Love is in the Air

Chapter 11

Mac let her hands slowly wind down away from his neck and down his chest. "Your gift is on the bed."

Harm raised one suggestive brow. Mac chuckled, sliding her hand down along his arm and catching his hand in hers, she tugged at him to follow her.

He looked a moment at the flat package wrapped in bright paper. It was too thin to be lingerie, too square to be anything ... playful, or at least he thought it was.

"Are you going to analyze it to death with that x-ray vision of yours or are you going to open it?" Mac teased, nudging him towards the bed.

He moved closer to the bed with about as much gusto as a member of the bomb squad approaching an unknown apparatus. "I promise it won't bite," she smiled.

Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, he smiled back at her, let go of her hand, and sat down to examine the gift more closely. Untying the ribbon, Harm pulled out the smaller narrow box taped to the larger package and began pulling at the bow.

"Uh-uh. Open the other one first."

Staring at her curiously for a moment, he nodded and set the smaller thin box on the bed, then returned his attention to the gift Mac wanted him to unwrap first. Slipping his finger under the taped flap, he ripped the topside open. "I'm not as good at this as you." Mac opened every gift with careful determination, dragging out every possible second of anticipation, and saving every piece of paper. He, on the other hand, grinning madly, gripped the now loose section of paper and tore it completely away from the package.

It took him a few seconds to recognize the faces staring back at him. "Oh, Mac. This is... wonderful." He ran his finger over the first photo of he and his parents in the upper left-hand corner. As his eyes followed a trail from photo to photo, he swallowed back the lump in his throat.

Mac took a few steps closer and sat down beside him. "I had a hard time deciding on the photos, there were so many. Do you like it?"

"Oh, I really do." Pulling the rest of the paper away he noticed for the first time how beautiful the frame was. "This is magnificent. Absolutely magnificent."

"I thought we could hang it by your desk in the den. You know, when you're working late." Mac hadn't realized she was nibbling on her lower lip, nervously waiting for his reaction.

"That's a great idea." His voice came out low, and quiet, almost reverent. "This is perfect, Mac. Thank you." He leaned over, his lips barely touching hers with a tender gesture of love and thankfulness. There was no resisting the urge to scan over the treasured memories again. His eyes were drawn to each photograph over and over.

"Our life looks so simple this way." His finger rested on the Harrods bear. "What's this?"

"I cut it out from a Harrods ad."

"Why?"

"I thought you might want to choose the picture that goes in the last frame."

"Oh." He looked back at the frame, still not sure why she hadn't chosen the last photo herself, she'd done a wonderful job with all the others, or why she'd used a Harrods' teddy bear.

Mac waited a few moments as he processed the meaning of everything before him. "Are you going to open the other gift?"

He'd been so engrossed in the memories and emotions brought to life in the two-dimensional layout he held before him, he'd completely forgotten about the smaller package. Setting the frame down carefully, he pulled the wrapping away from the second box. Opening the lid, he stared at the narrow plastic pen.

Watching him take the plastic tester out of the box and study it with confused determination, Mac knew the moment he realized what he was holding.

"Is this..." he stammered, suddenly recognizing what the blue lines meant on this rather odd pen.

"Mm hmm," she nodded.

He glanced back at the plastic stick, then up at her. "Really?"

"Really," she nodded again.

"When?"

"When what?"

"When did it happen?"

Mac chuckled quietly. "Well, I can't be sure of the exact moment, but the doctor says I'm due around October 27th."

Harm was totally stunned. "Wow, a baby." He shook his head slowly, staring at the plastic stick. "A baby in October," he repeated quietly, then practically shouted, "A baby in October."

Before she had a chance to brace herself, Harm had stood up, pulled Mac into his arms and was spinning her wildly around the room.

"HEY!" she laughed loudly.

"Oh, Mac, I'm sorry. Did I make you dizzy? Hurt you? The baby?" He pulled away, loosening his hold on her, making sure she was steady on her feet.

"No, I'm fine," she laughed again. "I just like breathing."

"Oh, Mac. We did it!" He pulled her into another hug, this time not quite as forceful, but just as emotional.

"We did, didn't we?" she murmured into his neck. "I love you."

Pulling away to look into her eyes, his lips moved close to hers. "I love you too."