Chapter 11-The Perfect Storm
Tessa sighed as she climbed out the window. She figured that it was best for her to just deal with this herself. She found that it was easy to reach the ground. She looked up and marveled at how far she'd climbed. She turned when she heard a noise in the rose bushes.
"Zoë?" She asked. No reply came and she approached the bushes.
So Tessa searched the backyard for her sister and she climbed to their tree house to look for her, but she was nowhere to be found. Finally Tessa made it out onto the street. She was puzzled by where she should go next so she stopped and she prayed and she ran down the street toward central park.
'This is perfect.' She thought, as it was widely known that Central Park was just not a safe place to be at night. Especially for a little girl, remember, Zoë is only eleven. By the time that Tessa reached the park it began to rain. It started out slow and became a torrential downpour as she ran. She prayed that she'd find her sister safe and sound. Eventually she stopped to catch her breath. She was soaking wet, and very thankful that she was wearing jeans because she was also covered in mud. As for her pink converse tennis shoes, well, she figured that she should probably just throw them away. She surveyed the area around her as she rested and quickly checked her watch. She had no idea just how long she'd been running, searching and praying. Now she felt like she was going to cry. Suddenly she decided to take a new direction and she began running again. After what seemed like forever she came upon a bench, which she'd never known was there, (she thought that she knew almost every inch of this park by now). The bench was sheltered by a canopy that the trees had made, and there she found Zoë. She approached her very quietly. The last thing that she wanted to do was allow her to run a way. Zoë was also soaking wet and she was sobbing, she sat on the bench hugging her knees her head down. Tessa could feel herself begin to cry at the sight of her sister, so miserable. She sat next to her and quickly took her in her arms. To her surprise, Zoë hugged back.
"Shu. There now. It's alright." Tessa said through her own tears.
"Then how come you're crying?"
"Because I feel the same way you do." She admitted. "But I promise it'll be okay."
"I, I just hate it when Uncle Adam and Aunt Gloria tell me what to do. It makes me feel like, like…"
"Please don't say it. I know what you mean. They mean well you know. They love us, they just want to protect us."
"I know Tessa. I'm just scared." Tessa hugged her sister even tighter.
"I know. I know."
"Do we have to go home?"
"No. Not yet."
……………………
Andrew and Monica walked along the beach hand in hand. They were having the best time that they could recall having in years, or, at least the most peaceful. As they walked neither of them said a thing, they just merely enjoyed each other's company. Monica could feel the silky sand under her feet and the breeze blowing on her face as they walked.
"Is everything alright?" He asked her.
"Yes darling, everything is at perfect peace." She kissed him, and they continued walking.
"You miss the kids, don't you?" Monica said nothing in reply. "I do too, you know?"
"You do?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'm really beginning to."
"I'm glad. But…"
"But what?"
"I still want to stay. Just for a little while at least."
"I do too." He said, just as thunder struck and a flash of lightening hit, striking the nearest tree, casing it to fall. It narrowly missed them.
Andrew didn't hesitate and grabbed his wife's hand and together they ran threw the woods. Monica was scared. She thought that running threw the woods would only bring them into more danger. She, however, was too afraid to say anything. So she clung desperately to his hand, and it began to rain heavily as they ran. Her fear of loosing him at this time, out weighed all other emotions that were running threw her mind. Finally they came upon a cave and they ran inside. Monica thought that this cave was unsafe, but better than outside where they had a chance of having a tree fall on them. Monica and Andrew struggled to catch their breath as they sat down, still clinging to each other. When Monica had finally caught her breath she turned to her husband, and looked deep in his green eyes. He, in turn stared back into her eyes, which were full of fear, and the fear was threatening to spill out.
He wanted, more than anything to make her fear go away. So, he took her in his arms and just held her. She felt safe in his embrace and she lye her head on his chest. He ran his fingers threw her hair as his eyes traveled around the dark cave. He hoped that there was noting else in that cave but them, like bats for example. But he was comforted when the sky grew darker and nothing happened. The storm was growing worse. It was evident that they'd have to be there for quite a while. Inside the cave Andrew found some sticks to build a fire with, and so he did, and it gave them a sufficient amount of light. The cave however, was still dark. This upset Andrew a little, but he said nothing, as he could do nothing about it. This fact, made Monica smile because she thought that it was rather romantic, and she thought that this night and this setting were the perfect place for something romantic. Andrew lay back down on the ground next to his wife, and together they watched the fire. Andrew tightened his grip on his wife as the storm grew louder and louder.
They were cold, but they were glad to have each other's warmth. Monica turned around to face her husband. Even now, on the cold hard ground she was determined to have a romantic night. She threw her arms around him as their lips met. He tightened his hold on her, and he deepened their kiss, causing her to press her lips even harder against his, and finally pull away. After a few seconds he pulled her back into his embrace. She felt safe in his arms, happy, and also overwhelmed because she still could not believe that she was his wife and he was her husband. After all those years, it was still so very incredible to her. His warm hands ran up her back as he kissed her. Her skin tingled under his touch, and all she knew was that she wanted that moment to last forever.
………………..
The next morning, Tessa woke up and found that they were still in the park. The spring sun shone brightly in her face. They had slept there all night! It was then that Zoë began to stir and finally lifted her head.
"Zoë, get up quick. We slept here all night!"
"What time is it?"
"I don't know. But hurry." She said. "We have to get back before they know that we were gone."
So Tessa and Zoë got up and ran all they way back to the house. Once they got inside, they slowed down, but hurried to their room where they discovered that it was about six o'clock in the morning and that everyone was still asleep. So, they discarded their soaking wet clothes and hurried into their pajamas. It was then that they heard someone walking towards their room. They each dove into bed pretended to be asleep. Tessa was curious to see who was coming, and with one eye open, she watched as their doorknob turned clockwise…
