It's about 8:00 when Todd finally knocks on the door; bangs would be more accurate. A feeling of excitement washes over my body; I've been waiting all day like an impatient teenager to see him. Like that same impatient teenager, I smooth the edges of my ponytail and straighten my clothes before I answer the door.
"Come on, Delgado; I don't have all night."
"Mr. Manning," I say as I open the door, "you have no patience."
"No, you just take too long." He gently pushes past me, carrying a couple of bags. From the scent, I discern he brought Chinese food, which always provides amusement as I watch him struggle to eat with chop sticks. He drops the bags on the table with a thud, flings himself on the couch and locks his fingers behind his head.
"Please, make yourself at home. I'll go get us something to drink."
"No alcohol," he yells after me.
Apparently, he really was listening to the doctor as she listed off the things I can and cannot eat, at least for the next few weeks. My stomach is making rather loud, obnoxious growling sounds, so I quickly return to his side with drinks in one hand and plates in the other.
"Thanks for today," I say, as I sit next to him on the floor. "You always know just what I need."
He doesn't say anything, just digs into the food I scooped onto his plate. We have a quiet dinner, but it's not quiet in a bad way. There doesn't seem to be that same, thick tension that has been present for so long. I want to ask about Blair and his children, but I don't want to ruin this moment between us.
He finishes, wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and pushes his plate across the table. He looks over at me and I return his gaze, then, I burst into laughter. "What's funny?" he asks.
"Well, you've got something caught in your goatee," I chuckle. He just started growing it back and it's still very thin. With is youthful appearance, he could pass for someone in his teens, trying to grow something to make him look older.
His lifts his eyebrows in a mischievous way; both of us think of the same night in Savannah. After we began our sexual relationship, we started going out less and spending more time inside, making love. Anyway, we ordered this massive dinner and, as usual, Todd dug in. A crumb of something, I think it was peach cobbler, somehow got stuck in his goatee. I leaned forward and took it into my mouth; I don't remember eating anything else for the rest of the night.
"Things were good back then, weren't they?" he comments.
"Things were really good." We have another moment when we lose ourselves in each other's eyes. It is only the ringing of the phone that interrupts the energy between us. Reluctantly, I move away from him and toward the phone, where I bark into the receiver impatiently.
"Hello?"
"Tea, it's Ray from-"
"The District Attorney's office. How are you?"
"I'm doing okay. Listen, I'm sorry to bother you at home."
"No, that's okay. What can I do for you?"
"I know you're anxious to move forward with your case, and I've been keeping up with things from my end." He takes a deep breath on the other end, and I hold mine, for fear of the next words that will leave his mouth. "Look, we need to talk off the record here."
"Okay, we can do that."
"The bottom line here is I know those cops and I've followed this kid's career from the very beginning. Never met him, but I've heard nothing but good things about him. I think he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time; got in over his head. And I believe his side of the story; those cops should've had their badges taken a long time ago."
"I agree."
"So, let's make a deal. I'll give him probation and he can be out by dinner tomorrow."
A chill runs down my spine and the tears spring to my eyes before I can stop them. I have to grab onto the side of the desk for support because of all the things I expected, I never expected this. I clear my throat and somehow find my voice. "Let me run it past my client, and I'll be in touch with you first thing in the morning."
"Okay. And Tea?"
"Yes?"
"The conversation never happened."
When I hang up the receiver and turn around, Todd is right behind me. From the expression on his face, I see the trust thing is an issue again; he's thinking my conversation was something more than just business. And that's okay for right now; I don't even care. "Derek's gonna get out."
"In exchange for what?"
I roll my eyes, letting him know I am not amused with his latest bout of jealousy. "In exchange for nothing," I carefully enunciate. "He's going to get probation and that's it."
I've waited so long for something to go my way, and now everything seems to be doing just that. After all this time, the months in jail, Derek is finally going to be free. Granted, there will be some restrictions, but the gates to the cage will be unlocked and he will have the life he's always wanted. For some reason, I begin to cry. I think everything is finally catching up with me, the case, the kidnapping and everything else and the floodgates have been opened.
"Hey, Delgado, what's wrong?"
"I'm just so happy, Todd. I can't even tell you how happy I am." Carefully, he wraps his arms around me and presses my head against his shoulder.
*****
There are certain days that we look forward to and certain days that we dread; I don't think I've looked forward to one more than this. I don't think I slept at all last night; I watched each minute tick past on the clock, looking forward to the next. I cannot wait to get the Derek and tell him what we've worked out.
Todd lies sleeping quietly in the pallet we made on the floor. He insists once we get to Hawaii, we will definitely be sharing a bed. I smile as I walk past him, thinking of how much fun we're going to have once we're away from here.
I dress as quietly as I can, trying my best to not wake him. When I'm confident in my appearance, I stand over him and watch the rise and fall of his chest. He snores very softly, but the expression on his face is priceless, as this is the most relaxed he's looked in a very, very long time. With one last glance, I leave the room, closing the door softly behind me.
*****
Derek is standing in his favorite spot near the window when I make my entrance. I didn't call ahead to let him know I was coming today; I was afraid he would be able to hear the joy in my voice and spoil my surprise for him. When the door closes behind me, his head snaps in my direction and a smile instantly crosses his lips.
"Hey, Miss Delgado."
"Hi Derek."
"Didn't you were coming today."
No matter how hard I try, I cannot contain my excitement. "They're willing to make a deal with you. They'll give you probation and you can be out of here today."
"But I told you, I didn't want to admit anything."
"Derek, this is the best we're going to get." Gently, I say, "I believe your story, but you have to realize the deck is stacked against you in this matter. If you're convicted, you're going to jail, there's no way around it. This way, you'll have your freedom and you can get on with your life."
"So, you think I should take it?"
"I definitely think you should take it."
"Okay, Miss Delgado; I'll do whatever you say."
Chapter 63 Epilogue
The ocean pounds against the sand and rocks with brutal force. I look out at the magnificent beauty around me, and can't help to smile. I never thought I'd make it here, much less with Todd, but here we are, lying side by side in the sand. I glance at him from the corner of my eyes, and find him looking right back at me. "What?"
"What are you thinking about?" he asks.
"How do you know I was thinking about anything?"
"Because you were smiling. You're either thinking or you're crazy."
"Ooh, you'd better not mess with a nutcase, Manning."
"You forget, I was married to that thing."
We both laugh a bit, but underneath, I can hear the pain that being away from his children is causing him. I want to embrace him, but I know he doesn't want my "pity" as he calls it. "I was thinking about how I never dreamed we would be here…how happy you make me."
For some reason, all of a sudden I want to go back to our bungalow and spend the rest of the day the way we spent the morning, making love and just being together. I've never been freer; I've never felt as at alive as I feel when I'm in his arms. This really is our paradise.
Derek was released the day before we decided to leave. Todd wanted to get away as soon as possible, but, knowing I would worry, he first made sure Derek had a place to stay and plenty of money to spend. He said he did it for me, but I know he did it because he does have a heart and it wouldn't let him leave this kid without anything.
I will never forget Derek's face when Todd put the keys to his new apartment in the palm of his hands. His face lit up and I could tell he was fighting to keep himself from crying. When I asked him what he was going to do on the first day of the rest of his life, he said he was going to take off his shoes and walk through the grass of the park; said he never thought he'd experience that sensation of grass tickling the bottoms of his feet. So, we left him there, in his new apartment and the prospect of a new job with Viki.
Here I am, on the beach of this lover's paradise, with the love of my life. Todd has been surprisingly quiet about the loss of his children, but we will work something out, that is my solemn oath to him. For now, I am content to lie with him like this, knowing that we love each other and neither of us is going anywhere.
I'm not really getting sick anymore; I'm sure the medication is part of it, but I think the happiness I feel right now has rid my body of the stress it's been holding ever since I left him last lifetime. I feel healthier than I've been in months; my life seems to have some direction and meaning to me again. Yes, I think I'm going to live a nice, long life.
"Hey, Delgado, we're gonna draw up like prunes if we don't get outta this sun."
His colorful language always makes me laugh, and this is no exception. Once I catch my breath, I say, "Well, what do you propose we do instead?"
He shrugs his shoulders, but I don't miss the glimmer in his eyes. I raise my eyebrow and speak the same language as he, with my eyes. He extends his hand toward me and lifts me from my spot in the sand. As I make a move to brush my body free of the tiny particles that are stuck to my body, he moves my arms out of the way and does it for me. When he finishes, he begins to pull me quickly toward our place. His fast walk turns into a trot and from a trot, to a jog. Finally, I am chasing him toward our back patio, laughing and smiling the entire time. Who would've thought Todd Manning would ever be so eager to make love to me?
He fumbles around for the key, growing more frustrated by the minute. I hand him my keys; he quickly unlocks the door. I don't even have time to catch my breath before he yanks me in, slams the door and kisses me with the kind of passion that builds up over time and is released in one beautiful moment. And I return his kisses with just as much fervor. God, I love him.
Too many guys think I’m a concept or I complete them or I’m going to make them alive, but I’m just a fucked-up girl who is looking for my own piece of mind. Don’t assign me yours. -- Clementine (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
