Love From the Ashes (20 page)

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Thomas was about to give up on women all together.  He pulled the box from his pocket and stared at it; it didn’t make sense why she was pushing him away when he thought she was in the same place as him.  “You just let her leave?”  He turned and saw Bethany.  Her eyes got big as she looked at the box in his hands.  “You were going to propose?  Then why did you let her leave?”

“Bethany; it’s not that simple.  You don’t understand, but sometimes grownups just need to work things out between them.”

“I understand that you obviously love her; you were about to propose.”

“You were going to propose?”  He looked up at the staircase; Kari was walking down the stairs and he rolled his eyes.

“You both need to go to bed; we’ll talk about this later.”

“Dad, that’s not the right answer.”  Bethany interjected.  “If you love her, why did you let her leave?  Neither one of us are too young to know what love is.  Frankie, Judy, and Joey are all asleep so there’s no reason to deny it.”

He threw up his hands.  “I’m not denying it; I love her, but Bethany you saw her…she didn’t appear to be interested in hearing anything I had to say.”

“She was probably worried about what you were going to say.  I hate to tell you dad, but we both saw that kiss; she loves you too.  It’s obvious.”

He laughed.  “Oh it is; well, why can’t I see that?”

“I don’t know, but we noticed it.”  Kari added with confidence.

He shook his head.  “I’m not having this conversation with you two.  We’ll talk tomorrow morning.  Go to bed!”

Bethany looked like she was going to argue, but he stared at her and she backed down.  “Okay, but don’t be stupid.”  They both ran up the stairs and he grumbled.  He didn’t feel stupid; he felt rational.  He went in the living room and jarred the 3 youngest awake.  He wasn’t getting any younger and he didn’t think he would be able to carry them upstairs.

“Hm…”  Frankie moaned.  “Where’s Rebecca?”

“She went home; you’ll see her later.”

“I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye and thank her for my present.”

“You can thank her tomorrow.  I will let you call her.  Let’s go to bed.”

“Okay;” she groaned, but headed up the stairs.

Judy and Joey groggily walked up the stairs and he followed them.  They would need help, because they were not in any condition to dress themselves.  It was nearly a half an hour before Thomas was heading to his room.  It was a long day and he just wanted to relax and not think about anything.  He pulled the box from his shirt pocket and stared at the diamond.  He wanted the night to be special; he wondered if he should have just wrapped the
ring and left her to find it.  The way things had turned out wasn’t the way he expected it.  He couldn’t have been wrong; when they kissed it felt like the moment had paused and they were the only two people in the room.  He put the ring on his nightstand; there was a possibility that she wouldn’t ever wear it; he had to accept that.  He slowly began to remove his shirt, but then stopped and turned to the ring again.  He couldn’t worry about it the entire night; he wouldn’t get any sleep.

He grabbed the ring and hurried to Bethany’s room.  He knocked on the door and was relieved when she answered. 
“I swear I was just about to…”

“That’s okay; I have to go somewhere.  Everyone’s asleep and you have my cell number.  Can I trust you while I am just a few
minutes?”

She smiled.  “That depends; are you going to see Rebecca?”

He nodded.  “You’re sure that you’re okay with that?”

She hugged him.  “I am more than okay.  I won’t answer the door to any strangers, I have your number, and if I need anything I’ll call.  You’re only going around the block; I can handle it.”

“I know you can.  I’ll lock the door behind me.”  He ran down the stairs and out the door.  He had a woman to propose to and this time he wasn’t going to leave until the job was done.

Rebecca jerked from her restless sleep when she heard the pounding on the door.  She grabbed her robe and steadied herself as she hurried down the stairs.  “Coming;” she yelled.  She looked at her clock and saw that it was just past 10:00.  It wasn’t exactly late, but on Christmas night it didn’t make sense.  She saw his reflection in the window and she was sure she was still asleep.  She opened the door; she was a little more preserved than she was when she flew down the stairs.  “What are you doing here?”

He moved in closer; she could hear that he was out of breath and she wondered if he had ran there.  However, seeing his van in the driveway confirmed that that wasn’t the case.  “I forgot to do something.”

“Thomas, I told you; I…” before she could get the words out of her mouth she felt his lips on hers.  “Hm…” she allowed a soft moan escape her mouth.  They continued to kiss as he backed her into the wall.  She wrapped her hand around his neck and pulled him in closer.  When they parted she was disappointed, but her mind was racing wondering what was happening.  “Wow…” she was a little embarrassed that that was the only thing she could say, but she was at a loss for words.

“I just had to do that.”  His breathing became even more ragged and she slowly nodded.  “We have to talk.”  His eyes slowly fell over her pajamas and she pulled her robe tighter around her body.

“Uh yeah; I would say we do.”  He reached for her hand and they walked into the living room.  She was afraid to
blink; for fear that she would wake up and find it was just a dream.

“How are you doing?”

She laughed; it wasn’t exactly what she expected him to say.  “After that kiss…I’m not so sure.”

“Let me explain.”  She remained quiet as he looked more nervous than a guy that was about to have all his teeth pulled.  “When I lost my wife I shut off to any chance of happiness.  I feared that it would seem like I was forgetting her and it worried me that people would start to judge me and my family.  So, I completely turned off any feelings that I could ever have for another woman.  However, when we met it made me question every belief I had.  I started to laugh again and see everything in a whole different light.  Over the last 3 months I have led you on, pushed you away, and continuously did that.  I wanted to feel something again, but I didn’t know how to handle that.  I told you that I care for you, but that isn’t exactly all of it.”  Rebecca held her breath; she had been waiting for him to discuss how he was truly feeling.  “I am in love with you Rebecca.  Despite all of the worries, that is the fact.  I love you and I am an idiot for taking this long to realize it.”  Rebecca let out a slow breath; she was worried that she would start to cry and that was the last thing that she needed to do.  “Please…say something.”

Rebecca laughed.  “I have been waiting for you to say those words to me.  I love you too Thomas and I have pushed you away for fear that I was going to get my heart broken.  I didn’t think that you would feel that way for me and I didn’t want to get hurt.  It was foolish, but the only response I can give.  “I love you!”  She smiled as she leaned in and met his lips with hers.  When they parted she grinned.  “You have no idea how much.  You have given me more in the short time that we’ve known each other than any other person.  You found out the truth about Robbie, you have brought me into a family again, and you have showed me unconditional love; just by the look you give your children.  I am a lucky woman to have you in my life.”

“I’m the lucky one; you have had to put up with a lot and for that I am grateful.  You provide love and care for my children and they love you Rebecca.  There’s just one more Christmas present I want to give you.”  She had told him to take it back, but her heart was beating out of her chest when she knew that he still wanted to give her something.  “First,
there are a couple of things I need to say before I give it to you.”  She nodded; it didn’t matter what he wanted to say, she was ready to hear just about anything.

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Thomas didn’t know where to begin; before he could propose, he had to make sure they were really heading down the same path.  “I know that anyone that gets involved with me as a lot to take on.  After all, I’m a single dad with 5 children; it won’t be easy.”

“That doesn’t matter to me; I…”

He held up a finger to her lips and she stopped talking.  “Not only am I a single father, I don’t have a job.  While I will continually pound the pavement until I find something, that’s the cold hard truth.  I want to give you this present, but I can only give it to you if I know that you truly accept all of me; baggage and all.”

It was going to be the true testament; she said that she loved his kids and at the time she seemed relieved that he decided to give up the
police department.  People could say one thing and mean another; it was the way the human species worked.  As he was staring at her, a smile slowly was on her lips.  “Thomas, it wouldn’t matter if you had 20 kids; I would love them just the same.  Also; whether you work or stay at home doesn’t make a bit of difference.  I love you and nothing would change that.”  She pressed her lips to his and he knew she was telling him the truth.  “Trust in that;” she replied as their lips parted.

He had his answer; she had proven to him that she was real and he was more than happy to get down on one knee.  He reached in his shirt and then looked into her eyes.  He was trying to search to see how she was feeling in that moment.  Her eyes were locked on the small box and he knew that he had her attention.  “Two days ago I bought this little piece of jewelry with the hope that today I would ask you to be my bride.  When you left and I didn’t get a chance to do that, I was certain that it was over.  I felt that any chance of you loving me wasn’t a possibility.  After a conversation with two very smart young ladies…” he smiled as he thought about Bethany and Kari and their innocent nature
; “I came to the conclusion that I couldn’t give up that easily.  You have to sometimes just go after what you want and pray that the consequences will be minimal.  So, that’s what I’m doing.  I am going after what I want.”  He smiled as he got down on one knee.  “Rebecca Parker, I know that I may not always say or do the right thing, but right now I feel that this is the best thing for me and my children.  I want to take care of you and be the rock in your life.  Will you marry me?”

He waited for a moment; her eyes were filling with tears and he held the box in one hand; her hand in his other.  “I…I never would have expected this; especially as I sit here in my pajamas.”  She laughed and he rubbed the inside of her palm with his fingers.  “I…I’m sorry; I can’t.”

He was sure he needed help to get his jaw up off the floor.  “What?  I don’t think that I heard you correctly; I…”

Slowly a smile came to her lips and she looked down at the ring.  “I can’t marry you until I have a talk with your kids.  After all, they’re going to be as much a part of my life as you are.  I need to know that they’re okay with this.”

He chuckled; “I can tell you without a doubt they are.”

“I need to hear it myself; I hope you understand.”  He understood, but it was still disheartening that he would have to wait.

“When you hear that they agree to us getting married, what then?”

“Then that ring will be mine.”  She pulled him in to kiss him and he smiled.  He couldn’t wait.  It was only a matter of time before he would marry Rebecca; he had waited that long; what was a little while longer?  It was nothing for two people that were in love.

6 months later

“I now pronounce you husband and wife.  Thomas, you may kiss your bride.”  Rebecca bit her lower lip as Thomas raised her veil and they kissed.  The crowd applauded as they pulled away and she smiled. 
I love you
he mouthed to her and she smiled.  She then turned to the kids who were all standing around them and they piled in for a group hug.  “I should say, I now pronounce you husband, wife, and family.”  Everyone laughed as the preacher chimed in behind them.  They all walked down the aisle as a song played and then she threw her arms around Thomas.  She had never felt happier.  It didn’t take long for them to get the children’s blessing and they had decided to get married once the school year was over.

“I love you.”  Thomas spoke again.  “You better never get tired of hearing those words.”

She laughed.  “I think I can manage.”

“Dad, can we go change into some more comfortable clothes?”  Frankie whined next to them.

“Children.”  Bethany mumbled, but Rebecca could see she wanted to change too.

“I don’t care; then come back here for the party to start.”  They ran towards the Bed and Breakfast and Rebecca watched as they disappeared from the backyard. 

“That was a beautiful ceremony.”  She turned and saw Cassie behind her.  They hugged and Rebecca smiled.

“Thank you Cassie.  I know that you had a lot to do with us getting to this point and…” she smiled at Thomas.  “Well, neither of us will ever be able to repay you.”

“Nonsense, everyone saw how happy you both made each other.”  Rebecca looked over as Seth approached them.  They hugged.  When she pulled away she just looked between them.

She reached for Thomas’ hand and pulled him closer to her.  “We owe both of you.  I got my happiness.”

Seth smiled and nodded; she knew that he understood.  There were no words that needed to be spoken.  “I think that your brother wanted to talk to you.”  Thomas whispered in her ear and she nodded.  They headed to where Bradley and Courtney were sitting.  Rebecca planted a kiss on her 6 month old nephew Jackson.  When he was born right after Christmas she was able to get to Avery, but she hadn’t seen them since.

“Hey sis;” Bradley jumped up and they hugged.  “
It’s been too long.”

“Yes it has
; Courtney and Bradley, you both look great.  Jackson is just like his father.”

“I tell him that all the time.”  Courtney laughed.

“I don’t see it.”  Bradley replied, but kissed his son on the head and then turned to Courtney.  “He has his mother’s eyes.”

They smiled and Rebecca felt awkward.  “Okay; well, we’re going to go and mingle some more.”  She grabbed Thomas’ hand and they left the table.  “What would you say if I ended up pregnant?”

Thomas laughed and just stared at her.  “Do you want to be pregnant?”

Rebecca shrugged.  “I mean, I love your children as much as I would love any child of my own; it’s just that sometimes I think about it.  Would it be too much?”

Thomas’ eyes got big; clearly he didn’t possess the actions of someone that expected that question.  He didn’t run; that was a good sign.  He laughed.  “I would love to have a child with you Rebecca; I can’t wait to start trying.”

She blushed.  They had opted to save their first night together
when they were married.  Rebecca was nervous, seeing that she was still holding out for that one true love.  Thomas’ parents were gracious enough to agree to watch the kids while they were on their honeymoon.  They were even planning on staying in the house so that they didn’t’ have to move the kids back to Avery; it was going to work out great.

She had grown close to Megan when Seth and
she were planning on getting married; when they got to her table, they had to stop.  “Hey Megan;” they hugged and she smiled at her.  “Thank you for coming!”  She looked around the backyard and then turned back to her.  “Where’s Peter?”

She looked like she had been crying, but Rebecca hoped that she wasn’t right.  “He kept Jasmine at home; she was sick.”

“Oh; that’s too bad.  Nothing serious, I hope.”

“No, it’s just a cold.”

Rebecca looked at Thomas and he shrugged.  “Well, you tell them both we missed having them here.”  Megan nodded as Rebecca and Thomas left the table.  “Do you think everything’s alright?”  She asked as he turned to face her.

“I don’t know; it’s hard saying, but I’m not sure I buy into the sick kid.”

Rebecca nodded.  “She didn’t either.  Speaking of kids…” she laughed as she saw their bunch heading their way.  “Actually, I need to speak to them alone; if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all; I’ll be over talking to some co-workers.”  She smiled.  After he had quit the police department and they came back and offered him a position as a desk sergeant.  He did mostly paper work and it kept him off the street.  She was pleased with that scenario.

She walked over to where Bethany and her siblings were talking.  “Mind if I join you?”

“Go right ahead.”  Bethany sat down across from her and the rest of them sat in the other seats.  “We actually wanted to talk to you.”

“You did?”

Bethany nodded.  “We wanted to tell you that we are so happy that you married our dad.  He’s much happier now and it’s all because of you.”

“That’s sweet; thank you.  I wanted to tell you that I want you to feel like you can come to me about anything; even if it’s to talk about your mom.  I’m not planning on taking her place; I know that I never could.  I just want to be there to help all of you through anything that I can.  Do you understand that?”

Kari nodded.  “Do you think that you would mind if we called you mom?”

Rebecca looked at each of the faces and she felt mixed emotions.  She would have been ecstatic if they would call her their mom, but she didn’t want to step on any toes.  Maybe you should ask your father.  As far as I’m concerned; I would love that, but…”

Bethany nodded.  “Rebecca’s right; it might not be something we should do right away.”

“Whenever you are comfortable with it; that would be best.  I don’t want to rush any of you into doing something that you are not ready for.  I do love you guys; never forget that.”

“We love you too.”  Kari spoke for the group as they each wrapped their arms around her.

“Thank you for that!”  Rebecca smiled as she fought to hold back the tears.  “Go ahead and go play.”  They rushed off; leaving her to ponder the conversation.  She felt his hands on her shoulder.  “They are 5 of the many reasons that I love you so much.”  She turned to face him.

“They’re playing our song.”

Rebecca laughed as she stood up and he led her out onto the dance floor.  “I have to ask you something.”

“Anything;” she swayed in his arms and she relaxed as his hand was caressing her back.

“Kari wanted to know if Scarlett would mind if they called me mom.  I told her to ask you, but maybe I shouldn’t have said that.”  Thomas gazed into her eyes and she saw a flash of light.  “They need to be ready if they ever want to make that step.”

“I’ll leave it up to them; I think that Scarlett would be pleased knowing that someone wants to take care of them.  There is no one in this world that would be a better mother to them than you.  I am certain of that.  I want them to connect with you in so many ways and I feel that calling you mom would be a good idea.”

“I just don’t want them to feel like they have to.”

He nodded.  “We’ll show them together that it is completely of their choice.”

“Together?”  She liked the sound of that.  As she heard the clanging of glasses, urging them to kiss, their lips connected.  Dancing with Thomas, talking to the children, and being in their lives were a blessing.  She was glad that Thomas realized that he could fall in love twice in a lifetime, and in a weird way she knew she owed thanks to Scarlett.  It was from the grave that he was finally able to get the release, and she could finally get her fairytale ending.