CHAPTER 12

It had been three weeks since the miscarriage, and three weeks since they'd made love. To pass the time and distract themselves from the loss they'd just suffered, they'd decided to remodel the attic space. Every night after dinner, and on the weekends, they worked on ripping out walls, installing windows, and laying a new hardwood floor. It was hard work, more so than either one of them really expected, but it was the perfect way to keep themselves focused in the moment. Two weeks after they finished the room, the new furniture arrived. Beau was at work so Cass had the delivery guys help her place the furniture in the room. Once they were gone she went back into the room and sat down on the new sofa. The room felt good to her. Pooling their talents had made the space a perfect compliment to their tastes.

That night, before Beau arrived home from work, Cass got dressed as though she were going on a date. It made her feel better about things, trying to make her life go back to normal, or at least as normal as it could be under the circumstances. She had grown tired of feeling sad and decided to make them a special dinner, a celebration of sorts on the completion of their new room. She put a bottle of champagne on ice next to the fireplace and put on some romantic music. They only thing left to do while she waited for Beau was to take Duffy for a stroll.

She was back upstairs when Beau arrived and hollered to him to come up and join her. He was pleasantly surprised to see Cass looking more like herself. She was after all, the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Upon closer inspection, he saw the spark returning to her eyes and was relieved.

"Champagne? What's the occassion?" he asked.

"The occasion is that I love you, and I love this new room, and so we're going to celebrate, just because," she said as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I love you too," he said, then kissed her tenderly.

Cass had set up the table with candles and their best dishes and they had a lovely dinner in front of the roaring fireplace.

"That, my darling, was a feast fit for a King," Beau said.

"It was well deserved," Cass said. "But I've got just a little more for you."

Cass stood up, reaching out her hand to Beau. "Thank you," she said. "Thank you for everything, for being there, for being you, for making us perfect."

He drew her into his arms and held her gently against his chest. "No...you have that wrong. You are what makes us perfect."

A few moments later, they were on the floor on the new rug, champagne glasses in hand. They toasted their new space.

"To the wonders of hard labor," Cass said as she clinked her glass against his. They both took a sip, then Beau reached out and took her glass, setting it on the table next to the sofa. He leaned over and kissed her. He was as hungry for her as she was for him. With his lips still on hers, he lowered her onto her back and began to unbutton her sweater. She did not protest in the least. She was physically and mentally ready to get back to the way they'd been. She felt the tension and sadness, and all the other emotions she'd kept silent, slowly fade away as Beau made love to her. It felt so safe to be held in his arms.

Later, after they'd gone to bed and Beau had fallen asleep, Cass got up and went downstairs. She walked over to the cabinet in the living room and opened the door. She opened one of the two drawers that was inside the cabinet and stood there looking at the contents for a moment. She reached in and pulled out the little pair of booties Liz had give her for luck. The way she figured it was if they worked once, maybe they still had a little magic left. She held them to her chest and closed her eyes while she offered up a little silent prayer.

She went back upstairs and crawled into bed. She slid the booties back under her pillow, then rolled over so she was curled up against Beau. Even in his deep sleep she could feel him respond to her touch. He rolled over so he was facing her and she repositioned herself so her head lay on his chest. She loved laying like this, listening to every beat of his heart, feeling the warmth of his body spread across her like a downey comforter.


A few days later, the phone rand in the middle of the night startling both of them. Beau turned on the lamp beside the bed, then picked up the phone.

"Hello?" Bill...what's...Congratulations, how's Liz doing?" Cass had sat up at the mention of Bill's name. Beau nodded and told her they'd had the baby. "Give her our love Bill. We'll come to visit later today."

He hung up the phone then looked at Cass. "It's a girl."

"Oh my God. How wonderful." Cass flopped back down on the bed lost in thought.

After they finished breakfast and got dressed they jumped in the car and headed for the hospital. They made two stops on the way, one to a florist to pick up some flowers, and the other to a toy store where Cass picked out the fluffiest, pinkest teddy bear they had. When they got to the hospital they were directed to Liz's room on the third floor. Cass knocked gently, then slowly pushed the door open. Liz was sitting up and smiling as Cass approached her. She leaned over and gave Liz a hug.

"Congratulations Mommy, how are you feeling?" Cass asked as she sat on the bed next to her.

"Thank you, and, well, other than feeling a little worn out, I feel pretty great." Liz said.

Beau went to the other side of the bed after setting the enormous bear down and placing the flowers on the bedside table.

"What happened to Bill? Finally got the bed in the nutso ward." Beau said smiling at her.

"No. He tried. He would have done anything to get out of that room once I started moaning but he managed to stay for the whole ride, poor bugger," she said. "He went downstairs for some coffee. We've been her since early last night. I tried to send him home but he wouldn't listen, so he's pretty wiped out."

"I see. Well I guess that's my cue to go find him. I'm sure you two are going to start talking in graphic detail about the birth and stuff. That's probably a little too much information for my little brain this early. I'll see you in a while." He bent down and kissed Liz on the forehead.

As predicted, the girls discussed in gory detail, the delivery of the new baby. It sounded horrible and exhilerating all at the same time. Cass was anxious to see the new addition to their world, the new girl on the block, the one who would be called Joey, short for Josephine.

"Are they going to bring her in soon? I have to see her." Cass asked.

"No, they're going to keep her in the nursery for a while, keep her under a heat lamp, so we have to go there to look at her." Liz said.

"Is there something wrong?" Cass asked. Liz could hear the fear in her voice and quickly explained that they were just trying to warm her up, that often times babies were cold right after they were born.

"You help me up, we'll go see her." Liz said.

"Are you sure? Are you strong enough to...?" Cass said.

"I'm fine. I'm not dying here girl, I just had a baby. Now give me a hand."

The girls made their way down the long hallway at the speed of a snail. As they turned the corner at the end, Cass could see the big glass windows of the nursery. Liz knocked lightly on the glass and the young nurse inside came to the window. She tapped her wrist with her finger so Liz would show her her armband, and once she saw the name she turned and walked to the center of the nursery. She pushed the plastic cradle to the window, pulled the blanket down just a little so they could see the tiny little body, then smiled at them before turning away to take care of another baby a few feet away.

Cass's eyes filled with tears. "Oh Liz! Oh my God, she's so beautiful. Look at how tiny everything is, she's perfect." She squeezed Liz's hand. "Look at all that hair. Boy, are you going to have fun with that."

"My doctor told all that hair was probably what gave me heartburn all the time."

"Oh, but it was so worth it right? It's like a little carpet already." Cass said.

Just then, the elevator doors opened and out stepped Bill and Beau. They joined the women at the window so they could see the baby as well.

"She's as beautiful as her beautiful mother," Beau said then turned to look at Bill's head. "She looks a little like you, but the hair must be from Liz's side of the family."

Bill ran his hand over his slightly balding head. "Well, she had to contribute something," Bill said with as much sarcasm as he could manage.

"Never mind you two, I think she's just the perfect combination of both of us," Liz said as she wrapped her arms around Bill's waist.

The four of them stood there in silence for a little while watching the little bundle move, and stretch, and yawn. The world had just become a bigger place and they were all so happy to be sharing this moment together.

Cass and Beau left shortly after seeing the baby. All the way home they held hands and talked about little Joey. How wonderful it was going to be watching her grow up. Beau knew that this was hard for Cass, considering what they'd just been through, and he prayed silently that they would be blessed again very soon with the promise of their own baby.

CHAPTER 11

Three weeks later, Cass slipped on the ice going into the subway station and fell down the stairs. The pain struck immediately as she tried to get up. She clutched her stomach as the pain increased. Someone in the crowded station took the time to call for help and moments later a policeman came to her aide.

“Do you think you can stand up?” The officer asked trying to move her out of the way of the other passenger’s trying to get to their trains.

“I don’t think so.” She was afraid to verbalize what she was thinking.

“Alright, just stay where you are and I’ll get some medical attention for you.” He pulled a radio from his pocket and called for an ambulance.

Cass closed her eyes and prayed.

The phone rang in Beau’s office around twelve fifteen. He waited for Helen to pick it up and then realized she must be out for lunch so he picked up the phone himself.

“Beau Foster here.” His face went chalk white as the nurse at General Hospital explained why she was calling. He put the phone back in the cradle and grabbed his coat as he ran from the office.

It took nearly two hours weaving in and out of the heavy traffic to reach the city. He parked the car and ran to the emergency entrance. He found the admitting desk and asked the nurse where he could find Cass.

“I’m looking for Cassandra Foster. She was brought in a few hours ago.” He waited patiently while she looked through the files.

“She’s in room three. Are you related?” She was cold as ice, but working in a place like this he guessed it was the only thing she could be in order to survive.

“I’m her husband.” The fear betrayed itself in his voice. “Is she alright?”

“She’ll be fine, but there are some papers that we need you to fill out.” She pushed a clipboard towards him.

“I want to see her first.” He turned and headed down the hall.

“Sir.” She called after him, but he ignored her. He paused outside the door and pulled his shoulders back and ran his fingers through his hair. He pushed the door open and stepped inside. Seeing Cass laying in the bed, the sheets pulled up to her neck, sent shivers through his bones. He moved over to the side of the bed and took her hand in his and squeezed it. She turned her face away from him as the tears rolled down her cheeks. Gently he reached over and touched her cheek. Slowly she turned her face towards him.

“It’s be alright Cas,” he said as he carefully pulled her into his arms and let her cry.

“I’m so sorry, Beau. The baby…” She clung to him unable to say anything more. It felt like it was her fault for not being more careful. She had killed their baby, their future.

Beau rocked her back and forth until she calmed down a little. “I’m sorry too.” He held her away from him and looked at her. She was broken inside, that was clear to him. “We’ll just do it again. The important thing is that you’re okay.” She wiped her eyes and lay back on the bed. Beau didn’t say anything else. Nothing he could say could heal her or him at this moment, so they say quietly holding hands. The nurse came in carrying a tray.

“Mrs. Foster, I want you to take this medicine and then in about half an hour we’ll discharge you.” She put the pill in Cass’s hand and gave her a glass of water.

“What is it?” She asked.

“Just a mild sedative. It will help you to relax and may ease some of the pain. Remember that you have to take it easy for a few days. The doctor will be in before you leave and give you any further instructions. She patted her leg gently, smiled at her, then left them alone in the room.

“Go on Cas, take the pill.” Beau pushed her hand with the tablet in it up to her mouth. She took a sip of water and closed her eyes.

They drove home in silence. When they pulled up in front of the house, it was dark and they could hear Duffy barking at the front door.

“I guess we were missed,” she said as she stepped out of the car.

“I guess we were at that.” Beau came around to her side of the car and helped her out and up the stairs. Duffy jumped all over them when they got inside, and because he’d been in the house all day, he peed on Beau’s leg.

After getting Cass settled in bed, Beau went to the kitchen to fix them some tea and a sandwich. He set everything on the tray and headed back upstairs. When he pushed open the door, he saw that Cass was fast asleep with Duffy curled up at her side. He backed out of the room and took the food back to the kitchen. He set it down and looked up at the window. His reflection gazed back at him and that’s when he noticed the tears running down his cheeks.

CHAPTER 10

February was always so cold and dismal. There seemed to be no end to the snow and wind.

Traffic was always a mess; people were late getting to and from where ever they had to be. Cass had gotten to her photo shoot later than expected, and no one was too happy when she arrived.

“Great. Not only are you late, you look ill.” The photographer snapped at her.

“I’m sorry, but the train was late.” She looked at her reflection in the mirror. She did look rather pale. She quickly sat in the makeup chair. The stylists hired for the job surrounded her and began the transformation they were hired to achieve.

After about two hours of posing and changing positions, her stomach began to churn and she was overcome by nausea. The photographer finally called it a rap knowing that he was not going to get the shot he needed.

Cass got up, rushed to the bathroom and threw up. She sat on the floor till she was sure she was done, then got up and washed her face. All she wanted right now was to be home in her bed, snuggled under the warm covers.

The train seemed to take forever. To add insult to injury the cab she was riding in from the train station was an endless source of bumps and grinds. Even as bad as she was feeling she almost screamed out in joy when her house came into sight. At long last she walked up the stairs to the house. Duffy met her at the door and was delighted to have some company.

“Not now Duffy.” She said dropping her bag and sweater on the chair. She went straight upstairs and crawled into bed. Duffy jumped up and licked her face. Moments later she was sound asleep with the dog curled up at her side.

When Beau came home from work he found Cass still in bed, covers pulled up to her chin.

“What’s wrong, honey?” He said sitting beside her, feeling her forehead for fever.

“I don’t know. One minute I was working and…I just felt sick all of a sudden, so I bailed on the job and came home.”

“Do you want me to call the doctor?”

“No, I think I’ll just stay in bed for a while. It’s probably just the flu.”

“Well, I’ll take Duffy for a walk and if you’re still awake when I get back, I’ll make you a nice bowl of hot soup. That’ll probably make you feel better since you probably didn’t eat anything today.” He bent over and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

After eating a little soup, at Beau’s urging, she did feel slightly better but he made her stay in bed anyway. He sat next to her and rubbed her back until she fell back to sleep.

The next day, she woke just as the sun way rising. She turned to look at Beau. The first rays of the morning sun shone through the window and lay across his face. He was more than likely exhausted from staying up and taking care of her. She gently slid out of bed so as not to disturb him, and went down to the kitchen to make coffee. She made herself a piece of toast, but after a few bites threw the rest in the trash. She poured herself a cup of coffee and took it outside on the porch. Maybe some fresh air would do her good. She grabbed the heavy wool shawl she kept by the back door and wrapped herself up in it before stepping outside. About two minutes after she stepped outside she rushed to the edge of the porch and threw up. This was the final straw. She went back inside and called her doctor’s office and set up an appointment, then went upstairs and showered. When she came back down stairs, Beau was sitting there waiting for her.

“How’s the patient today?” He asked.

“I made an appointment for the doctor’s later. Maybe some antibiotics are in the picture.”

“Do you want me to drive you?” He said concerned.

“No, that’s okay. I’m a big girl. I think I can get myself there and back in one piece.” She smiled and bent down to kiss him.

“Well, if you’re sure, then I guess I’ll go to work and get out of your hair.”

“I’m sure, but thank you.” She gave him a big hug and pushed him towards the door. “Now go make some money and keep me in this lifestyle I’ve grown accustomed to.”

“I’ll try to get back early.” He said as he left.

Like every doctor’s offices, it was very clinical. White walls, uplifting pictures of exotic locals, plastic plants and outdated magazines strewn about on the low tables. The light made her skin look paler than it was and, as she scanned the faces of the other patients in the room, she noticed that they all had that sickly pallor.

“Mrs. Foster. Come in please.” The nurse held the door for her and showed her to an examining room. “Just have a seat up on the table. The doctor should be in, in a moment.” The nurse left and Cas had to take a deep breath to calm her stomach. Must be the smell in the room that was making her feel ill again. There was a light knock on the door, then the doctor came in. He was an older man, graying hair, lines around his eyes, probably from smiling all these years at patients. He walked over to her and leaned on the table beside her. He looked through her chart for a moment then turned to look at her.

“So, what’s been going on?” He asked putting the chart aside and feeling her neck.

“It just sort of came on. I was fine two days ago and I’ve just felt sick, you know, throwing up sick off and on. It doesn’t seem to want to go away.”

“Could be the flu. There’s a lot of it going around these days. I’ll send the nurse back in to take some blood and we’ll do a urine test as well. That’ll tell us a little more about what’s going on. Shouldn’t take too long.” He patted her shoulder and then stepped back out of the room.

A moment later the nurse came back in with a small tray in her hands. She drew some blood and handed Cas a small plastic cup then showed her where the bathroom was.

Fifteen minutes later the doctor came back into the room. He was smiling at her. “When was the last time you had your period?” Cas looked at him a moment and then took a deep breath.

“Oh my God! I’m pregnant?” She held her breath.

“I’d say about six weeks worth.” This was a part of his job that he liked. Telling people news they wanted to hear. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you. You've just made me the happiest girl in the world.” She jumped down from the table and gave him a bear hug.

“My pleasure.” The grin on his face went from ear to ear, and his face turned a little red. Little did she know, she had just made his day as well. They discussed pre-natal care and he gave her some literature as well as a prescription for vitamins. She thanked him again and left the office. She was on cloud nine. She left his office about a half-hour later and decided to stop off and get some groceries. She wanted to make something special for dinner this evening. Once home, Cass showered and changed into something comfortable but sexy and began to prepare their dinner.

Beau arrived home around six that night. He was anxious to see how she felt. “Feeling better?” He asked.

“Much.”

“I knew my soup last night would cure you. Speaking of food, what smells so good?”

“Chicken, baked potato, and asparagus…and an apple pie straight from the freezer to the oven.”

She wanted to yell the news at the top of her lungs but held back to wait for the right moment.
They polished off everything with the exeption of half the pie and Cassie poured them both a cup of coffee. The retired to the living room and played with Duffy. Finally, she couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Well Daddy, what do you want to do now?” She watched his face to see if he would react to this subtlety.

“I don’t…did you just call me Daddy?” He sat back and looked into her face.

“Mommy and Daddy. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?” She threw her arms around him.

“Are you telling me that we’re going to have a baby?”

“Turns out it's not the flu. Doctor say's I’m about six weeks pregnant.”

That has such a nice sound to it. She wanted to say it over and over again. He wrapped his arms around her. It was a miracle. They would be the All-American family. A house, a dog, and now a baby. What more could life give them?

That night they made love gently and fell asleep with the knowledge that their future was expanding. A whole new world would open itself up to them.

CHAPTER 9

As Christmas approached and there was still no sign of a baby, Beau suggested they get a puppy. They bundled up and headed into town to the local pet store since their little enclave had no pound. Before Cass even made it out of the car, she spotted the puppy in the window. She tapped on the window to get the dogs attention. The pup turned and walked directly to where Cass was standing and put its nose against the cool glass. It was hard to tell which end was which because of all the shaggy hair, so Cass bent down to take a closer look.

“That’s the one,” Cass said to Beau as he stood beside her.

“It’s kind of scruffy looking. Kind of like a rat with hair.” Beau also bent down to take a better look. He had imagined something a little bigger, something he could rough up a little without worrying that he would hurt it.

“Oh, but that’s what makes it so cute.” Cassie knew that this was their dog. Their first pet together.

“Well then, let’s go inside and…” Beau began to say as Cass pushed by him and went inside, “…and see it”

The clerk got the puppy from the window and placed it on the floor in front of Cass, where it immediately peed on her shoe. The clerk just shrugged his shoulders. Cassie sat down beside it and began playing and petting. It jumped onto her lap and tried desperately to kiss her. She lifted him up into her arms and rubbed her nose on its cheek. She lifted it up to look at its belly.

“It’s a boy. Oh Beau, he’s just perfect.”

Beau joined her on the floor and Cass handed him the pup. “He’s such a little runt.” He set the dog back on the floor. The pup turned and jumped back into Beau’s lap.

“Look, he already loves you. What more can you ask?”

“That he’s trained, that he’s bigger, that he’s…okay, he’s pretty cute. Are you sure you want to go the puppy route?” Beau asked.

“I want this puppy.” Her eyes were sparkling.

“Okay,” Beau said standing up; “I’ll go pay the man.”

“Don’t forget dog food.” Cass picked up the dog. “And a leash.”

On the drive home, Cass held the sleeping puppy on her lap. She stroked his hair and rubbed his ears.

“What do you think we should name him?” He said looking down at their little hairball. Cass looked down at him and remembered a sweet old Irishman who used to sell vegetables on their street when she was a child. She had always thought he looked funny because he had this big mop of hair on his head that was always falling in his eyes. The pup’s disheveled fur reminded her of him for some unknown reason.

“Duffy.” She said.

“What kind of name is that for a dog? Whatever happened to Rex or Max or Spot?”

“I don’t know. I just, well, when I look at him, that’s the name I think of. Besides, what’s wrong with a good Irish name?”

“I guess it’s a good name.” He gave in. “Just make sure that all he gets in his water dish is water.”

Cass hugged the puppy to her chest and whispered the name in his ear, over and over. This was the best Christmas present ever.

They stopped at a tree farm on the way home to pick out their tree. Cass had never gone to a chop your own before and found it quite neat. She'd put Duffy on his leash and tugged him along with her. He wasn’t too keen with this and sat every few steps. “Come on Duf, it’s not so bad is it?” She said as she tugged the leash again. He got up begrudgingly and followed along.

Beau found the perfect tree. He swung the ax several times and the tree tumbled gently to the ground. He handed the ax to Cass, picked up the tree and somehow slung it over his shoulder.

“My, my, aren’t we just the lumberjack.” She laughed. Beau was trying to make it look simple, make himself look stronger. “I could help you, you know.”

“That’s okay, I’m fine. This is mans work.” He struggled along. Finally the tree lot attendant came and helped them tie the tree to the top of the car.

They put the tree up and stayed up half the night drinking wine and decorating it. Once the last ornament was added they sat back to admire their work. Of course, Duffy had already christened the tree for them and was promptly put on his leash and tied to the post at the bottom of the stairs on the front porch. He yipped and yapped for them to let him back in and Cass felt bad, so she went out and took him for a short walk so he could finish all his chores and come back inside where it was warm and cozy. The air was quite chilly and it was beginning to snow, just a tiny bit, just enough to give them a white Christmas. Cass stood at the end of the driveway and looked back at the house. It was like a postcard with smoke coming from the chimney and the soft glow of dimmed lights in the window. How her life had changed in just one short year. She bent and picked up the dog and hugged him.

“Merry Christmas,” she whispered in his ear.

Christmas morning, Cass got up early so she could gather the presents she'd bought and put them under the tree before Beau got up. That done, she went to the kitchen, Duffy right behind her. She fed the dog and then began making breakfast. She would make a small feast for them of eggs, croissants, bacon, some fruit and coffee. When it was ready, she set it all on a tray and called out for Beau to come downstairs. When he didn’t answer, she went into the living room only to find him sitting on the couch waiting for her. Duffy ran ahead and jumped onto the couch and covered Beau’s face in kisses. There were several more presents under the tree.

“Sneak” she said as she smiled, “I like that in a man.”

“Look who’s talking.”

“Merry Christmas,” she said as she set the tray down on the table. She sat down next to him and gave him a hug.

“Merry Christmas to you too,” he said kissing her gently.

“Did you see the snow? It’s so beautiful outside.”

“It is that. I remember when I was a kid and I’d pray for snow on Christmas Eve so Santa’s sleigh would be able to work right.”

“Are you telling me you still believe in Santa Claus?”

“I still believe.”

“Maybe I’ve already got my baby and didn’t realize it till just now.” She laughed and poked him in the side. “Well, we better eat this before it gets cold.”

They finished breakfast and opened gifts. Beau gave her a beautiful cashmere sweater which she put on over her pajamas and Beau put on the hat and scarf she had given him. They took their time opening small boxes of toys they had bought for the dog, and watched as he ripped at all the paper on the floor. They each opened a few more gifts from one another until everything under the tree was opened. Cass got up and went to the closet. She brought out a large ornately wrapped package and took it over to Beau and sat it on the couch next to him.

“More?”

“Just this one last thing.” She sat on the arm of the couch next to him. He tore the paper off to reveal a case of some sort. He flipped open the latches and opened the lid. Inside was a beautiful shiny saxophone.

“Oh Cass, this is too much.” He lifted the instrument out of the case and turned it every which way to look at it, then put the reed part to his lips and blew. It made a horrible squeaking sound.

“You always said you wished you could play, so now is your opportunity to learn.” He blew into it one more time and Duffy began to howl at him. “Maybe I should have hired you a teacher as well.”

“Come here you.” He set the horn back into its case and pushed it down farther on the couch so Cass could sit next to him. “Thank you so much for all of this, and for making this a beautiful Christmas. I have one more thing for you, but you have to be daring enough to reach into my pocket to get it.”

She reached over and stuck her hand in his robe pocket. He yelped. “Oops, guess that wasn’t it, huh?” She laughed as she searched around a little more till her hand wrapped around a small box. She pulled it from his pocket.

“Go on, open it.” He urged. She flipped the box open and her jaw fell open. It was a solid gold heart, covered in diamonds.

“It’s so beautiful.” It was all she could say.

“So now, you have all of me. My body, my soul, and now my heart.” She took the necklace out of the box and handed it to Beau. She turned so he could put it on her. She had tears in her eyes when she turned back to him. She put her arms around his neck and held him close to her.

“I will always want your heart. Forever and ever. Promise me it’ll be forever.”

“As long as I live I will always love you.” He said holding her closer. The moment was broken by the sound of a car horn. Duffy ran to the front door and started barking. Beau got up and looked out the window. “It’s Bill and Liz. I didn’t know they were coming.”

“That makes two of us.” Cass said getting up. She picked up Duffy and opened the front door.
Liz waddled her way up the steps, arms loaded with presents.

“Merry Christmas. We were just in the neighborhood and thought we’d pop in.” Liz looked over at Bill as he shook his head.

“She’s been up since the crack of dawn. Wouldn’t give me a moments peace, so I thought I’d bring her over and let you entertain her for a while.”

“And who might this little creature be?” Liz asked.

“This is one of our most wonderful Christmas presents. Duffy…our pet.” Liz ruffled the top of his head.

“He’s adorable. Who came up with the name?” she asked.

“You even have to ask that?” Beau said more to himself than anyone else. “Well don’t just stand there, it’s cold. Come inside.”

“Wow.” Said Liz wading through the piles of wrapping paper. “Somebody went a little over the top this year.” Cass gathered most of the paper and stuffed it inside one of the empty boxes, and Bill and Liz sat on the couch.

“Nice,” said Bill referring to the Sax.

“Beau’s going to learn how to play that, but don’t ask him to demonstrate quite yet okay, if you know what I mean.” Cass teased.

“Are you guys hungry?” Beau asked.

“No, Ms. Childs here has been frying and baking and fluffing and folding way before even God gets up, but thanks. Just wanted to drop these off. We’re not going to stay to long.” Bill smiled at his wife.

Cassie and Liz exchanged gifts. Cass had gotten her a beautiful sweater she could wear now and after the baby was born. Liz gave Cass a beautiful sterling bracelet and, as a good luck charm, a pair of white knitted baby booties.

“Their for under your pillow.” She winked at her friend.

That night before Cass went to bed, she tucked the booties under her pillow and fell asleep dreaming of their future and the children they would have.

CHAPTER 8

The house was immaculate when they returned from Mexico. Liz had stocked the fridge for them with two bottles of champagne, some cheese, two thick sirloin steaks, and the fixings for salad. Beau took their luggage to the bedroom as Cass got out one of the bottles of champagne. The cork popped off the bottle and almost hit Beau on the side of the head as he walked into the kitchen. He ducked just in time and Cass began to laugh.

“Guess the honeymoon’s over.” She was still laughing at how fast he reacted.

“Sure, sure. Now that we’re married, you think you can abuse me, huh?” He said as he went to the cupboard to get two glasses.

“Just enough to keep you in line, that’s all,” she said shoving him out the back door. They sat down on the chairs and drank. “Welcome to paradise.”

“And to think this is where it all begins, in our garden of delight. No past, no future, just this moment.” They clinked their glasses together in a toast. “To the moment.”

“How did I get this lucky, all in one lifetime?” He said reaching over and pulling her chair closer to him.

“Thank God for mutual friends, that’s all I can say.”

They sat and watched the sun go down. When the chill of the fresh night air hit them, they moved back inside. Beau lit the fireplace and grabbed a comfy throw from the couch and spread it out on the floor in front of the fire.

“Dare we?” Beau turned and saw her standing provocatively in the doorway.

“We dare,” he said patting the spot next to him on the floor. She walked over and plopped down beside him. Beau took the bottle from her.

“I’ll do the honors this time if you don’t mind.”

“Such a coward,” she said poking him in the side. She watched as he opened the bottle and poured them each a glass.

“To us,” he said handing her a glass.

“To us.”

When the phone rang the next morning, Cass pushed back the throw and sat up. Her head was throbbing and she was sore from sleeping on the floor, but last night had been so romantic and sexy and fun that neither of them felt like getting up and going to bed. Beau had thrown a few more logs on the fire to keep them warm and they fell asleep in one another’s arms. She grabbed the phone on the fourth ring.

“Good morning.” She said stretching like a cat. “I thought it might be you. How is that baby feeling?”

“Well, I’m feeling that perhaps I might explode at any moment. Does that answer your question?” Liz said rubbing her belly as she spoke.

“Thank you for taking such good care of the house, and thank you for putting that food in the fridge. You just seem to think of everything.” Cass got up quietly and went to get her housecoat.

“I’ve got more time on my hands than I know what to do with. Waiting for this baby is driving me crazy.” She laughed.

“Don’t try to blame crazy on the baby, you were there a long time ago.”

“Thanks. Listen, I’ve got a couple of roses for your garden so I’ll stop by a little while later to drop them off if that’s okay?”

“Great, the more the merrier! So I’ll just see you later. Bye.”

Cass hung up the phone and went to the kitchen to make coffee. It seemed impossible to feel this good, when she was this achy and headachy. She stood there watching the birds play outside the window. The morning dew glistened in the sun and she saw two rabbits run into the woods. What a beautiful view it was from the kitchen window. Beau snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She turned to face him. His lips were on hers before she had the chance to say anything.

“Good morning to you to,” she said pulling back to see that he was wrapped up in a blanket.

“Care to join me,” he said opening the blanket and exposing his nakedness. “That is unless you have something better to do.”

“I could make you breakfast, or…I could be breakfast. Hmmm. What’s it gonna be?” She snuggled up to him kissing him and felt his hardness against her leg. “I had a dream last night that we were making love on the kitchen floor.”

“Oh you did, huh?”

“Or was it just a premonition?”

“Does that mean the honeymoon’s not over?” He held her closer.

“If it always starts like this, then if won’t be over until forever has passed.” She let her robe slip from her shoulders, down her back, to the floor.

Beau released the blanket and it too fell to the floor. He took a step back and looked at her as the sun surrounded her in its glorious light. “You are an angel. I know you came down from the heavens to save my soul from a dull, lonely life.” He took her by the shoulders and turned her around.

“What are you doing?” She tried to turn her head to see what he was doing.

“I’m looking for your wings.” He ran his fingers gently down her back to her buttocks.

“You’ll have to look deeper than that to see my wings.”

She pressed her lips to his as she pulled him down to the floor. Nothing else existed. There was just the two of them, twisting and touching with the early morning sun to light their way.
Afterwards, they lay spent on the cool tile surrounded by sunlight. It seemed as if they were never going to make it up off the floor today.

“Think we should wait for Liz here?” Cass said as she brushed a stray hair from Beau’s forehead.

“Not unless we invite her to join the party.” He stifled a yawn. “She might think it’s a wonderful idea.”

“It might be a little hard for her at the moment.” Cass turned and glanced out the window where she could see the treetops swaying gently in the wind. She was so happy for her friend, yet somewhere deep inside; a pang of jealousy pulsed through her. Beau watched the changing expression on her face.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

“Oh, just daydreaming. I was thinking how exciting it must be for them with the baby coming.”

“And a little scary don’t you think?” he asked raising himself up on one elbow and leaned over to kiss her ear. “There is a solution to your thoughts?”

Cassie turned to him and looked deep into his eyes. She saw the tenderness she had been draw to in the beginning, and the gentle way he had that made her feel like she was the only other person in the world that existed.

“I’ve only been waiting thirty years for someone to come along and want exactly what you want right now.” He moved his hand to press against her belly.

“It’ll be so exciting and wonderful when it happens. I think I want a boy first. One that looks a lot like you. We can name him, oh, I don’t know. Maybe Beau Jr.” She smiled. Beau rolled over on top of her and held her arms gently above her head.

“No time like the present.” He pressed his lips to hers at the same moment the doorbell rang, and they heard Liz call out.

“Oh my God! She must have been calling from the car. I didn’t think she was coming till later.” They both scrambled to their feet. Cass slipped her housecoat on and Beau wrapped himself back up in the blanket as Liz casually entered the room. Cass tried to smooth her hair back nonchalantly and Beau went to the cupboard to get mugs.

“I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?” She smiled mischievously.

“Not at all. We were just making…coffee,” Beau said setting the cups down beside the coffee maker. “Coffee?”

“Not for me. “ Liz answered. “Love the blanket though.” She sat at the table. “Just getting from the car up those steps is exhausting these days. I’ll have a cup of tea, herbal. I know you have some because I bought it for you.”

“I’m sure we’ve got some somewhere.” Cass searched through the cupboards and found the tea. She was quite enthralled with the protrusion of Liz’s belly, and it did not slip by Liz’s notice.

“Come here.” Cass moved over to her friend and took her hand laying it gently across her belly. The baby was moving inside her and Cassie felt it. Her face lit up like a candle. “Pretty incredible huh? You should feel it from my perspective. It’s like I swallowed a scuba diver and he’s trying to find his way out.”

“I think it’s fantastic.” She smiled at Beau as he set the tea down in front of Liz. “We were just talking about this ourselves this morning.”

“Talking, huh? From the look of you two, I’d say you’ve been doing more than talking.”

“Well…” Cass smiled at her, “maybe a little more than idle chat, okay?”

“You both look so wonderful and tanned and healthy. The honeymoon was wonderful I take it.”

“It was more than that. It was like being in heaven. The hotel, the water, the food…”

“Hotel sex!” Liz added for all of them.

“Liz, you…yeah, hotel sex.” Cass tugged on Beau’s blanket.

“Can’t get enough of me,” Beau said shaking his head and tightening the blanket around himself. He made breakfast for the three of them and they sat out in the garden to eat.

CHAPTER 7

The hotel was nestled into the side of a mountain, and from the beach it looked more like you were on an exotic island in Greece. The red and pink bougainvillea splashed itself brilliantly against the white walls of the villas like artwork. The villa’s themselves seemed to be crammed into every niche of the rocky terrain it inhabited. No matter where you looked, everything took on surreal quality, like someone had ripped a page from a magazine and pasted it in front of your eyes. The soft subtle lines of the chaise lounges lined up around the three pools were as inviting as a cold drink on a hot day. There seemed to be no sparring little luxuries here. Even the ocean played along in this sensory overload of beauty as it gently lapped at the shore taunting you, teasing you to step into its coolness, hoping its variation of gemstone blues and greens would draw you in and keep you there for a while. The fragrances carried on the breeze created a feeling of sexual innuendoes.

Their room looked out over the ocean and their private patio, which included their own small pool. They’d made love that first morning in the pool under the hot sun.

“Did I tell you how much I love you today?” Beau wrapped her in his arms and gently swayed her around in the water.

“As a matter of fact, I believe you did, several times,” she laughed. She ran her hands along his shoulders, down his arms and then rested them on his hips. “If you tell me any more this morning, I will have to take a very long nap.”

“Well, I don’t have a problem with that. You?” Beau said as he raised his brows.

“Not yet anyway, but there better be some food included in all this somewhere.” She said wrapping her legs around him. They made love one last time, then ordered breakfast.

Later that day, they tried their hand at golf, but since neither of them had really played before, mostly all they did was hold everyone else up, so after many glaring looks they’d decided to call it quits. They settled for going back to the hotel and having poolside massages, and a nap.

They wanted to see the little town they’d seen in the brochure. Even in its poverty, it was inviting. The cab ride took about twenty minutes. No sooner did they step outside the car, several children ran up to them asking for American dollars. Beau pulled out his wallet and gave them each a dollar and realized that the amount of kids was growing the longer they stood there. The taxi driver opened his door and yelled something at the kids and they all ran off in different directions. He muttered something unintelligible under his breath and got back in the car and drove away.

They walked around awhile until they came across the open-air market the concierge at the hotel told them about. There were a lot of other tourists shopping and it felt like chaos as they roamed up and down the isles. Cass bartered with an old man selling baskets she had fallen in love with and finally compromised and paid slightly less than he was asking. They bought a few other things for the house that they would have to have shipped, and Cass bought a big floppy hat to protect her face from the blazing sun. After awhile they decided to check out a local bar and have a few beers.

Everywhere they looked from where they were sitting there was something to see; people, buildings and the mountains off in the distance. The colors were overwhelming, as was the sound of different music coming from the market and restaurants. Even the smell emanating from the food being cooked lent an erotic flavor to the atmosphere.

They left the bar, after eating and downing several beers and began to search for a cab to take them back to the hotel. As they passed a small alley, Cass noticed this very small pair of feet sticking out of a doorway. She grabbed Beaus arm and led him towards these tiny brown, and very dirty feet. Sitting there was a very young, dark-haired, brown-eyed girl. He clothes were worn and she looked hungry. Cass stopped and bent down to her.

“Hello.” Cass waited to see if she would say anything. When the little girl shrugged away from her, she stood up again, not wanting to scare her. She did notice that the girl was staring at her hat. Cass took it from her head and held it out to her. After a few moments the child raised her hand and took it from her. She smiled down at her and then notice that the child still looked unsure of what to do next. Cass fumbled through her pockets and found a five-dollar bill and held it out to her. The little girl jumped up, grabbed the money, then turned and went inside the door she had been leaning against, slamming it behind her.

“I’d say you’ve just been hustled,” Beau said, smiling at his much too generous wife. “Not that that’s a bad thing…”

“I know a hustle when I see one. I am from New York you know.” She turned and started walking back out to the street. Beau caught up with her.

“You’re very beautiful when you’re mad,” he said.

“I’m not mad, I’m just…generous.” She said and raised her hand to flag down a cab that was just about to pass them.

“Generous to a fault…” Beau said opening the door for her.

“Exactly,” she said. “And don’t ever forget it!”

CHAPTER 6

They'd decided to get married in the garden in back of the cottage. She and Beau and Liz spent countless hours planting and decorating and arranging for chairs and tables. Liz had spent most of her time on the phone doing the ordering of linens and flowers and whatever else they needed. Beau had erected a small portico under which they would stand during the service, and she and Liz had fastened hundreds of fresh flowers to it with ribbons that hung to the ground. They had placed dozens upon dozens of candles and torchiers around the yard. A bar had been set up under a large birch tree, which had been wrapped with hundreds of strands of little white twinkling lights for when the sun went down. They had also set up a small platform for the musicians they had hired. Simple string music would entertain them.

Liz had helped her pick out her wedding gown. As they looked in the full-length mirror, they both laughed. Here was Cass, the perfect bride, slim, beautiful and glowingly happy, or as they would call her at work—camera ready, and beside her, Liz, with her belly endlessly protruding, and her face swollen just like her ankles. It would be a few months still before the baby was born; yet Liz had put on so much weight already that she was terribly uncomfortable. She tugged at the top of her two-piece outfit, trying to make it sit closer to her body, then finally shook her head and gave up.

“Cass, I have to say, you are the most beautiful bride I think I’ve ever seen in my life.” She was so excited for her.

“And I have to tell you, you are the most pregnant maid of honor I have ever seen in my life.” Cass laughed. She turned to her friend and took her hands into her own. “Have I told you thank you enough times for putting us together?”

“Oh I think perhaps you may have done that a time of two. Sometimes things just feel right at the right time, and I guess this was just one of those small miracles we get to glimpse every once in a while,” Liz said as tears filled her eyes.

“Don’t you start that, you hear me, you…you bag of emotions. If I ruin my makeup now, I’ll just have to kill you,” Cass said as she turned to look in the mirror again. She wanted to look perfect this day. She dabbed at her own eyes to dry the tears that had threatened to spill down her cheeks. “By the way, I have a little present for you.” She opened the top drawer of her dresser and pulled out a small beautifully wrapped box. She turned and handed it to Liz. “I wanted you to have something to remember this day with. Go ahead, open it.” Liz took the small box and undid the ribbon that was holding it closed. She took the lid off and removed a small piece of tissue. Inside was a small pin Cass had specially made for her. It said ‘love forever’. Liz looked at Cass and knew exactly what it meant. That they should always love forever, no matter what storms passed through their lives. She put her arms around Cass and whispered thank you in her ear.

They heard the music as it got louder and Cass moved over to the window and looked down on the beautiful back yard. She saw that all her guests had arrived and were beginning to sit. The moment she had longed for was just moments away. She saw Beau talking with the minister. He looked so handsome in his dark tuxedo, even more so with the sun shining on his black hair. He must have sensed her in the window and his gaze turned towards it. He saw her and smiled. How he filled her heart that moment. The music began to change and everyone sat down. Beau tilted his head at her and jokingly tapped his finger on his watch. She smiled back at him and then turned away.

“I guess it’s time,” she said to Liz, “Please don’t let me fall down the stairs.”

“Well, if you do at least I’ll have something soft to land on.” She smiled.
“Very funny. Well…Here goes”

She opened the door and began the decent down the stairs. When she got to the bottom, Liz straightened out the back of her dress and adjusted her veil. “Ready?”

“I’ve never been more ready in my life girlfriend!” Cass said.

Liz walked out first as the band played the wedding march. All the guests rose to watch. A moment later, Cass stepped out of the house and slowly made her way towards Beau. She was so incredibly nervous and she could feel her hands shake with each step. When she finally reached him, he stretched out his hand to help her take the last two steps till she was beside him. They looked at each other and their eyes shared a thousand promises in those precious seconds. They turned towards the minister as the music began to subside. They stood side by side holding hands as the minister spoke.

The ceremony took about twenty minutes and when the minister said ‘you may kiss the bride’, Beau took he so gently in his arms and kissed her lips softly. The minister pronounced them man and wife and everyone stood and clapped. Their guests threw birdseed instead of confetti so that even their natural friends from the woods would be able to enjoy them later.

Afterwards, they ate and danced and chatted with all their friends, Cass introducing Beau to those he’d never met and he did the same for the few fiends of his she’d never met. It was the most perfect day. The sun blazed, the breeze flowed randomly, and the birds chirped happily in their trees as they awaited their feast once the party was over. Everyone was quite impressed with what they had done with the house in the short time they’d been together. How could anyone not love the place they fell in love at?

Liz and Bill were the last of their guests to leave, and Bill assured them that he and Liz would take great care of the house while they were away on their honeymoon. They were going to spend the first night as husband and wife here at the house and then the next day, they would leave for Mexico.

While Cass changed, Beau brought up a chilled bottle of champagne and a few crackers and cheese. He set them down on the side table, dimmed the lights, turned a sexy CD on, and then sat waiting for Cass to come out of the bathroom. Minutes later, Cass opened the bathroom door and stood there, the light silhouetting her body, She started to move towards the door as Beau said, “Stay right where you are,” and he got up from the bed.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Absolutely nothing. I just wanted to look at you for a minute, and the light behind you is so perfect.” He moved towards her slowly. He ran his fingers up and down her arms, giving her goose bumps. He kissed her lips as he picked her up in his arms and carried her back to the bed. His lips touched every part of her, electrifying her, setting her senses on fire. She pushed him away after a few delicious moments. She rolled him over on his stomach and began to rub his back. There was no way this night was going to be done too fast. She stroked his buttocks and down his thighs and then with her lips, she traveled back up his body to his neck. He rolled over and pulled her on top of him. She straddled his body as they moved together, Beau running his hands over her tight buttocks.

“Oh Cass, you are so beautiful.” He muttered as he began to lose control.

Later, they sat in bed and drank the champagne and munched the cheese and crackers. It was four o’clock in the morning by the time they fell asleep, both with smiles on their faces and cuddled tightly together.

CHAPTER 5

It hadn’t taken long for their romance to blossom. Cass took fewer and fewer assignments so she could spend time with Beau. She’d fallen madly, insanely in love with him as well as his charming cottage. It was nestled inside a grove of aspen trees that glimmered when the sun hit them. It was easy to get lost in the whispers they emitted when the wind blew. The cottage itself was not exactly a castle, but it was comfortable, and plenty big enough for the two of them.

The creek that ran by just at the edge of the treeline, could lull you to sleep, which it did quite often. The morning glory crept all around, up and over the porch; making it appear to be a room of its own. Cass was quite impressed by some of the small touches Beau had added and wondered if perhaps another woman had once occupied this place with him. That, she decided, would be a can of worms she could not open at this time, or maybe ever.

The mornings she didn’t have to go to work, they spent out on the back lawn catching the last rays of summer. The leaves had already begun to change and the nights were getting cooler. She had grown up in a city setting her whole life and this was the first time she could really watch, really experience the seasons change up close and personal. Her parents had owned a brownstone with a rather small dismal yard. Her mother had never had much of a green thumb but did on occasion manage a few tomato plants here and there. Aside from their token vegetable garden, there were only a few patches of weeds to keep it from being completely barren. The only seasonal change she experienced while living with them revolved around watching the one giant maple tree that sat smack dab in the middle of their backyard. It would turn from green to brown in what seemed like a blink of the eye.

She often thought about her parents and what they would think of the life she’d made for herself. Sitting on that porch next to Beau, she wished they’d been around to meet him because she knew they’d love him right away just as she did, but that would never be.

~//~

She had just turned seventeen shortly before they were killed in a head on car crash just a few miles from their home. They’d gone out that fateful night in honor of their anniversary. Her mother had spent the better part of the day getting ready for ‘their date’ as she called it. She’d gotten her hair done that morning and right after that she and Cass had gone together to get manicures and pedicures. Her mother had been quite the seamstress all her life. She’d spent nearly a week on the dress she was going to wear and she looked absolutely ravishing in it. It fit her like a glove and when her dad saw it, she could see that special look in his eyes—the one reserved solely for her mom. They had asked Cass to join them but she declined on the premise that her presence would eliminate the romantic possibilities for the pair. She told them to have a good time and not to hurry back. She had big plans to watch a movie and would pick at the leftovers from the previous nights dinner. They both kissed her on the cheek right before they closed the front door behind them. She had no way of knowing that was the last time she would see them.

As planned she had eaten in front of the television. When the movie was over, she’d cleaned up her mess and stacked her dishes in the dishwater. It was about nine thirty by then and since she rarely had the house to herself, she decided to luxuriate in a nice hot bubble bath. Since they only had one bathroom that opportunity did not present itself too often and she was going to take full advantage of her time alone. She ran the water as hot as she could stand and began taking her clothes off. She heard the phone ring and she immediately looked at her watch. It had to be one of her friends because no one ever called her parents this late. She turned the water off and rushed towards the kitchen so she wouldn’t miss the call.

“Hello,” Cass said out of breath.

“Hello, my name is Officer McCaully. Do you know a Don and Lorraine Cassidy?” he asked.

“Yes, their my parents. What’s wrong? Are they okay?” Cass said.

“There’s been an accident…”

“What?” she screamed into the phone. “Are they okay?”

There was the briefest moment of silence before he responded to her.

“How old are you maam?”

“I’m seventeen.” She answered wondering why he would ask such a question.

“They’ve been taken to Lucy General Hospital,” he replied. “Do you have someone there that can take you to the hospital?” he asked.

“I don’t know…no…there’s no one here but me, I don’t drive yet,” she said.

“There’s a patrol car in your neighborhood. I’ll send them to your house and they can take you if you’d like.”

“Okay,” she said. Something in his voice told her that her life was not going to be the same again, that the news was as bad as it could be.

“Just hang tight, they should be there in about five minutes,” he said.

Cass hung up the phone and stood there frozen. She didn’t move until she heard the knock on the front door. After that everything became a blur.

The officer that drove her was very quiet all the way to the hospital. He walked her inside once they arrived and found the head nurse. She took Cass by the hand and led her to a small room down the hall. A moment later a man in a long white coat came in. She stood up as he approached her.

“I’m Dr. Metcalf. Are you a relative of the Lindley’s?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m their daughter.” She said.

“I’m sorry to tell you that your parents were killed instantly in a car crash,” he said.

The room started to swirl and go dark.

When she came to, she didn’t remember where she was. She was lying on the floor and there was a woman and a man wearing a white coat kneeling at her side.

“You’re okay, you fainted,” the nurse said. “Let’s get you up.”

As she got up from the floor it hit her like a rock. She remembered what the man had said to her, her parent’s were dead. Her throat tightened and she pushed herself away from the pair that were trying to help her. She was beginning to feel the hysteria building up inside herself.

“I want to see my parents! Where are they? I want to see them. You’re lying to me. Where are they? They just went out to dinner,” she screamed, “mom, dad…”

“We’ll take you to see them in a few moments,” the nurse said knowing that it would take them a little while to clean them up enough so it would not be so horrific to look at them.

Someone offered her a glass of water but she pushed it away. The doctor took her by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eye.

“They didn’t suffer. They went instantly,” he said as if this information would calm her somehow.

“They can’t be gone, please.” She said falling back onto the chair. “Mom.”

A few moments later a Chaplin from the hospital came into the room and rushed to her side.

“It’s going to be okay,” he said reaching out to take her hand in his. “They’ve gone to God now, their not suffering.”

She looked over at his face and then the tears came. Nothing was going to be okay ever again. How could he say such a stupid thing. She was an orphan now and she didn’t know what she was going to do.

An hour later they led her into another room. The lights had been dimmed and she saw them, both of them, lying on gurneys next to each other. The nurses had been kind enough to put bandages on their faces where the skin had been ripped open so she would not see just how badly they’d been hurt.

Cass walked over next to her mother and touched her hand. It was icy cold. She didn’t like it so she picked up her arm and tucked it neatly beneath the blanket so it would warm up. They didn’t look dead. They didn’t look sad. They just looked like they were in a peaceful sleep dreaming about how their evening had gone, their wonderful dinner, how they so enjoyed each other over the many years, how they had lived their life exactly how they’d wanted to.

She sat there for hours alternating between crying and stone cold silence. She had even tried to pretend this was just a nightmare she would soon wake up from, that someone would come and give them a shot or something and they’d spring back to life. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do next, so she waited. What exactly she was waiting for she didn’t know, but it was something to do. Finally the same nurse that had taken care of her when she’d arrived came in. She knew this was just a child here trying to deal with the worst possible scenario. She knew the police had brought her to the hospital so she was aware that she had no way home.

“I’m going to drive you home if that's okay with you," she said reaching out to take Cass’s hand. “I’m off now. Let me take you home so you get there safely. You can’t stay here all night.”

Cass was completely spent. All the tears had been cried for the moment and she was exhausted. She did want to go home. She wanted to crawl into her bed and draw the covers up over her eyes and go to sleep so that she'd be able to wake up the next morning, which was only a few hours away, and realize that this had all been just a bad dream, a nightmare.

The nurse waited patiently for her to respond. Cass got up and walked one last time over to where her parents were laid out. She brushed a strand of hair off her mother’s forehead then bent down and kissed her lips very gently. She walked around to the other side and brushed her hand across her father’s cheek, then bent down and kissed his lips as well.

“I love you, I love you both. I will always love you.” She said. “I’ll see you in heaven.”
She took one long last look at them then turned to towards the nurse. “Okay,” she said looking at this stranger in white. “I’m ready.”

They did not speak in the car other than a few directions here and there from Cass. When they pulled up in front of her house Cass looked up and saw that the lights were on inside. For a second she thought maybe she had dreamed all this and her parents were inside waiting up for her, but then she remembered that she’d left in such a rush she’d forgotten to turn them off.

“Will you be okay, would you like me to come inside,” the nurse asked.

“That’s okay, I’m okay. Thank you for the ride, it was very nice of you.” Cass said. She opened the door and got out of the car and just stood there staring at the house.

“Go inside. I’ll wait till you get inside to leave, now go on.”

Cass walked around the front of the car then started up the front steps. She’d never felt so alone in her life. She turned the knob on the front door and it turned easily. She hadn’t even locked it when she left. She was going to have to remember things like this now. Everything was going to be up to her to take care of.

She went inside, closed the door behind her and just stood there staring at the rooms in front of her. She flicked on all the light switches so there would be no dark corners. She was afraid for the first time in her life to be alone in her house. She walked through every room and turned on every light before sitting down in the kitchen on the chair next to the phone. She had to call her Aunt Jessica to let her know what had happened and to find out what she was supposed to do now.

Her Aunt and her father’s brother Thomas had shown up to take care of all the details and to take care of her. It had been a flurry of activity and by weeks end everyone was exhausted. Jessica had tried desperately to stay strong for Cass, to serve as the mother figure, to make sure that they all had something to eat, to make sure things appeared to be as normal as they could during this trying time, but Cass could hear her cry late at night. Auntie J and her mom had been very close. They talked weekly on the phone and got together as often as they could. They had been like twins separated at birth so Cass knew this was equally as devastating for her aunt. Both of their lives had been altered unequivocally. Her uncle on the other hand seemed to move on autopilot. He’d sit on the front porch, with a scotch in one hand and a cigar in the other. She knew he was filled with pain as well from the loss of his brother, but somehow he was managing it differently. He was trying to be the anchor they needed to get through this. Maybe the simple fact that he was a man made him feel like he had to appear stronger than them, but when Cass looked deep into his eyes, she could see the pain lodged just beneath the surface. She assumed that he cried when he took his little walks around the block because his eyes were always a little red when he returned.

The funeral was surreal to Cass. The two dark Mahogany caskets, both draped with cascades of white roses, sat in the front of the church. There were dozens of wreaths on stands and on the floor surrounding the dark wooden boxes that held her parents bodies. Her Aunt had found a photograph from one of their happiest vacations. They were both laughing and it was plain to see that they were very much in love. She’d it enlarged so everyone there would remember them this way—happy, beautiful, in love, and far too young to be gone from this world. Anyone who knew them would tell you, that they were the one couple they all looked towards as an example of sticking it out during the good times and the bad times. They had weathered every storm that came their way and always landed smack dab on their feet throwing a victory sign in the air telling the world that they could beat whatever came their way. That all the bad stuff could simply go to hell.

Cass stared at that picture as she tried to hold it together, because the reality was, all she wanted to do was kick and scream at how unfair all of this was. How God had let her down by taking both her parents this way. She’d been coming to this church with them since as far back as she could remember, so she wanted to know why he would do this. Why he had taken away from her the one thing that made the world right—her family? It had always felt like a safe haven here, like a place where the promise of forever seemed possible. But today, she knew that was a lie. It now became the place where she finally realized that bad things happened to good people. That nothing was written in stone. That nothing you could do could change the fate that lie ahead of you. That it only took one second took to alter everything you believed in. That life simply was not fair. Now, she wished that she had accepted their invitation. That she would have been in the car with them that night and that she would have perished with them. That way they would still be together, still be a family, only they’d all be in heaven instead of here, alone, on Crescent Street.

Being an only child, and spending most of her life around adults, had made her mature much faster than many of her friends. When her Aunt J suggested selling the house and moving in with them Cass balked. She could never leave the only place she had ever known as home. She still felt safe when she’d lie in her bed, the covers pulled up to her neck, her stuffed teddy bear clutched to her chest. She wanted to be able to wander through the house, to touch things that her mother had treasured. She wanted to smell the familiar smell of her dad’s aftershave that seemed to permeate the den where he spent most of the time hollering at the television during a ballgame. This was home, her home, and she wanted to stay put.

Thomas had done all the legal work that needed to be dealt with before he went back home. He’d talked to the lawyers and the bank’s. He’d seen to it that both their life insurance policies were in good standing so that Cass would be able to stay here on her own without worrying about money, that she could finish school and be okay on her own. The insurance had paid off the house so she stayed on and made it her own home. It had been so terribly hard at first, with all the memories of her family there, but this was all she had.

~//~

She and Beau stayed up late every night, talking and planning. It was she who came up with the idea of renovating the attic into a den. She wanted them to have a special place, with a different view, where Beau could play his saxophone and she could sit back and read and relax.
As they lay in bed one night, Beau propped himself up on one elbow and looked down at her. Her skin shone like silk as the moonlight cascaded in through the window and across the bed. He long dark hair spilled over her shoulders and onto the pillow, and it reminded him that it had been far too long since he had truly felt this kind of love and been this happy. Cass sensed that he was looking at her and opened her eyes.

“Hi,” she said dreamily.

“Hi.” He tried to look a little guilty. “Sorry I forgot to wake you this afternoon. It just didn’t seem right to ruin a perfectly lazy day.” He swept the hair from her shoulder and ran his finger down her chest and stopped at her nipple, which had gotten hard at his touch. “I love you.” He gently brushed his finger back and forth across her inviting breast.

“I love you, too.” She sensed that he had more to say so she just lay there and enjoyed his caresses.

“Cassie, would you marry me?” He held his breath until she looked into his eyes, her own filling with tears.

Here it was, at long last, the question she had been waiting for all of her life. She threw her arms around his neck. She was crying and laughing at the same time.

“Oh yes! Yes, yes, yes!” Her heart was pounding.

Beau held her closer in his arms and kissed her. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You’ve made my life better in every way. You made my old house and my empty heart come to life in a way I’d never expected.” He kissed away the tear on her cheek.

“There’s nothing that would make me happier than being with you for the rest of my life.” It was finally her dream come true. Her knight in shining armor had really come.

He pushed her gently back down onto the bed and stroked her breast again. He kissed her neck and slowly slid his tongue down to her nipple. He felt the heat coming from her body. She held his head to her as she felt the sensations pulse through every part of her body. As he moved on top of her, it was as though they were one, each so sensitive to the other’s rhythm. The tears rolled down her cheeks as they both met their climax. She held him on top of her for a long time. She had dreamed this moment over in her mind a thousand times since she had met him. She was going to be the wife of the most wonderful man she had ever met.

CHAPTER 4

They’d both chosen such different paths after college. Cass had gotten her business degree and had every intention of opening her own marketing company, but when offered a modeling career that quickly made her a household name, she stayed with it and gave up her other plans.

Liz’s big city journalism career had been cut short after her move to the country but she didn’t seem to mind. She still took plenty of pictures and wrote when the mood struck her. She’d known in her heart during that last year at NYU that the kind of pressure journalists faced everyday was really not her cup of tea. She’d faced the firing squad a few times with her editor at the school paper and it had scared her a little. She was always afraid that she could never keep up. And besides that now that she had Bill, she wanted an unfettered life, one that would still lead to adventures, one that would unfold more humanely and without a time frame, and more than anything one that would not always feel pressured. She’d also started hinting about wanting to start a family and this was the place she’d wanted to do it at. This is why, when she first saw the house, the idea of three bedrooms appealed to her greatly. They would have room for a nursery as well as a place for guests to stay.

The last stretch of road before their house was always so incredibly beautiful and serene. The little cabins were set back from the road, hidden amidst groves of trees that for now were barren. She’d seen them in summer and remembered their majesty. The leaf-laden branches would sway back and forth like Hawaiian dancers doing the hula as the breeze touched them, passing through them like soft caresses. Seeing them stripped clean to the bone only showed another side of their beauty. The gnarled trunks portrayed the art of nature at it’s best. They swirled and curved and allowed the groves to have a beautiful natural architecture about them. The branches reached outwards like fingers striking a pose each with their own personality, each with their own story of age and stamina and survival.

Everything seemed wonderfully familiar as she pulled into the driveway. It always felt like she’d come home here even though she’d only been there a few times over the last year. It was obvious that they’d been putting a lot of time and effort into fixing things up. Most impressive was the extensive landscaping. Their place was like a little slice of heaven on earth as far as she was concerned and what they’d accomplished so far seemed to compliment the pair’s personalities. She could see the touches that Liz would have contributed, such as the different sized azure blue potting pots, along with a few stray red and purple ones. She had always been the one to see how color could enhance things allowing them to stand out when the time was right. Cass knew that in the spring and summer and even part of the fall, these colorful attributes would be bursting with an array of color. Oh yes, Liz loved her plants all right. They would eventually be filled with annuals and vegetables and would never look barren until the last hope of heat and sunshine faded because winter had arrived and even then she’d probably find something that might possibly survive under layers of freezing snow and ice. And even though there was a certain femininity to these smatterings of color, they blended so effortlessly with touches she could only attribute to Bill. Those would be the solid railroad tie borders that wrapped around the flower beds, the birdhouses he continuously constructed using up any old building materials, and of course the project car that had been sitting up on blocks since shortly after they’d moved in. Bill had promised Liz he’d finish it over a period of several months, but there it was, a few years later, still a project. He had finally admitted to her that he really didn’t know that much about cars so it had become a trial by fire kind of process that would likely end up taking a few more years to complete. Liz would never admit to him that she really didn’t mind his having a project like this because often times it gave her an excuse to spend quiet time with him.

On more Saturday afternoons than she could remember, especially when the weather was warm, she would make a jug of ice-cold lemonade and take it outside and just watch him quietly putter away at the engine. He’d come up for air after working underneath the car and would always smile at her. He loved seeing her stretched out in the hammock they’d strung between to gigantic maple trees. Sometimes he would join her there and they’d cuddle up and look at the sky between the branches above them. They’d made many plans there, and once even tried to make love but that didn’t work out very well. They had twisted and turned until they eventually upset it and both of them landed on the ground with a thud.

Cass was a little surprised to see so many cars parked in the driveway. She had purposely dressed down for this food fest thinking it would just be the same people couples that came every year. They were used to her showing up as though modeling would be the last thing they peg her for.

She looked down at her old worn jeans and baggy tank top and sighed. She knew her hair would be a big mess after the drive so she grabbed the brush she always kept stowed in her glove box for just such an occasion and tried to fix herself up a little. She added a touch of lipstick and finally just said to hell with it. However she looked would have to suffice. It seemed she always looked this way when she got there so why should she change now. They wouldn’t expect anything different of her. She was not a model when she was here, she was just a girl visiting her friends.

She got out of the car, grabbed her bag out of the trunk and headed for the house. She rapped on the front door more as a formality because she knew they wouldn’t be inside. She heard voices coming from around back and threw her duffel bag over her shoulder and made her way around the side of the house to the backyard. She counted seven people as she came around the corner. Liz spotted her immediately and called out.

“Cass, you’re here!” she said getting up to greet her dearest friend. Bill came over and gave her his famous bear hug.

“If they could only see you now, the big model from the city gone country,” he said jokingly.

“Personally, I think they should all see you like this to really appreciate how well you clean up.”

“Oh, I bet you say that to all the girls I’m sure,” Cass teased as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Come on, I want you to meet everyone,” Liz said pulling her towards the others. “Everyone, I want you to meet one of my dearest friends Cassidy Lindley.”

Those she didn’t already know exchanged hellos, and those who did know her gave her big hugs. Liz, who always seemed to have something up her sleeve, then dragged her by the arm down towards the edge of the water where one other guest was watching the gentle little waves roll up to the shore. Liz tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around.

“Beau, I’d like you to meet one of my best friends, Cass Lindley. Cass, this is Beau Foster.”

“It’s nice to meet you Cass,” he said holding his hand out to shake hers.

Standing there with the sun behind her, it seemed he was looking at an angel. He took her hand to shake it and for a brief moment neither one spoke. Liz took this as her cue to split and did just that.

“Nice to meet you too,” Cass said, trying to get some saliva back into her mouth. She felt a shiver run through her body almost like she’d stuck her finger in a light socket. She thought that maybe she could just stand there like this, his hand in hers, forever. He was truly the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on and she found herself instantly attracted to him.

“Can I get you a drink? I know it’s a long drive for you,” he said as he forced himself to release her hand.

“As a matter of fact, I’d love something tall and frosty,” she said. The rest of the world seemed to shrink away, like there was no one else around them. He turned and headed back to one of the fully stocked coolers to grab her a beer. Cass followed closely behind him like a puppy that had found a new toy. She never had time to meet anyone with her busy schedule so this was a nice surprise.

Liz caught Cass’s eye and smiled. She could tell by the expression on her face that she’d done good, that her plan to introduce these two had not been in vain. While Beau retrieved the beers Cass walked over to Liz who was now sitting on the picnic table next to a few of her guests. Cass gave her one of those looks, the kind that says you may or may not be in trouble and both girls laughed.

“So, did I tell mention I was inviting a few new people out for the day?” Liz said, the devil sparkling in her eyes.

“No. I think you left out a few details,” Cass said as she smiled and shook her head. “I should have known better though. You were always the mischievous one.”

“So, what do you think? Nice crowd?” Liz let out a laugh.

“You’re an instigator. A troublemaker, you know that?” Cass said. “Does this Beau happen to live around here, or is he another import like me?”

“He lives a couple of hours away, up the lake road, and no, he won’t be staying here for the weekend as you will be,” Liz said.

“But, what about first date sex? Has marriage warped your sense of priorities that much already?” Cass asked innocently.

“I only put two and two together, the rest is up to you girlfriend.” Liz winked at her friend. When she saw Beau approaching with two bottles of beer she stood up and went to see if Bill needed any help.

The day seemed to vanish in record time. The sunset on the water couldn’t have been more picturesque. The gulls swooped down like acrobats skimming the surface of the water. Their silhouettes in the orange and yellow glow of the sunset made it seem like they were performing a water ballet. It was breathtaking to watch them glide graceful off to wherever it was they went at night.

After the sun went down everyone found a place around the blazing bonfire Bill had built on the beach. Liz was busy roasting marshmallows and passing them around, but most of the guests were just lying back in the sand, watching as the stars began to appear in the darkening sky.

“Would you care to join me for a walk along the beach?” Beau asked Cass who was sitting next to him.

“I think I’d like that a lot.” She said and began to get up. Beau jumped to his feet and turned offering her his hands so he could pull her up. She brushed the sand from her pants and told Liz they’d be back shortly.

“Take your time kids, no hurrying here,” Liz said.

They walked along quietly for a while taking in the beautiful moonlight and the gentle breeze. Cass turned to say something to Beau but the words never made it out of her mouth. She tripped over a partially hidden log and fell face down into the warm sand. Beau had tried his best to catch her but she’d fallen so fast he didn’t have time to grab her. She lay there for a moment completely stunned at suddenly being prone. She rolled over onto her back and saw that he’d gotten down on his knees next to her to help her get up.

“I told you one beer was my limit, but I had to let you talk me into a second, and then a third. You realize this is all your fault,” she said as she spit the sand out of her mouth.

“Are you okay?” Beau said trying not to laugh.

“I’m fine, thank you very much,” she said.

“So I’m to blame because you can’t control yourself?” Beau said sitting down next to her brushing back the hair that had fallen across her forehead. He couldn’t help but notice how soft and silky her skin felt beneath his fingers and how is glowed in the moonlight. She really was angelic and he was quite taken by her beauty. What really sealed the deal for him though was that she was just a nice girl, not fancy or unapproachable like he expected her to be.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked trying not to laugh.

“Yes, it’s just my pride that’s a little dented at the moment.” She laughed as she looked into his eyes. They were warm and sensual, and fiery green and seemed to look right through her. She turned away shyly and looked out over the water. He did not want this moment to end so instead of helping her up he lay back in the sand next to her and started explaining the constellation system.

After a while she asked him how he knew so much about the stars and he confessed that he’d been a science junkie in school.

“So you were one of those nerdy guys with his head in a book all the time," said said.

“No. Not all the time,” he replied. “Okay, well, most of the time yes, but I also played sports, so I wasn’t your typical nerdy guy. I was a jock nerdy guy okay?”

“That’s the best kind in my books.” She said trying to picture him as a high schooler. She was sure he must’ve been the boy all the girls drooled after.

They talked for a long time that evening and Cass felt extremely comfortable with him. He was a simple unpretentious kind of guy, something she didn’t run into in her business. There, everyone had an agenda, a self-importance that was so obvious sometimes it was almost laughable. But he seemed different, more sure of himself but in a very subtle way.

He was tall and muscular and it was hard not to notice the muscles rippling under his t-shirt when he moved. His dark hair matched her own and it seemed to lay haphazardly as though it had been styled to make him look ruggedly disheveled. He was in her book, an extremely sexy specimen of a man.

Cass had not felt this relaxed and happy in a very long time. Too much time had passed since she’d been in any kind of relationship and it had not bode well in the end. The last guy she’d been with was one of the photographer’s she worked with quite often. They’d been dating for a few months and had gotten intimately involved. It wasn’t wonderful but it worked for her since she didn’t have a lot of time to put into a relationship. He was willing to settle for that, which after thinking about it for a while disturbed her somewhat. It didn’t make sense to her until she discovered that he was sleeping with half the models in New York City. After that she decided that being alone was better than sharing. It was easier and she wouldn’t get hurt again.

“Liz tells me you’re very successful,” Beau said.

“I do alright. Just bidding my time until Prince Charming comes along and sweeps me off my feet to live in his castle or his cottage in the woods,” she offered. “I know that seems a little old fashioned, but I remember reading all those stories when I was little. I used to dream about all the beautiful clothes the women got to wear back then. Maybe that’s how I ended up in this crazy modeling business. I get to wear the best of the best for free. Funny how things work out like that,” she said smiling at him.

“That’s all it takes? A castle or a cottage? Nice clothes?” he said as he played with a strand of hair that had blown across her face.

“Well, not exactly. I suppose the castle part is pushing it a little,” she said, laughing.

“Castle sounds kind of fun, nothing wrong with that,” he said.

With the cool night breeze, and the sound of the water gently caressing the shoreline, it seemed as if this night had always been meant to happen. They talked for another hour before they decided to rejoin the others. Neither of them really wanted to move but they did anyway.

“I thought you two had run off forever,” Bill said as they walked back towards the fire.
“No. Not yet anyway. Apparently, I’ve overlooked the castle. I’m in need of a castle it seems,” Beau said as he looked at Cass.

“I see,” Liz said smiling at the two of them. “I know a good real estate agent.”

“I’ll have to get that number from you,” Beau said playing along. “Speaking of real estate, I’ve got a big morning at work. I really should be going.”

“But the night’s so young,” Liz said knowing very well just how late it was.

“I know, but a man wanting to build a castle has to go to work,” he offered knowing it would amuse Cass.

“I’ve heard castles can be pricy these days. You’d better get your butt in gear,” Cass said even though what she really wanted was for him to hang around for just a little while longer. She was completely infatuated with him.

He really wanted to stay as well but the reality was, he did have a big morning and he still had a little over an hour’s drive ahead of him. He would’ve liked nothing more than to sleep on the sand, under the stars with this beautiful woman cuddled up in his arms. He didn’t want their time to end but knew he had to force himself to go otherwise he’d be no good for anything tomorrow. He gave Liz a hug and thanked her for a wonderful day.

“Care to walk me to the car,” he asked Cass.

“Sure.” She really wanted him to stay a little while longer as well, but couldn’t bring herself to say so because she knew very well that the bewitching hour was upon them.

They walked around to the front of the house and stood by his car. He turned to face her then reached out and took her hands in his. There it was again she thought to herself—that shiver that ran through her just like when he’d first shook her hand. The hair on her arms stood up at his touch.

“I would love it if tomorrow you could join me after work for a picnic and a little sightseeing. We could take a drive.” He wanted to spend as much time with her as he could until she had to return to the city.

“Well, I don’t know what Liz has planned for the weekend. She usually has some crazy scheme cooked up. Why don’t you call me in the morning, okay?” she said, all the while knowing that no matter what excuse she had to come up with, she would do anything to spend the day with him. Something about him, his touch, his voice, his sultry looks, felt incredibly right to her. She felt drawn to him like a moth to flame.

“Till tomorrow then.” He didn’t even attempt a kiss, just turned and got into his car. He looked out the window at her then started the car and began to drive away.

Cass watched him pull out onto the road and stood there in the dark until the roar of his engine could no longer be head. She turned and went back into the house and went to the kitchen where she heard Liz’s laughter.

“So, my friend. You seem quite taken with our distant neighbor. Could this be love at long last?” Liz asked Cass laughing. She was always so sure of herself; something Cass had always envied about her crazy friend. Liz was leaning back against the counter and Cass took a good long look at her. Could she have been so out of touch with her friend not to have known something else was going on?

“Can I ask you something…personal?” Cass said grinning.

“Yes. The answer is yes!” Liz laughed.

“Oh God. I knew something was different about you but I just couldn’t put my finger on it with all the, well, distractions going on around here today.” She went to her friend and threw her arms around her. “I’m so happy for you, for both of you. How far along are you? And when exactly were you planning on telling me?”

“Well it took you long enough to notice first of all. Did you just think maybe I’d put on a little weight and didn’t want to hurt my feelings?” Liz asked.

“Well I didn’t even know you were trying yet and you never mentioned it. I can’t believe it.” Cass was aglow for her friend.

“The truth is, we weren’t really trying. It just sort of happened,” replied Liz.

“And are you happy about it?” Cass asked with concern.

“I’ve never been happier in my life. Bill is like a new man. He thinks he’s stud of the beach now. Every night he goes running through the house, naked as a jay bird, pointing to his groin and telling me how lethal he is.” She said laughing.

“I still can’t believe it. That’s why you look so great. I guess it’s true when they say you glow. When is the baby due?”

"Sometime in February. It’s funny. At first I was scared to death. I somehow couldn’t see myself as ‘mom’, but now, I keep seeing us playing on the beach, building sandcastles and running around. It all seems like a miracle. When we were trying years ago, nothing happened and now, well, I guess old age has made us fertile.”

“You say that as if you’re ancient. I don’t consider twenty-eight to be over the hill. “ She too could see them on the beach, not only building sandcastles, but the future. “Oh I envy you. You’ve got it all kiddo.” She thought of her empty life. It was a great life in so many ways but when it came to matters of the heart it was all work and no play.

“Believe me, it has its moment, and speaking of moments, I think this is ours,” she said patting her belly. “Time to hit the sack. You know where your room is,” she said turning to leave. “Oh, and by the way, you have a good time tomorrow, and don’t worry about us. It’ll be nice knowing you’re off having a good time. He’s a pretty great guy.”

Later that night, as Cass lay in bed, she kept seeing Beau’s hair tossed by the wind and those eyes. They were like azure pools, kind and gentle, and she knew she could get lost in them. Just thinking about him sent shivers down her spine. She rolled over and turned out the lights knowing that for the first time in a long time she would fall asleep with a smile on face.

CHAPTER 3

It felt a little strange at first being on her own for the first time in her life but Cass grew to love the solitude. She had so much more room to spread out now that Liz had taken some of their broken down furniture with her. She’d repainted the walls, rearranged what was left of the furniture, and resigned her lease for another year until she finished school.

As graduation approached she was inundated with invitations to parties, most of which she turned down. With working to pay the bills and studying every spare moment she had, she just didn’t have time for anything as frivolous as enjoying herself, but when she got a call from Liz asking if she could join them at their loft for dinner one night, she jumped at the chance. Even though she was enjoying the freedom of not having a roommate she missed the hell out of Liz.

They had fixed their place up pretty nice. The old crappy furniture they’d started out with had gradually been replaced by new pieces and their style was slowly evolving. They were moving towards a more modern contemporary style that was easy yet functionally comfortable.

Cass stopped at her neighborhood corner store to pick up a nice bottle of wine and an armload of flowers. Because they seldom got together anymore, it always felt like they had something to celebrate on these rare occasions when they managed to hang out. They’d both been so caught up in school and studying and whatever part-time work they could get to help pay some of their own expenses they had not been able to visit as often as they’d thought they would.

Over dinner they talked about everything that was going on in their lives and the evening slipped by in a hurry. Liz got up to make coffee and Bill and Cass gathered up the dirty dishes.
When Cass brought them into the kitchen she couldn’t help but notice that Liz looked like she had something on her mind.

“What’s up with you?” Cass asked. “Why the sad face?”

“It’s not a sad face, I have something to tell you,” Liz replied.

“Are you pregnant? Oh my God!” Cass said.

“No, I’m not pregnant, at least not yet anyway,” she said. “We sold the loft and bought a house.”

“Wow, congratulations,” Cass said grinning ear to ear.

“It’s not in Manhattan,” Liz said waiting for this information to sink in.

“Where are you going?” Cass said, her eyes widened knowing what was about to come would not be good news for her.

“It’s about an hour away from the city,” Bill replied as he brought the rest of the dishes in.

“It’s on a lake Cass, it’s so beautiful there. You’ll see when you come to visit,” Liz said. “It has three bedrooms so you can come and visit any time you want.”

“Wow, you guys don’t waste any time. When are you moving?” Cass asked.

“Escrow closes right after graduation so we’ll be gone in about a month,” Bill replied and stood there watching her reaction. “Don’t worry, we’re not dumping you.”

“You’d better not be or I’ll hunt you down,” Cass said smiling. She couldn’t have been happier for her friends but she knew that once they were gone it would be a long time in between visits.

The next time she saw them both was at graduation. They had finally finished and were relieved as the day’s events unfolded. They had a lot to celebrate. Both girls had achieved what they’d set out to do and as they threw their caps in the air that day they both knew that they would move on to a new kind of relationship once again.