Ditto for the third one.
Portrait in Contrast
Two figures ran from the church that day: one in black, clutching a bundle, the other in complete white, clutching the other's hand as if life depended on it.
"Are you sure this is what you want?"
"I want to be with you. I don't care where we end up."
"I don't believe I could bear losing you again."
A smile; a touch.
"You won't. Never again."
Janine sat at her desk, wiping her eyes rereading the last letter she received from Italy.
Yes, Stefan is wonderful, I never would've believed fatherhood could be so liberating. But this isn't the only reason I'm writing this time. I've lost her, Janine. Our last discussion was me telling her I never wanted children. I was too afraid they could turn out screwed-up like me. But Stefan has changed all that. But I've gotten off the subject.
Believe it or not, I actually saw Charlie in Italy, he was skating cross-country. He told me Caroline was getting married.
Therefore, I've given this an incredible amount of thought. I have to see her, Janine. Only see her, I won't be talking to her, but I have to see her one last time. I love her, Janine. I can't bear the fact of not seeing her one last time before she's lost to me forever.
Stefan and I will be in touch.
-Richard
Janine sighed heavily, folding the letter. She'd heard somewhere that Caroline Duffy's wedding was today. Which was good, they could be miserable together.
Janine was jealous of Richard. He was so sure of what he wanted now. He loved Caroline. Loved her so deeply that he was going to cross a continent to quietly watch her marry another man because that's what made her happy. On second thought... she wasn't jealous of him.
Egon had been working at the college with a professor in physics, explaining the theories behind their work. She'd watched them together the couple of times he'd taken her with him. She'd watched how his eyes lit up when she knew of what he was speaking, how he'd get excited when she offered plausible theories for him to work on.
She could give him none of that. In the time they'd been dating she still couldn't figure out a quantum charger, from an ionic particle or even if there were such things. He deserved to be with someone who challenged him, not someone with whom he had to dumb down his speech so he could be understood.
"Janine?"
She looked up as the object of her thoughts walked down the stairs, eyeing her worriedly.
"What's wrong?" he asked, walking towards her. She stood up quickly, wiping her eyes. She had to do this fast.
"Egon, I..."
The doors to the firehouse opened, interrupting what she had to say. Two people ran in, quickly shutting the doors behind them. One was in a huge wedding dress, and the other.
"Richard?" Janine asked, walking quickly towards the pair. Only then did she notice who was in the wedding dress, wearing the most stupid grin on her face she'd ever seen.
Richard stepped foreword, still clutching onto Caroline's hand.
"I didn't inturrupt the ceremony, I swear," he told her smiling.
"It's all Stefan's fault," Caroline said, laughter in her voice. That's when Janine noticed the bundle in Richard's arms.
"This is Stefan? May I?"
Richard handed over the bundle to her.
"Caroline?" Egon asked, stepping towards the three. "I read somewhere you were getting married today."
Caroline smiled widely.
"Hello Egon. I ran out. This is the third wedding I've jumped out of," she looked over at Richard. "But no more."
She looked over at Janine, who was still cooing over baby Stefan.
"Richard told me about your friendship on the way over here. I never would have pictured you two as striking up a friendship."
Janine smiled up at her. "After the problems with Del and Julia, we decided it would be better if we didn't tell anyone. But Richard has become one of my dearest, closest friends. And I'm glad you two are finally together."
"I did promise I would stop by to show off Stefan before we left," Richard told her. Janine nodded, handing the baby back to his father.
"I expect letters," she said, hugging him tightly. "I'll miss you."
"And I you," he whispered. "Take you chances now Janine, while there's time."
She nodded, turning to hug Caroline. The four said their good-byes, then Caroline and Richard were gone.
Janine stood there, a great loss filling her. Then she felt arms slide around her waist.
"I never realized you had remained friend with him," she heard Egon say.
She slipped out of his grasp, turning to face him.
"I need to talk with you."
Egon searched her face, then nodded quietly, guiding her gently into Peter's office. Sitting her down in one of the chairs, he leaned against the desk.
"What's wrong?"
She took a deep breath, it was better to get this out now. "I want you to be happy." He watched her, waiting for her to finish.
"I believe you could be happier with someone who could stimulate you. After watching you these past weeks on this project, I realized I'm not smart enough to keep you stimulated or even intelligent enough to carry on a conversation with you. You need someone better. You have that with Dr. Parsons."
Egon tilted his head giving her a curious look. "Are you finished?"
She nodded, refusing to meet his eyes. Sighing, he knelt down, raising her face slightly until she had to look at him.
"Janine, Dr. Parsons is twenty-one and engaged to marry an executive. Now it is true that I do find her discussions about physics intriguing, and very cutting-edge, I do not believe she would be the type of person I could find myself interacting with socially. And just because you cannot argue the theories of physics on a genius level does not mean I do not find you stimulating. You make me think on other levels, about things not related to science. I've never found a conversation with you either boring or pointless. And as Peter is fond of saying there are other ways of stimulating a person other than the intellectual level."
Janine blushed.
"We may have not been intiment for very long, but never doubt I love you. There never will be another woman who will capture my heart so completely, nor work so hard to capture it."
She sniffed. "I only want you to be happy." she said softly.
"I am happy when I'm with you." he told her.
She looked up at him, not quite believing what she'd heard. He's never talked that personally before.
"You mean it?"
He nodded. "Every word. Now originally I intended to come down here to ask if you wished to have dinner with me tonight. But I think maybe a movie might be in order also."
"We could pick something up, and rent a movie?" she suggested.
"I think I'd like that. Let me get my jacket."
He kissed her lightly, then left the small office. Janine sat there, thinking about Richard and Caroline. Okay, so she and Egon had a longer route to go. They had just begun this road. And even thought their road would not end in Italy, it would no doubt end as happily. And if there were four people in this world who needed the happy endings, it was them.
Portrait in Contrast
Two figures ran from the church that day: one in black, clutching a bundle, the other in complete white, clutching the other's hand as if life depended on it.
"Are you sure this is what you want?"
"I want to be with you. I don't care where we end up."
"I don't believe I could bear losing you again."
A smile; a touch.
"You won't. Never again."
Janine sat at her desk, wiping her eyes rereading the last letter she received from Italy.
Yes, Stefan is wonderful, I never would've believed fatherhood could be so liberating. But this isn't the only reason I'm writing this time. I've lost her, Janine. Our last discussion was me telling her I never wanted children. I was too afraid they could turn out screwed-up like me. But Stefan has changed all that. But I've gotten off the subject.
Believe it or not, I actually saw Charlie in Italy, he was skating cross-country. He told me Caroline was getting married.
Therefore, I've given this an incredible amount of thought. I have to see her, Janine. Only see her, I won't be talking to her, but I have to see her one last time. I love her, Janine. I can't bear the fact of not seeing her one last time before she's lost to me forever.
Stefan and I will be in touch.
-Richard
Janine sighed heavily, folding the letter. She'd heard somewhere that Caroline Duffy's wedding was today. Which was good, they could be miserable together.
Janine was jealous of Richard. He was so sure of what he wanted now. He loved Caroline. Loved her so deeply that he was going to cross a continent to quietly watch her marry another man because that's what made her happy. On second thought... she wasn't jealous of him.
Egon had been working at the college with a professor in physics, explaining the theories behind their work. She'd watched them together the couple of times he'd taken her with him. She'd watched how his eyes lit up when she knew of what he was speaking, how he'd get excited when she offered plausible theories for him to work on.
She could give him none of that. In the time they'd been dating she still couldn't figure out a quantum charger, from an ionic particle or even if there were such things. He deserved to be with someone who challenged him, not someone with whom he had to dumb down his speech so he could be understood.
"Janine?"
She looked up as the object of her thoughts walked down the stairs, eyeing her worriedly.
"What's wrong?" he asked, walking towards her. She stood up quickly, wiping her eyes. She had to do this fast.
"Egon, I..."
The doors to the firehouse opened, interrupting what she had to say. Two people ran in, quickly shutting the doors behind them. One was in a huge wedding dress, and the other.
"Richard?" Janine asked, walking quickly towards the pair. Only then did she notice who was in the wedding dress, wearing the most stupid grin on her face she'd ever seen.
Richard stepped foreword, still clutching onto Caroline's hand.
"I didn't inturrupt the ceremony, I swear," he told her smiling.
"It's all Stefan's fault," Caroline said, laughter in her voice. That's when Janine noticed the bundle in Richard's arms.
"This is Stefan? May I?"
Richard handed over the bundle to her.
"Caroline?" Egon asked, stepping towards the three. "I read somewhere you were getting married today."
Caroline smiled widely.
"Hello Egon. I ran out. This is the third wedding I've jumped out of," she looked over at Richard. "But no more."
She looked over at Janine, who was still cooing over baby Stefan.
"Richard told me about your friendship on the way over here. I never would have pictured you two as striking up a friendship."
Janine smiled up at her. "After the problems with Del and Julia, we decided it would be better if we didn't tell anyone. But Richard has become one of my dearest, closest friends. And I'm glad you two are finally together."
"I did promise I would stop by to show off Stefan before we left," Richard told her. Janine nodded, handing the baby back to his father.
"I expect letters," she said, hugging him tightly. "I'll miss you."
"And I you," he whispered. "Take you chances now Janine, while there's time."
She nodded, turning to hug Caroline. The four said their good-byes, then Caroline and Richard were gone.
Janine stood there, a great loss filling her. Then she felt arms slide around her waist.
"I never realized you had remained friend with him," she heard Egon say.
She slipped out of his grasp, turning to face him.
"I need to talk with you."
Egon searched her face, then nodded quietly, guiding her gently into Peter's office. Sitting her down in one of the chairs, he leaned against the desk.
"What's wrong?"
She took a deep breath, it was better to get this out now. "I want you to be happy." He watched her, waiting for her to finish.
"I believe you could be happier with someone who could stimulate you. After watching you these past weeks on this project, I realized I'm not smart enough to keep you stimulated or even intelligent enough to carry on a conversation with you. You need someone better. You have that with Dr. Parsons."
Egon tilted his head giving her a curious look. "Are you finished?"
She nodded, refusing to meet his eyes. Sighing, he knelt down, raising her face slightly until she had to look at him.
"Janine, Dr. Parsons is twenty-one and engaged to marry an executive. Now it is true that I do find her discussions about physics intriguing, and very cutting-edge, I do not believe she would be the type of person I could find myself interacting with socially. And just because you cannot argue the theories of physics on a genius level does not mean I do not find you stimulating. You make me think on other levels, about things not related to science. I've never found a conversation with you either boring or pointless. And as Peter is fond of saying there are other ways of stimulating a person other than the intellectual level."
Janine blushed.
"We may have not been intiment for very long, but never doubt I love you. There never will be another woman who will capture my heart so completely, nor work so hard to capture it."
She sniffed. "I only want you to be happy." she said softly.
"I am happy when I'm with you." he told her.
She looked up at him, not quite believing what she'd heard. He's never talked that personally before.
"You mean it?"
He nodded. "Every word. Now originally I intended to come down here to ask if you wished to have dinner with me tonight. But I think maybe a movie might be in order also."
"We could pick something up, and rent a movie?" she suggested.
"I think I'd like that. Let me get my jacket."
He kissed her lightly, then left the small office. Janine sat there, thinking about Richard and Caroline. Okay, so she and Egon had a longer route to go. They had just begun this road. And even thought their road would not end in Italy, it would no doubt end as happily. And if there were four people in this world who needed the happy endings, it was them.