EPILOGUE—UNEXPECTED GUESTS
Three months passed, and the Donovans' grief abated to a dull ache. They moved on, they lived, but every now and then, when Loralei thought Donovan wasn't looking, he would see a dark shadow creep across her face. She had tried to make her pain her own, but of course, he wouldn't have that. He never had, not where she was concerned. There was very little they hadn't experienced together, and this was no exception. On those occasions when her features seemed to darken, he would do nothing more than hold her. No words were ever exchanged during those embraces. It wasn't necessary. Their thoughts were broadcast, each to the other. Loralei had her distractions. She began working on her Ph.D. that spring. She threw herself into her work, and burnt gallons of midnight oil. She was pushing herself quite hard, but that was one thing he allowed without interference. Each person dealt with grief in his/her own way. He wouldn't begrudge her that, because he often found that he pushed himself a bit harder than necessary.
Very late one night, Donovan slipped into the darkened apartment. He wasn't even sure what time it was, but it seemed as if he had been working seventy-two hours nonstop. The only light in the entire place was coming from a small lamp in the bedroom. Donovan glanced over at the desktop computer Loralei insisted on buying when she began school. She had apparently forgotten to turn it off. The screensaver had kicked on, and scrolling text swirled and whirled at every corner of the monitor. It said: I loves me some Frank Donovan. He grinned a little and shook his head. The night she had created the screensaver text, she had giggled like a child. It was her exuberance he loved most of all. He moved past the computer and crept into the bedroom. He expected her to be asleep among a pile of books, which was how he normally found her. Tonight was no exception.
Carefully, quietly, he approached the bed and began to dig her out of the pile. He stacked each book neatly on the floor by her bedside. She was still clutching a thick volume in her hands, and taking this from her without waking her would be next to impossible. Oh well. He didn't mind, and he didn't think she'd mind, either. Occasionally on the nights he wrenched her books from her hands, they'd end up tangled in the sheets. Somewhat a nervous sort, she'd rise up and gasp before throwing her arms around him, where she'd subsequently drag him down to the bed. After that, well, it was best left to the imagination.
Donovan leaned forward and grasped the book she clutched protectively against her chest. Instead of her usual gasp and curse, she opened her eyes and smiled up at him lazily. "What? You're not going to attack me," he asked, feigning disappointment.
Loralei stretched and yawned dramatically. "Come here," she said as she crooked her finger at him.
He smiled a little. "You're mocking me now," he asked. "Very naughty." After kicking off his shoes and socks, he climbed onto the bed and gently lowered his body on top of hers.
Their lips met briefly only to meet again with passionate abandon. Her arms came around his waist and she worked her hands in and under his sweater. His skin was warm and inviting, smooth and taut. He broke the kiss just long enough to lean up and assist her with the removal of his sweater. His hair was all mussed and corkscrewed, reminding her crazily of 'Dennis the Menace,' and she couldn't resist laughing helplessly. He immediately knew what had turned on her giggle box, and he smiled down at her before cutting off her laughs with a passionate kiss. Her hands moved down to his belt buckle, and she worked it loose. He broke the kiss and drew away a little so that she could open his slacks. She had just a bit of trouble working the zipper down.
"What do you do," she asked astonished. "Glue them shut to torment me?"
His smile returned. "Nope. There's a trick to it, a trick that you have yet to learn." Amused, she watched as he drew the zipper down with ease. "See," he said with a lifted eyebrow.
"Show off," she grumbled as she worked her hands inside his opened pants.
He came down on top of her again and began nuzzling her throat, nipping and biting. Settling his body between her parted thighs, she began the task of shucking down his slacks and briefs. Half of his delectable ass was exposed when he suddenly shifted his body. His hands had found the thin straps of her nightgown, and he was pulling them down, exposing her shoulders and the first hint of her breasts.
Loralei groaned a little. "You don't play fair, do you, Donovan," she asked, frustrated that her task of undressing him had been interrupted.
"No, not always," he said, drawing away once again to gaze down at her. "You are naked underneath this thing, aren't you?"
"Duh. What do you think?"
"I think I really love you, I think I really want you."
"If that's true," she said, mocking the great Donovan eyebrow lift, "would you please take off your fucking pants? If you don't want to, would you at least let me do it?"
He laughed. "I won't stop you, I promise."
After a moment or two of persistent tugging and pushing, she finally managed to free his body of his remaining clothing. When his naked body came back down atop hers, she was suddenly and graciously enveloped by his warmth, scent, and taste. He didn't bother removing her flimsy nightgown. It was hardly a barrier to his burgeoning lust. Tonight, it seemed a little different than before. He felt extreme fevered impatience. He didn't want to take time out to do anything. All he wanted was to plunge into her, to lose himself, to let everything go. It was exactly what he did; it was exactly what she wanted.
* * *
Toward morning, Loralei emerged from the bathroom and peeked out into the bedroom. Uncharacteristically for Donovan, he was still asleep. Normally, he was up by the crack of dawn, trying to coax her out of bed. She breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of his body still overtaken by slumber. Thank God. If he was asleep, he hadn't heard her. She had been very careful the last couple of weeks not to disturb him. A couple of times during that two-week span, he had left before she had awakened. When he began to stir a little, she slid back into bed and went into the arms that seemed to automatically reach for her in the morning.
"Where were you," he asked sleepily. He had yet to open his eyes. Perhaps he would stay home today. As he buried his face into her soft, soft hair, staying home became more appealing.
"Nowhere special," she said with a smile that he could not see. "Aren't you going in today?"
"No. I'm taking the day off. I think they can make it without me one day," he said.
"Darling, your ego is showing again," she said.
"Mmmm, I know," he said as he began to sink back into a doze.
"Frank," she called softly, leaning over him.
"Yes, love?"
"I'm late."
Half asleep, the phrase didn't hit him right away. "For what," he asked.
"You know, late late, you big dope," she said, fighting her impending guffaws with all she had in her. "I'm late, and I've been feeling quite yucky."
The words finally managed to penetrate his sleeping brain. His eyes opened wide. "You're late," he asked stupidly.
"Yeah," she said, feigning impatience. "Late and yucky, just like before."
He stared at her, stunned and confused at the same time. "Late and yucky? Like before?"
She rolled her eyes. "What are you? A parrot? Yes, I'm late. Yes, I feel yucky. Yes, it was like before."
"You need to see a doctor, Loralei, today," he said.
She sighed a little. "I don't want to do that yet." They had been trying to get pregnant again almost immediately after Loralei recovered. They had had a couple of false alarms. "I want to check it out before I go. I'd prefer to do it here rather than go to a doctor. I want it to be a private thing, just between us. Okay? If it's negative, you're the only one who will see the disappointment."
He leaned up and kissed her lips very gently. "Okay."
Later, Loralei stood staring at the plastic stick looking thingies with the confusing tiny windows and lines. She hadn't used one of these things before and didn't think she knew what she was doing. She had even bought two other identical tests just to be sure she hadn't screwed up any of them. To her, every test appeared to read negative. This is nuts, she thought. How the hell are you supposed to know? These tests weren't as easy to read as the TV ads said they were. Irritated, she intended to call the companies that made them and bitch them out.
Donovan came up behind her and glanced over her shoulder. Three of them, he thought incredulously. "So?"
She sighed. "I don't know, babe, I think it's a false alarm. Look."
She passed each of the sticks to him, and he examined them carefully. He shook his head and grinned a little.
"What," she said. "What are you smiling about?"
He placed the three tests back on the bathroom counter. He then wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. "Loralei, my love, I think you're confused. If you have two lines, it's positive. You have three positive tests."
"Are you sure? I thought two lines meant negative."
He released her a moment and dug one of the discarded boxes out of the wastebasket. "See?"
She took the box from his hands and peered at the back of it stupidly. She grabbed one of the sticks and held it up against the box. "Oh shit," she spat. "I'm pregnant?"
He took the box from her hands and set it aside. "I'm no doctor." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "But there is an actor on some television show who kind of looks like me, and he plays a surgeon or something. Anyway, you have three positive tests, Loralei, and it's probably safe to say you're pregnant."
* * *
Loralei sat behind her computer. She had been trying to write a paper for her criminological theory class, but she was stumped. The words had seemed to flow from her for a good hour or so, but now, she was stuck. Perhaps I'm just tired, she thought. She glanced down at the little clock at the right side of her monitor, and it showed half past ten. It wasn't that late, but she was exhausted. She saved her paper, but didn't immediately shut down the computer. She backed away from the desk and stretched. Her eyes were tired and her head thumped a little. She had been staring at the damn computer monitor too long.
Donovan came up behind her and laid his hands on her shoulders. He allowed them to slip down her arms before they settled onto her increasingly rounding middle. Today marked the beginning of her fifth month. "I think the two of you need to get some rest."
She sighed and placed her hands over his. "Pretty soon, I won't be able to fit behind this desk."
"You know," he said with a smile, "there is a history of twins in my family."
"Uh uh," she sighed. "Don't even go there, unless you want to quit your job and become a stay-at-home daddy. I wouldn't mind having two children, but I'd like them one at a time."
He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her temple. "Turn off the computer and get to bed."
She stood before him and planted her hands on her hips. "You sure have become quite bossy in the last three months," she said.
"I know," he said with a smile. "But when have you known me not to be bossy?"
"Darlin,' you do have a point," she said before turning toward the computer to shut it down.
Just as the monitor popped off, the doorbell rang. Loralei glanced at Donovan. "Are you expecting company," she asked.
"No," he said. "It's probably somebody lost."
She shrugged and approached the door. She stood on tiptoe and peered out the peephole. Their guest knocked her back. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Normally cautious, Loralei wouldn't dare just throw open the door before knowing who it was, but she couldn't help it. She unlocked the door and swung it open. Standing before her dressed in a crisp white button down shirt and blue jeans was a man so like her husband it was as if Donovan's face had been plastered onto another man's body. There were only a few differences. The man at the door had very long wavy black hair that fell to his shoulders. Instead of a goatee, he had a neatly trimmed beard and mustache.
Donovan came around to where his wife stood aghast. He stared into the face of a man he hadn't seen in almost a year and a half, Farron, his twin brother.
THE END????? MAYBE?????