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Chapter 10: Retracing One's Steps

Low conversations filled the air at a local coffee shop. A small line began to form through the center of the building, stopping just before the main area of tables. Near the far corner of the room, Kerri and Brittany sat in two lounge chairs under the light of a table lamp.

"This is nice, Kerri," Brittany said with a smile. "It was such a good idea to go out like this."

Kerri grinned and took a sip of her coffee. "I like to think that I can still make a few good calls." She looked over to her friend. "Then again, this has kind of been our hang-out spot for a few years now."

Brittany laughed. "True. It's so funny how a little coffee shop like this three years ago turned into our main conversation spot after work." She brushed a few strands of hair away from her eyes. "Thank you so much, Kerri. I've been having such a great time this afternoon."

"It was my pleasure," the husky answered. "I figured that we needed something like this. It's been too long since we went out on the town...about two months if I remember correctly." She crossed her right leg over her left and leaned back into the chair. "We really should try to get back into this little routine. Maybe it will help with your stress management. You've seemed rather relaxed since we first got to the mall."

"You prove a valid point," Brittany replied. Her finger traced the perimeter of her coffee lid. She sighed and thought for a minute while her finger felt the plastic edge. Her mind began to wander amid the soft jazz music playing in the background. The previous weekend came to mind, and in no surprise to her, Erik was the focal point of her brief daydream. "Kerri, did this happen to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Erik just popped into my head...again," Brittany said with a slight twinge of re-emerging stress. "I've lost count at the number of times this has happened today. I don't even want to start with the drive home this morning." She took a drink of her latte. "I don't want to call it an obsession, but I can't stop thinking about him." She turned her head to face Kerri. "Did this happen to you? Were you like this when you and Aaron first met?"

Kerri closed her eyes and chuckled softly. A warm smile formed on her face. "As a matter of fact, yes," she said. "I couldn't get him out of my head, but it didn't start out that way. If anything, you should ask that question to Aaron."

"I'm guessing he was a little obsessed over you when you two first saw each other?"

Kerri nodded. "I never told you exactly how he and I met, did I?" Brittany shook her head. "Well, what better time than now?" She placed her coffee on the table in-between the chairs. "Maybe this will help you with what's going on in your head right now." Kerri quickly cleared her throat. "It was almost six years ago that Aaron first laid eyes on me. Before then, I wasn't a nurse. That job opportunity wouldn't come around for another year. Instead, I had thrown myself into my first love: singing. There was a jazz lounge just outside of State College called the Sakura Vixen. I had seen a sign on the door that said the place was looking for local talent. I went in and sang a few bars for the owners, and they booked me on the spot."

"No way!" Brittany exclaimed. "You were a real jazz singer? Why didn't you tell me?"

"You never asked," Kerri said with a sly grin. "I was so nervous my first night that I almost forgot what I was going to sing in my first set. Luckily, everything went well, and I became a regular fixture at the place. I made some rather good money between my shows and the tips I was getting from all the patrons. About six months went by, and I had really made a name for myself. Of course, with the sudden popularity came the sudden surge of men wanting to take me out on dates. As flattering as it was, I turned them down one by one. One night, all of that changed."

An eyebrow perked up on Brittany's face. "This is where Aaron comes into the picture, right?"

"Who's telling the story?" Kerri said in a jokingly stern manner. Brittany recoiled a bit back into her seat, causing Kerri to laugh. "Now, where was I? Ah yes, the night Aaron first came into the picture. Well, it was a Friday night, and I was ready for another performance. I peeked through the curtain and saw it was another full house with the exception of a few front tables. I got my cue, and I began my show without a hitch. I sang my first set right on target and got a pretty good ovation. During my second set, I noticed a wolf made his way towards one of the front tables with a glass of wine." Kerri smiled and sipped more of her coffee.

"I remember the song I was singing; it was Misty, a personal favorite of mine. A couple of times during the song, I couldn't help but look down and check him out. He had this star-struck look on his face, and his eyes were completely glued on my every move. Of course, the dress I was wearing wasn't making things any easier." She giggled. "I'll be honest; I was instantly attracted to him too. He looked so handsome in his shirt and tie. I had my eyes glued to him for the majority of my remaining songs. Once my show ended, I went about my routine for getting ready to go home, but I made one little check to see if he was still there. He must have left soon after my show was over."

Brittany looked over to Kerri. "Well, that kind of sucks...you didn't even get to ask for his name." She stretched in her chair. "But wait, you said he didn't obey the three day rule. It seems like you didn't do it either."

"Not quite," Kerri responded. "Truthfully, if I did get Aaron's number, I would have called him the next day. Since I didn't, I was well within the rule guidelines."

The rabbit rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fair enough," she said. "Now what happened next?"

Kerri sighed and grinned. "So I went back the next night for another performance. Aaron was still in the back of my mind, but I shrugged it off and got ready to go on stage. The curtain opened, and I took my place in front of the microphone to the sound of a nice applause. I looked out and saw another full house in the lounge. My eyes scanned the room, and sure enough, there he was again. He was sitting in the exact same table with another glass of wine. I couldn't help but smile and lock my gaze on him for a few seconds. After that, I went about my show from start to finish, but I gave him a glance or two during a few certain songs."

"Once my show was over, I peeked again to see if he was still at his table while the next act was on stage. Again, he wasn't there." Kerri looked up at the ceiling. "I was starting to wonder if he would ever stick around long enough for me to get to him. Boy, did I have a surprise when I left the lounge. I had my jacket and everything else as I went out the door, but just as I did, I heard a voice. I looked over, and there he was with a bouquet of roses. I couldn't help but giggle at his sudden appearance, and I was so flattered that he waited outside in the cold to see me. We talked for a while, and eventually, he found his courage and asked me out on a date." She laughed lightly at that memory resurfacing in her mind. "How could I say so? Two nights later, we went on our first date, and we've been together ever since."

Brittany finished her coffee and placed the empty cup on the table. "That's so romantic, Kerri!" she said. "I didn't know about any of that." She looked over to her friend. "So I guess you're saying that I shouldn't take what Aaron said too seriously, right?"

Kerri nodded. "Pretty much," she said. "Here's the way I see it: The three day rule is just that...a rule, not a law. While it may work for some people, you don't have to follow it word for word." A grin formed on her face. "Besides, if my memory serves me correctly, isn't there a saying that tells us about how rules are meant to be broken?"

"Good point," Brittany replied with a smile. "I'm going to call him tomorrow. The way I see it now, what harm can it do?" She got up from her chair with Kerri following soon after. "Thank you so much, Kerri. I really do appreciate the advice."

"Hey, what are friends for?" Kerri said. "I don't know about you, but my stomach is telling me that we should head back to my place. I want to see what Aaron made and if he set the house on fire or not in the process. Of course, you're invited to have dinner with us."

Brittany laughed. "I'm sure he did well, and I appreciate the invite." The two made their way out the door and towards Kerri's car. Out of the blue, a thought came to Brittany's mind. "Speaking of stomachs, Kerri, what exactly did you and Aaron mean when he said 'Yet' after I said you weren't a mother?" An eyebrow rose in suspicion. "Spill it."

Kerri stopped in front of her car door for a moment. She looked over to Brittany and smiled. "Come on now, Brit. You know how Aaron has been with wanting to be a father. He's been talking about it for a while now. Long story short, I'm not pregnant..." She opened her door and began to lean down. "...Yet," she finished as she ducked into the driver's side.

Brittany blinked, stood in place for a second, and let what Kerri said register in her mind. "Damn it, Kerri!" she shouted as she opened her door. "Not you, too!"

***

Two binders full of photographs were laid out on the living room table, while a pair of brown eyes scanned the contents of each page in the silent apartment. James breathed slowly and deeply as he turned the page to reveal more photographs. He was in a lot of them, but even more of them featured a young black cat with fiery red hair: Lina. Old memories became new with each image that he saw. He smiled and chuckled softly at some of the funnier photos, especially those that were taken on their honeymoon. Their week in Tahiti was a time that James held closely to his heart, but the final page of one binder eclipsed even that.

He reached the final page of the second binder and paused before turning it over. Even though he knew what he would see, a sense of sadness would always begin to creep up in his mind. The last page was dated November 13, 2018, the day before her death. The pictures were taken at a nearby park where they decided to have an outdoor lunch. While a few of the photos had them both as the feature, many of them just contained Lina hanging out on a park bench or on the swings with James taking the shots. His gaze came across a picture in the lowest corner of the page. Not only was it his favorite photo of her, it was also the last picture he would ever take of his wife. James sighed and closed the binder before returning them to the drawer in which he kept them.

The fox stared at the drawer for a minute and thought for just a while longer. "How would you handle this one, Lina?" he asked. "What would you say to Erik to sort out his mess?" His small smile returned and he laughed a bit. His attention returned to the rest of his dinner, and he sat back down on the couch. "I don't even think you could make heads or tails out of this one." He picked up his fork and went back to his meal. The clock in the kitchen struck ten times, causing James to take a quick look and confirm the time. "Wow...time flies when you're having fun, or in this case reminiscing," he mused to himself.

After a few more minutes, James' plate was cleared and his feet were propped up on the table. With nothing of much interest on the television, he decided to partake of his other favorite hobby: channel surfing. Every five seconds, his finger hit the up button, and his attention shifted right along with it. He could almost feel his mind slipping into a zoned out state before a football game finally caught his attention for more than the five second time limit. "Thank God," he groaned. James sat back and let himself sink into the cushions of the couch. Fortunately, it was a college football game, so James' interest was kept a bit more in tact than if it were a professional game. Despite the increased interest, James couldn't help but continue to think back to the past.

In a matter of moments, James' mind was transported back in time once again. This time, he was in high school and dressed in his old marching band uniform. He could see himself in the stands sitting alongside the remaining members of his drum line, sticks in hand. The game on the field was intense, and the band was loud and boisterous. James could hear every sound as if it were happening all over again. A smile began to appear, and a thought crossed his mind. He quickly got up and went into his room. His eyes scanned the area in search of a small box that he kept near his bed. Inside the box was a pair of drumsticks. The mahogany wood could still be seen where he would grip the sticks, but the white tape surrounding the rest had seen better days. Frayed pieces attempted to cling to the stick after a year's worth of drumming, especially where strong rim shots and taps were hit.

"Well now," he said, "it's been a while since I've brought you two out. Let's see if I remember how it's done..." James walked back into the living room and muted the television. He took one of his thick, hard cover books and placed it on the table in front of his. Holding the sticks in the traditional snare drumming grip, he felt the weight of them in his hands and thought back to his old cadences. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, it all came back to him, and his sticks began bouncing off the book cover. Stick flips and cross-over strikes were executed like clockwork, with each one coming in at the right moment. James' toe began tapping in time as the tempo increased in the cadence. "I've still got it," he chuckled as he continued drumming. He became so absorbed in his percussion work that he didn't even hear Erik open the door. James did, however, hear him slam the door shut, causing him to fumble one of his sticks and drop it to the floor. "Damn it," he grumbled under his breath. He looked into the kitchen and saw his roommate slumping in one of the chairs. "I see you're home early," James said. "How did everything go?"

Erik sighed heavily through his hands. "Do you really have to ask?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," James replied. "I just want to make sure that you're all right. That's what roommates do." He picked up his stick and began twirling it through his fingers. "Whatever happened, it must not be good...judging from your demeanor at least."

"And to think, you figured that out all on your own," his roommate said with a hint of malice.

James sighed and stood up while continuing to twirl the drumstick. "All right, so much for trying to be nice." He walked into the kitchen slowly. "Out with it, Erik. What did you do this time?"

Erik scratched his head. "Fine...I told her how I felt, and she didn't take very well to it."

"How did you put it to her?"

"I told her that this all needs to stop." Erik paused for a second. "She didn't like it, which I expected."

"Anything else you want to share?" James inquired.

"No," Erik said quickly. James glared at him from across the table. Erik crumbled under the tension. "We started arguing about who we had been with in the last five years, and double standards got thrown into the mix." Erik sighed in defeat. "I got frustrated and told her that we were a mistake."

A look of shock came across James' face. "Tell me you're joking," he said warily. All Erik could do was shake his head. James groaned and rubbed his forehead. "I'll give you this much: You certainly made your point clear with her. That said, are you going for a record number of fuck-ups in a twenty four hour period or something?"

"I know...I know. I tried to apologize to her, and she seemed to be all right when I left."

"You are completely clueless when it comes to women, aren't you?" James said plainly. "She's probably a lot more shaken up over the dumb shit you've said than you think. No woman EVER wants to hear that they were a mistake, especially in a sexual relationship."

"But we weren't in a..."

"Don't you dare say you weren't in a relationship!" James quickly interjected. "Whether two people are committed to each other or they're just fuck buddies like you and Holly were, it's still a relationship on one level or another. She was emotionally invested in you, and she was hoping to see a return in that investment in some form. You pretty much crushed her heart and broke her emotional spirit by calling her a mistake." James got up and walked over to the refrigerator. 'Screw water. I need a beer,' he thought. He grabbed a bottle and removed the cap in silence before sitting back down. "How many serious girlfriends have you had?"

Erik thought for a moment. "Define serious."

James sighed. "Ok...let me rephrase that. How many girls have you dated for more than six months?"

The raccoon began to think again. "Two. I dated one girl for eight months and another for a few weeks shy of a year." He stopped for a moment. "Otherwise, the other girls I dated didn't stay with me for more than two or so months."

James nodded. "All right...So what made the two long term girlfriends so much different than the others?"

"Well, for one, they were both before what happened between Holly and I," Erik confessed. "They were, both while I was working on my theatre degree, and both of them were recommended by friends of mine." Erik got up and poured himself a glass of water. "The first girlfriend was a lot of fun...not in a sexy way, mind you. We went out a lot and seemed to enjoy each others company. I really did like her. Unfortunately, she seemed to enjoy my roommate's company a little more than mine. I found her with him after one of my classes and dumped her on the spot."

James' eyebrows rose in surprise. "Well now, that sucks." He took another drink of his beer. "What about the other one?"

"This was the one that lasted about a year. We met through a friend on set. She didn't seem like my type at first, but it turned out that she and I had a good deal in common. She was the only girlfriend that I took home to meet the parents, and they even seemed to approve of her." He stopped for a quick second. "It was all too good to be true in the long run. As time went on, she became more and more possessive. I couldn't go anywhere without her calling me at least twice before I got back. I was feeling so suffocated that I just had to get out of it. She wanted so much from me, and I simply couldn't give her what she wanted. That's why I broke up with her."

A sigh was the response he received from James. "That's kind of unfortunate as well," he said.

"I took a break from dating after that one," Erik continued. "I really didn't want to go through another relationship like either of them. They both didn't end well, and neither girl was really right for me even though I tried to make it work. After Holly left, I tried to get back into dating again, but it never really worked. I would panic when it seemed like things were getting serious, and I'd break things off. I don't know why I can't seem to get over the fear that I have."

"You're missing one major detail, Erik," James added. "You were still a virgin before Holly."

There was an extended period of silence between the roommates. James let his statement sink in and continued his glare across the table. As each word registered in his mind, Erik's face began to show a slow brewing anger. "Holly had nothing to do with any future relationships. Those other girls simply didn't work out, and I broke up with them."

"You're wrong. She had everything to do with them," James retorted. "Let's face it, Erik. You weren't jaded after that fling. You were scared to repeat it. There's a deep-seeded fear in your mind that's keeping you from ever getting serious again. You did something with Holly that you were flat out not ready for, and every time you would get to that point with another woman, your mind would go into overdrive with fear over past events. It wasn't the fault of the girls you dated that you broke up with them...it was you."

Erik took a deep breath to try and calm himself down, but it did little to help. His gaze intensified at the fox sitting across the table. "Look at you, Mr. Kitsune," he sneered. "You talk like you know everything just because you were married."

"Watch what you say, Erik!" James growled loudly. "You're about to tread in very dangerous waters."

"I understand you have a bit more life experience than I do, but I don't need someone to play the holier than thou card on me." Silence filled the room for a minute as the tension grew between Erik and James. "You can't look me in the eye and say you never had fear run through you like what I'm going through right now. You can't say this has never happened to you."

The fox looked at Erik with a stern expression. "You're right," he said plainly. "I can't. I'd be a liar if I said it never happened to me." He sat back in his chair. "I made several mistakes when I was younger. There were girls that I dated that were simply bad for me, but here's the difference: I never let things get as far out of hand as you did."

"Oh come on," Erik said. "I'm calling bullshit on that. I defy you to tell me that you never did something with a girl that you regret."

"Again, I can't say that," James continued. "There's always going to be that temptation, and on a few occasions, it almost got the best of me. I do regret some of the things I did, but I didn't let it consume me."

"Like what?" Erik asked. "Was it anything like me?"

James stopped. "You mean did I do something with someone that I regret?" Erik nodded. James took several breaths before answering. "No, but I almost did, and I do regret that it got as close as it did. I'd be lying if I said that particular incident didn't linger in the back of my mind for a while and make me a bit nervous about dating again."

James finished his beer and slowly placed the bottle back on the table. "I digress. This isn't about me. This is about you, and this all goes right back to what I've said before to you: You never truly got over Holly. Through all those years, she was still on your mind in one form or another. You have a golden opportunity to grow up and finally move on with Brittany." Erik's ears perked up at her name. "From what I've gathered when I brought her back to the hotel last weekend, she's a really nice woman, and I think she's exactly what you're looking for."

"You really think so?" Erik asked.

"Absolutely," his roommate answered. A sly grin formed on his face. "Of course, I don't want to come off like I know everything just because I've been married once."

Erik sighed and chuckled lightly. "All right...I deserved that one. I'm sorry about that." He rubbed his forehead and sighed. "I know it doesn't seem like I've been trying, but believe me when I say that I have been. It's just difficult to forget what happened."

"I understand where you're coming from," James said. "Tough as it may be, you need to for your own sake. I don't want you to rush into things, but I don't want to see you lose Brittany over what's going on upstairs." He got up and placed his bottle on the counter. "You want one?"

Erik put his hand up. "Hit me." James reached for two bottles in the fridge and threw one to Erik gently. "Thank you...for everything. I really do appreciate it."

James smiled. "Hey, that's what friends are for. Now come on, I've got a football game on TV. Let's just relax for the rest of the night. You've got some classes tomorrow, don't you?"

Erik sighed and opened his bottle. "Yeah...thanks for reminding me." He laughed and began to make his way to the living room. "Hey...you coming or what?"

James looked over to Erik. "Yeah, I'll be there in a minute. Don't wait on my account," he said with a chuckle. Erik nodded and went over to the couch, leaving James in the kitchen by himself. The fox sighed and sat down at the table, beer bottle in hand. He stared at the churning liquid through the brown glass, and his mind traveled back in time again. This time, he went further back; he went to a time before he met his late wife. It was a warm May evening in his dorm room, and he was not alone. A black haired vixen lay in bed with him. Their bodies were intertwined tightly under the sheets, with the only movement being the rhythmic rising and falling of their chests. James could feel her soft body pressed against his, and he could still see her face next to his own. He blinked, and he was returned to the present after his brief flashback.

A pair of deep breaths escaped him, and he took a small sip of his beer. "Sorry, Erik," James said quietly to himself. "I had to tell that little white lie to prove a point." James' eyes closed for a moment. 'I do regret it,' he thought. 'I regret not telling you how much you meant to me when I had the chance.' He looked up. "I wonder where you right now...?"

"Hey, Jim!" Erik called. "You're missing a really good game! Are you all right?"

Erik's voice snapped him out of his trance-like state. "Yeah, I'm fine. Be right there. Just tell me what I missed," he answered. James slowly got up and began to walk into the living room. As he did, a familiar question repeated in his mind:

'Where are you...?'

James stopped again. A puzzled look came across his face. "Why now, of all times?" he asked himself softly.

***

A pair of headlights pulled into a Hartford driveway just before midnight. Holly turned off her car's engine and sat in silence, the same way her entire drive back to her home went. No amount of music could have drowned the four words that Erik yelled to her at the restaurant. 'We were a mistake,' she kept thinking to herself in disbelief. She tried to fight back the tears that wanted to fall from her eyes, but it was a losing battle. One by one, tiny drops of water fell down her face and into her lap. Her head made its way to the top of the steering wheel while she gripped the sides harder and harder. "That's not the Erik I know," she said through her tears.

After nearly ten minutes, Holly finally exited her car and entered the cold of a New England November night. A chill ran up and down her spine as she walked to her door. As she reached for her keys, they dropped to the ground in her haste to get inside. She bent down to get them and noticed an envelope wedged in her door frame. Her eyes examined the front and saw that it was from Erik. Holly completely forgot about going inside, and she quickly ripped the letter open to see what was inside. It was a small, hand-written letter dated the day that she and Erik went to the nightclub.

'He must have sent this in the mail before we went out,' she thought. 'Otherwise, there's no way he would give me the time of day.' She quickly dismissed her thoughts and let her eyes roam on the page.

"Dear Holly," she began to read aloud. "It was so nice to see you again after so long. I hope all has been well with you in Hartford. Sorry that we didn't have too much of a chance to catch up at the ball, but we'll have another chance later, right? I can't wait to go to our high school reunion together. It will be just like old times. Keep in touch, and I'll see you next week. Erik..."

A small smile crept across her face. She went through her key chain and found the key to her door. In one fluid motion, she unlocked her house and went straight to her kitchen cabinet. She poured herself a glass of whiskey on the rocks and walked into the living room. With the letter in one hand and her glass in the other, she sat back in her recliner and looked up at the ceiling. Her mind didn't know what to do with itself. Conflicting messages were battling for supremacy in her mind; Holly's head and heart were at odds. She sighed deeply and re-read the short letter while slowly letting the whiskey pass by her lips.

She stopped just after the sentence that talked of old times. That one semester with Erik returned to her mind's eye in vivid detail. Every touch, sound, and sight was remembered as if it happened yesterday. She shut her eyes tight and relived each moment leading up to her departure from Penn State and their ill-fated reunion at the restaurant that evening. When her eyes reopened, she was met with the sight of his letter once more. Another sip of her whiskey combined with her memories muted her head for good that night, and her heart took over. One more tear fell from Holly's eyes and onto the paper, but this tear was different. It was of joy and hope for her. "We weren't a mistake..." she said softly. A weak smile appeared. "I know we weren't..."

***

"It's so nice to be back in our own bed," Kerri said with a sigh as she flopped backwards onto the mattress. "That mini-vacation was fun and all, but it's great to be home again."

Aaron smiled and sat on the edge of the bed. "I couldn't agree more, Kerri," he replied. He stretched his legs out and yawned. "Now, however, we have to get back to work tomorrow."

"I know...I know," she groaned. "Something tells me I'm going to be walking into some kind of a disaster at the hospital." She turned on her side to face Aaron. "Then again, if I do, I can just send Brittany in for me. God, I love the seniority card." The couple laughed for a minute. "Nah, I'm not that mean," Kerri continued. "I wouldn't do that to the poor girl. I'll save that for a rainy day."

"Look at you...the benevolent goddess," Aaron joked. Kerri grinned and responded with a pillow aimed for his head. "But in all honesty," the wolf said as he lay down next to his wife, "you really are a goddess to me."

"Oh, Aaron," Kerri cooed with a smile. "You flatter me too much."

A smile formed on his face. "You've never complained in all the years that we've been together." He leaned in and kissed her nose. "Ever since that first day I saw you, I always thought of you as that image of perfection. You do remember that day, don't you?"

Kerri giggled. "How could I possibly forget? You were so cute with your bouquet of roses. Tell me, how long were you waiting outside for me?"

"It was about twenty or so minutes, but it seemed like an eternity to me."

Kerri's eyebrows rose. "I didn't know you waited for me that long!"

Aaron chuckled. "How were you supposed to know?" He scooted closer to his wife. "Besides, it wasn't that cold outside with my jacket. I'm just so glad you didn't think I was a creep or a stalker."

"Nah," Kerri said. "I had a feeling you were genuine. The way you stuttered when you first spoke to me was too cute for words."

"I was cold!" Aaron defended.

"But you just said that it wasn't that bad with your jacket," the husky responded with a sly grin.

Aaron couldn't get the words in his head to come out, and all he could do with sigh in defeat, which caused Kerri to laugh. "Just tell me you didn't reveal that little detail to Brittany when you were telling her about how we met."

"Your little secret is safe with me, honey," she said sweetly. Kerri placed a soft kiss on her husband's lips. "Speaking of secrets, you almost blew our little secret sky high this afternoon with Brittany."

Her husband shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say? I'm excited about the prospect of being a father someday." He motioned for Kerri to move closer to him. Once she got close enough, he wrapped his arms around her. "I know you said that it will happen when it happens, and I really do respect that, but you know how much I've wanted to be a father."

"And I really want to be a mother soon as well, but I don't want to broadcast the fact that we're trying to have a baby to everyone." She smiled. "We'll save the broadcasting for when I'm actually pregnant. Then you can tell the whole world if you want."

"All right. Fair enough," He reciprocated her smile. "I'll lay off on the baby talk in public and keep it to just you and me," he cooed.

Kerri wiggled around in his embrace and giggled. "That's the Aaron I know and love." She traced a finger along Aaron's side, causing him to shiver at her touch. Aaron responded by running his fingers along the back of her bra and causing her to shiver as well. "Hey now, I was just trying to do something nice," she sneered with a grin.

"So was I," he responded with his own grin. His fingers continued their journey down her back, eliciting a deep breath from his wife.

Kerri looked right into his eyes. "Is there something that you want, dear?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," he said followed by a long kiss on her lips. "I want you."

Next: Chapter 11 - Reconnecting