Page 39 of Troubled Water
TWO YEARS LATER
“Mama!” shrieks our little girl, Cammie, as she toddles through our chilly backyard in McLean, Virginia. Named after both of our mothers, Camille Lorraine Thornton is the light of our lives. She’s inherited my blond hair, but her eyes are entirely her father’s.
So is her attitude, not to mention her propensity for getting into trouble.
But after twelve years of marriage, I’m an old pro of being able to handle the emotional roller coaster that comes with loving and being loved by a Thornton. I bend down and scoop her up. “What are you up to, sweetie?”
She beams a gap-toothed grin at me before waving a rose at me. She must have got it from her father because it’s a perfect bloom with no thorns marring the stem. “Fors oos!” Her little face lights up as if she’s just handed me a buried treasure.
I brush a lock of hair from her forehead and kiss her cheek, breathing in the sweet smell of sunshine and grass. “Thank you, my love. It's beautiful.”
She wriggles in my arms, eager to return to what she was doing before being sent on this errand. The minute I set her down, she races in the direction of the house where my father is waiting to spoil her. In spite of the fact I know Parker and I created her, I still can’t help but be in awe of the energy of this tiny human. “I swear she has more energy than six of us.”
“You wouldn’t be wrong about that, B. Then again, it might be my son draining all of yours.” My husband’s deep voice comes from the side. I can’t prevent the smile that leaps to my face as I turn to face him.
It’s been two years. Two years since the day Parker had been forced to pull the trigger and save us in the only way he could. Through my winter coat, I rub the spot where the scar on my shoulder lies out of habit, more than lingering pain. Yes, it’s a physical reminder for both of us, but it’s a wound that’s healed over time. Through working with Dr. Rhumed, so did our lives. Parker had to get over his guilt, and I had to let go of my fear. Together, we learned coping mechanisms to discuss what happened with each other and ways to communicate that wouldn’t put his job in jeopardy.
We’re stronger because we struggled. Because of one day, one moment, our lives could have fallen apart. Instead, we didn’t drown in the troubled water we found ourselves in. With help—professional, family, and friends alike—we made it safely to shore.
And now, we were here. Together. A family—an expanding one at that.
I turn, my lips already curving upward. He’s still as handsome as the day I met him on the balcony in Mexico—maybe even more so. He’s always been ruggedly good-looking but with the hint of silver at his temples?
I shiver thinking,Mine.“Happy anniversary.”
His arm wraps around my waist and his lips meet mine softly. “Happy anniversary.”
I flick the rose back and forth. “Real ones?”
His eyes twinkle. “I didn’t want Cammie begging for the sugar. I hid your real ones in our room.”
My head falls back as I laugh loudly. “Good. I don’t want to break tradition and not get my chocolate roses.”
“No, it just means they’ll be there for you when you get the munchies after I make love to you tonight.”
“Hmm. That sounds even more delicious than the chocolate.”
He tugs me tight against his body despite his wool overcoat and my maternity down jacket. His voice is laden with promise. “It sure does.”
He kisses me then, slow and tender like he was savoring the moment. Savoring us. When we pull apart, his eyes are soft, filled with that same intensity that has been there ever since that long ago kiss in Playa del Carmen. But instead of the blankness after our first kiss, there’s a shimmer in his due to a million different love-filled memories between us. Still, he’s studying me closely, “What is it?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
"We’ve come a long way, haven’t we, B?”
“You mean from sharing booze over a balcony at a Brendan Blake concert?” My voice is laden with amusement, “We sure have.”
Parker chuckles at being reminded of our auspicious beginnings. His expression turns serious for a moment. “You know, I never thought this would be my life. I never thought I’d get to have this.”
I reach up to cup his face, running my thumb along the stubble on his jaw. “Neither did I,” I admit. “Not after Mama died. But I’m so glad we were both wrong."
We stand together, wrapped in the quiet serenity of the chilly February afternoon, the sun setting behind the trees and casting everything in a golden glow. I know in the world Parker and I inhabit, it’s rare to find a moment’s peace, but in moments like this there’s one thing I know for certain.
It’s right.
Our love is what makes it whole.
