The Way Back: Chapter 12

Blair hung up the phone. "It's settled. Addie and the kids will be flying in tomorrow morning, and meeting us here. Is that okay?"

"Perfect." He ate his breakfast with the usual gusto and lack of manners he always did. She smiled, watching.

"You seem better today."

"I am better. I'm better when you're here," he added. She reached across the table and brushed away a crumb of egg.

"You're sloppy."

"You're beautiful." He took her hand and held it. "I have to get everything back, Blair. I have to get my life back."

"You will. You're on your way."

"Maybe we should have brought the kids to the penthouse to talk?"

She got up from the table, taking his empty plate with her. "I think it's just fine they are coming here. Nice and quiet, and peaceful. No interruptions."

"Why, the penthouse is quiet, no interruptions there either." He stopped, "Blair, there is no penthouse, is there?"

"Well . . ."

"Go ahead, give it to me straight."

"You don't own it anymore, neither does The Impostor. He sold it to someone who actually died there."

"Hmm, well, can't say that's boring. So we won't have the penthouse, but that's all right, we will be happy wherever we live. As long as we are together. That's all that matters to me now, Blair." He smiled, but she could see he was a bit disappointed. Nevertheless, the kids would be there the next day, and they still had a lot to talk about.

They spent the rest of daylight walking around the outside area of the cabin. They stopped at a little stream and waded in, picking up rocks and splashing. They sat, along the bank, and talk. There were tears, laughter, and quiet moments. Both talked about what it was like without the other. They made some scant plans of what might come next for his journey toward getting back everything that was his; the family, The Sun, his name, the Lord Fortune.  After a few hours, they took a break for an early dinner, and then made their way up the mountain, Blair in sneakers this time, to find another perch to watch their second sunset together in eight years. It occurred to her as they settled down to rest that they used to watch the sunset from the penthouse often. She wondered for a moment just how much he missed that.

They sat closely together to wait for the disappearing sun. It was slightly cooler than yesterday and being in the mountains, it was cooler still. He held her hand, studied it, and sighed deeply. "Blair. How many times I saw this hand in my mind."

"I love your hands," she said, looking at their joined fingers, "they are so strong and beautiful. Like you are. You have a beautiful soul, Todd."

Instead of flinching from her words, he looked at her and smiled. "Just a reflection of what I see in you."

She was stunned that he could actually accept a compliment, and rather seemed to relish them. "Look at us, eh? Still looking at each other this way. You would have thought it would wear off by now."

"You would have?"

"No." She hugged his arm and placed her chin on his shoulder. "I am so glad we got rid of that rule."

"What rule?" he feigned stupidity.

"You know, the rule." She rolled her eyes.

"I don't remember any rule. What was it?" he said, leaning forward.

"I can't remember, " she said, leaning toward him. Their lips met lightly, then opened to each other and the kiss deepened. His hand found her hair and she moved her hands from his arm to around his neck, pulling him to her. The kiss continued, him now using both hands to hold her face to his, and she putting her arms around his shoulders and running her hands on his back. She broke the kiss by pulling back from him softly. "Oh, I remember now."

"Yeah, that rule." He turned his head. "That sunset is prettier than last night. Another day is done. We've had two days together so far. That's if you don't count the premier.  It feels so much longer."

"Yeah, two days. It seems so weird, like we have so many left and that we have had so many before."

"Not enough. Never enough."

"The premier was so shocking, Todd. I knew, deep down, it was you standing there but I just couldn't speak."

"I know. I guess I should have just waited to get you alone, or called first."

She laughed. "Called first? I don't know if I would have believed you, though sometimes..." She became wistful, staring off into the sunset sky and he noticed.

"Hey," he said, turning her face to his by the chin, "what's that cloudy face about?"

"Nothing, I...I don't know how to explain it."

"Tell me, Blair. What is it? You sometimes what?"

"Sometimes, I missed you. You know, your face, your way of doing things, your voice, your eyes. I never would have said anything to anyone, and didn't, but it was true. Sometimes I missed you even when the other Todd was there." She looked at him.  Seeing his expression change, she said, "Now who's cloudy?"

"No, I'm sorry.  I want to hear about it. Why aren't you with him now? Why is he with Tea? If he was trying to be me, he surely had that all wrong."

"He chose Tea two years ago. To tell the truth, he wasn't really good to me, not really. Not the way you were."  She turned to the sunset again, which was almost gone. "You were always different.  You made me feel like a queen, and you were definitely my king. When I was with you, even when you screwed up, I knew I was more important to you than anything else."

"You are. Always. Too much time has wasted, and you're here now with me. Whatever you've felt and lived, I want to know it."

"He wasn't like you, in a lot of ways. I feel so stupid now believing it, but I just could not let you go. Maybe he was similar to you a little at first, but not enough and not in the ways that mattered.  A couple of years back, we decided, well he did, that it was over and he wanted Tea.  And it was a long road to Tea and I becoming friends, but we did.  It was hard but something was never quite final or right about the whole thing.  Then, last year, when I saw the painting of me, from our second wedding, something clicked in me, like a switch. I started missing that me, that happiness, that life, and that Todd." She turned with tears welling up, "That Todd was you, my Todd." Her tears slowly spilled over.

With both thumbs, he brushed her tears away. "Blair," He smoothed her cheek with his hand. "I'm here.  We have plenty of time."

"I'm so glad for that," was all she could say.  As the sun faded behind the mountain, and the moon's light grew around them, he brought her close, kissing her again.

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