Chapter Thirty:
"Hey, Gwen. Where's Sheridan?" Luis asked in curiousity. Looking around the living room and noting her absence. And Ali's and Jake's. "Gwen," he asked again. This time worry creeping into his voice. He'd only had her back for such a short time. Only a month. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her again. "Luis," Gwen soothed. "She's just in her room. She'll be out in just a minute."
"Oh," he said. Settling himself against the soft cushions of the sofa next to her. "So, where are the kids? It's awfully quiet around here." Gwen smiled. It was true. It WAS quiet. "Hank has them. In fact," she said, glancing at her watch, "I'm supposed to be meeting them in about ten minutes. Bye Luis," she said. Kissing his cheek and rising from the sofa. "Tell Sheridan to call me tonight and let me know how her surprise went," she said with a smirk.
"Surprise? What surprise? Gwen?!?!" he yelled. Growing annoyed at her refusal to answer him before she shut the door behind her. He crossed the room to look out the window. Watching her car pull out of the drive and disappear down the road. He was so lost in thought about the last few weeks that her quietly spoken "Luis" made him jump nearly a foot into the air.
His jaw fell open at the sight in front of him. "Luis. Say something," she pleaded. Running a nervous hand through her hair. Her short hair. "You cut your hair," he said. Staring at her in shock. She looked just like she had three years ago. Exactly the same. If he didn't know better, he would think the last three years were a dream.
"You don't like it," she said. Casting her eyes downward. "I thought..." "Sheridan," he said. Coming to stand just in front of her. Tilting her chin up with a finger. "Sheridan. Look at me. I love it. Just a bit surprised. That's all." "Really?" she asked. Blue eyes alight with so much--he couldn't name what was in her eyes. "Really. You look beautiful." He wanted so much to believe the look in her beautiful eyes was love.
"I thought," she began. "I thought it might help. You know. If I looked the way I did all those years ago. Maybe help me remember the way things were. I want so much to remember, Luis. Everything," she said earnestly. "Not just flashes here and there. I want to remember it all." "I know," he said. Taking her hand and giving it a comforting squeeze.
"So," he laughed, "was this the surprise Gwen was talking about? Your hair?" "Part of it," she said. Pulling him into the kitchen. And proudly showing him the candlelit table. A table set for two. "Um, I wanted to do something nice for you. Pay you back for being so sweet and understanding. Don't worry," she giggled. "I didn't cook the food. Pilar sent it over. All your favorite dishes." She gasped in surprise when he pulled her into his arms. Hugging her tightly. "Thank you," he breathed.
He pulled back. Conscious that he was practically crushing her in his embrace. "Sorry," he apologized. "And before you ask, I love your surprise," he quickly said. Earning a brilliant smile from her. He returned her smile and pulled her chair out for her. Then he seated himself. He poured them both a glass of wine and lifted his glass in celebration. "To second chances." The look in his dark eyes made her shiver as their glasses clinked together. "Second chances," she repeated. Softly. Taking a sip of her wine.
They enjoyed their meal. Talking. Laughing. Going over the events of their respective days. But mostly they talked about Ali. And Luis thought back to a night so long ago. When Ali came into existence. A night so much like tonight. Sheridan blushed at his admission. Sometimes--she wasn't sure if it were dream or fantasy--she imagined being in his arms. Waking up together. She nearly spilled her wine when he said, "Penny for your thoughts." He hid his smile from her. He was falling in love with her all over again tonight.
He rose from his seat and offered her his hand. "Dance with me," he said. Not an order. But a request. She slid her hand into his and stood up. Blue eyes locked with brown. He tucked her hand away and led her into the living room where he turned the radio on. Soft, romantic notes filtering through the air. A woman's voice weaving magic around the words. He pulled her body close. And they began swaying to the music. Moving closer and closer. Sheridan sighed. Relaxing in his arms completely. Luis responded by holder her tighter. Burying his nose in her hair as she melted into him.
He couldn't pinpoint the exact moment they stopped moving. The exact moment he pulled away to look into her eyes. Drowning in their blueness. All he could remember was the way she sighed as he ran his knuckles across her cheek. The way she closed her eyes as he planted tiny kisses on her brow. Her eyelids. The way she slipped her arms around his neck. Pulling him closer. Trembling as his lips descended on hers. How sweet she tasted. Their kisses growing bolder. More intense. Until the flash of a car's lights shattered the moment. And she pulled away. Her eyes a mixture of surprise. Confusion. Desire. The moment was over as soon as it began. He ran his hand through his hair as he went to answer the door. When he turned around--Ali's sleeping body in his arms--she was gone.
"Hey, Gwen. Where's Sheridan?" Luis asked in curiousity. Looking around the living room and noting her absence. And Ali's and Jake's. "Gwen," he asked again. This time worry creeping into his voice. He'd only had her back for such a short time. Only a month. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her again. "Luis," Gwen soothed. "She's just in her room. She'll be out in just a minute."
"Oh," he said. Settling himself against the soft cushions of the sofa next to her. "So, where are the kids? It's awfully quiet around here." Gwen smiled. It was true. It WAS quiet. "Hank has them. In fact," she said, glancing at her watch, "I'm supposed to be meeting them in about ten minutes. Bye Luis," she said. Kissing his cheek and rising from the sofa. "Tell Sheridan to call me tonight and let me know how her surprise went," she said with a smirk.
"Surprise? What surprise? Gwen?!?!" he yelled. Growing annoyed at her refusal to answer him before she shut the door behind her. He crossed the room to look out the window. Watching her car pull out of the drive and disappear down the road. He was so lost in thought about the last few weeks that her quietly spoken "Luis" made him jump nearly a foot into the air.
His jaw fell open at the sight in front of him. "Luis. Say something," she pleaded. Running a nervous hand through her hair. Her short hair. "You cut your hair," he said. Staring at her in shock. She looked just like she had three years ago. Exactly the same. If he didn't know better, he would think the last three years were a dream.
"You don't like it," she said. Casting her eyes downward. "I thought..." "Sheridan," he said. Coming to stand just in front of her. Tilting her chin up with a finger. "Sheridan. Look at me. I love it. Just a bit surprised. That's all." "Really?" she asked. Blue eyes alight with so much--he couldn't name what was in her eyes. "Really. You look beautiful." He wanted so much to believe the look in her beautiful eyes was love.
"I thought," she began. "I thought it might help. You know. If I looked the way I did all those years ago. Maybe help me remember the way things were. I want so much to remember, Luis. Everything," she said earnestly. "Not just flashes here and there. I want to remember it all." "I know," he said. Taking her hand and giving it a comforting squeeze.
"So," he laughed, "was this the surprise Gwen was talking about? Your hair?" "Part of it," she said. Pulling him into the kitchen. And proudly showing him the candlelit table. A table set for two. "Um, I wanted to do something nice for you. Pay you back for being so sweet and understanding. Don't worry," she giggled. "I didn't cook the food. Pilar sent it over. All your favorite dishes." She gasped in surprise when he pulled her into his arms. Hugging her tightly. "Thank you," he breathed.
He pulled back. Conscious that he was practically crushing her in his embrace. "Sorry," he apologized. "And before you ask, I love your surprise," he quickly said. Earning a brilliant smile from her. He returned her smile and pulled her chair out for her. Then he seated himself. He poured them both a glass of wine and lifted his glass in celebration. "To second chances." The look in his dark eyes made her shiver as their glasses clinked together. "Second chances," she repeated. Softly. Taking a sip of her wine.
They enjoyed their meal. Talking. Laughing. Going over the events of their respective days. But mostly they talked about Ali. And Luis thought back to a night so long ago. When Ali came into existence. A night so much like tonight. Sheridan blushed at his admission. Sometimes--she wasn't sure if it were dream or fantasy--she imagined being in his arms. Waking up together. She nearly spilled her wine when he said, "Penny for your thoughts." He hid his smile from her. He was falling in love with her all over again tonight.
He rose from his seat and offered her his hand. "Dance with me," he said. Not an order. But a request. She slid her hand into his and stood up. Blue eyes locked with brown. He tucked her hand away and led her into the living room where he turned the radio on. Soft, romantic notes filtering through the air. A woman's voice weaving magic around the words. He pulled her body close. And they began swaying to the music. Moving closer and closer. Sheridan sighed. Relaxing in his arms completely. Luis responded by holder her tighter. Burying his nose in her hair as she melted into him.
He couldn't pinpoint the exact moment they stopped moving. The exact moment he pulled away to look into her eyes. Drowning in their blueness. All he could remember was the way she sighed as he ran his knuckles across her cheek. The way she closed her eyes as he planted tiny kisses on her brow. Her eyelids. The way she slipped her arms around his neck. Pulling him closer. Trembling as his lips descended on hers. How sweet she tasted. Their kisses growing bolder. More intense. Until the flash of a car's lights shattered the moment. And she pulled away. Her eyes a mixture of surprise. Confusion. Desire. The moment was over as soon as it began. He ran his hand through his hair as he went to answer the door. When he turned around--Ali's sleeping body in his arms--she was gone.