I have absolutely nothing to say here, but it feels wrong to post without saying something first, so here goes. I sometimes wish my favourite twenty-two month old was a quite as Emmanuel Manoso. I've spent that past week constantly in her company, and all I hear is "Duck, cat, dog, black, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, piggy piggy piggy, truck, oo-oo-oo, duck duck duck duck, cat cat cat cat cat cat" etc. It's frustrating, but she's sooooooo cute. Happy reading.

Chapter 10

Ranger's POV

She just stared at me as if she hadn't heard me. Ironic really. I waited for her to start breathing again, it took a few moments longer than I was comfortable with, and she almost dropped E in the meantime, but she regained pulmonary activity. She continued to stare until Em made a sound and fidgeted. Glancing down, she smiled at him and set him on the floor. He toddled to the toy box in the corner and took out some blocks. Steph continued to watch him, a strange look on her face. When she finally pulled her gaze up to mine, it was hard to tell exactly her expression, but it must have been somewhere between confused and sad.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

Her brow furrowed. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"I'm fine, trust me," I assured her.

Tears filled her eyes and she shook her head. On the floor, Em stopped playing with his blocks and looked up worriedly at his mother. "Ma?" he asked, reaching a hand out to touch her leg.

"I'm fine, baby boy," she told him, still crying. He toddled over and started trying to climb up onto her lap. She didn't hesitate to pick him up, holding him close as her tears continued to fall.

"Steph, why are you crying?"

She looked up and sniffed, drying her eyes on the back of her hand. "I just don't get why you didn't tell me to begin with." The tears started falling again even before she got her words out. It was absolute torture watching her cry, it always had been, but I wasn't sure if I should hug her. Things had been so topsy turvy since I'd been home that I wasn't sure if I was sure of anything anymore. "What's wrong with you?" she sobbed.

"I have a constant ringing in my ears that makes it hard to-."

"Not that," she interrupted, an exasperated look on her face. "You're acting like... like you don't love me anymore."

"Christ, Babe, not this again," I groaned before I could stop myself.

"Not this again? I think it's just as justified, don't you? You haven't even tried to-."

"Babe," I cut across her before she could work herself up even more. "I love you. I've always loved you. I will never stop loving you, no matter what." I reached across the space between us and dragged her chair over to mine. She was still crying, but she had an oddly happy look on her face as I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her into my lap. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you straight off the bat. I'm sorry I made you feel unloved. I'm sorry I had to leave you for months. I'm sorry-."

She stopped me in the most effective and affective way possible. She sealed her lips over mine. It worked. I stopped talking. I also stopped thinking and breathing, at least for a moment. Tightening my grip on her, I pulled my wife close to my chest and revelled in the feeling I had longed for for four long months. I let my hand flit up her back and slip into her unruly curls. I was in heaven. Finally, it didn't matter that one of my senses was compromised, it didn't matter that I wasn't the whole kit and caboodle. I was here, with my arms around my Babe, her lips on mine, with my family within reach.

"I get it," she said softly, pulling back to look into my eye. "You're sorry. I'm sorry too. Just promise me that in the future you'll share everything. That means illnesses." She gave me a pointed look. "Injuries." Another meaningful glare. "And hospital visits. Not just the happy, la-dee-da stuff, okay mister? If something happens in your work life that you're allowed to share with me, I want to hear about it, no matter how boring it is. It's only fair, I bore you with the intricate details of shopping trips and-." A thoughtful expression came over her face for a moment. "I need to borrow your computer," she told me, abruptly extricating herself from my grasp.

She was out the door before I thought to stop her, so I grabbed Em and charged after her. Em seemed to like the bouncing, if his giggles were anything to go by, I'd have to do this more often when my hearing cleared fully so that I could properly appreciate the sound. When I got to the door of my office Steph was sitting at my desk, making circular motions in the air between her and the computer screen.

"Come on, come on," she whispered. I figured she was trying to get it to hurry up and load up, since I hadn't turned it on yet today.

"What are you doing, Babe?" I asked, slightly amused at the image before me.

Her eyes snapped to me and for a moment I thought she was going crazy. "Nothing," she said quickly. "I just need to clean up some things I left on your-."

"Please don't delete your Urgent document, Babe, I haven't finished reading it."

A groan escaped her lips as she lowered her head to the table. "It's too late!"

I chuckled as I set Em back on the floor. "I love reading your accounts. They beat the hell out of business reports, and it gives me an insight into the kids' development over the time I was gone. Please don't delete it." I watched, struggling to keep a straight face, as she pursed her lips and crossed her arms. "If you leave the document there I'll take you out for a special lunch, just you and me."

"What about the kids?"

I could have throttled her. I really could have. She'd been solely responsible for our three little cherubs for weeks and weeks on end and the moment I offer her respite, she worries about them some more. I shook my head and grabbed her hand, pulling her from the chair and leading her over to the middle of the room. "I'm sure Ella is more than capable of taking care of the kids, she's done it enough times before. Can you let me take you out for an intimate lunch? Do you think you can manage to forget about the kids for a couple of hours to reconnect with your husband?"

"I don't think I can function without the kids," she deadpanned. "Just let me call Ella and then we can go. Is what I'm wearing okay?"

"Perfect." Just then Em tugged on my trouser leg. When I looked down he pointed towards the wall where his painting was hanging, still upside down since I hadn't gotten a chance to fix it. He toddled over to the couch and climbed up, still pointing to it. I glanced over at Steph, looking just a little bit suspicious, facing the corner and talking low so that I could neither hear her, nor read her lips. "We'll show Mama your painting again when she's off the phone," I assured him, not taking my eyes off my wife, hoping I could work out what she was up to.

As always, I hope you can find the time to leave a review. Any and all comments are welcome.