„You ready?" Sasha asked while entering his office.
"For what?" Tom asked back still looking down on the paper in his hand.
"We wanted to leave early today. You forgot?"
He looked at her with an apologetic gaze "Oh, sorry Sasha. I can't. The president wants to have a report asap and I need at least three more hours."
"Oh no. I looked forward to leaving early today. Oh come on Tom. Please?" She whined.
A knock on his door saved him from answering. "These are the reports you wanted from me, Sir." Azima walked in and handed him the stack of papers.
"Thanks, Azima. What about the ones from Smith, Green and Taylor?"
"They are on it, Sir."
He nodded then. "Good. I hope they come up with them in the next hour. I promised this girl to leave early." He nodded towards Sasha.
"Oh don't keep your hopes up. Smith was called in for a meeting with his boss. And it doesn't seem he is coming out of it soon."
Tom looked shocked at her and then at Sasha. He wanted to apologize and opened his mouth, but Sasha beat him to it "Don't! This is the first time we got for ourselves in weeks and you just ruined it!" She shouted. And then looked at Azima. "Do you have time?"
"For you? Always?"
Sasha dragged Azima out of Tom's office without looking back at him, while Azima and he changed a conspiratorial look and Tom couldn't hide a little smile.
Azima and Sasha went to the shopping mall. The afternoon was spent with drinking coffee and chatting about Wolf's convalescence and Azima never made the mistake to bring up Tom in a conversation. But at some point she had to if her and Tom's plan should be successful.
"Why don't we go to the lingerie shop?" Azima suggested after a while.
"Why should we?"
"Perhaps you can purchase something for your boyfriend." Azima suggested.
"What boyfriend?"
"Oh come on Sasha, don't be a sissy. He can't really tell the president he has a date with his girlfriend."
"Yes, I know. But..."
"But what?"
"Well, it's Valentine's day and the kids are at their friends for a sleepover and ..."
"… you thought you could drag him right to the bedroom?"
Sasha smiled "Something like this. You know … " she trailed off "… we hadn't have that time for us alone for a very long time. So, I just don't know. I imagined we would do something together, at least go out for dinner."
Azima eyed her for a moment. "Since when do you care about Valentine's day?"
"Normally I don't, but this year I do." She answered with tears in her eyes.
"Have you told him?" And when Sasha shook her head, she asked "And how is he suppose to know that?" Seeing Sasha's eyes more watering she asked bewildered "What is wrong with you? You wouldn't cry over such a thing."
Now Sasha couldn't hold back the tears any longer "I'm such emotional since we got home from war. At the beginning I thought it was because we survived and others not. We all had to process a lot and I blamed it on the guilt of survival. But it didn't stop and I got tired too. I can sleep all the time but I feel like I don't get any sleep at all. So I went to the doctors two weeks ago thinking that something is wrong." She paused.
"And? Is something wrong with you?" Azima asked concerned.
"I'm pregnant." Sasha whispered.
"What? Congratulation, Sasha!"Azima took her into her arms. "How far along?"
"12 weeks."
Doing the math Azima's eyes widened "Wait, 12 weeks? We are home for 7 weeks now. That means you had sex on the ship?"
"I know, I know. It was against the rules but one lead to the other and we couldn't stop. And well we got punished for it with the pregnancy."
"You think it's a punishment? You won't keep it?"
"What? No I want this baby. No matter what. But … but I don't know if Tom is thrilled about it. You know, he has his kids and everyone will do the math like you. He can loose his reputation, you know."
"Oh don't worry about him. He loves you, Sasha. It's as plain as the nose on your face." She assured Sasha. And then asked again "You can tell him tonight and to smooth the way, you should wear new lingerie he hasn't seen yet. So let's go."
Not only got they two new garments for Sasha and one for Azima but she persuaded Sasha to buy a new dress and matching shoes as well. It was a navy blue silken dress which emphasized her blue eyes. It went to her knees and let everyone see her perfectly shaped legs. Straps held it all in the right places "You look beautiful, Sasha. I'll bet he can't take his eyes off you."
Sasha looked herself up in the mirror. "I don't know, Azima. Isn't it too much?"
"No, no Cooper. THIS is perfect."
"Okay, then. Just let me change again."
Looking on her watch she suggested "Why do you want to change into your working clothes? Keep it on and we can go to a very nice restaurant and have dinner."
While driving to the restaurant, Azima got a phone call. After finishing the call she turned to Sasha and said "This was Wolf, I'm sorry Sasha, but I have to go to the hospital. So there is no dinner for us. I'll drop you off at home."
"Is everything okay with Wolf?" Sasha asked concerned.
"Yeah, yeah, he needs some stuff and I have to speak with one of the doctors. So sorry again."
"No big deal, Azima. And say hello to him and I will visit him in a few days. And thank you for spending the day with me. I really appreciate it."
"I'm glad I could be of service. And you should tell Tom." Pointing to Sasha's stomach.
"Yeah, I think so too. But apparently he isn't home yet." Sasha said looking at a dark home in front of her. With a sigh she opened the car and walked towards her home. "And a happy Valentine's day to you, Sasha." She thought sadly.
Sasha stepped through the door expecting a dark and empty house. But a lot of candles illuminated the house into a warm and romantic atmosphere.
"What… ?" She asked perplexed.
"I'm glad you came home in time." Tom greeted her. He was coming down the hall towards her wearing a gray suit with a white shirt and a dark gray tie. He carried a single rose in his hand and smiled at her. "Hello beautiful," he welcomed her and bent down to give her a brief kiss on her cheek and handed her the rose.
"What are you doing here?" she asks surprised.
"Waiting for you." He said firmly.
"Have I missed something?"
"No, just a private dinner at our house." He replied and guided her towards the dining room. To Sasha's surprise the room was also lit with a dozen of candles and the table was set for two persons. He let her to the table. "Please sit down."
Sasha was so perplexed about the situation that she only registered everything in slow motion. She didn't speak or react to him but was looking around with awe. She hadn't expected anything from him or this day after it went down in the afternoon. And now he managed to decorate their house into a romantic atmosphere.
Tom was a little bit nervous because Sasha didn't say anything to him. "Is something wrong, Sasha?"
Coming out of her thoughts Sasha looked at him and smiled "No, everything is fine. Thanks Tom." She cleared her throat "So this whole" she made a quotation with her fingers, "I have a lot to do for the president was a set up for me?"
He looked ashamed and mischievously at the same time at her "Yes, it was. I've planned this dinner, but I knew I couldn't do it with you here. So Azima helped me out a little bit."
"I should have notice something was off, but honestly Tom, I'm glad you two came up with this plan." Looking up in his eyes she saw a very happy Tom looking right back at her.
"You look amazing, Sasha." Tom told her honestly.
"You don't look so bad either." She replied. "I'm glad we are home. I don't want to share you with any other woman."
"You don't have to. I'm all yours."Tom pointed out and poured them both a glass of red wine. "So you're hungry?" And when he saw Sasha nodding her head he continued "I'm glad. Then we should start with the feast." He stood up and went into the kitchen taking the appetizer to the table.
"This looks delicious. Have you done these?"
"Good lord no, I don't want to risk a food poison." He answered honestly. Her only response was a loud laugh.
"Where did you get the dinner, then?" She asked curiously. "It isn't our normal take away."
"No, it isn't. It's from Carlo's and it was delivered just some minutes before you returned."
"Carlo's? That fancy restaurant?"
"Yeah. You okay with that?"
She tasted something from the finger food and let out a soft moan. "Hmmm, that tastes so good." Tom grinned from one ear to the other and couldn't imagine that she melted away just like this.
They ate their main course and salad and chatted away about this and that but always intent on not mentioning work.
"Oh god, Tom this was delicious. I think I have had enough."
"Oh that's a pity. There is dessert as well but then I have to eat it all alone."
"What dessert?"
"Chocolate mousse and chocolate ice cream." He answered casually. And when he saw her wide eyes he knew she couldn't resist.
"Bring it on then, sailor."
"I thought you have had enough."
"Oh I had, but now I changed my mind."
"Well, then I shouldn't let you wait." He went back to the kitchen. Sasha ogled him up and down and appreciated the view in front of her. He looked sexy in his suit. She always liked him in his uniforms but this suit suits him well. And taking off these clothes would be so much fun for her. While looking him up she noticed his nervousness. "What is wrong with him? Does he think I don't like the dessert?"
"So here it comes." Tom carried the plates in his hands and walked over to her. He met her eyes and couldn't hide his nervousness. "Damn, she looks so beautiful. How am I suppose to pull through the plan? All I want to do is taking off her dress."
She tilted her head and smiled up at him "What's wrong?" She asked him and put a hand on his arm.
"Nothing. You just …" He cleared his throat. "You look so damn beautiful is all. And I ask me a hundredth time how I got so lucky to have you in my life." He bent down to kiss her.
"That is so sweet of you, Tom." She replied after breaking the kiss.
"So, eat up, then we can continue our evening somewhere else." He said mischievously. Sasha tugged into her dessert immediately and let out another moan. "This.." She pointed at the mousse "...This is perfect."
"No you are." He replied and kissed her again tasting the chocolate mousse on her lips. He couldn't get enough of her but had to break it off when he wanted to go through his plan. The box in his pocket burned a hole in his pants. Breaking off again he let her go "Why don't you go to the living room while I clean up?"
"Let me do the cleaning. You have done so much tonight. At least I can do the cleaning."
"You don't have to do it, Sasha."
"Then, " she trailed her hands to his shoulders "what do you think of leaving the things here and clean up tomorrow?" She asked seductively.
"Mhmm, I like the idea." He replied in a dark tone, knowing what his voice could do to her. She grabbed his neck and pulled him down for another deep kiss. "Come on, let's go to the living room. Do you want a coffee?"
"No, I had enough at the mall today." She went to the room and Tom followed her with a little space between them. She opened the door to their living room and wasn't surprised to find the room lit with candles. But then she saw pictures from her and Tom in their early twenties, from the days at the academy and then from their vacation last year and some with the kids. Every picture on this flip chart had its meaning to them and to her. It was always a happy or important step in their relationship. She went to them and looked them up. Then she got to the letters they wrote each other. "You kept them?" She asked but wasn't expecting an answer. "What? What is this?" She asked and looked behind her. She gasped aloud and held her hands in front of her mouth when she saw him kneeling in front of her.
"Sasha," he began, " when I first saw you in Annapolis I knew you would be trouble. After a while I realized I couldn't stand away from you. You were like a magnet. I was drawn towards you whatever I tried to do against it. And when I could call you my own I was the luckiest guy in the world. When we broke up my heart shattered into hundreds of pieces and I knew that I lost someone very special." He paused and looked up at her seeing that her eyes were shining from tears.
" When we met in Asia I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you again after all that time. But after the first shock I realized that you were back in my life. And I couldn't be happier. I dreamed and imagined our life from that moment on. But then I went through a dark place and left you behind. And I'm really sorry for that. All I wanted to do was holding you tight and never letting you go. But I could drag you down so I went away. I realized that by running away my pain wouldn't vanish and running away from you was the worst idea I had. I thought I lost you a second time and this time it was all my fault. Mike brought you up at the fight and I had to search for you in the crowd. Seeing you again in that ditch my heart skipped a beat. I knew I couldn't stand away from you any longer even when I knew that you were seeing someone else. If Fletcher hadn't taken himself out of the situation I would have fought for your love by hook or by crook. No matter the odds no matter the consequences.
When I could call you my own for the second time a lot had changed in my life. Being a single parent was tough on me and I'm so glad you took my kids under your wings and treated them as if they were your own. I know life with me wasn't and isn't that easy for you and the kids. I know that now. I really do. The war has sent me to a dark place again or perhaps I never got out of it. But I'm seeing a psychologist to help me out of it. And I'm not doing this only for me but for us. For you, for our kids and for us as a family. I do want to live and especially with you. I can't imagine a life without you any more. You are it. It was always you I ever wanted.
So, Sasha Cooper, do you want to marry me?" He asked hopefully and held out a diamond ring in a velvet box.
Sasha looked down at him, tears were streaming down her cheeks and seeing the man she loved so much in front of her, let her loose her voice. All she could manage was a nodding of her head and then "Yes, yes, I want to marry you. Of course I want."
Tom slide the ring onto her finger and stood up. He couldn't hold back his own tears and took Sasha in his arms. "You heard me that I said yes?" She asked again.
"Yes, I did, my love."