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The movers arrived right on schedule. Michaela was busy directing them to the appropriate room to deliver the boxes to. Soon enough, the house was full of boxes that contained her entire life. After the movers left, she decided to start opening some boxes in the kitchen. She felt that if the kitchen was organized, she could get some order back in her life quickly.
She came across some refrigerator magnets that she had collected on their honeymoon. She ran her hands over the sparkly turquoise painted sand dollar they had bought while in Florida. She sat down at the kitchen table with tears in her eyes. She knew that unpacked the boxes would open a Pandora's Box of emotions but it was something that she had to face whether she wanted to or not.
She didn't hear Daniel come in the front door. He stood in the dining room, watching her at the table, silently crying to herself. His heart ached for her. He was torn, should he go hold her in his arms and tell her that he would spend the rest of his days with her or should he leave her alone and let her mourn her husband? Daniel knew it wasn't right for him to tell her how he felt about her. But in the short time they had been spending together since David died, it was getting harder to keep his feelings to himself.
He quietly cleared his throat to get her attention. She jumped with a start and looked up.
"Oh, Daniel! I'm sorry, how long have you been standing there?" she asked, getting up and walking to the sink to dab some cool water on her face.
"Not long," he answered, walking toward her. He hesitantly put his hand on her back, pulling her toward him in an embrace. He knew this was a risky move, he was scared how she may react to his touch. He fought with himself to show her how he felt about her.
"Daniel, now that I've moved, I feel the past is starting to catch up with me. I guess I've been trying to run all this time when I thought I was just going to leave my sorrow in Boston and start fresh." She moved away from him, rubbing her growing belly and sat back down at the table.
"I am wondering how good of a mother I will be to Katie," she cried, full of self-doubt.
"Michaela!" he cried, bending down on his knees in front of her.
"You will be an excellent mother! You have been dealt a terrible blow in the last few weeks. You are just beginning to sort through your feelings. I can stay with you until the baby is born. I wouldn't feel right to leave you here alone." He secretly hoped that she would agree with him.
"No, I am going to call Rebecca to come for a visit. You have your life to get back to. I appreciate all that you have done for me in the last month. It means a lot to me."
"There is nothing more important in my life right now than you, Michaela," he cried, taking her hand in his and caressing it with his thumb. He couldn't believe that he had just said that to her! His feelings are becoming stronger, they just leapt off his tongue before he has a chance to think about the impact. There was nothing he could do about it now. He stood up and back away from her a little and leaned up against the counter. He didn't want to look her in the face, he was embarrassed that he said that. There was a part of him that was glad though.
"I appreciate the offer, Daniel, but Rebecca wanted to come out when I was settled in." She pretended that she didn't hear the pleading in his voice when he offered to stay with her.
She did feel slightly uncomfortable at his touch just now. Their relationship just shifted and she didn't care for it. Daniel was David's friend and that is how she always saw him.