Disclaimer: TC Williams High School and its environs belong to the city of Alexandria, VA. The original Titans, Juilliard and the Boy Scouts of America belong to themselves, while the fictitious characters from the film Remember the Titans belong to Disney. The title of this chapter comes from the 1973 song by the late Barry White. Sir Edward Elgar composed "Pomp and Circumstance," which is now played in graduation ceremonies all over the world, and as far as I know, "Hey Hey Goodbye" was first performed by the Dave Clark Five. Barbie belongs to Mattel, Nikon to the Nikon Corporation and Monday Night Football to ABC Sports. Only Tamsin, her family, and assorted TC Williams students are mine.
Technical Notes: According to ncaa.org, Division III colleges do not offer "athletically related financial aid to any student," so I have some basis for what I wrote in this chapter. The graduation ceremony is based on personal experience and input from the ever-helpful people at the Sugar Quill.
Author's Notes: Thanks to Dagaz1, LDBeaNie05, Beth Smith (with apologies to the real Ron Bass; in this story he is stuck with a Dodge Charger!) and all the repeat reviewers for your great feedback and continued support! I am still amazed at the amount of interest in this story and I hope that I'm showing you guys my due appreciation by doing my best and delivering a quality product.
(And Mialana, how did you know? :D)
Chapter Twenty One — I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More, Baby
Ronnie didn't see Tamsin again until June 9th, Graduation Day. He had wanted to call, but he figured she and her parents had a lot to talk about. At least, he consoled himself, she finally had people — the right people — to talk to about everything that had been bothering her.
The Basses entered the TC Williams High School football field, where the commencement exercises were to be held. A stage facing the home bleachers had been set up on the 50-yard line. There were tiers of seats on it for the graduates, but no one was sitting yet because the senior class would be kicking off commencement exercises with a procession to their seats. Ronnie spotted several of his classmates, wearing red graduation gowns similar to his own, milling in the crowd.
He turned to his parents and saw that Col. Bass had been surveying the scene, too. "You made us proud every time you got on that field, son," Ronnie's father said, "but I think your mother and I will be proudest today, watching you get your high school diploma."
"Indeed." Mrs. Bass beamed, and then reached over to straighten her son's tie. "You look very handsome today, Ronnie. Petey," she said to the black boy who had just walked up to them, "would you please take some pictures of us?"
Petey grinned and took the camera she held out. "Sure thing, Mrs. B. Now, if you and the colonel will just stand on either side of your little boy here, and Sunshine, if you'll just put on that mortarboard…good!" he praised when Ronnie, grinning self-consciously, settled the tasseled graduation cap on his head. "Now everyone say quarterback sneak!"
The Basses smiled dutifully as Petey snapped away. Once Mrs. Bass was satisfied, she let Ronnie and Petey go off and join their friends while she and her husband went to find good seats.
The boys spied a cluster of Titans standing near where Gerry was sitting, having his picture taken with his family. "Hey, what are y'all doin' here?" Petey asked when they found some of the junior Titans standing in the group. "Tryin' to sneak out of high school early?"
"No," Jim Frederick replied. "We came to see y'all graduate, of course."
"To make sure you're all really leavin' and we can steal your spots on the team," Ryan added, grinning at the narrow-eyed looks he received in return.
Just then, Rev joined them. "Hey, fellas; what's up?"
"Hunter here was just talkin' about how much he was gonna miss us," Petey replied dryly.
"Love your scarf," Ryan told Rev.
Rev made a face at him as the other boys laughed. "It's not a scarf," he explained, holding up one end of the blue sash draped over his shoulders like a priest's stole, "it's an honors sash. Everyone on the Honor Roll gets to wear one."
Big Julius turned from talking to Alan and Blue to interrupt their conversation. "You mean almost everyone on the Honor Roll gets to wear one," he corrected Rev. "One of you gets to wear a different sash." And he nodded toward Sharon, who was standing several feet away with Emma, Cat and a few other girls. The class valedictorian was wearing a yellow sash, apparently to distinguish her from the rest of the honor students.
"Aw, stop it, Julius," Petey said with a dramatic roll of his eyes. "We know Sharon's valedictorian already."
"You'd think it was you, the way you're always goin' on about it," Alan remarked.
"Well, I'm real proud of her," the big black boy replied defensively, "and I think it's great that a sister beat out all the white kids to graduate top of the class — no offense," he added quickly, nodding to his friends.
"None taken," Ronnie assured him.
Suddenly, there was an excited squeal and a female voice hollered, "Tamsin!"
The boys turned in time to see Emma, Cat and Sharon descend upon the dark-haired girl, who was standing on the sidelines with her parents. She was wearing her graduation gown, a sure sign that she was going to march that day. "Well, well, look who's here," Gerry remarked as he wheeled up to the other Titans.
"Her mom said they were gonna be here," Ronnie said. "Tamsin said she wasn't planning to show up, but—"
"—you chased her down and dragged her home by her hair," Blue finished for him, his amused grin bright against his dark-skinned face. "We know."
The blond boy made a face at his smirking friends. "Shut up." Some of the people at the bus depot had recognized him and later spread the story of his shouting match with Tamsin all over town. He had received many curious stares over the past few days.
"It's nothin' to be ashamed of, Sunshine," Gerry told him cheerfully. "In fact, I'm proud of you."
Ronnie stuck his tongue out at his former teammate. "Anyway, she wasn't planning to come today," he continued, "but her mom said they were going to be here."
Petey peered at Tamsin's mother, who was smiling and shaking Cat's hand. "That's Tamsin's momma?"
"Yeah, that's her." Unlike most of the other mothers, who were dressed up and made up so that they looked like Barbie's mother, Ms. Lee was wearing a tailored purple pantsuit. And instead of the usual summer hat, she wore another colorful scarf tied around her head.
"There is sort of a resemblance," Alan said finally. "I would've seen it earlier if she weren't so skinny. Is she sick or something?"
"Looks like she was," Ronnie said, remembering how tired she looked when he saw her up close, "but she should be OK now or else she wouldn't be here, right?"
They watched Tamsin pose for pictures with her mother and Mr. Graham, and then with her friends. Cat and Emma were dragging her off — no doubt to do girly stuff in the bathroom — when Coach Yoast, with Sheryl and Nikki in tow, walked up to them holding a camera.
"Hey, boys!" the Titans' defensive coach greeted them with a fond smile. "How about a picture?"
"Yes, and one for the Sports page!" piped up a man with a professional-looking Nikon around his neck. He had been taking pictures of Gerry and his family earlier. "I can take the pictures for you, Coach Yoast, so you can join the boys, too."
"Why, thank you," Yoast told him, handing over his camera. "Boone!" he called as Sheryl, Nikki and the Titans crowded close and turned on the grins. "Come and join us!"
* * *
"What happened to you, Tamsin?" Emma demanded the minute they found an empty room to crowd into. Judging from the desk, the heaps of assorted sports equipment and the diagram-covered blackboard on one wall, they had gone into Coach Boone's office. "We were so worried!"
"You mean you don't know already?" Tamsin replied dryly. All eyes had been on her the minute she stepped out of the car. It was apparent that the story of the bus depot incident had reached quite a few ears.
"Well, we've heard what people are saying…" Sharon began.
"What are they saying?" the dark-haired girl asked as Emma turned her around and began pinching her cheeks. "Ouch! What are you doing?"
"You're awfully pale," Emma replied in a clinical manner. "I'd lend you some blush, but I'm not sure if it would match your skin tone."
"How does one lend blush?" Cat asked, chuckling.
The blonde girl sent her a narrow-eyed look. "You know what I mean!" She reached for Tamsin's purse and began to rummage around in it. "Now, did you bring lipstick?"
"Anyway, Tamsin," Sharon continued briskly, "we heard you tried to run away, and that Sunshine chased you down and brought you home."
"No one mentioned that he clubbed me over the head and dragged me into his car by the hair?" Tamsin wanted to know.
"He did that?"
"No, but he yelled at me."
"I heard you yelled at each other," Cat remarked.
"He yelled at me more than I did at him," Tamsin told her. "I deserved it, though," she admitted as Emma pressed something into her hand. Glancing down, Tamsin saw it was the tube of Wine and Roses lipstick she had slipped into her purse before leaving the house. "I know I've been acting…well, strange."
"You had a lot on your mind," Sharon told her forgivingly. "Right?"
"Right."
"Can you talk about it now?" Emma asked. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to, but—"
"We just want to know if you're OK," Cat finished for the other girl.
"I'm fine," Tamsin assured her friends. She laughed. It was more of a small chuckle, actually, but a genuine one nonetheless. "Really. I'm completely over Michael now—"
"Really?" Cat asked eagerly. "So you won't get mad if we tell you that we really didn't like that guy?"
"We really didn't," Sharon added. "It wasn't because he wasn't Sunshine. That was part of it," she averred, "but we hated Michael more because of the fact that he was a real creep."
"Yeah, he was." Tamsin looked down at her shoes. "I found that out the hard way."
"We heard," Sharon said.
"The whole school heard," Tamsin told her, cheeks warming at the memory of just how everyone had found out. "Anyway, he wasn't the only reason why I was so messed up. I…had a few personal problems with my mom, too. We've talked already," she added, "and things are getting better. Slowly, but they're getting better."
"I'm glad," Cat remarked. "Your mom's really cool."
There was a round of smiles at that. Of course Cat, being an actress and Juilliard-bound besides, would recognize a kindred spirit in Tamsin's mom.
Tamsin turned the lipstick over in her hand. "I'm sorry I shut you out while all this was happening," she said thickly, unable to meet her friends' eyes. "I wanted to say something, but there was just so much going on that I didn't know where to begin…" She let her voice trail off and shrugged. Even now she had no idea how to put everything into words.
"Look, I'm just sorry, all right?" she said. "For everything. I don't know if you can forgive me for acting like I couldn't trust you — I know I can trust you — but anyway…I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."
"Aw, Tamsin." Sharon reached over to put an arm around the other girl's shoulders. "There's no need to apologize. You were having a really tough time, and we're just glad you got through everything in one piece. Don't cry."
"Yeah, don't cry," Emma echoed, "or else we'll start crying, too, and we'll all look awful at graduation."
"And that we won't be able to forgive you for," Cat finished.
Tamsin had to laugh at that. "I'm OK. Thanks, y'all," she said, placing emphasis on the "y'all" for Cat's benefit, "for being so understanding."
"That's what friends are for," Emma told her. "Now put on your lipstick."
* * *
The Class of 1973 took the field to tumultuous applause and the stirring strains of "Pomp and Circumstance" blaring on the PA system. Led by Sharon Williams and Steven Marino, their valedictorian and salutatorian respectively, the students marched in an orderly double file toward their seats in the back of the stage.
Ronnie's place was at one end of the front row, so he easily found his parents in the crowd. His father cut an impressive figure in his Air Force colonel's dress uniform, but he was behaving like every other dad present and enthusiastically taking pictures. His mother, on the other hand, was deep in conversation with the person on her other side. Ronnie couldn't quite see who she was talking to, but he managed to catch the occasional glimpse of a brightly colored bandanna over the shoulder of the guy blocking his view.
He was also seated near the stage steps, so he could smile furtively at his friends as they went onstage to take their places. Everyone smiled right back — some with polite or friendly smiles, the Titans with eager, happy grins. When Tamsin flushed and gave him a hesitant smile, Ronnie felt a rush of relief that she wasn't mad at him for yelling at her that night at the bus depot. He privately resolved to hunt her down — again — after graduation and try — again — to have a civil conversation with her. Millionth time's the charm, he told himself.
Everyone remained standing even after the graduates found their seats, and there was a solemn hush as a troop of Boy Scouts took the field, the tallest one carrying the American flag. The boys marched onstage and held the flag high, standing without the slightest waver, as the assembly sang the National Anthem. It was only after the song had ended and the Boy Scouts planted the flag in its special holder that everyone was able to take their seats.
Mr. Hilliard gave a short speech welcoming everyone to the graduation ceremony, and then introduced the people who had won special awards.
Ronnie watched as each winner came forward to accept his or her medal. Of course, there was much applause when Gerry wheeled to center stage to receive the Achievements in Athletics Award from his mother and Coach Boone. And to the amusement of everyone present, Cat dipped a theatrical curtsy when she accepted her award for Achievements in Drama, as if to show that she was truly deserving of the honor.
For Ronnie, though, the best award had to be Achievements in English. Mr. Graham escorted Tamsin's mother onstage to give Tamsin her medal. As he watched Ms. Lee hang the medal around her daughter's neck, it occurred to Ronnie that he was one of the very few people present who knew that Tamsin was actually receiving her award from both her parents. The thought of being in on such a special secret made him smile.
After the special awards came the service awards from the different clubs and teams. Ryan, Jim and the rest of the undergraduate Titans whistled and hollered loudly as their graduating teammates came forward to receive their certificates from Coaches Boone and Yoast. "Somethin' tells me they ain't gonna miss us much," Petey muttered dryly as he took his place in line.
"Sure they will, Petey," Rev assured him with a chuckle. "They wouldn't be here if they didn't care enough to say goodbye."
Gerry and Big Julius, who had both served as team captain, went first. Ronnie went next. "Big day for you today, Sunshine," Boone remarked as the blond boy approached his coaches.
"Sure is, sir," he replied with a smile.
The normally stern black coach smiled back as he handed over Ronnie's certificate and shook his hand. "Congratulations, son. Maybe we'll see you on Monday Night Football a few years from now."
"Yeah, it's possible, Coach," he answered, "but anything can happen in four years, you know? I'm also going to make sure I'm prepared for whatever comes my way."
"That's a smart attitude to have," Yoast remarked as he shook Ronnie's hand. "Congratulations, Sunshine."
After the awards, the Mayor gave a speech, and then the graduates finally received their high school diplomas. Ronnie felt a great sense of accomplishment when he got his, but at the same time he couldn't help feeling kind of bad that his parents didn't get to go up onstage to give him some kind of award. He took comfort in the fact that he did get a service award, and in the smiles on his parents' faces, which told him that they were proud of him just as he was.
Once the diplomas had been handed out and they had been assured that their children were safely out of high school, it seemed that the parents allowed themselves to tune out the last part of the graduation ceremony. The graduates, however, listened avidly to Sharon's valedictory address. They listened to her thank the community, on behalf of the graduates, for all their support. They listened to her speak of growing up in a time of great social change, and of working together to build a better world.
And they listened to her utter the final sentence that gave them their freedom: "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Class of 1973!"
There was a cacophony of music, cheering and applause as the graduates stood up and flung their caps in the air. Whooping loudly, Ronnie launched his cap as if it were a Hail Mary pass from behind the line of scrimmage and watched it disappear into the swarm already airborne. All around him, his now-former classmates were laughing, crying, hugging, shaking hands and pounding backs. "Congratulations," people told him, yelling in his ear to be heard over the noise.
He grinned and yelled back, gradually making his way toward where the Titans had gathered near Gerry. "We did it!" Ronnie shouted at them.
"We're free!" Petey yelled back, slapping every shoulder within reach. "And I miss y'all already!"
A beaming Mr. Hilliard allowed the graduates several minutes to congratulate each other before signaling that it was time to end the graduation ceremony. They were too caught up in the moment to argue; besides, they had the entire summer to say goodbye to each other.
As he followed the rest of the Class of 1973 offstage, Ronnie heard singing coming from the fringes of the crowd, where he knew the younger Titans were all sitting.
Na na na na
Na na na na
Hey, hey, goodbye…
* * *
"Thank you so much for inviting us, Mr. Graham," Mrs. Bass said, smiling at him. After the graduation ceremony, the Basses had gone to 125 Gartner Street to celebrate along with Tamsin and her family. They were now sitting in the living room, recovering from the light yet still sumptuous Provencal food that Tamsin's father had prepared. "It was a lovely lunch, and Bill and I are so glad we got the chance to get acquainted with Diana here."
"It's always a pleasure to have you over," he replied.
"And I'm glad I got to meet you, too," Tamsin's mother added graciously. "Tamsin always spoke very highly of Ronnie and his parents."
"Well, isn't that nice?" Mrs. Bass remarked, smiling at Tamsin.
She managed to smile back and dropped her gaze before her eyes met Ronnie's. Of course you would speak highly of the Basses, she told herself as she tried to will the blush from her cheeks. They've always been very good to you. So stop acting as if your mother had just blurted out a very embarrassing secret!
Tamsin continued to stare into her lap as the conversation shifted to other topics. She only half-listened as the adults quizzed Ronnie about his college plans and occasionally nodded agreement when Col. Bass recommended must-see attractions that her mother had to see during her stay in Alexandria.
Her mother's calling her name brought Tamsin back to earth. "Tamsin, sweetie, I hate to say this in front of guests, but you're looking a bit peaked," her mother told her. "Why don't you go outside and get some fresh air? She hasn't been feeling very well lately," she confided to the Basses.
"The end of the school year is always hard on a young person," Ronnie's mother agreed with a sympathetic nod, "especially the end of high school."
Tamsin managed another smile. "It sure is, ma'am."
"Oh, and why don't you take Ronnie with you?" her mother suggested as Tamsin got to her feet.
"What?" Ronnie started at the suggestion and he felt his face start to grow warm. Stop blushing! he ordered himself.
"I was just telling Tamsin that maybe you two would like to go outside and get some air," Tamsin's mom told him. "I'm sure you'd rather hang out with someone your own age than with old fogies like us."
"Oh." This was the moment he had been waiting for: the chance to talk to Tamsin alone. But now that fate had dropped it right into his lap, what was he doing? He was chickening out! "I'm OK," he told Tamsin's mom. "I don't mind staying here."
"No," Tamsin said, "it's OK. I won't mind if you join me."
She spoke softly, looking down at her shoes instead of at him. Ronnie could tell that she was nervous and probably didn't want to talk to him any more than before. He had to talk to her, though; he wanted to talk to her, but he had to give her the choice, just as she had given him a choice a long time ago. "You don't sound like you mean it," he joked in an attempt to break the tension.
It worked. The adults all laughed and even Tamsin smiled. "Well, I mean it," she said, looking up at him this time. "You can come along if you like."
"There's still some iced tea left in the refrigerator if you want some!" Mr. Graham — Ronnie was still getting used to the idea of him being Tamsin's dad — called after them. "Just help yourselves!"
They didn't get any iced tea, though. Instead, Ronnie and Tamsin walked right out onto the back porch. He watched her claim her usual corner of the porch swing, kick off her shoes and tuck her stockinged feet under her.
Ronnie perched on the opposite end of the swing. "Nice day, isn't it?" he remarked into the silence.
Tamsin nodded and pulled a cushion onto her lap. "Yes, it's a very nice day."
Actually, "nice" wasn't the word. It was a beautiful summer day: quiet and bright but not too hot. The late-afternoon sunlight reflected dully off Tamsin's black leather pumps, lying abandoned on the floor. A gentle breeze wafted in from the backyard, ruffling their hair and clothing. The silence, however, was deafening.
"So," he said then, "it's all over."
"High school is," Tamsin corrected him.
"That's what I meant." Ronnie took a deep breath. His store of small talk was exhausted; it was now or never. "Look," he began, "I've been wanting to talk to you about…a lot of things…for a long time."
"I know."
He chuckled nervously. "Yeah, of course you know. Apparently, everybody in town knew. Anyway, I guess this is my chance, huh?"
Tamsin hugged her cushion to her chest and rested her chin on the top edge. "Yeah, I guess so."
"Well, now that I've finally gotten my chance, I don't know where to begin."
"Take your time."
Ronnie nudged the floor with his toe and set the swing in motion. "I'm sorry I, you know, yelled at you," he said finally, deciding it would be best to start off with an apology. "That night at—"
"I know what night you're talking about," Tamsin interrupted. "And it's OK, I know I deserved it."
"No, you didn't. You were going through a lot and I should have—"
She cut him off a second time. "There was nothing you could have done, Ronnie. I wouldn't have let you do anything."
He fell silent. That was true, even when he really wanted to help, she hadn't let him near. "How are you doing?" he asked, tucking one leg under the other so he could sit facing her. "I mean, you don't have to tell me about, you know, whatever it was that was bothering you…"
"I think you managed to figure it all out by yourself," Tamsin said with a brief, self-deprecating laugh.
Ronnie ventured a chuckle, too. "Well, you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to," he repeated. "I just want to know if you're OK. Have you talked to — you know — your parents?"
He watched a smile spread across her face. She nodded. "Yes, I have," she answered, sounding happier than she had been in a long time.
He studied the small curve of Tamsin's ear, pale against the darkness of her hair. The breeze blew again, carrying with it the fragrance of jasmine. Ronnie had missed that scent. He had missed having her near.
I will not kiss her, though, he resolved silently. Not even if I really want to. I can't do that kind of thing…yet. "What are your plans for the summer?" he asked. He had to know how much time he had left before she went away.
"Well, my…dad and I are almost done packing," Tamsin said, "but we're going to stick around for a couple of weeks before going back to New York and give my mom time to rest from her trip here. As you can see, she's not very strong."
Ronnie nodded. He could tell that Tamsin's mom had been seriously ill, but he hadn't planned on remarking on it.
"How about you?" she asked then, looking up at him.
He looked away quickly, lest she realize that he had been staring at her. "Oh, I'm definitely going to hang around here until it's time to go off to college," he answered casually.
"Maybe," Ronnie went on in the same casual tone, "maybe we can hang out a few times…just as friends…before you go. A bunch of us are planning to go to the Snack n' Cue Tuesday night — Gerry and Emma and the others are going to be there."
Tamsin's expression clouded. "I don't think they'll want me around."
"Of course they will," he assured her. I will not kiss her, even though she looks extremely vulnerable at the moment. "In fact, they'll be glad to see you." He grinned. "Blue missed you the most, you know; he wouldn't stop talking about you."
"I'm sure he did," she said dryly. "I'll think about it, all right?"
Ronnie nodded. "Fair enough." Privately, he decided that he would take a couple of the Titans along when he came to pick her up on Tuesday night. If she didn't want to go, then the guys could help him convince her to come along.
"So, what college did you finally decide on?" Tamsin asked him then.
"I'm going to the University of South Carolina," he answered. "Alan's going to some Division III college in South Carolina, too. We're planning to meet up every so often."
"That's nice." She fidgeted for a moment, and then asked, "What's a Division III college?"
Ronnie smiled at the familiar curious note in her voice. It was so cute. But even if it's cute, I will not kiss her. "It's different from the school I'm going to," he explained. "Division III colleges are still good schools, academics-wise, but they don't really have recruiting programs. They don't offer athletic scholarships. Their football players play just because they want to."
"Ah." Tamsin nodded her understanding. "Well, he'll be getting a good education and that's what's important."
"Right. Where are you going to college?"
"Yale."
He let out a low, impressed whistle. "Really?" I will not kiss her. Not even in congratulations.
"Are you surprised?"
"Yeah. Of course, I'm not surprised that you got in," Ronnie amended, "but I remember that you were talking about going to college in New York so you can be with your mom."
"Plans change."
"So they do. Now I'll have to drive all the way to Connecticut from South Carolina. Connecticut's farther away than New York, you know."
Tamsin's eyes widened. "You don't have to do that."
Color was rushing into her cheeks, and Ronnie felt a similar blush was rising in his own face. He took a deep breath, feeling as if the necktie that he had loosened earlier was constricting around his throat again. "Yes, I do," he told her. I will not kiss her.
I will not kiss her.
I will not—oh, to hell with it.
"Oh, Ronnie, that's sweet and all," she told him, "but what for? We're not, you know, together anymore, and you can't still be…you can't still…" Her voice trailed off when he drew closer to her and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek.
Too fast. This wasn't the way things were supposed to go, Ronnie thought dimly. They had just renewed their friendship mere moments ago. He was supposed to take things slowly so he wouldn't scare her away. But he couldn't.
Tamsin struggled to organize her thoughts as his lips touched her again, this time on her forehead, but found that they had spiraled away in a thousand different directions. "What are you doing?" she asked, as if every fiber of her being didn't already know.
She was saying something, he realized as he strung more kisses down her cheek and along her jaw, drawing closer and closer to her mouth, but he had no idea what it was. Still, he had to answer, he told himself as he kissed her right by the corner of her mouth and hovered, his lips just a breath from hers. He didn't want to be accused of not listening, even if he really wasn't.
"I'll find you," he vowed, "I promise. I love you."
Her heard her suck in her breath and his heartbeat picked up when Tamsin placed a hand on his chest. But then he realized that, instead of letting him kiss her for real, she was trying to push him away. Instead of looking happy at what he had just told her, she looked miserable. "You can't want me back," she whispered shakily. "Not after all the shit I put you through."
Ronnie shrugged. "Well, strange as it sounds," he told her matter-of-factly, "I do want you back. Michael didn't give me a chance to get sick of you before he took you away."
To his delight, she made a small noise of disgust at the mention of Michael. "Can we not mention his name, please?" she asked, her voice breaking on the last word. He thought the little catch meant she was laughing, but to his dismay, her eyes grew moist, then wet, and then she was crying.
"Tamsin, what's wrong?" he demanded, grabbing her hand. "Why are you crying? Was it something I said? Was it…You-Know-Who?" She told him nothing had happened between her and Michael; but if it turned out that something had indeed happened, Ronnie resolved he would hunt the little squirt down, pull off his glasses, and seriously pound him into the ground.
Tamsin shook her head again. "It's not him," she said, "it's you." She bowed her head and scrubbed at her eyes with her free hand. She was so sick of crying. But what else could she do, given what Ronnie was doing to her? "I don't deserve this, Ronnie. I don't deserve you."
"I'll be the judge of that."
She looked up to see that his expression of concern had settled into a determined mask. "But people are going to talk."
"So let them talk. I don't care. I thought you didn't, either."
"Apparently, I care more than I thought I did."
"Well, stop it." Ronnie pulled a clean handkerchief out of his pocket and put it in her hand. "And stop crying."
A tremulous laugh burst out of Tamsin as she pressed the handkerchief to her face. "I never knew you were so bossy," she said. She was sure the end of her nose was now quite pink, but as he wasn't looking away in disgust, it probably didn't look too bad.
"I'm the Colonel. I'm taking command."
She laughed again. "Only with my permission," she retorted.
"Yes, ma'am."
Smiling now, Tamsin raised a hand to his cheek. A pleasant warmth spread up her arm as he turned his face toward it, nuzzling her palm. "Oh, Ronnie, what am I going to do with you?"
Ronnie grinned and raised his own hand to her face. "I'm wondering the same thing about you."
Her heart gave a crazy lift when their lips finally, finally met. There was both laughter and tears in that kiss. There was reconciliation, homecoming and renewal. And there was cleansing. Tamsin was both humbled and uplifted, at peace with the past and at the same time bursting with all the possibilities of the future. Her cushion fell unheeded to join her shoes on the floor.
Diana watched it drop. "Oh, my."
"Why?" Jon asked as he walked up behind her. "What's going on?"
Hidden by the screen door, she nodded at the pair on the porch swing, unable to answer. Her color heightened as she watched her daughter's arms slip around Ronnie's neck. Tamsin stiffened visibly when Ronnie's arms went around her in turn, but she relaxed again when his hands stayed right where they were supposed to be. "What do we tell his parents?" Diana asked Jon in a low voice.
He chuckled and steered her away from the door and back into the kitchen. "Let's just tell them he needs a few more minutes."
NOT QUITE THE END…I've still got an epilogue, remember? :D