Beginning, Previous Section, Section III
Jump to new as of March 27, 2002
Jump to new as of April 2, 2002
Jump to new as of April 7, 2002
The wedding was incredible. Everyone said so. Whether it was incredibly beautiful or incredibly strange, no one said. You might get two different answers. Where one would say that the bride and groom looked beautiful together, another might say that the way they ran out of the church tearing at their buttons was a little strange. And where one might say that at the reception, the bride looked flushed with joy, another might say she looked tousled from an encounter in the vestibule. Where one might say that the Maid of Honor and the Best Man were a very handsome couple, another would say that the way the Maid of Honor intentionally stepped on the Best Man's foot as they were walking up the aisle was strange. One might say that the way he put his hand on her waist when she stumbled was very cute; another might point out that his hand on her bottom was what made her stumble in the first place. The only couple that seemed to meet with approval were Elizabeth and Wills, and that only because few people saw the faces they were making at each other from their respective positions; Jane and Charlie would have been fine if they hadn't been late, flushed, and had Charlie thought to wipe the lipstick from his face and neck. All in all, it was an unbelievable wedding.
Afterwards, at the reception, Elizabeth and Wills were dancing with Cal and Shannon, respectively, when Wills shouted,
"Change partners!" He and Elizabeth danced together, forcing Cal and Shannon into each others' arms. For the first few minutes, they just stared at each other in hostility. But after a minute, Cal began to laugh. Shannon stared at him, and hissed,
"What the hell is so funny?"
"Your expression-- I was imagining that I had the same one on my face. Why are we mad at each other, anyway?"
"Well, for starters, you never called me. When I called you and left a message, you didn't call back. You know, if you weren't interested, there was a much nicer way of letting me know." Cal stared at her.
"I never got a message. And yes, I did call you. I called you three times, and left a message all three times. And you didn't call me back. As you say, if you weren't interested, you could have just said so." She stared back at him.
"I never got a message."
"Well, I left them." He looked at her, and she could tell he was telling the truth.
"So did I.
"Well, then I apologize for not calling you back, as I didn't get a message." She nodded.
"I apologize for not calling you back, as I didn't get the messages. Friends?"
"Friends? I don't think so. All three times I called you, it was to ask you out. What do you say?"
Her response was noted happily by the schemers.
"Hey Liz! Remember our plans to share an apartment in the city? Well, I found the perfect one! Can you come see it on your lunch break?" She gave Elizabeth the directions and hung up.
It was in one of the old brownstones that liberally cover the West Side. It had clearly once been a very wealthy neighborhood, but it was now middle class. There were bars over all but the third story windows, and the stone was worn. But the house had a very homey feel to it. Elizabeth decided that she liked it at once. She opened the door and walked into the lobby where Jane was waiting for her, key in hand. She led the way up to the third floor and unlocked the door, flinging it open. Elizabeth stared around the light, airy room that seemed to be the kitchen and living room/dining room. She walked to the windows and admired the view of the trees before making her way to the first of the two bedrooms.
"Wow!" She exclaimed. "It's gorgeous. How much is it a month?"
Jane clapped her hands and grinned. "That's just it! My great-aunt died, leaving it to me! We just have to pay utilities!" Elizabeth turned to her ecstatically and they danced around in a circle, singing. "There's furniture, too," Jane said, "And we'll go over to the storage space she rented and pick out what we want to keep. Altogether, not including food, your share will be about two hundred a month." Elizabeth was so excited she could feel her stomach jumping. "Can you take off the rest of today?" Jane asked anxiously. "I want to move in as soon as possible. I have a moving truck, and the storage space is on Columbus." Elizabeth thought for a minute, and nodded.
"I finished my column early, and there's nothing else to do. Let me call my boss and check in. She probably won't have an issue with it."
"Great," Jane said. "While you do that, I'll call and get the gas and electricity and heat turned on."
As Elizabeth had known she would, Lily, her boss, had no problem with Elizabeth taking off the rest of the day.
"Would you mind if I came to see it when it's finished?" Lily asked.
"Of course not!" Elizabeth replied. She and Lily had become pretty good friends. "I'll let you know on Monday how it turned out." She hung up and turned to Jane. "I think it needs a new coat of paint. We'll split it. I'll buy the paint for my room, you buy it for your room, and we'll split the rest." Jane agreed and they went off to their local Wallauers.
For her room, Elizabeth picked a pale yellow paint, the color of sunshine. She trimmed the windows and the door in a sky blue, and painted the ceiling with the same color, only mixed with so much white it was only slightly blue. When she was finished, she looked around, pleased. She left the windows open to air out the smell, and went to see how Jane was doing.
Jane had picked cream, and was trimming it in a forest green that Elizabeth really liked. She was finished in five minutes and joined Elizabeth in the living room where Elizabeth was opening the soft cream that they had agreed on. They finished painting in an hour and a half, and after another hour to let the paint dry, they put up the border, cream with large gold stars. Elizabeth was bringing her curtains, which were green, and Jane said that the sofa was red. They did the bathroom in a moss green. Tired, they looked around. It was five o'clock, and the apartment gleamed. The rooms were beautiful, and they had done a professional job on the border.
They drove to Elizabeth's parents, and Jane slept on the floor as she had for so many of their sleep overs. The next day, Peter dismantled Elizabeth's bed and desk, and Maura helped Elizabeth put her clothes and books and odds and ends into boxes. The moving men loaded them into the truck, and they went on to Jane's, where she had done the same thing. Their next stop was the storage space. They were rather pleasantly surprised to see that Jane's great-aunt Mary had very similar taste to theirs.
They took the red sofa, and the dining room table and chairs, and the easy chairs, and the bookshelves and the TV stand and the stereo. With them loaded in the truck, they drove to the apartment where they directed the moving men where to put the boxes. One very nice man helped Elizabeth put her bed and desk back together and put the bookshelf in the corner she wanted it in. The living room was beginning to look gorgeous-- the red sofa and Elizabeth's green curtains picked out the gold stars in the border and made the room glow invitingly.
Wonderfully, one of the easy chairs was of dark red leather and the other was moss green velour. Their boxes of clothes and books and odds and ends were piled haphazardly in their rooms, and finally, the move was complete. They walked the men to the door, thanked them very nicely and gave them a big fat tip.
As soon as they couldn't hear footsteps anymore, they squealed and hugged each other fiercely.
"Let's try and get all settled today, shall we?" Elizabeth said. Jane agreed, adding,
"I'll order a salad pizza for lunch and we can get started."
They worked furiously all day long, unpacking, organizing, settling. They marked all their CD's and put them together in one of Aunt Mary's pretty glass cabinets along with the stereo, their videos and DVD's. The TV stand went in the corner, with the TV, VCR and DVD player on it. Elizabeth unpacked all her books and organized them as she always had in her bookshelf. Her desk, with her laptop on it, was neat and orderly. She stopped in the bathroom to put her toothbrush, face wash, shampoo and conditioner in it, and opened the linen closet to put towels in. She finished just as Jane called,
"Liz? We need to go food shopping." They went to a supermarket and stocked up on almost everything. As this was the preliminary, they agreed to split the bill. Afterwards, they would take turns shopping weekly. They returned to the apartment laughing and exhausted, put away the food, and showered before flopping weakly on the couch to finish the last of the pizza. "So," Jane asked, "How's Wills?" Elizabeth smiled.
"He's doing really well. You know he graduates this year," Jane nodded. "He's really excited. He's had quite a few job offers. He's most caught between the offer from IBM and the offer from the government. Apparently, they want him to work on something to do with national defense."
"Hmmm. I can see that would be a toughie!" Jane sympathized.
"Yeah, but our wedding is in October!"
"Why October?"
"It's our favorite month. It's always been mine, because of the trees and the way the air is crisp, but he didn't have a favorite month until I explained why I like October so much. When he thought about it, he agreed. So, the wedding is October 14." Jane sighed.
"I do wish Charlie would hurry up and make up his mind." Elizabeth turned to her friend in excitement.
"You think he's going to propose?" Jane shrugged.
"Well, he gets that nervous look, and his hands shake and he clears his throat a lot, so either he's going to propose or he's going to dump me." Elizabeth thought of this possibility.
"Nah., he's not the type to put off an unpleasant confrontation. He'd rather get it over with. So he must be wanting to propose. You're scaring him off!" Jane laughed.
"Yeah, this from Little Miss "I've only had one boyfriend ever"!" Elizabeth laughed.
"I didn't want another boyfriend! And I don't want another fiancé," she added softly, looking at her ring. Jane put her hand over Elizabeth's.
"You miss him, don't you."
"All the time. He sends me love letters, you know. Every week I get about six. They're so sweet, I've been writing back. I think," she added, rising, "I'll write one now. Please excuse me." She hurried off to her room and wrote Wills a note telling him how much she loved him and how much she missed him and how she couldn't wait for the wedding when they could be together and talk every day. She put it in an envelope, sealed it, addressed and stamped it, and put it in their mailbox. Then she got out her cell phone and called Wills.
"Elizabeth?"
"Hey, babe. How are you?"
"Perfect, now you've called. Is everything all right?"
"Uh huh. Guess what! Jane's great-aunt Mary died, and left Jane this gorgeous apartment on the West Side. We decided to move in yesterday, and we painted yesterday, and we moved in today! It's so beautiful, Wills! You'll love it." He laughed.
"So will Charlie."
"Charlie?"
"Yeah, poor guy, he's been trying to work up the nerve to propose to Jane for months." Elizabeth laughed.
"She told me he had been acting strangely, and she had decided that he was either trying to propose or trying to dump her, but I determined that he was going to propose, because if he wanted to break up he would just say so and get it over with."
"Yeah. Baby, I made a job decision. I'm going for the government job." Elizabeth was silent. "I think it's best. I can't say anything, at least not over the phone, but this thing I'll be working on-- we need it, Elizabeth. It's important for the safety of millions of people." Elizabeth nodded, then, realizing that he couldn't see her, said,
"I understand. Will I be with you?" Wills groaned.
"I don't know, angel. I asked, but they haven't told me yet. I don't know what I'll do if you aren't! Do you know how often I've wished I picked some other profession so we could get married earlier? I'm going crazy, Liz!" Elizabeth laughed.
"Patience, patience. We've waited this long, we can last until October."
"Eight more months! I don't know, I might die of frustration." They laughed together. "Oh, Elizabeth, I love you so much. If you would rather I take the job at IBM, it's not too late." Elizabeth was silent for only a second.
"Wills, I love you. You must do what you think is right. And if you know that your working on this project will make a difference for the better, then I expect you to be there working on it. I don't want you to do anything but what you feel you must. If I felt I was tying you down, I wouldn't be happy. I want to marry you, Wills. Is this going to change our plans?"
"No, Elizabeth. No, I swear it." His voice was a little hoarse. "Thank you, my darling. I love you more than anything. This is just a trial job; if they decide they like me, they will ask me again. If I decide I don't like them, once my contract's up, I'll move on."
"All right, Wills. Love you."
"I love you, Elizabeth. Good night."
"Night."
"Magda!" She heard a call and looked around to see Chris Darcy heading for Magda. They had broken up mutually, with good relations on both sides. Chris seemed to have different ideas, for he swept her up in his arms and kissed her heartily. "Congratulations! It seems science runs in the family. You'll make a great doctor." She smiled and thanked him.
"Are your parents here?" He looked around, and answered in the affirmative.
"Yes, Tim wanted to see Scott's graduation, and so did Mom and Dad. Wills's here, too."
But Elizabeth had already discovered this, as a pair of very large strong arms slid around her waist and a cheek slightly rough with five o'clock shadow brushed hers.
"Hello, gorgeous," he said in his rumbly voice.
"Hello, stud," she replied, teasing. She turned in his arms and kissed him. "When did you get back? You didn't tell me." She could feel his smile against her lips.
"Well, it was supposed to be a surprise."
"Ohh," she pulled back slightly. "One of those." He laughed.
"Yes, silly, are you surprised?"
"Oh, very. Four months, darling!"
He groaned. "I know. I don't know how long I'll last." He kissed her again and dragged his head up after a minute. "Probably less time the more I kiss you, but what the hell." He kissed her again. Elizabeth held out her hand to him as she pulled away.
"Come see my parents and Magda and Scott. It seems that Chris once more has designs on Magda." Wills snorted.
"Once more? He never stopped. He let her break up with him because he thought it was what she wanted. Just recently, he came to the decision that maybe it wasn't what she wanted, so he figured he'll take his chances." Elizabeth laughed.
"Wow, that sounds a lot like what Magda told me. She let him break up with her because she thought it was what he wanted. Is she going to be pleased!" They laughed.
Jane was with Peter and Maura, and she hugged Wills just as enthusiastically as Elizabeth's mother did.
"Wills! How are you? Elizabeth didn't tell us!"
"Well, I didn't tell Elizabeth. It was supposed to be a surprise!"
"So you've graduated, huh."
"Well, yeah, but the ceremony is next week. I wanted Elizabeth to come." She turned to him and gave him a reproachful look.
"Of course I want to come!" She said. "When are you going back?"
"In four days," he said. "I took the liberty of booking you into the seat next to mine." Elizabeth smiled.
"Fine. I'll pay you back." He started to protest, but she cut him off and said, "No, I will. I'm a working girl now, and you're not. When we're married you can start paying for my plane tickets, but not before you get a job that pays better than mine does." He laughed, and hugged her.
"Yes ma'am!"
Jane invited him to come stay with them for a few days, and he accepted. He would be spending most of the time with his family, but he would stay with Elizabeth and Jane for the last day and night, and he and Elizabeth would go to LaGuardia together.
Wills loved the apartment. He stood in the middle of the living room turning in a slow circle. "It's beautiful. You girls really have eyes for color." Jane laughed and said,
"It was all Elizabeth. She's always been good at that. I just sat back and enjoyed the ride. I knew I'd love anything she came up with, and I do. Once Charlie and I get married," she flashed her diamond in the face of a very surprised Elizabeth. "We're going to live here." Elizabeth grabbed her best friend's left hand and stared first at it, then at her in reproach.
"Jane! You didn't tell me!" Her friend smiled and said,
"I'm sorry, but I didn't want to yet. You were worried about Wills and. . ." she stopped too late for her friend, who had kicked her ankle. But the damage was done. Wills was looking at Elizabeth in concern.
"You were worried about me?" He asked softly, bringing his hands up to cup her face and smooth her hair. "Why?" Jane looked suddenly uncomfortable, and said,
"I'll leave you two alone." She left the room.
Elizabeth looked up at Wills, and smiled. "Well, I wasn't worried, just concerned that you wouldn't make the right decision because you were thinking of me. I don't want to be a distraction." Wills groaned again, realizing that he seemed to be doing that a lot lately, and sank into the velour chair, pulling Elizabeth onto his lap.
"Elizabeth, the only way you could ever stop being a distraction is if you stopped breathing, which I certainly don't wish you to do. Yes, I consider how my decisions are going to affect you, and I take the path that I think will make us both happy. I'm supposed to think of you, remember? If I don't, I don't deserve to marry you. I don't deserve to marry you anyway, but that shouldn't be why. My first consideration is your happiness and well-being. Don't worry, darling, you wouldn't know how to hold someone back if you tried. You are the most understanding, encouraging, loving, considerate, loveable woman in the world. Don't worry about me. I'm supposed to take away from your burdens, not add to them." She nodded as he held her close. "I love you, Elizabeth. Please don't ever be afraid or concerned to tell me something ever again." She slipped her arms around his neck and buried her face in the hollow above his collar bone. She felt his heart rate increase and started to kiss the slope of his jaw, when he made a strangled sound and swung her off his lap. "Elizabeth, please don't. My control is stretched enough as it is. Don't make it harder, please." She tried not to be hurt, but she was a little, and he saw it in the slight trembling of her lower lip before she caught it between her teeth. He hauled her against his chest again and hugged her tightly. "Darling, you know I want you, and you know this is hard for me. In four months, you can kiss me as much as your little heart desires, and you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be doing the same. But not now." She nodded and drew away, and smiled at him.
"Now," she said, "What would you like to do today?" He thought for a moment.
"Hmmm. How about we go to the Intrepid?" She clapped her hands.
"Great idea! Let's ask Jane if she wants to come." But Jane and Charlie were going out for lunch and then to a movie, so Elizabeth took Wills to her favorite little cafe and then to the Intrepid.
The Intrepid was her favorite museum; the WWII aircraft carrier held hundreds of fascinating exhibits, and roughly twenty authentic fighter, bomber, and reconnaissance planes from the second world war to the SR-1 Blackbird. Wills had been there before with her, and he found it as fascinating as she did. She could explain the history of each plane, and he could tell her how the material it was made of effected its performance. Between the two of them, they had quite a following. On their way out, Elizabeth joked that they should get a discount for being guides.
The next morning, Elizabeth and Wills were on a plane bound for San Francisco. They would take the train to Palo Alto, where Wills had left his car, and drive the rest of the way. The Darcys would be arriving in San Francisco in two days. Wills took Elizabeth to her room and then showed her around the campus. A lot of people seemed to know him, and they were all curious as to who Elizabeth was. Wills held her hand, or had one arm around her waist, and he always answered the curious proudly that she was his fiancee and that their wedding was in four months. She was introduced to his friends, and they got along well. Unsurprisingly, Elizabeth got a lot of dirty looks from the female population, but she didn't mind. She knew she could trust Wills.
The graduation ceremony was terrific. An older man, who was identified as a Professor of Mathematics, gave a short speech. It was very amusing. When he introduced himself, she realized that this was the guy that her father had wanted her to give his greetings to. After the ceremony, she dragged Wills in search of him. When she found him, she introduced herself.
"Professor Johnson? I'm Elizabeth Howard. My father was one of your students about twenty years ago, Peter Howard." Professor Johnson's face lit up.
"Ah, yes! Peter! And you're his daughter? I remember when you were just a baby!" Elizabeth grinned delightedly.
"Yes, it's good to not have too many people who let one spit up on them as a baby; they tend to find it very simple to put one in one's place." Professor Johnson laughed, and Elizabeth introduced Wills. "I believe Wills is one of your students also? He is my fiancé." Professor Johnson put looked over at Wills and squinted.
"Oh, yes! Darcy. I apologize, I didn't see you there." Wills laughed.
"That's always the way of it. I'm too easily overlooked, especially when Elizabeth's around." He kissed the top of her head.
"Well, Elizabeth, tell your father I say hello, and just mention 'Aristotle' to him. He'll know what I mean!" The old man chortled and toddled off. Elizabeth and Wills stood watching him go, amused expressions on their face.
By this time, Wills's family had caught up with him. They all gave him bear hugs, and then turned on Elizabeth and gave her bear hugs too. Then George took them all out for lunch and champagne to celebrate.
Wills began working on the government project in July. He was based in Florida. He and Elizabeth still wrote love letters and called each other once a day.
Elizabeth was very busy with final preparations for the wedding; she, Maura and Anne were to go dress shopping. They started out at "The Elephant's Trunk", a store which specialized in outfits for special occasions.
Elizabeth had her bridesmaid's dresses picked out; they were a bronze taffeta which inevitably reminded one of the changing leaves. The groomsmen's cummerbunds were the same color. The Maid of Honor's Dress was a forest green taffeta, as was the Best Man's cummerbund. Elizabeth wanted a cream dress, if possible in a forties style.
She was going to do her hair the way she had for Wills's senior prom; with the piece of hair from either side braided and braided together at the back, keeping the rest of her hair off her face. The veil would clip under the buckle that held her hair. It was her grandmother's veil, gorgeous lace, and came down just below her waist.
Finally, Elizabeth had a brainstorm. That little store on the West Side! Where she had gotten her prom dress! They sold wedding gowns. The three women hurried off to the city and that little store.
It was still dim and smelled of jasmine. Elizabeth led the way back to the wedding dresses and quickly sorted through them. And then . . . Yes! There it was! It was gorgeous-- warm cream silk in a princess-style with long sleeves and a square neckline that came to the tops of her breasts. Elizabeth tried it on with a convenient veil and looked in the mirror.
Her breath caught-- was that her? The beautiful woman in the wedding dress? Still in a daze, she stepped out of the changing stall and met the startled gazes and dropped jaws of Anne and Maura. They stared at her for a full minute before stammering,
"Oh my gosh. Elizabeth-- you were made for that dress."
"My son is going to faint when he sees you," Anne said with motherly satisfaction.
The news came in early September. Elizabeth was at work when the phone rang. She picked up to hear a very upset Anne.
"Elizabeth?" She asked, between sobs.
"Anne?" Elizabeth was startled. "What on earth is wrong?"
"Elizabeth . . . Wills and all the scientists have been kidnapped. The government believes they have been taken to Cuba." Elizabeth sat in stunned shock, unable to take in what she had just heard. "Elizabeth? Your father is on his way to pick you up. You have to come home." Elizabeth hung up the phone and sat staring into space.
Lily came by.
"Elizabeth? Are you OK?" Elizabeth turned her head slowly to look at her friend.
"What? yes. Lily, I have to go home. My father's coming." Lily nodded, confused.
"If you must, but why? Are you sick?" Elizabeth shook her head.
"What?" Elizabeth asked dazedly. "I don't know. Wills and all the scientists were kidnapped and are thought to be held in Cuba." Lily stared in shock at her usually lively and fiery friend.
"Elizabeth! No!" Elizabeth nodded her head and then couldn't stop nodding. She buried her face in her arms.
"Yes, Lily. And the wedding is next month. In thirty six days. Oh, Lily, I don't know what I'll do without him!" Lily was as shocked by the change in Elizabeth as she was by the news. Elizabeth, who was always so full of life and fun! Elizabeth, whose eyes always sparkled, and whose mouth was always smiling. Elizabeth, who was the strongest person she knew, a dead-eyed shell. She knew how much Wills meant to Elizabeth; she had always marveled at the love she saw between them. She had determined that until she knew the love she saw between Elizabeth and Wills she would never marry. Her heart breaking for her friend, she dropped to the floor by Elizabeth's chair and drew her into her arms. Elizabeth was silent; there were no tears, only a silent shaking that wouldn't cease. When Lily drew away, all she saw in Elizabeth's face was a curious blankness. Elizabeth's eyes didn't seem to be looking at her. She was in severe shock. Lily, remembering from the movies that one needed to keep shock patients warm, went and found her winter office blanket that stayed at the top of her closet, which she wrapped tightly around Elizabeth. When Peter arrived, he was greeted by the sight of his eldest daughter wrapped in a red fuzzy blanket, staring into the middle distance. It scared him. It really scared him. What was going to happen now?
Elizabeth shook her head, calling herself back to reality. Dreaming about Wills wouldn't help her cope with this curve ball she had been thrown. It had been a particularly nice dream:
She was in her wedding dress, and she was walking down the aisle behind Jane on Peter's arm. Wills had been at the front of the church, and he hadn't been able to keep his eyes off her. His jaw had dropped, and he had been staring at her with such hunger that it made her blush. She had gotten to the altar and Peter had put her hand in Wills's. They had faced Kathy and she had begun to marry them. They had said 'I do' and Kathy had pronounced them husband and wife, and Wills was told he could kiss her. He turned to her with such love in his eyes that it amazed her and lowered his head to hers. She kept her eyes open, as did he, and she knew he saw her pupils dilate as he kissed her a bit more passionately than he should have.
It was at this point that she had awakened, her heart pounding and body aching, to remember that Wills was gone-- he was probably dead-- and her dreams about him were likely to drive her mad. She rolled over and looked at the unopened packet of sleeping pills that the doctor had promised her would allow her to sleep so heavily she would not dream. With a defeated sigh, she took one with a glass of water and went to bed.
The wedding was put off; the food canceled, the country club canceled, the church reservation canceled. Elizabeth put her wedding dress, wrapped in plastic, next to the prom dress at the back of her closet. She never looked at it.
Jane, desperate to see her best friend smile again, dragged her out whenever she could, often enlisting Charlie's help in persuading Elizabeth to join them. Sabrina and Shorty, happily married with a baby on the way, were at first welcomed; but when Elizabeth turned white whenever she saw Sabrina's expanding stomach or saw Shorty kiss her head affectionately, they were soon gently told to stay away. Elizabeth still wasn't cognizant enough to realize how much people were taking care of her. Jane took her to work every day and drove her back to the apartment. Lily always made sure she ate lunch. Jane and Charlie took turns cooking at night, because when Elizabeth tried last there had been a grease fire while she sat at the table, staring into space.
Maura and Anne either came to the apartment on weekends or brought Elizabeth back with them, where she stayed equal amounts of time with her own family and with her almost-in-laws.
One day, a month after it had happened, Elizabeth was sitting at the kitchen table in Anne's kitchen when she suddenly broke down and wept. She let out deep, heart-wrenching sobs that soon grew hoarse. She sobbed until her throat was dry and the sounds she made were like those of a wounded animal. She sobbed until she gagged and Anne dragged her to the toilet to throw up. She drank some water and sobbed some more. Anne just sat with her and held her when the sobs slowed in intensity until they stopped. Anne gave her some more water and a few tissues and asked,
"You haven't wept for him before, have you." Elizabeth shook her head.
"I couldn't." Anne nodded.
"It is good you have; tears help us get out some of our anger and grief. God knew what he was doing." Elizabeth smiled weakly.
"To tell the truth, I haven't missed the tears. I never cry. As a matter of fact, the only times I have cried in the last seven years are both because of your son. Ha. Oh, God, Anne! What am I going to do?" Anne took Elizabeth's hands in hers.
"There is nothing you can do but pick up the pieces and move on. That is the only option left us. Move on." Elizabeth stared at her, wide eyed.
"Maybe you'll never love anyone as much as you love Wills. That's fine. Love like that comes once in a lifetime, if you're lucky. Most people don't have it at all. Never settle for second best, Elizabeth. Pray for the best and move on. Pray for strength and courage. Pray that He will watch over Wills and return him to us. But if it's not to be, Elizabeth, we must move on." She squeezed the hands of the girl she looked on as a daughter and sent up a silent prayer that her son would come home and banish the despair she saw in Elizabeth's eyes.
There was no news. Unable to think why anyone would go to such lengths to secure a defense system, the CIA had alerted their agents in Cuba and sent more. The FBI was all over, undercover. Elizabeth tried to laugh as she remembered Miss Congeniality. She began to dread the uncomfortable look that ever so slightly crept over the faces of whomever she was dealing with when there was nothing to report. A sense of inevitability began to seep through her. There was nothing she could do, as Anne had said, but pray and pick up the pieces. She had been praying, and she prayed as hard as she could that God would bring Wills and the other scientists back unharmed.
In early November, the news came. Some crazy millionaire had arranged to have the scientists and the plans kidnapped so he could build the defense systems and market them to countries all around the world. When Elizabeth heard, she laughed a little hysterically and said,
"He's Dr No!" The others looked at her strangely until she replied, laughing harder, "James Bond's's Dr. No!" She subsided and clenched her fists together to keep her control. "What is being done?" The man shrugged.
"There is very little we can do. It seems that this man is money mad enough to do anything to reach his goal, and our agents report that the scientists are locked up at night in a yacht. During the day, they are 'escorted' by two huge armed guards each. There is little chance of escape, and none of over powering the guards. We are planning a rescue of sorts, but it is likely to take some time. So please, I know this is hard to do, but please be patient. We don't want any of our guys killed." They all nodded dutifully.
"Whew!" Elizabeth said. "At least we know they're OK."
"Yeah," Anne said, "that does help my peace of mind. Now-- I am going to take you to the best restaurant it has ever been my pleasure to frequent." They were in Tallahassee, and Anne had gone to school in Florida. She brought Elizabeth to a small inexpensive restaurant that seemed to have an inordinate amount of customers for its looks. "See? Everyone agrees with me. A few friends and I discovered it in the seventies and we soon made it the hot spot of college life.
Anne ordered them both double cheeseburgers with fries and two pickles. Elizabeth, more than willing to defer to her almost-mother-in-law's taste, discovered that Anne had positively diabolically good taste in cheeseburgers. She bit into hers, with mushrooms and onions, and closed her eyes in ecstasy. "Good?" Anne asked, a knowing smile on her face. Elizabeth moaned.
"I think this is probably the best cheeseburger I have ever had. Anne, you are diabolical. You know that?" Anne laughed.
"So I'm told. Hey, isn't it your birthday tomorrow?" Elizabeth looked guilty. "I thought so. Well, we're going shopping. I thought I would inform you so you can get lots of rest. Shopping with me-- I mean really shopping-- is an Olympic sport. Somewhere on the level of a marathon." Elizabeth laughed.
"Yes, that's what Wills always said whenever I would complain of Jane darting all over the place too quickly. I like to take my time and enjoy myself." Anne smiled.
"Good. So do I. I just do it in a shorter space of time." They laughed. "We leave at 8:30 sharp tomorrow morning." Elizabeth saluted.
"Ma'am, yes ma'am!" They laughed again and ate their cheeseburgers.
Anne hadn't been lying; shopping with her truly was an Olympic event. She was content to take her time somewhat, and she had an even better knack for finding bargains than Elizabeth did, which was saying something. They enjoyed their shopping trip. Anne insisted on buying Elizabeth four gifts, all of which she picked out. The first was a gorgeous pair of black leather calf-boots. They weren't slutty at all; they suited Elizabeth's natural elegance very well. Anne had great fun outfitting her, as Elizabeth could carry off the classic Audrey Hepburn style without difficulty. Anne sighed in envy as she surveyed Elizabeth, arrayed in a burgundy mid-calf velvet dress coat and thought that never, not in a million years, could she or anyone else she knew, carry off that coat, certainly not with the cool elegance that Elizabeth managed. All in all, the outfit was stunning. There were the boots, and the coat, and a cream turtleneck sweater with a big, wide, roll down neck, and there was the tan suede skirt. With it all together, Elizabeth looked amazing-- like a model. Anne insisted Elizabeth wear the outfit as they continued shopping, and she got quite a few wolf whistles (only from guys) and admiring comments (from both girls and guys)-- and when Anne was away from her in Eddie Bauer, this really, really hot sales clerk came up to her and gave her his number. She smiled nicely at him, and gently told him that she was engaged, but she was very flattered. She managed it so he went away feeling happier than he approached.
When Elizabeth told Anne, Anne laughed, but wasn't surprised.
"See? I told you that you look amazing." Elizabeth smiled and thanked her.
Elizabeth had bought most of her Christmas presents, but as they approached Victoria's Secret and Anne noticed the longing glances Elizabeth was casting the silk lingerie, she said wickedly,
"Why don't you go in there and buy Wills a Christmas present?" Elizabeth stared at her and then blushed furiously. Anne continued, "I'm sure he'd rather have you in one of those things than any other Christmas present in the world." Elizabeth giggled, her face still a tomato. "Go on, have a look. Buy something scandalous," Anne suggested. "I'm going into the book store." Elizabeth nodded and waited until Anne was out of sight before ducking into Victoria's Secret.
She headed straight for the slinky silk nightgowns, ducking several sales assistants with credit card offers on the way. She grabbed several and headed for the changing rooms. When she came out, she put two back and got three more. When she was finally finished, she brought four silk, curve-hugging nightdresses and a sheer black corset up to the counter and paid $150 for them. She blushed as she thought of what Wills would think-- knowing him, he'd probably die of joy. Or he'd groan and say he was going to. She giggled to herself and let herself dream of the day, soon, when he would be returned and they could get married.
In mid-December, Elizabeth received a call from an overjoyed Anne.
"Elizabeth! THE AGENTS RESCUED THEM INTACT!! THEY'RE COMING HOME!!" Elizabeth, naturally was more overjoyed even than Anne. She shrieked and did a dance on the counter top banging a pot with a wooden spoon. Jane came out of her room and looked inquiringly at her best friend, whom she had known ever since kindergarten would lose it someday. She didn't seem too surprised, so Elizabeth explained.
"Wills's been rescued!!" Jane shrieked too and joined her on the table top. They laughed and cheered and hugged each other and banged their pots until they were laughing so hard they couldn't stand.
"One hell of a Christmas present, Liz!" Jane called. Elizabeth, in whole-hearted agreement, sent up a prayer of such thanksgiving that if it didn't have the angels dancing, there was something wrong with them. She called Anne back and asked hurriedly when they would be returned.
"The week before Christmas," Anne promised. "Your mother and I have already re-booked the church and the country club and informed the guests and called the caterer. All you need to do is get your dress out of your closet and air it and get those 'night clothes' you bought ready for a honeymoon!" They whooped and cheered together and finally hung up. Elizabeth called all her friends, and called all his friends, too. The best thing that happened was that one hour later, Wills called her.
"Elizabeth!"
"Wills? Oh my God! Are you all right?"
"Yes darling. I'm fine. Just missing you like crazy and as mad as a bull that I missed our wedding. That was my biggest issue." They laughed, but Elizabeth started to cry softly.
"Oh, Wills, I was so scared. I was so scared I'd never see you again. I'm not going to let you out of my sight for a while yet." He chuckled, and said,
"Good. I was hoping you'd say that. Don't cry, Liza. I'm sorry I worried you."
"You didn't worry me! I know you're not stupid and you can take care of yourself! But when I think of that millionaire. . . Grrrr." He laughed.
"God, I love you Elizabeth. When can we get married?"
"Well, your mother called me, told me that you were back, and then told me that she and my mother have already re-booked the church and the country club, informed the guests, and called the caterer. So it's set for next week. Wait til you see your Christmas present!" She giggled. Wills was immediately interested.
"What is it?" Elizabeth giggled some more.
"Wait and see. It was all your mother's idea, too. I almost died of embarrassment when she suggested it, but I'm pretty sure you'll like it."
"Is it anything like you, served on a silver tray?" She laughed outright at this wishful thinking.
"Close, actually, but I'll leave the rest to your imagination."
"Don't worry," he growled. "I've been discovering these six years that I have a very vivid imagination." She blushed, and he laughed.
"What?" She asked, confused.
"I could hear you blush," he chuckled.
"Is that so," she said. "Well, let me fill you in. Sabrina and Shorty have a beautiful baby girl, named Veronica. They mean to call her Lizbef." They chuckled. "I'm kidding. They wanted to call her Elizabeth, but Shannon and Cal convinced them that it was a bad idea. Oh! And Jane and Charlie are getting married next month. They couldn't wait any longer and were really relieved when you were returned to us. We'll have just enough time for a honeymoon. Their date is January 18th and ours is December 16th. Oh! That reminds me. Where are you going to work? Because we need to figure out where we're going to live." Wills chuckled.
"Well, as a matter of fact, the government wants me to keep working for them-- and they want me to work in the city." Elizabeth gasped and clapped her hands.
"Perfect! I got a promotion; I am now a senior journalist. It came with a nice fat raise." They laughed. "I'll have a look around at the available apartments and we can narrow it down just before the wedding."
"Sounds great. Oops! I gotta go, darling. Love you. I'll call you tomorrow."
"Love you too, Wills. Bye."
Later that day, he called the apartment again. Jane answered. She was glad he had been returned intact, but she told him in no uncertain terms that she never, ever, wanted to see Elizabeth like that again.
"She could hardly function," she said accusingly. "She flew to Florida so often they know her personally at the airport and at the Base in Tallahassee." Wills was silent. "She tried to cook one night, and there was a grease fire. She didn't even notice. Elizabeth," Jane insisted, "has way too much respect for her kitchen and for food to do that. She didn't notice. Because all of her energy and thoughts were on worrying about you. If," Jane continued in a menacing tone, "she is ever like that again because of you, I'll kill you," she finished and Wills replied.
"Don't worry-- if she's ever like that again because of me, I'll kill myself. You and Charlie and Sabrina and Shorty and Shannon and Cal won't have to bother."
"I don't know why you're being so careful," Jane laughed," Wills makes over $200,000 a year, and you make over $80,000. You could afford to go up a little; or even to buy one." Elizabeth stared at her friend, struck.
"That's a really good idea. Let's check."
After a long and fairly exhausting search, they finally found the perfect apartment.
"It's perfect!" Jane cried. "Just what you need!" The view was spectacular; the apartment was in a building that was significantly taller than those around it so one could see the river. The building was over a fairly business-orientated section of the city, and the sun gleamed off of the glass buildings. The inside was large and airy. The rooms flowed into each other, and there were two bedrooms.
"We can use the second bedroom as an office," Elizabeth mused. "The kitchen is good sized, as is the living room/dining room. It's perfect," she decided. "It's perfect!"
When Wills came home, he hugged his parents and his brothers and Maura and Peter and Magda and Scott. Then he swept Elizabeth up in his arms and carried her out to his car as their families watched indulgently.
They went to Elizabeth's apartment in the city, which, complete with Nanuk, was just what they wanted. They sat together in the big green chair and kissed and petted and talked and caught up until finally they had to separate. To distract themselves from their still far-from-inactive-hormones, Elizabeth told Wills about the apartment.
"It's really nice, and it's two thousand a month, for everything. I figured we'll each contribute a certain amount each month (I haven't figured it all out yet) and set aside about two hundred dollars a month for food. We'd have to buy furniture, because all I have is my bed, my desk, and my bookshelf. And I'm bringing my bed back to my parents' because it's too small for us." Wills nodded.
"Is the apartment for sale?"
"Yes, they want $250,000 for it."
"Hmmm. Well, I have $200,000 saved up. How much do you have?"
"About $100,000."
"OK, here's what we'll do. I'll buy most of the apartment; we'll get a mortgage. I'll keep back about $80,000 just because it's a good idea, and we can use half of that and half of yours for furniture, food, utilities, whatever. OK?" Elizabeth nodded.
"Sounds good. Interest rates are low, so a loan is a good idea."
"I'll call the bank." While he did so, Elizabeth called her parents and informed them of the change in plan.
"Elizabeth; don't get a mortgage. Your father and I and Anne and George have been talking, and we want to give you the rest of the money as your wedding gift." Elizabeth was speechless and waved at Wills. He excused himself for a minute and said,
"What is it?"
"Our parents want to give us the $130,000 we need for the apartment!" Wills stared at her.
"What? They can't do that!" Elizabeth shook her head.
"They're insisting on it!" Wills clapped one hand to his forehead.
"OK, we need to have a chat with them." Elizabeth nodded and spoke into the phone.
"Mom? We'll be there in half-an-hour. Call Anne and George and ask them over. We'll talk then." She hung up and they tore out of the apartment.
On the drive to Briarcliff, Wills and Elizabeth talked over every angle of this predicament. They agreed that the best thing to do was to spend little more than $10,000 on the apartment. They actually agreed on $12,000. They needed a new mattress and box spring, a table, a couch, a few chairs and kitchen stools. The apartment had a fairly new stove and refrigerator and dishwasher, and Wills owned all his small appliances such as microwaves and toasters. Elizabeth owned most of the pans and things at Jane's, and when they finished making the list they realized that $12,000 was too much. With relief, they decided that they would allow their parents to split the $80,000 left. Elizabeth reminded Wills that her parents had always planned to help their kids buy houses, and Wills recalled that his grandparents had paid for a third of their house.
It was a good thing they had determined everything before they got to Elizabeth's parents', for when they did they were greeted with the sight of four stone faced parents sitting straight upright on the green and gold couches. Elizabeth and Wills looked at each other in disbelief and with trepidation stepped into the living room. They greeted the four and told of their resolution.
"The gift of the rest of the money would be wonderful, thank you," Elizabeth said. "We were a little worried about the mortgage." Wills jumped in;
"We'll be able to go on a short honeymoon now, thank you." In silence, they looked hopefully at their silent parents. Finally, Peter spoke.
"We had agreed that Maura and I would donate $50,000 because of the wedding costs and Anne and George would donate $80,000. We've written the checks, and while we respect your desire to pay yourselves, would you please reconsider? All our parents helped us buy our homes, and we have always wanted to do the same." All four faces had softened to softer than usual, as George chipped in.
"We love both of you; Elizabeth is like a daughter to us,"
"As Wills is a son to us," Maura added,
"And we want to help." Wills and Elizabeth hugged their parents.
"We love you all too, and we can't take advantage of you like this. We have money saved up, and we don't need $130,000. It's very kind of you, but Mom and Dad, you're already paying for the wedding. And Anne and George have been paying for the plane tickets when I was flying to Florida twice a month. All together, it's a lot of money. And we can't take it when we don't need it." Elizabeth finished and looked around for understanding. The four parents were looking at each other and soon moved off for a conference. Wills squeezed Elizabeth's hand and kissed her cheek reassuringly. Their parents returned.
"We have decided," Peter said, "To split the $80,000. But Maura and I are going to buy the furniture,"
"And Anne and I are sending you to Bermuda for your honeymoon-- end of discussion." George was adamant. Elizabeth and Wills looked at each other helplessly for a few seconds. Finally they looked back at their very generous, pig-headed parents and said,
"All right. Thank you very much." The smiles broke out on the faces of the elder four as their children realized how very nervous they had been. Anne called the travel agent and made plane reservations and hotel reservations for the 18th through to the second of January and Maura got out her catalogues and sat with Elizabeth as they deliberated over the merits of corduroy versus velvet.
Wills called the owner of the apartment and asked that the man's lawyers send his lawyers his price, explaining that it had been something of a last minute decision. The man was overjoyed and agreed at once. Later that day, Wills got a call from his lawyer saying that they had gotten the price down to $200,000. Wills agreed and told him to close the deal. He sent the check to the lawyer and went to tell the other five the good news.
The parents, as was to be expected, absolutely refused to lower their gift. They simply wrote the checks over to Wills, who, it must be said, was rather relieved to have the $80,000. Elizabeth called the electric company and the gas company and arranged for the electricity, water, and gas to be turned on starting the 15th. The plane tickets were on their way, and Elizabeth and Wills went to Sears. They picked out a bed, a mattress and box spring, a couch, a dining room table and chairs, stools for the island in the kitchen, two big chairs, and a big bookshelf. The total, to their relief, was just under $5,000, and it was twenty dollars for each item to be delivered, which would occur, they were promised, in two days, by the tenth. The deal with Elizabeth's parents was that Elizabeth would pay and her parents would pay her back. Wills's wallet was still smarting from the apartment, and Elizabeth didn't mind. She was paying for the utilities for the first six months and for groceries. They would each pay for their own clothes and would split any other expenses.
The apartment needed painting, so Elizabeth, Wills, Jane, Charlie, Shannon, Cal, Sabrina, Shorty, Scott and Tim all put their painting clothes on and got to work. Magda and Chris were babysitting Ronnie. They finished in three hours, having to clean first and wash the walls. They changed, opened all the windows to get rid of the paint fumes, and then Elizabeth and Wills took them all for pizza as payment. The furniture came and they placed it, along with their desks, dressers, stereos, TVs and Wills's small appliances in the apartment. Elizabeth had packed up all her books, her CDs, and most of her clothes into boxes and placed them in her dresser at the apartment. Her pictures and various little things followed, as did Wills's, and they had a wonderful time placing them around the different rooms. These little interludes led, naturally, to kissing sessions, which led, in due course, to their hasty separation after a few minutes. Wills groaned a lot more about it being a good thing the wedding was in four days because he really was going to die of frustration. They were packed for Bermuda, and the suitcases reposed in the bedroom of the apartment. The three boxes that had kept appearing throughout their history were tucked safely into Elizabeth's closet; the shirts were her favorite items of clothing (a Stanford sweatshirt had been added to her collection, as well as one that said US GOVT on it) and the fairy had a place of honor in the living room.
Finally, the day arrived. Elizabeth got up at six, ate what little breakfast she could choke down, laid her dress out, and prayed. She wasn't really nervous, she told herself, but she was sure she would trip on her gown and go sprawling right in front of everyone. Or even worse, sprain her ankle by falling in her shoes. In something of a panic, she called Jane, who, as she was staying at her parents', could be there in five minutes.
Jane, once she was told she could shower and everything at Elizabeth's parents', was there in six minutes, the stop light having taken longer than usual. She, as usual, was able to calm the usually nerveless Elizabeth by saying that even if she did trip, Jane probably would too, but Wills and Charlie would love them any way; and if she sprained her ankle, Wills would be more than happy to carry her around for as long as it took to heal, and probably longer.
The final thing that it took to have Elizabeth laughing was Jane saying that, even if she did trip, or sprain her ankle, it wouldn't necessarily be bad, as everyone would be talking about her wedding for much longer than anyone else's.
"Why, you might make the front page of the Journal News! 'Bride Takes a Fall in the Most Memorable Wedding of the Year'!" They collapsed on Elizabeth's bed, giggling. Carefully, they did each others' makeup and hair.
The wedding started at ten o'clock, but they would be marching up the aisle at ten-fifteen just to give everyone a chance to get there. By nine o'clock, all the bridesmaids were there and giggling up a storm. Sabrina winked at her friend.
"Just you wait; unless you're careful, you'll look just like me within six months!" Elizabeth flushed and giggled, glancing at Sabrina's still flat middle. She tried to imagine what Wills's children would look like and flushed even deeper as her three best friends looked at her curiously, then began to laugh. Still only in her petticoat, stockings and underwear, Elizabeth lunged at them, knocking them onto the bed, helpless with laughter. Maura came down, looking uncharacteristically serene in her seafoam dress, and said,
"All right, girls! It's quarter to ten! Everyone in your dresses!" There was a mad scramble as the maid of honor and the three bridesmaids grabbed for their dresses; the bride went to hug her mother.
"You look beautiful, Mummy darling."
"Thank you, Elizabeth. You look radiant, and you're not even in your dress yet. I see you have your blue," she looked pointedly at Elizabeth's bra, which was exposed to the air, "And something borrowed," as she gently touched her diamonds in her daughter's ears, "And something old," as she flicked Peter's mother's pearls at Elizabeth's throat. "And you needn't worry about tripping, as your shoes are flats." They were beautifully graceful cream satin slippers that laced, like ballet shoes, up her ankles. "Let's get you into your dress."
Magda, Sabrina and Shannon started walking down the aisle together, three abreast. Jane followed, and after 10 seconds, Elizabeth and Peter started.
The church was gorgeous, covered in red roses and yellow lilies and ivy. Wills and Chris, with Charlie, Shorty and Cal behind them, had stood when the music started. When Wills had seen her, his jaw had dropped. After a few seconds, Chris elbowed him and he closed his mouth, but his eyes never left hers. She smiled slightly, and saw his hands clench at his sides, which made her smile widen, enjoying the effect she had on him. He didn't miss the meaning behind her smile, and he grinned ruefully at her.
Peter placed Elizabeth's hand in Wills's and they faced Kathy and she began to marry them.
The ceremony passed in a whirl, but Elizabeth didn't forget any of it. Uppermost in her mind was the way Wills's hand shook slightly as he slipped the his ring on her finger or the way he looked at her so tenderly. She hadn't cried, but she had come very close. She clenched his hand tightly as she slid her ring on his finger, and when Kathy said to Wills,
"You may kiss the bride," and he turned to her, she saw the unshed tears in his eyes as they smiled tremulously at each other. They looked at each other for a few seconds before he bent to her and she slid her arms around his neck. The kiss he placed on her lips was tender and loving; but she wasn't letting him get away that easily. She kissed him passionately. She could feel his surprise at first, but he quickly followed her lead, and they kissed, not noticing Kathy's cough or the cheers of the congregation. Finally Chris tapped Wills on the shoulder and he dragged his head from hers to smile sheepishly. She began to laugh, and everyone joined in. It was later said by many that there had not been many weddings so full of laughter.
The luncheon was a success; the speeches were funny and well received. Magda and Chris were found making out in the hallway, and to save themselves embarrassment Magda extended her left hand, which shut everyone up, as it was decorated with a huge sapphire. The bride and groom didn't mind the distraction; they went off and found a hallway of their own. They rejoined the company after a few minutes flushed and a little disheveled. The luncheon was a great success, lasting until 4:00. The bride and groom left at 1:00 and were driven to their new home. They didn't see much of the drive; they were otherwise occupied. When they finally arrived at the apartment building, Wills insisted on carrying her through the apartment building, in the elevator, and over their threshold to their bedroom where she soon discovered that she had nothing to worry about.
"What are you writing?" Wills came up behind her and kissed the top of her head as he looked at her laptop screen. Elizabeth turned her mouth up to be kissed. He complied and it was some minutes before her mouth was free to answer.
"I'm writing about us."
"About us? What about us?"
"Everything about us."
"Everything, huh."
"Yup. Starting from tenth grade."
"Ooh," He winced. "That was a bad year."
"Yeah, but it gets better. I'm at Canadian Thanksgiving in my freshman year of college." They chuckled.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Shannon called. She sounded very excited, and I think I can guess why."
Elizabeth laughed. "So can I. Hang on a sec." She dialed Shannon's cell-phone and said, "OK, what's up?" Shannon laughed, and there was laughter in her voice as she said,
"Can't you guess?"
"Of course I can. I'm not that dumb, but I thought you would like to say it." Shannon laughed again.
"You're right! We're getting married! And I want you to be my matron of honor. Please say you will!" Elizabeth pretended to think for a minute, then said,
"Of course I will! I would be honored. And congratulations!" Shannon laughed yet again. She couldn't stop; she was bubbling over.
"Thank you! But I have to go now." her voice dropped to a whisper, "he's waiting. He knows I'm talking to you, but I still have to get him back. So we're talking about him, OK?" Elizabeth complied, and she heard Shannon say a little louder, "Oh I know! Isn't he? I love him anyway, but it's so true." She giggled softly and whispered, "Ooh, it worked! He's starting to look like a confused thundercloud. Gotta go!" She hung up.
Elizabeth turned to Wills. "Well, we were right. I'm to be her matron of honor. I certainly hope the wedding is soon, or I shall be too big for the dress!"
Wills turned white. "What . . . what do you mean?"
Elizabeth laughed delightedly. "Well, we are about to have a permanent addition to the family. In about eight months." Wills looked shocked, and she laughed again.
"You'll get used to the idea. I'm a little worried myself; I've never had a baby before." Wills, sensing through his surprise that she was telling the truth, scooped her up and sat her down in his lap in her big chair that they had sat in for so many years. He held her close and kissed her and murmured how much he loved her and how beautiful she was in her ear. He smoothed her hair and nibbled her ear, all the while holding her close and telling her that there was nothing to be afraid of. After a minute, he felt her relax and her breath whooshed out on a sigh. "I'll have to call my mother, and your mother. I just wanted to tell you first." He smiled against her head as he asked,
"Is it a boy or a girl?" She sat up and looked at him.
"I don't know. Does it matter?" He shook his head.
"Not at all. I was just told that mothers can sense these things." She laughed and shook her head, leaning back down to bury it in the hollow of his neck.
"I love you so much, Wills Darcy."
"I love you, Elizabeth Darcy." They smiled as they looked down the years.
His father laughed over stories of how, while he was being changed, little Rich had peed straight up into the air and into his own face. He had sputtered and blinked, and his parents had been almost hysterical with laughter. Unfortunately for Wills, Chris, Scott and Tim, the grandparents broke out with their own stories of their sons' feats until all were forced to run for cover.
Later that same day, Wills came into their bedroom just as Elizabeth was feeding little Rich his dinner. He sat down next to her on the bed and put his arm around her and she leaned in with a sigh. He chuckled.
"Long day?" She sighed again.
"Not really. I just never realized how hard having a baby is. I resigned today," she continued. "I'm writing some articles at home, but I want to be home with our children. My job is one that doesn't require my presence in an office, really, and I refuse to let someone else bring up my children." Wills nodded.
"I agree, though I'm sorry you had to give up your job."
"Oh, I didn't mind much. I just have priorities, and my family comes before my job." She turned her head and kissed his cheek.
"I do love you, Liza," he whispered as he tightened his arm around her. "So much."