"You're here," he tried to hide the smile.
"Of course I am here," she dropped all her bags and maneuvered through the crowded room until she was right in front of him.
"I'm glad you're here," he said and she saw the twitch in his jaw that meant he was holding back, that he didn't want to lose it in front of his whole family.
Annie pulled him in tight, kissed his cheek and whispered, "I wouldn't be anywhere else."
Annie pulled back sooner than she would have liked and turned to the room full of people staring at her.
"Everyone, this is Annie. Annie, this is everyone, don't bother learning all their names I've forgotten half of them myself," he smirked.
Annie glared at him, but turned back and found his mother, in a wing back chair near the front window, the woman looked devastatingly sad, but still had a smile on her face.
"Mrs. Anderson, I am so sorry for your loss," Annie began as she walked over to the woman who had brought Auggie into the world.
"Thank you dear," Joyce stood and gave Annie a quick hug before holding her at arm's length and examining her newest daughter-in-law.
Joyce had no idea what to expect of this mystery woman her youngest son told her he had married via an email last year. She was pretty certainly, beautiful really and after such a long plane ride, but she seemed kind and genuine too.
"Auggie said you were in Japan."
"I was, until about 18 hours ago," Annie smiled.
"We're all glad you are here."
"Can I get you something Annie, a glass of wine? A beer? We have moved on to the drinking portion of the day. I'm Carol by the way," the woman who answered the door introduced herself.
"I just had a really long flight, I would love a glass of water," Annie skirted the alcohol issue convincingly.
"Of course," Carol smiled and headed to the kitchen as Annie was introduced to all the others by name.
Auggie's brother Jake gave up his spot on the couch next to Auggie and Annie molded herself to her husband's side, smiling and answering questions about her fake job and her real family as Auggie ran his fingers along her arm.
Finally around 11:30 Joyce stood and announced she was going to bed, there would be a formal wake the next day with the funeral the day after and she wanted to be rested.
"You must be exhausted," Auggie said as he kissed Annie's forehead.
"I could really use a shower," she admitted having been in her clothes over 24 hours.
"We have one of those, 3 actually," he grinned.
"Why don't I give you a quick tour?" offered Stacy, another sister-in-law, wife of Auggie's oldest brother Kyle.
"Thanks," Annie smiled and stood.
"I'll bring your bags to Auggie's room," Kyle said with a nod and headed off before Annie could thank him.
"And I'll meet you in the shower," Auggie grinned and kissed her knuckles.
She just shook her head at him and headed off with Stacy.
"Big family, big house," Stacy began.
"I grew up in Army housing, so this is like a mansion to me," Annie admitted.
"This floor is all living space, kitchen, dining room, a library that John used as an office – no one has been in there except Joyce," Stacy frowned.
"There is a half bath here off the hall," she opened a door and flipped on a light.
Annie nodded always good to know where the bathroom was, nothing worse than excusing yourself to a coat closet.
"Kyle and I are in the attic, Kyle got a room up there when Auggie came along. There are 4 bedrooms on the 2nd floor, Joyce's room has a full bath and there is another full bath up there. You and Auggie will be downstairs in his old room. It also has a full bath, well just a shower stall, but you know what I mean," Stacy smiled.
"Auggie's old room," Annie said the words almost reverently.
"Yeah, people might think they preserved it after his accident, but really they barely touched it when he left for college, it looks pretty much the same. Kyle and I got married while Auggie was in college and it looked just like it does now then. Joyce and John cut into it a little expanded the laundry room, but pretty much it is all Auggie."
"He is the baby," Annie surmised.
"He's missed," Stacy said candidly.
Annie just nodded, not in the loop enough on all the tension to weigh in really.
"Is he alright? In general?" the older woman continued.
"Yes. Auggie is great, he is amazing at his job, we have a nice condo in the city, we're…" Annie stopped before she announced her pregnancy to this woman before even confirming it with a doctor or telling Auggie… "we're great," she finished lamely, but sincerely.
"We're glad you are both here, have a good night's sleep and if you wake at an odd hour do to the time zones feel free to help yourself to anything, there is tons of food," and with that Stacy left her at the door to the basement and headed up to her own room at the top of the house.
***555***
Annie walked down the stairs to the fully finished basement where Auggie spent his young life. It was a strange feeling, neither of them knew much about the other before. The bits they had shared were all about their adult lives before they met. Annie could hardly imagine Auggie as a child.
Her bags were by the bed and she unpacked a pair of pajamas and her toiletries, truly in desperate need of a shower. She had just turned the water on when she heard Auggie coming down the stairs.
"Hey," he said from the other room.
"Hey, I'm just getting in, you really want to join me?"
"You really need to ask?" he volleyed back.
"There isn't a ton of room in here," she mentioned of the small stall shower.
"I know, I was the unplanned child they had to renovate for me," he laughed.
"This is nice though, you had way more privacy than your siblings. Danielle and I shared a room most of the places we lived. I would have killed for a set up like this."
"It was pretty sweet," he said as he walked into the bathroom naked.
"Well hello husband," Annie looked him up and down.
"Hello wife," he smiled, but not his brightest, there was so much sadness on his face.
"Auggie, I am so sorry about your father," she said now that they were finally alone and it could be all about him.
"Thanks," he choked a little on the word as he pulled Annie's blouse off and unhooked her bra.
She tugged him into the small stall and shared the hot water spray with him, their slick bodies giving and receiving comfort from one another.
"Was it really OK for you to leave?" he asked in the safety of the basement shower they were very unlikely to be overheard.
"Yes, Joan talked to State, it was fine. You should have called me yourself," she said not too harshly.
"I know," he didn't even try to defend himself.
"You're forgiven," she said as she reached up to kiss him.
They finished showering and slipped into the small double bed. They lay facing one another, legs tangled and just reveled in being together for a minute.
"So, I kind of have some news," Annie began.
"Yeah?" Auggie lit up assuming he knew what she was talking about.
"Yeah," she confirmed.
He blinked a couple times and then pulled her in and kissed her deeply.
"You sure?" he asked in awe his hands skittering over her body and landing on her stomach.
"Only took a drug store test, but pretty sure. I'll have to go to the doctor when we get back," she explained.
"Are you OK?" he asked suddenly concerned.
"I've been pretty sick the past couple days, the flights were not pretty," she laughed.
"You shouldn't have come," he frowned.
"And what stayed in Tokyo until the morning sickness passes? That could be months," she cringed at the thought.
"If you had stayed you would have had the private jet to bring you back, instead of flying coach."
"I did just fine, I made friends with the flight attendants and once they realized I didn't have Ebola or anything they were very kind. Nothing was going to keep me from being here Auggie," she assured him.
Something in him broke then and all the sadness and recrimination came pouring out in shuddering breathtaking sobs. Annie held him tightly, rubbing his back and letting him soak her pajama top.
"My father died thinking I hated him," was all Annie could make out of the stuttered words between gasps and breaths.
"Oh Auggie, he didn't I promise, he didn't," Annie rocked him on the small bed.
"He had no reason to think anything else, I was terrible to him after my accident and then so distant," he sniffled and tried to get his breathing under control.
"Our parents forgive us a lot, no matter what he thought about the choices you made after Iraq, I promise he didn't hate you and he didn't think you hated him either," she whispered in his ears, felt his body loosen under her hands.
He still clung to her tightly, his head on her chest.
"I love you," she said over and over again until he fell asleep.
TBC…