Rafe's eyes opened slowly as he lay in the darkness on the bed with Alison sleeping in his arms. They must have fallen asleep without even realizing it. Alison wanted so badly to stay awake with him until the last minute. She looked so beautiful as she slept, with a peaceful smile on her face. It would be a sin to wake her, only to have that smile fade into tears and sadness as they say their goodbyes.
He looked at the clock- 11:55 p.m. In just five short minutes he'd be pulled back, away from Alison...away from his child. The situation seemed so unfair to all of them. Rafe began to wonder if it was even such a good thing that he came back for this day. Maybe Ed was right. Maybe it was too selfish of him to come back and have all of Alison's hopes and dreams restored, just to be pulled away from her all over again. It's torture for her, not to mention for him, having to leave her time and again.
Rafe glanced over at the clock again- 11:59. It would be any minute now. He wrapped his arms around Alison tightly and nuzzled his face into her soft hair just one last time. Alison turned slightly in her sleep, and he was afraid he had awakened her, but she soon settled back into her deep sleep-full of wonderful dreams of their family, Rafe hoped. Just a moment before the clock struck midnight, Rafe put his hands on Alison's round stomach and felt his child move just one last time.
"I love you," he whispered, "Both of you...forever."
Alison awoke from a night filled with wonderful dreams with a smile, as the sunlight hit her face. As her senses came back to her, she realized that it was morning, and that she was alone in the bed. Her smile faded as she turned in the bed to find an empty space beside her. The sheets were still crumpled up where his body had been laying.
"Rafe." Alison whispered as a tear fell down her cheek.
She rolled over onto his pillow and pressed her face deeply into its softness, inhaling deeply. She could still almost smell him in the fabric, and wanted to savor any remnant of Rafe. As Alison sat up in bed, she wiped her eyes, smiled painfully, and glanced upward to the ceiling.
"I said I'd be happy with just one day, and I'm going to be. I am so grateful for even that short amount of time I was given. Thank you."
With that, she pushed herself up out of bed, put on her robe, and headed toward the shower. It was hard saying goodbye to Rafe again, but yesterday had been a gift from God, and she would hold the memory of it with her forever. She had to move on with life now, for Rafe, and for their child.
Ed sat in his office, doing some paperwork, when there was a gentle knock at the door.
"Yeah, yeah! Come in!" Ed mumbled, his eyes never leaving the paperwork.
The knocking sound continued.
"Hello! I said come in! Let's go!" Ed shouted this time, annoyed at being interrupted.
"Um, hi boss...can I come in?"
"Jeez! I know the verse is 'Knock and it shall be opened unto you' and all, but do I always have to get up and do the opening?!"
"Huh?" Rafe looked befuddled- an expression Ed was used to by now.
"Would ya just come in?" Ed gave up with his antics and conceded. "So...I suppose you're here to tell me that it was really unfair for you to be pulled back again and that you want to go back to Alison right now and you won't be happy until you do, yada, yada, yada...not to mention giving me that furrowed brow look WHILE you're telling me all of that."
"Well, actually...no."
"What?" Ed was startled and confused by the response.
"I came here to thank you."
"Thank me? Ok, so you wanna thank me...and what else?"
"Nothing else, I just wanted to say thanks. Thanks from all of us- me, Alison, and our baby. I don't know what strings you pulled, boss, but I can't thank you enough. It was hard leaving her again, even harder leaving my child, but that one day was one more day than I should have had, and I'm not gonna be ungrateful for it."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Where did this 'don't bite the hand that feeds ya' attitude come from? You're buttering me up, aren't ya? So I'll send ya back down there? Well, I'm telling ya kid...there's nothing I can do about it. What I did was SO against the rules, and I'm not one for breakin the rules. Let me tell ya, I got in some hot water for that little day trip!"
"Ed, there's no hidden agenda. Of course, I still want to find a way back to Alison. But I'm not here to beg for more. At least...not right now, anyway." Rafe smiled. "So I guess I'll see ya later. Thanks again, boss."
Ed stared at Rafe's back as the door closed behind him, speechless and with a distrusting look on his face. "Just wanted to say thanks, huh?! Ha! I'm on to you kid!"