Dave woke up early the next morning and found that they had shifted sometime in the night and he was half-laying on the sofa, his legs still hanging off the front, but head down on a pillow at one end. Alex was curled up into his side, her back against the back of the sofa, head and left hand resting on his chest. He was fairly certain his back would be hurting when he finally got up from the half-bent position he was in, but for now, he refused to move, not wanting to risk waking Alex before she did so naturally. As if on cue, he felt Alex's body suddenly stiffen for a moment, as she awoke to find herself in an unexpected place. Then she slowly looked up to see him smiling down on her. "Good morning," he said quietly.
"Good morning," she whispered and smiled back. "You were going to take me home after the movie last night."
"Ah, yes, but you fell asleep before the film was over. I was not going to wake you after the last three weeks you've had. And you had me pinned, though this—" He motioned to their half laying position. "—happened sometime in the night." He looked down at her a bit concerned. "Sleeping on my sofa isn't off limits, right?" he responded cautiously.
About a month prior, after one of their weekly date nights, they were in the throws of a passionate kiss just inside the door of her apartment, and things were heating up very fast. She had quickly put on the brakes, and a serious discussion ensued. She was scared about their relationship becoming physical too fast. It was a combination of things: She had been raised with some pretty strict beliefs that she still had hanging in the back of her mind, and had been in several prior relationships, both before her marriage, and one afterwards,that had gotten more physical than she had really wanted. In her experiences, it made things get complicated very fast, and she was enjoying the slow and steady road with Dave. She knew it wasn't the same experience held by everyone, but even Dave had agreed to a point. It was that night he had told her the whole story about his relationship with Sarah, including how it ended.
The relationship, in his own words, had been born out of grief. He was deep in despair and wanted to simply feel something, anything, other than the sadness that seemed to have taken root in everything he did. Out of that need, that desire, came the passionate relationship between he and Sarah. He explained about the pregnancy that had come as a surprise to him, but not to her, as she had hoped and planned for it without telling him. He went on to tell about how he had welcomed her back and she had come to live with them, but then, after just a month of what seemed like happiness, she lost the baby in a miscarriage. He tried to be there for her, to love and console her through it, had promised her they could try again. But apparently it had woken Sarah from the dream she was living in and things changed overnight. She started lashing out at him, and then the children. He tried for months to make things work, thinking it was just grief causing her to act the way she had. But it soon became evident that she hadn't really loved him, but only the idea of what it might be like to have the family she had always envied Rita for. She walked out of their lives one day and never returned.
Alex smiled bashfully. "Of course, it isn't 'off-limits,'" she quietly said. "Are you sure you're okay with—you know—with waiting for more?" Her gazed dropped back down to where her hand rested on his chest.
"Oh no you don't," he said as he used his unpinned hand to tilt her chin back up to face him. "No getting insecure on me again. You were clear about your limits and I agreed to them. We agreed to the 'slow and steady road.' Besides—," he paused to run his finger around the ring on her hand. "—soon enough 'slow and steady,' can transition to 'hot and heavy.'" He grinned and winked at her and she blushed and buried her head into his chest again.
"You are so evil." she giggled into his chest.
He laughed back, but tried to stay quiet so as not to wake anyone else in the house. "I'm evil! You're the one that has me pinned down on the sofa, cuddling up to me."
"Oops, sorry—" She started to sit up, but he held her tight.
He shook his head. "I didn't say it was a bad thing."
She hummed and rested her head back on his chest. "Hmm, neither did I." After a few quiet minutes, she sighed. "What time is it?"
"It's barely light outside, still early yet. Do you want me to take you home?"
That afternoon Alex arrived back at the Tiler home for a 'proper welcome home dinner,' as Anna had called it. Dinner wasn't for another few hours, but she had arranged with Tanya to get there early so she could look at some of her nature photography.
Dave had once told Alex about the rough time he and Tanya had when Rita died. He doubted her desire to work in the business, but she had begun showing more effort and desire. Both to be a part of the business and in photography. She worked as his assistant, he helped her grow as a photographer, and together they learned that she enjoyed nature photography and had quite the knack for it.
After an hour, they were sitting on the sofa, photographs strewn all over the coffee table, when Dave stuck his head in. "I've just realized I need to go to the shops to pick up a few things. I'll be back in a tick."
Both the ladies nodded and a few moments later they heard the door closing as he left. Alex turned back to the photos in front of her. "Tanya, you really do have a gift for this. I'm serious, you should have these on display in a gallery, at the very least selling them online."
"Really, you think so?" Tanya smiled, lavishing in the praise of her future step-mother.
Alex nodded and smiled. "I know so. I could—help with that, if you like?"
"You would do that?" Tanya was now beaming with excitement.
Her excitement was reflected by Alex. "I'd love to!"
The two embraced in a hug that ended when the doorbell rang. Tanya's face went into confusion. "Wonder who that could be? Anna and Robin aren't due here for another hour. I'll get it."
The young woman was up and headed to the door, while Alex turned back to flip through the photographs, pulling out a few she thought were especially good. She heard the door open, but then Tanya said nothing, which caught her attention. Then she heard a female voice. "Hello, Tanya, it's good to see you again."
Alex didn't recognize the voice, but something about it drew her up out of her seat and to the door. As she came to stand next to Tanya, she spoke. "Tanya, who's here?" She stopped cold as she saw Tanya's expression, then looked at the woman standing on the other side of the door. She had never met the woman, but she had seen pictures of her. It took her only a moment to steel herself and let a calm expression wash over her face. "Hello, Sarah."