Return

It was dark when he entered the room, and for a second he didn't see anything. The faint light that came from the moon-lighted window illuminated barely more than rough outlines, and he stopped and waited, searched with his eyes the darkest corner of the room to make them adapt to the darkness.

She was sitting the nursing chair next to the bed. Her face was half obscured by the shadows creeping from all corners of the room, but then he saw that she held Jamie on her lap, cradled his dark head on her shoulder.

"Bekka?" he asked, 'Becka,' but there was no answer, just a soft sigh in the silence of the room, and he knelt down next to her, his hand going to Jamie's small back, the warmth and steady rhythm of his son's heart under his hand oddly comforting.

But still there was no answer, and he reached up and gently touched her cheek, only to discover that she had been crying.

"Rebekka?"

"I'm angry, Adam," she whispered as not to wake Jamie, but her voice caught on a sob and he reached up to cradle her in his arms, their son between them, and held her tight.

"I know," he said and buried his lips in her hair, smelled the sweet fragrance he had feared he'd never be able to smell again, touch again, feel again.

"I'm sorry."

Rebekka just sobbed, her fingers dug into his arm and ribs as if she never wanted to let go again, and he pulled her down to him, until they were all on the ground, his wife and son nestled in his arms.

"I was so afraid," she whispered, her head so close to his neck that he could feel her breath on his skin, making him shiver. "Afraid you'd never come back, afraid I'd never see you again…"

Her hand reached for his, stroking softly the scab on his wrist where the bindings had cut through his skin, and he tightened his hold on his family when the images of those days came back to him, images of those two days bound and gagged when he didn't know whether he'd live or die, whether he' d see his family again, feel their bodies, hold them tight.

For a long time they just sat still, not moving, enjoying each other's presence, their warmth in the darkness around them. Then Rebekka squirmed softly against his body and Adam felt the heat inside him rise when her hand moved softly along him. He tried to see her face in the darkness, but just felt her heartbeat when his hand brushed over her bodice.

"I need you, Adam."

Her voice was breathless and seemed to catch in her throat, but he wasn't too sure he was able to speak even if he tried. It took only a second to tug Jamie into bed, then he turned back to his wife. He was home after all. Tomorrow he'd face the consequences of his actions and the wrath of his wife that he had risk his life. Tonight he'd enjoy the feeling to be safe and loved. Then a hand reached up and pulled him down to soft lips, and all further thought vanished from his mind.

xxx

the end