Chapter 35
Blair felt flushed down to her toes and it wasn’t from all she had to drink. Todd had just claimed her and her heart felt ready to burst. The rest of dinner was a blur, she was so happy. The waiter arrived with the check and she signed it, giving him a substantial tip.
Todd raised his eyes at the amount she left the guy. “Isn’t that going a little overboard, Blair?”
She laughed. “I’m in such a good mood, I want everyone to share in it. Besides, even you are generous occasionally. Come on, your color is definitely better. Dinner was just what you needed. Call Williams and we’ll go see the Penthouse.”
“Williams is here. He arrived while you were touching up your makeup. He’s waiting outside in the van.” William’s arrival had been very fortuitous. He had given the medication to Todd and then returned to the van. The pills worked quickly and when Blair returned he could tell the pain was lessening. He had to give it to Dr. Wolek, the medicine definitely made a difference in how he felt.
“Good, let’s go.” She once again took charge of his chair and Todd let her. He knew she needed to feel needed.
****
From the moment he rolled into the lobby from the parking garage, Todd felt a calm come over him. For the first time since arriving in Llanview, he didn’t feel out of place. Anticipation filled him and he eagerly rolled to the elevators.
Blair had stopped to talk to the new doorman. She turned around to introduce the man to Todd but was surprised to see him already heading for the elevators. “Todd, wait for me.” She walked quickly to catch up with Todd. “You don’t even know which…. “ She paused, seeing the elevator Todd was waiting on. “I don’t understand. How do you know this is the elevator for the Penthouse floors?”
Todd looked up at her “I read it.,” and pointed to a small sign. PENTHOUSE SUITES.
Blair turned a soft shade of pink. She giggled “I’ve been coming here for years and never saw that.” The doors opened and they entered.
The ride up seemed interminable to Todd. He now understood the expression ‘Butterflies in the stomach’ It was like the very air was charged with energy and something momentous was about to happen. He looked down at his legs and rubbed them. He still couldn’t get over the fact that after months, he was finally having feeling, not just a faint touch-like feeling, but real Honest to God feeling in his left leg. He gave a side glance over to Blair. He could tell she was nervous. Her hand kept going to her hair, pushing it back behind her ear. A very delicate ear too. She was his wife. His. That made him stop and think, just when had he gotten so possessive? She looked down at him with her beautiful green eyes and smiled. Then it hit him. God, I’ve fallen in love with her. There it was, that feeling flowed through him. He had been holding her off because he felt she deserved a husband that loved her and he thought he couldn’t do that without his memories but now he realized he didn’t need the memories. All he needed was to truly be her husband and father to his kids. If his memories came back then great but now he could at least proceed to a more normal relationship than the one they had been stuck in for the last month. He reached for her hand. “Blair.”
Just then the doors opened, they had reached their destination. Blair looked questioningly at Todd. “What is it? Did you change your mind?”
He dropped his hand. “No, it’s nothing. Let‘s go. I’ll tell you later.” He wanted to renew the relationship but he still needed to get back on his feet. He let Blair take the lead and watched as she pulled some keys from her pocketbook. She unlocked the door and entered. stepping back to let him roll inside. Glancing at the two doors that separated him from the main room, a feeling of trepidation hit him. He recognized them, which was a good thing, but why did he fear to see what was beyond them. He hesitated to open them. He had had enough bad memories and if he was starting to remember, he wanted something good. Before he could even think, Blair slipped past him and opened them.
Todd looked into the room and breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing happened. Slightly disappointed, Todd entered the room. After everything else, he had expected the place to mean something to him. He glanced down the hallway to his right and then noticed pictures sitting on a table by the wall. He moved to them. They were pictures of Starr when she was little. He realized there were no pictures of Blair and he turned to ask her why? “Blair, why don’t I ,,,” Blair was near the spiral steps leading upstairs and suddenly the room shifted.
He was standing in the middle of a sea of stuffed animals that covered just about every piece of the sleek black leather furniture that filled the room. Blair stood in front of him, dressed in a pale yellow suit, her long hair past her shoulders and the look in her eyes was pure happiness. “Todd, We can do whatever we want. The baby will be fine, everything will be fine” She kissed him and then led him to the stairs. Standing on the first stair, she turned and kissed him again, She started to go up but paused and this time kissed him hungrily. Todd was breathing fast The scene shifted again.
Blair was dressed this time in a beautiful black and white dress her hands were on his lapels “I’m not very hungry, are you?”
He replied, "No, Do you want something to drink?”
She stroked his face and moved past him to stand on the stairs and turned. “I don’t want anything, but you. Can I have you?”
Todd could hardly catch his breath, as once again the scene changed.
He carried her across the threshold. “Welcome home Mrs. Manning.”
Blair smiled at him, and laughed, “You can let me down now. You carried me all the way from the elevator.”
“I thought I was going to carry you until I grew old.”
“So this is the new you, huh.” Blair reached and caressed his cheek. “Total romantic.”
“Well, why not, I’m with my One True Babe. Floating on a cloud all night. I love you, Blair. Welcome home.” Todd was struggling to breathe and his chest was beginning to hurt. He reached for his head. He didn’t even realize Blair was trying to talk to him. Memories were returning so fast. Blair gazing out the windows as fireworks exploded. Blair on the stairs in a beautiful white pantsuit, her hair short, looking at him lovingly. It was all too much, Todd passed out.
Blair had turned around as Todd called her name. She waited for him to finish his question and then she realized he wasn’t looking at her “Todd” He didn’t respond and Blair saw him breathing heavily then he raised his hand to his head Before she could even move she watched him slump in his chair. She crossed the room and went down on her knees beside his chair. “Todd, what happened?” He wasn’t coming around and she was frantic. Unsure why he had passed out, she ran to the kitchen and grabbed a towel, and wet it down. As she came back into the living room she saw his head move. She knelt down again and ran the cloth over his forehead, his eyes fluttered then slowly opened. “Oh Todd, thank God!” He didn’t say anything at first, just looked at her, then he reached up and tangled his fingers into her hair.
“I guess this means you’ve forgiven me. I love you, Blair. I know I don’t deserve you or the kids but I had to come home.”
Blair gasped. Had she heard right? “Todd, of course, I’ve forgiven you, I told you that when we found you.”
Todd frowned. Blair’s answer didn’t make sense, “What do you mean found me?” He suddenly realized that Blair was kneeling next to his chair. A wheelchair. The last few months of his life flowed into his mind and joined his past memories.
Blair was worried, Todd was acting weird. First passing out and then waking up all confused. “Todd, maybe we should forego this visit, I’m worried about you. You passed out for no reason and now you’re not making any sense. Todd, don’t you remember? Starr, Jack and I found you in Guam. Maybe we need to go back and see Dr...”
Todd reached up and put his fingers on Blair’s lips shushing her. “Relax Blair, I’m fine.” Before she could say anything else, he pulled her up onto his lap. “I’m better than fine, Mrs. Manning.” He covered her lips with his and kissed her. Months of hurting and longing on the island, then the month being with her and not really knowing her, fueled his hunger. This was his Blair. His beautiful wife and mother of his children and she had forgiven him.
Blair was surprised. The intensity of the kiss was overwhelming and she wrapped her arms around his head and passionately responded. When they finally came up for air, Blair leaned back away from him. She reached up and caressed his cheek. Something Todd said to her a few moments before the kiss suddenly hit her right between the eyes. “Todd, did you just say you love me?”
Todd grabbed her hand and slowly kissed each finger. “You always say I never tell you. You’re right. I don’t. But that’s because you know it’s hard for me. It’s just that it’s been so long. I felt I had to let you know again.”
Blair’s head was reeling not to mention her body was seriously getting turned on by Todd’s little gestures. “Todd, how do you know that. I never told you…” Then Todd smiled softly at her and Blair realized what he was telling her. “ Oh My God! You got your memory back!” She squealed with glee and hugged him, kissing his face and scar and then capturing his lips with her own It had been so long and like the time in the stables, Todd and Blair couldn’t taste each other enough, but when Blair went to remove his shirt Todd found himself stopping her. Blair looked at him bewildered. “Why are you stopping? “
Todd was silently cursing. If Blair removed the shirt then she would see the surgery site, not to mention that Dr. Wolek had given him explicit instructions to take it easy or he could possibly cause more problems. “Blair, I want this as much as you, but I just don’t have the strength right now. Getting my memories back hit me hard. It’s a lot to digest. Since I can’t take you upstairs like I would like to, will you let me have a raincheck.”
Blair felt let down but then she recalled her fears when Todd dropped unconscious in the chair. It had definitely been a shock to her and could imagine the toll it had taken on him. She controlled a grin that almost escaped as Todd shifted in the chair and she realized by the bulge in his slacks that he was telling her the truth. She leaned over and buttoned his shirt up. “Okay, I understand. But I’m calling in that raincheck, as soon as possible. Todd since your memories are back, there’s no reason to stay here. Let me go ahead and finish getting La Boulaie ready and you can return home.”
Todd was torn. He wanted to be back with Blair but he also wanted to be whole and now that he had his memories back he also realized he could no longer live in the mansion. There were too many memories, Dorian and Kelly aside, his actions even before remarrying Blair had been convoluted and cruel. Sam and Vicki had both warned him and he hadn’t listened. He had to find a way to fully trust Blair again and leave their past in the past. Guam had been an eye-opener. Separated from his past, it had given him a new perspective. Without a past, or legs, Todd had dug deep and found a man he could actually like. The big question was, could he continue to be that man. Already he knew he shouldn’t be keeping Blair in the dark about his legs. “Blair, I just need more time. Honestly. I’m struggling with LaBoulaie. I know I bought the mansion for Starr, but I can’t stand the place. It’s poisonous to me. I feel comfortable here. Please, just let me get back on my feet. Who knows it might be sooner than we think. Then we can discuss our living arrangements.”
Blair slid off his lap. She had already reconciled herself to his living in the penthouse. Now that she understood better why he was reluctant to live at LaBoulaie she realized she was alright with it. “Okay, I’ll tell the workers to report here instead of LaBoulaie, but I’m not letting you hide up here from me or the kids. You just told me you loved me and I’m holding you to it, Pal. No backsies.”
Todd held his hands in surrender. “The last thing I want to do is take that back, I promise. I do love you and I need it to be for keeps this time.”
With tears in her eyes, Blair leaned back over and sealed his promise with a kiss.
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