mind off Justin. My timing was perfect.
We came home later that afternoon with all of our treasures and pulled them out of their protective packages wrapped in tissue paper so we could admire them one last time before we sheltered them in our small closets. I came down the stairs in my pajamas, grabbed some tea and cuddled up on the couch for another movie night with Mama and Bill.
* * *
I found myself sitting on a stone bench in the backyard of what looked like Robert’s house, staring at a large vegetable garden.
I wasn’t sure how many days had passed since the kiss with Robert, but the sun had just started peeking over the horizon, so I knew it was early. Robert walked out of the house with two cups of coffee and some biscuits filled with butter.
“ Wonderful morning isn’t it, darling?” he asked me.
“ Yes, it’s perfect,” I replied, trying to put the pieces of our time together. “Why are you up so early?”
“ You know I can’t sleep past dawn. I have that Fairfield case to go over and I can’t get it out of my mind.”
“ Oh, I’m terribly sorry.” Terribly sorry - did I really just say that?
“ What do you want to do today? I think the cleanup from the fire is almost over. We should do something by ourselves and enjoy each other’s company. In fact, the Fairfield case can wait ‘til Monday.”
“ I don’t know. Why don’t you decide?” I couldn’t even place where I was, so I knew I’d end up sounding like an idiot if I tried to make something up.
“ How about we go for a walk and head to the bakery for some coffee?” Robert said.
“ That sounds lovely, darling.”
We got ourselves ready for the stroll to the bakery - wherever that was.
“ You sure you’re up for this?” Robert asked.
“ Absolutely. Why wouldn’t I be?” He was being overly cautious with me. I wasn’t sure if I overreacted. Maybe this was how the men of the 1800s treated their girlfriends, or whatever I was to him.
He shook off my question as we passed by homes that were still being rebuilt after the fire. Magnificent color remained on the edges of a few of the houses the fire didn’t touch. Some were completely destroyed, while others were left with distinct black trails where the flames had lightly grazed. Beyond the charred remains of the ruined houses, the ocean glimmered in the early morning sunshine.
“ Shall we stop for a moment?” Robert asked.
“ We most certainly should. The view is stunning from here,” I replied.
We walked over to a small bench seated at the edge of the path, right before the dirt hit the sand.
“ I count our blessings that everyone we love was not hurt in the fire,” Robert began. “I don’t know what I would do if I lost you, Caroline.” Robert put his arm around me and gave me a light squeeze as we stared out into the ocean.
“ You shall never lose me. We have too much life left in us and we’ve only just begun our journey together,” I replied.
“ Do you think Rebecca and your mother are happy staying with us?”
“ I believe so. They haven’t led me to think otherwise. You are so kind to open your home to us.”
“ Don’t you mean our home, darling?”
“ Why, yes. That’s what I meant,” I said with uncertainty.
“ Your family is welcome to stay for as long as they need. It will be a while before their house is fit to live in.”
“ I’m sure you’re right,” I replied. “Let’s head to breakfast. I’m just famished.”
We continued on to a little bakery located only a block from the ocean. It was chilly, but the sun took the cold out of the air.
Robert was the perfect gentleman. Townspeople who came in for their morning scones all said hello to us as we sat at a little table near a large window. Obviously everyone knew us as a couple. As I took a sip of my coffee, a tall gentleman with a top hat came into the restaurant and saw us. “Hello Mr. and Mrs. Marcum,” he said.
Mr. and
We came home later that afternoon with all of our treasures and pulled them out of their protective packages wrapped in tissue paper so we could admire them one last time before we sheltered them in our small closets. I came down the stairs in my pajamas, grabbed some tea and cuddled up on the couch for another movie night with Mama and Bill.
* * *
I found myself sitting on a stone bench in the backyard of what looked like Robert’s house, staring at a large vegetable garden.
I wasn’t sure how many days had passed since the kiss with Robert, but the sun had just started peeking over the horizon, so I knew it was early. Robert walked out of the house with two cups of coffee and some biscuits filled with butter.
“ Wonderful morning isn’t it, darling?” he asked me.
“ Yes, it’s perfect,” I replied, trying to put the pieces of our time together. “Why are you up so early?”
“ You know I can’t sleep past dawn. I have that Fairfield case to go over and I can’t get it out of my mind.”
“ Oh, I’m terribly sorry.” Terribly sorry - did I really just say that?
“ What do you want to do today? I think the cleanup from the fire is almost over. We should do something by ourselves and enjoy each other’s company. In fact, the Fairfield case can wait ‘til Monday.”
“ I don’t know. Why don’t you decide?” I couldn’t even place where I was, so I knew I’d end up sounding like an idiot if I tried to make something up.
“ How about we go for a walk and head to the bakery for some coffee?” Robert said.
“ That sounds lovely, darling.”
We got ourselves ready for the stroll to the bakery - wherever that was.
“ You sure you’re up for this?” Robert asked.
“ Absolutely. Why wouldn’t I be?” He was being overly cautious with me. I wasn’t sure if I overreacted. Maybe this was how the men of the 1800s treated their girlfriends, or whatever I was to him.
He shook off my question as we passed by homes that were still being rebuilt after the fire. Magnificent color remained on the edges of a few of the houses the fire didn’t touch. Some were completely destroyed, while others were left with distinct black trails where the flames had lightly grazed. Beyond the charred remains of the ruined houses, the ocean glimmered in the early morning sunshine.
“ Shall we stop for a moment?” Robert asked.
“ We most certainly should. The view is stunning from here,” I replied.
We walked over to a small bench seated at the edge of the path, right before the dirt hit the sand.
“ I count our blessings that everyone we love was not hurt in the fire,” Robert began. “I don’t know what I would do if I lost you, Caroline.” Robert put his arm around me and gave me a light squeeze as we stared out into the ocean.
“ You shall never lose me. We have too much life left in us and we’ve only just begun our journey together,” I replied.
“ Do you think Rebecca and your mother are happy staying with us?”
“ I believe so. They haven’t led me to think otherwise. You are so kind to open your home to us.”
“ Don’t you mean our home, darling?”
“ Why, yes. That’s what I meant,” I said with uncertainty.
“ Your family is welcome to stay for as long as they need. It will be a while before their house is fit to live in.”
“ I’m sure you’re right,” I replied. “Let’s head to breakfast. I’m just famished.”
We continued on to a little bakery located only a block from the ocean. It was chilly, but the sun took the cold out of the air.
Robert was the perfect gentleman. Townspeople who came in for their morning scones all said hello to us as we sat at a little table near a large window. Obviously everyone knew us as a couple. As I took a sip of my coffee, a tall gentleman with a top hat came into the restaurant and saw us. “Hello Mr. and Mrs. Marcum,” he said.
Mr. and
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