By Melissa Larkin
Chapter Three
Disclaimer: I do not own ER, but the character of Sara Lewis is my creation. The song mentioned here (and that inspired this fan fiction) is "It Is You (I Have Loved)" by Dana Glover and is available on the "Shrek" soundtrack.
The clock on the wall of County's physical therapy room seemed to tick by as slowly as it possibly could. Both Sara and Robert continued to sneak glances as they waited for Robert's last official therapy session to be over.
Within the past two months, Robert and Sara's relationship had progressed from that of physical therapist and patient to friendship to a blossoming romance. Robert, who had originally felt his broken arm would keep him from continuing his work as a surgeon, found a hidden blessing from the grueling therapy he had to endure.
And he was taken that hidden blessing on their very first date tonight.
Sara glanced at the clock once more. "Just four more minutes," she reported.
"May they go by as fast as four minutes possibly can," Robert joked. Sara smiled at him and his heart melted. He'd fallen head over heels in love with this woman, in such a short amount of time.
"Where are you taking me tonight?" Sara inquired.
"Somewhere very special," Robert began. "The Lakeview Inn."
"I love that place!" Sara squealed. "I've only been there with my family, though, never on a date."
"Then I've picked the right place," Robert said. He looked up at the clock. "Two minutes left."
"And we aren't doing anything except staring at the clock," Sara laughed.
"Ahh, my arm's all healed, thanks to you," Robert stated. He lowered his voice and leaned in closer to Sara. "I can't wait for tonight."
"What time are you picking me up?"
"Our reservations are for seven, so six-thirty? Is that okay?" he asked.
"Perfect," Sara replied. She looked at the clock a final time and grinned. "Time's up."
"Finally," Robert sighed. He leaned forward and kissed Sara gently on the forehead. "Thank you for everything. I know I couldn't have gotten through all of this without you."
"You're welcome," Sara answered.
Robert rose from his seat, took Sara's hand, and they walked to the door. "I'll see you tonight," he said as he hugged Sara.
"I'll be waiting," Sara replied. She quickly kissed Robert's cheek. "Now let me get back to work," she added with a laugh.
"Six-thirty," Robert reminded her, then turned to walk off. Sara watched him, the smile on her face growing wider by the minute.
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The doorbell rang at exactly 6:30 that night, and Sara opened it to find Robert dressed in a suit and tie.
"Wow, look at you!" she exclaimed.
Robert took in the beautiful vision in front of him. Sara was dressed in a blue sleeveless dress, and her red hair was pulled back into a French twist. Tiny diamond earrings hung from her ears.
"You're beautiful," he said breathlessly.
"Thank you," Sara replied.
"Oh, these are for you," Robert began. He handed Sara a bouquet of white daisies. "I know you love daisies."
"I do, thank you," Sara said. "Come in while I put these in some water." Sara walked over to the kitchen, found a vase, filled it with water and carefully arranged the flowers. "They're gorgeous."
"So are you," Robert stated. He offered his hand to Sara. "Shall we?"
Sara took his hand and intertwined their fingers. "Let's get this first date started," she grinned. Sara picked up her purse and a sweater and the pair exited the apartment.
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A while later, at the Lakeview Inn, Sara and Robert were seated at a corner table. They had been talking since the moment they left Sara's apartment.
"You're part Italian too?" Robert said happily. "I never would've guessed it."
"I'm Italian on both sides, actually," Sara responded. "And both of my parents are Irish, and my dad's part English too."
"My mom's from Ireland," Robert said. "She came to the States when she was fourteen."
"Wow, I'd love to hear her stories from Ireland." Sara took a sip of her wine. "And dinner was amazing. Thank you."
"You're welcome." Robert reached across the table and took Sara's hand. "I'm having such an incredible time tonight."
"So am I," Sara said. Music began to play and Robert rose from his seat.
"Would you like to dance?" he asked.
"I'd love to." Robert pulled Sara's seat out for her and took her hand. The couple walked to the dance floor. Sara wrapped her arms around Robert's neck as they began to dance.
There is something that I see
In the way you look at me
There's a smile, there's a truth
In your eyes
What an unexpected way
On this unexpected day
Could it be this is where I belong
It is you I have loved all along
There's no more mystery, it is finally clear to me
You're the home my heart searched for so long
And it is you I have loved all along
Sara rested her head against Robert's shoulder as she listened to the words of the song. Her heart began to beat faster as the meaning sunk in and she realized how much she was falling in love with Robert.
There were times I ran to hide
Afraid to show the other side
Alone in the night without you
But now I know just who you are
And I know you hold my heart
Finally this is where I belong
And it is you I have loved all along
There's no more mystery, it is finally clear to me
You're the home my heart searched for so long
It is you I have loved all along
Robert closed his eyes and knew, at that moment, that Sara was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. It was as though the song being played had been written specifically for them.
Over and over I'm filled with emotion
Your love, it rushes through my veins
And I am filled with the sweetest devotion
As I look into your perfect face
There's no more a mystery, it is finally clear to me
You're the home my heart searched for so long
And it is you I have loved
It is you I have loved
It is you I have loved all along
The song ended and Sara and Robert continued to hold each other. After a few moments they broke apart and looked at each other.
"That was such a beautiful song," Sara said.
"It was," Robert quietly answered. He had a jumble of emotions at that moment. Part of him wanted to tell Sara how much he loved her, but his realistic side reminded him that it was their first date and he couldn't rush things.
"Did you want to leave?" Sara asked.
"No, unless you did. Are you in the mood for dessert?" Robert took Sara's hand as they walked back to their table.
"I just want to be alone with you," Sara admitted. Robert smiled and signaled to the waiter, who brought their check.
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Sara and Robert approached Sara's apartment door. They knew their long-awaited kiss was just seconds away. Sara turned to Robert and smiled.
"Do you want to come in?" she asked.
"Yes," Robert said. He reached up and stroked Sara's cheek. "You're so beautiful, Sara." Robert placed his hand on Sara's cheek, leaned in, and gently kissed her lips.
Sara responded to the kiss and wrapped her arms around Robert. They parted a minute later Sara unlocked her door.
"Make yourself at home," she said. Sara slipped off her heels and walked to her stereo. Robert took off his suit jacket and tie and placed them on the sofa.
"What are you looking for?" Robert asked as he approached Sara. He placed his arms around her waist and kissed her neck.
"I'm pretty sure I have the song that we danced to on a CD," Sara said. She looked through her CD collection and held up her hand. "I was right!" Sara popped the CD into the stereo and turned around to face Robert. "Would you care to dance?"
"I'd love to," Robert answered. The music began to play and Sara and Robert held each other closely. The words went straight to their hearts, and they knew this would always be their song.
Robert leaned in to kiss Sara, and they continued to sway to the music, their arms enveloped around each other.