Author's Note: This was my first and, most likely, last fanfiction. I would like to thank those of you who took the time to e-mail me your feedback. It is always appreciated. In fact, for anyone who has waded through my narration, if you could take a moment and send me a quick e-mail to let me know what you thought of the story overall, you would have my undying gratitude. I could use the closure. Thanks a lot and take care.
JOEY'S HOUSE
Pacey awoke to the soft twittering of birds just outside the window. He lay very still as he could feel the heartbeat of the sleeping figure that lay in his arms. The peaceful expression on her face contrasted his recollection of the previous evening. He had witnessed something that he hoped he would never have to witness again. Joey had completely broken down. He had never seen her so vulnerable. He had held her delicately in his arms like a wounded animal. After a while, she had stopped crying, but they didn't utter another word. They simply curled up next to each other on the couch until the pain had run its course and exhaustion won out.
It was difficult to fathom how excruciating it must have been for her to actually share her consuming fear of abandonment. He was at a loss. It was something that couldn't readily be fixed. The past couldn't be changed. He could only continue to offer the comfort and companionship as he had in the past and hope that he had renewed her faith in his friendly devotion.
She stirred but didn't waken, drawing him out of his thoughts. He was still weary by the emotional battle that had taken place. As he drifted back off to sleep, his last thought was that at least it was finally over. Unfortunately, he was mistaken.
As the sun rose steadily in the sky, Dawson happily bounded towards the Potter residence. He was intent on winning back Joey's heart and was confident in his mission. He was more certain than ever that they were meant to be together.
He practically ran up the steps of her porch and immediately knocked at the door. Unable to contain his excitement and wait for a response, he opened the door himself and walked right in.
"Joey, you home?" he called out.
His momentum came to a screeching halt as his eyes fell on the tableau in front of him. Pacey and Joey awoke just in time to catch Dawson's look of stunned confusion.
"What the hell is this?"
They sat up immediately but didn't attempt to explain. Dawson looked from one to the other hoping he was the victim of a cruel joke.
"This is where you're supposed to say, 'it's not what it looks like'," he suggested, waiting for any sort of explanation. None seemed forthcoming.
"Unless, of course, it is."
He took their silence as confirmation of his worst fear. Fury filled his veins. He couldn't stand to be there a minute longer. He rushed out, letting the screen door slam behind him. Pacey jumped up to follow him out the door.
"Dawson!"
Dawson had already gotten a good distance away but immediately turned back to meet Pacey and drove his fist into the side of Pacey's face, knocking him to the ground.
"Don't say a word, Pacey," he spat out viciously. "That can't have possibly hurt more than you've hurt me."
With that, he turned and left, not noticing that Joey had watched his tirade through the screen door.
Ignoring the blood trickling down his face, Pacey made no effort to get off the ground. The emotional battle wasn't over and he realized that, no matter what the outcome was, he was still going to end up losing.
CAPESIDE HIGH SCHOOL
Monday morning, the aftermath of recent revelations was more than apparent. Pacey's eye was nearly swollen shut and onlookers had to wonder what caused the sudden hostility Dawson Leery accorded his two dearest friends. Obviously it was a topic he didn't wish to discuss with anyone. For the most part, he kept his distance from any situation that might bring the three of them into contact with each other, and when they were forced to be together, he ignored them completely.
Joey and Pacey too kept their distance from each other, partially out of deference to Dawson but mostly out of an unspoken need to define their own relationship. Dawson took them for lovers and neither denied the assertion, despite the fact that their time together accounted for less than a handful of romantic occasions. Circumstances never allowed for them to venture too far into that realm. That was what allowed them to initially join into this peculiar union of friendship. If they didn't admit to any romantic feelings, they weren't doing anything wrong.
However, in the blink of an eye, their made-up world was completely destroyed and reality took its rightful place. They had done something wrong and it was too late to change it.
A week went by in this fashion, each acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Other students stopped noticing, or stopped caring. They were too involved with the bustle of finals and end-of-the-year activities. Summer had almost arrived.
JOEY'S HOUSE
Joey was sitting at the kitchen table pouring over the notes and textbooks spread out in front of her. It was the perfect excuse for her to avoid thinking about Dawson and Pacey. She was too concentrated in her studies.
Bessie walked in the door carrying the mail.
"Hey, Joey," she said. "How was Alex?"
Joey didn't even look up from notebook.
"He was fine. He's taking a nap."
"Good. Thanks for watching him."
Joey hadn't talked much lately about anything except her finals. Bessie didn't know what to make of it. Something was definitely bothering her. As much as she tried to avoid meddling in Joey's life, she knew that Joey had a tendency of not seeking out help until it was offered. Bessie decided it was time to offer.
"How was school?"
"Fine."
"That's good," said Bessie, realizing it was going to take a little pushing to get Joey to talk. "Ya know, I haven't seen Pacey around in a while. How has he been doing?"
"Fine, I guess."
"Anything else happening in your life?"
"No, not really."
Bessie threw up her hands.
"Come on, Joey. You've been either studying or working non-stop for the past couple weeks. What's going on?"
Joey looked up at her sister, contemplating how to respond. She knew she needed someone to talk to but didn't really feel like she was ready to deal with everything.
"Come on, Jo. Spill it."
"It's complicated," mumbled Joey.
"Complicated? Well, I should hope it's complicated. I hope you didn't become so monosyllabic for nothing."
Joey sat quietly trying to think of a way to explain.
"I'm assuming this has to do with Pacey since he hasn't come around in quite a while," said Bessie. "Did something happen between you two?"
"You could say that," she mumbled again.
Joey absentmindedly doodled in the margins of her notes.
"What it is, Jo? You act like something cataclysmic happened, like you and Pacey slept together."
Joey looked up at her. Bessie went wide-eyed.
"You had sex with Pacey!?"
"No! We just fell asleep on the couch together, fully clothed. Nothing else happened," explained Joey. "The cataclysmic event was Dawson walking in on us."
"Dawson walked in? I see. And evidently he didn't appreciate seeing his two best friends in a position that was once only reserved for him," Bessie said. "Wait a minute. How is that cataclysmic? All that you would've had to do is explain the situation to him and he would have understood that nothing else was going on, right?"
Joey sat quietly, not looking at her sister.
"Unless something else was going on," said Bessie, finally coming to a full understanding of the situation. "For crying out loud, Joey. I knew you and Pacey had gotten closer but, with Dawson and all, I guess I didn't see this happening."
"I don't think any of us did."
Bessie watched Joey as she ran her hands through her hair.
"Do you love Pacey?"
"Of course I do."
Realizing that Joey didn't seem to understand her suggestion, Bessie shook her head.
"I mean, are you in love with him?"
The suggestion caught Joey off guard. It was a subject she had been avoiding for so long and she wanted to continue doing so.
"No," she stammered. "Why would…? No… I'm not in love with him. We were just…we were just…"
"Just what?"
"Just friends, ya know, pals. We were both recovering from breakups and in need of some companionship. I was his shoulder to cry on and he was mine."
"That's all past tense, Jo. What are you now?"
Joey closed her eyes briefly and sighed.
"I don't know," she said quietly.
"What do you want him to be?"
Joey didn't know how to answer. She hadn't allowed herself to think about Pacey since Dawson had found them together. Dawson had somehow changed everything. It wasn't a secret anymore. They didn't need to hide their feelings. The only problem was that she didn't know what her feelings were. It all started out as something quite different than what it had transformed into. Their friendship had mutated into a relationship that was something more than just friends but still beyond definition, at least in Joey's mind. She wasn't yet willing to let go of the world that they shared where everything lay hidden. In their world, they could feel whatever they wanted because it wasn't really real. No one knew about it. It was so much easier that way. No expectations or consequences. But now, it seemed like she was being forced to make a choice between that world and the real world. Little did she know that they could be one in the same.
"Joey, you've got some issues to deal with and it's probably best if you deal with them sooner rather than later," Bessie reasoned. "You need to talk to both Dawson and Pacey and be honest with them. That doesn't mean that everything is going to work out the way you want it to. How they react to it is their choice. But, at the very least, you know what's going on. And, like they say, 'knowing is half the battle.'"
Joey smiled slightly. "Thanks, G.I. Joe."
"Is that what that's from?" asked Bessie.
Joey nodded.
"Great. I'm dispensing advice based on cartoons I watched as a kid. Next I'll be renewing my subscription to Modern Maturity."
"Cartoons are often metaphorical reflections of universal social issues," offered Joey.
"I appreciate the analysis, Jo," said Bessie. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go take my Geritol."
Bessie walked out of the kitchen leaving Joey to ponder all that they had discussed. Maybe it was time for her to stop avoiding everything. No, not maybe. It was time. If she was going to grow into the kind of woman that she wanted to be, she realized that she had to stop taking the passive route. She was too strong for that. She was too intelligent. It was time to face the music. It was time to grow up. 'Yo, Jo!'
PACEY'S HOUSE
Pacey plodded down the street towards his home, ready to spend another evening of academics and self-loathing. He froze at the sight of Dawson sitting on the steps of his front porch. He didn't know what to expect. Dawson silently glared at him.
"You gonna hit me again?" asked Pacey.
"I didn't intend to but I'll take it under advisement."
"Then what did you want?"
"An explanation," said Dawson. "I think you owe me that much."
Even if he wanted to, Pacey wasn't sure if he could explain.
"I don't know what to tell you, Dawson. You've obviously drawn your own conclusions."
"Why don't you set the record straight then, Pace. Here's your opportunity. Tell me what I saw was a misunderstanding on my part."
Pacey looked everywhere but at Dawson's face as he searched for some answer that would make sense to Dawson, and himself. Finally, he shrugged in frustration.
"I don't know what to tell you," he repeated.
Dawson was irritated by Pacey's emotional ambivalence. It would have been one thing if he had declared his undying love for Joey. It didn't make things any better, but at least he could understand it. However, since that didn't seem imminent, it was entirely more than he could bear to think that he had lost Joey to some fleeting moment of indiscretion between his two best friends.
"How could you have done this to me?" said Dawson evenly. "I told you that I was still in love with her."
"Well yeah, but you only told me that the night before you found us," Pacey responded quickly, without thinking.
Dawson was dumbstruck at what the comment seemed to suggest. Pacey realized his error and wished he had kept his mouth shut. "Dawson, I'm sorry."
"How long has it been going on?" asked Dawson in disbelief.
Pacey realized the conversation was going down a bad road. However, he knew that Dawson was hurt and he was the reason for that hurt. It was only fair that he take the heat. He just didn't want to fan the flames.
"Does it really make a difference?"
"How long?" he growled.
"I don't know, ok?" Pacey said. "It started about the time Joey found out about you and Jen."
This new piece of information suddenly put a different spin on things for Dawson.
"This all came about out of jealousy?" queried Dawson.
"I don't know. Maybe. I don't know." This didn't sit well with Pacey either as he struggled to remember how it all began.
"And you took advantage of that?" Dawson's expression changed to one of disgust.
"No, I did not," he declared. "She kissed me."
"Well, I don't mean to be crass, but it takes two to tango, Pace. You obviously didn't put much of an effort into stopping it in the first place. Why is that? Feeling a little horny?"
Pacey's penitent expression suddenly turned to stone. He was furious that Dawson could reduce their relationship to something so base.
"Shut up, Dawson."
"Wait," said Dawson, laying on the sarcasm. "That was around the time that you were recovering from your breakup with Andie. It makes perfect sense now. You were obviously in need of, let's see, how can we put this delicately, 'releasing some tension' and so you turned to the closest thing willing and available, a vulnerable close friend. You are one hell of a friend, Pace."
"Shut up, Dawson! Shut your fucking mouth! You have no idea what went on between us."
"Then tell me, Pacey, what did go on between you two?"
Pacey fought to control his temper. Any hopes of explanation were long gone.
"That's none of your goddamn business," he seethed.
"Fine," said Dawson as he stood up and walked towards Pacey. "But let me ask you one last thing." They stood face to face, less than a foot apart. "Was it all worth it? Do you love her?"
Pacey had raised enough ire to respond to anything, but Dawson had hit the most sensitive of chords. He could only stare helplessly back at Dawson with his jaw clenched tightly.
Dawson simply shook his head.
"I feel sorry for you, Pacey."
He finally walked off down the sidewalk. Pacey took off his backpack and slammed it to the ground. He then stepped forward to take up his own spot on the steps and dropped his face into his hands.
DAWSON'S ROOM
As surprised as Pacey was to see Dawson, Dawson was more surprised to find Joey in his room sitting on the edge of his bed.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I'm following formula, Dawson," she shrugged. "Just like one of your movies. This is where you insert the inevitable confrontation."
Dawson tossed his bag to the side of the room and started taking off his jacket, acting almost as if she wasn't there.
"I know you hate me," she continued. "So, here I am. Yell at me. Punch me. Do whatever you want."
He turned towards her.
"What, so you can feel better? I don't think so. That's a little too easy."
She stood up.
"Do you think anything about this has been easy? Do you think we wanted to hurt you? Do you think this was out of some need to hurt you?"
"That's how it all started, isn't it? I started seeing Jen and you got jealous."
Joey couldn't believe her ears.
"You arrogant malcontent," said Joey.
Dawson rolled his eyes and walked over to his desk.
"But I guess that's what all this boils down to - the world according to Dawson Leery."
He sat down and shook his head in disgust.
"Ok, fine," she continued. "So maybe we didn't follow proper protocol. Maybe we breached some unwritten code of friendship."
"Maybe!?" he said, exasperated.
"It just goes back to this whole black and white world of yours, Dawson, and how you define things. If something doesn't comply with your own perceptual constructs then it obviously must be wrong."
"Don't you see, Joey. Your insightful, albeit unflattering, analysis into my character makes it all the more wrong because you knew damn well what the consequences would be. You knew how I would react and yet you still did it." He paused to let his comments sink in. "I think that says it all. Even your concept of friendship can't include that."
Joey turned away from him and dropped her eyes to the floor. He was right. No matter how differently they interpreted the situation, she had always known that this would be the outcome, hurting Dawson. How in God's name could she explain it?
She turned to face him.
"Do you really want to know how this all started, Dawson?"
"If you think I can handle it," he replied.
Ignoring his comment, she thought for a moment and then chuckled.
"What's so funny?" he inquired.
"This, right here." She looked around the room. "This is where it all started. We were probably in these exact same positions when we broke up. And we did break up Dawson. I know that concept was hard to accept. It was for me too. But, much to my surprise, you started dating again. Granted, it wasn't a close friend of mine so therefore, by socially defined yet unwritten laws, it was an acceptable relationship."
She noticed that he was annoyed by her sarcasm but continued anyway.
"Meanwhile, where was I? Oh yeah. Well, sad to say, but I don't have a lot of friends to turn to when I find myself in need of some comfort. So, I spent some time alone and confused. And who should I run across at this time but Pacey, a good friend, who was also alone and confused. Naturally, being good friends, we decided to help each other out. So we started spending quite a bit of time together sorting through the emotions of not only our respective breakups, but also through the everyday tumult of being a teenager. And yes, because of that, we eventually became much closer. But as much as you may have imagined otherwise, we didn't just fall into each other's arms and start humping like rabbits. We hardly ever even kissed."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
"God, Dawson, this wasn't about you!" she almost yelled. "Pacey is something I needed in my life. He was able to put a smile back on my face. I can't tell you how much he helped me. Under those circumstances, what kind of friend would begrudge another of that happiness?"
As angry and hurt as Dawson was, he was actually trying to see everything from Joey's perspective. But his pain was still too raw and, while he may have understood her explanation, there was that part of him that was unwilling to accept it. Accepting it meant that he would have to change his own beliefs. He would have to change who he was. That was something he simply wasn't ready for.
He rubbed his eyes in frustration. He could feel his energy draining from him. Anger was an exhausting emotion, and he had already taken most of his out on Pacey.
"There's one thing that I just can't comprehend," he said quietly. "Why Pacey?" The irritation in Dawson's eyes had dissolved into one of extreme sadness. "Why not me?"
Joey felt equally sad.
"We don't live in the same world, Dawson," she said slowly. "We were never meant to be together. We were meant to be friends and, as I see it, that's our only option. I have always loved having you as a friend. The question now is whether you want it or not."
Dawson pondered her disclosure.
"Just don't answer right now," she continued. "I know you're still angry. I understand that. So, it's up to you. In a week, a month, or year. I don't care. All you need to do is find me. But you have to want to be friends, Dawson. And maybe, first, you have to realize what that means. Because, as you admitted yourself, with my 'insightful, albeit unflattering, analysis' of your character I can predict your reaction to almost anything. The funny thing is, you always seem surprised by mine. That's something I never understood. And maybe it's something you need to think about."
She walked to the door and turned back to him.
"I'll be waiting, Dawson."
She left.
THE RUINS
Dusk slowly departed and a cool breeze gently rustled the leaves on the trees. The loud chirping of crickets announced the arrival of summer.
Pacey sat on the concrete bench reflecting on the events of recent weeks. Just when things seemed to make sense, everything had come crashing down. He was physically and emotionally tired. His conscience and heart seemed to be in a constant tug-of-war. He came to the ruins in search of some peace.
"We've got to stop meeting like this."
He recognized Joey's voice but didn't turn around to look at her.
"You're right. We do," he responded.
She stood just to the left of him but he wouldn't look her in the eye.
"I was joking," she said.
"I wasn't."
She sat down beside him. Even though they hadn't spoken to each other in over a week, she hadn't expected such a frosty reception. They both sat solemnly looking off into the distance.
"How are you doing?" she inquired finally.
"I'm doing pretty lousy, thanks." He chuckled sadly. "And you?"
"I've been better."
"So, what do we do?"
"I don't know.
They sat in silence once again. Finally, Pacey spoke up.
"This can't go on."
Joey was rather taken aback by his statement.
"Pacey…"
"I can't live with this guilt."
"Pacey, I don't…"
"Joey," he implored. "I can't do this. I'm tired of hurting other people. And I'm tired of hurting myself."
Silence engulfed them once again. Joey closed her eyes as if in pain.
"What would make you happy?" she asked quietly.
He opened his mouth to answer but nothing would come out. She looked over at him.
"Be honest. What would make you happy?"
"It doesn't matter what I want."
"Yes, it does, Pacey. None of us are happy. At this point, it really doesn't matter what happened. Dawson is pissed off. We're both miserable. What's done is done. It's time to start over."
Pacey dropped his head down to stare at the ground in front of him.
"Start over?" He shut his eyes. "That's the last thing I want to do."
She was disappointed by his reaction.
"It's your choice," she said, then stood up and started to walk away.
Pacey's eyes flew open as he realized she was leaving.
"Jo! Please, don't go."
He quickly stood up and ran over to her.
"I don't want you to go." He stared into her eyes as she waited for him to speak. "I…I've been so confused about my feelings. I am just so tired of the guilt."
"It's over, Pacey. Dawson knows. You can stop feeling guilty."
"It's not over, Jo. It won't ever be over and, God help me, I don't want it to be over. That's the sickest part." He paused before he tried to explain. "This all started out so different. The closer we grew, the more in denial we became. We stopped considering Dawson altogether. I can't help but feel guilty for that. You have no idea how much I do. I feel guilty every time I look at you because…because I crave you. I crave talking to you, holding you." His voice became quieter. "Kissing you."
Joey's heart skipped a few beats.
"You asked me what would make me happy," he said. "You would make me happy. But I don't want to have to start over."
His admission was a little more than their usual honesty sessions. It caught her by surprise. Whatever she expected to hear, it wasn't this. She remained speechless.
Pacey didn't know how to interpret her reaction, but it was too late to turn back. He found himself unable to look at her.
"I'm having a hard time trusting people lately. Trusting people emotionally," he clarified. "And it's more than just from breaking up with Andie. It has to do with me too. I'm a complete asshole. I can't believe that part of me exists. I mean, what kind of bastard goes behind his best friend's back and has an affair with his ex-girlfriend? And we did have an affair, Joey. Not exactly in the conventional sense of the word, but that's what it was. We never wanted to admit to it because deep down we were scared what it meant."
"What does it mean?" she whispered, trying to find her voice.
"That's what I've been struggling with the most, Jo." He turned his body away from her. It was too hard to admit his feelings directly to her face. His voice grew heavy. "Dawson showed up on my front porch today. He asked me if I loved you."
Joey's eyes widened with interest.
"I couldn't answer him. We put such a high premium on that word and then we toss it around like candy until it becomes meaningless. And there is too much meaning to the way I feel about you to use that word."
Joey felt as if she was being hit by a tidal wave of emotion. She listened to the way he lay himself bare before her. It brought her own feelings to the forefront with unexpected clarity.
He turned to glance at her for a second but still didn't notice much of a reaction. She looked more stunned than anything. It prompted him to speak further.
"My feelings for you have been so incredibly selfish. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the way everything has turned out. I wish things could be different." He closed his eyes tightly for a second. "I need to be selfish for just one more minute because I need to know." He finally turned to look earnestly into her eyes. "Jo, do you share my feelings even in the least tiniest bit?"
There was no way to interpret the look in her eyes. He held his breath as he waited for her answer.
She stared wide-eyed back at him for a few seconds that seemed to the both of them like an eternity. He never looked so vulnerable. She had to tell the truth.
"No, Pacey," she replied. "I don't share your feelings."
Pacey's heart stopped. He wanted to die.
"I don't share your confusion," she continued, "because I am absolutely, without a doubt, selfishly in love with you."
"What?" he choked out, unable to catch his breath.
"I'm in love with you, Pacey."
He stared at her, looking disoriented.
"You're in love me?" he whispered.
She nodded and looked at him with her patented crooked smile.
He couldn't believe the incredible sensations that swarmed through his mind and body. They were too good to be true and he was still too insecure to trust them.
"How…how can you say that?" he stuttered. "How do you know?"
"I don't know if I can explain it the way you need to hear," said Joey. "It sort of just hit me. I…I guess I've been in love with you all along." She paused, still sorting through her own sudden enlightenment. "I couldn't admit to it though, not even to myself, not in the situation that we were in. We were a shelter to each other, not only to what was going on around us with Dawson and Andie and everything but also to what was going on inside us. We were learning and changing and growing, and I think I was too scared to admit to being in love again. Or, perhaps worse, that you wouldn't feel the same."
She stepped closer to him, recognizing his need for verification.
"But I can't deny it any longer," she continued. "It's just not something easily put into words. I…I love the way you can make me laugh. I love that you're considerate and generous and kind. I love the way that you stand up for your beliefs. I love the way you argue with me and comfort me and that you don't allow me to push you away. I love that you allow me to be me. I love everything about you. I love your intelligence, your smile, your cute little butt." She smiled. "And I love that you are in need of discovering what love truly is. I am by no means an expert on love. I can only try and interpret my own feelings and try to form my own definition. And I agree with you. I think love is so much more than a word or a concept. It's everything. It's how you talk to me. It's how you touch me. It's all that you said to me just now. The only thing you left out was the word itself."
Joey grew quiet as she watched Pacey wrestle with his own inner turmoil.
"Joey, I…"
Joey stepped towards him and brought her finger to his lips.
"It's ok. You don't need to say it, Pacey," she whispered. "Not until you're ready."
He took her hand in his own and gently kissed her palm, his eyes squeezing tight in agonizing frustration.
"You deserve so much better," he breathed.
She raised her other hand to his cheek and turned his face so that they looked at each other in the eyes.
"I don't want anything else," she declared.
She leaned up towards him and kissed him tenderly. He slowly allowed himself to respond and they both reveled in the feeling. Both, for the first time, really appreciating the love/emotions/experience/world that they shared, whatever it was that you wanted to call it.
When the kiss ended, they stood quietly entangled in each other's arms. A sense of relief had settled over them. But even as far as they had come, Pacey still had his doubts.
"Joey, we've both been through relationships before and I don't want to make the same mistakes."
"I understand your doubts, Pacey. I have them too. We just can't focus on them. We need to enjoy what we have and deal with the problems as they come along. It may not last forever but all we can do is try. I want to try."
"I want to try too, Jo. It's just…"
"No, Pacey, not another word."
"But, Jo…"
"Shut up, Pacey."
"Jo, mmmph."
Joey covered his mouth with her hand.
"Listen to me very carefully, Pacey," she said. "Unless you want this to go down as the shortest relationship on record, I suggest you shut your mouth and dwell on the positive rather than the negative."
She removed her hand from his mouth.
"Now, do you have any comments to share?" she asked jokingly.
"Yes, I'm positive that you are the most aggravating girlfriend on record."
She smiled with satisfaction.
"Can I ask one last question?" queried Pacey.
"I guess," she sighed, relenting. "What is it?"
"You like my ass, huh?"
Joey laughed.
"It's all right," she replied.
"All right?" he asked. "I thought you said you loved it."
"Yeah, well, I was just trying to make you feel good," she chided. "It is a little misshapen."
"Misshapen?" He stared at her appalled, then suddenly went into an English accent from an old SNL Dana Carvey routine. He turned around to show off his backside. "Look at it. It's a perfect circle. Love it. Touch it. Accept it before it destroys you."
Joey was still laughing.
"Ok, I admit. It is pretty cute."
He turned back to her with a smile on his face and pulled her back into his arms.
"That didn't take much convincing. I think you're going soft."
"What can I say? I'm coo-coo for cocoa puffs."
"Are you saying that I'm a cocoa puff?"
She put her arms around his neck.
"Yeah," she replied. "But you're my cocoa puff."
She pulled him down to kiss her and he happily obliged.
With unexpected ease, the guilt quietly vanished, leaving only room for the love, respect, and adoration that they both so richly deserved.
The strength of their love for one another had finally triumphed over a great many trials. There would, of course, be more to come. But the lesson that remained was that, as difficult as life was, it had its just rewards. And it was finally their turn to start cashing in.
THE END
