber and happy dreams filled with air ponies and peaceful thoughts. He realized Tea’s maternal instincts had always shown through whether it was her child or someone else’s she loved. “How does she do that,” he pondered. “How DOES she do that?”
Since the beginning of their union, Tea finally spoke.
Tea: I guess I should let her go back to bed.
Todd: Do you need me to help?
Tea: I think I can manage, but I’m not sure if I’ll wake her if I move her.
Todd: She may stir, but she’ll go right back to sleep, especially if you’re with her.
Tea: You’re probably right. How’d you get so smart about little girls.
Todd: Years of practice.
Tea: Is Starr still here? Or did I imagine that?
Todd: Nope. She’s here. You didn’t imagine that. She’s sleeping in her room.
Tea: Have they both been here all along? Was I that out of it?
Todd: No, I rented two houses here in Newport. The other is next door. Judith has been watching them.
Tea: Judith? Our Judith? How…
Todd: Not for me and not for all the money in the world. But when I explained what was going on with you, and Marisa, she couldn’t turn me down.
Tea: How wonderful. But she must be going out of her mind with worry.
Todd: I called her earlier, when you first collapsed and told her I needed to keep them here for the night. She’s ready to help out again in the morning, so you can continue your treatment.
Tea: My treatment is right here in my arms. She’s all I need.
Todd: I see, well…
Tea: That’s not what I meant. I just meant that I have added incentive to get better faster. But I don’t want her to go anywhere. I’d like her to stay here with me, ah, with us.
Todd: Don’t get overly sensitive here, Tea. I can handle the truth. My God, after all the “truth” we’ve been dealing with lately, I think I can handle you wanting to be alone with your daughter.
Tea: I think we need to get her to bed now.
Todd: We?
Tea: Yeah, I think I’m going to let you do your manly thing and carry her to bed. I’m afraid in my condition that I might drop her.
Todd: I could carry you both.
Tea: That’s not necessary. If you could carry her, I can manage to follow.
Todd picks up Marisa, gently removing her from her mother’s keeping and starts down the hallway. He continues to look back to make sure Tea is able to manage on her own. As he lays Marisa on the bed, he turns to see Tea holding on to the doorway with all her might. He sees her loosing her balance and her bearings and darts to her side just in time to catch her. He scoops her up and lays her in the bed next to Marisa.
Todd: There. See. That wasn’t so hard.
Tea: Thank you, Todd.
Todd: You’re welcome.
He reaches in to give her a good night kiss on her forehead, but she suddenly darts backwards, forcing the back of her head deeper into her pillow.
Todd: Chill. I wasn’t going to hurt you.
Tea: Todd, I’m sorry. It was an instinct. You have to know I wasn’t pulling away from you.
Todd: Sure you were, but it’s okay.
Tea: Todd, don’t. It’s not your fault, but you’re going to have to give me time to rebuild my instincts. They’ve all been shattered and ripped apart. I don’t know which way is up.
Todd: Well that would explain the desire you have to keep hitting the floor with your head.
Tea: Thanks for making it a joke. See, I can still appreciate your warped sense of humor.
Todd: Your sense of humor is the one that’s warped. YOU find MY jokes funny.
Tea: So will you be resting tonight or watching?
Todd: I think I’m allowed to watch over you two tonight, if that’s all right with you.
Tea: Someone to watch over me. I can handle it. But I hope you do get a little sleep tonight. Tomorrow’s going to be a hard day indeed for me, when the reality of what just happened tonight truly hits me.
Todd: You know I don’t need much sleep. Besides, once I see that you two are out, I’ll probably leave. My heart can only take so much sweetness and light.
Tea: Always knew you had a heart.
Todd: Yeah, but don’t get too excited. It’s like the Grinch’s. It’s four times too small.
Tea: (rolling over and putting her arm over Marisa…whispering) I always knew you had a heart. A big one. That’s one surprise you can’t keep from me.
Todd: You’re the only grown up who gets to see it, Delgado. Only you.
Tea drifts off peacefully to sleep, curled up with Marisa. Todd watches as a warm feeling invades his thoughts. “It’s a big bed,” he caught himself thinking. He saw Tea’s left arm leave Marisa and her exposed hand looked so alone, yet inviting. “I could hold her hand, all night long, like a good husband,” he thought. “But she probably wouldn’t like that surprise,” he argued with himself. “You promised to make this all about her, this time. You’ve got to take the risk. Until she asks you to leave, you’ve got to continue to take the risks. You know she’s worth it. And she’s going to need lots more help than you’ve ever been willing to give her. Go for it.”
Todd walked across the room. The once small room now seemed like acres. He managed his way across without chickening out. He pulled the covers back, then carefully placed them on Marisa, as not to cover her head, then lay them gently on Tea before stretching them out across his own body. He quickly realized that in his instinctual rush to be close to Tea, he forgot to take off his shoes. He quickly kicked them off, trying not to awaken them. Tea stirred a bit, but didn’t seem to wake. As he reached for her hand, she moved her arm in it’s totality over him. He had barely enough time to raise his arm up first, holding it practically straight in the air. Tea’s arm now lay softly across his waist. He stared at his arm, upward in the room and smiled. “Was it really that hard to drape it over her?” he grinned. Gently, he lowered his arm downward and gently placed it around her body. She squirmed in her sleep, nestling in to his arms, to his shoulder with her head and curving the rest of the body into the curves of his. He waited until she settled in and closed his eyes. He knew he would sleep longer tonight. But there was no need for dreams. His was laying snuggled in his arms. How could he ever wish for more?
To be continued...
2003 Copyright by Carol
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