Hella long A/N ... sorry:
This was written with so much love for the amazing Hogwarts Duo (chelsie-carson on tumblr) as her birthday gift. There was never any question that her birthday fic would be a supplement to After the Fall - the writing, discussion, and dreams of which were the beginning of our friendship. I'm publishing it as a stand-alone because it's not specifically a prompt answer as the other AtF supplements have been.
Her birthday request was for "Chelsie fluff," and there is a good amount of that here. There are also many nods to the main AtF fic, all of which she will undoubtedly recognize but which you may not unless you've read it recently. To catch you up, AtF is a modern AU set in coastal Maine. Charles and Elsie adopted Tommy Barrow ages ago, and their other children are Daisy (from Charles's first marriage) and Juliet. For this particular segment, Elsie is 54, Charles is 59, Tommy is 21, Daisy is 18 (and has just graduated high school), and Juliet is nine. (And I feel old.) It's not necessary to have read the main fic to understand this, but the details may be more meaningful if you are familiar with it.
My thanks to meetmeinstlouie for the beta work, and a shout-out to dibdab4 is also contained within the text (throwback to the main story, that).
Warning for a few tears along the way, particularly if you're an AtF fan already. Please read, review, and head on over to tumblr to send chelsie-carson a very Happy Birthday.
Wishing you all the best, my dear, sweet octo-thug … and I'll see you soon! xxx
CSotA
June 15
Phyllis poked her head around the corner of Elsie's office door. "Hey, you. Need any help?"
"Hey," Elsie smiled in return. "No, I think I'm set for now." She scanned the books, files, and random knick-knacks strewn about. "I'm just getting started sorting through it all, really. It's kind of a nightmare."
"Do the files first," Phyllis advised. "They'll take the most time if you're still transferring everything to the computer system; then you can shred those, and the rest will seem a bit easier to tackle."
"I can't believe I didn't swap completely over to the online program years ago," Elsie grumbled. "What was I thinking, still keeping hand-written notes on all these kids?"
"Old habits die hard," Phyllis laughed. "I'd help you, but I know I shouldn't read them all."
"It's fine," Elsie said. "I suppose it's a good thing I don't have a choice, or I'd put it off forever! But I know Jen shouldn't have to deal with my reluctance to modernize."
"I can't believe how lucky we were that she needed a job!"
"Tell me about it. She was amazing when she filled in for me before. I had no idea she'd stayed fairly close by all these years."
"Well, give a yell when you're ready to start shredding paper. Guidance has two machines, and that plus yours will make it go fast."
Elsie looked over at her dear friend and smiled sadly. "I will."
"Chin up, Elsie," Phyllis said, her quiet demeanor calming and kind. "It'll be hard, but you've made the right choice."
"I know."
Phyllis left, and Elsie took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, her eyes scanning the room one more time before she gathered the files and sat at the computer.
Two and a half hours, she told herself. Then you call it quits for the day.
It was already two o'clock, after all, and the kids would be dismissed at any time.
Elsie's eyes fell on the date at the bottom of the computer screen: June 15.
"One more week," she muttered, a lump appearing in her throat.
Half an hour later, Elsie was interrupted by the ringing of the school bell - followed soon after by a petite presence lingering in her doorway.
"Come here, you," she said to her daughter, and Juliet ran into her arms for a tight hug as Elsie dropped a kiss to the top of her head.
"How was your day, love?"
"Great!" Juliet pulled away from her mother and retrieved a juice box from the mini-fridge underneath Elsie's desk. "We got our art projects back and I got a ninety-eight!"
"Following in your sister's footsteps, I see," Elsie nodded proudly. "Perhaps you'll be off to art school in a few years as well."
"Maybe." Juliet climbed up onto her Mam's lap and scanned the desk before them. "That's quite a mess," she observed. "Need help?"
"No, but thank you for the kind offer. Daisy will be here soon to pick you up, and I promise to be home by five."
"Do Daisy and I get to make dinner tonight?" Juliet asked excitedly.
"I believe so, yes. Daisy has something planned to cook out on the grill, she said, and Papa will help you if you need him to."
"How is he today?"
Elsie looked down into her daughter's concerned eyes. "He's fine; he's having a relaxing week, which is good."
"Yeah," Juliet nodded.
Just then, Elsie's phone buzzed; she reached to retrieve it, but Juliet beat her to it, entering the "secret" password and seeing Daisy's message.
"She's here," Juliet announced, handing Elsie back her phone and hopping down onto the floor before placing a kiss to her Mam's cheek. "See you at five. And remember, you promised."
Elsie drew her finger across her chest. "Cross my heart," she said. "See you then."
Juliet picked up her backpack, tossed her empty juice box in the bin, and bounded out the door. Elsie heard her shout a "good-bye, Auntie Edith" toward the principal's office, and then she heard the office door chime as Juliet let herself out.
Elsie sat back in her chair with a sigh, nibbling her lip as she thought back to her phone conversation with Charles at lunchtime.
"You're sure you're fine?" she asked.
"Elsie," Charles said patiently. "I'm perfectly fine. No shaking at all today, nor any other day this week. I'm telling you, the medication is working marvelously."
"Well," she replied thoughtfully, "you've also taken the month off from any case work, and the stress reduction is undoubtedly helping."
"And when I return to work, I'll have you by my side," he said happily. "Reduced case load, and the best assistant I could possibly have. It'll be a different life, but I think we can make a go of it."
"Well," Elsie said with a smile that Charles could hear over the line, "I certainly intend to try."
Elsie reached up and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye before rededicating to the task at hand; her fingers flew over the keyboard as she put the last of the school paperwork to bed for good.
oOoOoOoOo
Charles put down the phone after his regular lunchtime chat with Elsie and sighed deeply. He looked down at his feet, where Scamp was playing with his small rope bone. Reaching down, Charles carefully picked up the puppy and cuddled him to his chest; Scamp, for his part, contentedly abandoned the toy in favor of snuggling with his Papa.
"You know, Scamp, I'm not sure Mam trusts us all alone in the house."
Scamp reached up and licked Charles's chin in reply.
Charles got out of his chair and walked over to the window, the view of their yard - and the ocean beyond it - breathtaking even after several years. His eyes fell upon the bench and stone marker where they'd laid Max to rest earlier that spring, and Scamp cuddled in closer as though sensing his Papa's sadness.
"Oh, I'll be all right," Charles murmured thickly. "We've got such a wonderful little soul in you, my boy."
Scamp had been an early birthday gift for Elsie. She'd been completely distraught upon losing Max, and when William had mentioned to Daisy that his neighbors' dog had given birth to five puppies a month prior, Charles knew instantly that refusal would be impossible. He and Daisy had gone to see the puppies later on that week, and Elsie had been none the wiser ...
"Oh, look at them," Daisy gushed.
Four bundles of fluff were gathered around the mother, with one smaller pup off to the side on his own.
"They're Scottie-spaniel mixes," the owner remarked. "A mistake, to be honest, because someone snuck out of her kennel one evening. But they're precious, aren't they?"
Charles nodded and reached his hand in to pat the one all by himself in the corner; the puppy instantly raised his head and cuddled into Charles's palm ... and promptly fell asleep.
"I think that's our choice made," Daisy chuckled. "Poor Mam. He's supposed to be hers, but that doesn't look likely."
"We can share," Charles said gruffly, and he looked up at the owner and nodded.
"Four more weeks," the man said. "He'll have had his first shots and everything." He gave the name of the local vet, and Charles nodded - it was the same place where they'd always brought Max.
"Perfect," he replied ...
Charles set Scamp down after a few more minutes and headed into the kitchen to make a late lunch. He carefully reached for a plate, but no tremor was evident in his hand. He smiled, relieved, and set about making a sandwich.
The onset of the tremor had been a bit of a surprise, to be sure. It had started about two months before, and he'd tried in vain to hide it from Elsie. It had been during a visit from Beryl when Elsie had first noticed it; Beryl had handed Charles a cup of tea, and when he'd reached for it, he'd had to steady it with his other hand as the cup rattled on the saucer below. Neither Elsie nor Beryl had said a thing, but Elsie had been sure to address it that evening as they were cuddled together in bed.
Somehow, it had been easier to tell her about it then, when the darkness had hidden the fear on his face even if he'd not been able to keep it out of his voice. He'd known what it was, had remembered that his grandfather suffered from something similar … an "essential tremor," Charles had told her in the quiet of the night, and she'd nodded against his chest. It was as she'd suspected; she was a nurse after all. And while the terminology and treatments were changing all the time, the affliction wasn't anything new to the medical field.
Charles remembered thinking that it would pass him by; his grandfather's hands had started the shaking when the man was in his forties - and he'd had it in both hands - but it had skipped over Charles's father completely … although he supposed that could have been attributed to the man's early demise.
At Elsie's request, Richard had recommended a specific doctor, and she and Charles had visited the following week. Some testing had ruled out other possible illnesses, and the signs for something more serious (like Parkinson's) were thankfully absent.
The doctor had prescribed medication, relaxation techniques, and a reduced workload. Elsie's decision had been made by the time they'd gotten back to the house: she'd retire, effective at the end of the school year, and be by Charles's side in the event that things worsened with time. She'd be around to assist him with his own work, which he'd been afraid to give up completely for fear that he'd go mad with nothing to do, and Elsie had soothed him into a sense of acceptance that they could make it work.
He knew now, looking down at the sandwich on the plate, that she'd been right: having her by his side was going to help. Her presence steadied him like none other, and she knew how to read his moods and needs incredibly well. He could continue working, and she could handle any notes or typing as needed. The reduction in stress was already helping his condition, the medication seemed to be working, and he found that he was looking forward to it all rather more than he'd expected.
Now he was only worried about Elsie. Daisy's graduation three weeks prior and her plans to move to New York in August had been very hard for Elsie to deal with, and even though Juliet would remain home with them, it was a lot of change - a lot of loss, he supposed - in such a short period of time.
He sighed and tossed a small piece of turkey to Scamp, who'd shadowed him into the kitchen for a snack.
"We'll have to keep her very busy, my boy," he told the dog. "And then, of course, there's our little surprise."
Scamp yipped in reply, then sat and reached his front paws into the air, begging for another piece of meat.
"Go on, then," Charles muttered, tossing him a bit. "But that's the last piece."
They both knew that was a lie.
oOoOoOoOo
When Daisy pulled the Volvo up in front of the house, Charles opened the door to let Scamp run out and greet the girls.
The pup always headed for Juliet first, and she scooped him up, gave him a kiss (and received several in return), and handed him over to Daisy so that she could grab her school bag from the back seat.
"Hey! I've been gone all of thirty minutes," Daisy laughed as Scamp kissed her senseless. "It's not like I disappeared for a long time!"
"But you will soon enough," Juliet said wistfully. "So he's getting in all his snuggle time now."
Daisy reached over and ruffled her sister's auburn hair. "Fair enough, I guess. And don't you start making me feel bad. Mam already said you can visit after I move in."
Juliet nodded. "Because you're not sharing a room. Yeah ... but still. First Tommy, and now you! I'm going to be all alone."
Daisy crouched down in front of her sister. "Look. I'll be home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and during my spring break. It's not the same week as yours, but maybe Mam and Papa will let you take a day off. We'll have time together, don't you worry. And you can FaceTime me every night."
"You promise?" Juliet whispered, hugging Daisy around the neck.
Daisy hugged her back and looked up to see Charles watching her from the porch.
"I promise," she said.
"Not a lie?"
Daisy smiled. "Not a lie. Just like Papa."
She felt Juliet nod into her shoulder.
"All right," the little girl whispered. "Can we go in now? I need to pee."
Daisy laughed and let her go, standing up and locking her father's car in the process.
"Okay."
oOoOoOoOo
Supper that night was comprised of steaks, potato salad, fresh greens from Elsie's garden outside, and chocolate cake for dessert.
"Special occasion?" Elsie asked, her eyes falling upon the cake as she made her way into the kitchen. She dropped her briefcase on the chair by the counter and tucked herself under her husband's arm as he stood watching the girls through the window.
"Maybe," he hedged, leaning down to kiss her. He lingered a moment, and she hummed against his lips, pulling away only when she heard the sliding door that indicated the girls had come back in.
"Seriously?" Juliet rolled her eyes at her parents, ducking when Elsie playfully swatted for her bottom.
"I hope someday we find people who love us as much as you two love each other," Daisy said quietly, and she walked into the kitchen to rinse off her tray.
Charles's breath caught, but Elsie just patted his arm. "She'll be fine; just give her time, Charlie."
"If I ever see that boy again …"
"If you see him, you'll do nothing," Elsie advised. "We must all have our hearts broken once or twice before we're done."
"So you keep telling me," he said. "Ah, well … at least we were with her for the first heartbreak, and she wasn't away at school and all alone."
Elsie just nodded, her own heart heavy for their girl's sadness, but she knew that Daisy would be all the stronger for it when she was out on her own.
Elsie and Charles set the table while the girls finished cooking, and they enjoyed a lovely meal together on the deck. It was a breezy, beautiful evening, and their conversation was light-hearted as Juliet relayed the information about her art project and Daisy and Elsie discussed purchases they'd need to make for Daisy's dorm room at school.
"The floor plan will be small," Elsie reminded her. "That's the drawback of a single."
"Yeah, but it'll be quiet," Daisy said with a small smile. "I can't imagine having to room with a stranger. I know that's supposed to be the fun of it, but not as far as I'm concerned."
"There's nothing wrong with that," Charles said thoughtfully. "You're comfortable on your own. That's much better than being terrified, which is how most first-year university students feel."
Daisy smiled at him, nodding. It wasn't too long ago when she had been terrified - of a great many things, in fact - and she'd worked quite hard to overcome all of that.
"Time for cake?" Juliet asked.
Elsie laughed. "Fine. I'm sure your Papa is ready," she added, glancing at her husband's empty plate.
"Indeed," he smiled. "Come on, Juliet, and I'll help you." Charles gathered their plates while Juliet helped with silverware.
"Daisy," Elsie said once the others were out of earshot. "What's going on?"
"Sorry?" Daisy's brow was furrowed, but Elsie didn't miss the gleam in her eye.
"Don't give me 'sorry,'" Elsie said. "Something is up. Lovely dinner, chocolate cake - which you know is my favorite. It's very suspicious!"
"Well, you're totally not getting anything from me," Daisy said.
Elsie pursed her lips. "Fine. I suppose I'll know soon enough."
Just then, Juliet and Charles arrived with the cake. Elsie couldn't see anything strange about that, until her daughter set the cake on the table and Charles set four dessert plates and forks down at their seats … that was when Elsie spied something tucked underneath his arm.
Charles saw her looking at the envelope, but he ignored her. He'd gotten away with precious few surprises over the past few years without Elsie figuring them out ahead of time, and he knew she could wait another minute or two for this one.
When the cake was cut and served, though, Charles could stand it no more. He held out the envelope to Elsie; it was now crumpled from having been squished against his side.
"Surprise," he said softly, his eyes full of glee.
Elsie looked over at their daughters, but the girls weren't giving anything up. She slowly reached for the envelope, the slid open the flap, and withdrew a second, smaller envelope. She knew from the image on the front that it contained airline tickets.
"I feel like we've been here before, Charles, with this surprise trip thing," she joked, and he laughed aloud.
"Yes, but this one won't end in a fight ... I hope." He glanced at Daisy, who just smiled softly at the memory.
Elsie looked inside and scanned the writing on the tickets, and her eyes widened in shock. She looked quickly to Charles and then back in the envelope, double-checking that there were, in fact, only two.
"We're going back?" she whispered.
"We are," he confirmed. "I believe I owe you a few months there, but this is only for one week. It was all I could negotiate," he added, glancing at Juliet, who smiled and nodded.
"One entire week of isolation," Elsie replied in a whisper. She got up from her seat and wrapped her arms around her husband's neck, leaned down, and kissed him soundly.
"Here we go again," Juliet said, rolling her eyes, and Daisy laughed.
Elsie looked back at the tickets, and then at Charles again.
"You're sure?"
"I'm positive," he murmured as she looked into his eyes. "Our honeymoon was one of the best times of my life, and I can't wait to go back with you and do it all over again."
"Me either."
"Happy Retirement, love. We leave in nine days."
Elsie just shook her head, leaned forward, and kissed him one more time.
"Thank you," she whispered tearfully. "It'll be just what I need."
Charles squeezed her tightly to him. "I know."
oOoOoOoOo
The next week went faster than Elsie could have imagined. As always, there was a staff meeting to close out the last day of school, but Edith had turned it into a retirement party instead.
When Phyllis and Joseph approached Elsie with an enormous cake decked out with sparklers, she broke down completely. There were hugs all around, along with the gift to which the entire staff had contributed (but which Elsie could tell immediately had been chosen and purchased by Edith): a gold bangle into which were set the birthstones representing everyone in the Carson household. The inside of the bracelet was engraved with the words Our family is a circle of love.
It couldn't have been a more perfect gift. Elsie slid it on immediately and then rushed to Edith to give her a tight hug and whispered words of thanks.
"You're very welcome," Edith said. "We'll miss you from this family, but we know we're letting you go so that you can attend to your real family. And there's nothing wrong with that."
"You're my real family, too," Elsie whispered, and Edith laughed.
"That's true. So maybe it's easier for me, hm? But I will miss you so much when I'm here."
"You'll visit, won't you, Elsie?" Joseph called from across the room. "Because otherwise we'll all have to show up at the house on a very regular basis."
Elsie laughed at that (which, truly, had been Joseph's motive), and she wiped her face and turned to face them all.
"You're welcome anytime," she said, looking out at everyone's faces. "All of you."
She took a deep, steadying breath. "I can't believe I'll just be dropping Juliet off here from now on and … well, leaving. Being here has been such a wonderful part of my life. You've seen me through some dark times," she continued, "but also through the best times."
"And you, us," Phyllis said as she reached for Joseph's hand; he smiled at her, nodded, and squeezed her fingers tightly.
"Yes," Elsie smiled, remembering their wedding day a year prior. "I suppose that's true. Thank you all … for everything. I promise I'll be back - for the parent types of things. You'll not be rid of me that easily!"
Laughter spread through the room, and Elsie nodded her head decisively.
"Let's cut into this beauty," she said, looking at the cake. "I must say, Beryl certainly outdid herself this time."
"That she did," Edith said, handing her the knife and standing ready with a stack of plates. "It took a month to get her to decide on the design."
Elsie looked at the cake one more time as a couple of staff members snapped photographs of it. The cake itself was shaped like a scrub top. Beryl had cut horses out of fondant and placed them on the blue top as the pattern for the fabric, and she had crafted a stethoscope to loop around the neck. Tucked underneath the stethoscope was a "note," also made of fondant, onto which she'd piped words of advice for Elsie's retirement, including things like "breathe easy" and "sleep in." But the best part, in Elsie's opinion, was the back of the cake, which had gone unseen until someone walked around the table and remarked upon it: there, airbrushed and piped in painstaking detail, was a replica of the beach upon which the Carsons' house sat … truly symbolic of the actual transition her early retirement would bring.
"I hate to cut this apart," she admitted. "You'd all better send me those photos."
"We will," one of the teachers said kindly. "Don't you worry about that." The woman patted Elsie on the back, and Elsie nodded her thanks before cutting into the cake and serving it up with Edith's help.
After the party ended, Elsie made her way back to her office. As she clicked on the light and spied the empty bulletin board, cleaned-off desktop, and the box of her personal items resting on the floor, she leaned heavily into the door jamb.
"Hey, you," came Joseph's voice from behind her; Elsie turned her head to look at him, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek. "I'm going to miss you, my friend," he said, his voice catching.
"Well," Elsie whispered tearfully, "you do have your wife to keep your head above water now."
"That's true," he said. "But it'll be so different around here without you."
"You're coming to the house for dinner when Charles and I get back?"
Joseph nodded. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Well, then," Elsie said, giving him a sideways hug. "That's all right."
"Do you want some help with that?" Joseph asked, pointing to the box, but Elsie shook her head.
"Nah, I've got it. But thanks."
Joseph peered into the box, spying the framed wedding photograph of Elsie and Charles. In it, they were holding hands and wading in the shallow surf of the beach, the sun setting before them.
"You're moving on to an even better part of your life, I think," he mused. "You may miss all this at first, but I bet you get used to being home awfully fast."
She thought suddenly of Tommy, and how happy she was that her boy was coming home for the next couple of weeks.
"Yes," she agreed with a smile. "After all, time does move on for us all."
oOoOoOoOo
"Mam!"
Tommy jumped down from his Jeep and jogged toward the house, grabbing Elsie up in his arms and lifting and hugging her simultaneously.
"Congratulations," he said, kissing her cheek. "I can't believe you really did it."
"I know," she said, smoothing out where she'd mussed his t-shirt. "I thought I'd be there forever."
"Well," he said, letting her go and reaching for the bag he'd tossed carelessly onto the ground, "I suppose you couldn't resist spending more time with Papa."
"It is a pretty good alternative," she agreed with a laugh. "Long walks on the beach, some note taking and scheduling, and making sure we both relax? Yeah, that's not a bad plan, now that I think of it."
They dropped his bag on the porch and, by unspoken agreement, headed down toward the beach; Elsie, ever-perceptive of her son's moods and emotions, could tell he had something on his mind.
They meandered down the short path through the grass, tossed their sandals on the side, and headed closer to the surf, digging their toes in the cool, wet sand.
"So," Elsie said, "are you going to tell me, or shall I guess?"
Tommy smirked, glancing at his mother before staring out over the ocean. "You always could tell," he said. "Even when I was younger."
"Well, I'm guessing what's eating at you now might be something a bit … happier?"
The smirk turned into a full smile, and Tommy nodded.
"Yeah, I think so."
Oh, Elsie thought with a sigh, thank goodness; he's said yes.
"So he's asked you, then?" she teased, and Tommy whipped around to face her, shocked.
"Wait. You knew?"
She elbowed her son as they walked, no longer able to contain her happiness.
"Logan stopped by last weekend," she revealed, and she smiled more brightly as Tommy's eyes grew wide. "Said he didn't want to ask without our blessing - mine and your father's."
"He … But … But he didn't …" Tommy sputtered, and Elsie took his arm and laughed.
"No, I imagine that didn't come up," she agreed. "But I gather you've accepted?"
Tommy nodded. "Yeah, although now I think we'll have to have a conversation about being sneaky …"
Elsie's laughter sounded clear across the beach, and Tommy stopped walking and looked down at her.
"You're sure Papa was fine with it?" he said. "I know he's been great about us, but this … This is big, Mam."
"It is," she agreed, her tone suddenly more serious. "But you've been together for a while now." She bit her lip thoughtfully before adding, "You know better than most what it's like to be happy, and that the road to a good marriage certainly isn't easy for everyone." She glanced up at the house, and Tommy followed her gaze, suddenly aware that - although he'd never be able to hear their conversation from this distance - Charles was now sitting on the back deck, watching them as they walked. "It's about finding a balance between getting what you need ... and sacrificing sometimes because of what your spouse needs."
"Well, I think I've got pretty good examples of that," he said softly. "And we're going to wait. I want to go to the Academy first, then find a good job, work my way up in the department. Logan starts his new job next week, and we want to spend time figuring out things like finances and where to live. But we've already decided on one thing."
"What's that?"
"Well," Tommy answered, smiling at his mother, "we think a small, simple, beachfront wedding has a certain ring to it. Family and close friends; that's it."
Elsie beamed at her boy, reaching up to draw him into a hug which he enthusiastically returned.
"That it does," she said. "Now come on; I think we've deprived the rest of the family long enough. They're simply dying to see you."
"Good. I'm really looking forward to this week. Empty house, cool sisters, no parents … Party city, that."
"Hey," she said, knowing he was teasing. "Be careful. One of you is still under the age of ten. Party had better mean watching Pixar films on repeat for the duration of the week."
Tommy wrapped his arm around her shoulders and laughed.
"Well, damn," he said. "You've figured out the evil plan already."
oOoOoOoOo
As the boat approached the dock of the private residence, Elsie reached for her husband's hand. It trembled a bit in her own, and she soothed the back of it with her thumb.
"You're tired," she observed, and he hummed his agreement, watching carefully as the boat's driver attached the rope to the metal ring on the dock.
A second boat - the gentleman's return ride - pulled up on the other side, leaving the engine running as Charles and Elsie exited their own boat, pulling their suitcases up with them. Charles tipped the driver and sent him on his way with many thanks, and he and Elsie stood and watched as the two young men headed off across the water.
"All alone," she sighed happily, leaning into Charles. "For seven whole days."
"And eight nights," he murmured, leaning over and placing a lingering kiss to her temple.
Elsie felt a familiar flutter in her heart and abdomen, and she wrapped her arms around her husband's waist.
"I know," she said playfully. "And I'm not pregnant this time."
Charles was confused for a second, and then he laughed heartily.
"No restrictions, you mean."
"Precisely."
He bent to pick up their suitcases and motioned for Elsie to precede him up the path to the house.
"Ah, but I'm much older now," he commented lightly. "So your expectations may be a bit lofty."
"Oh, I don't know about that," she retorted. "In my experience, you've never needed much convincing on that score."
They let themselves in the front door with the key Violet had sent them two weeks before. Charles could tell as soon as he'd laid eyes upon it that it was a new copy, and her enclosed note verified his suspicion:
Just keep this one. I have another.
Charles placed the key on the hook by the door as Elsie wheeled their suitcases to the master bedroom and proceeded to open the windows. It was a lovely evening, not humid, and the house was a bit musty after having been closed up for quite a while.
"She sent them for food again," Charles called from the vicinity of the fridge. "I think we're set for several days at least."
"You sound surprised," Elsie laughed, joining him in the kitchen. "I'm glad she did; I'm famished."
"Well, how about this -" Charles said, plopping a paper-wrapped bundle of fish on the counter, "- and this," he added, putting a bunch of fresh vegetables next to it. "A stir-fry?"
She smiled. "Perfect."
As Charles began to prepare their food - his tremor having disappeared for the time being - Elsie headed out to the beach and arranged their chairs. She stood there for a while, looking out over the ocean, almost unaware of the years that had passed since they'd last been there.
"Here we are," Charles called from the deck, pulling Elsie out of her reverie.
She headed over to assist him with the tray he'd carried out. "This looks incredible," she gushed, her stomach rumbling. "Come on; I've set us up close to the water."
"I was hoping you would," Charles said, leaning down for a gentle kiss. "If you want to take this, I'll go back in for the wine."
Elsie nodded, taking the tray from him and bringing it down to the beach.
Charles went back in, retrieved the wine, kicked off his shoes before heading outside, and joined his wife.
He sat in the chair she'd set out for them and poured, handing her a glass.
"To you," he said simply. "And to new adventures … together."
Elsie smiled and clinked her glass against his, and they both sipped the cold wine before digging into their meals, a near silence descending upon them that was broken up only by the occasional sound of a fork against the bowl or the crashing of a soft wave on the sand.
It was Elsie who spoke first once they'd finished their food.
"Are you feeling better?"
"Much," he confirmed, holding out a steady hand to her in demonstration. "I'm sure the food and the wine helped."
"Plus you're not a huge fan of the little speedboat," she smiled. "I remember that because Becky hates them, too."
He shuddered, and she laughed at him.
"I forgot Becky and I have that in common," he said. "Did you tease her mercilessly, too?"
"Of course not," Elsie replied, a twinkle in her eye.
They chatted a bit as they finished the wine and lamented that, despite the best of intentions, this was their first trip back to the islands since their honeymoon.
"It's the only promise I made to you that I didn't keep," Charles observed guiltily.
"Oh, don't beat yourself up over it, Charlie. We were rather busy raising three children, and to be honest, it never seemed like a good time to leave them alone for a very long time. And we've been away together for our anniversary every year."
"But not here," he reiterated.
"It doesn't matter. We're here now."
"Alone," he added.
"Completely alone. No one around for at least a mile, in fact," she said, standing before him.
Charles watched in amazement as his wife reached up and slowly unbuttoned her blouse.
"Well," he said, gulping, "I suppose we're not heading in yet?"
"No," she replied seductively, tossing her blouse onto the chair and stepping between his knees. She reached behind her waist and unzipped her skirt, letting it drop to the sand, and then extended a hand to Charles, encouraging him to stand with her.
He complied, pulling her close and then burying his hands in her hair as he drew her close for a deep, passionate kiss.
Barely managing to keep her wits about her, Elsie managed to unbutton and unzip his trousers before their lips parted; Charles discarded them quickly, followed by his shirt and shorts.
"Your turn," he said huskily, reaching to unfasten her bra. He peeled it away and tossed it onto the sand somewhere behind himself before hooking his thumbs under the waistband of her one remaining article of clothing.
Elsie stepped out of the lace, then took his hand and pulled him toward the water, stopping every few steps to accommodate deep kisses and wandering, caressing hands.
Charles watched as his wife glided into the warm water, disappearing underneath the surface only to reemerge a few feet away and smooth her wet hair off of her face. He swam out to her quickly, snatched her up in his arms, and laughed as her legs circled loosely around his thighs.
"My, my, Mr. Carson," she said, her voice slightly unsteady due to her heightened desire. "You seem … ready."
He slid his hand over her belly and further down; she gasped delightedly, and his voice vibrated in her ear.
"So do you."
She nodded, needing no further encouragement, and reached down for him, joining their bodies and tightening her legs around him; it was so fast that he growled his pleasure, and as they began frantically moving, she dug her fingernails into his back, unable to restrain herself.
"Don't hold back, love," he purred, egging her on with harsh kisses placed to her neck and shoulder.
It took very little time for her, and he was right behind, their pleasured cries echoing out over the otherwise uninhabited property.
"My God, I love you, woman," Charles panted in her ear, holding them both up as Elsie's body completely relaxed around him.
"I love you, too," she replied, her heart racing. "Thank you."
Charles chuckled at that. "You don't have to thank me, Els. You're welcome to seduce me whenever and however you'd like."
"Good," she replied, biting down seductively on her lip as she trailed a fingertip over his chest, reached down, and took him in her hand. She caressed him gently, and he bent to rest his forehead on hers.
"That feels amazing," he whispered. "Relaxing, actually, and … amazing."
"I think so, too," she whispered. "And just think … we're here for an entire week of amazing."
"Good planning on my part," he murmured, and he felt her nod before she leaned over to kiss his neck, suckling on the skin a bit before soothing it with her tongue.
"Very good planning."
They stayed in the water for a little while longer, kissing and caressing, sighing and smiling, before Elsie suggested they take their activities inside.
When they returned to their chairs, Charles laughed at how she'd forgotten to bring down towels.
"Well, they'd have been a bit of a giveaway," she said, "and I wanted to surprise you."
He gathered their clothes as Elsie took care of the dishes and glasses, and they headed inside, stopping only long enough for her to rinse the dishes and get them in the dishwasher before making their way to the bedroom.
"We need to shower," Charles murmured, and Elsie readily agreed.
"Together? I promise to behave," she said.
Ten minutes later, they exited the spacious shower and dried themselves off. Elsie blew her hair dry as Charles checked that the kitchen was in order and the beachfront door locked. He knew they were completely isolated, but he was nevertheless still a stickler for safety where his wife was concerned.
When he returned to the bathroom, he noted a small, familiar-looking satchel on the countertop.
"What's that doing here?" he asked gruffly, the satchel a rather sore spot even after several weeks. "I brought the electric razor …"
"I know," Elsie said, placing a calming hand to his chest. "It's the other surprise I had for you tonight."
"But …" Charles held up his hand, which was calm for the moment. "I can't trust myself, Elsie. Not anymore."
"Well … Do you trust me?"
Charles's eyes widened. "To shave my face?" he asked, his eyes flickering to the blade she'd withdrawn from the kit. "With that?"
"Yes," she replied patiently.
"And how, pray tell, would you know how to use a straight-edge razor? Forgive me, but it's a bit nerve-racking to think I might be your guinea pig."
Elsie laughed. "Well, you wouldn't be."
Charles just raised his eyebrows, waiting for an explanation. She'd never mentioned a thing about this weeks ago, when he'd nicked himself two days in a row due to his tremor and had packed away the kit for good, swearing under his breath as his wife had patiently recommended switching to a rechargeable razor instead.
"Tommy showed me," she said quietly, laying her hand on Charles's arm and squeezing lightly.
"Tommy?"
She nodded. "Yes. He knows how much you hate the new one, and you'd shown him years ago how to use one of these," she said, holding up the razor in her other hand. "He gave me a couple of lessons, and then had me practice on him the other day."
Charles's eyes grew wide with astonishment. "No kidding. Well, that's a bit of a surprise."
"Not really," she disagreed gently, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him. "You've raised a rather kind young man, you know."
"We have," he corrected.
"Sit," Elsie instructed, pointing to the chair, "and trust me."
Charles complied, then looked up into her eyes. "I always have, Elsie. Always."
oOoOoOoOo
An hour later, Charles cracked open his eyes, peering into the gentle light of the bedroom. Elsie was asleep in his arms, her head pillowed on his chest and her arm wrapped tightly around his waist.
He brought his arm around and rested his hand on her back, his fingers caressing her through the soft cotton of her nightshirt. They'd collapsed into bed after the shaving experience (when Charles had been forced to accept his wife's proficient capability), completely exhausted by the heat from the shower, their activities in the ocean, and the long day of travel that had preceded them.
"I love you, Elsie," he murmured into the moonlight room. "More than anyone ever has."
She stirred in his arms; lifting her head a bit, she placed a kiss over his heart.
"I know you do," she said sleepily. "And I love you right back."
"I didn't mean to wake you," he said, but she shook her head.
"It's alright," she whispered. "I'll be back to sleep in a minute. How about you?"
"Mm, I think so," he said. "With you in my arms, I think I always sleep well."
She was quiet for a moment, then lifted her head to softly kiss his lips.
"Good," she said. "Because I have no plans to ever not be here."
He looked down at her, tears in his eyes, and nodded.
Elsie kissed him again, pouring all of her love into the gesture.
"I promise," she said meaningfully. "Now let's some sleep, Charlie. I have plans for this week, and they don't all involve you resting and relaxing."
He smiled, loosening his hold on her so that she could turn her back to him, enabling him to wrap himself around her from behind.
"Good," he murmured. "I can't wait."
They drifted off to sleep moments later to the sound of the waves, the waft of the gentle breeze coming in through the open windows, and the steady feel of their soft breath on one another's skin. They felt valued, steadied, and loved … which was, they both knew, the way it should be.