A/N:
Dylan, AJ Mackey
You two helped me with this chapter. Thanks! :)
Linser
I'm glad you aren't quite so annoyed with Evy anymore! :)
Marxbros
Will we see the birth? To quote one of our favorite characters: 'That is the plan' :) And I'm glad you are having tons of fun reading P2P. And don't think I've forgotten about 'Hereafter'. I hope you will continue that great story.
Well everyone, here we go... Hope you enjoy!
Rick sat on the bed with a look of disappointment and bewilderment on his face. What was there to talk about? He loved her. She loved him. He had told her how sorry he was for his mistake. She had obviously forgiven him. If she hadn't, she would not have let him make love to her.
Everything was fine. Everything was back to normal. So what was there to talk about?
"Is something wrong?" Rick frowned and stood up as his imagination began to run wild.
He wondered if Evelyn was all right, if the kid was all right. Maybe his less than enthusiastic response to the news about the baby had driven her to drastic measures. He knew a woman had ways of getting rid of an unwanted kid. Had Evelyn?
The thought struck a cord in Rick and panic crawled up his spine and attacked his mind with a vengeance. Had she gone to some quack doctor, midwife or even a madam? Had she 'gotten rid of' his kid? Had he lost him before he was even born?
Rick did not want to believe it. He could not believe it. He refused to believe it because he wanted his kid.
Rick wanted the baby and that realization hit him like a stone pillar. He knew without a doubt, without a shadow of doubt that he wanted the baby, his baby, their baby. But what if... What if Evelyn had... What if she... He would never forgive himself if...
"Is... everything... OK?" his voice trembled as he looked down at her stomach then back up into her eyes. "Is the baby... OK?" Rick asked, his voice racked with anxiety.
Evelyn's eyes began to water. She saw the fear in his eyes and she heard the trepidation in his voice. She knew then and there that he wanted this baby, their baby as much as she did.
When Evelyn did not answer him, dread wrapped itself around his soul and squeezed it tight. Rick's heart began to pound in his ears. Grief, overwhelming grief began to well up in him as his breath became short.
He would never see his face. He would never hear his voice. He would never get to know him.
No! Rick shook himself mentally. He could not accept it. He just could not.
"Is the baby OK?!" he demanded in a harsh voice.
"The baby's fine" Evelyn said in a hushed tone as a single tear slid down her cheek.
'The baby's fine'. Those were the sweetest words to Rick's ears. The baby was fine. Rick let out the breath he was holding and the grandest since of joy overtook the dread he was feeling. Once he let it sink in that the baby was all right, he turned his mind back to the talk they HAD to have.
"What's the matter then?" Rick asked anxiously as he started walking toward Evelyn.
"We need to talk" she said as she began to back away from him.
"About what?!" he said impatiently.
"Will you sit down?!" Evelyn said, her anxiety growing.
"What is wrong Evelyn?!" he nearly shouted as stood towering over her. "Are YOU OK?"
"Yes, I'm fine" she said, looking up at his scowling face. "We need to talk."
"About..."
"Will you sit..."
"NO!" Rick shouted. "WHAT is this about?!"
"I AM NOT going to engage in a shouting match with you!" Evelyn raised her voice. "WILL you just SIT DOWN!"
Rick turned a more fierce frown on her before gritting his teeth and turning and walking back over to the bed.
"What is it we need to talk about?" Rick said in a controlled voice after he sat down on the bed.
Evelyn took a deep breath, turned toward the room chair, picked up Mr. Huggy and sat down. Now where would she begin?
"Rick..." Evelyn started.
"Everything's OK between us, right?" Rick asked when Evelyn did not continue.
Rick reasoned that if the baby was OK, and she was OK, then the only other thing that would be as important as for them to talk about was them.
"No" Evelyn answered.
"No?" Rick said.
What could be wrong between them? After the last couple of hours, he figured everything was not only right between them, everything was back to being perfect between them.
"No" Evelyn said, still unsure of where to begin.
"Well what was this afternoon about?" he said in a troubled tone. "I thought after all that..." Rick continued in an anxiety-ridden voice. "I thought everything was fine" he said, thinking in the back of his mind that maybe, just maybe she still wanted to divorce him.
Evelyn wished the last couple of hours they shared could wipe out the last couple of weeks. But they could not.
"This afternoon was..." Evelyn said. She held her stomach as butterflies began to flutter as she thought about what he had done to her against the door. "This afternoon was beautiful. It was incredible" Evelyn breathed. "But..."
"But what?"
"From the first day I met you" she began. "There was something about you... Something about you that appealed to me. When we came back from Hamunaptra, I figured out what it was. It was your strength and stability. Jonathan" she laughed lightly. "Has always come through for me when I needed him most but... he is far from strong and even farther from stable. But you. You were different. You were courageous. You were strong. You were stable. You were dependable. And I realized I needed that. I know now that the main reason I fell in love with you so quickly was because I could rely on you. I could depend on your strength. I could depend on your stability. I could trust you with my life and... I thought I could trust you with my heart."
"You can" Rick said quickly. "You still can."
"Can I?" Evelyn bemoaned. "Rick" she continued before he could respond. "You... you went to see another woman" Evelyn said in a pained voice.
Rick had no answer for that. He did go 'see another woman'. But, he reasoned within himself, he did not do anything.
"But I didn't DO anything!" he said anxiously.
"You call seeing another woman on your wife 'not doing anything'?" Evelyn frowned, her ire rising.
"It's not like I..." he started to use crude words but remembered who he was talking too. "It's not like I hopped in her bed."
"And you think that makes a difference?"
"Hell yeah!" Rick said urgently. "Evy" he said more calmly. "I wasn't unfaithful to you. I swear it! Don't you believe me?"
"How would you feel" Evelyn chose not to answer his question but present him with a question of her own. "If I had gone looking for male company after having a fight with you?"
"What we had was more than a fight" he said, not wanting to even think about Evelyn being in another man's bedroom. "You wanted a divorce!" he said, trying to excuse what he had done.
"So it's my fault" Evelyn said in a strained voice. "That YOU went to another woman?"
"I didn't say that" Rick said defensively.
"Well what are you saying?"
"I'm saying I was hurt..."
"And you think that gives you leave to do what you did?" Evelyn asked.
"No!" he said. "You said you wanted a divorce..." he said again.
"And that gives you the right..." Evelyn interrupted him.
"NO!" he interrupted her. "I told you... I felt like my guts had been ripped out and I did the only thing I knew to do. I went somewhere I shouldn't of. Got drunk... and ALMOST! ALMOST! But DIDN'T do something I would have regretted for the rest of my life."
"What happens the next time we fight?" Evelyn said sadly. "Will you go somewhere you shouldn't, get drunk and do something you'll regret for the rest of your life?"
"No!" he said emphatically.
"How am I suppose to trust that you won't? How CAN I trust that you won't?" Evelyn asked as some old fears began to surface.
"I never lied to you Evy" Rick said in a panicked voice as he stood up and began pacing. "NEVER!"
"And how would I know if you had?" Evelyn asked the logical question as she watched him pace.
"I HAVEN'T!" Rick said empathetically as he stopped his pacing and looked at her. "You have to believe me. Since the day I met you, I haven't been with another woman. You're the only one. Don't you believe me?" he said, his eyes begging her to say 'yes'.
"I want to" she said as tears began to well up in her eyes.
"Evy" Rick said as he walked over to her and squatted down in front of her and took her hand. "I made a mistake..."
"Is that what you call it? A 'mistake'" she whispered as tears started streaming down her face.
'He made one tiny mistake Evy' she heard Jonathan's voice say.
"Evy please don't cry" Rick begged. Knowing that he had been the cause of all of her tears, he reached up and tried to wipe the tears away. "You know I love you..."
'O'Connell loves you' Jonathan's voice said.
"And I'd give ANYTHING to take back what I did. But I can't take it back" he said with regret. "All I can do is beg you to forgive me..."
'Why can't you forgive him?' Jonathan's voice said.
"And trust me because I swear to you I have NEVER lied to you. Never! Don't you think" he switched angles in the argument for his case. "That it would have been easier for me to make up a lie about the lipstick?"
'Don't you think life would have been easier for him if he would have lied to you... Trust me Evy. Men can come up with some pretty believable lies when they're caught in a pinch' Jonathan's voice said.
"Please Evy" Rick pleaded when Evelyn remained silent. "Forgive me."
'Do you love O'Connell?' Jonathan's voice said.
"I do" Evelyn said in a hushed voice as her tears continued to fall. "I forgive you."
Rick felt a surge of relief surge through his body and a smile crept on his face.
"But..." Evelyn said in a small voice, vanishing Rick's premature smile. "I don't know... I don't know if I can trust you anymore" she said with regret.
"Evy..."
"Rick," she interrupted him. "You said you'd give me time" she reminded him of the statement he had made earlier. "I need time."
Rick saw the struggle in her eyes. He knew she loved him. He knew it without a doubt. And he believed her when she said she had forgiven him. But he also knew that he had done a lot of damage when he acted so recklessly. And now he was paying for his actions.
"I love you Evy" Rick said, wanting to make sure she knew that.
"And I love you" Evelyn said. "And I want to trust you. But right now..." she paused and looked deep into his eyes. "Right now I don't know if I can" she said, her crying increasing.
"Evy please..." he said as she squeezed her hand tighter, hating her crying, hating that she did not think she could trust him anymore.
"Rick..." she interrupted. "I... I need time."
Rick struggled for a few moments. He had told her that he would give her all the time that she needed as long as they could work things out. Well, he now knew that was easier said than done. But if she needed time, then that was what he would give her.
"Promise me..." he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. "Promise me..." he paused and looked up at her with eyes that were full of love. Full of love for her. "Promise me" he continued. "That we'll make it through this."
Evelyn looked down at him. The love she saw in his eyes brought even more tears to her own. She felt more loved in that moment than she had ever felt. She knew, knew deep down in her heart that they would make it through this. She just needed to find a way to trust him again.
"I promise" she whispered.
Despite the situation, Rick smiled. He could not ask any more of her. She had promised and he knew they would be all right. He reached up and wiped her tears again then lifted himself up until he was face to face with her.
He looked into her eyes. She looked into his.
The love they shared was there and it was almost tangible. After a few silent moments, Rick leaned in and gently touched her lips with his. The kiss was soft. The kiss was tender. The kiss was delicate. And it was full of love. And in that quiet, gentle moment, their love grew deeper and stronger.
When the kiss ended, they stared into each other's eyes and Rick pulled slightly away wiped away another tear. Then he moved closer and snuggled her nose with his. He kissed her lips one last time then stood up and walked out of the bedroom.
********************
The next week passed slowly for both Evelyn and Rick. At night, when they went to bed, they would both lay there looking up at the dark ceiling, listening to the night sounds and each other's breathing, but neither said a word. When morning came, Evelyn would roll out of bed and head to the bathroom to regurgitate last night's dinner and Rick would be there holding her hair back. Breakfast was quiet unless Jonathan graced them with his presence. Rick would drive Evelyn to the museum and they would say 'goodbye'. He would come back for lunch, then come back when it was time to go home. Dinner had a bit more conversation than breakfast because they would talk about the things they had done that day.
On Saturday morning, Evelyn decided she would say at home instead of going into the museum for ½ a day. She had thought her work could take her mind off Rick, but the past week had proved it could not. She was feeling blue because, though there was a truce between her and Rick, she missed him and the intimacy their souls shared. She longed to get that back and she knew it was time to face her obstacle.
Evelyn went out on the back porch and sat on the swing.
Trust. It was important to her. She needed to be able to trust the man she loved, to trust the father of her baby completely. But, as much as one wants to forget when they have been wronged by the person they love, it often does not happen. The 'what ifs' are there. And unless trust is firmly established, the marriage would be on shaky ground.
Evelyn sat on the back porch swing until noon wrestling with herself. To trust or not to trust. The decision was hers. But she was afraid to make the decision her heart wanted to make. Trust him... trust him... trust him, her heart urged. But what if... fear said.
What if he had been lying to her all along? What if he had been seeing this woman or other women the entire time they had been married? What if, after seeing these other woman, he had the presence of mind to wipe off all evidence of his infidelity? What if he had been intimate with the woman that left the lipstick on him?
He said he had never lied to her. He swore he was telling the truth. He said he had not been with another woman since the day he met her. He said he had been faithful to her. He said he had walked out on the woman who left the incriminating lipstick.
Her heart believed him, believed every word he said. But what if... At that moment, her heart made its decision.
******************
Rick was in the front washing his car when Evelyn stepped out on the front porch. She watched him for a few moments before calling out to him.
"Rick" she called from the top step.
Rick turned at her voice.
"Hey" he grinned.
Evelyn looked at him. Looked at his handsome, trustworthy features. Looked into those brilliant blue eyes and at that shinning smile. And knew. Knew she had made the right choice when she married him. Knew she had made the right decision to trust him.
"I love you" she said.
Rick's smile grew brighter and he dropped his washrag and walked over and stood at the bottom step.
"I love hearing you say that" he smiled as her words washed over him, refreshing his soul.
"And I trust you" she said.
Rick wanted to hear those words but he was a little afraid that he had not heard her right.
"I love you and I trust you" she said again.
It took Rick another second before her words sunk in. She loved him. She trusted him. His smile got even brighter and he felt giddy. She loved him. She trusted him.
She loved him. He took one step. She trusted him. He took another step. She loved him. Then another step. She trusted him. He landed on the step just below the top step. He settled his hands on her hips and looked into her eyes. She settled her hands on his biceps and looked into his eyes. Smiles settled on both faces as husband and wife were reconciled completely.
Dylan, AJ Mackey
You two helped me with this chapter. Thanks! :)
Linser
I'm glad you aren't quite so annoyed with Evy anymore! :)
Marxbros
Will we see the birth? To quote one of our favorite characters: 'That is the plan' :) And I'm glad you are having tons of fun reading P2P. And don't think I've forgotten about 'Hereafter'. I hope you will continue that great story.
Well everyone, here we go... Hope you enjoy!
Rick sat on the bed with a look of disappointment and bewilderment on his face. What was there to talk about? He loved her. She loved him. He had told her how sorry he was for his mistake. She had obviously forgiven him. If she hadn't, she would not have let him make love to her.
Everything was fine. Everything was back to normal. So what was there to talk about?
"Is something wrong?" Rick frowned and stood up as his imagination began to run wild.
He wondered if Evelyn was all right, if the kid was all right. Maybe his less than enthusiastic response to the news about the baby had driven her to drastic measures. He knew a woman had ways of getting rid of an unwanted kid. Had Evelyn?
The thought struck a cord in Rick and panic crawled up his spine and attacked his mind with a vengeance. Had she gone to some quack doctor, midwife or even a madam? Had she 'gotten rid of' his kid? Had he lost him before he was even born?
Rick did not want to believe it. He could not believe it. He refused to believe it because he wanted his kid.
Rick wanted the baby and that realization hit him like a stone pillar. He knew without a doubt, without a shadow of doubt that he wanted the baby, his baby, their baby. But what if... What if Evelyn had... What if she... He would never forgive himself if...
"Is... everything... OK?" his voice trembled as he looked down at her stomach then back up into her eyes. "Is the baby... OK?" Rick asked, his voice racked with anxiety.
Evelyn's eyes began to water. She saw the fear in his eyes and she heard the trepidation in his voice. She knew then and there that he wanted this baby, their baby as much as she did.
When Evelyn did not answer him, dread wrapped itself around his soul and squeezed it tight. Rick's heart began to pound in his ears. Grief, overwhelming grief began to well up in him as his breath became short.
He would never see his face. He would never hear his voice. He would never get to know him.
No! Rick shook himself mentally. He could not accept it. He just could not.
"Is the baby OK?!" he demanded in a harsh voice.
"The baby's fine" Evelyn said in a hushed tone as a single tear slid down her cheek.
'The baby's fine'. Those were the sweetest words to Rick's ears. The baby was fine. Rick let out the breath he was holding and the grandest since of joy overtook the dread he was feeling. Once he let it sink in that the baby was all right, he turned his mind back to the talk they HAD to have.
"What's the matter then?" Rick asked anxiously as he started walking toward Evelyn.
"We need to talk" she said as she began to back away from him.
"About what?!" he said impatiently.
"Will you sit down?!" Evelyn said, her anxiety growing.
"What is wrong Evelyn?!" he nearly shouted as stood towering over her. "Are YOU OK?"
"Yes, I'm fine" she said, looking up at his scowling face. "We need to talk."
"About..."
"Will you sit..."
"NO!" Rick shouted. "WHAT is this about?!"
"I AM NOT going to engage in a shouting match with you!" Evelyn raised her voice. "WILL you just SIT DOWN!"
Rick turned a more fierce frown on her before gritting his teeth and turning and walking back over to the bed.
"What is it we need to talk about?" Rick said in a controlled voice after he sat down on the bed.
Evelyn took a deep breath, turned toward the room chair, picked up Mr. Huggy and sat down. Now where would she begin?
"Rick..." Evelyn started.
"Everything's OK between us, right?" Rick asked when Evelyn did not continue.
Rick reasoned that if the baby was OK, and she was OK, then the only other thing that would be as important as for them to talk about was them.
"No" Evelyn answered.
"No?" Rick said.
What could be wrong between them? After the last couple of hours, he figured everything was not only right between them, everything was back to being perfect between them.
"No" Evelyn said, still unsure of where to begin.
"Well what was this afternoon about?" he said in a troubled tone. "I thought after all that..." Rick continued in an anxiety-ridden voice. "I thought everything was fine" he said, thinking in the back of his mind that maybe, just maybe she still wanted to divorce him.
Evelyn wished the last couple of hours they shared could wipe out the last couple of weeks. But they could not.
"This afternoon was..." Evelyn said. She held her stomach as butterflies began to flutter as she thought about what he had done to her against the door. "This afternoon was beautiful. It was incredible" Evelyn breathed. "But..."
"But what?"
"From the first day I met you" she began. "There was something about you... Something about you that appealed to me. When we came back from Hamunaptra, I figured out what it was. It was your strength and stability. Jonathan" she laughed lightly. "Has always come through for me when I needed him most but... he is far from strong and even farther from stable. But you. You were different. You were courageous. You were strong. You were stable. You were dependable. And I realized I needed that. I know now that the main reason I fell in love with you so quickly was because I could rely on you. I could depend on your strength. I could depend on your stability. I could trust you with my life and... I thought I could trust you with my heart."
"You can" Rick said quickly. "You still can."
"Can I?" Evelyn bemoaned. "Rick" she continued before he could respond. "You... you went to see another woman" Evelyn said in a pained voice.
Rick had no answer for that. He did go 'see another woman'. But, he reasoned within himself, he did not do anything.
"But I didn't DO anything!" he said anxiously.
"You call seeing another woman on your wife 'not doing anything'?" Evelyn frowned, her ire rising.
"It's not like I..." he started to use crude words but remembered who he was talking too. "It's not like I hopped in her bed."
"And you think that makes a difference?"
"Hell yeah!" Rick said urgently. "Evy" he said more calmly. "I wasn't unfaithful to you. I swear it! Don't you believe me?"
"How would you feel" Evelyn chose not to answer his question but present him with a question of her own. "If I had gone looking for male company after having a fight with you?"
"What we had was more than a fight" he said, not wanting to even think about Evelyn being in another man's bedroom. "You wanted a divorce!" he said, trying to excuse what he had done.
"So it's my fault" Evelyn said in a strained voice. "That YOU went to another woman?"
"I didn't say that" Rick said defensively.
"Well what are you saying?"
"I'm saying I was hurt..."
"And you think that gives you leave to do what you did?" Evelyn asked.
"No!" he said. "You said you wanted a divorce..." he said again.
"And that gives you the right..." Evelyn interrupted him.
"NO!" he interrupted her. "I told you... I felt like my guts had been ripped out and I did the only thing I knew to do. I went somewhere I shouldn't of. Got drunk... and ALMOST! ALMOST! But DIDN'T do something I would have regretted for the rest of my life."
"What happens the next time we fight?" Evelyn said sadly. "Will you go somewhere you shouldn't, get drunk and do something you'll regret for the rest of your life?"
"No!" he said emphatically.
"How am I suppose to trust that you won't? How CAN I trust that you won't?" Evelyn asked as some old fears began to surface.
"I never lied to you Evy" Rick said in a panicked voice as he stood up and began pacing. "NEVER!"
"And how would I know if you had?" Evelyn asked the logical question as she watched him pace.
"I HAVEN'T!" Rick said empathetically as he stopped his pacing and looked at her. "You have to believe me. Since the day I met you, I haven't been with another woman. You're the only one. Don't you believe me?" he said, his eyes begging her to say 'yes'.
"I want to" she said as tears began to well up in her eyes.
"Evy" Rick said as he walked over to her and squatted down in front of her and took her hand. "I made a mistake..."
"Is that what you call it? A 'mistake'" she whispered as tears started streaming down her face.
'He made one tiny mistake Evy' she heard Jonathan's voice say.
"Evy please don't cry" Rick begged. Knowing that he had been the cause of all of her tears, he reached up and tried to wipe the tears away. "You know I love you..."
'O'Connell loves you' Jonathan's voice said.
"And I'd give ANYTHING to take back what I did. But I can't take it back" he said with regret. "All I can do is beg you to forgive me..."
'Why can't you forgive him?' Jonathan's voice said.
"And trust me because I swear to you I have NEVER lied to you. Never! Don't you think" he switched angles in the argument for his case. "That it would have been easier for me to make up a lie about the lipstick?"
'Don't you think life would have been easier for him if he would have lied to you... Trust me Evy. Men can come up with some pretty believable lies when they're caught in a pinch' Jonathan's voice said.
"Please Evy" Rick pleaded when Evelyn remained silent. "Forgive me."
'Do you love O'Connell?' Jonathan's voice said.
"I do" Evelyn said in a hushed voice as her tears continued to fall. "I forgive you."
Rick felt a surge of relief surge through his body and a smile crept on his face.
"But..." Evelyn said in a small voice, vanishing Rick's premature smile. "I don't know... I don't know if I can trust you anymore" she said with regret.
"Evy..."
"Rick," she interrupted him. "You said you'd give me time" she reminded him of the statement he had made earlier. "I need time."
Rick saw the struggle in her eyes. He knew she loved him. He knew it without a doubt. And he believed her when she said she had forgiven him. But he also knew that he had done a lot of damage when he acted so recklessly. And now he was paying for his actions.
"I love you Evy" Rick said, wanting to make sure she knew that.
"And I love you" Evelyn said. "And I want to trust you. But right now..." she paused and looked deep into his eyes. "Right now I don't know if I can" she said, her crying increasing.
"Evy please..." he said as she squeezed her hand tighter, hating her crying, hating that she did not think she could trust him anymore.
"Rick..." she interrupted. "I... I need time."
Rick struggled for a few moments. He had told her that he would give her all the time that she needed as long as they could work things out. Well, he now knew that was easier said than done. But if she needed time, then that was what he would give her.
"Promise me..." he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. "Promise me..." he paused and looked up at her with eyes that were full of love. Full of love for her. "Promise me" he continued. "That we'll make it through this."
Evelyn looked down at him. The love she saw in his eyes brought even more tears to her own. She felt more loved in that moment than she had ever felt. She knew, knew deep down in her heart that they would make it through this. She just needed to find a way to trust him again.
"I promise" she whispered.
Despite the situation, Rick smiled. He could not ask any more of her. She had promised and he knew they would be all right. He reached up and wiped her tears again then lifted himself up until he was face to face with her.
He looked into her eyes. She looked into his.
The love they shared was there and it was almost tangible. After a few silent moments, Rick leaned in and gently touched her lips with his. The kiss was soft. The kiss was tender. The kiss was delicate. And it was full of love. And in that quiet, gentle moment, their love grew deeper and stronger.
When the kiss ended, they stared into each other's eyes and Rick pulled slightly away wiped away another tear. Then he moved closer and snuggled her nose with his. He kissed her lips one last time then stood up and walked out of the bedroom.
********************
The next week passed slowly for both Evelyn and Rick. At night, when they went to bed, they would both lay there looking up at the dark ceiling, listening to the night sounds and each other's breathing, but neither said a word. When morning came, Evelyn would roll out of bed and head to the bathroom to regurgitate last night's dinner and Rick would be there holding her hair back. Breakfast was quiet unless Jonathan graced them with his presence. Rick would drive Evelyn to the museum and they would say 'goodbye'. He would come back for lunch, then come back when it was time to go home. Dinner had a bit more conversation than breakfast because they would talk about the things they had done that day.
On Saturday morning, Evelyn decided she would say at home instead of going into the museum for ½ a day. She had thought her work could take her mind off Rick, but the past week had proved it could not. She was feeling blue because, though there was a truce between her and Rick, she missed him and the intimacy their souls shared. She longed to get that back and she knew it was time to face her obstacle.
Evelyn went out on the back porch and sat on the swing.
Trust. It was important to her. She needed to be able to trust the man she loved, to trust the father of her baby completely. But, as much as one wants to forget when they have been wronged by the person they love, it often does not happen. The 'what ifs' are there. And unless trust is firmly established, the marriage would be on shaky ground.
Evelyn sat on the back porch swing until noon wrestling with herself. To trust or not to trust. The decision was hers. But she was afraid to make the decision her heart wanted to make. Trust him... trust him... trust him, her heart urged. But what if... fear said.
What if he had been lying to her all along? What if he had been seeing this woman or other women the entire time they had been married? What if, after seeing these other woman, he had the presence of mind to wipe off all evidence of his infidelity? What if he had been intimate with the woman that left the lipstick on him?
He said he had never lied to her. He swore he was telling the truth. He said he had not been with another woman since the day he met her. He said he had been faithful to her. He said he had walked out on the woman who left the incriminating lipstick.
Her heart believed him, believed every word he said. But what if... At that moment, her heart made its decision.
******************
Rick was in the front washing his car when Evelyn stepped out on the front porch. She watched him for a few moments before calling out to him.
"Rick" she called from the top step.
Rick turned at her voice.
"Hey" he grinned.
Evelyn looked at him. Looked at his handsome, trustworthy features. Looked into those brilliant blue eyes and at that shinning smile. And knew. Knew she had made the right choice when she married him. Knew she had made the right decision to trust him.
"I love you" she said.
Rick's smile grew brighter and he dropped his washrag and walked over and stood at the bottom step.
"I love hearing you say that" he smiled as her words washed over him, refreshing his soul.
"And I trust you" she said.
Rick wanted to hear those words but he was a little afraid that he had not heard her right.
"I love you and I trust you" she said again.
It took Rick another second before her words sunk in. She loved him. She trusted him. His smile got even brighter and he felt giddy. She loved him. She trusted him.
She loved him. He took one step. She trusted him. He took another step. She loved him. Then another step. She trusted him. He landed on the step just below the top step. He settled his hands on her hips and looked into her eyes. She settled her hands on his biceps and looked into his eyes. Smiles settled on both faces as husband and wife were reconciled completely.