Chapter 5
Evelyn watched Danny as he chased after his new puppy, Ramsey. A boy and his dog, she smiled. Rafe's arms wrapped around her waist pulling her close to him. She rested her head back against his chest, feeling his warmth and strength flowing through her.
"I'd say the gift is a success," he told her, his chin resting on the top of her head.
"I'd say so," Evelyn replied, "but I still can't help thinking he's a little too young."
Rafe smiled. They had had this discussion before. "I was the same age when I got my first dog," he pointed out. "It will give him someone to play with - besides you and me. He's only two, but I know he gets lonely sometimes. He and the pup can grow up together. In a year or two they'll be inseperable."
"I guess." Evelyn sighed. It felt so good to have Rafe's arms around her again. In the two years since their marriage and Danny's birth he had only been home for two weeks at a time. She and Danny had seen him for a total of 6 weeks. But now he was back for good. The war wasn't over, but Rafe's position in it was. He'd done his part and now he was free to live his life.
Rafe chuckled as the puppy bit the seat of Danny's pants, dragging him away from the ball they were playing with. "You know," Rafe said after a moments silence, "Now that I'm back, it just might be time to start thinking about a little brother or sister for Danny." He leaned down to kiss Evelyn's cheek. "What do you think?" he whispered softly.
Turning in his arms, Evelyn smiled, her love for Rafe shinning through her eyes. "I think that's a wonderful idea."
"You are so beautiful," Rafe whispered as he leaned down to kiss his wife, the passion and desire still between them after all this time and months of seperation.
Their kiss was cut short by the high pitched barking of Ramsey and the honking of horn coming up the drive.
Looking up, Rafe's brow creased. "I wonder who'd take a taxi all the way out here?" he said. "Are you expecting anyone, Ev?"
She shook her head. "No," she called back over her shoulder as she retrieved Danny and Ramsey from the front drive. Rafe walked down the stairs to join his wife and son, curious as to who was visiting.
The taxi rolled to a stop and it's driver quickly exited.
"Evening George," Rafe called to the man. "What brings you out here?"
The man looked up at them flustered, as he opened the back door. "I only bring them where they want to go, not where they need to go. I told her she should go to the hospital, but she wouldn't listen to me. She's been....."
"I'm quite all right," a woman's voice said from the interior of the car.
"Begging your pardon, ma'am," George said, touching his cap, "but you've had me pull over this here car 5 times since you've been in it. I didn't know a body could throw up as much as you have. Can't be healthy."
Hearing that the passanger was sick, Evelyn moved around to the side of the taxi. There she met the luminous green eyes of a pale stranger. "Are you all right?" she asked, her professional training kicking in.
The woman nodded, her face turning a bit more green at the slight movement. "I'll be fine. I just need to get out of this damn car and stop moving for a minute."
Evelyn smiled slightly at the feistiness she saw in the woman's direct gaze. She reached out her hand and the woman accepted it after a moments hesitation, slowly getting out of the car. She took several deep breaths before she turned back towards the car. "Come on Gracie, we're here." Evelyn watched as a young girl, not much older than Danny bounced out of the car, obviously happy to leave it's confines. "Dandy?" she asked as she grabbed her mother's hand.
The woman looked around, her eyes seeming to take everything in. "Not yet, sweetheart," she told her daughter as her eyes locked on Rafe and held. "Hello Rafe," she said, a relieved smile on her face. "Do you remember me?"
Startled, Evelyn glanced from the bewildered expression on her husband's face to the pale stranger. What was going on? She wondered. Eyes moving away from Rafe, the woman caught sight of Danny who was hiding behind his father's legs. With a small gasp, the woman's face paled even further and she slowly fell to the ground without a sound.
Evelyn watched Danny as he chased after his new puppy, Ramsey. A boy and his dog, she smiled. Rafe's arms wrapped around her waist pulling her close to him. She rested her head back against his chest, feeling his warmth and strength flowing through her.
"I'd say the gift is a success," he told her, his chin resting on the top of her head.
"I'd say so," Evelyn replied, "but I still can't help thinking he's a little too young."
Rafe smiled. They had had this discussion before. "I was the same age when I got my first dog," he pointed out. "It will give him someone to play with - besides you and me. He's only two, but I know he gets lonely sometimes. He and the pup can grow up together. In a year or two they'll be inseperable."
"I guess." Evelyn sighed. It felt so good to have Rafe's arms around her again. In the two years since their marriage and Danny's birth he had only been home for two weeks at a time. She and Danny had seen him for a total of 6 weeks. But now he was back for good. The war wasn't over, but Rafe's position in it was. He'd done his part and now he was free to live his life.
Rafe chuckled as the puppy bit the seat of Danny's pants, dragging him away from the ball they were playing with. "You know," Rafe said after a moments silence, "Now that I'm back, it just might be time to start thinking about a little brother or sister for Danny." He leaned down to kiss Evelyn's cheek. "What do you think?" he whispered softly.
Turning in his arms, Evelyn smiled, her love for Rafe shinning through her eyes. "I think that's a wonderful idea."
"You are so beautiful," Rafe whispered as he leaned down to kiss his wife, the passion and desire still between them after all this time and months of seperation.
Their kiss was cut short by the high pitched barking of Ramsey and the honking of horn coming up the drive.
Looking up, Rafe's brow creased. "I wonder who'd take a taxi all the way out here?" he said. "Are you expecting anyone, Ev?"
She shook her head. "No," she called back over her shoulder as she retrieved Danny and Ramsey from the front drive. Rafe walked down the stairs to join his wife and son, curious as to who was visiting.
The taxi rolled to a stop and it's driver quickly exited.
"Evening George," Rafe called to the man. "What brings you out here?"
The man looked up at them flustered, as he opened the back door. "I only bring them where they want to go, not where they need to go. I told her she should go to the hospital, but she wouldn't listen to me. She's been....."
"I'm quite all right," a woman's voice said from the interior of the car.
"Begging your pardon, ma'am," George said, touching his cap, "but you've had me pull over this here car 5 times since you've been in it. I didn't know a body could throw up as much as you have. Can't be healthy."
Hearing that the passanger was sick, Evelyn moved around to the side of the taxi. There she met the luminous green eyes of a pale stranger. "Are you all right?" she asked, her professional training kicking in.
The woman nodded, her face turning a bit more green at the slight movement. "I'll be fine. I just need to get out of this damn car and stop moving for a minute."
Evelyn smiled slightly at the feistiness she saw in the woman's direct gaze. She reached out her hand and the woman accepted it after a moments hesitation, slowly getting out of the car. She took several deep breaths before she turned back towards the car. "Come on Gracie, we're here." Evelyn watched as a young girl, not much older than Danny bounced out of the car, obviously happy to leave it's confines. "Dandy?" she asked as she grabbed her mother's hand.
The woman looked around, her eyes seeming to take everything in. "Not yet, sweetheart," she told her daughter as her eyes locked on Rafe and held. "Hello Rafe," she said, a relieved smile on her face. "Do you remember me?"
Startled, Evelyn glanced from the bewildered expression on her husband's face to the pale stranger. What was going on? She wondered. Eyes moving away from Rafe, the woman caught sight of Danny who was hiding behind his father's legs. With a small gasp, the woman's face paled even further and she slowly fell to the ground without a sound.