And here we go… chapter seven… more cordano mush. Yay! Excuse the austenitis… you'll see what I mean. But at least I'm posting these more frequently - it's the start of second semester so no study to do… as yet. We'll see how long it lasts. In the meantime, enjoy!
Disclaimer. Don't own it. And now I've said it so you can't sue me. Lizzie and Robert and Ella and Kerry (yah, she's in this one, gutted eh?), and Mark (don't worry I won't resurrect him from the dead - at least not in this chapter), and the ER, and kissing (oops, I'm giving too much away) aren't mine.
Elizabeth buckled Ella into her car seat, appreciating that Robert could only perform such a feat with the wriggling toddler's cooperation. Maybe that's why he got on with Ella so well - he needed Ella so Ella trusted him. Elizabeth knew that he needed her too. But did she trust him? She played the question over in her mind. Yes. She did. But another question nagged at the back of her brain - did she love him? Part of her said yes immediately, without a second thought. But her logic and rationale jumped in - you hardly know this man, until recently you didn't even like him and you only like him now because you pity him and - yes - because he needs you - and you just love to be needed. Plus - what would Mark think of this? Leaving Ella with Robert would have Mark spinning in his grave but you - falling for Robert? - no way. You just want to help him out - you need to move on from Mark and you're lonely but this is the WRONG way to go about it.
These thoughts whirred through Elizabeth's head on the drive to Robert's place but when she got there and was standing at his doorstep with Ella in one arm and her bag in the other she could only remember the first answer she'd given to her question: yes. You love him. You're scared - so is he, but you love him and that's enough.
Robert opened the door and smiled at her - in fact grinned would be the better adjective. Elizabeth stared back at him, a little out of breath.
He looked concerned, "Are you okay?" he took Ella and Elizabeth followed him inside, nodding unconvincingly. He put Ella down in the lounge, handed the child Elizabeth's bag and lead Elizabeth by the hand, back into the hallway.
"What is it?" he looked into her eyes searchingly, "Tell me."
"I love you." She said simply.
He didn't even attempt to hide his grin, "Is that such a bad thing?"
She shook her head slightly, a smile emerging on her lips.
"Okay." He was still holding her hand, "cause I love you but I didn't want to rush things in case…" his speech ended when she kissed him. And it wasn't just a peck on the mouth to shut him up; it was a fully-fledged invitation to swallow her whole. Robert recovered from the shock, revelling in her touch. If his heart hadn't been beating loud enough to shake the floor he would have been sure he was dead. She loved him! It wasn't something he found easy to believe but he had to. She was here - kissing him! She'd said it! He pulled back reluctant and breathless,
"Lizzie, wait."
She looked at him - her surprise evident.
"I have waited for years for this, for you."
"I know." She interrupted.
"How did you know?" he asked, fully aware of how close they were, their skin and clothing brushing gently as they regained their breath.
"You told me." She began, "you were semi-conscious at the time and I told myself you didn't mean it but I knew you did…"
"When I was coming out of anaesthesia after my arm…" he realised, "I thought that was a dream, sorry."
"Don't apologise Robert."
"No, it wasn't fair - we weren't anything then - I mean, we're undefined NOW, but…"
"It was only a week ago."
"Not any ordinary week."
"That's true." She admitted, "but Robert… you see, I've been um… confused - about my feelings for you for a while now - they've been on some kind of bordering-on-abusive roller coaster. And this last week has been - well, it's different now, you know what I mean. Maybe the ride's over, or maybe it's just starting - I really don't know. But today, on the way over here, I was being very brave and letting my mind wander and I had a mental list of all the reasons you and I couldn't happen or last or anything… the thing is…" she struggled to finish but she'd committed to telling him - hell, she'd already told him, "the thing is, I thought of lots of reasons I shouldn't love you and then I realised that I already did - I do. And all that stuff really doesn't matter - I just think too much and make big things out of nothings and…" Now it was Robert's turn to end the conversation with his mouth.
"Exactly," Elizabeth breathed as she came up for breath but Robert quickly silenced her. And they continued in this happy manner [don't mind my Jane Austen-like phrases, they'll pop up occasionally as a result of my minor mental disability - Austinitis] for not nearly long enough - until they were inopportunely interrupted by Elizabeth's pager. [what do you know? Even the names are Austen-tacious… lol! Sorry, my apologies to all incredibly confused non-Austen fans… at least Elizabeth and Darcy were never interrupted by a pager… sorry, couldn't resist… back to the story]
BLEEEP!
"Oh, shit." Elizabeth said breathlessly.
"Not in front of the children." Robert poked his head into the lounge then held his index finger to Elizabeth's lips and proceeded to kiss them tentatively while she checked the [damn!] pager.
"Weaver? My biggest fan." Elizabeth said dryly when her lips were free.
"Wouldn't she just love to know what she dragged you away from?"
"Well I'm due in 10 minutes anyway. At least I don't have to explain being late - I'm sure they'd just love to hear it - um, yeah, sorry Kerry, I took my daughter over to Robert's, he's, you know, my makeshift nanny for the week, and I was delayed because of a little delightful tonsil tennis - or maybe I could invent a jargon-like medical term for kissing." Elizabeth laughed, "I better go."
"Probably," Robert opened the door, the mental image of Kerry's reaction, not to mention the very-real image of the stunning woman holding his heart, causing him to grin in an adorable child-like way. Elizabeth kissed him quickly holding his shoulders for as long as possible as she backed away.
"I'll see you tonight." She got in the car, "should be finished before eleven - but you know what it's like. Ella should go down about eight."
"Okay. Have fun. And make sure you tell Kerry the truth about why you're late."
"I'm not late yet." Elizabeth waved through the wound-down car window.
Robert was still grinning like an idiot but he really didn't care as he waved goodbye and went inside.
Ella was asleep.
"Okay, I suppose a nap won't do any damage." Robert smiled at the similarity between Ella and her mother. This was too perfect - he hardly believed it - and yet, only a moment ago, Elizabeth had been in his arms - correction, arm - and Ella was sleeping on his sofa. He made his way into the kitchen, determined to do something useful with his afternoon. Or you could sleep, he suggested to himself, hoping he could dream of Lizzie. Sounds good, he returned to the lounge and lay on the vacant sofa, watching Ella as he drifted off to sleep.
Disclaimer. Don't own it. And now I've said it so you can't sue me. Lizzie and Robert and Ella and Kerry (yah, she's in this one, gutted eh?), and Mark (don't worry I won't resurrect him from the dead - at least not in this chapter), and the ER, and kissing (oops, I'm giving too much away) aren't mine.
Elizabeth buckled Ella into her car seat, appreciating that Robert could only perform such a feat with the wriggling toddler's cooperation. Maybe that's why he got on with Ella so well - he needed Ella so Ella trusted him. Elizabeth knew that he needed her too. But did she trust him? She played the question over in her mind. Yes. She did. But another question nagged at the back of her brain - did she love him? Part of her said yes immediately, without a second thought. But her logic and rationale jumped in - you hardly know this man, until recently you didn't even like him and you only like him now because you pity him and - yes - because he needs you - and you just love to be needed. Plus - what would Mark think of this? Leaving Ella with Robert would have Mark spinning in his grave but you - falling for Robert? - no way. You just want to help him out - you need to move on from Mark and you're lonely but this is the WRONG way to go about it.
These thoughts whirred through Elizabeth's head on the drive to Robert's place but when she got there and was standing at his doorstep with Ella in one arm and her bag in the other she could only remember the first answer she'd given to her question: yes. You love him. You're scared - so is he, but you love him and that's enough.
Robert opened the door and smiled at her - in fact grinned would be the better adjective. Elizabeth stared back at him, a little out of breath.
He looked concerned, "Are you okay?" he took Ella and Elizabeth followed him inside, nodding unconvincingly. He put Ella down in the lounge, handed the child Elizabeth's bag and lead Elizabeth by the hand, back into the hallway.
"What is it?" he looked into her eyes searchingly, "Tell me."
"I love you." She said simply.
He didn't even attempt to hide his grin, "Is that such a bad thing?"
She shook her head slightly, a smile emerging on her lips.
"Okay." He was still holding her hand, "cause I love you but I didn't want to rush things in case…" his speech ended when she kissed him. And it wasn't just a peck on the mouth to shut him up; it was a fully-fledged invitation to swallow her whole. Robert recovered from the shock, revelling in her touch. If his heart hadn't been beating loud enough to shake the floor he would have been sure he was dead. She loved him! It wasn't something he found easy to believe but he had to. She was here - kissing him! She'd said it! He pulled back reluctant and breathless,
"Lizzie, wait."
She looked at him - her surprise evident.
"I have waited for years for this, for you."
"I know." She interrupted.
"How did you know?" he asked, fully aware of how close they were, their skin and clothing brushing gently as they regained their breath.
"You told me." She began, "you were semi-conscious at the time and I told myself you didn't mean it but I knew you did…"
"When I was coming out of anaesthesia after my arm…" he realised, "I thought that was a dream, sorry."
"Don't apologise Robert."
"No, it wasn't fair - we weren't anything then - I mean, we're undefined NOW, but…"
"It was only a week ago."
"Not any ordinary week."
"That's true." She admitted, "but Robert… you see, I've been um… confused - about my feelings for you for a while now - they've been on some kind of bordering-on-abusive roller coaster. And this last week has been - well, it's different now, you know what I mean. Maybe the ride's over, or maybe it's just starting - I really don't know. But today, on the way over here, I was being very brave and letting my mind wander and I had a mental list of all the reasons you and I couldn't happen or last or anything… the thing is…" she struggled to finish but she'd committed to telling him - hell, she'd already told him, "the thing is, I thought of lots of reasons I shouldn't love you and then I realised that I already did - I do. And all that stuff really doesn't matter - I just think too much and make big things out of nothings and…" Now it was Robert's turn to end the conversation with his mouth.
"Exactly," Elizabeth breathed as she came up for breath but Robert quickly silenced her. And they continued in this happy manner [don't mind my Jane Austen-like phrases, they'll pop up occasionally as a result of my minor mental disability - Austinitis] for not nearly long enough - until they were inopportunely interrupted by Elizabeth's pager. [what do you know? Even the names are Austen-tacious… lol! Sorry, my apologies to all incredibly confused non-Austen fans… at least Elizabeth and Darcy were never interrupted by a pager… sorry, couldn't resist… back to the story]
BLEEEP!
"Oh, shit." Elizabeth said breathlessly.
"Not in front of the children." Robert poked his head into the lounge then held his index finger to Elizabeth's lips and proceeded to kiss them tentatively while she checked the [damn!] pager.
"Weaver? My biggest fan." Elizabeth said dryly when her lips were free.
"Wouldn't she just love to know what she dragged you away from?"
"Well I'm due in 10 minutes anyway. At least I don't have to explain being late - I'm sure they'd just love to hear it - um, yeah, sorry Kerry, I took my daughter over to Robert's, he's, you know, my makeshift nanny for the week, and I was delayed because of a little delightful tonsil tennis - or maybe I could invent a jargon-like medical term for kissing." Elizabeth laughed, "I better go."
"Probably," Robert opened the door, the mental image of Kerry's reaction, not to mention the very-real image of the stunning woman holding his heart, causing him to grin in an adorable child-like way. Elizabeth kissed him quickly holding his shoulders for as long as possible as she backed away.
"I'll see you tonight." She got in the car, "should be finished before eleven - but you know what it's like. Ella should go down about eight."
"Okay. Have fun. And make sure you tell Kerry the truth about why you're late."
"I'm not late yet." Elizabeth waved through the wound-down car window.
Robert was still grinning like an idiot but he really didn't care as he waved goodbye and went inside.
Ella was asleep.
"Okay, I suppose a nap won't do any damage." Robert smiled at the similarity between Ella and her mother. This was too perfect - he hardly believed it - and yet, only a moment ago, Elizabeth had been in his arms - correction, arm - and Ella was sleeping on his sofa. He made his way into the kitchen, determined to do something useful with his afternoon. Or you could sleep, he suggested to himself, hoping he could dream of Lizzie. Sounds good, he returned to the lounge and lay on the vacant sofa, watching Ella as he drifted off to sleep.