Chapter 3-Aftermath
"Rob!, How many times have I told you not to bounce the ball in the house?!"
Rick came in from the barn and stopped in his tracks, hearing his wife sound so angry, she sounded like a different person. She'd been so quiet and brave about everything the past two days, now hurrying into the living room, he found her on her crutches, against Doc's orders, facing her son. Rob shamefacedly said "I'm sorry, Mom, I forgot." Before Rick could step in to cool things down, Laurie put her hand on the teens shoulder, "Oh Robbie, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell like that." He put his arms around his mom, "It's ok, Mom, I know." Hugging him back, she dropped her crutch, then over-balanced, only Rick's arms stopping her from hitting the floor. "Oh, Rick, how clumsy I am", she gasped, voice trembling. Helping her to the sofa, he looked at Rob, "Son, why don't you practice your hook shot outside, I'll be home in time to take you to practice, if you want." "Thanks, Pop", he replied getting the hint and vanishing out the door.
Rick looked at Laurie,who bit her lip and said, "I'm so ashamed, I've never
raised my voice like that to Rob in my life. I sounded like my stepmother.." Her voice shaking, she put her hands to her face, only to have him pull her to him, saying, "Sweetheart, he knows you didn't mean it, it's going to be all right." Sobbing, Laurie buried her face in his chest, and Rick realized everything she had been holding in about the terror she had suffered was being released. He held her and let her cry, until he felt the shaking subside. Hiccupping, she looked up at him as he took a handkerchief and wiped her face. "Rick, darling,", she sniffed, "why didn't you tell me what that monster did to my ring." Suddenly, he realized what had triggered her outburst. She let out a ragged breath, then handed him the crumpled demand note Caparelli had sent with her mutiliated ring.
Silent for a moment, he took her hand, "Laurie, I didn't know how much you remembered about his attacking you; I was afraid he had forced you take it off and I wasn't about to bring it up until you were ready to talk about it." Gazing at his worried face, she whispered, "Oh, my love, I didn't realize you were protecting me, but, the only thing I could be afraid of is how you must have felt when you saw that note.
When I saw my ring was gone, I thought I must have dropped it or lost it when he took me. Thank God I don't remember Caparelli pulling it off, but, Rick, your watching over me and loving me is the symbol of our love. My ring was special, but, " Her voice broke, "so are you." Rick wrapped her in his arms and kissed her, then said "I will always be there, sweetheart, it was bad enough when I thought you were only going to be gone a few days, but when you were in danger, I couldn't stand the thought of being without you."
She smiled, "I'm afraid you're stuck with me for good, darling, I was so miserable I almost left the minute I got to Chicago. No more traveling alone, ever!" Rick returned her smile, "Promise?" She kissed him, and resting her head against him, replied "Cross my heart and hope to spit".
Laughing, he picked her up and carried her to their room, then, stopping to kiss her in the doorway, said, "Now, what's this business about going around on your crutches before Doc said you could?" Rob, coming in from outside, called out, "Busted!", as his mom weakly replied, "well, it was just for a minute ." Rick looked at his son and said, "I have to have a little talk with your Mom, excuse us.", and closed the door as Rob started to laugh.
Just then Robin came in and seeing her brother laughing in the empty living room, asked "What's so funny?"
"Pop's giving Mom a talking to about disobeying Doc.", her brother wheezed, glancing at the closed door.
"Oh, that", his sister grinned. "She'll just talk her way out of it, and then they'll kiss and make up, you'll see!"
"Rob!, How many times have I told you not to bounce the ball in the house?!"
Rick came in from the barn and stopped in his tracks, hearing his wife sound so angry, she sounded like a different person. She'd been so quiet and brave about everything the past two days, now hurrying into the living room, he found her on her crutches, against Doc's orders, facing her son. Rob shamefacedly said "I'm sorry, Mom, I forgot." Before Rick could step in to cool things down, Laurie put her hand on the teens shoulder, "Oh Robbie, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell like that." He put his arms around his mom, "It's ok, Mom, I know." Hugging him back, she dropped her crutch, then over-balanced, only Rick's arms stopping her from hitting the floor. "Oh, Rick, how clumsy I am", she gasped, voice trembling. Helping her to the sofa, he looked at Rob, "Son, why don't you practice your hook shot outside, I'll be home in time to take you to practice, if you want." "Thanks, Pop", he replied getting the hint and vanishing out the door.
Rick looked at Laurie,who bit her lip and said, "I'm so ashamed, I've never
raised my voice like that to Rob in my life. I sounded like my stepmother.." Her voice shaking, she put her hands to her face, only to have him pull her to him, saying, "Sweetheart, he knows you didn't mean it, it's going to be all right." Sobbing, Laurie buried her face in his chest, and Rick realized everything she had been holding in about the terror she had suffered was being released. He held her and let her cry, until he felt the shaking subside. Hiccupping, she looked up at him as he took a handkerchief and wiped her face. "Rick, darling,", she sniffed, "why didn't you tell me what that monster did to my ring." Suddenly, he realized what had triggered her outburst. She let out a ragged breath, then handed him the crumpled demand note Caparelli had sent with her mutiliated ring.
Silent for a moment, he took her hand, "Laurie, I didn't know how much you remembered about his attacking you; I was afraid he had forced you take it off and I wasn't about to bring it up until you were ready to talk about it." Gazing at his worried face, she whispered, "Oh, my love, I didn't realize you were protecting me, but, the only thing I could be afraid of is how you must have felt when you saw that note.
When I saw my ring was gone, I thought I must have dropped it or lost it when he took me. Thank God I don't remember Caparelli pulling it off, but, Rick, your watching over me and loving me is the symbol of our love. My ring was special, but, " Her voice broke, "so are you." Rick wrapped her in his arms and kissed her, then said "I will always be there, sweetheart, it was bad enough when I thought you were only going to be gone a few days, but when you were in danger, I couldn't stand the thought of being without you."
She smiled, "I'm afraid you're stuck with me for good, darling, I was so miserable I almost left the minute I got to Chicago. No more traveling alone, ever!" Rick returned her smile, "Promise?" She kissed him, and resting her head against him, replied "Cross my heart and hope to spit".
Laughing, he picked her up and carried her to their room, then, stopping to kiss her in the doorway, said, "Now, what's this business about going around on your crutches before Doc said you could?" Rob, coming in from outside, called out, "Busted!", as his mom weakly replied, "well, it was just for a minute ." Rick looked at his son and said, "I have to have a little talk with your Mom, excuse us.", and closed the door as Rob started to laugh.
Just then Robin came in and seeing her brother laughing in the empty living room, asked "What's so funny?"
"Pop's giving Mom a talking to about disobeying Doc.", her brother wheezed, glancing at the closed door.
"Oh, that", his sister grinned. "She'll just talk her way out of it, and then they'll kiss and make up, you'll see!"