Disclaimer: This is purely fiction but based on the WB series 7th Heaven.
The WB and Spelling Television, unless you don't recognize them, own all
characters.
The Greatest Gift of All
Chapter 15
Risk Taking
"Would you two cut it out?" Ben sat down in the chair opposite his brother. They had finished up taking the wedding photos and made it to the pool hall for the reception. Kevin and Lucy had been caught kissing, again! "Save some of that for tonight."
"You know, this cake is really good," Mary said from beside Ben and across from Lucy. "But then you won't stop kissing long enough to try it," she joked.
Lucy pulled away and turned toward her sister. "I am hungry."
"Huh?" Kevin whined.
"Eat!" she pointed toward Kevin's plate.
"Oh, all right," he agreed reluctantly, his mind obviously on things other then eating at the moment.
"Wow, this is great cake!" Simon took a seat next to Kevin. Simon had just gone though the line, and half of his cake was already missing.
"Pig!" Ruthie called out from the other side of Lucy. "I don't know where you put it all."
"I'm a growing boy."
The rest of the attendants made their way to the table. Sarah and Matt sat next to Mary and Ben and Patti-Mary and Robbie took their seats at the ends of the table.
"Hey, guys!" Robbie said as he sat down and picked up his fork. "It's Christmas Eve," he announced. The clock at the pool hall had just struck six p.m. "Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!"
"Wow, I've hardly even thought about Christmas," Matt admitted.
"Excuse me," Sarah leaned over to get a good look at her husband.
"Uh-oh!" Ruthie said.
"Don't worry. I've thought about it long enough to get you a gift," he smiled sweetly at her.
"You celebrate Christmas?" Ruthie asked Sarah.
"Sure. Matt and I have decided to celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas."
"I'd rather celebrate Hanukkah."
"Why?" Mary asked.
"Eight times more presents," Ruthie said matter-of-factly.
"It doesn't quite work that way," Sarah told her.
"Thank goodness," Matt mumbled.
"Did you say something, honey?"
"Yeah, could you imagine how broke I would be if I had to get eight days worth of gifts?" everyone laughed at Matt's comment.
Mary picked up her glass and stood up. "Be right back," she headed toward the punchbowl to get a refill.
Ben turned around and looked over his shoulder, watching Mary. He stood up and excused himself. "Hey, Mary," Ben walked up behind her.
"Ben," she smiled at him.
"Mary, could we talk?"
"Yeah, I guess." They both walked outside to talk privately.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" she looked hopeful.
Ben seemed nervous. "I was just wondering," he paused, "how your job is going."
"Good. Thing's are going well."
"You love what you do then?"
"Yeah. I love to fly. I love to travel all over."
"That's great."
"What about you? How's your job going?"
"Good."
"Good."
There was an awkward silence for a minute. Ben decided to get to the point before he chickened out. "You know, I miss you," he admitted.
Mary looked up at him. "I miss you too, Ben."
"You do?" he sounded surprised.
"Yeah, I guess."
"You guess?"
Mary nodded. "I think about you all the time, but I know you had your girlfriend. . ."
"I broke up with her a while go," he interrupted.
"Why?" she asked curiously.
"Because," he paused trying to figure out exactly what to say. "I can't stop thinking about you. When I was with her, it wasn't her I was thinking about." He looked at her. "I was thinking about you."
They were both quiet. Mary finally spoke up. "You mean that?" she asked softly.
"Yes," he told her. "I tried not to think about you, but I couldn't help it. I knew it was over between us, and I didn't want hurt again; so I couldn't understand why I wasn't able to get past our relationship; why I couldn't get over you. Nothing, no one was able to keep me from thinking about you, though." He paused a moment before adding, "I love you, Mary Camden."
Mary stood there in shock. She had hoped that he would think about giving her another chance, but she hadn't expected those three words.
Ben misunderstood her silence. "I knew it. I knew it," he turned away.
"No, Ben," she walked over to stand in front of him. "You just surprised me," she admitted. "It's just that, well; how would you feel if I moved back to Buffalo?"
"Why?"
"Because I want you to give me another chance. I still love you too, Ben, but I want to take things slow. I can understand if you're not willing to take a risk again. I've hurt you before. I want things to work out this time; I really do. You have to believe me. I want us to start over; fresh, from the beginning. Do everything over again; but this time, do it right. Forget about everything I've done in the past."
Ben stood there staring at her. He knew what he had to do. It wasn't going to go away if he didn't try. "When can you move?" he asked.
The Greatest Gift of All
Chapter 15
Risk Taking
"Would you two cut it out?" Ben sat down in the chair opposite his brother. They had finished up taking the wedding photos and made it to the pool hall for the reception. Kevin and Lucy had been caught kissing, again! "Save some of that for tonight."
"You know, this cake is really good," Mary said from beside Ben and across from Lucy. "But then you won't stop kissing long enough to try it," she joked.
Lucy pulled away and turned toward her sister. "I am hungry."
"Huh?" Kevin whined.
"Eat!" she pointed toward Kevin's plate.
"Oh, all right," he agreed reluctantly, his mind obviously on things other then eating at the moment.
"Wow, this is great cake!" Simon took a seat next to Kevin. Simon had just gone though the line, and half of his cake was already missing.
"Pig!" Ruthie called out from the other side of Lucy. "I don't know where you put it all."
"I'm a growing boy."
The rest of the attendants made their way to the table. Sarah and Matt sat next to Mary and Ben and Patti-Mary and Robbie took their seats at the ends of the table.
"Hey, guys!" Robbie said as he sat down and picked up his fork. "It's Christmas Eve," he announced. The clock at the pool hall had just struck six p.m. "Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!"
"Wow, I've hardly even thought about Christmas," Matt admitted.
"Excuse me," Sarah leaned over to get a good look at her husband.
"Uh-oh!" Ruthie said.
"Don't worry. I've thought about it long enough to get you a gift," he smiled sweetly at her.
"You celebrate Christmas?" Ruthie asked Sarah.
"Sure. Matt and I have decided to celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas."
"I'd rather celebrate Hanukkah."
"Why?" Mary asked.
"Eight times more presents," Ruthie said matter-of-factly.
"It doesn't quite work that way," Sarah told her.
"Thank goodness," Matt mumbled.
"Did you say something, honey?"
"Yeah, could you imagine how broke I would be if I had to get eight days worth of gifts?" everyone laughed at Matt's comment.
Mary picked up her glass and stood up. "Be right back," she headed toward the punchbowl to get a refill.
Ben turned around and looked over his shoulder, watching Mary. He stood up and excused himself. "Hey, Mary," Ben walked up behind her.
"Ben," she smiled at him.
"Mary, could we talk?"
"Yeah, I guess." They both walked outside to talk privately.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" she looked hopeful.
Ben seemed nervous. "I was just wondering," he paused, "how your job is going."
"Good. Thing's are going well."
"You love what you do then?"
"Yeah. I love to fly. I love to travel all over."
"That's great."
"What about you? How's your job going?"
"Good."
"Good."
There was an awkward silence for a minute. Ben decided to get to the point before he chickened out. "You know, I miss you," he admitted.
Mary looked up at him. "I miss you too, Ben."
"You do?" he sounded surprised.
"Yeah, I guess."
"You guess?"
Mary nodded. "I think about you all the time, but I know you had your girlfriend. . ."
"I broke up with her a while go," he interrupted.
"Why?" she asked curiously.
"Because," he paused trying to figure out exactly what to say. "I can't stop thinking about you. When I was with her, it wasn't her I was thinking about." He looked at her. "I was thinking about you."
They were both quiet. Mary finally spoke up. "You mean that?" she asked softly.
"Yes," he told her. "I tried not to think about you, but I couldn't help it. I knew it was over between us, and I didn't want hurt again; so I couldn't understand why I wasn't able to get past our relationship; why I couldn't get over you. Nothing, no one was able to keep me from thinking about you, though." He paused a moment before adding, "I love you, Mary Camden."
Mary stood there in shock. She had hoped that he would think about giving her another chance, but she hadn't expected those three words.
Ben misunderstood her silence. "I knew it. I knew it," he turned away.
"No, Ben," she walked over to stand in front of him. "You just surprised me," she admitted. "It's just that, well; how would you feel if I moved back to Buffalo?"
"Why?"
"Because I want you to give me another chance. I still love you too, Ben, but I want to take things slow. I can understand if you're not willing to take a risk again. I've hurt you before. I want things to work out this time; I really do. You have to believe me. I want us to start over; fresh, from the beginning. Do everything over again; but this time, do it right. Forget about everything I've done in the past."
Ben stood there staring at her. He knew what he had to do. It wasn't going to go away if he didn't try. "When can you move?" he asked.