TRIALS OF THE HEART - CONCLUSION
Todd was awakened by the rays of the rising sun shining through the uncurtained window. He was surprised to have slept so long, since he was usually up and dressed two hours before the dawn. Outside, the sky was empty of clouds, promising another clear, warm day, much like the day before. Nature had saved up a last bit of summer for him to enjoy along with his hard-won freedom, in spite of the fact that the calendar indicated it was now autumn. He stretched lazily and turned his head to the other side of the bed, where Tea lay sleeping on her stomach, face turned away from him and an arm across his chest. Gazing at the exquisite curve of her bare back, he watched in fascination as her body rose and fell lightly as she breathed. In a few hours, he would be joining the other light of his life, beautiful little Starr, outdoors in the sunshine and fresh air. Later, there was the prospect of the family dinner, surrounded by all the people who loved him, and whom he was finally willing to admit that he loved in return: Sam, Blair, Viki, Jessica, Starr, and now Tea. Thinking about the previous night, he wondered if he could ever be in a room with her again without wanting to strip off her clothes and lose himself in her luscious body. His peripheral vision caught something glinting on the table beside the bed, and he reached out his free hand and picked up the double "T" pendant, holding it up before his eyes and watching it twist and untwist on its chain. The two engraved initials flipped over and over, two sides of the same charm, two halves of the same whole.
As he set the necklace back on the table, he noticed the fading bruise around his wrist, a reminder of the night he had been beaten and chained to the bars of his jail cell. Yes, the Buchanans and their minions had a lot to answer for this time, and he would make them pay-big time. Revenge would have to wait, though, because as soon as he could arrange it, he planned to be on some lovely tropical beach with Tea and Starr. One of those resorts with lots of supervised activities for kids would work well, because although he wanted to spend time playing with his daughter, he also needed time alone with his wife. Lots of time alone, he thought as he glanced again at her sleeping form.
"So this is what it's like to be content," he thought, yawning sleepily. "Not happy-not yet-but content." He settled comfortably into the pillows, feeling surprise as he realized he was falling back asleep. "I could get used to this sleep stuff," he said to himself, one eye slightly open and watching his wife's back, "especially with this for my bed companion." Shifting his position, he draped an arm over Tea's waist, holding her tightly and bringing his knees up to fit behind hers. Todd drifted to sleep on thoughts of warm sand and cool water, as the rays of the rising sun traveled slowly up the bed to shine on the sleeping couple, warming their bare flesh, and bringing with it the promise of a new day.
THE END
