Chapter 47

"Hi, honey! I'm home!"

Rob had always wondered how it would feel to say that out loud and mean it. He looked at the smirk on Elaina's face and knew immediately how it felt: it felt totally ridiculous. He smiled and laughed at himself.

"Got that out of your system?" Elaina asked to his further embarrassment. He nodded.

"Yeah, I did. It didn't come out quite the way I had pictured it in my head."

She laughed with him this time and came in for a hug. He happily gave her that and a kiss as a bonus. She walked with him to the bedroom, each with an arm around the other's waist and bumping hips.

He told her of his day at work while he ate dinner, starting with firing the traitorous employee and ending with the 'intervention' by Brenda and Jessica.

"You know, it's funny that," Elaina interjected. "I thought we were being followed, but I couldn't detect malicious intent. You said they came in late from lunch?"

"Yeah," he said, drawing the word out. "And they were flushed, like they'd been running."

"It seems they may have been more titillated than concerned, if you were to ask me," she replied slyly. Rob laughed and allowed how that might be true.

He asked about her day and received a quick lesson on investment counseling. She also mentioned that she might have a buyer for the house, even without the appraisal.

"You should probably tell Dawn," Rob said. "You might want to think of how she'll feel if she finds out afterward."

"Oh, I hadn't considered that," she replied. "I should call her and tell her now."

Elaina went off to make her call. Rob cleared space in the living room and practiced his kata. The routines went very smoothly, and he ended up practicing at full speed for everything. As he stretched himself more and more, he began to feel kicks from his afterburners. It was during a spin-kick that he saw Elaina watching him from the bedroom door with her mouth open, her cell phone forgotten in her hand. She had an older phone, just like he had; it did nothing more than make calls and send texts.

He stopped and spun down, worried that something was wrong. As he approached her with worry evident on his face, she finally snapped out of her trance.

"Oh. My. God," she whispered. "You were moving so fast. Your limbs were a blur. I could hear your clothes snapping from the bedroom."

"Is that all?" he asked, not totally convinced that was it. She looked at the phone in her hand.

"Oh, yeah," she answered distractedly. "Dawn's not happy with me right now. She told me that if I had gone to her first, she would have repped it herself. The way it is now, she'd have to take it away from someone who'd earned it." She shrugged unhappily. "Guess I'm going to have to find a way to make it up to her."

Rob hugged her and tried to reassure her that Dawn would forgive and forget, that it wasn't in her nature to hold a grudge. Elaina wasn't quite sure and tried to use Doug as an example. Rob just stared at her until she admitted that was a bad example.

She finally relaxed and Rob continued with his workout. She perched herself on the back of the couch and watched as he pushed himself harder and faster. He finished up with a move he'd seen Archer use and almost hit the nearest wall with his head.

"Why are you pushing yourself so hard, sweeting?" she asked from the couch.

"I'm not sure," he answered hesitantly. "I just have this gut feeling I'm going to need this sooner than I'm ready for."

She urged him to go to bed with her. He cleaned up with a rinse in the shower and joined her beneath the covers. They both had concerns weighing them down, hers the worry over upsetting Dawn, his the vague premonition of impending danger, and they soothed each other tenderly into the night.

They fell asleep in each other's arms, still connected and breathing each other's breath in synch.

Rob got the hoped-for text from Dawn, and showed up at Tony's for lunch after a particularly unexceptional morning at work. Elaina wasn't there – the sun was shining brightly that day – and Dawn informed him at the door that Elaina had told her she had some business to attend to.

"So, have you forgiven her yet?" he asked, keeping a straight face.

"Of course I forgave her!" she exclaimed, slapping his arm. He remembered seeing Deidra doing that to Tony and wondered if it meant anything. "I had to call her to tell her. The silly clunch would probably worry herself sick before simply asking me. Did you know, when I texted her for lunch, she sent back 'Are you sure?' Can you believe that?"

He found it easier now to keep a straight face. "Dawn, Elaina takes you very seriously. She would rather die than hurt your feelings."

"Oh," she replied. "It's like that, is it?" She looked at him with her heart in her eyes.

"It is exactly like that," he answered carefully. "How do you feel about that?"

"I ... I like her, a lot," she said, struggling to say the words.

"Is that a bad thing, Dawn?" He could see the minefield, but he was determined to see this through. He would rather this conversation had taken place somewhere less public, but he would make do with what was offered. With that in mind, he drew her to a booth in back where they could at least have the illusion of privacy.

Deidra showed up and efficiently took their orders, trying not to intrude on a private moment. She told them she would bring the drinks with their meals, and Rob thanked her with his eyes.

"So, tell me, Dawn," he continued, "Is that a bad thing?" He leaned forward and waited for her answer. He could see her struggling and let her work through it.

"It's just ... I ... I don't do women. I like men," and she sighed at finally getting it out.

"But Elaina's not just any woman, is she?" he asked, not letting up on her. He had already seen the answer in her eyes, he just wanted her to admit it to herself.

"I ... I can't," she stammered out.

"But you could. Dawn, I've seen you kiss her." The light finally came on for him, and he knew what he needed to say. "You already love her, don't you?" he asked gently.

She stared at him with tears in her eyes. One escaped to run down her cheek.

"Dawn, I know how you feel. I love her too, with all the love my heart can bear. And you want to know something?" He waited for her to nod before continuing. "I think I love you too." Now he sat back, and he waited for her.

"How can you love us both?" she asked mournfully. "How can you give her your heart and offer it to me too?"

"Did you think that love is a loaf of bread, to be divvied up, the pieces getting smaller as we loved others? How could parents love their children? How could brothers and sisters love each other?" He sat forward as he made his point. "No, Dawn. Love is not a loaf, it is a bottomless well, forever flowing. We can dip a bucket and offer our love, than go back to the well to offer more."

"But..."

"I'm not offering you my heart, Dawn. I'm offering you a place in my heart, a place that is all yours and yours alone, as wide as the sky and as deep as space. And right next door, right there in my heart with you, you will find her. Elaina."

Dawn was weeping silently with the intensity of emotion running through her.

Deidra had wisely postponed their meal, prepared to pack it to go if needed. Tony stood worriedly beside her, his hand on her shoulder as she shook in sympathy with Dawn. She'd heard Rob's speech and it had struck a chord with her. She leaned against Tony's broad chest and wept for Dawn's pain.

At the table, Rob waited, hoping he hadn't destroyed his chance to claim a place in her heart. He was also worried that he'd hardened her heart toward Elaina. He knew he'd pushed hard, maybe too hard, but he had to get her off the fence about her feelings.

Giving it one last shot, he went for broke.

"Dawn, sweeting, please. Open your heart and see the beauty you have within yourself. See how much you have to offer and how much we have to offer you. I probably shouldn't say this, but I think you have the right to know." She had stopped weeping and was now looking at him with hope and despair warring in her eyes. "Elaina told me she has feelings for you. If you think about it, you'll find you already knew that. Let her in, sweeting. Let her into your heart."

He stood and walked around to her side of the booth. When he sat down beside her, she grabbed him and held on for all she was worth, weeping once again.

Deidra stopped by the booth to drop off their boxed-up lunches, letting Rob know he could pay the tab next time he came in. He nodded his thanks, wondering about Deidra's reddened eyes, and returned his attention to Dawn.

"Sweetheart, we have to go. Promise me something, okay?" She nodded. "Think about it, okay? Don't make a decision yet, just think about and let us know what you decide. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes, Rob, I can do that," she answered with a watery smile.

"Believe me, Dawn. We want you in our lives. If nothing else, remember that."

She climbed out of his lap and cleaned herself up with a napkin. Deidra came by and offered her some cosmetic wipes to clean up with and suggested she use the ladies' room to fix herself up. Rob stood to let her out, sitting back down while she slowly walked off, the wipes in one hand and her purse in the other.

Deidra watched until she disappeared into the bathroom and turned to Rob.

"What was that all about?" she asked as she joined him at the table. "Did you propose to her or something?"

"Something like that," he answered. "Why?"