Healing
***Chris and David's apartment
Chris and David were packing their suitcases. In the morning, they were heading to the Turks and Caicos. Chris was still healing from being kidnapped, and she and David both hoped this trip would do her good.
She walked into the bathroom, and was trying on bathing suits. So far, she had found a black one that she liked, a hot pink one, and a purple and silver one. She threw the teal one and a sparkly green one in just to be safe. She put her pj's on, and went to her lingerie drawer. Things between Chris and David in the romance department had been hit or miss the last few days, based on Chris' moods and not wanting to be touched. David was being patient with her, but Chris was feeling bad about it.
She selected some lingerie, and packed it. She threw in some sundresses and some shorts, and several pairs of sandals and flip flops. She shut the top, and moved the suitcase to the floor by the end of the bed.
She went and got her purse, and the carry-on bag that she always used, and started cleaning them out on the bed while David finished packing.
She had the TV on in the bedroom, and wasn't really listening to it, until a news alert caught her attention.
"Breaking news: A man in Manhattan who served time in jail for rape charges, has been arrested and charged with the rapes of 6 women, only 4 years after he was released from prison. Brad Potter was arrested today and charged with six counts of rape. He is being held without bond".
Chris gasped when she heard his name. She instantly flashed back to the night, almost 20 years ago…
She could still remember fighting him, and struggling….and the horrible feeling that she felt afterwards, after he left….
"Babe, you ok?" David came around to Chris' side of the bed.
She just looked at him and kept breathing in and out very loudly. She was stuck in a memory… So David did the only thing he could do. He put his arm around her and tried to comfort her. He had been there, in the aftermath, and he remembered how it had cut her to the core.
Just then, Chris' cell phone rang. It was Mary Beth. David answered, and put it on speaker.
"Chris, are you ok, partner? I just saw it on the television".
"Mary Beth, this is David. Chris is here, but she is having a hard time talking right now. Can you just talk to her and try to calm her down?"
"Sure. Partner, listen to me. You are stronger than this. You beat him once. This doesn't affect you this time, he is back in prison and he hasn't bothered you since you put him away. Come back to us Chris, and don't let him win".
The only audible sound was Chris crying. She looked at the phone, and then looked at David and nodded.
She took the phone from David, and held it closer to her face. Her voice was barely audible.
"Thank you, partner. I will be ok. I just have to forget".
"You can do that. You did it the last time. Remember how good it felt when they returned the guilty verdict? Well this time, he's probably going to get life. You will be ok, Chris. You are ok. He is in jail right now, and he doesn't know where you are".
"Thank you Mary Beth".
"Are you packed for your trip?"
"Yes, I think so. What are you going to do on your vacation?"
"Harvey and I are taking Alice to Virginia. We are going to visit Harvey Jr. and Michael is flying down for a few days. First time the whole family is going to be together in several years".
"That's great. Have a great time, partner". Chris' voice was stronger now, and more stable. David was rubbing her back and shoulders.
"You and David have a marvelous time, partner".
"Thank you for calling me, Mary Beth". Chris and Mary Beth had a way of reaching each other in a way that nobody else could.
Chris hung up the phone and sat there with David for a minute, drinking water and trying to calm down. Finally, she spoke.
"I haven't thought about that night in so long… why now?"
"Let it out, babe. Don't keep it bottled up inside you, let it go and free yourself. He cannot hurt you anymore, he cannot hurt anyone anymore."
She knew he was right. She finished her water and sat there for a minute.
He got up and went to the other side of the bed, and sat next to her on that side, while he finished folding clothes to go into his suitcase.
"Can I help?" He nodded.
She folded the clothes and handed them to him, and he put them in the suitcase. A few minutes later, he was done, and put his suitcase on the floor.
He organized their travel documents, while she organized her carry-on bag. She put a few novels, her cell phone charger, a light jacket, and her purse in, and zipped it up.
She went and got a new glass of water, and set the alarm, and came back to bed.
David was climbing under the covers, watching the news. She climbed in beside him.
"Honey, I am sorry about my meltdown. I am trying to be normal again, I promise".
"Babe, you have nothing to apologize for. I mean that. I love you, and you are normal. We are going to get through this. We just need to relax, and think, and put it behind us."
"I swear, if one more thing happens…."
"I know. But if it does, it does. We will get through this, and we will get through that also."
He reached up and turned off his light then. He turned off the TV. He set his cell phone alarm to wake them up at 5 so they could be at the airport by 7. After he was done, he stretched out next to her, and wrapped his arms around her and just held her tight.
***At the airport***
Chris and David got to the airport on time. They got checked in, got their luggage checked, and went through security. They found their gate, and she sat there while he went and got them Cinnabon, and some water. After she ate, she started to get her book out to read, but decided to people watch instead. A few minutes later it was time to board their flight.
David turned and looked at her. He raised his water bottle and placed it next to hers. "To us- and to a fresh start after this vacation and letting go of stress".
"I second that". She and David touched water bottles, took a sip, and then kissed.
"Ok, let's do this". They boarded the flight, settled into their seats, and waited for takeoff. She let David have the aisle, and she took the seat right next to him. They had lots of leg room, so she got comfortable. She was ready to feel like Charlie's daughter again, the person who never let anyone or anything hold her down or hold her back. It was rare that an event would get in Chris' head and make her anxious and nervous like this.
The plane took off, Chris looked out the window, and then leaned her seat back and fell asleep.
***Turks and Caicos***
Chris woke up shortly before the plane landed. David knew she hadn't been sleeping well lately, so he was glad she got a nap in.
The plane landed, and Chris and David grabbed their carry-on bags, and got off the plane. They held hands as they walked to baggage claim, and then found the shuttle that was going to take them to their resort.
After about 25 minutes on the shuttle, they arrived at their resort. It was breathtaking and Chris took several pictures to show Bridgit and Mary Beth.
They got checked into their room, and Chris immediately went to take a hot bath in the huge Jacuzzi tub. This tub made their tub look like a shoebox.
David joined her a few minutes later, and just held her in the bathtub, while the jets relieved their stresses. After they soaked for a bit, and had some romantic moments, David hopped out and ordered them room service. Chris got out and dried off, and put on the complimentary robe that the hotel gave her. She climbed into bed with David and they turned on Netflix.
Their food arrived, and they ate while they watched a marathon of their favorite shows. They stayed there for a few hours, and then got dressed to go to dinner. David surprised Christine with a candlelight dinner for 2 on the beach with a violinist serenading them.
"This is so thoughtful. I love this! You think of everything".
"We aren't promised tomorrow, babe. We have today and that's all we are guaranteed. I don't want to miss a minute. I want to spend every second that I can loving you, and showing you how much I love you". He kissed her.
They shared dessert and then headed back to their room.
"We need to decide what we want to do tomorrow. We can go layout by the pool, or we can go snorkeling, or on a boat ride. Whatever you feel like".
Chris looked at him. "What do you want to do?"
"Whatever you want to do, babe. Snorkeling will only take 3 hours. A boat ride is 5 hours. So we can lay out some and then do an excursion after lunch. Or we can do 2 excursions back to back. You decide".
They looked at the brochures from the front desk, and they talked it over. They finally decided on sleeping late, ordering breakfast in, and laying out if there was time, and snorkeling if the weather allowed.
They watched some more Netflix then, and snuggled on the bed. Chris got up and put a sexy nightgown on, and climbed under the covers. David changed into his boxers, and climbed under too. They turned the TV off, and wrapped their arms around each other, and fell asleep after they made love. Chris was relaxing, and David could tell a difference.
***The next morning***
Chris and David slept in pretty late, till almost 9 a.m. David ordered them breakfast from room service and they ate it on their balcony while watching the ocean.
"How do you feel babe?"
"Better today. I slept good last night, and I feel calmer here by the ocean".
"Me too. The ocean is the second most calming thing for me".
"What's the first?"
"Being with you, babe".
"You are so sweet!". She leaned over and gave him a kiss.
She took a bite of her French toast, and then looked at him.
"Are you sure that I don't stress you out?"
"No babe. You don't stress me out, you center me. Everything I do is to make my relationship with you stronger or to honor you. You excite me, and you make me want to be a better person for you. No stress there". They clinked glasses and drank from them, and then kissed again.
After spending a few minutes on the patio together, they got dressed and headed to the pool to layout.
She wore the pink and black bikini today, and had brought a pink cover-up to wear to and from the pool.
David got them a cabana, so that they could lay on mattresses instead of hard chairs.
A waiter came and handed them a drink menu. They had a selection of herbal drinks, made with fruit juices and local herbs.
Chris decided to try the Purple Passion Dragon. It was grape juice mixed with pineapple and orange juice, and maca root. David had a mai tai. They laid out for a couple of hours, enjoying their drinks. Chris ended up having 3 of the Purple Passion Dragon's and she could literally feel herself relaxing and being stress-free. She and David were laying in the cabana, and she decided to close the cabana and shut the drapes. She leaned back and kissed David, with a passion he hadn't seen in her in weeks.
"Chris, are you sure you don't want to go to the room to do this?"
"Nope, I don't want to wait that long". She kissed him then, and he removed her bikini top. They stretched out on the cabana and kissed long and slow. Things heated up and they had mad, passionate, sex without making a sound, which made it even more exciting.
David couldn't believe how alive Chris felt in his arms. He was so glad that his Chris was back. They laid in there for at least another hour, just cuddling and touching each other. She put her bikini back on, and David helped her tie it in the back, and then they opened the drapes to the cabana again.
They ordered lunch to be delivered to them in the cabana. Chris had another purple passion dragon drink.
"Wanna skip snorkeling, and go take a nap instead?"
"Sure babe. We can snorkel tomorrow."
They gave up the cabana, and took their drinks to their room. Chris changed out of her suit into a pair of sexy pj shorts and a sheer camisole, and David pulled the drapes to make the room dark. They climbed into bed, and spent the next several hours making love and being together.
***Later that night***
Chris and David ordered dinner in their room, and ate it on the balcony. They were tucked away and out of sight of people walking by, so Chris didn't feel the need to cover up her lingerie. After dinner, they walked down to the tree where they had a hammock. They climbed in and snuggled up and watched the stars.
***The next morning***
Chris and David got up early, and got ready to go to the pool again. They had breakfast in the restaurant in their building, and then went to the pool.
Chris was more subdued today, but she didn't realize it was because of the drinks she had yesterday that she wasn't having today. She was reading her book and laying out, and David was reading the news on his IPad.
Chris heard a voice, and something about it struck her. She looked up and tried to see where it was coming from. She was just about to give up and go back to her book, when she heard it again. She looked over in that direction, and gasped.
"David, I know that person right over there, and we are overdue for a conversation, so I will be right back". She kissed him and got up.
He watched her walk over and let out a sigh when he realized who she was talking to.
Bruce Mansfield.
***On the beach, Mansfield's chair***
"Funny meeting you here. Is this your hideout?"
He looked at her with a puzzled, shocked expression.
"Well, Christine, how wonderful to see you."
"Cut the crap, Mansfield. What are you doing here?"
"Just vacationing, just like you. I am retired now".
"And the world is so grateful that you are".
"It was just too taxing on my body to keep up charades. I was meant to be by the ocean".
"You think you are going to get inside my head, Mansfield, but you are wrong. I let you get to me years ago, and it cost me a lot; a relationship that I really enjoyed and treasured, a promotion, I almost lost my job over you. I have carried that guilt for a long, long time. No more. I am done letting you get to me. It ends now. If you come back to NYC, I will hunt you down and use every method and resource available to me to stop you and lock you up. So I suggest to you that you stay away from NYC. While I am here this week, I want to relax. I suggest that you stay away from me and allow me to do that".
"I am leaving the island tomorrow. Belarus awaits".
"Safe travels, Mansfield. I would hate for your flight to crash".
She walked away then and walked back to her chair with David.
"You ok, babe?"
"Yes. Listen, you wanna get out of here, maybe go into town and go shopping?"
"Sure. Let's go". He stood up and kissed her.
They grabbed their things, went back to their room, and got dressed.
A few minutes later, they had rented a car for the afternoon and were driving into town.
"Did he upset you, babe?"
"Not really. It bothered me to see him, so I went to confront him and get some things off my chest, and he was just as smug as he always was. He says he is leaving the resort tomorrow. I figured if we left for the day, I could get him off my mind".
"Good plan".
They drove into town and parked, and started going from shop to shop.
They wandered into a shop with homemade herbs and spices. The shop owner had samples of meats made with her spices and dry rubs.
Chris found a body scrub that she liked, and a few things for Bridgit and Miranda, and Mary Beth and Alice.
Chris was looking to get something for them to put on a table in their home, and she was trying to decide between two different items when the lady came over to help her.
"You work outside the home?"
Chris nodded.
"Try this. It's a Moon jar. You take this outside your home, but only on a night where you can see the moon. Write down the issues you are having and your feelings about them, or what you wish you could say to someone who is in heaven. Then fold it up, place it in this moon jar. Use the long matches that come with it to light the papers on fire, and the smoke will take your words to the moon. After you light them, you don't think about it again, except to say it's a closed chapter in your life. For example-if you want to get married, when you write that on the paper, and you set it on fire, no more trying to get married. You back off of it because you sent it to the moon".
"That sounds neat".
"After you have been gone from home long time, you come back to your home, and you need to balance it. Get some sage, or you can buy this sage candle, and burn it in your house. If you burn actual sage in your house, use a metal trash can, it will absorb the order. And open the windows. You can burn this candle if you prefer. You want to burn this candle to balance the energy when you have been gone long time, like a day or so, or when you have been using the moon jar".
She gave Chris several more things that would bring healing and balance to their home and their lives.
She went to the herbs next. "You want to have good romance and sexy time with your husband? Take these herbs. Mix them into tea, or fruity drinks. You will not be able to keep your hands off him".
She walked to another set of herb jars. "This one for money, this one for luck, this one for good fortune, like good things happen to you. And this one-she picked one up and showed it to Chris-this one keeps you healthy, and protects you from harm, and disease".
She also gave Chris an oil and a powder. "Use the oil and have your husband rub the oil on you, if you are hurting. You go to sleep and drink a glass of water before sleep. When you wake up, no more pain. Take the powder and sprinkle it in your carpets, and it will help protect your home".
"Thank you very much". Chris put all of those things in a basket and David brought some cooking rubs and spices and put them in the basket. They checked out then, and Chris hugged the lady and thanked her for her help.
They shopped a little bit more, and then went back to the resort.
They made it back in time to eat at a fancy restaurant for dinner, and after they ate, they went back to their room, so they could hang out in the hammock a little bit. Chris was feeling relaxed and wanted to keep that feeling going.
***Later that night***
Chris and David had laid in the hammock for a couple of hours, talking and staring at the stars. After a while, they went inside and went to bed.
They fell asleep rather easily, and then, around 2 a.m., Chris sat up in a blind panic. She was sweating, she was shaking, and she was breathing very fast. David sat up with her and tried to calm her down.
"You are ok, babe. It was a nightmare; it wasn't real". He put his arm around her.
"I tried to get away, I did. I tried so hard". She was crying now.
"You got away honey, you did. You are here with me now. It's ok".
He got up and went to the mini bar and grabbed a bottle of expensive water, because it was cold, and brought it back to Chris. After he opened it, he handed it to her and she drank some.
"Calm down…it was just a dream. Everyone is ok, including you".
She took a long drink of water and then set it on the nightstand. She laid back down, and David wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm sorry honey, I thought I was past the nightmares. I'm sorry I woke you".
"Nothing to apologize for Chris, it's ok. You are healing and this is part of it".
He kissed her face and they went back to sleep.
***The next morning***
Chris woke up feeling like she had barely slept. The nightmares always zapped her energy. She and David decided to lay out by the pool for the day, and maybe go snorkeling in the afternoon.
They headed down to the pool, and he got them some of the cushioned chairs that she liked. He got them one double chair and one single one for them to put their stuff on.
Today, she was wearing the teal top and black bottoms, and David was having a hard time concealing the fact that she was driving him crazy with how hot she looked.
"Babe, can you put this lotion on my back?" She handed him the bottle of lotion and sweetly looked at him.
She rolled over on her stomach, and untied her bikini top. He rubbed the lotion all over her back and shoulders. After he helped her tie her top back, she sat up and did her legs and chest and arms. She then put a maximizer on, so she would get nice and dark.
"Want me to put some lotion on you?"
David nodded, and let her rub it in all over his back. They were so comfortable with each other; it was like they had been married their whole lives.
They laid out and read books and chatted until way past lunchtime, and then ordered food to be delivered to them at the pool. After they ate, they packed up and headed back to their room. Chris wanted to switch to her boy shorts swimsuit, for snorkeling. She changed quickly, grabbed her waterproof flip flops, and put her cellphone into the waterproof case she had brought. 5 minutes later she was ready to go.
They walked down to the lobby, and got directions on where to go snorkeling. After a short orientation session on how to snorkel and being fitted for equipment, they were ready to go. The experience lasted 2 hours, and Chris took some really awesome pictures and found some beautiful shells and sand dollars. David found some really pretty sea glass.
After snorkeling was over, they gave back the equipment and then took a dip in the hot tub.
"Oh this feels great…" Chris loved soaking in hot water.
"Maybe we can look into getting one of these for our place".
She looked at David. "You mean it? Can we afford that?"
"Yes we can afford it, and yes I mean it."
He nuzzled her neck. "Just think, we could soak like this every night…."
"mmm that would be very nice". She kissed him, long and slow.
"We could redesign the bathroom, and put in a door that would take us to the balcony where the hot tub is".
"Yeah… what else?" She laid her head on his chest.
"Well, we don't use the second sink all that much, and we definitely don't use the cabinet under it against the wall at the end. So we could have them move the bathtub, against the wall between the cabinet and the shower. We will take out the cabinet for the extra space. We can also shorten the mirror and I can have your TV mounted there. We can turn the shower a quarter turn, so that the entrance to the shower is where the bathtub is now. We will lose our picture window of the city, but we will gain a door to the balcony, and that is where our hot tub will be. Also, if there was a fire or something, that door can take us outside rather quickly."
"I like that. We have to get permission from the building to put in the hot tub though. And we are probably going to have to reinforce the balcony in some way so that it will support the weight. Can your contractor do that?"
"Won't hurt to ask."
"What if they tell us no?"
"Then I will have to book us weekends in the mountains or other places that have hot tubs". He kissed her.
They soaked for a little bit longer, and then went to their room to have a late dinner.
After they changed into casual clothes, they went downstairs to the all night café, and had a quick dinner, and then went back to their room.
Chris was sitting on the bed organizing the stuff she bought. She decided to follow the advice the shop keeper had given her about the Moon jar. She opened the instruction booklet, and read through the steps.
Make a list of the people who hurt you, or the experiences that have scarred you.
Write down how you feel about them.
Write down what you think your life would have been like without those people or experiences. Be as specific as possible.
Fold them up, light a match and drop it in, and as the smoke drifts up, position the bottle so the opening is pointed towards the moon.
As the smoke drifts towards the moon, resolve to never feel negatively towards that person or experience again. Picture a book closing, and tell yourself that you have finished that chapter of your life and are moving on to the next one.
She put the herbs and spices into a bag and put it in her suitcase. Then she sat down with the journal she had bought, and started writing like the book said. David settled in next to her and was watching TV.
She had her list made in just a few minutes. Charlie, her father was first. Brad Potter, Walter Evans, and Mansfield were all next. She then wrote out what she wanted to say to those people. She decided to limit herself to a page per person.
To Charlie, she wrote about the guilt that she felt, about not being able to save him when he died, and not having been there sooner. She talked about how she wished she had forced him into rehab for his drinking and how they should have moved into a duplex so that she could keep a better eye on him. She had blamed herself all these years for not protecting him from himself and not being able to resuscitate him. To Brad Potter, she wrote that she regretted that she hadn't fought harder against him, and that she regretted not being there at his parole hearing to speak against him getting out. If she had, she could have kept him from raping those other women. She carried guilt towards the way she let him treat her all those years ago.
Walter Evans hadn't earned too many regrets in Chris' part, besides the fact that she regretted not calling 911 to come to that warehouse when she hooked the phone up. She told him that he actually helped her and made her realize that she was strong, even if the realization wasn't an immediate one.
Mansfield got her to say thank you for giving her a goal to go after all these years. She used their first encounter as a reminder to herself to always stay a clean cop and do things by the book. She told him off for getting David to represent him all those years ago, and threw it in his face that not only did they get back together after him, they are together now and they are also married.
She went back and added her mom to the list, and told her that she was sorry for not spending more time with her, and for not spending more time trying to get to know her. She told her all about David and told her that she knew that her mom would approve, and then she told her that she loved her.
She then wrote out where she would be without those people and those experiences. Without Charlie, she would have been a completely different person, if she hadn't ever known her dad. Without him completely, she wouldn't be there at all. Without him having his drinking problem, she wouldn't have had the nerve to identify it in herself after he died. Without Brad Potter, she wouldn't know that she was strong enough to overcome things like that, and she wouldn't be able to tell rape victims that she understood how they felt. Without Walter Evans, she wouldn't have been a good cop, and she wouldn't know that she can escape anything, including being held captive. If she hadn't had her mom, then she wouldn't have known how to appreciate the arts all these years, and she wouldn't have gone off to school in Paris. Her life would be completely different without all of these people. Without Mansfield, her cop life would have been boring, and she and David might not be back together now, they might have fizzled out completely the first time.
She folded the pieces of paper up and put them in the bottle. She grabbed the box of matches, and turned to look at David.
"Wanna walk outside with me while I light the moon jar?"
"Sure". They got their shoes on, and went outside. He helped her to find the moon, and she found a rock to wedge underneath the jar so that the smoke would go towards the moon. She lit the match, and dropped it in, and stepped back. David put his arm around her and they stood there and watched.
It didn't take long, and after just a few minutes, the notes had been reduced to ashes. The moon jar was a single use item, so Chris left it there on the beach, and pledged to come back the next day and get it and throw it away. She and David walked inside and she put the souvenirs back in her suitcase. She changed into her pajamas then, a sexy shimmery baby doll nightgown, and then climbed into bed with David.
"Feel better babe?"
She nodded. "I think so. I feel like I have let most of those negative experiences and people go, and I feel like a lot of the guilt is gone".
"Good. I hate to see you feeling down and anxious all the time".
They laid there quietly for a little bit, and then Chris turned to look at David. "Do you ever resent the fact that you and I don't have kids?"
He shook his head. "No, I don't. I wanted that a long time ago, but when Karen and I couldn't have kids, I realized that life was still good and some dreams just don't happen for everyone. And I have Miranda, and I have you, and that's enough".
"I regret not saying yes to you sooner, because then I could have loved you longer, but I also think saying no to you all those years ago helped shaped me, and you. Who's to say we would still be together now if we had said yes back then?"
"I say we would. I was stupid to walk away, but if you had said yes, I never would have walked away. I honestly believe we are meant to be together babe, and it worked out the way it was supposed to."
She nodded in agreement.
Pretty soon, he turned off the light and showed her how happy he was that she had finally said yes.
***The next day***
Chris woke up feeling rejuvenated. The moon jar had really been healing for her, and had really cleared her head.
After having breakfast, she and David went zip lining. Chris was scared to do it at first, but she talked herself into it. After completing the 3-hour course, she was so happy she had done it, and told David she wanted them to do something like this on every trip.
She was a little sad they were going home the next day. But she was kind of happy to get back to real life. Now that she was centered and had closed the chapters that were making her anxious, she couldn't' wait to sink her teeth into a case with Mary Beth.
She and David laid out by the pool one last time, and when they went in for dinner, she realized she was very, very dark. She loved how she looked tan.
She and David changed for dinner, and decided to take a cab to a really nice restaurant in town. They found a place that served 8 course meals and headed there. It was the most exotic cuisine Christine had ever had. They had a little bit of everything on the menu, and she loved each item. Shrimp cocktail, followed by soup, followed by salad, then a small plate of assorted cheeses and some crackers, and a small plate of vegetables roasted in olive oil, followed by a plate of sliced fruit and toast, then their entrees, then dessert and then coffee. They were both stuffed when they left, and had the waiter take their picture at the table.
They went back to the hotel, and packed their suitcases.
"Want to take one last walk on the beach, babe?"
"Sure". She put on her yoga capris, and some flip flops and they headed out the door.
They walked for a good while, holding hands and just enjoying the quiet night.
Eventually they stopped for a minute, and sat on the rocks. After sitting there a bit, they turned around and headed back. When they got to their room, they decided to sit on the cabana swing outside their room, next to the hammock.
They got comfortable and snuggled up, staring at the stars.
"Chris, I have been thinking, about the moon jar that you had. I have guilt too. I feel guilt that I walked away from you years ago, when you needed me to love you. I feel guilty that I wasn't the one taking you to dinner the night that you went out with Brad Potter. I feel guilty that I wasn't there the morning that Walter Evans got to you, and if I had been, you wouldn't have been taken from us. Babe, I am so sorry I wasn't there to protect you. I failed you as a husband, and I promise you, I won't ever let that happen again". He looked so pained.
"Babe, you got to let that go. I don't blame you for not being there when Walter Evans got to me. I blame him for that. I don't blame you for not being there the night I was with Brad Potter; he would have just picked another night. I did blame you for our breakup when you represented Mansfield, but I was to blame too. If you and I had as strong a relationship then as we do now, you wouldn't have represented him. Or maybe you would have. Either way we would have gotten through it. I know that. Can we let go of this together, leave here in the sand somewhere?"
He kissed her. "You got it".
"This trip has been good for both of us. Fresh start when we get back, stronger than ever".
He nodded.
"Thank you for bringing me here, honey. And thank you for realizing that I needed this, and making all the arrangements, and for being patient with me while I figured all this out. I feel like you signed up to be with me, and you got a double whammy- cancer, and then a kidnapping, with a whirlwind wedding and surprise kid in between".
"And I wouldn't trade a second of it for anything".
She kissed him.
He started to kiss her neck and caress her chest.
"You know babe, we have total privacy out here".
"Good." She kissed him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
He kissed her, and rubbed the small of her back.
They made love on the cabana swing, and then redressed quickly. They got up and went back to their room, and went to bed.
On a whim, Chris called room service, and ordered them a few drinks and a late snack. She ordered three Purple Passion Dragons, and she ordered two Purple Passion Dragons and a Blue Lagoon for David, plus some chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate dipped pineapple.
They watched Netflix while they drank the Purple Passion Dragons. They nibbled on the strawberries and pineapple, but they were still pretty full from dinner.
After their second Purple Passion Dragon, it really hit them. They both had a crazy desire to have sex, and they had the best sex of their lives, 3 times in a row. They fell asleep afterwards, and when they woke up in the morning, neither of them wanted to leave or go home. After a quick call to the front desk, they were given the ingredients for the Purple Passion Dragon. David looked them up on his phone, and they figured out that the maca Root was the one that increased their sex drive.
"Babe, you know how we talked about leaving this trip behind us and starting fresh when we got back? What would you say to bringing this recipe home with us and recreating this part whenever we wanted?" He winked at her.
"Sounds wonderful Counselor." She kissed him and put the recipe in her carry-on bag.
They showered and dressed then, and left for the airport.
Chris and David couldn't wait to get home, and Chris reflected on their trip during the flight home. She was grateful that they had come and that she had let go of the feelings of shame and guilt that she had been harboring.
As she and David boarded their flight, she looked out the window and reminded herself that those feelings were in the past, and then, a phrase that she used to hear from her father flashed in her head.
"Life is for the living". That was just what she was going to do.