Chapter 20

Sorry for the delay. Real life has been exceptionally busy of late. The good news the board meeting I have been planning for a month was Tuesday and was a rousing success. Additionally, I have transitioned that project off to a new employee so now I only have two jobs to do. That means I should have more time to write (fingers crossed). Hope you enjoy this quick chapter.

Laura took Robbie's arm and they started walking. They weren't quite in step but they were closer. Robbie reached over and squeezed her hand. He needed her to feel comfortable with him.

She squeezed his arm then took a deep breath, "When I told you about my marriage, I led you to believe that the marriage was brief and an omnishambles."

Robbie nodded, "Tell me."

"Fourteen years, I was married for fourteen years." She watched Robbie from the corner of her eye and thought she saw a brief tightening around his eyes, "We weren't together most of that time. We were together for three years and we were happy."

Robbie controlled his facial expression. He didn't care about the length of the marriage all he cared about was Laura's well-being, "And the other eleven years?"

"I was here, hiding."

"From him?"

She nodded, "In a manner of speaking." She paused not quite sure where to start, "I wasn't hiding from Malcolm, he knew where I was. I was hiding from the tempest I knew filing for divorce would cause."

"Why did you eventually file for divorce?"

She pulled on his arm stopping their walk, "You came back from the BVI."

"You divorced him because of me?"

She laughed, "Not you specifically but it was the first time that I thought I might like to spend my life with someone. Not you particularly, at least not then."

"I was a mess Laura, what made you want that?"

She smiled at him, "You weren't as bad as you think." She lightly touched his chest over his heart, "Despite all of your sadness it was clear how much you still loved Val. I remember thinking I want to be loved like you loved her. And I knew as long as I was legally married to Malcolm I never would be."

Robbie covered her hand with his holding against his chest, "I know I asked before did he hurt you physically Laura?"

She shook her head, "No, never. I wouldn't have stood for it."

"So why did it end?"

"Before I tell you why, I need you to know I loved Malcolm very deeply. In some ways I will always love him. But none of that changes how happy you have made me or how much I love you. I might have loved him first but you made me understand what it meant to be loved."

He pulled her to him, touched by what she'd shared, "Rather than tell me why it ended; why don't you tell me how it started?"

She looked up at him, "Are you sure?"

"Laura, you know everything there is to know about me. I think it's time I knew the same about you."

"What do you want to know?"

He shook his head, "I'll listen to anything you want to tell me. Why don't you start at the beginning?"

Laura took his arm again and started walking. As they walked she told him the story of how they met. She told him how she'd fallen in love almost instantly and how she'd waited until Malcolm told her he loved her before she told him.

Robbie was fascinated with her story. He could see the joy on her face as she relived the memories. He smiled at himself impressed that Malcolm had held out twelve weeks before telling her he loved her. Something told him that Laura in her mid-20s would have been irresistible. She still was at 50. He wasn't sure he could have held out that long.

His mind couldn't help but draw parallels to the beginnings of their relationship. It still amazed him that she had waited so long for him to be ready.

She told him about their simple wedding in Scotland. Family and a few friends gathered on a beach at sunset. He could see her bathed in sunlight, hair blowing, happy, "Do you have photos?"

Laura stared at him, "You want to see photos of my wedding?"

"I bet you were a beautiful bride. You've never really shared photos from when you were younger."

"I used to keep a lot of them around the house. But when you find out one of your closest friends betrayed you the way Ligeia did you don't really want those memories around. All of the rest of my pictures included Malcolm in some capacity."

"Did you get rid of them?"

Laura shook her head, "No, I just put them away."

"I would like to see them Laura, all of them."

"OK, I will show them to you."

He watched her shiver and pulled her to him, "Are you cold?" She nodded against his chest, "Let's go home and get warm. Then you can finish telling me your story." He felt her stiffen in his arms, "What is it Laura?"

"It's our home Robbie and I don't want it destroyed by my story."

He lifted her chin so she was looking at him, "You are my home Laura wherever you are is home. Nothing you tell me is going to change that." He watched as she closed her eyes and almost imperceptibly nodded, "Let's get you warm."