him? Welcome him in to her bed?
Vicky was also awake, also thinking about Phil just down the hall. Her body had been so acutely aware of him all through dinner; she had found herself leaning closer, brushing his elbow ‘by accident’, turning to face him and smile.
She thought about going in to the common area on some pretext, but what the hell reason could she possibly have for wandering down the hall at 2 a.m. except the obvious one: that she wanted him. Wanted him here, with her, holding her and kissing her until she was breathless.
She turned over and faced the wall, shut her eyes.
This is going to be a long, long night .
Outside, the blizzard raged; inside, a whole different kind of storm twisted and turned. But neither of them made a move and the next morning, they were polite over their coffee and croissants and went their separate ways. They just got on with their lives.
**
Early spring in the mountains was a whole new experience, yet again.
The New Year had come and gone almost in a flash, as Vicky immersed herself in the summer campaign launch. Nobody could believe quite how much work it was, but they buckled down and put in the hours, and by mid-April, by some miracle fueled by lots of coffee and Rob’s guilty-pleasure Survivor CD playing ‘Eye of the Tiger’ on a loop, it had all come together.
Just in time, too, since Vicky wanted to take her birthday off, and she’d been worried about not getting things done in time. She just wouldn’t be able to justify to herself disappearing during a crunch, but the team pulled it off. When her big day rolled around, she was free as a bird.
She slept in and woke at 9:00. She lay in bed for a while, stretching luxuriously and looking at Sonia’s paintings in her wardrobe. She always opened the door before she got in to bed, so she could see her daughter’s art first thing every morning, before she even set one foot on the floor. Vicky just couldn’t imagine a better way to start the day.
The only thing that would make it better would be if Phil were here with me. Kissing my neck, lifting my nightgown, touching me between my legs.
She closed her eyes and sighed.
Nope. Not going to happen. Give it up, girl.
She got out of bed and headed to her kitchen to make some coffee. She was planning to have the best birthday that she’d had in almost seven years, and she wanted to get on with it.
**
“Happy birthday, Mommy.”
“Oh, thank you, sweet pea.”
“What are you doing for your birthday?”
“Nothing much.” Vicky took a sip of coffee. “I took the day off, so I think I’ll go in to Clarity and treat myself to lunch.”
“What about cake?”
“Cake?”
“Yeah, cake. It’s not really a birthday without cake.”
“Hmmm. You’re right, Sonia. OK, I’ll make sure to have some cake today.”
“And candles?”
“Well. I don’t think I’ll be able to get forty candles on a small cake.”
“You can have just one.”
“Alright, I promise. I’ll have cake and I’ll have a candle.”
“And you’ll make a wish?”
Vicky closed her eyes against her tears. Oh, I will make a wish, indeed, Sonia. I will wish for you to be here with me soon, you sweet girl.
Aloud, she said, “For sure I’ll make a wish. But I won’t tell you what it is, or it won’t come true.”
“You don’t need to tell me, Mommy.”
“No?”
“No. ‘Cause I know what it is and I’m wishing for the same thing.”
Chapter Six
Vicky sat in the café and stared out the window at the raging rainstorm. She was warm and snug and dry inside, and she had all day to do nothing whatsoever. She had just finished one of Pam’s amazing plates of pasta and she now planned to read and drink coffee and then send a Western Union transfer to Diana. She wanted her Mom to buy Sonia some new rain boots and a rain coat and Sonia had been begging to go on a school trip to the movies. Vicky was happy that her daughter could enjoy nice things again without Diana having
Vicky was also awake, also thinking about Phil just down the hall. Her body had been so acutely aware of him all through dinner; she had found herself leaning closer, brushing his elbow ‘by accident’, turning to face him and smile.
She thought about going in to the common area on some pretext, but what the hell reason could she possibly have for wandering down the hall at 2 a.m. except the obvious one: that she wanted him. Wanted him here, with her, holding her and kissing her until she was breathless.
She turned over and faced the wall, shut her eyes.
This is going to be a long, long night .
Outside, the blizzard raged; inside, a whole different kind of storm twisted and turned. But neither of them made a move and the next morning, they were polite over their coffee and croissants and went their separate ways. They just got on with their lives.
**
Early spring in the mountains was a whole new experience, yet again.
The New Year had come and gone almost in a flash, as Vicky immersed herself in the summer campaign launch. Nobody could believe quite how much work it was, but they buckled down and put in the hours, and by mid-April, by some miracle fueled by lots of coffee and Rob’s guilty-pleasure Survivor CD playing ‘Eye of the Tiger’ on a loop, it had all come together.
Just in time, too, since Vicky wanted to take her birthday off, and she’d been worried about not getting things done in time. She just wouldn’t be able to justify to herself disappearing during a crunch, but the team pulled it off. When her big day rolled around, she was free as a bird.
She slept in and woke at 9:00. She lay in bed for a while, stretching luxuriously and looking at Sonia’s paintings in her wardrobe. She always opened the door before she got in to bed, so she could see her daughter’s art first thing every morning, before she even set one foot on the floor. Vicky just couldn’t imagine a better way to start the day.
The only thing that would make it better would be if Phil were here with me. Kissing my neck, lifting my nightgown, touching me between my legs.
She closed her eyes and sighed.
Nope. Not going to happen. Give it up, girl.
She got out of bed and headed to her kitchen to make some coffee. She was planning to have the best birthday that she’d had in almost seven years, and she wanted to get on with it.
**
“Happy birthday, Mommy.”
“Oh, thank you, sweet pea.”
“What are you doing for your birthday?”
“Nothing much.” Vicky took a sip of coffee. “I took the day off, so I think I’ll go in to Clarity and treat myself to lunch.”
“What about cake?”
“Cake?”
“Yeah, cake. It’s not really a birthday without cake.”
“Hmmm. You’re right, Sonia. OK, I’ll make sure to have some cake today.”
“And candles?”
“Well. I don’t think I’ll be able to get forty candles on a small cake.”
“You can have just one.”
“Alright, I promise. I’ll have cake and I’ll have a candle.”
“And you’ll make a wish?”
Vicky closed her eyes against her tears. Oh, I will make a wish, indeed, Sonia. I will wish for you to be here with me soon, you sweet girl.
Aloud, she said, “For sure I’ll make a wish. But I won’t tell you what it is, or it won’t come true.”
“You don’t need to tell me, Mommy.”
“No?”
“No. ‘Cause I know what it is and I’m wishing for the same thing.”
Chapter Six
Vicky sat in the café and stared out the window at the raging rainstorm. She was warm and snug and dry inside, and she had all day to do nothing whatsoever. She had just finished one of Pam’s amazing plates of pasta and she now planned to read and drink coffee and then send a Western Union transfer to Diana. She wanted her Mom to buy Sonia some new rain boots and a rain coat and Sonia had been begging to go on a school trip to the movies. Vicky was happy that her daughter could enjoy nice things again without Diana having
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