Calleigh was unnaturally subdued at the breakfast table the next morning. She picked listlessly at her food, eventually dropping her fork and pushing the plate away.
"Something on your mind, dear?" Marjorie feigned innocence.
"I didn't sleep well."
"I must confess, if that man looked at me the way he looked at you, I'd have trouble sleeping too."
"Mother!"
Marjorie shrugged. "I'm just saying . . ."
"Well, don't." Calleigh petulantly crossed her arms. Marjorie opened her mouth to speak. "No, I don't want to hear it."
Calleigh stood and carried her plate to the kitchen, smiling apologetically at Rosa. "I'm sorry. I'm just not hungry this morning."
"Ah," Rosa nodded in understanding. Her worn face broke into a smile. She tapped her chest. "Your heart, she is sick, no?"
If Calleigh hadn't been used to Rosa's thick accent, she wouldn't have understood a word. "No," she replied in Spanish. "My heart is fine."
"Si, si, the man. Horatio, no?"
Calleigh groaned. "Not you too."
Marjorie followed her into the kitchen. "You're acting like a lovesick fool."
"Mother, please."
"Si, lovesick," Rosa agreed, nodding emphatically.
"I give up." Calleigh whirled around and marched away.
Marjorie was not so easy to get rid of. "Calleigh Marie Duquesne, don't you walk away from me."
Calleigh turned back to face her mother, her hands on her hips, her eyes flashing fire. Rosa stifled a chuckle and sat down, ready to watch the fireworks. This kitchen had been the scene of many an argument between the Duquesne women.
"I can't believe I actually have to tell you this," Marjorie said. "You're not sixteen anymore. You should know better than to play games with a man like Horatio."
"I'm not playing games!" Calleigh's voice rose.
"Then explain to me why two people so obviously in love with each other spent the night apart?"
"Well, for one thing, I didn't think you'd appreciate your daughter fucking someone under your roof."
"You didn't seem to have that problem yesterday afternoon."
Calleigh gasped. "My relationship with Horatio is . . . it's complicated . . . and we weren't . . . I don't want to discuss it."
"So you're going to ignore the issue and hope it goes away?"
Calleigh nodded. "Maybe. Is that so wrong?"
"It is when it's the kind of issue that doesn't go away. What are you so afraid of?"
"Nothing!"
"So why haven't you gone back to Miami? You keep telling me that your life's there now and how much you love it there."
The fight suddenly went out of Calleigh. She narrowed her eyes and stepped closer to her mother. "You're trying to chase me away. Why?"
"That's ridiculous." Marjorie had never been a good liar.
"Mother."
She threw up her hands. "I want you to be happy. I'll be honest, when I first met Horatio, I thought he was far too old for you. But then I saw you together. There's a light in your eyes when you look at him. Do you know how rare that is? He's a good man, Calleigh. He can make you happy."
Calleigh glanced at Rosa and then back at her mother. They had the same earnest expression in their eyes. Calleigh smiled. "He convinced Dad to go to AA meetings."
"And still, you doubt." Rosa clucked her tongue. Muttering about foolish girls, she turned away.
"You've been given a second chance," Marjorie said. She touched Calleigh where the sword had pierced her. "Don't waste it."
Calleigh didn't need to hear the unspoken thought to know that her mother was remembering Clayton.
"He makes my spine tingle," she admitted softly.
Marjorie smiled and hugged her. "Good. Every woman should know at least one man who makes her spine tingle."
Rosa's chuckle let Calleigh know she agreed.
* * *
Horatio found Alexx sipping coffee in the break room. She looked up when he walked in, her expression mildly surprised. "Back so soon?"
"Darnell wasn't quite what I expected."
Alexx nodded sagely. "How's Calleigh?"
"She looks good. Healthy."
"Happy?"
"I think so."
"Mmm." Alexx raised a questioning eyebrow, but Horatio felt he'd revealed enough.
"I see CSI survived a day without me."
"It was hard, but we managed." She smiled. "Come by the lab when you have a minute."
She stood to answer her cell phone, and walked out, leaving Horatio alone. He looked around the room, glad to be back, but feeling as though he'd left his heart in Louisiana.
No, he thought. He refused to sound like some blues song. So Calleigh wasn't interested in pursuing a relationship, that was fine by him. He understood. He'd get over her.
He hoped.
Calleigh wasn't the kind of girl one easily got over.
* * *
Two weeks later, Calleigh knocked on the door of her father's apartment. When he answered, she was thrilled to see him looking better than he had in years.
"Calleigh!" He threw his arms around her, holding her tightly against him. For an instant she was eight years old again, dancing in the moonlight with her father.
"It's good to see you, Dad."
He stepped back, holding her at arms' length while he looked her up and down. "You look well," he proclaimed, nodding in satisfaction.
"Rosa's cooking." Calleigh smiled. "But you look great too."
"It's been two months."
She nodded. "I know. And I'm proud of you."
"Oh, Lambchop." He pulled her into another hug. "Look, I've got to run. I'm meeting with my sponsor and I can't be late. Let's have dinner soon, okay? Tomorrow?"
"It sounds good. I can't wait."
Calleigh's next stop was CSI. Only Alexx knew she was back so Calleigh was slightly apprehensive of the reception she would receive.
She pulled into the parking lot as Speed and Delko exited the building. She raised her hand to wave at them, and they headed straight for her, both sporting huge smiles.
"Calleigh, it's so good to see you!" Speed hugged her. "How are you doing?"
"I'm good." She let out a laugh as Delko claimed his hug.
"It's about time you came home."
"Where are you guys off to?"
"A floater in a canal. Want to come?"
Calleigh laughed. "Another time."
"H. is in the autopsy lab." Speed winked.
"I can wait." She let her friends get back to work and went inside the once-familiar building. A dark-haired man was bent over a microscope in the ballistics lab. He looked up when she entered and frowned when he didn't recognize her.
"This place is off-limits, Miss."
Calleigh smiled. "I'm Calleigh Duquesne. I—"
"Ah. The famous Calleigh Duquesne." He held out his hand. "Aaron Stuckey. It's a pleasure to meet you. I have to admit, I was starting to wonder if you were real."
"Why?" She decided she liked this man.
"Well, the way people spoke of you, I thought you were some kind of deity."
She laughed. "Please tell me you're kidding."
"A demigod, at least."
"Mr. Stuckey—"
"Aaron."
"Okay, Aaron."
"I'm looking forward to working together."
His mood was infectious. "Me too."
Calleigh went past the autopsy bay to discover that Alexx was alone. Alexx was delighted to see her but insisted they could catch up later over a bottle of wine. "He's in his office," she said, and raised crossed fingers. "Good luck."
"Thanks." Calleigh gave her the thumbs up sign and left.
Horatio was poring over a file when Calleigh knocked on the door. She held her breath when he looked up, then broke into a smile. It was good to see him again. No, she thought. Not good, great.
He seemed surprised by her presence and slowly got to his feet. His eyes never left her face.
"You know," she began nervously, "We never had that talk."
He crossed the room in three quick steps until they were face to face, only inches apart. Calleigh wrapped her arms around his waist and closed the gap between them. Her head against his chest, she said, "I missed you."
He didn't say anything; he didn't have to. As they stood there, Calleigh wondered what she'd been so afraid of. It seemed so silly now. Her mother was right, she thought. She had been acting like a fool.
"It's good to have you back," Horatio said at last.
There were a thousand things she wanted to say to him, but for the moment she was content just to stand there in his arms. Her eyes closed, listening to his heartbeat, Calleigh smiled and knew she had come home.