Chapter 7

The alarm blared at 6:00 am, I awoke with my arm resting across V's chest and my head still on his shoulder.  I paused to look at him before I turned off the noise. Still half asleep I fell back on my pillow, rolled over and touched his face and kissed his cheek. "You are still here" I said, "I was afraid you might turn into a pumpkin". "I'm still here my pretty Cinderella" he said with his eyes barely open. He pulled my hand to him and kissed it. What time do you have to leave? I'm meeting my group at 8:30, "we have lots of time, although I do have to call home again now to say good morning"  "oh..ok do that" he mumbled.

I called home, facing the wall again, my little girl answers,
 "mommy!"
"good morning sweetheart, how is your breakfast?"
 "It's good, Daddy made grits."
"That's nice, he made your favorite breakfast."
 "When are you coming home? I miss you."
" I miss you too baby. I'll be home on friday and I'll bring you something special, okay?"
" Okay, just come home as fast as you can."
"I will sweetie."
"Daddy wants to talk to you."
"Okay have a good day, I love you!"
"I love you too Mommy."

"Good Morning Jack,, T sounds good, glad you made grits, that was nice."
"Well, you know I try."
"I know you do."
"We both miss you but we can manage without you for a few days. Go do your class and don't worry, she will be fine."
"I know, I guess I should go shower, I'll call you guys tonight or call me whenever."
"Okay, I love you."
"I love you too."

I set the phone down and V picked it up and turned it off and then back on.   "I just wanted to make sure it hung up" he said. "Thanks"  I replied "How are things at home" he asked? "Everyone is fine."  After another awkward moment of silence I said "I'd better shower". "Is there room in there for me too?" he asked,  I smiled "of course" I started washing my hair and V took over."let me do that for you babe, I love your hair" He conditioned it for me too.

After a shower and coffee V was ready to make a quick exit. "What are your plans for tonight?" he asked.  "I should probably have dinner with my coworkers but that's about it, I was hoping to see you". "I have a project that has to be done by tomorrow morning, I probably won't be finished until late tonight he said solemnly"  "It's okay" I said, disappointed. "Listen" he said as he lifted my chin up with his thumb, "one of my friends is having a party on his yacht tomorrow night, would you like to go with me? It will be a nice crowd, good food and drinks." "Sounds nice, I'd enjoy that." I replied. 

"I have to go" he said as he scoped out the hallway through the peephole. "Call me."  "When?" I asked.  "Anytime you can"  One more kiss and he rushed out. I watched out the window until he got in his car and drove away. It was still early. I dried my hair, put on make up, ate a breakfast bar, smiling the whole time. I wasn't sure he would come back but at that moment I was focusing on how lucky I was.

I started replaying the night over again in my head I realized he didn't say the words  I love you.

He used those words sparingly. He told me long before that those words lose value when you say them too often. It's true that the occasions he was moved to say them to me were very precious. I still felt the need to tell him every time we talked however that first night I didn't think they were necessary either.

I called him a couple of times throughout the day, just because I could. He was busy but made time to ask me how my day was going. He ended up working all night. I was disappointed since I knew we had such little time but I understood.

The next day he called me around lunch time. "Do you still want to go to that party tonight?" I said "sure, anything you want, I just want to see you."  As the day went on, I started thinking about that party and I became more and more nervous.  The idea of walking around in public holding his hand, meeting his friends and family, being a part of his everyday life was something I had fantasized about for years.

These questions kept popping into my head "who was going to be there? How will he introduce me? How will we say we met? Should I leave my wedding ring at the hotel or keep it with me in my purse? I have a tan line on my finger, guess I should just wear it. Are we actually going to ride on the boat in the ocean at night? What if the person driving the boat is drinking and we crash or get lost?  What if we get hijacked by pirates and sold into slavery?  Okay, I know that was not very likely, the point is I was scared.

After class my stomach was churning. I went to my room and lost everything in my stomach. I called my coworkers and told them I was passing on dinner. I went to the gift shop and bought pepto bismol and saltines but it wasn't helping. Finally I called V and told him I wasn't feeling well.

I could hear a tone of anger in his voice. "I worked all night so that I could spend time with you. I've already invited other friends, you said you wanted to go."  "I'm so sorry V. I really do want to go but I'm sick. I can't keep any food down. I know it is a lot to ask but could you please just come here? I want to see you again so much"  "I can't cancel now, I'm supposed to pick up two other people."  I understand, I'm sorry, I know it will be late but do you think you could here afterward? please?" He finally agreed and came to my room around 11:30 that night.

I could tell by his eyes he was tired. He told me about the party and the friends he took with him. He said he wanted me to meet them. I apologized again. It turned out they didn't leave the dock and I felt really stupid for panicking. I didn't tell him all of my worries until after I left Miami. When I asked him what we would have said if someone asked how we met he said "why would you worry about that?" "I would have told them that I was fishing one night and saw a glowing sphere on the shore. As I walked toward it, it opened and there you were!  Everyone would laugh and then we would change the subject. No problem"

After more apologizing and a little love making we both slept well that night. I woke up before the alarm the next morning and woke him up with kisses. We repeated the call home, the shower and him rushing out of my room and he promised he would come back that night.

It was amazing how right everything felt when I was with him. I was happy all afternoon except when I thought about the fact that I had to go home the next day.