All Roads Lead Home

Chapter 2

It had taken Christine and the girls awhile to get home, but finally; it had happened. They had returned to the house in Norfolk and found the house reasonably cared for and the bills paid. It helped Christine greatly and she had finally met with the man Mike had hired to keep the house up. She was able to convince him to not tell Mike what was going on. She knew someday, Mike would return.

She missed her husband. Sure, the last year before the Red Flu had been rough. Mike was gone a lot, and she refused to understand. She accused him of things that he would never do. Told him the morning he was leaving that she was going to file for divorce while he was gone. Christine remembered the look of heartbreak on his face and how he had actually blinked away tears. She only had ever seen him cry a few times; at the births of each of their children and when his mom had died. Knowing she had done that to him had chipped away at her conscious for years.

Christine wasn't sure if Mike would have anything to do with her, but she knew he would want to be reunited with their daughters. He might very well file for divorce once he discovered that she and the girls were living at the Norfolk house. But the girls would have their dad and Mike would help Christine get started again, of that she was certain.

She had read about Mike's retirement and she was beyond proud of him. The comparison to Theodore Roosevelt made her laugh, but there was a tiny amount of truth to it. She wondered how long it would be before he returned to the Norfolk house. Every night as she got ready for bed, she imagined cuddling up next to Mike and how they would talk for hours at times. About the kids, the house, the future and the past. She still had a shirt that she thought had his unique scent on it, that she kept under her pillow. The one thing she couldn't do was imagine falling asleep on his chest and hearing his heartbeat, the way he snored very slightly and how sometimes; in his sleep, he would kiss the top of her head.

About a week after hearing of Mike's retirement, a strange SUV pulled up. Christine made sure Katie and Hannah were busy with their schoolwork, before stepping outside; figuring it was Mike's accountant. A moment later, the man got out of the vehicle, and Christine immediately recognized Mike. She thought about running to him, but she didn't want him to have a heart attack and he might not be so happy to see him. So, she stepped off the porch and waited.

"Mike?" She finally called his name and he stopped in his tracks.

"Is this a dream? Mike asked as he closed the distance and put both hands on either of her shoulders.

"No, its not. It is a long story, but its no dream." Christine replied.

"The girls…did they…are they…alive?" Mike asked.

"They are inside. Studying. We've been here for awhile now. I convinced the man you hired not to tell you. Perhaps I should have, and then you wouldn't have been in pain." Christine said. She had been able to grasp Mike's hands and she squeezed, hoping he wasn't too mad.

"Its…alright. I'm just so glad you are all okay." Mike said before pulling her into a hug. For a moment, she thought he might squeeze her too hard, but it felt so good. She could hear his heart beating and could smell that same scent.

"I missed you so much. I was afraid you'd never come back." Christine admitted.

"I had to eventually. I had to stop running from what I thought was my reality. Now; I really want to see my girls. We can talk later?" Mike suggested. Christine pulled away but nodded. She took Mike's hand in her own and led him into the familiar house to be greeted by the happy screams from the girls. Both Katie and Hannah ran to Mike and he was hugging them both as tightly as he had hugged Christine. For Christine, it was beautiful beyond measure.