As usual, the characters of Caroline in the City don't belong to me. I'm not making any money off of this story, it's just a piece of fluff that I wrote in my spare time for fun. The song lyrics are by Ben Harper, the song is Beloved One, off his Burn to Shine album. Without further ado....
BELOVED ONE
By: Kaffy
Caroline sat sadly on the window. **I can't believe he let me just walk away like that. Is he really worth all this pain? ** She nodded silently answering her own question. **I know he loves me, why can't that be enough? God, it's been months, why can't I just get over him? I've gotten over everyone else I've gone out with, fallen in love with, why can't I get over him? ** She continued to sit and let her tears fall quietly down her cheeks until the phone rang. She let it ring, not really caring who it was. **It's not him. **
The answering machine picked it up, "This is Caroline, I'm not here right now, but if you leave your name and number, I'll be sure to get back to you. Have a nice day!"
The beep sounded and his voice filled the room. "Caroline? Are you there? If you're there please pick up..." She sat in utter shock, wanting to talk to him, but not knowing what to say. "Ok, well I'm back in New York and I really wanted to see you, explain everything to you. My new number is 555-6907. Please call me. We need to talk. Bye."
Caroline sat there, shocked. **He seemed upset. Maybe he misses me as much as I miss him. Who am I kidding? He probably loves Julia again and wants to let me down easy. They're probably one big happy family. I need to get over him. How did I get over everyone else? I ate ice cream. That won't work this time. Why is this so difficult for me? **
She answered herself aloud, "You can't get over him because he's your sincere amore."
**I still love him, but can I forgive him? ** That was why she was crying, she knew he had to forgive him.
~*~*~*~*~
Richard unpacked his things in his new apartment. He had called her as soon as his phone was hooked up. Since she wasn't home, he decided to unpack his and Stefano's things. Stefano didn't notice his father's disdain, he just sat and played happily in his playpen.
Richard talked to himself while he unpacked. "She'll call me back, right? It's not in her character to ignore a message. What am I going to tell her? 'I still love you and I want you to have a million of my children.' Yeah right! She's probably already seeing someone else, probably Randy." With that thought, he started pulling his things out of the boxes with a little more vigor.
**Why does she do this to me? How is it she can drive me this crazy? Julia hurt me so much more than this and I got over her. Why can't I get over Caroline? **
**Thank god for Stefano. He's kept me busy...sane...paid. Ever since I met him my art has been getting better and better. Just like it took a big leap when I met her. He's the reason I was successful in Rome. He's the reason Regina is so excited for my art right now. It's all because if him...and her. **
He finished unpacking and decided to take Stefano for a walk to show him New York. He packed up the stroller with everything the he and Stefano would need, pushed him out and shut and locked the door.
~*~*~*~*~
"Oh my God...Richie?!"
"Hey Annie." -Oh great, of all the people I could have ran into at the park, now she's going to tell Caroline she saw me...ugh!"
"What are you doing here in New York?" Annie couldn't believe that Richard was here in New York. She couldn't wait to tell Caroline.
"I'm showing my work."
"Wow, you actually made it as an artist. What is that world coming to?"
"Bite me Annie...so how have you been? How's Caroline?" He hoped he didn't sound too interested in what Caroline was doing, but he had to know.
Annie wasn't sure how to answer his question. She knew her friend would kill her if she told him the truth, that she was horribly depressed because Richard left. But she also knew that Richard was the only one who could cheer her up, give her the old spark that had left. She decided to stick with a neutral response. "I'm good. She's good. You know, same old, same old."
"That's good."
Just then Annie looked down and saw the stroller next to Richard. "Oh, is this Stefano?" Richard nodded. "May I?"
"I guess, but please be careful." He didn't like the idea of Annie holding his son.
"So how is everything with you? How's Julia?" Caroline would kill her if she didn't find out as much as possible.
"I'm good. I'm actually selling my paintings. As far as Julia is concerned, I have no idea. I haven't seen her since we broke up. She left Stefano as soon as she knew I would be coming to take care of him. She hasn't seen him since."
"You're kidding!"
"Yeah, I guess the thought of parenthood wasn't a pleasant one for her. Thank god too." He sighed in relief.
"You're happy about that? I thought you hated being a parent? That's what Caro..." She didn't finish the sentence, knowing he got the drift when the tension between them skyrocketed.
"Yeah," he took Stefano from her and bounced him lightly. "Well, I was afraid of being a parent, afraid that I would fail miserably. Now that I know I won't, I know how much I love being a parent. Letting Caroline leave like that was the worst mistake of my life, but there's nothing I can do about that now. Listen, we have to get going. It was, well it was ok seeing you."
"Yeah, whatever Richie. I'll see you later."
"Bye." Richard had to get our there. All this talk of Caroline was going to drive him insane. He put Stefano back in his stroller and they walked off back to his apartment, back to his solitude.
~*~*~*~*~
"Caroline! You are never going to guess who's in New York!" Annie burst in smiling.
Caroline turned towards her door. "Richard," she said quietly.
Annie's face fell. "Thanks for ruining the surprise. How did you know?"
"He called and left a message on my machine. Annie, what am I going to do? I can't talk to him, I don't know what to say."
"Why not?" She settled herself onto the couch, facing Caroline.
"It would just be too hard. I love him too much. I can't do it. I can't face him."
"Sweetie, what if he still loves you?"
"That doesn't change anything. He still doesn't want any more kids. I still do. There's no way it would work."
"Caroline, you need to call him, honey. You don't know what he wants anymore. When I saw him with the baby, he seemed really happy. He loved being a father."
"When did you see him with the baby?"
"I saw them I the park today. He was taking the baby for a walk. You should've seen how much he loved that kid."
"Yeah, because it was Julia's baby. He loves her so he loves their child. He wouldn't feel that way if was my baby."
"Are you kidding? He hates Julia! He hasn't seen her since the broke up in Spain! He loves that baby because it's his son, not out of some extension for his love for Julia, trust me."
"What, Julia hasn't seen her own child?"
"No, she hasn't, Sweetie. You really have to talk to him, he still loves you..."
"I don't know what I'm going to do right now. I need some time to think."
"Ok, hon. I'll leave you alone so you can think about it. But I really think that he still loves you and I know that you still love him." With that, Annie left the room. She left Caroline to sit ant think about what she really wanted.
~*~*~*~*~
Richard stood poised in front of the canvas, ready to paint. Stefano was sleeping peacefully in the crib that Richard had set up next to his bed. All he had to do was paint. He didn't have to serve ice cream to anyone. He didn't have to color in some silly cartoon characters. All he had to do was paint. It was his dream. Wasn't it? Now that he had it, why wasn't it enough? He knew why. He needed her.
He tried to once again to concentrate. **You need to paint! Stop thinking about her! ** He started to graze the canvas lightly, slowly increasing in intensity as he went. His strokes quickly became fast and furious as he tried to get his thoughts out of his head and on the canvas instead. He wasn't even looking at the painting itself. He was too busy trying to get her out of his head.
When he finally lost the will to continue painting, he looked at what he had actually painting; he looked at the actual image that had sprung up in front of him. His mouth dropped when he realized it was her, it was Caroline. He had painted her portrait, in abstract of course, but it was her nonetheless.
**Damn Annie! She got me thinking about her again. I had finally gotten her out of my head. It took me 3 months and I can't wait that long again. I have to talk to her. I have to resolve this once and for all. ** He reached for the phone and dialed her number. It was busy. ** I thought she had call waiting? Oh well, I'll try again later. **
~*~*~*~*~
Caroline put the phone down. ** It was busy. Was that a sign? Maybe it wasn't meant to be. ** She went back the couch and sat down, deep in thought. ** How can he still love me? I just left him to deal with the hardest situation of his life all alone. I wasn't just his girlfriend, I was his best friend. Why did I do that? I was jealous. Julia always gets to be his first. ** She silently cried herself to sleep on the couch.
~*~*~*~*~
Richard had tried paint again every day, but to no avail. His most recent effort was no different. He collapsed on the bed and glanced over at his son peacefully. Suddenly, Stefano stirred and started to cry. Richard quickly got out of bed and picked him up, gently rocking him. The baby began to calm down. Richard smiled at his son. ** At least you love me. Maybe I should try to call her again. **
He picked up the phone and dialed her number.
~*~*~*~*~
Caroline was sleeping again. She seemed to sleep a lot ever since Richard had left for Rome. She stirred from her slumber when she heard the phone ring, but she didn't fully wake up until she heard his voice again, for the second time that week.
"Caroline? Are you there? I know you're there. You can't avoid me forever. I really need to ta..."
"Richard?" - Why did I answer the phone? What am I going to say to him? God, I am such an idiot. -
"Caroline?" ** Phew, she answered, thank god. **
"Hi."
"Hi. I really wanted to talk to you."
"Are you sure you want to talk to me, you know, bring up all this stuff again?"
"Yes. I need to see you. Please."
There was a certain vulnerability in his voice that she couldn't turn away. ** God, I can't refuse him anything. What's the matter with me? ** "Ok, why don't you come over. I'll be here."
"Is it ok if I bring Stefano?" He hoped that wouldn't be pushing too far.
"Yeah, of course that's ok."
"Ok, we'll be over in a little bit."
~*~*~*~*~
Caroline couldn't believe how nervous she was. Not only was the only man that she had ever truly loved coming over to her apartment, but he was bringing his son, whom she had never met. She couldn't remember the last time she had been this nervous. She paced back and forth over and over again.
She heard his light knock and walked towards the door, practicing how she was going to greet him. "Hi, Richard," she said very cheerily. "Hello, Richard," she said coolly. "Hey there, Richard," she said nonchalantly. She opened the door and looked up into his eyes. "Hi," she said timidly.
"Hi." He looked down at his son. "This is Stefano."
"Hello, Stefano." She reached out and touched his hand. He smiled up at her. Richard noticed and smiled inwardly. ** I knew he would love her. How could you not love her? **
Caroline interrupted his thoughts. "Would you like to sit down?"
He walked into her apartment and sat down on the couch, still holding Stefano, not acknowledging the awkwardness that hung in the air.
"So..."
"So..."
"What did you want to talk about?"
He didn't know what to say. He didn't realize how much her presence would affect him. She still took his breath away. "I'm not sure exactly. I guess I really just wanted to know where I stand with you."
"What do you mean?" ** God, why am I so nervous. It's just Richard, the same Richard that he has always been. I shouldn't be nervous. **
Richard sighed. ** She's not going to make this easy on me. ** "I guess I mean...well...I've really missed you. I know we've been through a lot, but I..." he trailed off, looking at her, gazing at her.
She looked up when he didn't finish what he was saying, staring straight into his eyes. They betrayed what he couldn't say out loud. "What Richard?"
"I still love you. I know you hate me for saying that I didn't want any children and that I lost my only chance with you, but I wanted you to realize what a huge mistake I made." He started to get up and head for the door. He couldn't take it anymore. Being in her presence without being with her was driving him mad. "I'm sorry, I have to..."
"Richard wait! Don't you want to know where you stand with me?"
He stopped, still facing the door. "Where do I stand?" He pulled Stefano closer to him, knowing that he would be the only comfort he would have when he heard what was expecting to hear: 'I'm sorry, I don't love you anymore. I've moved on. You hurt me too badly'
"I've missed you too."
He turned around to face her. A light in his shone bright and a slight smile graced his face. "Really?"
She smiled back at him. "Really. I still love you too. I thought that you hate me."
"Hated you? Why would I hate you?"
"Because, Richard, I left you when you needed me the most. I wasn't just your girlfriend, Richard, I was your best friend too, and I just let you walk away to face the biggest situation of your life alone."
"No, Caroline. I should've listened to what your were saying." He moved closer to her. "I was so selfish. I didn't even think about what you were feeling. I cancelled our wedding and you still stayed with me supporting me." By this time eh was right next to her. He held Stefano with this left hand and grabbed her hand with his right. "I was so stupid, Caroline, about everything. But, most of all, I was wrong to tell you I didn't want anymore children."
"Are you saying that you want children now?"
"Of course I want children now. I want as many as possible. Stefano has enlightened me. I love how I can see the world through a whole new perspective, I can see it through his."
"So, where does that leave us?" The headed towards the couch, his hand still clutching hers, afraid that if he let it go, he would never get it back.
"I don't know. I love you and I want to be with you, but I wouldn't be able to handle it if you had you and then lost you again. I love you too much."
"I love you too, Richard. Is that enough though? I mean, I wouldn't be able to take if I lost you either. It would kill me."
"Do you want to try us again?" Richard closed his eyes in anticipation. - Please say yes! Please say yes! -
Caroline looked to the ground and spoke softly. "Yeah..." she looked up into his eyes, "...I think I do."
They both looked into each other's eyes, smiling softly. Richard slowly leaned and lightly brushed his lips against hers. "I love you, Caroline."
"I love you too." The kissed again, this time deeper, with more intensity. They couldn't hold back any longer. They had spent enough time apart to know that they would never be able to face being apart again.
They were taking in as much of each other as possible with Stefano gurgled, causing them to break apart, chuckling softly.
"I think he wants some attention, Richard."
"Yeah," he chuckled, "I think so too. What do you think, huh, son?" He started tickling and talking baby talk. Stefano smiled and giggle happily. Caroline couldn't believe what she was seeing. ** He really does love Stefano. He loves having child. ** She smiled at the thought.
"What are you smiling at?"
"The fact that Richard Karinsky is actually talking baby talk." She grinned at him.
"Oh yeah, well what about you? I've seen you go gaga over babies too," he retorted back to her with a sly, sexy grin on his face.
"Yeah, but I'm not you."
He opened his mouth to reply, but he couldn't think of anything to shoot back so he turned back to Stefano and continued playing with him.
"Ok, Richard, so we're back together, but what now?"
"How about I take you out tonight?"
"But what about Stefano? I know of want our first, well, I guess our first 'date' to be just the two of us. I think we need to be alone."
Just then, Annie and Angie burst into the room, not noticing that they were interrupting something. They were too encapsulated by their own conversation. "Ma, I already told you that I can't go to Paramus with you tonight, I promised Del I'd go to one of his business dinners. Caroline, can I borrow that white shirt?"
"Sure, it's upstairs."
"Caroline, tell Annie that she should come with me because I'm her mother and I need her. Hi, Richard."
"Hi."
"Ma, I'm not going, end of story. Hey Richie."
"Hi."
"But, Annie, I can't go alone. It isn't safe."
"Well, Angie," Caroline started, "Why don't you stay here tonight? You could watch Stefano for us." Annie smiled at Caroline and ran up the stairs.
"Yeah, I guess I could do that for you guys. What time do you want me to come over?"
"How about 7:30? Is that good for you, Richard?"
He smiled, "Yeah, that's fine. Well come around 7:15 then and get him settled in over here."
"Is that ok with you Angie?"
"Perfect. I have to go though. Petey called earlier and I promised him I'd call him back. I'll be here at 7:30. Bye now." With that she left.
A few seconds later, Annie came down the stairs. "Where did Ma go?"
Richard answered her, "She left to go call your brother. We should go too." He gathered up Stefano and moved towards Caroline. "I'll see you later." He gave her a quick kiss. "Bye, Annie."
"Bye Richie." He walked out the door, leaving Caroline and Annie alone to discuss the day's events.
~*~*~*~*~
"Ok, so I think someone has a story to tell..."
"Oh my god, Annie. It was so weird. He called me and said that he really needed to talk me. He sounded so sad and vulnerable and like always, I couldn't refuse him. So he brought the baby over and we had a talk and realized that no matter what, we love each other. It's making us both so miserable to be apart. So we decided to try again and we're going out on our first, well I guess it's our first date, tonight."
"Wow. I'm so happy for you guys. I still don't know how you love that walking corpse so much, but you do and that's all that counts. Congratulations, Sweetie." She gave her a quick hug.
"Thanks, that really means a lot to me."
"Well, I have to go get ready for my date with Del. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Bye, hon."
"Bye, Annie." Caroline quickly got up. ** I have to go get ready. ** She smiled as she opened the closet to pick out something to wear.
~*~*~*~*~
Richard showed up with Stefano promptly at 7:15. He was wearing a simple black suit with a whit shirt and stark black tie underneath. He knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again, a little harder this time. Still no answer. He opened the door slightly, "Caroline?"
"Up here, Richard! Sorry I didn't hear you knock."
He yelled back up the stairs, "It's ok. Do you care where I set up Stefano's playpen?"
Caroline came down the stairs dressed in a simple blue dress. It had thin straps that held it in the perfect place to show off her elegant shoulders and neck. "No, you can't set it up wherever is best for him, it doesn't really make a difference to me."
He looked up and saw her for the first time. He had to struggle to recapture his breath to say, "Wow, you look absolutely amazing."
She smiled at him, "Thanks, you don't look so bad yourself." She walked over to the desk where he and Stefano were standing and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Do you need any help setting that up?"
Richard didn't know what she was talking about at first. He was still basking in how great she looked, fighting the urge to take her into his arms and kiss her the way he'd dreamed of for the past 3 months. He quickly remembered that was supposed to be setting up a playpen. "No, I can get it."
He quickly put it together and set the baby inside, also putting in some of his favorite toys to that Stefano could play with them. Both Richard and Caroline quietly watched the baby playing around.
"You really have this father thing down. It really suits you."
"Thanks." He leaned over and kissed her softly. "I love that I can do that."
Her eyes twinkled with love, "I love that you can too."
They stayed like that, gazing into each other's eyes, until the phone rang. "Hello? - Oh, hi Angie, -- It's ok, we understand. - Tell Pete we hope he feels better. - Bye. Well, that was Angie. Pete is really sick so she promised to take care of him tonight. I guess we can't go out."
He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry."
She pulled back slightly, "Why, this isn't your fault!"
"I know, but if I didn't have Stefano, this wouldn't be a problem."
"Richard, don't apologize for having a son. It's not that big of a deal. I'll cook us dinner and we can have a night in."
"Are you sure? I know you wanted to go out tonight..."
"I'm positive, this will be fun."
~*~*~*~*~
Richard, Caroline, and Stefano spent a lovely evening at her apartment. Stefano played happily in his playpen pretty much all night while the two adults watched TV and chatted aimlessly about nothing in particular. Occasionally, he would cry because he was hungry or needed or a diaper change or just wanted to be held. Caroline wanted to help which pleased Richard to no end. He was glad she wasn't scared off by Stefano, but rather seemed genuinely interested in becoming part of his life. Pretty soon, the events of the day caught up with the baby and he fell asleep. Caroline and Richard took the opportunity to catch up on what the other done for the past 3 months.
"Well, my work took an interesting turn when Stefano was born. It became less dark and more innocent, like I was painting the world from his perspective instead of mine. Apparently, that kind of innocence sells. I could actually afford to live off of my art. I kept in touch with Regina and she told me that I should come back to New York and she would put me in a show. I was really apprehensive at first. I didn't want to take the chance of seeing you and causing you pain, but I couldn't resist the opportunity. So, I came back."
"I'm so glad that you did and that you're finally getting to live out your dream."
"I know. But, when I found out I could come back here and just paint, I wasn't completely happy." She sent him a questioning look. "I knew I couldn't come here and not see you, I would make myself when I saw everything in this city that reminds me of you. Of course, I had convinced myself that you had moved on and that you were dating Randy. I even had a dream that Stefano interrupted yours an Randy's wedding." He looked down at the ground sadly.
"But you were wrong, I could never stop loving you."
He looked back up at her with the barest hint of insecurity, "So long as this isn't a dream too..."
Caroline leaned in and kissed him lightly, pinching his arm at the same time. "Ouch! What did you do that for?"
She leaned in and kissed him again, this time with more passion. He slowly pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. In response, she wrapped her arms around his neck, loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. His fingers toyed with the delicate straps of her dress.
Suddenly, Richard pulled his arms back and slightly pushed her away. "Wait, Caroline wait. Maybe we should wait."
She pulled back, trying to catch her breath. "Yeah...yeah, you're right." She stared dejectedly at the floor.
"I'm sorry, it's just that so much has happened between us. I don't want to rush into anything we're not ready for. We have to adjust. I mean, I'm not the same person I was. I have a son now. I'm actually a successful artist now..."
"I know. I know. You don't have to apologize." She looked over at Stefano sleeping peacefully in the playpen. "He really is a great kid, Richard. You're doing a wonderful job."
Richard looked over at his son and smiled. "Yeah. Yeah he is a great kid." He slowly got up and walked over to the radio, turning it on, then returned to her side. He smiled down at her, "Would you like to dance?"
"I'd like that." He offered her and she took it. They made their way over by the counter and started dancing. Richard embraced her, placing his right hand on the small of her back while he took her right hand in his left placing it gently over his heart. Her left hand found it's way to his shoulder and rested there briefly before it traveled up to his neck, just below the hairline. They moved rhythmically to the slow gentle beat of the song, absorbing the feel of each other.
**We've both been here before,
Knocking up on love's door,
Waiting for someone to let us in.
And knowing this we can agree
To keep each other company,
Never to go down that road again.
My beloved one. My beloved one.**
Caroline was completely content. Richard made her completely happy. She listened to the song and thought of what she loved about him entered her mind. His eyes. His smile. His passion. The way his face lit up when he saw his son. The way his face lit up when he saw her. She loved everything about him.
**Your eyes shine for me.
You are so divine to me.
Your heart has a hold on mine.
We won't have to say a word.
With a touch all shall be heard.
When I search my heart it's you I find.
My beloved one. My beloved one. My beloved one.**
Richard looked down at Caroline in his arms and smiled. ** I am so lucky. Thank go she still loves me. I'm never going to let her go again. ** He pulled her a little closer, needing her as close as possible. He couldn't get enough of her. He would be happy to stay like this for the rest of his life.
**You were meant for me.
I believe you were sent to me
From a dream straight into my heart.
Hold your body close to me.
You mean most to me.
We will keep each other safe and warm.
My beloved one. My beloved one. My beloved one. My beloved one.**
They stayed in their embrace long after the song ended, neither wanting to end the perfect bliss they felt in each other. It was Richard who finally broke the silence. "Maybe Stefano and I should get going. It's getting late."
Caroline pulled back form his chest, but not his embrace. "No," she said returning to his chest.
"No?" Richard replied with a grin.
"No. I really want you to stay the night."
"Caroline, we talked about this..."
"Richard, come on, I mean...I know who you are now and I love you more than I ever thought possible. I can't spend any more time away from you, especially when I don't have to. Please stay..."
"Are you sure? What happened to 'My people do things in months, seasons, harvests...' huh?" he shot back, slightly amused.
She could tell he was about to cave. "I'm rebelling. Please...this way you won't have to wake Stefano up to take him home. I really want you to stay. We don't have to...well, do anything that you aren't ready for, we can just sleep if you want. I just don't want you to leave. I want you to stay with me tonight."
"You're sure?"
"Positive."
He smiled down at her, "Ok, then we'll stay."
They stayed up a little while longer, talking about trivial things, holding hands. Around 11, they decided to go up to bed. "I have to say goodnight to Stefano first." He made his way over to the play pen and kissed the baby's sleeping head, causing Caroline's heart to leap. ** I love how much he loves Stefano. ** "I love you, son. Sweet dreams."
They watched him sleep for a couple of minutes. She grabbed his hand and held it tightly. He looked up, his eyes red with tears. He whispered, "I loved you."
Her hands slowly rose to his face, wiping his tears away. "I love you too. Now, let's go upstairs." They silently walked up the stairs. Once they got inside, he leaned in and kissed her passionately. This time, he didn't stop her when she reached up to take his tie off and unbutton his shirt. Instead, he kissed her neck and shoulders as he reached behind her and unzipped her dress.
He slowly pushed her dress off and pulled his tie over his head as she pushed his shirt to the ground. They started to move towards the bed. She quickly unsnapped his pants and he allowed his thumbs to graze her stomach and slide inside her underwear. He slowly pushed them down to the ground. She mimicked his action with his pants and boxers. They both slid into bed, completely naked. They made slow, passionate love, feeling complete contentment for the first time in months.
~*~*~*~*~
Caroline woke up around 2 AM to Stefano crying downstairs. She quickly pulled on some clothes and went downstairs to comfort him. She picked him up and pulled out one of the bottles Richard had put in the refrigerator earlier. Stefano quickly fed on the bottle. "You were hungry, weren't you? Yes you were, yes you were."
She was so busy talking baby talk and taking care of Stefano that she didn't notice Richard coming down the stairs. "Now that is a site that I could get used to." Caroline grinned up at him. ** He looks so sexy in just his boxers. **
He slowly walked towards her. "Hey Richard. I'm sorry. I heard him crying so I came down. I hope you don't mind..."
"Of course not. I love that you're taking care of him." He kissed her lightly on the lips. "Can I hold him for a bit?" He reached over for the baby.
"Sure." Stefano had almost fallen asleep and being held in his father's arms clinched it. It was only a few minutes before he was full and fast asleep. Richard put him back in the playpen and watched him sleep.
He looked over at Caroline. "You ready to go back to bed?"
"Yeah," she answered, "Let's go back to bed."
He took her hand and led her up the stairs. They crawled into be and snuggled up to each other, falling fast asleep.
~*~*~*~*~
Caroline smiled as she realized who was lying beside her. ** I could stay like this forever. ** She snuggled in a little closer, enjoying be that close to Richard.
Richard woke when Caroline snuggled in closer to him and smiled. He was finally holding Caroline in his arms. ** Please don't let this be a dream, I couldn't handle that. ** He pulled her a little closer. "Good morning."
She smiled at him. "Good morning." They stayed in their embrace for a few minutes, neither wanting to break the spell. "I could get used to waking up like this," she murmured into his chest.
He kissed the top of her head affectionately. "Me too. But right now, I have to get Stefano home and stuff."
She slowly kissed her way up is neck towards his ear. "Are you sure you don't want to stay for breakfast?" She moved the kisses away from his ear and down his jaw line.
"Ugh! You aren't making this easy on me." He turned his head so that she had no choice but to plant her kisses on his lips. "But, I really have to get home. I'm sorry."
She pulled away. "It's ok. I'm going to take a shower while you get all your stuff packed up. She gave him a quick kiss and headed into the bathroom.
~*~*~*~*~
Richard quickly got dressed and went downstairs to check on Stefano, who was just waking up. "Good morning, son. How did you like sleeping here? Did you like it?" He caught a whiff of Stefano's diaper. "Phew. Looks like you need a diaper change." He changed his diaper, packed up the playpen, and got his morning bottle ready. He was still feeding him when Caroline came down the stairs in sweats and a t-shirt with a towel wrapped around her head.
"Hey, we'll get out of your hair as soon as he's done eating."
"Take your time, I like having you guys here." She gave him a peck on the cheek and started to make some coffee.
Stefano finished his bottle a few minutes. Richard gathered up his and Stefano's things. "So, what now?" he asked, unsure what to do.
"Now, we take this step by step. I'll call you later."
"Ok," he kissed her lightly, "I love you."
"I love you too. Bye."
With that, Richard and Stefano left.
~*~*~*~*~
Richard wanted to paint as soon as he got home. He set the playpen up again and deposited Stefano there. Then he set up his easel and canvas, changed into his painting clothes, and started to paint.
All of the emotions he had over the past week slowly took form on the canvas. All the love he felt for Caroline and his son showed itself in the blur of colors that was starting to take shape. He painted for hours on end, only stopping to take care of Stefano and go to the bathroom.
When he finally finished, he took a step back to see the final product. It was Caroline holding Stefano, his vision from the night before. He knew that it was, by far, the best work of his entire career. He peered at it. He could reach beyond the abstract to the absolute feeling of love and adoration he felt from and for the both of them.
He looked over at Stefano, who was in the middle of a nap, and smiled. "You know what son? I think you have the right idea." He lay down on the bed next to him and took a nap.
~*~*~*~*~
Richard and Stefano were both asleep when the phone rang. Richard quickly woke and picked it up, "Hello?"
"Hey Richard, it's Regina."
"Hello, Regina. What's up?" He rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes.
"I was just calling to let you know that we set a definite date for your show. It's May 31st at 7:30. That gives you about a month and a half to get around 10 paintings together."
"Well, I just finished a painting this morning. I really like it, but I thought you might want to see it. And then maybe you might want to watch Stefano..." he silently crossed his fingers.
"That depends. Why would I be watching Stefano?"
"Well, because, I kind of got back with Caroline tonight and I wanted to take her out tonight, you know...alone."
"Ok, you sold me. I'll be over later on tonight."
"Thanks, I really appreciate."
"I'll see you then, bye."
"Bye."
Stefano was starting to wake up. "Hey, son. Time for us to get up." He picked him up and put him on the floor so he could practice crawling. Richard watched him with a slight smile on his face. Jus then, the phone rang again. "I didn't realize I was so popular..." he quipped before he answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Hey, it's me."
"Hey Caroline." His smile returned.
"What are you doing?"
"I just finished a painting. I'm watching Stefano try to crawl, he's almost there."
"Oh, that sounds fun."
"What have you been doing?"
"Working on the strip, business as usual I guess."
"That doesn't sound like fun."
"Not really. It would've been if you were still working for me though."
"Yeah. What are you doing tonight?"
"Watching TV. You?"
"I'm taking you out."
"Oh you are, are you?"
"Yeah, if you don't mind..."
"What about Stefano?"
"I've already taken care of that."
"Ok then, that sounds great."
~*~*~*~*~
Regina came over later on that night. She looked through Richard's new work while he got ready. "Richard," she yelled to the closed bathroom door, "This is unbelievable work. It's incredible..."
"You really think so?" he replied as he came out of the bathroom, fully dressed. "I painted that one early today. It's called 'Utopia'."
"Yeah, this is absolutely wonderful."
"Ok, well, I have to get going. Caroline is waiting. I should be back by midnight."
"Ok, see you then. And have fun tonight." She winked at him.
Richard rolled his eyes and kissed Stefano on the head. "Goodnight, son."
~*~*~*~*~
Caroline and Richard both had a great time that night. Richard took her out to a nice restaurant, and then they took a walk around the city. He told her about his show and the painting he had done earlier that day. "Regina said it was the best work she had ever even seen from me. She's really excited for me to do more."
"That's great, Richard. I'm so happy for you."
"It's because of you..."
"Me?"
"Yeah. I was just so happy when I cam home this morning. It came across on canvas. I've never been so happy. I have you, the only person who has ever loved me for who I was, and my son, who has opened my eyes to the beauty of the world. My art has never been better. It's because of you and Stefano. I love you Caroline."
"I love you too."
"They continued to walk in silence, holding hands, just content to be with one another. Eventually, Richard dared to break the silence. "I really should get going. I promised Regina I would be home by midnight. She's watching Stefano for me..."
Caroline looked sadly to the ground, she didn't want the evening to end so soon. "Ok."
He could sense her sadness and smiled at her, "Would you like to come and stay the night with me?"
She looked up and smiled back, "Yeah. I'd like that." They walked back to his apartment, holding hands like two teenagers going to their first prom...
~*~*~*~*~
Richard and Caroline got back to his apartment a little after midnight. "Hey guys," Regina whispered. "Stefano was perfect. He fell asleep around eight. How was your evening out?"
Richard smiled. "It was great. Thanks for watching him tonight, you know I really appreciate it."
"No problem, I love watching him, you know that. But now, I have to get going. It was nice seeing you again, Caroline."
"It was nice seeing you too. Thanks for watching him. I really appreciate it too."
"No problem. I'll see you guys later."
"Bye." They both giggled when they said it simultaneously. Regina quietly closed the door so as not to wake Stefano, leaving the 2 of them alone.
~*~*~*~*~
Caroline looked through Richard's most recent paintings. She was appalled at how easily she could see in them how much he had missed her while he was in Rome. She came to the painting he had finished earlier that morning. "Oh my god, Richard. This is unbelievable! When did you do this?"
He came up behind her, silently snaking his arms around her slender waist. "This morning." He rested his head in the hollow of her shoulder. "You really like it? Your opinion means so much to me."
She turned around in his arms, smiling up at him. "I mean it. This better than anything I've ever seen from you."
"You know, it's you, holding Stefano this morning. I couldn't get the picture of you feeding him last night out of my head."
"I know."
"How did you know? It's abstract."
"I just knew."
Richard bent down and started kissing the hollow of her shoulder. She moaned in response. He smiled, his breath warm against her neck. "You tired?"
"Not really," she grinned back at him.
"Want to go to bed anyway?"
"Yeah."
He turned out the light and they quietly crawled into bed.
~*~*~*~*~
They spent the next month and a half very happy. Stefano fell in love with Caroline and Caroline fell in love with him. Stefano spend most of his time at Caroline's. She would watch him Richard would go home and paint during the day. When he was done for the day, he's come over to her place and he and Stefano would end up spending the night there. Occasionally, Caroline would surprise Richard by bringing Stefano over while he was painting and they would spend the night there. The two would go out while Angie or Regina watched the baby. Overall, they were very happy. In fact, neither of them could remember ever being happier. Before they knew it, it was the night of Richard's opening and they had to get ready.
~*~*~*~*~
"Richard? Are you sure you don't want to bring Stefano? He's your inspiration for almost all of the pieces you're displaying tonight..."
"Caroline, we've been over this. It'll be really hard to all the schmoozing we'll have to do and watch him. Plus, I don't know how late this will go and I don't want to keep him out past his bedtime."
"Ok, ok. I was just checking."
"Oh, shoot! I forgot to brush my teeth!" He ran up the stairs.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Caroline walked over and opened it to find Angie waiting out in the hallway. "Oh, hey Angie. Thanks for watching him tonight," she looked down at Stefano in his arms, "we really appreciate it."
"Oh, no problem. I love babies." She reached out to take Stefano, "Especially this one." She took him and tickled under his chin, getting a giggle in response. "Annie told me to tell you that she and Del will meet you there."
"Ok." She turned and yelled up the stairs, "Richard, Angie is here. Come one, we don't want to be late!"
"Ok, let's go," Richard yelled as he came running down the stairs. "Alright, Angie. In bed by 8:30 sharp, no later."
"Got it. You two have fun tonight."
Richard and Caroline both kissed Stefano goodnight and left."
~*~*~*~*~
They hopped in the cab and headed for the gallery. Richard noticed Caroline for the first time that night. "Wow. You look beautiful." He was right. She looked great in the deep forest green dress.
She responded with a light kiss. "Thanks. You look great too. She took in the way his stark, black tux seemed to fit him perfectly. They pulled apart.
"God, I'm so nervous."
"You're going to be fine. This is the best work you've ever done."
"I know you and I think that, I just hope everyone else thinks so too."
"They will."
"I hope so."
~*~*~*~*~
Richard spent most of the night making small talk with all of the critics and gallery owners and bigwigs of the art world that were there. Occasionally, Caroline would go and talk with them too, which eased Richard's mind. He was more comfortable and confident when she was around. However, she spent most of the time with Annie and Del, the only people she knew there besides Regina, but she was too busy with the show. Del went to get them some drinks.
Annie laughed, "This is so weird. The people here are actually buying Richie's stuff...I don't know what to think. He's, like, successful." She shivered. **Isn't that supposed to be a sign of the apocalypse? **
"Annie!" Caroline suppressed a laugh, then gathered her composure, "Cut it out. He deserves this."
"I know, I know. I'm just joking. You know I'm really happy for him and all."
"I know."
Del came back. "Here you go." He handed both of the women a glass of champagne, which they both took graciously.
Suddenly, Richard appeared at Caroline's side. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have to steal Caroline away. There are some potential buyers who would like to meet my muse."
She smiled up at him. "Ok." She turned to Del and Annie. "I'll see you guys later." They waved goodbye while Richard grabbed her hand and led her to a small crowd of people. They schmoozed with them for a little while, then moved on to another group, then another, and then another. Caroline noticed Annie trying to get her attention and excused herself to go talk to her.
"I just wanted to say goodbye. Del and I are going home."
"Ok, bye Annie."
She gave Annie a quick hug then waved goodbye to Del before returning to Richard's side. He was now talking to Regina. "Ok, all but one of your paintings sold at asking price."
"Which one didn't sell?" Caroline piped in. **I was really hoping he would sell everything tonight. **
"Oh, I'm sorry, they all sold. 'Utopia' didn't sell at asking price because it started a bidding war. It went for 3 times the asking price."
Richard was dumbfounded, "Wow. That's great." He looked over at Caroline who was smiling. He wrapped his arms around her tightly.
"Congratulations, Richard." Regina smiled, then she left to talk to the art critic from the Times, who seemed very happy with Richard's work, leaving to the two of them in their quiet embrace. The crowd was thinning out, the show was pretty much over.
"Thank you, Caroline."
"Me? What have I done?" She pulled back slightly.
"You've loved me. And let me love you. I owe all this to you."
"Richard, you're the one who painted all this. It was inside you all along. I had nothing to do with it."
"You don't know how wrong you are." He kissed her deeply, pulling her closer, needing as much contact as possible. "I love you, Caroline."
"I love you too. Let's go back go my place." Richard smiled and let her go. Grabbing her hand, he led her out the door.
~*~*~*~*~
They got back to Caroline's apartment around 1:15 to find Angie asleep on the couch. Caroline smiled as she walked over to her. She shook her slightly to wake her up. "Angie, we're home."
"Oh hi. How did it go?"
"It went great. Every one of Richard's paintings sold."
"Oh, that's wonderful. I'm so happy for you two. Congratulations, Richard." She over and hugged him.
"Thanks, and thank you for watching Stefano. I really appreciate it."
"Oh, no problem. He's such an angel. I'm going to get going. I'll see you two later."
"Bye, Angie. Thanks again." Caroline shut the door quietly behind her so as not to disturb Stefano or Richard, who was quietly watching his son sleep in the crib they had put up by the couch not too long ago. She smiled and walked over to him, embracing him slyly from behind.
He smiled. "I love you, Caroline."
"I love you too."
"Stefano loves you too, you know..."
"And I love him."
He smiled and pulled her in front of him. "This past couples of weeks have been the best of my life."
She grinned up at him, "Me too."
"I want it to stay like this forever. You, Stefano, and me...you two inspire me. You bring out the best in me, make me worth something..."
"Richard..."
"Please let me finish...I have to say this or I'll never get it out. I love you. You have given me a happiness I didn't even know was possible. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Caroline, will you marry me?"
She reached up and touched his cheek affectionately, "I love you too. Of course I'll marry you." She leaned up to kiss him. He reached his arms around her waist. He pulled away from the kiss, but tightened their embrace.
They stood there, holding each other for what seemed like an eternity before Richard leaned down and kissed her again, this time more passionately. He pulled away from her lips and moved to her jaw line, then to her neck, then to her ears. He whispered delicately, "Would you like to go upstairs?"
His breath was warm against her neck, "Yes, on one condition..."
He pulled back, "What?"
"Move in with me tomorrow..."
He smiled and leaned in to kiss her, "I'd love to," he murmured against her lips. He pulled away and leaned into the crib. "Goodnight, son," he said and kissed him lightly on his head. Caroline smiled, she grabbed Richard's hand and they walked silently up the stairs, turning the lights out on the way.
The End
BELOVED ONE
By: Kaffy
Caroline sat sadly on the window. **I can't believe he let me just walk away like that. Is he really worth all this pain? ** She nodded silently answering her own question. **I know he loves me, why can't that be enough? God, it's been months, why can't I just get over him? I've gotten over everyone else I've gone out with, fallen in love with, why can't I get over him? ** She continued to sit and let her tears fall quietly down her cheeks until the phone rang. She let it ring, not really caring who it was. **It's not him. **
The answering machine picked it up, "This is Caroline, I'm not here right now, but if you leave your name and number, I'll be sure to get back to you. Have a nice day!"
The beep sounded and his voice filled the room. "Caroline? Are you there? If you're there please pick up..." She sat in utter shock, wanting to talk to him, but not knowing what to say. "Ok, well I'm back in New York and I really wanted to see you, explain everything to you. My new number is 555-6907. Please call me. We need to talk. Bye."
Caroline sat there, shocked. **He seemed upset. Maybe he misses me as much as I miss him. Who am I kidding? He probably loves Julia again and wants to let me down easy. They're probably one big happy family. I need to get over him. How did I get over everyone else? I ate ice cream. That won't work this time. Why is this so difficult for me? **
She answered herself aloud, "You can't get over him because he's your sincere amore."
**I still love him, but can I forgive him? ** That was why she was crying, she knew he had to forgive him.
~*~*~*~*~
Richard unpacked his things in his new apartment. He had called her as soon as his phone was hooked up. Since she wasn't home, he decided to unpack his and Stefano's things. Stefano didn't notice his father's disdain, he just sat and played happily in his playpen.
Richard talked to himself while he unpacked. "She'll call me back, right? It's not in her character to ignore a message. What am I going to tell her? 'I still love you and I want you to have a million of my children.' Yeah right! She's probably already seeing someone else, probably Randy." With that thought, he started pulling his things out of the boxes with a little more vigor.
**Why does she do this to me? How is it she can drive me this crazy? Julia hurt me so much more than this and I got over her. Why can't I get over Caroline? **
**Thank god for Stefano. He's kept me busy...sane...paid. Ever since I met him my art has been getting better and better. Just like it took a big leap when I met her. He's the reason I was successful in Rome. He's the reason Regina is so excited for my art right now. It's all because if him...and her. **
He finished unpacking and decided to take Stefano for a walk to show him New York. He packed up the stroller with everything the he and Stefano would need, pushed him out and shut and locked the door.
~*~*~*~*~
"Oh my God...Richie?!"
"Hey Annie." -Oh great, of all the people I could have ran into at the park, now she's going to tell Caroline she saw me...ugh!"
"What are you doing here in New York?" Annie couldn't believe that Richard was here in New York. She couldn't wait to tell Caroline.
"I'm showing my work."
"Wow, you actually made it as an artist. What is that world coming to?"
"Bite me Annie...so how have you been? How's Caroline?" He hoped he didn't sound too interested in what Caroline was doing, but he had to know.
Annie wasn't sure how to answer his question. She knew her friend would kill her if she told him the truth, that she was horribly depressed because Richard left. But she also knew that Richard was the only one who could cheer her up, give her the old spark that had left. She decided to stick with a neutral response. "I'm good. She's good. You know, same old, same old."
"That's good."
Just then Annie looked down and saw the stroller next to Richard. "Oh, is this Stefano?" Richard nodded. "May I?"
"I guess, but please be careful." He didn't like the idea of Annie holding his son.
"So how is everything with you? How's Julia?" Caroline would kill her if she didn't find out as much as possible.
"I'm good. I'm actually selling my paintings. As far as Julia is concerned, I have no idea. I haven't seen her since we broke up. She left Stefano as soon as she knew I would be coming to take care of him. She hasn't seen him since."
"You're kidding!"
"Yeah, I guess the thought of parenthood wasn't a pleasant one for her. Thank god too." He sighed in relief.
"You're happy about that? I thought you hated being a parent? That's what Caro..." She didn't finish the sentence, knowing he got the drift when the tension between them skyrocketed.
"Yeah," he took Stefano from her and bounced him lightly. "Well, I was afraid of being a parent, afraid that I would fail miserably. Now that I know I won't, I know how much I love being a parent. Letting Caroline leave like that was the worst mistake of my life, but there's nothing I can do about that now. Listen, we have to get going. It was, well it was ok seeing you."
"Yeah, whatever Richie. I'll see you later."
"Bye." Richard had to get our there. All this talk of Caroline was going to drive him insane. He put Stefano back in his stroller and they walked off back to his apartment, back to his solitude.
~*~*~*~*~
"Caroline! You are never going to guess who's in New York!" Annie burst in smiling.
Caroline turned towards her door. "Richard," she said quietly.
Annie's face fell. "Thanks for ruining the surprise. How did you know?"
"He called and left a message on my machine. Annie, what am I going to do? I can't talk to him, I don't know what to say."
"Why not?" She settled herself onto the couch, facing Caroline.
"It would just be too hard. I love him too much. I can't do it. I can't face him."
"Sweetie, what if he still loves you?"
"That doesn't change anything. He still doesn't want any more kids. I still do. There's no way it would work."
"Caroline, you need to call him, honey. You don't know what he wants anymore. When I saw him with the baby, he seemed really happy. He loved being a father."
"When did you see him with the baby?"
"I saw them I the park today. He was taking the baby for a walk. You should've seen how much he loved that kid."
"Yeah, because it was Julia's baby. He loves her so he loves their child. He wouldn't feel that way if was my baby."
"Are you kidding? He hates Julia! He hasn't seen her since the broke up in Spain! He loves that baby because it's his son, not out of some extension for his love for Julia, trust me."
"What, Julia hasn't seen her own child?"
"No, she hasn't, Sweetie. You really have to talk to him, he still loves you..."
"I don't know what I'm going to do right now. I need some time to think."
"Ok, hon. I'll leave you alone so you can think about it. But I really think that he still loves you and I know that you still love him." With that, Annie left the room. She left Caroline to sit ant think about what she really wanted.
~*~*~*~*~
Richard stood poised in front of the canvas, ready to paint. Stefano was sleeping peacefully in the crib that Richard had set up next to his bed. All he had to do was paint. He didn't have to serve ice cream to anyone. He didn't have to color in some silly cartoon characters. All he had to do was paint. It was his dream. Wasn't it? Now that he had it, why wasn't it enough? He knew why. He needed her.
He tried to once again to concentrate. **You need to paint! Stop thinking about her! ** He started to graze the canvas lightly, slowly increasing in intensity as he went. His strokes quickly became fast and furious as he tried to get his thoughts out of his head and on the canvas instead. He wasn't even looking at the painting itself. He was too busy trying to get her out of his head.
When he finally lost the will to continue painting, he looked at what he had actually painting; he looked at the actual image that had sprung up in front of him. His mouth dropped when he realized it was her, it was Caroline. He had painted her portrait, in abstract of course, but it was her nonetheless.
**Damn Annie! She got me thinking about her again. I had finally gotten her out of my head. It took me 3 months and I can't wait that long again. I have to talk to her. I have to resolve this once and for all. ** He reached for the phone and dialed her number. It was busy. ** I thought she had call waiting? Oh well, I'll try again later. **
~*~*~*~*~
Caroline put the phone down. ** It was busy. Was that a sign? Maybe it wasn't meant to be. ** She went back the couch and sat down, deep in thought. ** How can he still love me? I just left him to deal with the hardest situation of his life all alone. I wasn't just his girlfriend, I was his best friend. Why did I do that? I was jealous. Julia always gets to be his first. ** She silently cried herself to sleep on the couch.
~*~*~*~*~
Richard had tried paint again every day, but to no avail. His most recent effort was no different. He collapsed on the bed and glanced over at his son peacefully. Suddenly, Stefano stirred and started to cry. Richard quickly got out of bed and picked him up, gently rocking him. The baby began to calm down. Richard smiled at his son. ** At least you love me. Maybe I should try to call her again. **
He picked up the phone and dialed her number.
~*~*~*~*~
Caroline was sleeping again. She seemed to sleep a lot ever since Richard had left for Rome. She stirred from her slumber when she heard the phone ring, but she didn't fully wake up until she heard his voice again, for the second time that week.
"Caroline? Are you there? I know you're there. You can't avoid me forever. I really need to ta..."
"Richard?" - Why did I answer the phone? What am I going to say to him? God, I am such an idiot. -
"Caroline?" ** Phew, she answered, thank god. **
"Hi."
"Hi. I really wanted to talk to you."
"Are you sure you want to talk to me, you know, bring up all this stuff again?"
"Yes. I need to see you. Please."
There was a certain vulnerability in his voice that she couldn't turn away. ** God, I can't refuse him anything. What's the matter with me? ** "Ok, why don't you come over. I'll be here."
"Is it ok if I bring Stefano?" He hoped that wouldn't be pushing too far.
"Yeah, of course that's ok."
"Ok, we'll be over in a little bit."
~*~*~*~*~
Caroline couldn't believe how nervous she was. Not only was the only man that she had ever truly loved coming over to her apartment, but he was bringing his son, whom she had never met. She couldn't remember the last time she had been this nervous. She paced back and forth over and over again.
She heard his light knock and walked towards the door, practicing how she was going to greet him. "Hi, Richard," she said very cheerily. "Hello, Richard," she said coolly. "Hey there, Richard," she said nonchalantly. She opened the door and looked up into his eyes. "Hi," she said timidly.
"Hi." He looked down at his son. "This is Stefano."
"Hello, Stefano." She reached out and touched his hand. He smiled up at her. Richard noticed and smiled inwardly. ** I knew he would love her. How could you not love her? **
Caroline interrupted his thoughts. "Would you like to sit down?"
He walked into her apartment and sat down on the couch, still holding Stefano, not acknowledging the awkwardness that hung in the air.
"So..."
"So..."
"What did you want to talk about?"
He didn't know what to say. He didn't realize how much her presence would affect him. She still took his breath away. "I'm not sure exactly. I guess I really just wanted to know where I stand with you."
"What do you mean?" ** God, why am I so nervous. It's just Richard, the same Richard that he has always been. I shouldn't be nervous. **
Richard sighed. ** She's not going to make this easy on me. ** "I guess I mean...well...I've really missed you. I know we've been through a lot, but I..." he trailed off, looking at her, gazing at her.
She looked up when he didn't finish what he was saying, staring straight into his eyes. They betrayed what he couldn't say out loud. "What Richard?"
"I still love you. I know you hate me for saying that I didn't want any children and that I lost my only chance with you, but I wanted you to realize what a huge mistake I made." He started to get up and head for the door. He couldn't take it anymore. Being in her presence without being with her was driving him mad. "I'm sorry, I have to..."
"Richard wait! Don't you want to know where you stand with me?"
He stopped, still facing the door. "Where do I stand?" He pulled Stefano closer to him, knowing that he would be the only comfort he would have when he heard what was expecting to hear: 'I'm sorry, I don't love you anymore. I've moved on. You hurt me too badly'
"I've missed you too."
He turned around to face her. A light in his shone bright and a slight smile graced his face. "Really?"
She smiled back at him. "Really. I still love you too. I thought that you hate me."
"Hated you? Why would I hate you?"
"Because, Richard, I left you when you needed me the most. I wasn't just your girlfriend, Richard, I was your best friend too, and I just let you walk away to face the biggest situation of your life alone."
"No, Caroline. I should've listened to what your were saying." He moved closer to her. "I was so selfish. I didn't even think about what you were feeling. I cancelled our wedding and you still stayed with me supporting me." By this time eh was right next to her. He held Stefano with this left hand and grabbed her hand with his right. "I was so stupid, Caroline, about everything. But, most of all, I was wrong to tell you I didn't want anymore children."
"Are you saying that you want children now?"
"Of course I want children now. I want as many as possible. Stefano has enlightened me. I love how I can see the world through a whole new perspective, I can see it through his."
"So, where does that leave us?" The headed towards the couch, his hand still clutching hers, afraid that if he let it go, he would never get it back.
"I don't know. I love you and I want to be with you, but I wouldn't be able to handle it if you had you and then lost you again. I love you too much."
"I love you too, Richard. Is that enough though? I mean, I wouldn't be able to take if I lost you either. It would kill me."
"Do you want to try us again?" Richard closed his eyes in anticipation. - Please say yes! Please say yes! -
Caroline looked to the ground and spoke softly. "Yeah..." she looked up into his eyes, "...I think I do."
They both looked into each other's eyes, smiling softly. Richard slowly leaned and lightly brushed his lips against hers. "I love you, Caroline."
"I love you too." The kissed again, this time deeper, with more intensity. They couldn't hold back any longer. They had spent enough time apart to know that they would never be able to face being apart again.
They were taking in as much of each other as possible with Stefano gurgled, causing them to break apart, chuckling softly.
"I think he wants some attention, Richard."
"Yeah," he chuckled, "I think so too. What do you think, huh, son?" He started tickling and talking baby talk. Stefano smiled and giggle happily. Caroline couldn't believe what she was seeing. ** He really does love Stefano. He loves having child. ** She smiled at the thought.
"What are you smiling at?"
"The fact that Richard Karinsky is actually talking baby talk." She grinned at him.
"Oh yeah, well what about you? I've seen you go gaga over babies too," he retorted back to her with a sly, sexy grin on his face.
"Yeah, but I'm not you."
He opened his mouth to reply, but he couldn't think of anything to shoot back so he turned back to Stefano and continued playing with him.
"Ok, Richard, so we're back together, but what now?"
"How about I take you out tonight?"
"But what about Stefano? I know of want our first, well, I guess our first 'date' to be just the two of us. I think we need to be alone."
Just then, Annie and Angie burst into the room, not noticing that they were interrupting something. They were too encapsulated by their own conversation. "Ma, I already told you that I can't go to Paramus with you tonight, I promised Del I'd go to one of his business dinners. Caroline, can I borrow that white shirt?"
"Sure, it's upstairs."
"Caroline, tell Annie that she should come with me because I'm her mother and I need her. Hi, Richard."
"Hi."
"Ma, I'm not going, end of story. Hey Richie."
"Hi."
"But, Annie, I can't go alone. It isn't safe."
"Well, Angie," Caroline started, "Why don't you stay here tonight? You could watch Stefano for us." Annie smiled at Caroline and ran up the stairs.
"Yeah, I guess I could do that for you guys. What time do you want me to come over?"
"How about 7:30? Is that good for you, Richard?"
He smiled, "Yeah, that's fine. Well come around 7:15 then and get him settled in over here."
"Is that ok with you Angie?"
"Perfect. I have to go though. Petey called earlier and I promised him I'd call him back. I'll be here at 7:30. Bye now." With that she left.
A few seconds later, Annie came down the stairs. "Where did Ma go?"
Richard answered her, "She left to go call your brother. We should go too." He gathered up Stefano and moved towards Caroline. "I'll see you later." He gave her a quick kiss. "Bye, Annie."
"Bye Richie." He walked out the door, leaving Caroline and Annie alone to discuss the day's events.
~*~*~*~*~
"Ok, so I think someone has a story to tell..."
"Oh my god, Annie. It was so weird. He called me and said that he really needed to talk me. He sounded so sad and vulnerable and like always, I couldn't refuse him. So he brought the baby over and we had a talk and realized that no matter what, we love each other. It's making us both so miserable to be apart. So we decided to try again and we're going out on our first, well I guess it's our first date, tonight."
"Wow. I'm so happy for you guys. I still don't know how you love that walking corpse so much, but you do and that's all that counts. Congratulations, Sweetie." She gave her a quick hug.
"Thanks, that really means a lot to me."
"Well, I have to go get ready for my date with Del. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Bye, hon."
"Bye, Annie." Caroline quickly got up. ** I have to go get ready. ** She smiled as she opened the closet to pick out something to wear.
~*~*~*~*~
Richard showed up with Stefano promptly at 7:15. He was wearing a simple black suit with a whit shirt and stark black tie underneath. He knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again, a little harder this time. Still no answer. He opened the door slightly, "Caroline?"
"Up here, Richard! Sorry I didn't hear you knock."
He yelled back up the stairs, "It's ok. Do you care where I set up Stefano's playpen?"
Caroline came down the stairs dressed in a simple blue dress. It had thin straps that held it in the perfect place to show off her elegant shoulders and neck. "No, you can't set it up wherever is best for him, it doesn't really make a difference to me."
He looked up and saw her for the first time. He had to struggle to recapture his breath to say, "Wow, you look absolutely amazing."
She smiled at him, "Thanks, you don't look so bad yourself." She walked over to the desk where he and Stefano were standing and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Do you need any help setting that up?"
Richard didn't know what she was talking about at first. He was still basking in how great she looked, fighting the urge to take her into his arms and kiss her the way he'd dreamed of for the past 3 months. He quickly remembered that was supposed to be setting up a playpen. "No, I can get it."
He quickly put it together and set the baby inside, also putting in some of his favorite toys to that Stefano could play with them. Both Richard and Caroline quietly watched the baby playing around.
"You really have this father thing down. It really suits you."
"Thanks." He leaned over and kissed her softly. "I love that I can do that."
Her eyes twinkled with love, "I love that you can too."
They stayed like that, gazing into each other's eyes, until the phone rang. "Hello? - Oh, hi Angie, -- It's ok, we understand. - Tell Pete we hope he feels better. - Bye. Well, that was Angie. Pete is really sick so she promised to take care of him tonight. I guess we can't go out."
He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry."
She pulled back slightly, "Why, this isn't your fault!"
"I know, but if I didn't have Stefano, this wouldn't be a problem."
"Richard, don't apologize for having a son. It's not that big of a deal. I'll cook us dinner and we can have a night in."
"Are you sure? I know you wanted to go out tonight..."
"I'm positive, this will be fun."
~*~*~*~*~
Richard, Caroline, and Stefano spent a lovely evening at her apartment. Stefano played happily in his playpen pretty much all night while the two adults watched TV and chatted aimlessly about nothing in particular. Occasionally, he would cry because he was hungry or needed or a diaper change or just wanted to be held. Caroline wanted to help which pleased Richard to no end. He was glad she wasn't scared off by Stefano, but rather seemed genuinely interested in becoming part of his life. Pretty soon, the events of the day caught up with the baby and he fell asleep. Caroline and Richard took the opportunity to catch up on what the other done for the past 3 months.
"Well, my work took an interesting turn when Stefano was born. It became less dark and more innocent, like I was painting the world from his perspective instead of mine. Apparently, that kind of innocence sells. I could actually afford to live off of my art. I kept in touch with Regina and she told me that I should come back to New York and she would put me in a show. I was really apprehensive at first. I didn't want to take the chance of seeing you and causing you pain, but I couldn't resist the opportunity. So, I came back."
"I'm so glad that you did and that you're finally getting to live out your dream."
"I know. But, when I found out I could come back here and just paint, I wasn't completely happy." She sent him a questioning look. "I knew I couldn't come here and not see you, I would make myself when I saw everything in this city that reminds me of you. Of course, I had convinced myself that you had moved on and that you were dating Randy. I even had a dream that Stefano interrupted yours an Randy's wedding." He looked down at the ground sadly.
"But you were wrong, I could never stop loving you."
He looked back up at her with the barest hint of insecurity, "So long as this isn't a dream too..."
Caroline leaned in and kissed him lightly, pinching his arm at the same time. "Ouch! What did you do that for?"
She leaned in and kissed him again, this time with more passion. He slowly pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. In response, she wrapped her arms around his neck, loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. His fingers toyed with the delicate straps of her dress.
Suddenly, Richard pulled his arms back and slightly pushed her away. "Wait, Caroline wait. Maybe we should wait."
She pulled back, trying to catch her breath. "Yeah...yeah, you're right." She stared dejectedly at the floor.
"I'm sorry, it's just that so much has happened between us. I don't want to rush into anything we're not ready for. We have to adjust. I mean, I'm not the same person I was. I have a son now. I'm actually a successful artist now..."
"I know. I know. You don't have to apologize." She looked over at Stefano sleeping peacefully in the playpen. "He really is a great kid, Richard. You're doing a wonderful job."
Richard looked over at his son and smiled. "Yeah. Yeah he is a great kid." He slowly got up and walked over to the radio, turning it on, then returned to her side. He smiled down at her, "Would you like to dance?"
"I'd like that." He offered her and she took it. They made their way over by the counter and started dancing. Richard embraced her, placing his right hand on the small of her back while he took her right hand in his left placing it gently over his heart. Her left hand found it's way to his shoulder and rested there briefly before it traveled up to his neck, just below the hairline. They moved rhythmically to the slow gentle beat of the song, absorbing the feel of each other.
**We've both been here before,
Knocking up on love's door,
Waiting for someone to let us in.
And knowing this we can agree
To keep each other company,
Never to go down that road again.
My beloved one. My beloved one.**
Caroline was completely content. Richard made her completely happy. She listened to the song and thought of what she loved about him entered her mind. His eyes. His smile. His passion. The way his face lit up when he saw his son. The way his face lit up when he saw her. She loved everything about him.
**Your eyes shine for me.
You are so divine to me.
Your heart has a hold on mine.
We won't have to say a word.
With a touch all shall be heard.
When I search my heart it's you I find.
My beloved one. My beloved one. My beloved one.**
Richard looked down at Caroline in his arms and smiled. ** I am so lucky. Thank go she still loves me. I'm never going to let her go again. ** He pulled her a little closer, needing her as close as possible. He couldn't get enough of her. He would be happy to stay like this for the rest of his life.
**You were meant for me.
I believe you were sent to me
From a dream straight into my heart.
Hold your body close to me.
You mean most to me.
We will keep each other safe and warm.
My beloved one. My beloved one. My beloved one. My beloved one.**
They stayed in their embrace long after the song ended, neither wanting to end the perfect bliss they felt in each other. It was Richard who finally broke the silence. "Maybe Stefano and I should get going. It's getting late."
Caroline pulled back form his chest, but not his embrace. "No," she said returning to his chest.
"No?" Richard replied with a grin.
"No. I really want you to stay the night."
"Caroline, we talked about this..."
"Richard, come on, I mean...I know who you are now and I love you more than I ever thought possible. I can't spend any more time away from you, especially when I don't have to. Please stay..."
"Are you sure? What happened to 'My people do things in months, seasons, harvests...' huh?" he shot back, slightly amused.
She could tell he was about to cave. "I'm rebelling. Please...this way you won't have to wake Stefano up to take him home. I really want you to stay. We don't have to...well, do anything that you aren't ready for, we can just sleep if you want. I just don't want you to leave. I want you to stay with me tonight."
"You're sure?"
"Positive."
He smiled down at her, "Ok, then we'll stay."
They stayed up a little while longer, talking about trivial things, holding hands. Around 11, they decided to go up to bed. "I have to say goodnight to Stefano first." He made his way over to the play pen and kissed the baby's sleeping head, causing Caroline's heart to leap. ** I love how much he loves Stefano. ** "I love you, son. Sweet dreams."
They watched him sleep for a couple of minutes. She grabbed his hand and held it tightly. He looked up, his eyes red with tears. He whispered, "I loved you."
Her hands slowly rose to his face, wiping his tears away. "I love you too. Now, let's go upstairs." They silently walked up the stairs. Once they got inside, he leaned in and kissed her passionately. This time, he didn't stop her when she reached up to take his tie off and unbutton his shirt. Instead, he kissed her neck and shoulders as he reached behind her and unzipped her dress.
He slowly pushed her dress off and pulled his tie over his head as she pushed his shirt to the ground. They started to move towards the bed. She quickly unsnapped his pants and he allowed his thumbs to graze her stomach and slide inside her underwear. He slowly pushed them down to the ground. She mimicked his action with his pants and boxers. They both slid into bed, completely naked. They made slow, passionate love, feeling complete contentment for the first time in months.
~*~*~*~*~
Caroline woke up around 2 AM to Stefano crying downstairs. She quickly pulled on some clothes and went downstairs to comfort him. She picked him up and pulled out one of the bottles Richard had put in the refrigerator earlier. Stefano quickly fed on the bottle. "You were hungry, weren't you? Yes you were, yes you were."
She was so busy talking baby talk and taking care of Stefano that she didn't notice Richard coming down the stairs. "Now that is a site that I could get used to." Caroline grinned up at him. ** He looks so sexy in just his boxers. **
He slowly walked towards her. "Hey Richard. I'm sorry. I heard him crying so I came down. I hope you don't mind..."
"Of course not. I love that you're taking care of him." He kissed her lightly on the lips. "Can I hold him for a bit?" He reached over for the baby.
"Sure." Stefano had almost fallen asleep and being held in his father's arms clinched it. It was only a few minutes before he was full and fast asleep. Richard put him back in the playpen and watched him sleep.
He looked over at Caroline. "You ready to go back to bed?"
"Yeah," she answered, "Let's go back to bed."
He took her hand and led her up the stairs. They crawled into be and snuggled up to each other, falling fast asleep.
~*~*~*~*~
Caroline smiled as she realized who was lying beside her. ** I could stay like this forever. ** She snuggled in a little closer, enjoying be that close to Richard.
Richard woke when Caroline snuggled in closer to him and smiled. He was finally holding Caroline in his arms. ** Please don't let this be a dream, I couldn't handle that. ** He pulled her a little closer. "Good morning."
She smiled at him. "Good morning." They stayed in their embrace for a few minutes, neither wanting to break the spell. "I could get used to waking up like this," she murmured into his chest.
He kissed the top of her head affectionately. "Me too. But right now, I have to get Stefano home and stuff."
She slowly kissed her way up is neck towards his ear. "Are you sure you don't want to stay for breakfast?" She moved the kisses away from his ear and down his jaw line.
"Ugh! You aren't making this easy on me." He turned his head so that she had no choice but to plant her kisses on his lips. "But, I really have to get home. I'm sorry."
She pulled away. "It's ok. I'm going to take a shower while you get all your stuff packed up. She gave him a quick kiss and headed into the bathroom.
~*~*~*~*~
Richard quickly got dressed and went downstairs to check on Stefano, who was just waking up. "Good morning, son. How did you like sleeping here? Did you like it?" He caught a whiff of Stefano's diaper. "Phew. Looks like you need a diaper change." He changed his diaper, packed up the playpen, and got his morning bottle ready. He was still feeding him when Caroline came down the stairs in sweats and a t-shirt with a towel wrapped around her head.
"Hey, we'll get out of your hair as soon as he's done eating."
"Take your time, I like having you guys here." She gave him a peck on the cheek and started to make some coffee.
Stefano finished his bottle a few minutes. Richard gathered up his and Stefano's things. "So, what now?" he asked, unsure what to do.
"Now, we take this step by step. I'll call you later."
"Ok," he kissed her lightly, "I love you."
"I love you too. Bye."
With that, Richard and Stefano left.
~*~*~*~*~
Richard wanted to paint as soon as he got home. He set the playpen up again and deposited Stefano there. Then he set up his easel and canvas, changed into his painting clothes, and started to paint.
All of the emotions he had over the past week slowly took form on the canvas. All the love he felt for Caroline and his son showed itself in the blur of colors that was starting to take shape. He painted for hours on end, only stopping to take care of Stefano and go to the bathroom.
When he finally finished, he took a step back to see the final product. It was Caroline holding Stefano, his vision from the night before. He knew that it was, by far, the best work of his entire career. He peered at it. He could reach beyond the abstract to the absolute feeling of love and adoration he felt from and for the both of them.
He looked over at Stefano, who was in the middle of a nap, and smiled. "You know what son? I think you have the right idea." He lay down on the bed next to him and took a nap.
~*~*~*~*~
Richard and Stefano were both asleep when the phone rang. Richard quickly woke and picked it up, "Hello?"
"Hey Richard, it's Regina."
"Hello, Regina. What's up?" He rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes.
"I was just calling to let you know that we set a definite date for your show. It's May 31st at 7:30. That gives you about a month and a half to get around 10 paintings together."
"Well, I just finished a painting this morning. I really like it, but I thought you might want to see it. And then maybe you might want to watch Stefano..." he silently crossed his fingers.
"That depends. Why would I be watching Stefano?"
"Well, because, I kind of got back with Caroline tonight and I wanted to take her out tonight, you know...alone."
"Ok, you sold me. I'll be over later on tonight."
"Thanks, I really appreciate."
"I'll see you then, bye."
"Bye."
Stefano was starting to wake up. "Hey, son. Time for us to get up." He picked him up and put him on the floor so he could practice crawling. Richard watched him with a slight smile on his face. Jus then, the phone rang again. "I didn't realize I was so popular..." he quipped before he answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Hey, it's me."
"Hey Caroline." His smile returned.
"What are you doing?"
"I just finished a painting. I'm watching Stefano try to crawl, he's almost there."
"Oh, that sounds fun."
"What have you been doing?"
"Working on the strip, business as usual I guess."
"That doesn't sound like fun."
"Not really. It would've been if you were still working for me though."
"Yeah. What are you doing tonight?"
"Watching TV. You?"
"I'm taking you out."
"Oh you are, are you?"
"Yeah, if you don't mind..."
"What about Stefano?"
"I've already taken care of that."
"Ok then, that sounds great."
~*~*~*~*~
Regina came over later on that night. She looked through Richard's new work while he got ready. "Richard," she yelled to the closed bathroom door, "This is unbelievable work. It's incredible..."
"You really think so?" he replied as he came out of the bathroom, fully dressed. "I painted that one early today. It's called 'Utopia'."
"Yeah, this is absolutely wonderful."
"Ok, well, I have to get going. Caroline is waiting. I should be back by midnight."
"Ok, see you then. And have fun tonight." She winked at him.
Richard rolled his eyes and kissed Stefano on the head. "Goodnight, son."
~*~*~*~*~
Caroline and Richard both had a great time that night. Richard took her out to a nice restaurant, and then they took a walk around the city. He told her about his show and the painting he had done earlier that day. "Regina said it was the best work she had ever even seen from me. She's really excited for me to do more."
"That's great, Richard. I'm so happy for you."
"It's because of you..."
"Me?"
"Yeah. I was just so happy when I cam home this morning. It came across on canvas. I've never been so happy. I have you, the only person who has ever loved me for who I was, and my son, who has opened my eyes to the beauty of the world. My art has never been better. It's because of you and Stefano. I love you Caroline."
"I love you too."
"They continued to walk in silence, holding hands, just content to be with one another. Eventually, Richard dared to break the silence. "I really should get going. I promised Regina I would be home by midnight. She's watching Stefano for me..."
Caroline looked sadly to the ground, she didn't want the evening to end so soon. "Ok."
He could sense her sadness and smiled at her, "Would you like to come and stay the night with me?"
She looked up and smiled back, "Yeah. I'd like that." They walked back to his apartment, holding hands like two teenagers going to their first prom...
~*~*~*~*~
Richard and Caroline got back to his apartment a little after midnight. "Hey guys," Regina whispered. "Stefano was perfect. He fell asleep around eight. How was your evening out?"
Richard smiled. "It was great. Thanks for watching him tonight, you know I really appreciate it."
"No problem, I love watching him, you know that. But now, I have to get going. It was nice seeing you again, Caroline."
"It was nice seeing you too. Thanks for watching him. I really appreciate it too."
"No problem. I'll see you guys later."
"Bye." They both giggled when they said it simultaneously. Regina quietly closed the door so as not to wake Stefano, leaving the 2 of them alone.
~*~*~*~*~
Caroline looked through Richard's most recent paintings. She was appalled at how easily she could see in them how much he had missed her while he was in Rome. She came to the painting he had finished earlier that morning. "Oh my god, Richard. This is unbelievable! When did you do this?"
He came up behind her, silently snaking his arms around her slender waist. "This morning." He rested his head in the hollow of her shoulder. "You really like it? Your opinion means so much to me."
She turned around in his arms, smiling up at him. "I mean it. This better than anything I've ever seen from you."
"You know, it's you, holding Stefano this morning. I couldn't get the picture of you feeding him last night out of my head."
"I know."
"How did you know? It's abstract."
"I just knew."
Richard bent down and started kissing the hollow of her shoulder. She moaned in response. He smiled, his breath warm against her neck. "You tired?"
"Not really," she grinned back at him.
"Want to go to bed anyway?"
"Yeah."
He turned out the light and they quietly crawled into bed.
~*~*~*~*~
They spent the next month and a half very happy. Stefano fell in love with Caroline and Caroline fell in love with him. Stefano spend most of his time at Caroline's. She would watch him Richard would go home and paint during the day. When he was done for the day, he's come over to her place and he and Stefano would end up spending the night there. Occasionally, Caroline would surprise Richard by bringing Stefano over while he was painting and they would spend the night there. The two would go out while Angie or Regina watched the baby. Overall, they were very happy. In fact, neither of them could remember ever being happier. Before they knew it, it was the night of Richard's opening and they had to get ready.
~*~*~*~*~
"Richard? Are you sure you don't want to bring Stefano? He's your inspiration for almost all of the pieces you're displaying tonight..."
"Caroline, we've been over this. It'll be really hard to all the schmoozing we'll have to do and watch him. Plus, I don't know how late this will go and I don't want to keep him out past his bedtime."
"Ok, ok. I was just checking."
"Oh, shoot! I forgot to brush my teeth!" He ran up the stairs.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Caroline walked over and opened it to find Angie waiting out in the hallway. "Oh, hey Angie. Thanks for watching him tonight," she looked down at Stefano in his arms, "we really appreciate it."
"Oh, no problem. I love babies." She reached out to take Stefano, "Especially this one." She took him and tickled under his chin, getting a giggle in response. "Annie told me to tell you that she and Del will meet you there."
"Ok." She turned and yelled up the stairs, "Richard, Angie is here. Come one, we don't want to be late!"
"Ok, let's go," Richard yelled as he came running down the stairs. "Alright, Angie. In bed by 8:30 sharp, no later."
"Got it. You two have fun tonight."
Richard and Caroline both kissed Stefano goodnight and left."
~*~*~*~*~
They hopped in the cab and headed for the gallery. Richard noticed Caroline for the first time that night. "Wow. You look beautiful." He was right. She looked great in the deep forest green dress.
She responded with a light kiss. "Thanks. You look great too. She took in the way his stark, black tux seemed to fit him perfectly. They pulled apart.
"God, I'm so nervous."
"You're going to be fine. This is the best work you've ever done."
"I know you and I think that, I just hope everyone else thinks so too."
"They will."
"I hope so."
~*~*~*~*~
Richard spent most of the night making small talk with all of the critics and gallery owners and bigwigs of the art world that were there. Occasionally, Caroline would go and talk with them too, which eased Richard's mind. He was more comfortable and confident when she was around. However, she spent most of the time with Annie and Del, the only people she knew there besides Regina, but she was too busy with the show. Del went to get them some drinks.
Annie laughed, "This is so weird. The people here are actually buying Richie's stuff...I don't know what to think. He's, like, successful." She shivered. **Isn't that supposed to be a sign of the apocalypse? **
"Annie!" Caroline suppressed a laugh, then gathered her composure, "Cut it out. He deserves this."
"I know, I know. I'm just joking. You know I'm really happy for him and all."
"I know."
Del came back. "Here you go." He handed both of the women a glass of champagne, which they both took graciously.
Suddenly, Richard appeared at Caroline's side. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have to steal Caroline away. There are some potential buyers who would like to meet my muse."
She smiled up at him. "Ok." She turned to Del and Annie. "I'll see you guys later." They waved goodbye while Richard grabbed her hand and led her to a small crowd of people. They schmoozed with them for a little while, then moved on to another group, then another, and then another. Caroline noticed Annie trying to get her attention and excused herself to go talk to her.
"I just wanted to say goodbye. Del and I are going home."
"Ok, bye Annie."
She gave Annie a quick hug then waved goodbye to Del before returning to Richard's side. He was now talking to Regina. "Ok, all but one of your paintings sold at asking price."
"Which one didn't sell?" Caroline piped in. **I was really hoping he would sell everything tonight. **
"Oh, I'm sorry, they all sold. 'Utopia' didn't sell at asking price because it started a bidding war. It went for 3 times the asking price."
Richard was dumbfounded, "Wow. That's great." He looked over at Caroline who was smiling. He wrapped his arms around her tightly.
"Congratulations, Richard." Regina smiled, then she left to talk to the art critic from the Times, who seemed very happy with Richard's work, leaving to the two of them in their quiet embrace. The crowd was thinning out, the show was pretty much over.
"Thank you, Caroline."
"Me? What have I done?" She pulled back slightly.
"You've loved me. And let me love you. I owe all this to you."
"Richard, you're the one who painted all this. It was inside you all along. I had nothing to do with it."
"You don't know how wrong you are." He kissed her deeply, pulling her closer, needing as much contact as possible. "I love you, Caroline."
"I love you too. Let's go back go my place." Richard smiled and let her go. Grabbing her hand, he led her out the door.
~*~*~*~*~
They got back to Caroline's apartment around 1:15 to find Angie asleep on the couch. Caroline smiled as she walked over to her. She shook her slightly to wake her up. "Angie, we're home."
"Oh hi. How did it go?"
"It went great. Every one of Richard's paintings sold."
"Oh, that's wonderful. I'm so happy for you two. Congratulations, Richard." She over and hugged him.
"Thanks, and thank you for watching Stefano. I really appreciate it."
"Oh, no problem. He's such an angel. I'm going to get going. I'll see you two later."
"Bye, Angie. Thanks again." Caroline shut the door quietly behind her so as not to disturb Stefano or Richard, who was quietly watching his son sleep in the crib they had put up by the couch not too long ago. She smiled and walked over to him, embracing him slyly from behind.
He smiled. "I love you, Caroline."
"I love you too."
"Stefano loves you too, you know..."
"And I love him."
He smiled and pulled her in front of him. "This past couples of weeks have been the best of my life."
She grinned up at him, "Me too."
"I want it to stay like this forever. You, Stefano, and me...you two inspire me. You bring out the best in me, make me worth something..."
"Richard..."
"Please let me finish...I have to say this or I'll never get it out. I love you. You have given me a happiness I didn't even know was possible. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Caroline, will you marry me?"
She reached up and touched his cheek affectionately, "I love you too. Of course I'll marry you." She leaned up to kiss him. He reached his arms around her waist. He pulled away from the kiss, but tightened their embrace.
They stood there, holding each other for what seemed like an eternity before Richard leaned down and kissed her again, this time more passionately. He pulled away from her lips and moved to her jaw line, then to her neck, then to her ears. He whispered delicately, "Would you like to go upstairs?"
His breath was warm against her neck, "Yes, on one condition..."
He pulled back, "What?"
"Move in with me tomorrow..."
He smiled and leaned in to kiss her, "I'd love to," he murmured against her lips. He pulled away and leaned into the crib. "Goodnight, son," he said and kissed him lightly on his head. Caroline smiled, she grabbed Richard's hand and they walked silently up the stairs, turning the lights out on the way.
The End