Promises of Someday 5/5
By koaladeb
Disclaimer info in part 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Calleigh noticed Horatio was slightly frayed at the edges when he came back from collecting a cup for Maddy's shells, but decided to let it go without comment. She knew he was not telling the whole truth earlier when she asked what was wrong and it would be no good to push him to reveal more than he was willing.
After depositing the shells in the paper cup, Calleigh looked at her watch and sighed. The near-perfect day was coming to a close all too quickly. Leaving the brooding man at her side, she walked up to Maddy.
"You have enough yet?" Calleigh asked.
The little girl looked up with pure joy. "Now I do! Look at this one!"
Chuckling, Calleigh dropped to her knees and held out her hand. A moment later, her palm was filled with a cracked sand dollar. Calleigh smiled at Maddy and handed it back. "It's beautiful! You've done a great job finding all these shells."
Her praise made Maddy's face light up before something else caught the girl's attention. "Uncle Horatio!" Maddy shouted, "Come look what I found!"
Calleigh rose as he approached, brushing sand off her jeans with her free hand and looking out over the water while Horatio talked with his niece. She didn't listen to the words, only the way his voice melded with the breaking waves of the ocean. The sun was beginning to grow large on the horizon, and a cooler breeze made Calleigh fold her arms, trying to hold onto the warmth that had previously permeated the day.
She was drawn back into the present by a touch on her arm. Horatio was standing right at her side, sunglasses off, the sinking sun and light breeze making his hair shine and dance like a small fire. Calleigh couldn't help but smile a little at the image while she cocked her head to listen to what Horatio was saying.
"Maddy is getting hungry again. I was thinking we should start heading back."
His tone, like the day, was not as warm as it had been. It was more formal, as though he was slipping back into professional mode. His expression, now registering, was closed off, a clear indication he was moving the tone of the day back towards reality and the status quo that kept them from being anything more than colleagues.
Feeling her heart sink, Calleigh admitted to herself she was not yet ready for the day to end. "We could do that," she granted, looking over Horatio's shoulder and spotting a restaurant about thirty yards away. She pointed it out. "Or we could eat there, watch the sun set, and walk back to the car afterwards."
Maybe he heard the slight desperation in her voice. Maybe he read in her eyes that she was not ready to let go of the moment. Whatever it was, Horatio softened, slipping back into the inviting companion with whom she had spent the better part of the day.
"That works for me. Let's go see if they have an empty table."
Horatio collected Maddy and took possession of the shell cup. Making their way across the beach, the adults each took one of Maddy's hands, alternately walking and swinging her between them, the sounds of their combined laughter floating freely in the evening breeze.
~~~~~~~~~~
Somewhere between being seated and the moment when the sun slipped completely below the horizon Calleigh began to understand what had been plaguing Horatio.
As per custom, local merchants blew on Conch shells to signal the end of day, and Calleigh heard in the primal, hollow sound an echo of her own yearning. The sun had set, and with it, the illusion that this crazy, perfect day could stretch on indefinitely. As beautiful as the scene before her was, Calleigh thought she would give anything to turn the clock backwards and get back more time with Horatio and Maddy.
Putting on a grin, Calleigh tried not to let Maddy know she was anything less than completely happy. She did not even pretend to believe Horatio was fooled, or that he did not understand. Veiled behind his own content grin, Calleigh read in his eyes awareness of the passing time and the same longing desire to prolong the day.
It did not surprise her, then, when he suggested they get ice cream on the way back to the Hummer. Standing in front of the counter, watching Maddy make attempts to balance her cone, Calleigh claimed she was too full for dessert and cited her earlier milkshake took care of any ice cream cravings.
Horatio eyed her with feigned disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me!" he said, aghast, "I thought there was no such thing as too much ice cream!" His antics caused Maddy to giggle and tilt her cone at a dangerous angle.
Calleigh knelt quickly and helped the little girl right her dessert before it fell. Rolling her eyes, she responded, "You forget I have M&Ms from earlier I haven't eaten, and I'd like to open them while I'm still in a position to share with your niece."
Maddy shouted for joy. Horatio smiled. "You're not helping your case. Refusing ice cream *and* declaring your intent to share what candy you do have? That hardly seems fair."
Calleigh laughed. "I'll steal a bite of yours then, if it will make you happy. In the meantime, just get me some water. And lots of napkins."
Clearly confused, but humoring what seemed like an odd request, Horatio nodded and grabbed some from the counter. "Any particular flavor?" he asked, handing over the small stack he procured.
"I'm not picky. You can have whatever you want." Re-wrapping Maddy's cone with a napkin and tucking in another one to protect the child's clothing from drips, she almost missed his quiet response. "I wish." It was said under his breath, not meant to be heard by her or any other person. But Calleigh's ears were attuned to listening for Horatio's voice, picking up even the smallest sound and amplifying it.
Her back was turned, so Horatio never saw the light blush or smile that appeared on Calleigh's face at his remark.
~~~~~~~~~~
"We're going to need more napkins."
Calleigh tried hard not to laugh, but the scene in front of her begged for a camera and a quick escape route.
Maddy was, of course, covered in the sticky remains of her chocolate cone. The little girl had done her level best to control the ice cream as she ate it, but small trails of melted chocolate traced their way down her hands and arms. Her face wasn't much better, smears of ice cream surrounding a bright smile.
The best part however, in Calleigh's opinion, was Horatio. He had tried to keep Maddy clean while she was still finishing her cone, using up the napkins quickly and neglecting his own dessert in the process.
Initially, whenever Horatio's preoccupation with Maddy put him in danger of being dripped on, Calleigh would grab the cone and take a few licks, keeping the contents even and shoring up the melting parts. But the image Horatio presented was adorable, and she soon stopped rescuing him, watching the normally-fastidious man lose control over something as benign as an ice cream cone. He was absolutely helpless, forgetting about the substance on his hands and accidentally wiping his face at one point. His right cheek now had an orange shadow from the sorbet he had selected.
The result of all this chaos was two sticky individuals and two sets of identically endearing eyes staring at her. But while Maddy's gaze was one of contentment, Horatio's pleaded for assistance.
Calleigh stood and grabbed a large stack of napkins before getting down to business, starting with Maddy. Horatio moved to help, but Calleigh stopped him with a smile and a stern command to stay put, saying, "Your time will come, just wait."
She first knelt in front of Maddy. Pouring some of her bottled water onto the paper, and repeating the process with clean napkins as necessary, Calleigh wiped off the girls' arms, hands and face. Finally, she removed the makeshift bib and inspected Maddy's clothes, which were surprisingly free from any stains. Declaring her to be clean, Calleigh asked Maddy to switch her seat to the other side of the table.
"Now it's your turn," she said to Horatio, taking Maddy's abandoned chair and reaching for his hands. He held them out, allowing Calleigh to move and turn them as necessary to remove the orange stains.
She took her time, enjoying the control Horatio relinquished as he allowed himself to be cared for by someone else. She traced hand from the palm to the tip of his fingers, memorizing the texture of his skin before turning it over and wiping the back of it clean. Calleigh worked silently, focusing so intently on what she was doing that the sound in the room dimmed. Her vision, her world narrowed to one single point: Horatio's hand in hers.
When she was nearly finished, Horatio tightened his fingers around hers, squeezing them in a sign of gratitude. Calleigh pressed his hand between hers and held it for a moment, locking her bright eyes onto his; receiving proof in his gaze of how equally he had been affected by her ministrations.
The potency of the connection forced Calleigh to look away. She took a drink of water to regain her composure before completing her task. She tilted Horatio's face to inspect the smear across his cheek and could not help an amused grin from spreading across her face.
"What am I going to do with you?" she asked mockingly, gently wiping the sorbet away with another wet napkin. Maddy giggled.
Calleigh felt Horatio grin under her fingertips, but he did not say a word.
~~~~~~~~~~
Between the excitement she expressed while recounting her day and the chocolate ice cream after dinner, it was a surprise to Calleigh and Horatio when Maddy fell asleep halfway to Calleigh's apartment. "She'll be disappointed when she wakes up," Horatio observed after checking on the sleeping child in the rearview mirror. "I know she wanted to say goodbye."
Calleigh turned to look at Maddy, a gentle, affectionate smile firmly in place. "Tell her it turned out for the best- this way, instead of saying goodbye, she can come visit me and say hello."
Horatio released a low chuckle before falling back into silence, and Calleigh found herself missing Maddy's exuberant conversation. In a way, she had become a buffer against the reality now settling over the two adults in the front seat.
Unwilling to give in, Calleigh tried to jump start another conversation.
"What did Maddy say to you when you buckled her in? I thought for a second your skin was going to match your hair."
Her question went unanswered. Glancing over at Horatio, Calleigh could see he was blushing again and avoiding her gaze by staring intently out the front window.
"Well?" she prompted.
"I, she.... Maddy, ummm....well, she said we should get married... and have a baby so she would have a cousin to play with." It was said quietly, haltingly, and the light pink spreading across his cheeks turned a deep red.
Calleigh was caught between a smile at Horatio's discomfort and tears over the thought. If only- it would be perfect, a dream come true. She turned to look again at the endearing child in the backseat, and wished again to have this be her future- going home together after a quiet, completely average Saturday, their child in the backseat.
The conversation lapsed again, but surprisingly it was not uncomfortable. The implications of Maddy's request were not stifling in the least, but a breath of fresh air to Calleigh's soul.
The silence continued until they arrived at her apartment. Reluctantly, Horatio turned the engine off. He bowed his head, unwilling or unable to meet her gaze. Calleigh knew he was afraid to let her see the emotions visible there.
"I wish there was something I could do to let you know how much today meant to me." It was almost a whisper, and Calleigh knew it had nothing to do with the sleeping child in the backseat. Just like eye contact, conversation at this moment was dangerous territory.
All she had to do was get out of the car, maybe even open the door, and the spell would be broken. They would go their separate ways and this entire, blessed day would fade into a dream. They could go back to pretending there was nothing more between them than the respect of colleagues. They could reenter the familiar, safe comfort zone in which their relationship existed.
Be that as it may, she knew this was the moment- if she failed to say anything now, her chance may be gone for good. It was now or never. She took a deep breath and dove into the deep end.
"You want to do something for me? Make me a promise."
"Anything." His answer held no hesitation, but Horatio still would not look her in the eye.
"Promise me someday."
That statement finally made Horatio look up, shocked. Calleigh pressed on before he could say a word. Before he could let his sense of propriety and honor overrule his heart. If he was not going to fight for this, she was.
"There's no denying we were both thinking about it today. How wonderful it would be. How perfect. How right."
Still at a loss for words, Horatio looked between her and Maddy. There was desperation in the rapid way he shifted his attention, and his face held desire, pain, hope and fear as he considered the possibility.
"You can't tell me you don't want this, can you?" Calleigh continued pushing, knowing in her bones this was the right course of action.
His eyes finally locked on hers, and desperation met determination. All it took was one deep look and Horatio's uncertainty turned into pain. He shook his head, closing his eyes.
"I can't deny it. It's everything I could possibly dream of."
"Then promise me," Calleigh whispered, pleading, reaching across the center console to touch his arm. She did not understand what was holding him back, why there was a discrepancy between his words an actions, why it felt as though he were about to deny them both a chance at the future they both wanted.
"I can't," he finally choked out, a single tear escaping eyes tightly shut against the path he was embracing. "What if something happens and I screw this up? I can't lose you- that's the one thing that would destroy me."
Calleigh moved her hand from Horatio's arm to his face, turning it again so he would look her in the eye. Reluctantly, he met her gaze.
"Impossible," she answered, voice and vision filled with conviction. "I won't deny there will be bumps in the road, but taking the journey together- it's all I want. What we have is too real- I know we don't usually talk about the extent of our relationship, but it won't disappear the moment we try to redefine it. Trust me."
Those final words seemed to break through to him. Horatio willingly surrendered, giving himself permission to take a chance. His hand came to rest on hers, pressing it into his cheek.
"I do trust you Calleigh," he said reverently, tracing her jawline with his free hand. Horatio glanced into the backseat, where Maddy still slept, dead to the world, and knew he was making the right decision.
Calleigh followed his gaze and smiled, resting in the knowledge that this was beginning to look like more than a dream- it was beginning to look like her future. And it was a beautiful picture.
"After work tomorrow, let's sit down and talk. I'm not asking for a lifetime commitment, just coffee, conversation, anything. A place to begin. We just need to *begin* Horatio—begin so that we can end up right back here, to this day, to this moment, except without the good-byes."
Horatio nodded, smiling. "No goodbyes... I could live with that."
Maddy let out a huge sigh in her sleep, and Calleigh knew she needed to go so that Horatio could get his niece home and into bed. She gathered her purse and reached for the doorknob. "Good night, Handsome," she murmured, moving to exit the Hummer.
His hand held her fast. "I want this, Calleigh," he said, completely serious. "All of this. With you. I guess what I'm trying to say is... I promise. Someday. Someday soon."
Seeing her delighted smile, Horatio placed a gentle kiss into the palm of her hand before releasing it. "Goodnight."
Still smiling, Calleigh slipped out of the car, content to end the perfect day in favor of an even better tomorrow.
Disclaimer info in part 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Calleigh noticed Horatio was slightly frayed at the edges when he came back from collecting a cup for Maddy's shells, but decided to let it go without comment. She knew he was not telling the whole truth earlier when she asked what was wrong and it would be no good to push him to reveal more than he was willing.
After depositing the shells in the paper cup, Calleigh looked at her watch and sighed. The near-perfect day was coming to a close all too quickly. Leaving the brooding man at her side, she walked up to Maddy.
"You have enough yet?" Calleigh asked.
The little girl looked up with pure joy. "Now I do! Look at this one!"
Chuckling, Calleigh dropped to her knees and held out her hand. A moment later, her palm was filled with a cracked sand dollar. Calleigh smiled at Maddy and handed it back. "It's beautiful! You've done a great job finding all these shells."
Her praise made Maddy's face light up before something else caught the girl's attention. "Uncle Horatio!" Maddy shouted, "Come look what I found!"
Calleigh rose as he approached, brushing sand off her jeans with her free hand and looking out over the water while Horatio talked with his niece. She didn't listen to the words, only the way his voice melded with the breaking waves of the ocean. The sun was beginning to grow large on the horizon, and a cooler breeze made Calleigh fold her arms, trying to hold onto the warmth that had previously permeated the day.
She was drawn back into the present by a touch on her arm. Horatio was standing right at her side, sunglasses off, the sinking sun and light breeze making his hair shine and dance like a small fire. Calleigh couldn't help but smile a little at the image while she cocked her head to listen to what Horatio was saying.
"Maddy is getting hungry again. I was thinking we should start heading back."
His tone, like the day, was not as warm as it had been. It was more formal, as though he was slipping back into professional mode. His expression, now registering, was closed off, a clear indication he was moving the tone of the day back towards reality and the status quo that kept them from being anything more than colleagues.
Feeling her heart sink, Calleigh admitted to herself she was not yet ready for the day to end. "We could do that," she granted, looking over Horatio's shoulder and spotting a restaurant about thirty yards away. She pointed it out. "Or we could eat there, watch the sun set, and walk back to the car afterwards."
Maybe he heard the slight desperation in her voice. Maybe he read in her eyes that she was not ready to let go of the moment. Whatever it was, Horatio softened, slipping back into the inviting companion with whom she had spent the better part of the day.
"That works for me. Let's go see if they have an empty table."
Horatio collected Maddy and took possession of the shell cup. Making their way across the beach, the adults each took one of Maddy's hands, alternately walking and swinging her between them, the sounds of their combined laughter floating freely in the evening breeze.
~~~~~~~~~~
Somewhere between being seated and the moment when the sun slipped completely below the horizon Calleigh began to understand what had been plaguing Horatio.
As per custom, local merchants blew on Conch shells to signal the end of day, and Calleigh heard in the primal, hollow sound an echo of her own yearning. The sun had set, and with it, the illusion that this crazy, perfect day could stretch on indefinitely. As beautiful as the scene before her was, Calleigh thought she would give anything to turn the clock backwards and get back more time with Horatio and Maddy.
Putting on a grin, Calleigh tried not to let Maddy know she was anything less than completely happy. She did not even pretend to believe Horatio was fooled, or that he did not understand. Veiled behind his own content grin, Calleigh read in his eyes awareness of the passing time and the same longing desire to prolong the day.
It did not surprise her, then, when he suggested they get ice cream on the way back to the Hummer. Standing in front of the counter, watching Maddy make attempts to balance her cone, Calleigh claimed she was too full for dessert and cited her earlier milkshake took care of any ice cream cravings.
Horatio eyed her with feigned disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me!" he said, aghast, "I thought there was no such thing as too much ice cream!" His antics caused Maddy to giggle and tilt her cone at a dangerous angle.
Calleigh knelt quickly and helped the little girl right her dessert before it fell. Rolling her eyes, she responded, "You forget I have M&Ms from earlier I haven't eaten, and I'd like to open them while I'm still in a position to share with your niece."
Maddy shouted for joy. Horatio smiled. "You're not helping your case. Refusing ice cream *and* declaring your intent to share what candy you do have? That hardly seems fair."
Calleigh laughed. "I'll steal a bite of yours then, if it will make you happy. In the meantime, just get me some water. And lots of napkins."
Clearly confused, but humoring what seemed like an odd request, Horatio nodded and grabbed some from the counter. "Any particular flavor?" he asked, handing over the small stack he procured.
"I'm not picky. You can have whatever you want." Re-wrapping Maddy's cone with a napkin and tucking in another one to protect the child's clothing from drips, she almost missed his quiet response. "I wish." It was said under his breath, not meant to be heard by her or any other person. But Calleigh's ears were attuned to listening for Horatio's voice, picking up even the smallest sound and amplifying it.
Her back was turned, so Horatio never saw the light blush or smile that appeared on Calleigh's face at his remark.
~~~~~~~~~~
"We're going to need more napkins."
Calleigh tried hard not to laugh, but the scene in front of her begged for a camera and a quick escape route.
Maddy was, of course, covered in the sticky remains of her chocolate cone. The little girl had done her level best to control the ice cream as she ate it, but small trails of melted chocolate traced their way down her hands and arms. Her face wasn't much better, smears of ice cream surrounding a bright smile.
The best part however, in Calleigh's opinion, was Horatio. He had tried to keep Maddy clean while she was still finishing her cone, using up the napkins quickly and neglecting his own dessert in the process.
Initially, whenever Horatio's preoccupation with Maddy put him in danger of being dripped on, Calleigh would grab the cone and take a few licks, keeping the contents even and shoring up the melting parts. But the image Horatio presented was adorable, and she soon stopped rescuing him, watching the normally-fastidious man lose control over something as benign as an ice cream cone. He was absolutely helpless, forgetting about the substance on his hands and accidentally wiping his face at one point. His right cheek now had an orange shadow from the sorbet he had selected.
The result of all this chaos was two sticky individuals and two sets of identically endearing eyes staring at her. But while Maddy's gaze was one of contentment, Horatio's pleaded for assistance.
Calleigh stood and grabbed a large stack of napkins before getting down to business, starting with Maddy. Horatio moved to help, but Calleigh stopped him with a smile and a stern command to stay put, saying, "Your time will come, just wait."
She first knelt in front of Maddy. Pouring some of her bottled water onto the paper, and repeating the process with clean napkins as necessary, Calleigh wiped off the girls' arms, hands and face. Finally, she removed the makeshift bib and inspected Maddy's clothes, which were surprisingly free from any stains. Declaring her to be clean, Calleigh asked Maddy to switch her seat to the other side of the table.
"Now it's your turn," she said to Horatio, taking Maddy's abandoned chair and reaching for his hands. He held them out, allowing Calleigh to move and turn them as necessary to remove the orange stains.
She took her time, enjoying the control Horatio relinquished as he allowed himself to be cared for by someone else. She traced hand from the palm to the tip of his fingers, memorizing the texture of his skin before turning it over and wiping the back of it clean. Calleigh worked silently, focusing so intently on what she was doing that the sound in the room dimmed. Her vision, her world narrowed to one single point: Horatio's hand in hers.
When she was nearly finished, Horatio tightened his fingers around hers, squeezing them in a sign of gratitude. Calleigh pressed his hand between hers and held it for a moment, locking her bright eyes onto his; receiving proof in his gaze of how equally he had been affected by her ministrations.
The potency of the connection forced Calleigh to look away. She took a drink of water to regain her composure before completing her task. She tilted Horatio's face to inspect the smear across his cheek and could not help an amused grin from spreading across her face.
"What am I going to do with you?" she asked mockingly, gently wiping the sorbet away with another wet napkin. Maddy giggled.
Calleigh felt Horatio grin under her fingertips, but he did not say a word.
~~~~~~~~~~
Between the excitement she expressed while recounting her day and the chocolate ice cream after dinner, it was a surprise to Calleigh and Horatio when Maddy fell asleep halfway to Calleigh's apartment. "She'll be disappointed when she wakes up," Horatio observed after checking on the sleeping child in the rearview mirror. "I know she wanted to say goodbye."
Calleigh turned to look at Maddy, a gentle, affectionate smile firmly in place. "Tell her it turned out for the best- this way, instead of saying goodbye, she can come visit me and say hello."
Horatio released a low chuckle before falling back into silence, and Calleigh found herself missing Maddy's exuberant conversation. In a way, she had become a buffer against the reality now settling over the two adults in the front seat.
Unwilling to give in, Calleigh tried to jump start another conversation.
"What did Maddy say to you when you buckled her in? I thought for a second your skin was going to match your hair."
Her question went unanswered. Glancing over at Horatio, Calleigh could see he was blushing again and avoiding her gaze by staring intently out the front window.
"Well?" she prompted.
"I, she.... Maddy, ummm....well, she said we should get married... and have a baby so she would have a cousin to play with." It was said quietly, haltingly, and the light pink spreading across his cheeks turned a deep red.
Calleigh was caught between a smile at Horatio's discomfort and tears over the thought. If only- it would be perfect, a dream come true. She turned to look again at the endearing child in the backseat, and wished again to have this be her future- going home together after a quiet, completely average Saturday, their child in the backseat.
The conversation lapsed again, but surprisingly it was not uncomfortable. The implications of Maddy's request were not stifling in the least, but a breath of fresh air to Calleigh's soul.
The silence continued until they arrived at her apartment. Reluctantly, Horatio turned the engine off. He bowed his head, unwilling or unable to meet her gaze. Calleigh knew he was afraid to let her see the emotions visible there.
"I wish there was something I could do to let you know how much today meant to me." It was almost a whisper, and Calleigh knew it had nothing to do with the sleeping child in the backseat. Just like eye contact, conversation at this moment was dangerous territory.
All she had to do was get out of the car, maybe even open the door, and the spell would be broken. They would go their separate ways and this entire, blessed day would fade into a dream. They could go back to pretending there was nothing more between them than the respect of colleagues. They could reenter the familiar, safe comfort zone in which their relationship existed.
Be that as it may, she knew this was the moment- if she failed to say anything now, her chance may be gone for good. It was now or never. She took a deep breath and dove into the deep end.
"You want to do something for me? Make me a promise."
"Anything." His answer held no hesitation, but Horatio still would not look her in the eye.
"Promise me someday."
That statement finally made Horatio look up, shocked. Calleigh pressed on before he could say a word. Before he could let his sense of propriety and honor overrule his heart. If he was not going to fight for this, she was.
"There's no denying we were both thinking about it today. How wonderful it would be. How perfect. How right."
Still at a loss for words, Horatio looked between her and Maddy. There was desperation in the rapid way he shifted his attention, and his face held desire, pain, hope and fear as he considered the possibility.
"You can't tell me you don't want this, can you?" Calleigh continued pushing, knowing in her bones this was the right course of action.
His eyes finally locked on hers, and desperation met determination. All it took was one deep look and Horatio's uncertainty turned into pain. He shook his head, closing his eyes.
"I can't deny it. It's everything I could possibly dream of."
"Then promise me," Calleigh whispered, pleading, reaching across the center console to touch his arm. She did not understand what was holding him back, why there was a discrepancy between his words an actions, why it felt as though he were about to deny them both a chance at the future they both wanted.
"I can't," he finally choked out, a single tear escaping eyes tightly shut against the path he was embracing. "What if something happens and I screw this up? I can't lose you- that's the one thing that would destroy me."
Calleigh moved her hand from Horatio's arm to his face, turning it again so he would look her in the eye. Reluctantly, he met her gaze.
"Impossible," she answered, voice and vision filled with conviction. "I won't deny there will be bumps in the road, but taking the journey together- it's all I want. What we have is too real- I know we don't usually talk about the extent of our relationship, but it won't disappear the moment we try to redefine it. Trust me."
Those final words seemed to break through to him. Horatio willingly surrendered, giving himself permission to take a chance. His hand came to rest on hers, pressing it into his cheek.
"I do trust you Calleigh," he said reverently, tracing her jawline with his free hand. Horatio glanced into the backseat, where Maddy still slept, dead to the world, and knew he was making the right decision.
Calleigh followed his gaze and smiled, resting in the knowledge that this was beginning to look like more than a dream- it was beginning to look like her future. And it was a beautiful picture.
"After work tomorrow, let's sit down and talk. I'm not asking for a lifetime commitment, just coffee, conversation, anything. A place to begin. We just need to *begin* Horatio—begin so that we can end up right back here, to this day, to this moment, except without the good-byes."
Horatio nodded, smiling. "No goodbyes... I could live with that."
Maddy let out a huge sigh in her sleep, and Calleigh knew she needed to go so that Horatio could get his niece home and into bed. She gathered her purse and reached for the doorknob. "Good night, Handsome," she murmured, moving to exit the Hummer.
His hand held her fast. "I want this, Calleigh," he said, completely serious. "All of this. With you. I guess what I'm trying to say is... I promise. Someday. Someday soon."
Seeing her delighted smile, Horatio placed a gentle kiss into the palm of her hand before releasing it. "Goodnight."
Still smiling, Calleigh slipped out of the car, content to end the perfect day in favor of an even better tomorrow.