A/N: Happy December! Thank you for reading! We have been wonderfully surprised at the reception to this story! Read-enjoy happy Sara and Grissom!

A Few Days in April

Chapter 6

Sara turned the page of an old photograph book, her eyes scrutinizing each photo.

Grissom watched as he towel-dried his hair. "Trying to refresh your memories?"

She patted the bed beside her; her mouth upturned in an easy smile. "At one time, I fancied myself a budding photographer—around the time Paula and I moved into that small apartment." She scooted over when Grissom came to the bed but instead of sitting beside her, he moved behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Relax," he said as his fingers kneaded into her muscles. "You are a great photographer—so the early experience paid off." Looking over her shoulder, he pointed to one photo. "That's from the apartment."

The photograph was of four windows.

Sara laughed, "It is—bedroom window. I'm surprised you remember."

"Remember the time the curtains caught fire? Was that the weekend of Paula's big wedding?" He kissed the nap of her neck. "And you wore this—this corset thing under the dress." His hands lowered to her waist and inched up.

Sara laughed again. "I haven't thought about that weekend in a very long time." She closed the book and reached for him, tugging him to her. "I'm so happy to be older—hopefully wiser."

Easily, Grissom was beside her, his hands finding her warm skin. "We were just beginning to know each other." He puffed a breath of air as he stretched out in the bed. His arm went again to Sara's back, under her shirt. "Sometimes I think how I almost let you slip away."

Sara grinned. This was an old conversation between them. "I knew I wanted you." She moved quickly so they faced each other and kissed him.

Grissom smiled as her lips touched his; she threaded fingers through his damp hair. He said, "Every day—every day, it's easy to love you." He pulled her against his hips. "I wish I had been with you today—Bizzy told quite a story—how excited you were to see Paula."

"It's been a very long time since I've been so surprised—I didn't know who she was when she got out of the car—all professional and official looking. And then we couldn't stop laughing!" She kissed him again. "I'm so glad she's returning—she said she travels most of the time."

Her fingers fumbled with the buttons on his pajama shirt. She quietly used a swear word. Grissom chuckled and pulled the shirt over his head. Her shirt was removed as easily; her lavender panties took longer.

Sara watched her husband as his thumbs slipped underneath the lacy edge along her thigh. His lips touched her skin, grasped the silky fabric between his teeth and tugged. With meticulousness care, he managed to slip Sara's panties to her knees, keep one hand at the apex of her thighs, and his lips against her skin. The progression along her body caused a tingling, rippling response, a very pleasurable, delightful sensation of expectation for Sara.

The lamps were on; the bedroom door was open but neither cared as Sara lay beneath him. She closed her eyes as Grissom's hands moved over her body, gently, sweeping away all thoughts of children, of old friends, of long-ago events. Their bodies rocked together in a knowing dance, without clumsiness, with the certainty of long-time lovers. She knew his touch, he knew her responses. When pleasure overtook her, he covered her mouth with his as she cried out.

As they lay together amid discarded clothes and tangled sheets, Sara stretched to kiss Grissom's chin. "I've never regretted loving you."

Grissom pulled her closer; a soft chuckle rose from deep in his chest. "You and Paula will have much to tell each other."

With a giggle muted by a pillow, Sara said, "Some things Paula will not hear. Now, find my panties and shirt, please." Another giggle. "I need my sleep—tomorrow is a school day."

Grissom made a sound similar to a growl as his head disappeared underneath the sheet. When Sara felt his mouth on her belly, she lifted the sheet pulling it over her head.

"That is not finding my underwear!"

A soft chuckle was all she heard as she felt her husband's tongue on her skin.

. . . As a child, Sara had loved school—for completely different reasons than her two oldest children did. She dreaded the arrival of spring because she knew what summer would bring. Her children had no concept, had no way of perceiving what their mother's life had been like as a child. And Sara was thankful every day they would never know.

As she walked with Bizzy and Eli to the end of the driveway, the two children exhibited boundless energy, ready for their school day, talking about their friends and plans for the day. Sara waited every morning until her children were on the bus; in the afternoon, she was there when they arrived home.

Friday arrived quickly. The upstairs bedroom had been aired; in the small bathroom, tucked against rafters, new towels were ready for their guest, and Sister Deborah had promised a special cake for Sara's friend.

Bizzy and Eli worried Paula would arrive before they got home from school; Sara assured them she would not.

Annie wanted her stuffed monkey to sleep with their visitor. Ava wanted to sleep with the funny lady who was returning. They wanted to explore and touch everything in the guest room.

Grissom and Will were content with beautiful days and the definite arrival of spring.

By the time Friday afternoon arrived and Sara and Will walked to the end of the driveway to wait for the bus, the house was cleaned and was ready for company. Grissom took Ava and Annie with him to the neighbor's to pick up the promised cake from the nun's kitchen and by the time they returned, Bizzy and Eli were wearing clean shirts and sporting freshly scrubbed hands and faces.

Will was changed into a pale blue romper; a row of bright yellow giraffes decorated its front. Sara helped Ava and Annie dress in similar outfits, one was pink, one was purple.

Everyone crowded around the dining table as Grissom placed an ancient metal cake carrier on the table. Previous experiences with cakes from their neighbors was enough to cause excitement—breath holding, eyes wide, little mouths sounding muted "oh" as their father placed his hand on the silver dome. With much fanfare, he removed the metal top from the old-fashion cake pan.

Breath sounds grew as the cake was revealed; four yellow cake layers, each separated by sliced strawberries and whipped cream, and topped with mounds of creamy icing. The fragrance of the strawberries added to the mouthwatering appearance of the cake.

"It looks like a cloud," Eli whispered.

"Sister Deborah always makes beautiful cakes," said Bizzy.

"I think she's out-done her previous work with this one," Grissom declared.

Just then a familiar malodorous smell caused heads to turn in one direction.

"Oh, Will," Sara sighed as she lifted the little boy in her arms. Expecting Paula to arrive at any moment, she hurried to the boys' bedroom.

The children stayed around the table, each one trying to out-do the others with a description of how the cake would taste with much lip-smacking and tummy rubbing going on.

The phone rang; Grissom answered, and after a few remarks, he said, "I've got it in my office," and he left the dining table.

Will's soiled diaper was only the beginning, Sara discovered. He needed bathing from his back down, a clean shirt, clean pants; even his socks had to be changed. It took longer than a simple diaper change.

In the kitchen, the four children edged closer to the cake. Ava and Annie stood in chairs and leaned over the table. At some point during their talk about the cake, one small hand touched a strawberry causing it to fall to the platter.

Eli reached over and picked up the strawberry, putting it in his mouth. Slyly, he grinned before he licked his lips.

"Eli!" Bizzy whispered, surprised that he would take a strawberry.

"It's really good," he replied and stretched his hand toward the cake. His finger pulled another strawberry from between the cake layers. "One for you."

Bizzy took the berry and nodded her head in agreement.

One of the twins made a grumping sound. Eli pushed two more strawberries to the platter. As the small girls licked their fingers, Eli dabbed his finger into the fluffy topping. Instead of eating it, he held his finger out to Bizzy. She licked it off with her tongue and giggled softly. She reached for another strawberry.

In much less time than one would think, the four children had eaten most of the strawberries, the whipped cream, and the fluffy icing. The top two cake layers slid sideways.

Eli poked a finger into one of the cake layers and pinched a small piece off. As he chewed, he said "This is good cake, but strawberries were really tasty."

Ava and Annie imitated his actions; both nodded in agreement. Bizzy's fingers were half-way to the cake when the sound of her mother's footsteps caused her to stop.

Her eyes grew wide. "We are in trouble now," she whispered. Quickly, she ran around the table and stood in front of it; her slim body shook with anxious nervousness.

Eli, realizing his sister was right, jumped beside her in an attempt to hide the cake. Ava and Annie stood up in their chairs, uncertain of what was happening but knowing a change had occurred.

Sara laughed as she placed Will on the floor; he ran toward his dad who was returning from his office.

"Hey, little buddy! Do you smell better now?" Grissom clapped his hands as Will squealed with delight.

Sara took a quick glance at her four older children, almost in the same places she had left them. Then she had to do a double-take; her previously clean children were marked with bright blotches—red spots stained their clothes—her mind attempted to process what was wrong—which took less than half a minute.

Breathless for another full minute, she tried to speak but only wheezed as she tried to form words. Finally, "What? What happened here?" Her voice was slightly higher than normal, but she managed not to yell.

Her children were a mess; strawberry juice made their mouths look like clown faces. Red stains dripped down the fronts of shirts.

And the cake—a few minutes ago, it had been a vision of a baker's perfection—now leaned to one side, most of the strawberries were gone, all but a thin coating of icing had disappeared. Multiple holes marked the once pristine cake.

Grissom, oblivious to what was occurring a few feet away, was playing with Will when he heard a car arrive.

"Paula is here!" He announced, picking up Will, and heading toward the front door.

Sara turned to the door, turned back to her children and, seeing extremely remorseful looks on two faces, she grabbed a handful of napkins and started wiping faces without uttering another word.

As she cleaned Bizzy's face, the child said, "I'm sorry, Mommy." Tears filled her eyes.

Sara wiped eyes and turned to Eli. She said, "We will talk about this later—you both know your sisters look up to you. After Paula's visit we will—talk—do something—about this." She pulled Eli close and kissed his forehead then did the same to her daughter. "Right now, we'll enjoy our visitor."

"I'm sorry, Mom," Eli whispered. He blinked as tears welled in his eyes.

"Go greet Paula," Sara said with a smile, turning to Annie and Ava with more napkins. "Help with her luggage, please."

The twins stood quietly as she wiped hands and faces. Hearing Paula and Grissom on the porch, she dabbed at their stained shirts before lifting each child from chair to floor. She took a few seconds to cover the cake and move it to a counter before the door opened and Paula, laughing and talking, appeared.

Sara hesitated briefly as she took a deep breath and crossed the space with a light, buoyant step that betrayed her distress of a few moments ago. Her children were laughing, Grissom was talking, and Sara joined in as she pulled her old friend into a two-arm hug.

A/N: And if you would be so kind as to leave a word, a comment as a review! Start December with a bang! And another chapter soon. Thank you.