CHAPTER 21
Lucas sat, focused on the road in front of him, as he contemplated the best way to help his wife. He knew that she was having difficulty processing and dealing with her father's death, especially given that she had taken the responsibility of signing the release forms for his procedure. He didn't think that his level of concern for her could get any deeper when he realized how impassive she had remained during her father's funeral service, however, he soon found that he had underestimated just how deeply concerned he was about to become when she bid farewell to her sisters before their departure. Since he had first met Dara, he had known that she was very close to her family, however, as they had said their farewells that morning, she had done nothing more than simply embrace them briefly and nod indifferently when they had promised to visit after the birth of the twins. Although he could see, as he glanced covertly at her, that she was the picture of calmness, he also knew from experience that the dam that was holding her emotions was, more than likely, going to break at any given moment.
Noticing her husband's covert glances and deciding to put an end to the annoying way that he was continuously watching her, Dara stated in a trite voice;
"I can assure you that I'm quite alright, aside from my annoyance at being under constant observation."
Turning in her seat to pin him with her eyes, which he could see were flashing with the fire of her irritation as she accused;
"Really, Lucas, I'm your wife, not a prisoner in need of constant supervision."
Casting her a quick glance before turning his attention back to the road in front of them, Lucas found himself taking a well measured steadying breath; he had never heard the sharp tone in her voice that he now heard. He couldn't even remember hearing the tone that he now heard when she was so angry with him before his discovery of her mother's condition or even when she had been so irritable before their discovery of her pregnancy. Exhaling the breath slowly, he carefully explained in a soft tone;
"Darlin, I wasn't 'supervising' you, it's just that you seem very withdrawn and quiet. You hardly cried at the funeral and I'm just worried that you're holding this all in."
The sparks of irritated fire that he had seen in her eyes quickly transformed to daggers of ice as she glared at him coldly;
"I think that I've shed more than my share of tears; don't you? I won't have a case of hysterics, if that's your concern. I can assure you that I'm quite capable of handling my emotions; thank you."
With that she turned back to the window to stare at the passing sights. Lucas shook his head, realizing that the only thing that would be accomplished by pursuing the issue any further would be to upset her, he chose to remain silent for the remainder of their trip. When he pulled the car into their driveway, Dara quickly got out of the car, leaving Lucas to deal with their luggage. Having heard the car in the driveway, Caleb raced out of the house to greet them. The wide smile on his face quickly faded when he reached out to hug Dara and saw the foreboding look on her face. Instinctively, he dropped his arms and stepped aside, opting to help his father with the luggage. Motioning in Dara's direction, Caleb asked, the concern evident in his voice;
"What's the matter with her? She's acting real mad about something."
Sighing as he shook his head, Lucas explained;
"I think that she's holding in her grief over her father's death, Caleb."
Lucas couldn't help but notice the look of worry and concern on his son's face as he asked worriedly;
"Is she going to be okay?"
Seeking to ease his son's concern and worry, he ventured;
"I'm sure that she will, we just need to be understanding and give her a little time to come to grips with her feelings."
Having heard the commotion as Caleb ran in, as well as the sound of the upstairs bedroom door closing, Lucilla came up the hallway to greet them. Glancing around, puzzled, she demanded;
"Where's Dara?"
Nodding towards the staircase, Lucas explained;
"She went straight her our bedroom; she's probably tired from the trip. Just leave her alone for a little while."
Shaking his head, frustrated that he didn't have the answer as to how to help his wife, Lucas confided in his grandmother;
"I don't think that she's handling her father's death all that well, she's keeping everything bottled up inside right now. Just leave her alone for a little while, maybe after she gets a little rest she'll be a little bit better."
Studying her grandson's face she could see the worry and frustration in his dark eyes, but she knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that if there were anyway to help Dara, Lucas would make sure that whatever it took to do so, would be done. Finally, she offered a nod of agreement;
"Alright, Lucas. I suppose you know what's best where your wife is concerned."
Returning to the kitchen to to finish working on Caleb's lunch, she hoped that her grandson was right in his prediction.
Seeing that his grandmother and Caleb had set the dining room table for the evening meal, Lucas went in search of his wife to let her know that supper was ready. Finding her in the small downstairs room that had been converted for her to use as a home office, he gave a brief rap on the partially open door before pushing it open wider as he offered;
"Darlin, Mama has supper ready. Let's go in and eat."
Glancing up from the papers she was holding in her hands, she simply stated;
"You go on ahead, I'm not hungry right now. I'll fix myself a plate a little later."
Sighing in frustration at her stubbornness, Lucas pointed out;
"Dara, honey, you haven't eaten since early this morning. You know that's not good for you or the babies. Now come on and eat something."
He knew that their conversation was about to take a decidedly wrong turn as she very carefully and deliberately laid the papers that she was holding on her desk before lifting her head to glare daggers at him as her eyes narrowed before she demanded in a voice with a decidedly icy tone;
"Really; and just exactly how many times have you been pregnant? What in the hell would you about what I do or don't need to do? I will eat when I am damned good and ready. So until then, LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!"
Lucas found himself hard pressed to push his own anger down as he reminded himself of the ordeal that she had been through as well as her condition. Deciding that the best course of action was to put some space between himself and his wife. Without a word, he turned on his heels and stalked up the hallway, passing by his grandmother and Caleb, he informed them brusquely that he would eat later as would Dara before snatching his jacket from the closet and slamming the front door behind him.
Dara sat at her desk, staring after her husband, her own emotions raging, finding herself confused as to whether she was more furious or hurt and if so was it with herself, her husband or life in general. She pushed her chair out as she stood and began breathing hard as she glanced down at the assortment of documents and folders on her desk and feeling the need for, at least, some type of release of her anger, before she realized it she was simply screaming in frustration as she leaned over and swept her arm across the desk top, sending everything scattering to the floor.
Caleb, hearing his step mother's anger erupt, turned to his great grandmother, the worry and fear evident on his young face as he asked;
"Mama, do you think that everything is going to be okay between them?"
Feeling the same worries and fears, Lucilla shook her head as she placed her arm around the boy's shoulders;
"I hope so, Caleb. Those two wouldn't do good separated from each other."
Lucas had been driving around for about half an hour when he decided, for lack of a better place to go, to head to the office and try to catch up on some of the paperwork that had gotten behind during his absence. Entering the office, he slammed the front door against the inner wall of the reception area, surprising, not only Floyd, but Ben as well, with the intensity of his anger. Recovering quickly, Ben exclaimed;
"Lucas, we weren't expecting you back this soon. How's Dara doing?"
Ben didn't know what had happened between the two of them, but he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt, when Lucas glared at him and replied in an acidic tone;
"None of your damned business; bring me the reports so that I can sign off on them."
that something serious had taken place between Lucas Buck and his wife. A fact made even more apparently as he closed the door to his private office with enough force to rattle the glass in every window in the building.
Lucas settled himself in his desk chair, trying desperately hard to contain the rage that kept trying to swim to the surface of his anger. Allowing his gaze to roam over the top of his desk, his eyes were drawn to the photo of Dara that had been taken at their wedding. Taking the photo in his hand, he studied the expression that the photographer had managed to capture; her smile indicating that she had a special secret hidden in her heart which had placed the smile on her lips and the brightness in her eyes.
Timidly, Ben softly opened the door, having knocked but receiving no answer. Noticing how Lucas seemed so engrossed in his thoughts he understood why he hadn't been issued an invitation to enter. Approaching the desk cautiously, he offered;
"Lucas, here are the reports."
Glancing up at his deputy, Lucas ordered;
"Ben, close the door and have a seat. I want to ask you something."
Complying with his boss' dictates, Ben sat patiently as he waited for Lucas' line of inquiry. Turning the photo that he was holding towards Ben, Lucas began;
"Ben, I think that you know that when I met her, I thought that she was the most beautiful woman that I'd ever seen. I think that you guessed that from the time she said 'hello' that she had me hooked."
Recalling the way that Lucas had looked the day that he had first seen Dara, Ben nodded his agreement as he watched Lucas place the photo back in its place. He couldn't help but find himself shocked as Lucas demanded;
"So what's changed in her, Ben?"
Uncertain as the Lucas' exact meaning, Ben asked;
"Are you saying that you don't find her attractive anymore?"
Staring at his deputy in bewildered disbelief, Lucas denied;
"Hell no, Ben! If anything, I think that she's more beautiful and desirable then ever, if that's even possible. Aside from that, Ben, I think you've pretty much figured it out by now that she's the only woman that I can honestly say I've ever truly loved, despite my past with women."
Ben could only nod his agreement at Lucas' confession; there was no denying the fact that the Dara was the only woman that Ben had ever seen Lucas open himself up to, not to mention the only person that he had never tried to manipulate or maneuver for his own selfishness. If anything, every move that Lucas made was done so with Dara's feeling in mind. Puzzled, Ben shrugged as he asked;
"Lucas, from what you're telling me you're married to a woman whose beautiful, desirable and, don't take this wrong but, most men would give their eye teeth just to have her smile at them. Add to that, I know from first hand experience, she has a wonderful personality and, quite frankly, is a sweetheart. So what's the problem?"
Leaning his head back against his desk chair, Lucas sighed as he explained;
"Ben, she seems to have changed; she used to be so sweet and loving. Now, she's irritable, angry and down right bitchy at times. I told her tonight that it was time to eat and she literally screamed at me to leave her alone. Since we've been married, she's never raised her voice even if we've disagreed, she just calmly states her case and that's it."
Considering Lucas' revelations about his wife's behavior, as well as something that Caleb had mentioned, Ben leaned forward to cross his arms across the desktop as he asked;
"Lucas, didn't she have to sign the consent forms for her father's surgery?"
Lucas nodded;
"Yes, I know that she didn't want to and I offered to do it for her, but it had to be one of Alex's kids to do it and she couldn't refuse when he begged her to sign them."
Narrowing his eyes in contemplation, Ben speculated;
"Lucas, have you ever considered that just maybe she blames herself? She probably feels like she signed her name to her father's death warrant."
Giving voice to some other aspect that might offer the man some insight into his wife's problem, he pointed out;
"No offense, Lucas, but have you stopped to think about something? It's been a little more than a year since you two met and became involved with each other, mind you at the time she was also trying to care for her dying mother while keeping that brother of hers at bay to give her mama some peace. And I know this is personal, but it wasn't hard to see that she wasn't exactly overly experienced in the relationship department, so I'm pretty sure that she had to come to grips with her feelings for you, not to mention coming to grips with the realization that she was going to lose her mother. And now, in less than a year's time, she's lost her mother, became your wife, almost lost her own life, is about to become the mother of your children and now, she's lost her father. Plus, she's pregnant which means that she's raging inside from the mood swings anyway. She's had a lot put on her plate, she needs some time to adjust to it all, Lucas. Most people get more time to deal with just one of those issues than what she's been given to deal with everything that I just mentioned. I think that she'll be back to normal once she's had some time."
Taking a deep breath, Lucas nodded as he rose from his chair before advising;
"Ben, I'm going home. I'll see you tomorrow."
When he walked through his front door, Lucas was in a considerably lighter mood then when he had left, but when he saw the looks on his son and grandmother's face, he knew before anything was said that something was seriously wrong. Lucilla confirmed his suspicions as she shook her head, the fear and worry evident in the pleading look and tone as she explained;
"We just called the station, you need to get in there. I think that there's something really wrong with her."
Confirming her statement, Caleb nodded as he confessed;
"She ain't acting right and she's drinking."
Lucas felt his own worry and panic rise at his son's statement. One thing that he had realized early on when he began courting Dara was the fact that she didn't care for alcohol. The only time he had seen her drink was a glass of wine before they were married and a sip of champagne on their wedding night. Hurrying to the study he found her pouring over books of family photos while drinking a glass of wine. Glancing at the bottle he realized that she must have drank almost all of it; with that in mind, he cautiously asked;
Dara, darlin, what are you doing?"
He couldn't help but notice the odd look in her eyes as she turned to answer him as she made a sweeping motion across the table;
"What's it look like? I'm going over what's left of my family; memories and pictures, the only things that I have left to contribute to my children's upbringing, I can't even offer them at least one grandparent. Just imagine how proud that they'll be to find out that their mother, not only allowed their grandmother to die from cancer, but that she also signed the death warrant that killed their grandfather."
Taking the bottle from the table she drained the remainder of its contents into her glass before Lucas took both the bottle and the glass from her as he pointed out;
"Baby, you know that drinking isn't a good idea in your condition. Let me have these."
The irritation showing in her eyes, Dara glared at him as she demanded;
"Just what would you know about whether or not it's a good idea?"
Lucas found his patience had reached their end as he gritted his teeth together before replying in frustration;
"I thought that you wanted our children; but I guess that your self pity is more important than their health. Some mother you're turning out to be."
Without realizing what she was doing, Dara lashed out and connected the flat of her hand with his cheek. Awareness and horror of her actions dawned on her as she began breathing heavily before a cry of anguish escaped her lips as tears began streaming down her face as she turned abruptly and ran from the room. Running for the front door, she snatched her purse and keys from the foyer table as she rushed out the door, ignoring Caleb and Lucilla's pleas to stop. Lucas hurled both the bottle and the glass into the fireplace as he rushed to stop her; Lucilla yelled after him as he snatched the door open;
"You have to stop her, she shouldn't be driving."
Reaching the car before she was able to turn the key in the ignition, Lucas snatched the door open and grabbed her keys from her hand to throw them in the direction of the front door as he demanded;
"What the hell do you think you're doing? You can't drink after all the wine that you just drank; are you trying to kill yourself?"
Although Lucas knew his anger was heightened with her carelessness, he found his anger dissipating as he saw the tears welling in her eyes as she laid her head forlornly against the steering wheel before exclaiming;
"I don't care anymore. I let it happen to both of them; I knew that Mama was sick, but I didn't make her go to the doctor, I just kept accepting her excuses that she just didn't feel well. And I shouldn't have signed those damned consent forms, maybe Daddy could have pulled through on his own. I might as well have put a gun to their heads."
Hearing the beginning of the dam breaking on her emotions, Lucas gently placed his hand against her cheek to turn her to face him as he attempted to reason with her;
"Honey, you didn't kill them; there wasn't anything that you could have done. You didn't inject cancer into your mother's body and you didn't weaken your dad's heart; I'm sorry but that was just the luck of the draw for them, sweetheart. As far as signing those paper; you did what they asked you to do."
Seeing that his words were penetrating through to her, he pulled her into his arms to hold her as she allowed the tears of her grief to flow. When she quieted somewhat, she pulled back slightly before swallowing the lump in her throat as she stroked the still red spot on his cheek as she gently kissed it before offering softly;
"I'm so sorry, please forgive me. If it will help, you can hit me back."
Shaking his head as he pushed her hair behind her shoulder, he declined her offer;
"I wouldn't hit a pregnant woman, especially my wife."
Lucas placed his arms around her as she lowered her head to his chest and began crying in earnest. Holding her tighter, he gently pulled her from the car and swung her up in his arms to carry her inside the house. Opening the door, Lucilla began to speak when Lucas shook his head, indicating that they would discuss this at a later time as he continued up the staircase to their bedroom. Sitting in the rocking chair next to the window, he held her in his embrace as he allowed her to draw comfort from his presence as she unleashed all of the emotions that she had been containing.
After she had felt that she had exhausted her tears, Dara lifted her eyes to ask;
"How have you managed to put up with me acting like such a bitch lately?"
Placing a kiss on her forehead as he smiled at her tenderly as he brushed her tears away;
"That's simple, because I love you. Honey, you haven't done anything wrong, there isn't anything for you to feel sorry about."
Content to simply lay her head against his shoulder, she relaxed and simply basked in the warmth of the love that he had for her. Lucas sat, holding her in his lap for a while until he realized that she had fallen asleep. Rising from the chair quietly, he gently placed her on the bed and tucked the covers around her before heading downstairs to answer his son and grandmother's questions. Finding them in the study, clearing away the debris of broken glass, he informed them;
"She's asleep and she'll be fine now. She was holding in her grief and it had to come out somehow."
At their nod of agreement as they continued cleaning the refuse of broken glass, Lucas turned to Caleb;
"Son, if Doc Crower on duty tonight?"
Caleb looked puzzled as he nodded as he held the dustpan for his great grand mother to clear away the last of the glass. Deciding that what his wife truly needed was a way to feel productive, Lucas took the cordless phone and began dialing, waiting for Matt to answer his office phone. Discussing the idea that he had in mind, both were in full agreement that this was indeed the answer to Dara's problem. Satisfied with his efforts, Lucas bid good night to Caleb and Mama Lucy as he sought his own rest for the night.
Dara descended the stairs the next morning to find Lucas and Mama Lucy in the kitchen, both turning to her in curiosity as she entered the room. Before she could question what the strange looks meant, Lucas, sipping his coffee, asked her in innocence;
"Aren't you going to get dressed for work?"
Disbelief and confusion clouding her face, Dara shook her head as she demanded;
"Honey, what are you talking about? I'm on maternity leave."
Offering her a smile, Lucas offered;
"Not anymore; I talked to Crower last night and we think that you should go to work, part time."
Letting his statement fully sink in for a moment, she smiled brightly as she pushed herself up from the table to promise;
"I'll be ready in thirty minutes."
She hurried up the stairs to fulfill her promise. Turning to look at her grandson, Lucilla asked skeptically;
"Lucas, are you sure that her going back to work is a good idea?"
Shrugging as he let out a sigh, he demanded;
"Mama, you know that helping other people helps her work through her own problems. Besides, do you have any better suggestion how to help her get through this?"
Shaking her head, Lucilla admitted;
"No; I guess that you know what's best for her."
Dara hurried down the stairs, ready to leave as promised. Lucas handed her the keys to her car, having sent Caleb out to find them earlier. Placing his arms around her waist, he kissed her before advising;
"Be careful and I'll see you for lunch, alright?"
Throwing her arms around her husband's neck she gave him a sound kiss before vowing;
"I will, I promise."
As promised, lunchtime found Lucas walking through the hospital on his way to his wife's office. Crossing paths with Matt, he stopped him and asked;
"Have you seen her yet; how is she?"
Nodding, Matt offered;
"I saw her about thirty minutes ago and she seemed like she was in a good mood. I think that her outburst last night cleared the worst of it away for her. She may be a little depressed once she has the babies but I don't think it will be anything like it was last night."
Offering his thanks, Lucas continued on his course for Dara's office. Seeing that she was in the middle of a session, he waited until her door opened and her patient had left before opening the door and offering her a smile before greeting;
"Hello, sweetheart; ready for some lunch?"
Lucas couldn't help but feel gratitude at the welcome sight the familiar sparkle in her eyes and bright smile made as she admitted;
"Yes, I'm famished, let's go."
Lucas felt grateful that the results he and Matt had hoped for with Dara's return to work had come to fruition; not only was she continuing to progress at a normal pace with her pregnancy, but he could also see that the personality that everyone had come to treasure in her had also returned. Having finally come to grips with the reality of her parents' deaths, she no longer blamed herself but, instead, accepted that this was a natural part of life.
As December quickly approached, he soon found himself amazed to discover his wife's immense love for the Christmas holidays. Although Lucas had refused when she had insisted on, not only decorating a tree, but the house as well, he found that he couldn't possibly refuse when he saw the look of intense disappointment on Dara's face. Although he tried to remain stoic about the holiday, he soon found himself enjoying the season, especially when his wife had coerced him into a shopping trip for decorations. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't help but find himself enchanted with the season due to Dara's childlike enthusiasm for the holiday.
The extent of Dara's enthrallment with the various myths of the holiday was made obvious when Lucas came home early one afternoon. As usual, Caleb was helping her wrap gifts in the living room, Lucas had stopped just outside the doorway when he heard his wife ask his son;
"Caleb, have you made your list for Santa Claus yet? I want to be sure that he gets it."
Staring at her in shock, Caleb exclaimed;
"What do you mean, Santa? There ain't no such person."
Dara's eyes widened in disbelief; she had believed in the myth of Santa until she was a teenager, and even then, her mother had explained that Santa Claus had been a real person who gave presents to children who wouldn't have received a gift otherwise and that, now, Santa represented the spirit of giving. Turning to her step son now, she asked in disbelief;
"Caleb, you're only eleven years old, do you mean to tell me that you don't believe in Santa Claus?"
Curious as to what his son's reaction would be, Lucas stood, silent, listening at the door as he could remember how the childhood myth had never been encouraged when he was a child, especially given his family's darker side. In fact, the whole idea of Christmas had been one that had been seriously discouraged, although he could remember when he was a small boy how his mother had tried to celebrate the holiday, but his father had quickly squelched her attempts. Considering that fact, Lucas realized that he had been robbed of a great deal of joy at that particular person's hands, something that led him to feel guilt over Caleb's revelation. He knew that Gage Temple had always dealt with the harsher realities of life and never allowed his children the opportunities for the simple and innocent pleasures of childhood; not to mention the fact that Lucas had never encouraged such frivolous thinking either. Listening to the exchange between his wife and son now, he was sorry that he hadn't stepped in to his son's life much sooner as well as meeting his wife much sooner.
Lucas' thoughts were brought back to the present as Caleb observed;
"Well, I ain't ever seen him."
Understanding the boy's logic, Dara nodded before offering;
"Well, that's certainly true, but you haven't seen the babies for yourself yet either, but do you doubt that they exist?"
Offering his step mother a strange look as he pondered her statement, Caleb shook his head;
"But that's different; your stomach keeps getting bigger, so you know that they're in there."
Dara couldn't help but laugh slightly at his logic as she agreed;
"That's right, and you also find presents under the tree, so that tells you that Santa was there. Caleb, if you don't remember anything else that I ever tell you, I want you to remember two things. First, and most important; never forget that your father, Mama Lucy and I all love you very much. Secondly; just because you can't put your hands on something or see it with your own eyes, doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. Do you understand?"
Considering her words, Caleb nodded;
"Yes ma'am, I guess I do. Well, if you think that he's real then maybe he is, so I guess I better make up a list, huh? Just in case?"
Reaching over to give the boy a quick hug as she smiled warmly, she nodded her encouragement;
"Yes, I think that would be a very good idea."
Acting as though he had just gotten home, Lucas entered the room and looked around the room as he shook his head in astonishment at his wife's energy;
"Well, it looks like the Christmas elves have been pretty busy today."
Glad to see his good mood, Dara offered her husband a loving smile as she took the hand he offered to help her up from her place on the floor before offering good naturedly;
"Oh yes, and we're expecting Rudolph and Frosty at anytime now."
Laughing at her statement, Caleb excused himself, explaining he had to help Loris Crower wrap some presents too. That had been another area of vast improvement; Caleb
was now spending more and more time with them; so much so to the point that he had begun to make some small changes to the bedroom that he occupied to make more of a claim in the house. Dara had confessed that she hoped that Caleb would eventually move in with them since she had become very fond of the boy and enjoyed having him around. Although he had been somewhat surprised at first, Lucas couldn't deny that he wasn't shocked by the fact that his wife had managed to convince Caleb to spend the night on Christmas eve so that he could be with them to open his gifts first thing on Christmas morning, pointing out that it was a family holiday and that they were now a family. However, the one aspect that he did find somewhat surprising was his grandmother's attitude towards Christmas being lightened, thanks to his wife's influence.
Lucilla, like Lucas couldn't deny that the grim and somber mood that used to hold such an influence over the old house seemed much more friendly and lighter with Dara's presence and influence. Lucas had known that, at first, Lucilla had only valued what Dara could provide to their family; another heir, but he couldn't help but find himself amused as he soon realized that his grandmother couldn't bring herself to deny her granddaughter in law anything either. He found himself relieved and glad for the fact that the old woman had come to see the reasons why he had fallen in love with his wife.
Christmas eve had finally arrived, much to Caleb's relief. Lucas couldn't help but feel amusement with his wife's satisfaction over her efforts for the holiday; having made certain that the gifts for her family had been sent off in time and especially her satisfaction in acquiring all of the gifts that Caleb had expressed a desire for, even the secret ones that he wanted just for the purpose of seeing if Santa Claus was indeed real. Once she had everything that could be prepared ahead of time for their holiday dinner the next day finished and was certain that Caleb was sound asleep, she brought his gifts from Santa out of their hiding spots to place them under the tree before finally climbing the stairs to settle down for the night.
Lucas stood watching her as she brushed her hair as they were getting ready for bed and noticing the look of sadness in her eyes from her reflection in the mirror, he crossed the space to stand behind her and wrap his arms around her before asking;
"What is it, darlin; thinking about your folks again?"
Turning in his embrace, she sought to reassure him;
"I'm alright, love, I promise. I just can't help missing them, that's all."
Looping her arms around his neck, she asked sweetly
"What did you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?"
Catching her playful mood, Lucas couldn't help but grin at her leeringly as he pulled her closer;
"I'll give you a clue, you won't find it under the tree or in a stocking."
With that, he lowered his head to claim her mouth as they enjoyed their own brand of exchanging before drifting off to sleep.
Christmas morning arrived, much to Caleb's relief and the adults chagrin as it found the boy bounding into Lucas and Dara's bedroom to land at the foot of their bed, shouting excitedly;
"YOU WERE RIGHT! There is a Santa and he was here! You should see everything that he left, come on!"
With that he launched himself off the bed to fly down the staircase as Dara sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as Lucas braced his arm across his upraised knee to shake his head as he reminded her;
"Just remember; when we have to do this year after year, it was your idea."
A satisfied smile crossed her face as she replied pertly;
"I don't mind, besides, it's worth it to see the look on his face."
Placing her hand over the rise of her stomach, she ventured;
"And it will be worth it to see the look on their faces too."
With that she motioned towards the door as she put her robe on and offered;
"Come on, let's go see what Santa brought."
Joining Caleb downstairs, who was trying to contain his excitement until the adults appeared, Lucas helped Dara lower herself to sit on the sofa before joining her as Mama Lucy took a seat in the rocking chair to watch him open his gifts. To the boy's credit, once he had opened enough to satisfy his curiosity, Caleb began handing out presents to the adults. Puzzled as he opened a gift from Dara, Lucas couldn't help but turn to his wife as he asked in amusement;
"Darlin, you know that I love them. Hell, I love anything you give me, but didn't you think that I had enough?"
Shrugging, Dara ventured;
"Maybe I was getting tired of black."
Finally, after the pile of packages under the tree had diminished and seemingly disappeared, Lucas pointed out a small box, almost hidden;
"Son, didn't you miss one?"
Spotting the gaily wrapped box, Caleb pulled the small package from where it sat and read the name tag before shaking his head;
"This isn't for me, it's for Dara."
Crossing the space from the tree to the sofa, he placed the package in her hands. Studying the box curiously, Dara turned to her husband;
"What's this? You've more than spoiled me, what else could I possibly want?"
Shrugging as he took a sip of coffee, Lucas stated in an indifferent tone;
"I don't know what it is, I guess that Santa must have left it for you."
Sighing as she eyed her husband suspiciously, Dara pushed her hair over her shoulder, out of her way, as she began opening the box. Ripping the paper open she lifted the lid and found, yet, another much smaller box. Glancing up in amusement she admonished her husband laughingly;
"And you said that you don't have a sense of humor."
With that, she removed the box and ripped the wrapping paper to find a small jewelers' box. Raising an eyebrow in question, Dara slowly opened the box, her eyes widening in disbelief as she exclaimed softly;
"Oh my God!"
Her eyes lifting up to meet her husband's even gaze she shook her head in disbelief as she spoke softly;
"It can't be, there's no earthly way that you could have found it after all of this time."
Brushing tears from her eyes, she demanded softly;
"How?"
Their curiosity peaked, Lucilla and Caleb came to stand closer to get a look at the contents of the box. Bewildered, Caleb asked;
"I don't get it, why would you be crying about some old green ring, Dara?"
Taking a deep breath as she wiped away her tears, Dara turned to explain;
"It's not just an old green ring, Caleb, at least not to me. When I was a little girl, a lot younger than you, my grandfather gave this ring to Mama.; she was going to give it to me when I graduated from high school, but when she went to get it from her jewelry box, it was missing. We found out that my brother, Seth, had stolen the ring and sold it, this ring has been passed down to the youngest girl since my great great grandfather bought it for my great great grandmother. Mama's Aunt Elizabeth passed before my grandfather and since she had no children, the ring went to my grandfather to give to my mother."
Lifting her eyes to gaze into her husband's she swallowed hard as her eyes filled with tears as she closed the space to place her arms around his neck and hold him tightly to her as she softly offered her gratitude;
"I don't know how you did this, my love, but thank you so much. You just don't know how much this means to me."
Wrapping his own arms around her to hold her, he kissed her soundly before venturing;
"I have a pretty good idea, darlin."
Lucas had racked his brain for the weeks preceding Christmas, wanting to get his wife the perfect gift. Although money certainly wasn't a consideration, he knew that buying her an extravagant gift wasn't as important as giving her a gift that had true meaning behind it. He was about to come to the end of his rope when his wife and grandmother had dropped the solution in his lap. Dara had been going through boxes of old photographs, with Mama Lucy's help, to be placed in albums when Lucas ventured into the kitchen, having opted to spend his lunch break at home with his wife. As Dara was busy preparing their meal, Mama Lucy had come across a photo of Gwenna and Alex, dressed for a formal event. Studying the photo, she turned it towards Dara as she remarked;
"Dara, your mama sure was a pretty woman."
Unable to hide her pleasure at the compliment paid to her mother, Dara smiled as she nodded;
"Thank you Mama Lucy. I know it probably sounds arrogant, but I agree. I used to love it when I was little and Mama would get dressed for her and Daddy to go out. I remember how she would put her jewelry box on the bed and it reminded me of a treasure chest. I loved when she would let me play dress up with her jewelry."
Studying the photo closer Lucilla couldn't help but admire the princess cut emerald ring surrounded by diamonds that Gwenna Chambers was wearing in the photo as she remarked;
"I can see why; she certainly had good taste, that ring she's wearing is beautiful."
Approaching the table as she placed her husband's plate in front of him, Dara took the picture in her hand to see which ring Mama Lucy was referring to. Lucas couldn't help but notice how her eyes went cold and sad as she nodded;
"It WAS a beautiful ring."
His curiosity peaked, Lucas asked;
"What do you mean, 'was', darlin?"
Sighing heavily, Dara poured herself a glass of juice as she settled herself in her chair and began explaining;
"That ring was a family heirloom; passed down to the youngest daughter since it came into my family. Since my grandfather's sister had no children, when she passed it went to Mama."
Lucas couldn't help but look somewhat confused as he questioned;
"But, sweetheart, if that's the case then shouldn't you have the ring?"
Placing her hands flat on the table as she pursed her lips, Lucas could see a spark of anger in her eyes as she continued;
"I was SUPPOSED to have the ring. Mama had planned on giving me the ring when I graduated high school, but unfortunately, what Mama planned and what Seth planned didn't seem to coincide. When Mama handed me the box that she kept the ring in just before we were about to leave for the ceremony, I opened it and found it empty. We learned that Seth had stolen the ring and sold it along with a few other pieces of Mama's jewelry. He refused to tell us where he had sold it or to who, so I have no idea where it may even be."
Lucas couldn't help but feel his anger at her brother for making her suffer the loss rise, especially when she rose abruptly to state decidedly;
"It's not that big a deal, it's just a ring anyway. I better get this cleaned up, I'll work on these photos later, Mama Lucy."
Watching as she began placing the pictures back in the box, the wheels of Lucas' mind began turning as the answer he had been searching for in regards to his wife's Christmas gift dawned on him. Before he could consider how to get what he needed from the box his wife was filling, the doorbell rang. Motioning for him to remain seated, Dara advised;
"You eat your lunch, I'll get it. It's probably one of the gifts I ordered for Caleb anyway."
Watching as she left the kitchen to answer the door, Lucas motioned towards the photo he wanted as he addressed his grandmother;
"Mama, is there another copy of that picture by chance?"
Lucilla, guessing his reason for asking, quickly shuffled through the pictures before nodding as she handed a photo to her grandson;
"Yes, as a matter of fact here's a better one for what you're thinking."
Taking the picture in his hand, Lucas studied it and could understand his grandmother's point as he noticed that, in this photo, Gwenna had her right hand resting on Alex's chest, the details of the ring clearly visible. Nodding he quickly tucked the photo into his vest pocket as he ordered;
"Not a word, Mama."
Curious, Lucilla demanded;
"Do you think you can get a jeweler to copy that ring in time?"
Shaking his head, Lucas corrected;
"No, besides, a copy doesn't have any meaning, other than the fact that I gave it to her. I'm going to find THAT ring."
Bringing his thoughts back to the present as Caleb turned to his father and demanded;
"So what did you do, Lucas, get a jewelry store to make another one?"
Lifting the ring from the jeweler's box, Lucas shook his head as he advised;
"No, Caleb, I didn't have another ring made."
Eyes widening, Caleb asked in disbelief;
"Do you mean that's her mama's ring?"
Turning to his son as he took Dara's hand to slide the ring onto her finger, Lucas shook his head;
"No, Caleb, that WAS her mama's ring, now it's Dara's ring."
Turning to lock his gaze with his wife's as he squeezed her hand, Lucas vowed;
"And NO ONE will ever take it from her again."
Dara took a moment to study the ring and realized the truth of her husband's statement, THIS was most assuredly the ring that had been in her family for so long and that she had believed lost so many years ago. Tilting her head to the side slightly in speculation, she shook her head as she stated;
"Darling, I don't know how you managed to do this. I know this had to have been expensive, not to mention the time and effort that it took for you to find it. Sweetheart, this is too much."
Sliding closer to his wife, Lucas placed his arm around her shoulder as he chastised;
"No, you're too much and much more than I deserve; so just say thank you and make me happy."
Throwing her arms around his neck she kissed him soundly before pulling back, tears in her eyes as she offered;
"Thank you."
Gently wiping the tears from her face, Lucas offered her a tender smile as he placed his hand on the swell of her abdomen before stating;
"Besides, what you're giving me is infinitely more precious."