Snowflakes and Misunderstandings
Chapter Five
Calleigh woke up with a start, almost reaching across from her and taking the sleeping form into an embrace, remembering at the last moment, that she wasn't home, and that he wasn't with her.
She got up and stretched, hoping not to wake Chauncey, and made her way to the bathroom Her Uncle had told her to be ready to go at any time so she went ahead and started to dress. She turned on the lights and gazed at herself in the mirror. Her hair was very messy and she still had sleep in her eyes. She wondered if this is what Tim saw every morning when they got up. Shaking her head, she smiled at her reflection and placed a well guarded hand on her stomach, trying to keep it settled.
In moments she was dressed and refreshed, heading down to the kitchen. Someone had started to stir around and she could smell the breakfast as it sizzled on the stove. The smells brought back good memories from her child hood, the summers she spent here with her grammy and the winter gatherings of her family. Her heart dropped as she thought about her lost chance to share this with him, but she put on a smile as she rounded the corner to face her Aunt as she stood at the stove. A fresh pot of coffee had been brewing and Calleigh reached for her mug eagerly.
As she poured herself a cup, she turned to her aunt and asked, " You need any help, Aunt Estelle?"
Estelle turned her and smiled brightly, her eyes twinkling under the glasses, " No, everything's fine. I'm almost finished. Why don't you grab a plate?"
Calleigh nodded and moved to fix her plate, then sitting back down, hungrily. She waited for her Aunt to join her and then she began to eat. Estelle watched her eat as she sipped her coffee and couldn't contain her pride for her niece. She had gone from being a trouble maker in school to a very prestigious college, to becoming a CSI. Everyone in the Duquense Duffries family was proud of her.
" So, I hear your boyfriend is M. I. A . What happened?"
" You know what, Aunt Estelle, I really can't remember. All I know is that I miss him."
" I can see that , and I see something else. I'm glad that you are happy in your life, Cal. You've come a long way."
"Thanks, Aunt Estelle. How's Jack jr doing?" Calleigh asked between bites not wanting to dwell on it.
" He's fine. We can't wait for his tour of duty to be up. When he gets back, I'm tying him to the door. I worry so much about him."
"I'm sure that he'll be okay. Did Uncle Jack say that they were clearing the airport ?"
" He hasn't said, but he did tell me that it should be soon. The storm passed about six this morning, and they said that it will take at least five hours to de ice the planes and make the run ways safe."
"So I'm looking at getting out of here around noon," Calleigh said as she glanced at the clock in the kitchen.
" Remember too that it's Christmas Eve. So add on about four more hours to that."
"Four hours? Does it get that bad in Savannah?"
" Four hours is a good time, especially for Savannah. You gotta remember ,Cal, we are not that metro."
Calleigh laughed and continued eating. So she would have to spend a few extra hours in Savannah. It didn't matter, as long as the end result would be her in his arms by nightfall.
T/C
Tim woke up to the sounds of heavy metal music blaring from the room opposite his, and groaned as he turned over and put the pillow over his head. He had a wonderful dream about her, and to be jarred out of it by the sounds of heavy guitar rifts , didn't make Tim a happy man. The door opened and his room filled with the noise and he picked up a pillow, and threw it. He knew who it was, because his parents and his brother knew not to come to his door before he showed his face . It was an unspoken rule in the Speedle home.
" Hey! I'm telling... Mom!" little Tommy said as he slammed the door. Tim sat up with a wicked smile on his face and pulled the covers back. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.
He took his time getting ready and dressed, making sure to shave. His mother making a fuss over his hygiene was something he wanted to avoid. Thankfully , the music stopped and the house was quiet. As he came out of the bathroom, he saw Jayson walk out of his room with a certain Siamese cat.
" You know, you'll never get away with it," Tim commented , startling Jayson.
" She'll never know," Jayson replied as he held the beast closer to him.
" You're asking for it. What's the big idea with the heavy metal? That crap woke me up." Tim asked as Jayson walked closer to him. He could feel his nose start to itch as they came closer. That was his focus of his hatred of cats, his severe allergies. " Keep that thing away from me."
"What you don't want to pet Simon?" Jayson asked as he shoved the cat closer, causing Tim to sneeze. Jayson started to laugh as Tim continued to sneeze heavily. " Got a cold , Timmy?"
" You are about as bad as that little demon boy running around here," he said as he sneezed again. " Pay back's a bitch, remember that."
Suddenly, a frantic yell coursed through the house and Tim recognized it immediately. Aunt Jackie had noticed the absence of her dear cat.
" You better go ahead and get him back down there before she sends a search party," Tim said humorously as he eyed Jayson.
"TIMMY! JAYSON! Have you seen Simon?" Jackie yelled up the stairs almost in tears. Tim smiled wickedly at Jayson and nodded his head.
Jayson sighed heavily and glared down at the cat, " You are safe for now," then to his brother, " Buzzkill."
Tim laughed as he rubbed his nose, walking back to his room. The action of the moment had given him something to think about instead of missing her. As he came to the stillness of his room, he went to his coat pocket and pulled out a small box. Smiling to himself, he picked up the phone and called the airport. He would grab a flight to Savannah and be there by nightfall.
T/C
Four hours later...
" Am I ready? Of course, just let me grab my bags," Calleigh said happily into the phone. Her uncle had called from the hangar and told her that they had cleared the airport sooner than they thought they would and it was open for business. Calleigh jumped into motion, with the phone still in her hand and nudged a slumbering Chauncey. " Chauncey, get up. It's time for me to go."
" Huh?"
" Take me to the airport. Uncle Jack is ready to go," Calleigh said as she held the phone with her hand over the mouth piece.
" Get someone else to take you, I'm taking a nap,"Chauncey said as she rolled over on the couch. She had just gotten up no more than three hours ago and hadn't done anything to have made herself tired.
Calleigh glared at her cousin as she brought the phone back to her ear, " Uncle Jack, Chauncey won't take me... I got to find a way..."
" Cal, give the phone to Chauncey," Jack said sternly.
Calleigh handed the phone to Chauncey and watched her as she grabbed the phone angrily, "Yeah dad?" Calleigh continued to watch as Chauncey's demeanor got more and more darker as she listened. Afterwards, she handed the phone to her cousin and got up. " You are so lucky that you are family."
" Likewise, Chauncey. I need to get to Syracuse."
" Hold your horses, girl. You'll get there. Get your stuff and meet me at the car."
Calleigh moved into action and grinned . She would get to him if it was the last thing she did.
T/C
Two hours later...
Tim walked down the stairs with his bags in his hands, feeling a little better about the day. He had found a flight that was leaving at five o'clock and he made the reservations figuring that he would be in Savannah by at least seven thirty, eight at the latest. He met his mother at the base of the stairs, her expression telling her disappointment.
"Timmy, it's Christmas Eve, can't you wait until tomorrow?" she asked as she put a hand on his arm. She didn't want her boy alone on Christmas Eve.
" I have to see her, mom. I'll call you when I get there, okay?"
"Sure?"
"Positive... I left all of the gifts under the tree, and told Jayson to send mine to Miami."
"Tim..."
"It's okay mom."
She sighed as she saw him go into the living room to say good bye to his family. She glanced out of the window to see a taxi cab coming up the street. Fast. Interesting, she thought.
T/C
"Thanks so much, Uncle Jack! Kiss Aunt Estelle for me," Calleigh said into the phone as she got into the cab. They had landed almost ten minutes ago and Calleigh could feel her adrenaline pulsing through her. She had to get to him quickly. She turned to the cabbie and asked, " How fast can you get me to 132 Saunderson Square?"
" Twenty minutes, but the traffic..."
Calleigh pulled out two twenties and handed it to him, " Can you make it ten?"
" I sure as hell can try," the cabbie replied as he pushed the money into his pocket. " Sit back, and buckle up."
Calleigh did as she was told and gazed out at the snow on the ground, thinking of him.
" Dispatch, this is cab 12, have a priority, make sure route to Saunderson Square is clear," the cabbie said into the radio.
" Ralph, all routes cleared, take your time and be careful," dispatch returned. The cabbie smiled at Calleigh through the rearview mirror and pressed the gas, sending the car careening . Calleigh held on, but laughed. What a way to make an entrance.
T/C
Tim stood above his Great Aunt Josephine as she talked about the Christmases passed . He rolled his eyes slightly as she launched into her second wind , and glanced at his watch. He was going to be late if he didn't stop the insanity.
" Aunt Jo, that's nice, but I 've got to go... I've got a flight to catch," Tim said as he saw his mother go to the door. He walked to her and saw what she was looking out at. A cab had come to a rough stop in the drive way. He saw a figure get out of the cab hurriedly and turn to face the house. Instantly, he knew it was her.
"Calleigh," he said to himself as he moved past his mother. He ran onto the porch and stepped down on the steps. As soon as he did, he felt his body get tossed into the air, and then felt himself come to a rest on the soft snow that was still pilled in the driveway. Calleigh looked at him in horror as she walked quickly to him , while the people were filing out of the house.
"Tim! Are you okay?" Calleigh asked as she bent down to give him a hand. The touch sent shivers down her spine as she glowed.
" I am now," Tim answered smiling as he got to his feet. " How...? I..."
" My Uncle Jack flies charter, I left this afternoon. I couldn't stand to be away from you another minute,"Calleigh returned as she felt the tears come to the surface. Looking at him, she knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
"You don't know how close I came to getting on a plane tonight. I'm glad you were determined," Tim said as he put his hand on her cheek. He smiled warmly at her, feeling the love that wafted off of her.
" You were going to go to Savannah? For me?"
" I love you, Cal," he simply said as he leaned in for a kiss. Calleigh eagerly met him and pulled him in further, wrapping her arms around him. When they finished, they smiled at each other and then turned to look at their audience. " I'm sure they are wondering who you are."
" Well, there will be introductions later. I've got something to tell you," she whispered as she leaned her head against his chin, savoring the scent of him. She never wanted to let him go. To her surprise, he pulled her away, "Tim?"
" There's something I have to do," Tim said as he reached into his pocket. Snowflakes had started to fall again, dropping into his dark hair. He opened the tiny box and pulled a ring out, it sparkling brilliantly. Dropping to one knee, he took her left hand and poised the ring on the tip of her finger. " Calleigh, I love you so much and the past sixteen hours has let me know that I can't live without you and I won't. Calleigh... will you marry me?"
Calleigh looked down at him , her tears dropping . The snow had started to fall more as she looked into his brown eyes, feeling the intense love coming from them.
Without a thought, she nodded her head vigorously , " Yes, Tim. I will... I will."
Tim slipped the ring onto her finger and stood up, taking her into a kiss. The snow covered them both as the family stood on the porch , shivering and smiling. Tim laughed slightly , breaking the kiss and looked down at her. The love that he felt at that moment was overwhelming and he felt as if he couldn't take another breath. He loved her deeply. She smiled as she pulled away from him, this time giving him the chance to look surprised.
" I have something for you," she said as she touched her stomach. She pulled his hand to hers and placed it softly . " It won't arrive for another nine months."
"Calleigh,... you're pregnant?" Tim asked breathlessly as a huge smile broke across his face.
" Yes... I know it wasn't talked about..."
" No, Cal... I love you and I love my child, and I want you in my life forever. Forever," Tim said as he took her in an embrace. They parted and smiled at the family who were clapping and still shivering. He walked with her hand in hand up the steps as the cabbie brought her bags behind them. Jayson grabbed them and gave the cabbie a tip and he left happily. Tim glanced around at his family then to Calleigh, " Everyone, I would like for you to meet Calleigh. Calleigh, everyone."
Laughter was abound as they greeted her and promptly started to return into the house. His mother and father came up to them and gave her a hug.
"So did we hear right? Our Timmy's going to be a father?" his father asked.
" Poor kid," Jayson quipped as he received a swat on the head by Tim. Calleigh laughed and turned to Tim, smiling .
" Yes, he is," she replied.
" Congratulations son," the elder Speedle said . He motioned for them to go inside and Tim nodded at him. He wanted one last moment with her before joining in the foray. When they left, he gazed into her eyes and sighed softly.
"Can we not do that again?" he asked.
" If you promise , I will," Calleigh returned leaning into him, losing herself in his embrace. This was the happiest moment of her life. It was Christmas Eve and she had all that she had ever wanted. Even through snowflakes and misunderstandings, her life was complete.
The End