"Bit chilly, isn't it?"
He pulled his hands into his sleeves, and exhaled, slowly. His breath cut a steady path through the night air.
She could only nod.
She was still in shock!
Here they were, walking out of their doctor's office, and he was smiling, for the first time in a decade.
"You okay?" he asked next, looking at her. Renee refused to look back. Of course she was. He wasn't. He never would be.
"I'm fine, Jack."
The wind twisted its way into her jacket, rendering it useless. She shivered.
"The car's right over there, Ren... come on."
Renee halted, and stared straight ahead. He looked in this direction, unsure of what he was missing.
"No, I like the wind. It's a nice change."
Defiantly, she rolled up the sleeves of her coat, studying her arms as she did so.
"Were you expecting a gentleman?"
He reached for her jacket and removed it. Then he hung it over his arm, and continued watching her.
Now amused, Renee studied her surroundings. They were maybe ten feet from their car. They stood in the parking lot. The only source of light was a streetlight somewhere in the distance, and the occasional set of headlights as someone left.
Renee's shoulders shook, very slightly.
"Renee, the car is right there." He gestured to it with one hand, still enveloped in his sleeve.
"I know. I can see it."
For a minute, the only sound in the lot was relaxed breathing and hissing wind.
"Jack..."
He looked her way, and prepared her jacket.
"I don't know what to say right now... I… I feel like I should be saying something, but..."
The jacket was slid over her arms as she stammered. Jack pulled it to her shoulders, even folding the collar up for her.
"I can't come up with anything."
"That's fine, Renee."
His hands remained patiently on her shoulders. His breath trailed down her neck, noticeably relaxing her... though her blood chilled for a moment.
"Should I be congratulating you or something? I mean, I feel weird."
His hands began gently kneading her shoulders.
"Relax, okay? You don't have to tell me anything."
Her lips quivered, and she wanted to cry at the simplicity of this. Some complex emotion, and such simple things, simple words and ideas. Everything confused her now.
"This'll be nice... I can relax Renee. Thank you for that."
True enough. Oddly worded, but the truth.
She spun around to face him, her tears all hidden in a cage of her eyelashes. Before he could study this (as she knew he would), she leaned in to kiss him. Her lips softly met his, and she made note of the lines that dug through them. She didn't mind.
"You're welcome." she told Jack, as he backed away.
Eternity awaited them. They'd stumble through it, at a slow pace, enjoying the scenery, and, above all else, they'd enjoy one another. They'd marry, they'd reunite a torn family, and they'd hope several times that they had their own. They'd relax; they'd study, as well as be studied.
Eternity lasted three years, five months, and sixteen days.
Renee counted each one.
