When Heaven Is Beautiful
IV. Epilogue
Our loving hearts alone are temple and altar. Take this ring. You are mine. I am yours. - Lucia
They lay in bed together. Laura was nestled against Bill's chest, his chin pressed against the top of her head. Dawn was only just beginning to break. There was only the faintest amount of light streaming in, just enough to announce the arrival of morning. Neither of them had slept.
"Bill?"
"Mmmmm."
"How long was I gone before you died? How much time passed?"
"Nearly a year."
"For me it was only a day. A very lonely day. I'm so sorry that I couldn't be there for you."
"Not your fault. It was a difficult time," he admitted as he stroked her hair. That was an understatement. But he loved her too much to dwell on how hard that year had been without her. It was beyond their control; he didn't want to make her feel any worse than she obviously already did. "There were moments when I felt you, as if you were very close. I think that's what got me through it. Those times when I was sure that you were with me. At the very last moments of my fever, you were really there, weren't you? That wasn't a hallucination."
"I was there. I don't understand how but I know that I was with you."
"You were holding my hand." He kissed the top of her head. "I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was lying on the couch in the living room here—in this cabin. I walked outside and saw you."
"I don't understand what all of this is or how long it will last, Bill, but I'm so grateful for it. Let's make the most of this time together. Bill linked his fingers through hers and noticed the gold wedding band. He traced it with the tip of his finger.
"When I arrived here, I was wearing it," Laura explained. "So I hope you meant it, Mr. Adama," she teased with a coy smile. "Marriage that transcends life, death, and the space time continuum is serious business," she added in her best teacher voice.
"When you put it that way… I guess I'm stuck."
Thwack!
Laura whacked him in the head with her pillow. It was a direct hit. With practiced ease, she lifted the pillow up to strike a second time. Undaunted, Bill made a quick grab for her and aimed his counterattack at her rib cage. He began to tickle her.
"Very unwise, Madam President. I know the spots where you're most vulnerable." He tickled her mercilessly, deft fingers beating feather light drum beats along the silk of her nightgown. His handiwork sent vibrations and ripples of laughter throughout her body. Bill shifted on top of her, grabbed her wrists, and pinned her playfully underneath him.
"Oh, gods Bill," Laura giggled adorably. She was utterly beautiful with her bright eyes and flushed face. Bill kissed her on the nose. Holding her in place, he continued to assault her with a barrage of tiny kisses, down her neck and throat, then along the indentation of her collarbone.
"Surrender or suffer the consequences," he threatened amiably.
"Sounds like I win either way," she answered softly, her voice breathy.
Bill released her wrists and Laura eagerly reached up for him. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling his face down toward hers.
"I love you," she declared with her lips against his mouth, just before she kissed him.
"I love you, too, Laura," he answered, his voice warm and low.
"Now, husband, I have something for you but you're going to have to let me up."
"If I must." Bill flashed her a smoldering smile and rolled gently off of her. "Remember my willingness to negotiate."
"Oh, I'll remember, Bill," Laura promised. Bill had the distinct impression that this little sparring session was far from over and that his wife was already plotting her revenge. He watched her slip out of bed. The little red slip of a nightgown she wore emphasized every delicious curve of her body. She opened a dresser drawer, reached in to the back, and pulled out a little black velvet box.
Bill sat up in bed and Laura sat next to him at an angle, facing him, one leg tucked underneath her and the other one dangling over the side of the bed. Shyness and pride mingled on her features as she handed him the little box.
"Of course, I didn't know when you'd arrive but when you did—I wanted you to have this," Laura told him.
Bill opened the lid of the box and his heart swelled with love for the woman next to him when he saw the gold band. A wedding band. Laura. His wife.
"There's an engraving inside."
Bill angled the inside of the band so that the light hit it and he read the inscription: "It's about time," he choked. He slipped the ring on his finger and grabbed Laura, pulling her close. He held her for a long time and he didn't hide the fact that he was crying. There were no secrets between them; he could show her all of himself. The months after her death had been extremely difficult. To be reunited with her and to finally be able to be together—was so extraordinary and wonderful.
"Thank you. It's perfect," Bill murmured as he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "I'm not sure what all this is or what comes next. But I do know that however little or long we have, Laura, I plan to cherish every moment as long as you're with me."
