Chapter 2:
Some time later, well into the morning, Rafe and Livvie emerged from their home and into the winter wonderland February air. Always the model of chivalry, Rafe walked with Livvie to the passenger side of their SUV and opened the door for her. After a short drive, the couple made a quick stop at the cheery, cozy little coffeehouse that Livvie adored and ordered two large drinks to go.
"What are you doing" Rafe asked Livvie. She had exited the café before him and she now stood with her back to the entrance, appearing to ignore him.
"Livvie?" he said. "Olivi… ugh!" The last syllable of her given name was more of a grunt due to the unexpected force of the snowball pelting him in the chest. He stood surprised for a moment as she let out a peal of silvery laughter and then sprinted away, careful not to spill the mocha she held between her gloved hands.
Rafe brushed the cold, wet powder from his black coat and chased after her. He caught her as she was trying to jump into the passenger seat of the vehicle. He wrapped both of his muscular arms around her waist and lifted her into the air, careful to avoid her flailing legs. With a spirited laugh, Rafe tossed Livvie into the snow covered yard in front of the coffee house and quickly pinned her wrists above her head with his left hand while he proceeded to pour handfuls of snow down her jacket with his right.
"Rafe!" she screamed through her laughter, "Quit! It's cold!"
"You started it," he reminded her and stopped for a second to give her a moment of reprieve while he laughed at her sullen expression. Rafe rose from the ground and pulled Livvie to her feet.
"Now I'm going to be all wet for the drive to Port Charles," she sulked as she wiped the slush from the front of her puffy white coat.
"I've got a button down shirt in the back of the car," Rafe informed her as he brushed the remaining snow from the baby blue woolen cap atop her raven tresses. "Now," he kissed her pouting lower lip, "let's go to the bookstore and pick up the kids."
A short time later, Rafe and Livvie left the bookstore with two full bags. One bag was full of brightly colored storybooks and fairy tales for Ayden and Colin and the other with various novels and how-to books for their parents.
"Thank you for this Rafe," Livvie said to her husband, taking his hand and intertwining their fingers as he drove them down the snowy, icy highway to the town of Port Charles.
"There's no need to thank me Livvie. After everything you do for me, I should be doing things like this for you more often," he replied.
"What do I do for you?" she asked with a quizzical look. Motherhood had changed Livvie and she no longer harbored the same selfish desires and ideas she once had. She had come to putting her family first and no longer plotted or schemed. Well, except when it came to the truth of Ayden's parentage, but that was not really an issue anymore. Rafe loved Ayden more than any father could love his children and Livvie was no longer concerned with his learning the truth. So now, when Rafe posed this statement, a humble Livvie was confused.
Rafe looked into her eyes and fervently replied, "You really have no idea do you?" Without waiting for her to answer, he said, "Livvie, not only did you give me the two most gorgeous children in the world, but you are my wife and I love you. You've been so supportive of me in everything that I do and I like to do these little things to show my appreciation of that. I know that we had a rocky start. Well, that's sort of an understatement isn't it? We had our difficulties at the beginning of our marriage, but I am happier now than I have ever been in my life."
"The life you remember," Livvie thought to herself. The only thing that she ever truly worried about any more was the sudden return of Rafe's memory. The thought of Rafe remembering his former life and his love for Alison was the one worry that kept her awake at night.
Snapping Livvie from her thoughts, Rafe tenderly kissed the back of her hand, gave it a comforting squeeze, and after flashing her a loving smile he turned his complete attention back to the road.
