Thanks everyone for continuing to read and respond. As always the support is much appreciated.
Chapter Thirty
Christmas had been wonderful, not just with her family but Rick too. Her family had surprisingly been toned down, not as many fights and accusations as in past years. She did, however, have to deal with her mother's incessant prying about what happened with her and Mike. Michonne had not told her any details about the truth of what happened, only that she'd realized they weren't right for each other. Her mother had guessed as she had before that there had to be a third party involved, either another man, woman or both. However, Michonne had refused to confirm and eventually shut her mother down, by telling her she would leave – fly back to Atlanta that night, if the meddling didn't stop. Her mom had complied, letting the topic drop, though still making snide comments here and there, and giving her suspicious eyes throughout the remainder of the holiday.
She and Rick had not spent neither Christmas nor New Year's together, but they'd Facetimed numerous times during the holiday. They'd had a video chat on Christmas Eve, having one of their talks about religion and paganism, how Christmas was partly both. It was an interesting discussion that led them to having a friendly debate about the melting pot that had, to a point, become religion, and how with time a religion's true origin is lost due to the work of those who are in power bending the beliefs to their will in order to maintain control over the people. They'd spent the entire night Skyping, until they had no choice but to hang up and get some sleep so they'd be ready for their holiday activities with their families.
New Year's hadn't been ideal, but it was memorable, for it to be their first. She'd spent the Eve at Sasha and Bob's New Year's Eve party. She'd missed Rick, but had still managed to have a lot of fun, and just before midnight, he'd surprised her by calling her on Skye, which had allowed them to bring in the New Year together. She was dressed to the nines and looking beautiful in her glitter dress and dazzling makeup and he was simply Rick Grimes, dressed in his Sheriff's Deputy Uniform. He'd stopped on the side of the road, taking a quick break from his shift to wish her a Happy New Year. She'd answered the Skype call and heart soared to see his tender blue eyes and loving smile.
"Hey Baby. How's the party?" He'd softly asked.
"Good, but it'd be better if you were here." She'd quietly replied after stepping out onto the deserted balcony so that she could have privacy to talk.
"Next year. I promise I won't miss it for the world." He vowed.
"I'm holding you to that." She softly smiled. When she, and he, though over the phone, heard the countdown from inside. They instantly became quiet, listening to the numbers draw down, their eyes bound, silently expressing so much until the countdown finally reached zero, and the cheers erupted inside while the fireworks peppered the night sky from far away, prompting Rick to huskily utter…
"Happy New Year." His eyes smoldering with love, filling her with happiness, igniting a passionate yearning within her.
"Happy New Year." She whispered, her gaze mesmerized by his.
Though she'd been 300 miles away from the man she loved, it had been one of the most romantic New Year's she'd ever had.
The following Friday, Michonne was back in Rick's neck of the woods. They planned to spend the weekend in Palmer, but had decided to start their outing in Macon. For Rick, had been unexpectedly called to do a field training exercise in Hawkinsville and she would be driving down from work that afternoon. They figured it wouldn't make sense for her to drive past Hawkinsville to meet him in Palmer, when they could just meet in Macon, where there was more to do. They could have their Friday night activity there, then do Saturday and Sunday morning in Palmer. Therefore, they'd made plans to meet at the local movie theater in Macon. Rick had been waiting for about 15 minutes when Michonne had finally arrived. The minute he spotted her car, his heart ignited with anticipation and joy. Though it had only been a couple of weeks since they'd been in the same town, it felt as if it had been too long…
"Hey!" Rick exclaimed with a smile as he walked up just as Michonne exited her car.
"Hey!" She replied, then gave him a sweet kiss, which he instantly deepened, infusing it with passion.
"Happy New Year." He breathed against her mouth, really wanting to just take her home instead of do a movie.
"Happy New Year." Michonne breathlessly uttered, then took him in her arms and nearly melted at the feel of him around her. "What time does the movie start?" She then asked as they pulled away.
"30 minutes."
Moments later they'd made it inside, and barely had enough time to get their tickets, buy some popcorn and sodas and find a seat just before the lights went down. The theater was busy, being as it was Friday night and as a result, they'd not got the best seats. They were almost too close to the screen. They both thought the movie, Passengers, had been horrible. Rick had ended up snoozing during most of it due to boredom and Michonne had watched the whole thing, with her side eye firmly in place and was thrilled when it was finally over. Afterwards, they'd headed to a local Mexican restaurant for dinner, ordering a huge plate of chicken nachos and a couple of Margaritas.
"So how was your day?" Rick quietly asked, after returning from the restroom, then having a seat in the booth, slipping his hand over thigh, heating her, then kissing her lips.
"Good" She sighed. "How about yours? How was the class?"
"Good." Rick took a sip of his water and returned his attention to Michonne, to find her in a ruminative state, which prompted him to ask her what was wrong.
"I made a decision." She answered.
"About?"
"The position I'm going to take." She said and gave him her eyes.
"I thought you didn't have to decide until the end of the month?" He replied, briefly looking away, recalling how she'd turned down the promotion at her current firm and had in fact resigned. Her last day in that role being at the start of February. With the decision made about her current firm, she still had to make a choice between the other offers she'd received, one from a local firm and the other from a company in New York, both of whom had given her until the end of the month to decide.
"I don't." Michonne confirmed. "But I wanted to talk to you about my decision, before calling the firm and accepting."
"So which is it? The firm based in Atlanta or New York?" Rick asked, what he was certain he already knew.
"New York." She revealed and watched as he again looked down his disappointment apparent. "But I won't take it unless we can make it work with our relationship." She added, drawing his gaze back to her.
"Ok." He uttered with near relief. "Let's talk."
"Pros and Cons."
"Pros – The pay, benefits are outstanding. The opportunity to work on some of the largest accounts you've ever worked on. The professional growth. It'll provide the experience you need to advance to a leadership role in the industry." Rick stated, citing everything she'd told him about the position.
"Cons – I'll be traveling at most 60% of the time, which I'm almost doing now." Michonne seriously voiced. "Which means less time to see you. I'll be traveling at least 2-3 days out the week, every other week, but no travel on weekends. So we could still do what we're doing now, where we switch off doing dates in Atlanta and Palmer."
"Do you really think you'll be up for that?" Rick skeptically questioned. "You'll have been traveling for three days, then you're gone go home to Atlanta then drive three hours to Palmer?"
"Not every week." She countered. "Some weekends you'll be coming to Atlanta, if you're off." She said. "My schedule won't always consist of me being out of town three days out of the week I travel, but there will be times when I'm out of town a full week at a time."
"Do you have any idea what that'll look like?" Rick asked, but before she could answer the waiter arrived with their nachos and drinks.
"I'll have to be in New York every other week for at least three days and there's something else…" She began, hesitant to reveal the next part which he didn't know. "… during Fashion week I'll be traveling for a month, first in New York then Europe for the month of September." She responded after the waiter walked away.
"What?!" He exclaimed at hearing about the requirement from the New York firm. "So that means you'll be away from home the entire month of September?"
"Yes." She cautiously admitted.
"I don't like it." Rick honestly declared sitting back in the booth.
"I know, but Rick it's only one month out of the year." Michonne maintained. "And after that month in Europe, I'll receive two weeks of paid comp time that is separate from the four weeks vacation I'd get. I'd take the time in October. We could use it to make up for the time lost in September."
"But you'll be away 60% of the time, plus a full month in September." Rick shook his head, still not liking what he was hearing.
"How is that much different from what's happening now?" Michonne asked. "When I have to go to Seattle or Texas at the drop of the hat. And you're teaching your classes or having to working a non-traditional schedule that doesn't always leave you available at night or on the weekends?"
"It isn't." He conceded after some thought, recalling how in the months since they'd been together, they'd not always been able to visit each other. They'd had to resort to many of Skype dates, due to their work schedules not always permitting a drive to Palmer or Atlanta. "But if both of us have crazy schedules...I don't know, that 60% travel concerns me."
"I know. But it'll be alright. We'll make it work." She assured, holding his eyes as she gently squeezed his knee, warming every part of him with that simple gesture.
"And if it doesn't… work?"
"I'll give it up."
"What?!" Rick nearly gasped, looking her way in shock.
"I want my career, but I want you to." She softly stated.
"You'd give it all up for me?" He questioned in love and disbelief.
"If this job hinders our relationship, I'd resign and find something else." She honestly vowed. "I want to give us a chance." She said, which prompted Rick to take her lips in quiet relief.
"What does that mean?" She sighed, smiling at the joy and ardor his caress stirred.
"That I love you." He huskily answered, heightening her mirth and the hotness she felt. "And that… I want you take the job." He said, surprising her. "We give it a chance and if it doesn't work, we'll make the necessary adjustments."
"Agreed." Michonne nodded, beyond pleased with his support.
"But, there is a catch." He freely added, causing Michonne to lightly scoff and falsely roll her eyes. "I should've known I'd have to give you something more in return." She feigned a complaint then took a sample of the nachos which they'd been ignoring.
"You're already giving me everything I need." He seriously stated, which drew her eyes back to him.
"Then enlighten me." She inaudibly voiced, now intrigued by his assertion.
"When you come to Palmer for your next visit, I want us to spend time with Carl." Michonne turned her eyes away, then took a sip of her margarita before taking another sampling of the delicious nachos.
"I don't think he's ready." She stated, thinking about the stunts the young boy had previously pulled to keep Rick from spending any time with her. "I'm not ready." She admitted.
"He's never gone be ready and neither are you." Rick countered. "So that's why we should just do this. Just pull the band aid off and deal with the result."
"But if we do that, things could go very badly."
"It could. Or it could go better than we both expect."
"You know that's not going to happen." Michonne doubted, again giving him her eyes.
"I suspect what's going to happen, but I don't know what's going to happen." He rebutted, with a valid point. "It's been nearly two months since I told Carl about us and longer than that, since we've been together. It's time he know, see that we're not going anywhere and that he needs to accept this."
"But what if he doesn't accept this? What if it doesn't go well?" Michonne posed, expressing her lingering fear. "We won't ever get that moment back. We won't ever be able to give this more time." She said. "Is that a risk you're really willing to take?"
"It is."
Michonne had conceded, and thus they were taking that risk. She was nervous, more nervous than she'd been in ages. Though she and Rick had yet to make love, they'd come close a couple of times but she'd stopped herself. She didn't know why. She felt like she was 16 again and fearing having sex for the first time with her boyfriend. She'd talked to Sasha about it and even her doctor, both of whom informed her that it was perfectly normal for her to be reluctant be intimate after miscarrying, but it would just take time, to not put pressure on herself that she would get through it on her own timeline.
Though they weren't making love, things were going wonderfully for her and Rick. His divorce was finalized by the courts a couple weeks before, and they'd been enjoying their relationship without the black cloud that had been his pending divorce hanging over them. Still there was a chance that things could be turned on its head, go south, very quickly if their outing with Carl turned out to be a disaster. It had been two weeks since Rick had insisted on the action, that she'd meet Carl and now that the time was here, she felt more uncertain than the night the decision had been made to do this. Rick had let Carl know that this would be the day, the weekend in which he'd be spending time with her, only hours before her arrival. Purposely informing his son at the last possible minute in an effort to thwart any "illness" or 'injury" that would delay the meeting. Nevertheless, the plan wasn't for it to go this way, for them to meet today. However, at the last minute, Lori claimed she needed to go out of town, which unexpectedly left Carl with Rick that day - Saturday and moved their meeting up a day.
Michonne arrived at the community center in Palmer for the activity she'd suggested to Rick weeks ago. A class, which she'd teach, for a group of adolescents in local under privileged communities. It would be a fun activity that would expose the kids to more positive outlets for their energy and would make for a great addition to the other things the police were doing to engage the community. The Foundation who the Sheriff's departments was partnering with in Savannah were providing all the materials for the class – the canvases and paint, while King County Sheriff's Department would be hosting lunch, having pizza and cake with all the kids that participated. Michonne sat a moment in the parking space, not getting out the car, taking deep breathes as she stared ahead, attempting to calm herself, to not succumb to her desire to run away from what would soon be coming. She sat there a little while longer, then text Rick to let him know she was there and was a bit relieved when he responded that he was on his way.
Knowing they were not yet there gave her the courage to get out of the car, gather her materials and make her way inside where she met with the contact she'd been working with at the Foundation to help organize this event. They'd toured the "classroom" where the class would be held with the woman pointing out that all of the mini canvas and painting materials were set up. Additionally, Michonne was pleased to see that the room was illuminated well, with the perfection that was the late morning light streaming through the windows. After she and the woman toured and talked, going over the agenda for the day, Michonne had returned to the main activity room and began setting up her own canvas. She planned to do her own painting during the class, and was actually excited about doing it again, since she'd recently not had time to engage in her favorite hobby with her busy schedule. She continued to work on setting up her space and preparing her teaching materials, when she heard him behind her, Rick. She took a nervous breath, knowing that Carl would be with him and not really knowing how to act, then forced herself to smile then turned and greeted Rick and his son...
"Hey!" She exclaimed to which Rick replied the same, but before she could turn to greet Carl, Rick surprised her, commenting on how cute she looked in the overalls she wore, inspire a laugh, before planting a quick kiss on her lips, making her feel flushed, yet uneasy and shy all at once.
"Michonne, this is my son Carl." He then formally introduced her.
"Carl…"
"We've met or don't you remember." The boy retorted, taking her aback as he cut off her response.
"Carl…"
"I remember." Michonne then answered, stopping Rick's planned scolding of his son. "But that was a tough night, for all of us." She said, the memory of what she'd lost that night, panging in her heart. "I'm hoping we can put that behind us and start fresh."
"There is no us." Carl snapped.
"No. There isn't, but I was hoping we could at least give each other a chance." Michonne countered.
"A chance at what? To be my new mom? My friend?"
"Car…"
"No." Michonne asserted, interrupting Rick's response. "I don't want to be your new mother or your friend." She said shocking the boy. "I thought we could be acquaintances."
"Acquaintances?" The boy questioned, clearly not understanding the definition of the word.
"Two people who know each other, who respect each other and have your father in common." She explained.
"I don't want to be your acquaintance. I don't want to know you." Carl bit back, then stormed away.
Rick yelled for his son, then excused himself from Michonne before running down Carl. He caught up to his son heading out the door of the community center, but managed to stop him. "Hey!" He exclaimed as he grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop. "This is not what we agreed!"
"I don't want to be here!" Carl yelled.
"I don't care." Rick strongly countered. "You are here, and you will behave with respect."
"I don't know her." Carl angrily sulked.
"No you don't but you will res…"
"I don't like her and you can't ma…"
"Shut your mouth and listen!" Rick nearly roared, instantly shutting Carl down. "I know you don't want me dating, moving on from your mother. But Michonne and I are together and that's not going to change." He declared to his cheerless son. "Now you will give this a chance, and you will respect Michonne while doing it. Do you understand me?" He firmly stated, but Carl stubbornly wouldn't answer. "Do you understand me?" Rick questioned again, raising his voice again, which incited Carl to grudgingly nod. "Now we are going to go back to Michonne and you're going to apologize for your behavior, right now."
Michonne began preparing her canvas for painting, adding a base coat to the blank mural, then picking the colors she planned to use while thinking about what had occurred moments before. She was concerned, scolding herself for not pushing back more when Rick had made his request for her to officially meet Carl. Now the meeting had happened, and Carl had stated what they already knew, that he wants nothing to do with her. As a result, there was no way for them to start over, to give him more time to get used to the idea of his father dating, which had her wondering where they'd go from here. Michonne selected the colors she planned to use, some pastels along with a few vibrant hues, when she caught something out the corner of her eye and turned to see that Rick and Carl were walking her way. She casually, briefly looked way, pressed down her growing anxiety, then waited for them to fully reach her. When they did, it was just as she expected, a situation that was ripe with an awkward tension, when Rick spoke after several moments of silence…
"Carl. Don't you have something to say?" He asserted looking to his son. The young boy defiantly crossed his arms across his chest, the scowl appearing to deepen on his face. "Carl." Rick pushed again, his tone more stern. The boy sighed and rolled his eyes, then finally found his tongue.
"I'm sorry." He stubbornly stated, looking past Michonne as if not to acknowledge her.
"Look her in the eye and say it again." Rick demanded, his tone clearly reflecting his thinning patience. Appearing to fear the tone in his father's voice, Carl instantly obeyed. He looked Michonne in the eyes and said the words again, this time with some semblance of sincerity…
"I'm sorry for being mean." He sourly stated.
"It's okay. I know this is hard." Michonne replied, surprising the young boy, who's angry stance for a second faltered.
"I have to go to the bathroom." He then announced out of the blue, quickly shutting down again, deflating the smidgen of hope Michonne had at the chink she saw in his wayward armor. Rick gave him permission to go with the directive to come right back. Carl then left the scene, rushing away as if he couldn't go fast enough as Michonne and Rick looked on.
Michonne sighed and turned her eyes away, thinking that this was going to be a lot harder than she expected.
"You okay?" Rick asked.
"Yeah." She quietly replied as she resumed preparing her materials for painting.
"Look I know that wasn't easy." Rick said, drawing her eyes to him. "But it'll get better."
"I hope so."
"I know so." Rick stated, then leaned in and chastely kissed her lips.
The community event had gone well. The kids had loved the painting activity and were happy to take their work home as well as a few painting materials so that they could practice on their own. Michonne really enjoyed the experience herself and had spoken with the contact at the Foundation and the Community Engagement Manager at the Sheriff's Department about doing it again. Not only was it enjoyable for her, but it cleared her mind, successfully freeing it, for a time, from the concern she had about her earlier encounter with Carl. After the event was over, they'd been starving. Though the event did serve food it was for the participants and mentoring Sheriff Deputies and while Rick was a deputy he'd been busy helping host – serving pizza, beverages and cake and hadn't a moment to get something to eat himself. So Michonne had changed out of her overalls and they'd decided to go to dinner after – heading to Rory's Burger Bar – Carl's favorite. It had been strange walking into the place that was filled with patrons, many whose eyes fell on them some fleetingly, some curious, some unpleasant and judging - at what she was certain was her being black and out for dinner with a white man and his son. They were seated quickly in a booth in the back corner of the restaurant, mostly out of view of the other customers and Michonne wondered if that was truly the only table they had or were they being purposely seated away from everyone else. The questions she had, soon faded due to the pleasantness and genuineness of their waiter, putting her wonder to rest.
They'd ordered their food and now waited for its arrival. Michonne nursed a glass of soda, which she wished was something stronger, certain that a glass of wine would help ease the tension she was feeling, but she felt uncomfortable drinking alcohol with a kid around, and she just didn't want to provide any more ammunition to Carl's already negative impression of her. They all sat awkwardly quiet after the waiter delivered their drinks, with Rick for the first time in months sitting across from her instead of at her side in the booth. She understood why he'd chosen to sit that way. He wanted Carl to feel that he was still his father and was there for him, but surprisingly, the very thing that had at first made her feel uneasy, she now missed and wished that he was sitting next to her in the booth.
"Your father tells me you play soccer." She then suddenly stated, needing to say something to try and chip away at the ice between her and the boy. "How long have you been playing?"
"Three years." Carl mumbled as he toyed with the napkin before him.
"He wanted to play football." Rick repeated what she already knew. "But with the concussion dangers in that sport I said no."
"So it was football, just not American football?" She lightly directed to Carl. "Did you like it right away?"
Carl shrugged, still refusing to look her way and gave a one word answer. "No."
"What made you change your mind about it?" She pressed on and threw a look at Rick, letting him know that she was drowning and to please help, but instead he gave her a look of encouragement to continue on.
"No hitting. I didn't like the hitting in football." The boy opened up more.
"That sounds like me when I was your age." She stated and watched in alarm as Carl sighed and rolled his eyes, but she continued on. "I didn't want to play football, but I did want to run track. However my parents thought equestrian - horseback riding was the better investment."
"You ride horses?" Carl exclaimed with surprise, his attention curious and finally on Michonne.
"Yeah." She said, feeling encouraged by the positive change in the boy's mood. "I didn't want to do it, I wanted to run track but after I started learning it I loved it."
"Me too." The boy tentatively admitted, then seemed to shut down again, which prompted Rick to jump in, mentioning how his parents had a couple of horses, one of which Carl was allowed to ride when he visited with them.
"I wish I could get in more rides, but my horse isn't in Atlanta, and even if it was, I don't think there are any horse parks in the city." Michonne commented.
"You have a horse?" Carl then asked in awe, engaged again.
"I do."
"If it's not in Atlanta, where is it?" He curiously asked.
"She's in D.C., well Virginia with my parents."
"Do you ride her when you go home?"
"Sometimes. She's an old girl though. 20 years old. She don't have the legs she used to."
"What type is she?" Carl questioned, seeming to be completely intrigued by the idea that she had a horse.
"Thoroughbred."
"Wow. Really?" Rick asserted.
"My parents got a deal on her." Michonne explained, answering the question she knew was running through his mind about the steep cost of such a breed.
"Still, I'm impressed." Rick seriously replied. "And a little intimidated." He quipped with a smile, thinking that she'd likely downplay the wealth of her family.
"Intimidating?" She then lightly scoffed. "It's a little late for that." She said, giving him a gentle smile.
"Maybe." Rick softly replied as he held her gaze, stirring a fire between them.
"I have to go to the bathroom." Carl suddenly asserted, interrupting the moment. Rick immediately scooted out the booth planning to let his son out so that he could go to the restroom they knew well, when Carl made a clarification. "Can you come with me?" He asked, which Rick immediately questioned. "I'm afraid to go alone." The boy claimed. Rick knew that Carl was full of it, but rather than call him on in it and in turn cause a scene, he'd excused himself to escort his son to restroom. And that's how the dinner had gone, with Carl being hot and cold throughout the meal. He seemed to thaw a bit when the discussion consisted of sports, horses, hell even the weather. However, he'd completely shut down, becoming passive-aggressive and bordering on hostile, if Michonne and Rick displayed any form of affection towards one another. It hadn't been a totally pleasant experience, but it hadn't been horrible either. Progress had been made, which at the end of the day was a win.
An hour and a half later
Rick left Carl in the car that was warming up while he walked Michonne to her ride that was several spaces away from where he'd parked at the restaurant.
"That wasn't too bad was it?" He commented after bringing her hand which he held in his to his lips and gently kissed it.
"No. It wasn't bad." She agreed, comforted by the caress of his mouth.
"But?" He questioned, hearing the hesitation in her voice.
"I can't stay the night at your house." She declared as they came upon her car, stopping in front of the driver's side door.
"You know I'm not expecting…"
"It's not that." She quietly injected. "It's Carl." She said, confusing Rick. "We've pushed a lot on him today. He spent time with us at the community center, then dinner and we still have tomorrow to go. I think me sleeping in his house, in your bed, the first day we've spent together may be a bit much."
"Michonne. He knows we're together."
"I know. And I'm sure he suspects that we've been intimate, but suspecting that we've become that close, and actually seeing that we are that close because I'm spending the night in your bed is a different thing entirely."
"This isn't just about him, is it?" Rick deduced with concern.
"It isn't." Michonne admitted. "Things are still very new for me and Carl, with us officially meeting each other for the first time today and spending all this time together. Let's not try and take on everything at once." Rick thought about what she'd said, seeing the truth in it, knowing that she and Carl may be feeling a little overwhelmed by their activities that day. He really hadn't even thought about that perspective until she'd brought it up. He was so focused on wanting Carl to accept their relationship and for them to interact in a positive way, he hadn't thought about the consequences of pushing for too much too fast – utter failure.
"Alright." He reluctantly sighed. "But I'm going to miss you tonight." He quietly stated. "I was looking forward to holding you, waking up with you."
"There'll be plenty time of time for that, just not this visit." She uttered, then chastely tasted his lips.
"Where will you stay?"
"The Marriot. I called and reserved a room while we were at the community center." She answered as Rick looked down, still feeling that kiss that though tamed, was everything, fighting the urge to beg her to stay the night in his home.
"Don't go to the hotel." He then asserted, unable to stop himself.
"Rick…"
"I understand why you want to stay the night there, and I won't try and stop you, but at least come back to the house with us." He proposed. "You can drop your bags at the hotel and we can go back to the house and watch a movie On Demand, play scrabble, make out on the couch, I don't care as long as you come home with us." He stated, his eyes tender with wanting, touching her heart.
"I don't know how much making out we can do with Carl around." She murmured, then teased his lips.
"True." He slightly smiled. "But at least we'll be together." He said, briefly touching her cheek. "I'll bring you back to the hotel when you're ready." Michonne desperately wanted to say yes. To just go back to his place and chill out on the couch with a beer and bowl of popcorn, watching old movies and talking, just as they'd done before when she'd been in Palmer for a visit, but she just didn't feel it was the best thing to do with Carl being there, and she didn't want to screw up the headway they'd made, albeit small, by ramming their romance down his throat.
"As tempting as your offer is, I have to say no." She quietly said, severely disappointing Rick. "Today went okay, better than we expected. I don't want to push it."
"Ok." Rick had to concede, after several moments of quiet, wanting to counter her assertion. "See you tomorrow?" He stated, with a hint of dejection.
"Bright and early." She softly vowed as she gently caressed the stubble on his cheek then lean in and took lips with slow fervor.