Home from TCOT Lost Love
A/N: For the fun, not the profit of it.
Paul gathered everyone's baggage and checked it in with the skycap at the curb. Perry walked slowly through the concourse and to the gate. Della rested her arm inside his as they silently made their way through the metal detector and to the waiting area. Della settled him in and went for coffee for all three.
Paul joined them, "Thanks, Della," he sipped the hot coffee carefully.
They took the first boarding call after Della gave Perry his pills for his injured knee. Della took the window seat behind the bulkhead. Perry stretched out his leg into her space with a coy smile. She returned it. Paul took the seat in first class behind them and began inventorying the contents of the seat pocket and then the flight attendants.
By the time the aircraft was loaded, Perry was asleep and Della had pulled a blanket up around his shoulders. Always working, she next pulled out the newspaper to give it a quick glace to see if there were anything there that Perry had to know about before landing in Los Angeles. The flight attendant for their cabin gently awakened him so the plane could be readied for take-off.
Once in the air, Perry let his seat drift back again. This time, Della snuggled under his arm once she had removed the armrest from between them. Paul made small talk with the flight attendant. Perry tucked the blanket around both of them and placed a gentle kiss on top of her head. Della had one arm tucked behind the small of his back and the other resting on his chest.
The flight attendant quietly roused both Della and Perry as the plane made its way into the skies of Los Angeles.
"Good nap?" asked Paul from the rear.
Perry nodded with a smile; Della agreed, "The best."
Perry added, "I'm ready for the next case…or a game of cribbage."
"You're on," announce Della as Paul leaned back in his seat, shaking his head.
Paul collected all the bags as they rolled by. He stacked them on a cart, one-by-one.
"Do I have them all?" he asked Della.
"Looks like it," she began to count them.
Perry cut in, "Then let's get out of here."
"Is your leg bothering you again, Perry?" Della inquired.
He grunted his assent and held out his hand for his next round of pills.
"In an hour," Della said looking at her watch.
Perry sighed and leaned on his cane, "I'll stay here on the curb with the bags. You two get the cars."
Perry had parked Della and himself up close to the arrivals gates while Paul had parked in the outer parking area. Perry had negotiated the smaller bags into the trunk of the Cadillac before Paul got there. Paul finished the job of loading each car.
"You guys need anything, just let me know," Paul offered as he hugged Della and shook Perry's hand.
They watched him drive off before Della pulled the car away from the curb.
"Your place or mine?" she asked him.
"Yours, of course. You've got food in the 'fridge and a comfortable recliner," he reminded her. "I've just got a cribbage game and little to nothing in the 'fridge."
"Should I wake you and send you home when you fall asleep in the recliner?"
"No. The doctor said it was better if my leg was elevated. Remember?" he said.
Della reached over and stroked his good leg, "I remember."
Perry caught her hand and kissed it, "Forgive me, Della?"
"For what?"
"We were supposed to be home before now…the trial…" his voice drifted off.
"What you're really asking for is about Laura, isn't it?" she prodded gently.
"Yes," was his simple reply.
Della pulled into her driveway, "Got anything in your bags that you need right now?"
Perry shook his head and got out of the car. He struggled to his feet, knowing his knee was terribly swollen. He took Della's elbow and walked cautiously to the front door. She let them in, helped him out of his coat and jacket, and then headed for the kitchen. Perry eased himself into the recliner and pushed it back.
Della brought him a glass of wine and some cheese and crackers.
"Della, the cribbage board is in this table, right?" he asked as he opened the drawer.
He set things up for them, "Laura."
"Laura. It's as if she's sitting here in between us," Della offered as the game began.
"Yes. I know," he began. "I don't want her to be here…not between us."
"You said back in Denver that it was not so long ago that the years were not worth counting," Della reminded him.
"I was wrong, Della," he continued the play. "I find myself wondering if I ever really knew the woman."
"The two of you were quite an item, if I recall," Della commented as she made her next move.
He grunted, "She left me for Denver and Glenn."
"Is that why you took his case?" Della was in her ask questions to help him think it through mode.
He sighed, "I'm not sure why I took the case. No, it was more like infatuation. It was trying to live in the past, I think."
"And what did you find there…in the past?" she gently probed.
"An illusion," he looked at Della. "It was an illusion. It was always an illusion. She used me then and used me now, Della."
"Perry," she began. "That's a rather jaded way to look at it."
"Maybe, Della, maybe," he made his next move. "But let's consider all the facts. It was 1951 and you had worked for me only for a short time. You knew that I was seeing Laura and that I was madly in love with her."
"I know she broke your heart when she left for Denver," Della reflected. "I was hurt for you, you know that now."
"You were there for me," he chuckled and reached out to take her hands. "I think I fell in love with you not long after that."
Della just smiled affectionately, "I knew a good man when I saw him."
"I'm glad you think so," Perry played his last move. "So why did you never want to let the world know about us. We've been together for over 30 years."
Della nodded, "I know. I'm not sure, but I think it had something to do with Laura and your reaction to her this past week."
"I think she's completely out of my system now," Perry worked his way back up to his feet. "So, is there any reason we can't get married now?"
She wrapped her arms around him, "Not any more, there isn't."
"Tomorrow, we can fly out to Reno with Paul," he kissed the top of her head.
"Tonight, we get a good night's sleep! I don't know about you, but I'm tired of not having you next to me," Della declared.
They slowly climbed the steps – together at last!