Saturday, January 2, 1982

"Happy Birthday, honey."

Al loosened the scarf he'd tied over my eyes and I opened them to see the entrance to Gianelli's. I gasped at the extravagance.

"Al…"

"Now now, no protesting, Beth. You only turn 43 once."

"Thank goodness."

He laughed and kissed me. "You don't look a day over 35, baby."

"Good answer." I grinned and squeezed his hand.

Al led the way inside, pausing to tell the maitre'd, "Seven o'clock reservation for Calavicci."

"Yes, sir, for two. Right this way." He snapped his fingers and a smartly dressed woman rushed to the podium, retrieved two menus, and escorted us to a corner table.

Al had certainly gone all out. A floral arrangement of calla lilies and greenery was the focal point, and tall candlesticks provided the illumination of soft glowing light. Kindly waving off the hostess, he pulled my chair out for me, kissing the back of my neck as he pushed my chair back in after I sat.

I reached for his hand after he sat down and pressed his fingers. "This is beautiful, Al. Thank you."

"You're what's beautiful." He tightened his grasp on my hand. "I love you."

"And I love you." We leaned in and kissed.

A soft cough caused us to break shyly apart. Our server smiled awkwardly as he filled our water glasses. "Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Calavicci. My name is Kevin and I'll be serving you tonight. Can I start you off with anything to drink?"

Al glanced at the wine list and selected an old vintage of red wine, requesting a full bottle.

"Excellent choice, sir." Kevin nodded and disappeared to fill the request.

"Now where were we?"

I leaned close to him. "Right about here."

The food was marvelous, rich in flavor, texture, aroma, and presentation. I let Al order for both of us, and he picked the perfect dishes to complement the wine. Periodically, Al would stop eating to quickly kiss me. I felt my cheeks flushing and I couldn't tell if it was the wine or the kisses that caused it. As we ate, we reminisced about days gone by.

We'd met at a New Year's Eve party at the Officer's Club, two days before my 22nd birthday. As soon as Al had learned that my birthday was upcoming, he immediately set into motion a whirlwind plan to guarantee a romantic celebration. I'd already been smitten by him at the dance; the birthday dinner and subsequent winter stroll that followed had tied me to him forever. Though we'd kissed at midnight on New Year's Eve, the kiss we shared amidst the twinkling white lights of the garden walking path truly counted as our first.

Three months later, Al had proposed to me. Dropping to his knee at the same spot in the garden, he reached into his pocket and withdrew a tiny black velvet box, which he opened without taking his eyes off my face. I still treasured the words he'd said as he declared how much he loved me. "Beth, you're the woman I've dreamed about my whole life. I love you so much that I can't imagine my life without you in it. I want to grow old with you. Elizabeth Rose Warner, will you marry me?" Almost three months after that, and the weekend before his birthday, we were married.

"You were the best birthday present I ever got, honey," I told him.

Al smiled at my comment and responded, "To date, nothing has beat my 27th birthday. Being married to you, honeymooning in Canada after the train ride to Niagara Falls, never leaving the bed that day…" He trailed off and kissed me.

This time there was no blaming the wine.

Halfway through the second course, I felt like we were being watched. I glanced around the restaurant, but couldn't identify the source of the gaze. Al looked up at me and inclined his head curiously.

"Something wrong, honey?"

I shrugged. "I feel like someone's eyes are on us."

He searched the restaurant now, too. "I don't see anyone, babe." He grinned. "Besides, how could every eye not be drawn to your beauty?"

"Oh, Al." I blushed and focused on my plate.

Al chuckled and we ate in companionable silence for a few minutes. A couple of bites remained on my plate when a shadow fell over the table, and I looked up, expecting to see Kevin, our waiter. Instead, I saw a man whose face startled me so much I gasped and dropped my fork.

Dirk Simon.

He was older now, as were we all, some thirteen years having elapsed since I'd seen him last. The lines in his face were deeper and crow's feet crinkled around his eyes. His floppy hair had been cut shorter, and large patches of grey hair marked his temples.

"Dirk!" I exclaimed.

Al, who'd been curiously examining the stranger at our table, suddenly turned to look at me, astonished that I knew this man.

"Beth Calavicci, I thought it was you."

"Dirk, this is my husband, Al. Al, this is Dirk Simon."

Al extended his hand courteously, but regarded him with suspicion. "How do you do?"

Dirk shook it firmly. "Fine, thanks, and you?"

"Fine. Having a wonderful evening with my wife." He very slightly enunciated the word "wife."

"When did you come back?" Dirk asked Al without preamble.

Al's brow creased. "I beg your pardon?"

"I'm sorry, I should have been more specific. When did you come back from Vietnam?" At Al's narrow questioning glare, he elaborated, "I met Beth in '69, when you were M.I.A. We were supposed to go out but she called me to break it off." He looked at me now and smiled. "You were right. You said you knew he was alive and coming back, and you were right."

I was aware of Al's shocked stare, could feel the weight of it, and I awkwardly said, "Yes. I was wrong to ever doubt it."

"I'm sorry I gave you a bit of a hard time. I just didn't want to let a good thing get away. How did, whatshisname, Jake take it?"

"Jake?" Al's voice had a definite edge to it.

I pressed my lips together and looked down at my plate. "Yes, um, Jake was this policeman I met the same day I met Dirk."

"Very insistent, too," laughed Dirk, remembering. "Manhandled me away from changing your tire so he could introduce himself to you. Then he showed up unannounced to take you out while I was visiting." A tinge of annoyance passed across his face even now.

"Jake, uh…I never saw him again. I guess he realized pursuing me was wrong, because shortly after you left, so did he."

Dirk looked at Al again. "So when did you come back?"

Al answered warily, "In '75."

"In September. And I was never happier." I looked at Al, but he wasn't meeting my eyes.

Dirk whistled softly. "Wow. That was a long time." He paused, studying Al's face and then his brows lifted. "Wait a minute. Weren't you in that photo of the POWs? It made the cover of Life. Won a Pulitzer, didn't it? I didn't recognize him from the picture you showed me at your place, Beth, but now I can see it. Man, that was a powerful picture. It's amazing that you made it home at all."

I reached for Al's hand and gripped it in mine. "Not only did he make it home, but he went to the moon. I'm so proud of him!"

Kevin returned to clear our plates, and Dirk stepped out of the way for a moment, reclaiming his position as soon as Kevin left.

"So, Dirk," Al said evenly, "what do you do?"

"I'm an attorney." He reached into his jacket and smoothly whipped out a business card, which he handed to Al. Al shoved it into his own pocket without even looking at it.

Dirk shrugged slightly and turned to me. "I'm glad it all worked out for you, Beth. I never forgot you."

"Obviously," Al muttered under his breath.

A slight flush colored Dirk's face. "Well, I better get back to my clients," he said. "I'm sorry if I disturbed your dinner. It was great to see you again, Beth. You're still as beautiful as ever." He kissed my hand and left.

I dropped my hands into my lap and looked at Al. He didn't speak and his face was unreadable. I bit my lip and waited. Al drained his glass of wine and poured another.

"Al? Honey, talk to me, please."

He slowly sipped the wine, but still didn't speak.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I ever doubted you'd come home to me."

Another quiet sip of wine.

I closed my eyes and opened them again, tears blurring my vision. "Honey, it was only a couple of days. I was weak. I thought you were dead!"

"Do you want dessert?" Al suddenly asked.

My stomach twisted. "No, I've kind of lost my appetite."

"Mind if I have some?"

"No, go ahead."

He drank some more wine and nodded, then signaled to Kevin, who was walking past. Al ordered a decadent chocolate cake, and asked for two forks. "In case you change your mind," he told me.

While we waited for Kevin to return, Al finished his glass of wine and refilled it. He looked at my serious expression and gestured toward my own glass.

"It's your birthday, Beth. Stop moping."

"Al, I'm sorry. I--"

Al held his hand up. "Forget about it, Beth."

"But--"

"You're with me. Not him, me." He smiled weakly. "You're mine."

I reached for his hand, grasped it between both of mine and rubbed his fingers. "Yes, I am."

Al nodded firmly, and drained his glass again.

Al paid the sitter while I went upstairs to check on the girls. They all slept soundly, and I brushed kisses across each of their cheeks before going into our bedroom. I was in the process of changing into my pajamas and had just stepped out of my dress when Al came in. He smiled at the sight of me in my slip and embraced me from behind.

"Happy Birthday, Beth," he said, kissing the side of my neck.

"Thank you, honey. It was wonderful." I turned to face him and touched the diamond pendant he'd given me. The small jewelry box had arrived along with the chocolate cake Al had ordered for dessert. I'd started crying at the sight of the sparkling gold chain and shimmering diamond nestled in the black velvet and I reached for Al with shaking hands, kissing him over and over again. Perhaps for the benefit of Dirk, who we were now aware was sitting directly across the restaurant from us, Al had risen and made a big show of draping the necklace around my neck, his hands stroking and caressing my skin as he fastened the clasp. He'd finished by kissing my cheek and running a hand down my arm to grasp my hand as he returned to his seat. Though my stomach still twisted with guilt, I had given in to Al's cajoling and shared the cake with him.

"It looks beautiful on you," Al said, fingering the delicate gold chain and lightly running his thumb against the hollow of my throat. "I knew it would."

"I love it," I said, touching his face. "I love you."

Al smiled and kissed me again, his hands caressing my back. He stroked my cheek and then disappeared into the bathroom. I finished changing and hung my dress in the closet, then started turning the sheets down. I heard the toilet flush, and then Al returned, shedding his own clothes and putting on a pair of pajama pants.

"Man, I'm really kind of wiped out, honey," he yawned. "I think I'm gonna just crash and burn."

"Okay. I'm going to read for a little while."

Al nodded as he switched off the overhead light, kissed me goodnight, and climbed into bed. As soon as I got settled, Al kissed my shoulder and positioned his hand beneath my left breast. He'd been doing that every night since I'd collapsed, resting his hand somewhere on my chest, monitoring my heartbeat and breathing as he drifted off to sleep. I read until the words started running together. Then, I turned out the light and joined my husband in the land of dreams.

I carefully lifted Al's hand from my chest and got up to go to the bathroom, yawning and stumbling my way through our darkened bedroom. I squinted against the bathroom light when I turned it on, and blearily headed for the toilet. When I was done, I stared at myself in the mirror while I washed my hands. My mind went to the incident at dinner, and my breath caught in my throat at the thought of Dirk's words. I cringed as I realized what a betrayal to Al it had been for me to go out with either Dirk or Jake. Had I truly been so starved for company? I could have turned to Yvonne, to Hattie, or Anna—heck, any number of my friends or coworkers. Why had I been so quick to give in to the flirting of a lawyer and a cop while my husband was missing?

I thought Al was dead, I reminded myself. I was barely living myself anymore. I had started to shut down inside. I was so sure he had died, and part of me died with him. Dirk and Jake's attention made me feel alive again.

I thought back to Al's words in the emergency room after my collapse when I'd finally told him about the visit from the "angel" that had given me faith enough to hold on.

"Why didn't you ever tell me this?" he asked, his eyes growing moist.

The sight of tears building in his eyes broke my heart and stray tears of my own spilled down my cheeks. "I didn't want to hurt you by letting you know I didn't believe in you the whole time you were gone."

"Oh, Beth, how could you think I would hold that against you? No wonder you collapsed." Al hugged me, being careful of all the wires attached to me. "I never once thought you were superhuman. God, I can't imagine how much you had to have been hurting while I was gone. Baby, the important thing is that you believed in me enough that you waited for me, whether an angel helped you or not."

I sighed. I hadn't told Al that I'd also been seeing two men during that week, only that I'd given up hope of ever seeing him again. I'd hoped to keep him from ever finding out—after all, I'd practically expunged that portion of the week from my own memory, and I flushed with renewed guilt at my own betrayal and at how I'd hurt him.

My hands were turning red from being held under the hot water so long, and I abruptly twisted the knob to stop its flow. I dried my hands on the towel and switched off the light, readjusting my eyes to the darkness.

Rather than returning to bed, I padded out into the hallway, intending to check on the girls again. I stopped in Grace's room first. She was curled into a ball, clutching a stuffed animal, a smile on her sleeping face. I kissed her cheek and adjusted the sheet, then returned to the hallway.

A muffled scream caught my attention, and I paused as I tried to identify the source. An icy fist of dread clenched my stomach when I realized the voice didn't belong to a frightened child. It was Al's.

I dashed back into our bedroom and closed the door behind me, so the girls wouldn't hear him. I switched on the light, swiveling the dimmer switch until only a dull illumination glowed, giving me just enough light to see. Al screamed again, his body reacting to whatever horrific memory consumed his mind. His back arched and his hands spasmodically clenched the sheets.

I drew near to the bed and bent over him, reaching to stroke his cheek. He flinched away as soon as I made contact, and I frowned, wondering what my touch had translated to in his night terror.

Al was talking now. "Lieutenant Albert M. Calavicci….United States Navy…serial number 2212329."

"No, Al," I quietly said as I sat on the edge of our mattress, hoping to ease my way in and guide him back to wakefulness. "You're a captain now. Captain Albert Calavicci. You're home with me, and our four beautiful little girls."

"Lieutenant Albert M. Calavicci…United States Navy…serial number 2212329," he responded mechanically. Abruptly he twitched, then writhed in agony, and another scream escaped him, then another, and another. The slight pause that separated each cry led me to believe he was remembering a beating.

I quickly breathed a prayer and tried again to reach him. He hadn't been trapped this deep for years, and my already anxious stomach twisted into knots.

"Al, listen to me. It's Beth. Albert, baby, you need to wake up. You're home and safe. Do you hear me, love? You're home." I went to take his hand, but once my fingers closed around it, he cried out in pain and struggled to free himself. I instantly let go of him and dropped my hands into my lap.

He tossed his head back and forth against the pillow, begging for mercy. I closed my eyes, cut deeply by his pleas and echoing them to God, praying He'd intervene and alleviate my husband's pain. When I looked at Al again, he'd pulled his wrists together as if they were bound in front of him. Dear God, what is he reliving now?

I got a hint of what he 'saw' when he drew his hands up to protect his head, still holding his wrists together as though he couldn't pull them apart. He trembled, cowering, and then his body jerked against the bed, four times in rapid succession. His hands moved from his head as he tucked his elbows against his ribs, and then his head jolted against the pillow. I felt sickened by just the vaguest thoughts of what he'd endured at the hands of his captors.

He went suddenly, utterly still for a moment and my heart caught in my chest.

"Al?" No response, not even a flutter of eyelashes. "Al! Oh, God, baby, wake up! Albert!"

He didn't wake, but he twitched and moaned.

Relieved, I exhaled roughly. The relief didn't last long, though. A moment later his face contorted in anguish and he let out an awful yell. I reached for his hand, and this time he didn't fight me. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be aware of the contact. After a few seconds he cried out again.

On a sudden inspiration, I pressed his hand against my chest—after all, he'd taken to sleeping with one monitoring hand on my chest, and I hoped that the by-now familiar sensation might help to ground him into reality.

"Feel that, baby? Can you feel my heart beating?" I tried touching his face again. He didn't resist that now either, and his screams gradually faded to a whimper. I stroked his cheek with one hand, using the other to keep his hand flattened over my heart. "Concentrate on my heartbeat, baby…let it lead you back home."

Another repetition of his name, rank, and serial number. He tensed in his sleep, but didn't scream this time. I hoped I was breaking through.

"Come back to me, Albert." I caressed the back of his hand as I held it in place. "You're safe now."

Somehow that word made it into his mind, and Al abruptly repeated it in a raw voice. "Safe?"

"Yes. Safe. You're safe at home, Al. Baby, wake up and see for yourself."

"Safe," he mumbled again, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Home." His eyes danced frantically behind his closed lids, and his lips worked back and forth.

"That's right. Oh, Al...please wake up."

"Home. Where…my Beth is…" Al drew in a ragged breath.

"You're home, too, honey. You're home with me!" Desperation filled my tone, and I had to resist the urge to shake him. God only knew what that would do to him right now.

"Home…I want…to go home…"

"You are home, Al! Listen to me! You're home. Open your eyes, baby!" I leaned forward, pressing his hand hard against my breast in the hopes of getting my heartbeat more tangible to him. "I know you have to be able to feel my heart. C'mon, baby, come back!"

Al opened his eyes, but they were glassy, and I knew he wasn't seeing me yet. "I want to…I want….my Beth…"

"I'm right here, honey. Look at me. Look at me. Wake up and look at me!"

His whole body shuddered and he blinked. The brown eyes that looked up at me were now focused. Al's breathing was spastic and he abruptly started crying.

"Oh, Al. Shhh, honey….it's all right. Baby…you're safe. You're home. Shhhh. You're safe." I gently rubbed his cheek.

"I know," he panted. "I know." He pulled his hand free of mine and pressed the heels of both his hands into his eyes, fighting to stop the tears.

I bent at the waist so that I was half-lying on top of him, my face next to his, and I stroked his head while he got control of himself.

"I should be over this by now," he muttered.

I shook my head and kissed his cheek. "Al, love, most men would be having more nightmares than you do."

"I'm sorry." The words caught in his throat and he shivered. "I'm sorry you have to deal with this."

"You're kidding, right?" I sat up and stared down at him. "My God, Al. What kind of woman do you think I am?"

"One who deserves a better life than this."

"A better life than one with a true hero? Four terrific kids and all I've ever wanted in a friend and lover?" I kissed him. "How could any other life possibly be better than this one? With you."

He stared at me for a moment, and then his tears started again. He started to turn his face away, but I gently turned it back towards me and held it still as I kissed him again. I kissed him lightly, then tenderly teased his lips apart and kissed him more deeply.

"Oh, Al, I love you."

He reached up and slid his hands into my hair, pulling me down to him. He kissed me hungrily, almost wild in the aftermath of his flashbacks as if needing to counter the horrors. Both of us were panting to catch our breath when we broke apart.

"God, how I love you," he told me earnestly. Al moved his hands down to my hips and gently nudged until I shifted position so that I was stretched out on top of him. "Yes," he murmured. He pressed me against him, his hands traveling up and down my back.

I caressed his face and kissed him over and over again, intimacy seeming to comfort him as words alone apparently could not tonight. He moaned deep in his throat and I could see passion starting to ignite in his eyes. Al slid his hands along my sides, kissing my throat and murmuring my name. I raised up slightly, making it easier for him to slip his hands under my pajama top, studying his face and the way the residual tension there gradually eased with each caress. He massaged my waist, his hands slowly and seductively ascending my ribs towards my breasts when a plaintive voice called out from the hallway.

"Mommy? Mommy, I need you!"

Al dropped his hands to the bed and sighed. I smiled and kissed him again. "Hold that thought," I told him. I rolled off him and stroked an affectionate hand down his chest then walked to our door, softly opening it.

Theresa was standing in her doorway, rubbing her eyes. "Mommy?" she asked again.

"Yes, baby, what is it?"

"I hafta go potty."

I looked more closely at her and noticed a dark spot on her gown. It was hard to make out only by the hall nightlight, so I walked up to her and turned on the light in her room. What had appeared to be a shadow was a large wet splotch. I didn't think Theresa actually had to go to the bathroom but had awakened for another reason.

"Honey, did you wet the bed?"

Yawning, she nodded. "I'm sorry, Mommy."

"It's okay, baby. C'mon, let's get you cleaned up."

I got a fresh pair of underwear and a nightgown from her dresser and guided her into the bathroom, where I started a bath running. I stripped her down and ordered her to sit on the bathroom rug and not move. Returning to her room, I changed her sheets, thankful for the rubber mattress cover, which cleaned up easily. By the time I'd finished with her bed and came back into the bathroom, the bathwater had filled up, and I switched off the water. Theresa was practically asleep, so I lifted her into the tub and quickly washed her. She stayed upright but that was about it. Still, while she wasn't much help, she wasn't a hindrance, either.

I picked her up and dried her off, guiding her legs into the panties and tugging them onto her. I pulled the nightgown over her head and threaded her limp arms into the sleeves.

"All right, Resa. Let's go back to bed, baby girl." I hefted her into my arms and carried her back to her room, settling her onto the fresh sheets and tucking her in. She opened her eyes briefly and smiled at me.

"I love you, Mommy."

"I love you, too, my darling. Go back to sleep."

She nodded and stretched her mouth in a yawn.

I kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, Theresa."

Quietly, I made my way back to our room, and smiled wryly when I walked in. Al had fallen back asleep. I switched off the overhead light and climbed into bed beside him.

"You owe me one, loverboy," I whispered. I gently stroked his cheek and prayed he'd sleep well.

"Beth, where are you? Beth?"

I woke up as Al's flailing hand slapped against my arm.

"I'm right here, honey. What is it?" I quickly asked, fearing the worst given what we'd already endured this night.

"Beth, come back to me. Please…"

Switching the lamp on, I sat up and looked at him. Al's forehead was rumpled in agony. Tears streamed from his closed eyes and his voice was tight. "Beth….Oh, God…..Beth!"

Fear gripped me and I touched his face. "I'm right here. Al, listen to me. I'm right beside you!" Two nightmares in one night. What's going on?

"Beth…..why?" His head thrashed from side to side on the pillow and he wailed, "I need you! Beth! Don't go….."

"I haven't gone anywhere, Al." Oh, God, please let him hear me! "Al, honey, please wake up!" I gripped his shoulder with a trembling hand. "Albert! Wake up. Baby, it's just a dream. Can you hear me, Al? I'm right here!" I started to shake him, trying to break through the nightmare, no worries about strengthening memories of a torture session this time. "Albert, it's Beth! Wake up!"

Whimpers convulsed him, "Beth….Beth, please…." He'd stopped tossing, but his eyes were clenched shut and his jaw trembled.

It was getting hard to speak around the tears clogging my throat, but I did my best. "I'm sitting next to you, baby. It's me, Albert. It's Beth. Wake up….oh, please wake up…." I ran my thumb over his forehead, bending to kiss him. "It's just a bad dream, baby….that's all it is….I'm right here…."

Slowly, his eyes slid open. "Beth?"

"I'm here."

He seized my hand in his and squeezed it tightly. I bit my lip and continued to caress his brow.

"You left me," he gasped out. "You left me for another man."

My stomach roiled at the thought of Dirk…and Jake. And the mysterious man and his message of hope that had stopped me from pursuing God only knew what with Dirk Simon. I looked at my husband and shoved down the guilt. I needed to be strong for him so I shook my head and kissed him. "No. No, I didn't. It was just another bad dream, baby," I whispered.

He nodded, but couldn't stop the frantic pace of his breathing. After a moment, he wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his head in my chest. I enfolded him into an embrace and stroked his hair. "It was just a bad dream," I repeated.

He shivered in my arms. "I love you," he moaned.

"Oh, Al, I love you, too." So deeply that it aches. I never wanted to hurt you, baby. I kissed the top of his head. "It's going to be all right." I hugged him, rubbing his back and shoulders. "I'm here."

"I don't want to lose you, Beth."

I fought back tears at that. After this evening's revelation of my poor judgment in the past, he worried about losing me.

"You're not going to. Do you hear me? You're not going to."

He nodded and closed his eyes, nestling his head more snugly against me, his ear pressed over my heart. He inhaled shakily and groaned. "I bet Dirk isn't bothered by visions at night," Al said bitterly.

I stiffened at that. "He also isn't half the man you are. He didn't serve his country. If he doesn't have any nightmares, it's because he didn't earn any." I stroked his shoulders again. "Baby, you're a hero." I lifted his head and slid down so that we were eye to eye. "And even if you'd never gotten a single medal, you're my hero." I kissed him.

Al responded and his heart rate increased as the kisses became more insistent. He pulled away after a moment and looked into my eyes with a pleading urgency.

"Beth, I need…"

I put a finger over his lips to silence him. I understood completely. Without saying anything, I took him into my arms and pressed seductively against him, hooking one leg around his. I kissed him deeply, wantonly; our hearts pounded against each other as passions aroused.

We made love, desperately. Al needed more than just gratification—he needed to know I was with him. Our lovemaking reassured him that his night terrors had indeed been nothing more than dreams. This was what was real. This was what mattered.

More at peace afterwards, he fell asleep in my arms, his head pillowed on my chest. I stayed awake, watching over him. At regular intervals, I stroked his scarred back with one hand and caressed his curly hair with the other. I shook my head as I thought about Al's bitter words comparing himself to Dirk—as if there were any comparison at all! I wished he'd never come up to our table, and I definitely wished he'd never mentioned the war or that week in '69. Perhaps Al would have escaped the nightmares tonight. Then again, there never had been much in the way of predictors for when Al would be tormented by a flashback.

He tensed in my arms, and whimpered softly. I rubbed his back and shoulders and whispered, "Everything's fine, baby. You're home. Everything's fine. You're safe in my arms. I won't let anything happen to you." I angled my head to brush a kiss against his forehead.

Al's body gradually relaxed and he lapsed back into a deep slumber. I watched over him until I finally fell into a light sleep as the night moved into the wee hours of morning, confident that my fierce guard had succeeded in keeping his tormentors at bay.