Life was not easy for the two; there was an age difference to be considered. She was seventeen and he was almost thirty. He hade vowed not to touch her until they were married, and not to marry her until she was an adult. The everyday fear that she might not live to marry him was a something that keep them counting the days until there wedding. Dave had convinced Erin to move back in with her parents and volunteered to pay for her in home care. He had bought them a large house near her parents, when Dave tolled this to his best friend, Phil said, "You can't move for a chick." But he did.
Their wedding was not an outrage, it was a privet affair. Erin's parents, a few well liked cousins, Dave's uncle and brother and some friends where there to wish them a happy life together. They went on a two week honeymoon in Fiji.
Upon arriving back at their new house, Erin turned down Dave's offer to employ help around the house, insisting that she could manage. Erin was almost a project the Dave, he wanted to give her everything money could buy, and love her with a love that could stop the world turning.
Erin didn't mind that Dave was gone more than he was home, she was lonely but she accepted his profession.
When a broken knee left Phil sidelined, Dave insisted that he keep a watch on Erin. Soon it be came a regular thing that Phil ate lunch at Erin's house everyday, mainly because his girlfriend, Kelsey was a terrible cook.
This particular Wednesday found Erin over the stove with a pot of spaghetti and Phil at the table watching her. He had been in a foul mood ever scents he had arrived.
"What's wrong? Do you not like spaghetti?" Erin asked.
"I love your spaghetti, it's not that." He said bouncing a fork off the table.
"Well are you not going to tell me what it is?"
He sighed heavily. "Kelsey moved out." He admitted.
"Oh no, Phil. Why?"
"She wants a baby; she doesn't think I can handle it."
Erin nodded. "Well, you do have a temper." She said.
He huffed. "I do not Erin. I would make a great dad."
"You have road-rage." She said like that ended the augment.
"So! I love kids." He said forcefully.
"You do not." She argued.
He huffed again. He was getting frustrated; maybe Kelsey and Erin were right. "I'm going to the café." He said standing up and walking towards the door.
"So suddenly you don't like my cooking?" She yelled.
"I love your cooking, it's just you conversation!" He yelled then slammed the door behind him.
She smiled to herself. "Come back when you get hungry!" She called after him, he did not reply.
The rest of the day Erin spent waiting for Dave's nightly call. When the phone rang at last, Dave's voice was different, it was quiet.
"Hey baby." He greeted. "David! What's wrong?" She had suddenly panicked. Thanks to her treatments, she was doing that a lot lately. "It's ok baby." He said trying to calm her down. "I broke leg; I'm coming home for a while." Her eyes started to fill with tears. "What happened?" She asked. "It was just a rough match, sweetheart it's okay." He said soothingly. She did not reply "I love you Erin, I miss you. I will call you in the morning, goodnight." "Goodnight." She said quietly.
The next morning Erin was woken by the telephone ringing. She ran to answer it. Dave informed her that he would be home in nine hours. Her heart skipped a beat; she had not seen him in over four months. The days of being apart had put increased agony on her.
She passed the hours on pins and needles. She paced, she took a shower, she ate breakfast, she paced, she took the dog for a extra long walk, read a book, paced, read, paced, cooked dinner, and then paced a bit more. Finally the sound of a car stopped her dead in her tracks. She looked out the window to see Phil's car in the driveway. Erin flung the door open and ran to her husband. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her lips to his. The sweet vanilla that she tasted was what she had been missing for so long.
To Dave, holding Erin in his arms was such a relief. His days on the road were always accompanied by a fear of a phone call. Erin's cancer had not subsided and there was never a guaranty that she would make it through the night. He hadn't told her yet, but for that reason, he was contemplating giving up his career.