The Shadows Fall: Chapter 1

He knew she was awake, but he loved to lie there and pretend sleep, so he could enjoy how she played with him in the mornings.  First, she blew on his belly, and when he tightened it, she would lightly touch it.  Then, she played with his ears, or touched his hair.  She'd always find something to do, until he feigned waking up and catching her.

She was twirling his chest hair in her fingers.  Memories of him from the previous night, inside her, moving with her, against her and through her, fluttered in her mind.  The most generous lover, Todd never ceased to make her feel wanted and his.  She always loved to review their lovemaking, and recalled her favorite moment, when right before coming, he had whispered, "I love you" in French against her neck.  She felt her heart quicken.  No matter how many men she had married or been with, it always came back to him for her.  Somehow, loving him was on a completely different plane than it ever had been with anyone else, and ever would be.  It was never the same with him, but somehow never changed either.  Her perfect other.  "I decided I am going to wake up every day grateful for you.  Not that it takes any work."

He opened one eye.  "You had better.  After what we've been through?  No one would be stupid enough to try and keep us apart."

"No, they wouldn't."  She kissed his nipple. 

He opened his other eye.  "I hope you realize those things mean business."

"I realize," she whispered, kissing the other one.

He ran his hand along the back of her head.  "Can you believe not a week ago we were held captive in a torture bunker?"  He thought a moment, reflective, "If anything happened to you, Blair..."

"It didn't, thanks to you.  With us, I can believe almost anything, Mr. Manning."

"Do you believe in equality?"

She looked puzzled.  "Yeah, of course."

"Things are not equal around here.  I am Mr. Manning.  But you..."

"I'm not Mrs. Manning?"

"Not on paper you aren't."

"That's because silly old Mr. Manning hasn't asked me yet."

"That silly old Mr. Manning," he said, turning away from her and getting up.  He headed downstairs, without his shirt.  She watched his exquisite form, barebacked, in loose tan pajama pants, leave the bedroom.  To her, he looked amazingly more beautiful than he did when she first made love to him almost twenty years before. 

"Hey?  I thought you said it meant business?"

"Be right back!"  He yelled to her. 

In her own way, she was slightly glad that he had left her, because she suddenly felt that she might vomit.  Running to the bathroom, the cool tile on her feet steadied her a bit, and she rested her forehead on the chilly marble counter.  Breathing deeply, she leaned over the toilet, but stopped herself from throwing up, as the nausea subsided. 

She heard him come back into the room, and when he saw her leaning over the bowl, he jogged to her.  "Are you okay?  Can I get you something?"

She sat on the floor, the coolness of the tile against her.  "No.  I will be all right.  It went away.  Morning sickness.  You know."

He frowned.  "Actually, I don't know.  I never had a baby before."

"It's okay, because this time, you're going to be getting everything.  Lamaze, moods, morning sickness, cravings, cramping, spotting, kicks, baby names, and the whole shebang.  You're my lover and my life.  We share everything."

"Great," he said unenthusiastically.  "I've already delivered one of our children.  Let's make sure that does not happen again."

"That," she smiled, putting out a hand for him to help her off the tile, "was a fluke.  Won't happen again.  Trust me.  Odds are too great against it."

She left the bathroom and he looked in the mirror.  "Odds?  Since when does anything happen according to the odds for us?"

"Tawd!"  She drew it out like a cat meowing, "What's all this?"

"Breakfast in bed, for you, Momma."

"Aww.  This is so nice.  What's under this silver thing?"

"Check and see."

"Hope it's nothing with eggs, lately, I..."  She looked down at two poached eggs and a slice of bacon made into a smiley face, staring at her.  She immediately ran to the bathroom and vomited.

Todd sat at the edge of the bed, rolling his eyes, and ate her breakfast.  She came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, and said, "Chocolate Chip pancakes, remember?"

"Yeah, but I made those all the time, I tried to be different.  Can you eat fruit?"

"Yes, I can eat fruit."  She was not a happy camper.

"Then here," he handed her a little bowl of fruit salad,  "eat this."

As she ate, she noticed a little orange on her tray.  It was perfectly round and very cute.  It was the brightest, prettiest orange color she had ever seen.  "This orange is perfect."

"Mmm hmm."  he said, sitting in the bed, propped up on pillows, and typing on a tablet.

"Oh how cool!  It's already cut for me!  I couldn't even tell."

"Stop trying to make up to me for throwing up at my smiley face."

"I'm not.  It is really cool."

He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she began to undo the orange wedges.  Abruptly, she dropped the orange and started kissing all over his face.

"What's this for?"

"You know what's this for!"  Inside the center of the orange was a beautiful six carat champagne diamond.  It appeared golden as it caught the light.  On each side of the beautiful oval stone were three smaller ovals, graduated in size.

He started to smile.  "It's just a little trinket I got from the gumball machine, no big deal."

"Oh stop,"  she said, "put it on me?"

He put his tablet aside and took her hand, and said, "Wanna tie the knot again?"

She smiled and hugged him.  "Of course I do!  Yes!  Mrs. Manning to be!  You had this all planned didn't you?"

"Who, me?  Do I look like I plan things?"  And he went back to his tablet, pretending to be hard at work.

She studied the ring.  She turned it every which way, shined it on the blanket.  She put her head on his shoulder, and moved his free hand to her belly.  Then she said, "What are you doing?"

He answered, "planning our wedding."

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