Calleigh looked around in satisfaction. She had spent much of her day off cleaning her condo in preparation for the big night. Eric was coming around for dinner and she wanted everything to be perfect. The dessert, which had taken her three hours, was chilling in the fridge, while the salmon steaks were marinating. She would be able to char grill them quickly when Eric arrived. A bottle of white wine was chilling alongside her perfect dessert. All that remained was to wash her hair and change into something more suitable.
An hour later, and Calleigh's calm was inching away. Eric was late. 20 minutes late. Calleigh knew and understood that life as a CSI was unpredictable at best, and that Eric might have been called out unexpectedly but still…. Would a phone call be too much to ask?
After another ten minutes Calleigh had stopped being angry and started being worried. What if something had happened? Eric had never been this late before. She had the phone in her hand, about to start ringing around the hospitals, when she heard the doorbell.
Eric staggered slightly as Calleigh opened her door and flung herself at him. "Thank God you're all right!"
Eric looked slightly awkward. "Sorry I'm late Cal. I had to finish some paperwork, and then I got caught up talking to the captain about Frankie's condition, and then it didn't worth a phone call, but then I got stuck in traffic…" Eric took a deep breath, aware that he was babbling. When Calleigh looked at him like that, her green eyes so bright that they seemed to hypnotise him, he forgot he was meant to be a smooth-talking ladies man. He forgot pretty much everything except the fact that Calleigh was there.
Calleigh was also feeling slightly foolish. Her greeting was probably a little over the top. After all, Eric was a grown man and a capable CSI. What was there to worry about? And more to the point, what had gotten into her? She had never been this tightly wound before.
An awkward silence descended; something that had never happened before between them. They had been such good friends for too long, dating each other had seemed like a natural progression. Calleigh muttered something about starting dinner and brushed past Eric into the kitchen.
"You aren't mad are you Cal?" Eric asked softly, coming to stand close behind her, wrapping his arms around her slender waist.
"You'll just have to make it up to me later," she joked, turning to face him. She stared at him silently for a moment, memorising for the thousandth time his features. The dark eyes that always seemed to be sparkling with humour, the generous mouth that could split into the cheekiest grin she had ever seen - there was no doubt about it. She was utterly, totally and completely in love with Eric Delko. She stretched up on tip toes to kiss him deeply. When she pulled back, she was laughing.
"What?" Eric sounded hurt.
"I was just thinking about how wonderful you are, but I've just remembered your one major fault," Calleigh replied, her eyes glittering with laughter. "You're far too tall! I have to stand on a chair to kiss you properly!"
"Oh, well, if that's the only problem, we can fix that," Eric said. Calleigh squeaked in shock as he picked her up easily and held her level to his face. "Getting altitude sickness yet?"
"No, but it is a lot colder up here. Care to warm me up?" Eric needed no other invitation.
When they both surfaced for air, Eric gently lowered her back to the floor. "So I'm wonderful, huh?" A glow of happiness spread through him. Calleigh thought he was wonderful. How much better could life get?
"Only if you let me get on with cooking dinner," Calleigh said as she shooed him out of the way. Fifteen minutes later, Calleigh served up her dinner, relieved that her perfect evening was back on track.
"Did you go see Frankie today?" Eric asked, halfway through wolfing down his meal. On top of everything else she was perfect at, Calleigh was practically a gourmet chef. He thought so anyway.
"Yeah, she's looking so much better now. The doctors reckon she could go home in a couple of days now."
"Bet she can't wait." Eric, like all Frankie's visitors, had sat through several hours of complaints about hospital beds, food, doctors and anything else she could think of.
"Especially as she's going home with Horatio. I've never seen either of them look so happy," Calleigh smiled.
"So you admit you might have been a tiny bit hasty in wanting to murder the poor man?"
Calleigh looked sheepish for a second. "Just a tiny bit. I still say he was awful to her, but at least he's made up for it now." She stood to clear away the plates, but Eric beat her to it. "I'll sort out the dessert," she said, hoping that the concoction of meringue, fruit and cream would be as impressive as the recipe made it sound. Dessert, she decided, would be a good moment to try to steer the conversation around to the big 'I love you' announcement. She thought she heard the doorbell, but ignored it. Eric would get rid of whoever it was.
Carrying it as though it was made of precious china, she made her way carefully into the dining room. "Ta dah! Dad!"
To her utter shock, and a little horror, Kenwall Duquesne stood in her condo, swaying slightly, obviously drunk. "There's my little lambchop," he slurred. Eric met her gaze, sympathy shining in his eyes. "This young man has been very polite, but he's no substitute for my little girl!"
Calleigh managed a sickly smile. So much for her perfect evening. Putting her precious dessert down, she gave her father a quick hug. "What's the matter?"
Kenwall was distracted by the mountain of sticky goodness Calleigh had brought in. "Mmm, that looks good. Mind if your old dad has some?" What could she do but say yes? Calleigh almost cried as her father tucked into the pudding that had taken her three hours and was meant as a backdrop to her big announcement.
Eric had to look away. Calleigh's eyes were shining with what looked suspiciously like tears, and he hated her father at that moment. Anyone who made Calleigh cry was evil to his mind, but her father should know better. The long-suffering look on her face made him realise that he wasn't doing much to help though, so he offered to make everyone some coffee.
When he came back, bearing two cups of milky coffee, just the way Calleigh liked it, and one very strong black coffee for her father, he found them sitting on her sofa, while Kenwall poured out his latest problem. It appeared her mother had argued with him, so his solution had been to go and get drunk.
"Oh dad," Calleigh sighed. It was the resignation in her voice that hit Eric the hardest. He should have realised a long time ago what she was going through and done something to help her. What he could have done he wasn't sure, but surely there must have been something?
One very long, repetitive hour later, Kenwall nodded off to sleep and promptly started to snore. Eric exchanged weary looks with Calleigh and followed her out to the small balcony she had, with a distant view of the ocean. They fell back into the same position they had been in earlier, him standing behind her, his arms around her, supporting her, comforting her without words.
"I'm sorry about that," she whispered, her voice catching as she fought not to cry.
Eric tightened his hold around her before he spoke. "It's all right Calleigh. I only wish I could do something to help."
"It's not your problem."
It was Eric's turn to sigh, this time in frustration. "Of course it's my problem. I'm your boyfriend, and I want to be a part of your life. Every bit of it, not just the good stuff." Calleigh started crying properly then. He turned her around, and she buried her head in his chest.
"I wanted tonight to be perfect," she sobbed.
Eric almost laughed. Didn't she realise? "Cal, every moment I spend with you is perfect! Whether we're at work, alone, or with your dad. Or my mom for that matter," he added.
"Really?" He nodded. Calleigh snuffled, and tried to wipe her tears away. They kept falling, but she was crying for a different reason now. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "I love you."
She had spoken so softly Eric thought he was hearing things. "What did you just say?"
"I love you," Calleigh said, a little louder this time. Eric stared, unable to believe his ears. "Well, aren't you going to say something? Anything?"
Eric was utterly at a loss for words. Then he looked into her beautiful green eyes, and knew what he wanted to say. It was obvious now he came to think about it. He had loved Calleigh forever, but had just refused to admit it until now. "I love you too Calleigh Duquesne. I love you so much," he whispered, bending down to kiss her. As his lips touched hers, Calleigh thought briefly that perfect evenings can't be arranged: they just happen. Like love. Unexpectedly, unlooked for, but definitely there all the same.
