Happy Ending By Luvdarain5
Disclaimer: I dont own Sailor Mooooooon!
The knock on the door startled him, causing him to drop the paintbrush into the still full paint can. Scowling, he fished for the edge of the dry handle but was only making matters worse. He picked up a damp rag and headed for the door, wiping the pale yellow smudges off his hands and under his nails.
Reaching the door, he jerked it open harder than necessary in his agitation, surprising the occupant on the other side of the door. Then he saw who it was and recognition hit them both, causing him to close his mouth on the greeting he had been ready to offer, and causing the tentative smile on the face of the woman in front of him to disappear.
"Well" He said after a moment. Then was silent again. It was not often he was caught unaware but this was definitely one of those times. Finally he sighed quietly and acknowledged her. "Rei."
She had to speak, her emotions were already close to the surface but this was too much, too soon. "What are you doing here?"
Straightening his tired shoulders he answered her in his direct manner. "I live here."
She gave a disbelieving laugh. "No, I don't think so. She wouldn't go for that. Not unless you two were m…"
He held up his left hand, displaying the gold band of his wedding ring. "We are."
"….oh." She reached up and ran her fingers through her long black hair, a nervous gesture she was completely unaware of.
"Do you still want to see her?" He asked, his expression closed. He was not going to show approval or denial, he was waiting for her to make the next move.
It hurt. To think they had once been close, emotionally and physically and now they were strangers. And though he didn't say it or show it, she felt disapproval from him. But she was the injured party here… Pulling back her shoulders she lifted her chin. She could be as tough as he, when she had to be.
Nodding she offered a polite "Please"
Never taking his eyes off her, he called out loudly; "It's for you babe."
"Well, can't you show them in?" A tired female responded from the depths of the living room. "I just sat down and can't find the energy to get back up."
"No" He called back firmly. "I can't. You need to come here."
This hurt Rei even more. She wasn't welcome in their house?
There was grunting, mumbling and griping as her voice neared, and despite the tense situation Rei had to smile. In some ways her old friend had not changed at all.
But as she came into view, Rei saw immediately that she had changed in some other, very obvious ways. She took in a sharp breath, one that Serena echoed once she came into the foyer and saw who their caller was.
Serena moved to the door, the shortest of the trio by far, and stood next to her husband, looking up at Rei, her mouth in a moue of shock.
Darien slid his arm around her back to rest on her shoulders. Finally taking his eyes off Rei, he kissed Serena's temple and breathed softy into her ear; "I'll be in the next room if you need me."
He straightened and released her, and looked directly into Rei's eyes. "If you hurt her or upset her in any way, I'll-"
"Darien" Serena interrupted, "I'll be fine."
Now Rei understood the reason why she had not been invited in. It wasn't disapproval she had felt from him, It was fear for his wife's well being. And now that she saw her, she realized why. "You're pregnant." She said, stating the obvious.
"Um yeah. Yeah I am." Serena nodded, and it seemed she was almost embarrassed by it. She wouldn't look Rei in the eye, just looked down at her distended belly, rubbing the rounded stomach.
Rei tried to examine the feelings rioting through her. She had expected this to be a tough visit, but she had been blindsided by the revelations that the two were married and expecting a child. After Serena and Darien had each cut ties with her, it had never occurred to her that the two of them would hook up after all. She had figured some code of ethics on his part and Serena's natural reticence towards relationships would have prevented them ever being together. It seemed she had been completely wrong.
Rei didn't know what to say, desperately searching for an opening. "I thought you weren't ready for children." She said, the first thing she could think of popping out of her mouth.
Serena scowled, a surprisingly similar look to that of her husband's moments earlier. "He sort of tricked me into it."
Rei felt the absurd urge to laugh at that comment. Then a sobering thought struck her. "You mean he got you pregnant without your consent? Is that why the two of you are married?"
Serena looked up, hurt in her beautiful features, and Rei felt a stab of regret. She hadn't meant to insult her.
"No, I got pregnant after we married." Serena said, now studying her former friend, her eyes searching. Apparently she made up her mind and spoke directly to Rei now. "What did you come here for?" The tone had finality, as though she were inviting her to state her piece and leave.
Rei looked down at her one time best friend, taking in the familiar features of the person she thought she knew. This Serena was different. In her maternity jeans and soft white crinoline shirt laced with a bow up the front, she was the picture of health. The woman who had once been hyper and argumentative had softened into the self assured, calm individual before her. The old Serena would have been grateful for Rei's reappearance in her life. Rei felt an acute sense of loss…this Serena didn't need her at all.
"I wanted to…" reclaim our friendship, she wanted to say. But now, it felt almost humiliating to say it. She had finally felt ready to forgive her friend and try to reclaim the closeness they had shared, but the woman before her had moved on and found acceptance from another. She didn't need the 'favor' of Rei's presence back in her life.
"I guess I made a mistake." Rei finally said, and blinked, dismayed to feel tears in her eyes. She hadn't known she was this close to crying.
Serena tilted her head, considering the tall woman before her. She had lived so long in Rei's shadow now that she had experienced a separation from her, she could see things a lot clearer. Rei had needed her as much as she had needed Rei. She had thought their friendship one sided for so long…
Everyone had always said Serena was the more beautiful, fun and exciting of the two. Her attitude had been called 'spicy' and men had always chosen her over Rei, but Serena, knowing how insecure and unsure of herself she really was, had always thought that everyone was crazy, that Rei was much more desirable of the two. And now she could see, Rei had, however unintentionally feed those feelings of inadequacy. Then again, Serena mused, she could have done it on purpose…maybe she had been jealous…
The two had been silent, each trying to get their emotions and thoughts in check. Now, in light of the uncomfortable silence, Serena spoke up. "I know it must have taken courage for you to come Rei. I don't know what it is you expected, but I know this wasn't it." Serena drew in a deep breath before continuing. "But as you can see I'm doing well now, better than that actually. I…Darien and I…we're in love." This apparently was still hard for her to say.
"Try not to trip over it so hard next time baby." The deep voice of her husband said wryly, as he came into view. No doubt he had be listening to the conversation and had decided to intervene.
She chuckled, apparently relaxing now that he was in her sight. "I'm working on it. I told you it takes time."
Rei inhaled quietly, it was hard to see the two of them a loving couple-united against her, and she felt bereft. This was supposed to have been her dream. She remembered with a grimace a daydream she had had once when dating Darien of something similar to this-happily married, with a child or two of their own, and her good friend Serena stopping by to visit, thrilled for her best friend and slightly jealous of how happy Rei was. Talk about bass ackwards….
Suddenly Rei turned, she had to leave now. She was not going to loose it in front of these two on a front porch in a crowded neighborhood on a bright and sunny Saturday afternoon!
But escape wasn't as easy, and her arm was snagged by the firm grip of Darien's hand. "Rei, wait."
"Let me go" She commanded roughly, her face turned away, hating the strained sound of imminent tears in her voice.
"Not until you tell us why you came." He was blatantly ignoring the fact that she had come to see Serena, not them, 'the couple'.
"Please" She pleaded, tears starting to course down her cheeks. "I just want to leave." She couldn't face them, this was killing her, she was humiliated.
There was rustling behind her, but Darien didn't let go. After a moment more of their ridiculous position with neither one moving, she was startled when a hand clutching tissues appeared in her line of vision.
"Here" Serena spoke softly, as though to a wounded animal. "Darien let her go."
She was released, and she grabbed at the tissues not turning to look at them as she hurried down the steps, determined to get into her car and go home where she could lick her wounds in peace.
"Rei wait!" Serena called worriedly. "Please don't go yet. You can't drive when you're this upset!"
Rei didn't falter, she jumped into the car, slamming the door and huddling over the steering wheel. Though she knew she was in full view of the both of them still at the door, she didn't care. Serena was right about one thing. She had to calm down; her eyes were too full of tears for her to see anything. A tapping on the window caused her to look up, and Serena stood next to the window, a box of Kleenex in her hand. Rei shook her head violently, gesturing for her to go away. Serena moved out of her peripheral vision and she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She was startled out of the next sob, when the passenger door opened and the Kleenex box hit her on the arm. She looked up, wide eyed in disbelief as Serena began to ease herself into the seat, apparently having needed both hands free to maneuver herself inside.
"What the hell are you doing?" Rei demanded.
Serena was huffing, "Trying to get in your ridiculous, low-riding, not made for fat chicks car!" she complained.
Rei stared at her. "My car is not ridiculous!" She shouted absurdly. "And I don't recall inviting you in anyways!"
"It's not a house Rei" Serena responded, in that infuriating way she had. "I don't need an invitation."
"Well you do for this one, so get out!" Rei was furious, shaking with so many emotions, she just couldn't handle any more.
"And if I don't?" She waited, and not getting a response continued, "You going to hit a pregnant woman?"
"I might" Rei answered, seething. "I've seen you do worse."
Serena frowned, then sighed. "You are, of course, referring to the time I hit that old guy I suppose. The one with the cane"
Another harsh sob escaped Rei before she could help it, but she was calming down a little. She nodded.
"Well I can't say that I entirely regret it. I mean he was feeling up that teenage girl, and you know how my temper is…" Serena reached out and rubbed her hands on the belly, as though in apology to the baby. "We're hoping the baby gets his personality from Darien instead of from me. Otherwise he's going to have it rough."
"It's a boy." The statement was flat, coming from Rei. "I thought you were never going to get married, never going to have kids, and here you are doing both." The words were monotone, said with no expression of her face.
"I didn't think I could." She said after a moment. "I thought I was too screwed up." She turned to face Rei. "In a roundabout way, its thanks to you that I'm able to now."
The taller girl lost it then. "Well Fuck You too! I can't believe you had the audacity to say that to my face!" She was working herself up into a rage again.
"Wait, wait, that's not what I meant!" Serena interjected hurriedly. "I just meant that all those years you were supportive of me, and telling me that I would meet someone and settle down finally seeped through. I guess I started believing you somewhere along the way…"
Rei retreated into silence, taking it in. "Fine" She finally said quietly. "But did you have to take Darien?"
There was nothing Serena could say to that.
"Where's your quick comebacks now?" She continued angrily. "You stole him from me! We were serious, you know!"
Serena nodded. "I know you were."
"Not me, we!" She snapped, "He was serious about me too!"
"Rei, I never pursued him. You know that." Serena was speaking earnestly now.
"Not directly you didn't, but you distracted him from me! He was my boyfriend; we were making progress just fine! But you couldn't stand that his attention was on me, could you?" Rei demanded.
"I never tried to get his attention!" Serena had clearly reined in her temper long enough and had decided to stop holding back. "Our feelings weren't on purpose! I didn't want to love him! And I sure as hell didn't want to steal away any man from you! You were my best friend!"
"You say you didn't, but here we are, you happily married to the man of my dreams!" Rei yelled back.
"I didn't even know he had feelings for me!" Serena shouted, then quieted suddenly. "I'm upsetting the baby." She said, "He's kicking furiously for me to shut up. Plus I'm not allowed to cuss in front of him" This clearly was a rule from Darien.
Rei spoke quietly now too. "You two were always together, arguing and fighting about music, religion, food and even me occasionally." She felt a tear run down her cheek. Even though all this had happened two years ago, it still felt fresh. "How could you not know? The electricity in the air was palpable."
"I didn't know at first. I…its just….he drove me crazy; he wasn't like all your other boyfriends. He wouldn't give up. I never met anyone who could best me with words. I just knew I liked sparring with him. Then I began to realize that I was attracted to him." Serena was admitting things she hadn't said out loud to anyone except Darien and not since it had all transpired. Since then they had only spoken of the present and the future, never of the chaotic past that had brought them together…
Rei blew out a breath of surprise. She hadn't expected Serena to share this. It was somehow cathartic yet at the same time like rubbing a brillo pad up her spine, an entirely uncomfortable sensation.
"When did you know?" Rei asked, the question she had been dreading. She wondered if Serena would tell the truth. "Did you two sleep together? Under our roof? The apartment you and I shared for three years?" She saw in the corner of her eye that Serena seemed startled by the questions and awaited her answer with a detached curiosity.
"I guess under the circumstances, I should have expected that question." Serena breathed, "but I can't say that didn't hurt. No, I never slept with him while the two of you were together. When I noticed things were getting out of hand, that's when I made the decision to move out."
And what a shock that had been. Rei and Serena had been having arguments more and more frequently, but it was about trifling issues, neither able to verbalize what they were both really upset and anxious about. In a move that had stunned Rei, she had come home from work one day to realize her friends things were missing, and a note on the kitchen counter, apologizing for everything in a very general sort of way that explained nothing.
"I thought if I moved out, it would give you two a chance to reconnect. That he would forget all about me." Serena murmured.
But Rei had heard something in her voice, and the last statement had been very telling.
"Don't stop now," Rei said menacingly, when it seemed that Serena had stalled. "You wanted him to forget about you?" she prompted.
Serena's jaw worked for a moment, as though she was trying to talk but words would not form. She leaned her head back against the headrest, but turned her head to stare outside the car at the sound of a raindrop hitting the window. "That's odd, it was sunny a few minutes ago…" She said bemusedly.
"Odd? Actually, I think it's appropriate" Rei snarled, "Now, you were about to tell me when you crossed the line and how it happened...?" That haughty tone normally would have Serena's back up big time. But she supposed there was no room for indignation after what she had done.
Serena turned in the opposite direction to face Rei, still leaning her head back against the headrest. "Do you really want to hear this?" She asked tiredly.
Rei nodded firmly. "I think I deserve it."
Looking out the front windshield as the raindrops began to fall more steadily, she crossed her arms as though for warmth. It was a little harder to do with a swollen belly in the way. "Fine. I'll tell you." She swallowed audibly. "It was just one of those awful cliché's if you must know. We were arguing as usual. Arguing about the sexual double standards between men and women." She blushed a little just remembering.
"How did you get on that topic?" Rei wanted to know. Serena was brazen about a lot of things, but on dicey topics that she knew little about, she tended to shy away.
Serena shrugged, either not remembering the details or not willing to divulge them. "All I know is one minute we were talking about the way women dress to attract attention, to mixed signals to flirting to….kissing…."
She shivered just thinking about how they had suddenly transitioned, one minute the two were trying to out shout one another, deriding each other's arguments. The next they had been flush up against each another, mouths fused and arms locked around one another. It had been incredible, intense and over much too soon.
The resulting discussion was one of self-recriminations; false accusations towards one another, and between the guilt, there had been heat. Fear of what Rei would think. Relief that it had not been one sided. And longing to repeat the kiss, deepen it, to see it to it's natural conclusion.
"After that kiss, I knew I had to get out of there." Serena picked up the story, realizing she had trailed off. Some things were better left omitted. "I thought it was just a diversion for him. But I knew, the minute he…he had his arms around me, I knew." She remembered the despair she had felt at the time. Realizing for the first time in her life she was hard-core head over heels in love, and thinking that it was just a mistake on his part. He had probably regretted it, and of course Rei would hate her when she found out.
She had been right about Rei hating her, but she had been very, very wrong about Darien's feelings for her. They had been entirely mutual, even down to his fear that Serena had thought the kiss an aberration and had not taken the feelings it embodied seriously.
"Rei, I can't tell you I'm sorry for what happened." Serena said firmly. "I am sorry for the way it happened, and I am sorry that I hurt you so deeply, but I can't regret that I met Darien, or that we're together." Serena wanted to say more, but stopped, giving the other woman a chance to assimilate the information.
"Bitch" Rei said softly, but somehow, it lacked conviction, and Serena felt hope that perhaps she was beginning to understand.
"Some things just are" Serena cryptically agreed, accepting the censure. "I thought once I was out of the way, he would be able to see you clearly again, and remember why the two of you were together in the first place. You two got along great, always laughing and joking together. Always having fun." That had been easy for her to admit, that Rei and Darien belonged together. It had made it a little easier to move out, knowing that she was doing the right thing, and putting aside her own heartache for the sake of her friend.
But there had been no heat in her's and Darien's relationship, Rei thought quietly, too proud to admit it aloud. They had lacked passion.
"You took the cowards way out" Rei said instead, "You left me a note, just saying that you were tired of arguing and that you wanted to be on your own for awhile. You didn't even tell me the real reason why you left!" This had stung mightily, as far as Rei was concerned; lying by omission was just as bad as cheating.
"I didn't want to hurt you more than necessary Rei, surely you can understand that. Besides, I thought you would have Darien to comfort you."
Rei laughed harshly at that. "Yeah right! Comfort me? He about went mad trying to find you." It had been a blow to her pride when she realized the reason Darien had been frantic to find Serena when he realized she had gone missing, so intent on finding her that he had disregarded Rei's feelings entirely in his desperation.
It had been a horribly painful to discover your boyfriend was in love with your best friend, and then to realize that was the real reason why she had moved out in the first place.
"I didn't know Rei. I had no idea he felt the same way" Serena spoke quietly. "He told me later that he had been such a jerk about it, he felt so bad about how he acted towards you."
"Bet you got a kick out of that, didn't you..." Rei had to ask, her pride had been so bruised, it had only added to the misery to think that Serena had Darien had been laughing at her ignorance. It had made it easier to play the victim, thinking that she had been the only one suffering, instead of that her best friend and boyfriend had been hurting too.
Serena didn't answer her, and Rei thought nastily that she remained silent on purpose so that Rei just sounded bitter and spiteful.
Finally Serena spoke, as though by force of will, unable to stop herself from telling Rei the next part though she knew that Rei wouldn't want to hear it.
"He showed up at my new apartment, I wasn't even moved in good, things were still unpacked. I had worked late at the office, I was asked to help assist on a new case our firm had just received and I spent most of the day researching. " She was sharing meaningless details she knew, but the day had been immortalized in her mind and every second leading up to that night was now a precious memory to her.
"It was a few minutes after midnight when he arrived, banging on the door. The neighborhood dogs were barking in agitation and I was furious with whoever it was that was trying to break my door down." She laughed lightly, it had never occurred to her to be afraid that it might be a burglar or rapist. She had intended to deal quickly and harshly with the intruder. "I never expected that when I opened the door, he would be there on the other side dying to get in. He was so furious with me, demanding I tell him why I had run out on him with no explanation."
She still felt the thrill of the moment even now, just thinking of it. How he had filled the doorway, one arm braced on the door jam, the other raised to pound his fists until he was answered. The way he had yelled at her while they stood half in, half out of the hallway despite the lateness of the hour. The shocked look on his face when she had silently begun crying, because she had never expected to see him again. And the exquisite tenderness she had felt, when he had finally come in, shutting the door behind them and pulling her close, whispering words of love and need.
Serena shut her eyes, reveling in the memory. Some things were meant to stay between lovers, not to be shared.
She cleared her throat. "I would like to say that it was all smooth sailing from there, but of course it wasn't. We still fought a lot, mostly about you. We even broke up for a short time; the guilt was too much for us both I think. But we couldn't stay apart, and in a weak moment, he talked me into marrying him."
Rei frowned, "I never heard anything about the two of you dating, let alone marrying or starting a family. We know a lot of the same people, I should have heard something…"
"We kept things quiet. I broke off ties with a lot of our mutual friends….we got married at the courthouse, nothing big."
"You were married at a courthouse?" Rei couldn't imagine it.
"This may sound trite to you, but I didn't feel like I deserved a real wedding." Serena said simply. "Darien and I fought about it, of course. But in the end, I told him it was my way or not at all. I can tell you, his family was not pleased to be told after the fact or that they hadn't been invited."
Bitterly Serena recalled one of his family's biggest objections. "They said I was all wrong for him, that he should have married you." The admission warmed Rei's heart the tiniest bit. "But once I got pregnant, they changed their tune, and apparently I'm in their good graces now. For the moment anyways."
She looked over at Rei, taking in her former friends face, and the complicated emotions she couldn't hide. "Now we've come full circle. Darien and I are living here in this townhouse for the time being, converting the extra room into a nursery. We're saving up for a house with a yard one day but for now we'll have our hands full just with our son, and our still fresh marriage and our careers…"
Rei nodded, willing the other girl to stop speaking, she really didn't want to hear anymore. And miraculously, Serena picked up the hint, growing quiet.
A lone tear streaked down Rei's face, and her voice quivered but she was determined to speak. "I" She had to stop and clear her throat. "I don't know what I expected to find, but this wasn't it." She sniffed, plucking out a couple tissues and dabbed at her nose. "I wanted for us to be friends again. I thought you would be…alone." This was a hard admission to make. "I thought you would be happy to see me, and would be grateful for my friendship again." She gave a sobbing laugh. "How arrogant am I?"
"Not that arrogant." Serena assured her, in a softness that she had not possessed before Darien. "That's how our relationship has always been. I never believed in my own self worth, I was pathetically grateful for what I thought were your crumbs of friendship. But now I see, you needed me too, or you wouldn't be here….would you."
"I…I have a confession to make" Rei said, choking on her emotions. "I knew, I knew that the two of you had feelings for each other. I could see you both growing closer and I was crazy with jealousy!" From the agitated noises Serena was making, this was clearly a shock. "We should have sat down, the three of us, and talked it over like adults, but I was hurt….No, I guess I mean my pride was just so hurt, that I couldn't handle it. So I made the three of us miserable instead!" Now she was sobbing so hard that no more words were possible.
"You knew?" Serena whispered,"How could you know? I didn't even know…"
Rei tried to calm herself so that she could speak. "Some…sometimes its easier to see things from the out…outside looking in…you s-see things more clearly…." She stuttered, gulping in breaths of air. She was panting, gasping and sobbing, but slower now and quiet reigned in the car as she tried to collect herself.
The distant rumble of thunder indicated that more rain was on the way, and the soft raindrops were about to give way to some serious rainfall.
"Rei" Serena finally spoke calmly, "Why did you really come here?"
Rei looked at her as if she were mad, after all the two had said how could she ask that. But her conscience was more honest than she was, and prodded her to speak the truth. After all the two had shared today, one more confession wasn't going to hurt.
"I wanted to tell you that I've moved on. That…that I'm engaged." Rei admitted. She opened her purse, pulling out a ruby ring. She hadn't worn it because she had wanted to tell Serena without her guessing right off the bat.
Serena looked at the ring, not admiring it the way a girlfriend might, with squeals of delight and excitement, but with approval and maybe even genuine happiness for her. "Who's the guy?" Serena asked.
"You remember Jade, don't you?" Rei prompted, "The guy you said was perfect for me?"
Serena furrowed her brow, trying to remember. "Wait, you mean the guy you dated for a year, then broke it off when he wanted to get serious?" She asked incredulously.
Rei nodded. "He was there for me, after all this mess…I told him I wasn't going to get involved with him as a rebound guy or anything. Told him, he shouldn't even bother to hang around of that was his agenda." She laughed fondly now. "He told me there was no way he wanted to be the rebound guy…he wanted to be the real thing." Her heart melted even now when she remembered how touched she had been by both his words and his sincerity.
"It was his suggestion that you come here today, wasn't it?" Serena said, already knowing the answer. She remembered Jade being a very insightful guy, and had probably known that Rei would need closure before moving on to the next phase of her life.
Rei nodded again. "If I had known it was going to be so painful I wouldn't have come though" she said, a little defiantly.
Serena gave a laugh…"Yeah, I'll have to have a word with him when I see him next."
"Planning on…" Rei bit off the harsh words. She couldn't say them…she knew better now.
"Yes" Serena said, deliberately misunderstanding her. "I plan on inviting both you and him over for dinner." She wasn't as confident as she sounded, but Rei didn't need to know that. "I hope you'll both accept."
"I…I think we'd like that." Rei spoke finally. "Well actually I know Jade will go for it. But what about Darien?" She felt a flutter of nervousness at his reaction.
"Don't worry about him, I've got him under control." Serena dismissed her worry. Of course if Darien had heard her say that, it would have been a different story. Her man was overprotective; there was no doubt about it.
"O.k. How about tomorrow night?" Rei asked tentatively. If she made plans too far in advance, she might chicken out and cancel. Serena assured her it was fine.
"Looks like a break in the rain, I better go while I can" Serena turned to her friend. "I can't just hop in and out like I used to." She said with a grin, one which surprisingly Rei returned. "Can I have a hug?" Rei requested at the last minute, as if unsure her friend would comply. There was no need to even ask as the smaller woman enveloped her in a warm embrace, the two finally able to forgive one another, after two long years of separation and blame.
"See you tomorrow night at 6" Serena said at last, shoving open the car door and pushing herself up off the seat. She managed to get out the door and slammed it with more force than necessary. Her "Sorry bout that!" was muffled through the glass of the car window, but the sincere smile on her face was easy to see.
As Rei put her car in reverse, she stopped to make sure Serena made it to the front door, and watched it open, Darien waiting for her at the top of the steps. He must have been watching from the window. She could only see Serena's back but the other girl must have spoken, for he looked up sharply at her, then, incredibly, he lifted a hand in farewell. No smile though, she noticed. Guess that would come with time.
Her head was hurting like a bitch, all stuffed up and achy. She was all cried out, and the relief she felt was like the calm after a storm. She flipped open her cell phone, punching the speed dial number for her fiancé.
"Hey beautiful" He answered, apparently waiting for her call. "How did it go?"
"Well…for starters, you wouldn't be calling me beautiful if you saw me right now." She said with a self-derisive laugh.
"Even on your worst days, you're still the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," He said quietly. That was the great thing about him; he really did mean it when he said stuff like that, She thought.
"Mind if I sleep over tonight?" She asked, "I want to tell you how it went."
"Sweetheart, you don't even have to ask, you know that." He told her, his tone indicating he shouldn't have to keep telling her this. "But for now, tell me the abridged version, I have to know; good or bad?"
"We're having dinner with them tomorrow night, what does that tell you?" She asked, and laughed at his surprised silence. "Yeah, I thought you'd like that." She laughed again, still not quite able to believe it herself.
Back at the townhouse, Serena was sitting on Darien's lap. Despite the fact that she had fussed that she was too heavy to sit there, he had insisted, as he always did. He liked holding her close and right now, he felt they both needed it.
"Are you really ok?" He asked her again, for the fourth time. He ran his fingers through her hair, pushing it out of her face and tracing the line of her eyebrow. His other hand was joined with hers, fingers twined, resting on her stomach.
She nodded. "Things are good. They're not great, but they're good, and with time they'll get better."
He pulled her head onto his chest and the two sat in silent repose, as the rain began to come down harder, shading the living room in early evening grays.
"So" he said, finally voicing that which he had been most afraid to ask her…"No regrets?"
She pulled her head back to look up at him, surprised that he even had to ask. "No," she said softly, releasing his hands to slide her arms around his neck, pulling him close. "No regrets"
End.