This Moment
The water was surging, she could feel herself being pulled under. The door was closing and she was fighting to keep herself on one side or the other. She should be out of harm's way, on the safe side of the door, instead she was stuck. She could hear Abigail and Riley's shouts from the other side of the door. Patrick had tried to pull her through, but he ended up on the other side of the door before she could get under. The water was pressing her against the stone, threatening to crush her if the door didn't.
"Keep the door open! She's stuck!" Ben was beside her now. "Mom, swim under!"
She didn't want to leave him. All of her mother instinct told her to stay- to save him. He was her baby, her only child. She felt as if she was letting him down even though he kept insisting that she leave, that she live. Ben's persisting arm shoved her shoulders down into the water, submersing her completely. Someone grabbed her arm helping her swim to safety. When she resurfaced Patrick pulled her out of danger. He shielded her from view; she hardly knew what was happening. The sound of the water on the other side of the door and the arguing voices of Ben and Mitch came to her ears.
"We have to rescue Ben!" Riley dove under only to come back up again. "He's standing next to the door, but he can't get under!" He told the other three.
"There has to be a way," murmured Patrick, who still held her close.
She did not know if he really registered how close they were or that he was shaking. Somehow, she felt comforted with his arms around her, even with the terrifying thought of never seeing her son again. The door raised a little and the four pushed up against the wall rather than be pulled further down the tunnel. They waited, desperate to know who would come out alive. Relief swelled through her as Ben's head surfaced. He clambered over to Abigail silently.
They stood there for a moment, trying not to think what was happening on the other side. They should have been relieved, excited that they survived. However, the ever boding mindset that Mitch would die seemed to overrule these happier emotions. She rested her head on Patrick's shoulder, in remorse and in ease. None of her family had perished, but still knowing death lured on the other side of the door was enough to bring down her mood.
"Emily," he said to her gently, brushing up against her shoulders. "Emily."
"Emily, darling wake up." Emily rolled over in bed, darkness meeting her eyes as she opened them. Through the light of the moon that crept through her window, she could make out a man's face looming above her. Then she remembered- Patrick.
"What time is it?" He looked concerned, but maybe that was just the lack of light. She fumbled for the alarm clock, groaning at the neon numbers. Three forty-five in the morning. "What could possibly be the reason you woke me up at this God forsaken hour?"
"You were talking and moving in your sleep." Patrick stared at Emily carefully. Only minutes before she had been kicking and shouting about something. Water. A door. Something along those lines.
"I was?" He nodded slowly and the dream came back to her. "Oh. Yes…"
"Are you okay?" Patrick watched her slowly climb out of bed to stand by the window. He remembered nights that she would sit by a window for hours while they were married before. She never said why specifically. It just seemed to calm her down.
"I was dreaming, that's all," came Emily's soft reply.
"About what?" He left the bed as well to stand beside her.
"That day he almost died." Patrick nodded understandingly. He knew perfectly well what she was talking about. Last week had been the worst week of his life. Ben, his only son, had almost died for them. That moment had been the scariest moment of his life. And that moment was also when he realize how much he loved Emily still. Odd how things come along, isn't it?
"It was the scariest moment of my life," was all he could think to say. How do you comfort a woman who refuses help?
"Do you remember when you told me that that was the moment you knew you loved me?"
"Yes," he replied, not sure where she was taking this conversation.
"I couldn't tell you then…I didn't know what made me kiss you or when I felt that I loved you again." Emily turned to the man she had fallen in love with twice. "But I remember now. You mentioned that it was the scariest moment of your life." He nodded again, still not following her.
"When you came to me asking me to translate that piece of wood the second time, Mitch was in the room. He told me that if I didn't lie to you, get you out of the room, he'd kill you." Patrick blinked, not seeing that one coming. "That's when I felt it. That moment I was so scared I would loose you, just as I was falling in love again. That moment I knew I wanted you…I loved you."
A minute passed, filling them both with silence. Patrick turned Emily around to look at him, instead of the moon. Cupping her face gently in his hand, he gave her a soft kiss before speaking.
"This moment is when I know I love you. Forget about the past. This is the moment, my love."
A/N: This has nothing to do with my previous story. And I don't own them. Sadly. However, I love their love! Thanks readers and reviewers! I know this is hardly much of a story, but it kind of came to me and I had so many requests to write again, I thought I would.