"I do," Laura said, pulling her arm from Toni's grasp. "Now seriously, sweetheart, I really need to find something."
Stunned by Laura's admission of love, for a moment Toni just stood there with her mouth open. Watching as Laura continued to turn the room upside down, Toni's annoyance returned, and rolling her eyes, she stomped back to their bedroom.
"Found them!"
Hearing Laura's announcement, Toni's curiosity won out, and going back into the other room, she found Laura sitting on the bed. Seeing what she had finally found, it only took a moment for Toni to understand.
"So...what do you think?" Laura asked, looking up.
"I think it's the most brilliant bloody idea you've ever had."
Chapter Fifty-Five.
Hearing the first chirp of her alarm, Toni quickly reached over, quieted the clock and turned on the bedside lamp.
"Oh, that's just rude," Laura muttered as she snuggled closer. "Turn it off."
Smiling at her sleepy partner's pouting tone, Toni whispered, "And a Merry Christmas to you."
Without opening her eyes, Laura nuzzled her face into Toni's neck. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart. Now, let's go back to sleep."
"Last night, you said you wanted to get up early. Remember?"
Instantly, Laura was awake. "Shit! What time is it?"
"Relax, it's just after five. We have plenty of time."
Scrambling out of bed, Laura ran to the bathroom and before Toni could rub the sleep out of her eyes, Laura came rushing back out. "Are you going to help me?"
With a snort, Toni climbed out of bed. "Can I use the loo first?"
"Yes, but make it quick."
A few minutes later, they crept down the stairs. Doing their best to be quiet, it seemed the floorboards were conspiring against them, and with every step they took, the old oak squeaked under their feet. Tiptoeing over to Eleanor's bedroom, Toni listened for signs of life and then gave Laura a thumbs-up. Standing guard at the door in case anyone awoke, Toni watched as Laura ran to and fro completing the task she had started the night before.
"What do you think?" Laura whispered.
Looking around the lounge, Toni grinned. "I think we should go back to bed. Come on."
Tiptoeing up the stairs, they returned to their bedroom, and after quietly latching the door, Toni let out a big yawn before climbing under the quilt. Waiting until Laura snuggled up against her, Toni reached for the lamp and said, "The way I see it, we still have at least two more hours of sleep coming to us."
Nestling close, Laura draped her leg over Toni's. "So I guess that means you're tired."
"Are you saying I shouldn't be?" Toni asked, giving Laura a sideways glance.
"It depends."
"On what?"
"Well, I thought maybe we could start our own tradition," Laura said, placing her hand on Toni's breast. "But it all depends on how sore you are because I wouldn't want to...hurt you."
Chuckling to herself, Toni pulled her hand away from the lamp, and within seconds, Laura was straddling her hips. Looking up at her lustful partner, Toni whispered, "Laura?"
"Yeah?"
"Hurt me...but do it quietly."
Smiling, Laura leaned in for a kiss, and as their lips met, the world stood still. Aches and pains were dissolved by love and need, and as fingers meshed, bodies molded, and Christmas morning was lost in the passion of two becoming one.
The squeaky bed frame made not a sound for their movements were slow and tender as fingers found flesh, and as clothing was discarded, smiles were born. Curves and swells were fondled and tasted, and kisses turned intoxicating as tongues, warm and moist, simply could not get enough.
With no need to rush, their rhythm was calculated and sensual, and when breathing eventually turned ragged and skin glistened with sweat, their eyes locked. Their carnal waltz was nearing its end as both could feel the quivers deep inside begin to build, and welcoming the inevitable, Toni sat up and Laura wrapped her legs around her waist. Each buried their face into the other's shoulder, and in silence, they gave themselves to it. The softest of moans slipped from their lips, and shuddering in each other's arms, they held on tight until the last spasm of rapture had passed.
Slowly, they parted, and after placing a feathery kiss on Laura's lips, Toni laid back and Laura quickly cuddled in alongside her. After covering their nakedness with the quilt, Toni whispered, "I'm really starting to like all these traditions of yours."
"Good to know," Laura murmured as she snuggled in even closer.
Leaning over, Toni flicked off the lamp and then kissed Laura on the top of her head. "Merry Christmas, darling."
"Merry Christmas, sweetheart."
"Merry Christmas," Bill said, waking Eleanor with a kiss.
Smiling, she breathed in his scent. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart. What time is it?"
"Half-seven, so if you want to make it to nine o'clock service, you'd best get up."
Giving him a quick kiss on the lips, Eleanor climbed out of bed and grabbed her robe. "I'll go brew some coffee if you want to shower first."
"We could shower together."
"Not if we want to make service on time. Now get moving. I'll make sure Laura's awake."
Shuffling out of the bedroom, Eleanor made her way through the darkened lounge, and flicking on the kitchen light, went about making a pot of coffee. Filling two mugs, she slowly made her way back to the bedroom, but halfway through the lounge, something caught her eye. Turning on a table lamp, she blinked to clear the spots...and then nearly dropped the coffee.
"Oh my," she whispered. Placing the mugs on a nearby table, Eleanor sat on the arm of the sofa as she looked around the room. After several minutes, she managed to stop her tears, and drying her eyes, she picked up the coffee and headed back to the bedroom.
"There you are," Bill said, stepping into his trousers. "I thought you got lost."
"Sorry, I got distracted," Eleanor said quietly.
"You okay?"
"I'm wonderful, but I forgot to wake up the girls. Care to go up and rap on their door?"
"Sure, no problem," Bill said as he fastened the last button on his shirt.
Taking his coffee, he kissed her quickly on the cheek before he left the room, and counting to ten, Eleanor took a deep breath and quietly followed him. As she expected, he hadn't made it far.
Standing only a few feet from the bedroom door, Bill had stopped in his tracks near a table displaying the first of many handmade Christmas cards...all of which were addressed to him.
Walking over to the nearest, he paused for only a moment before picking it up, and in an instant, his eyes filled with tears. Drawn in crayon on the front was a stick figure family of three standing under a disproportionate, blue Christmas tree. Smiling softly at the childish artwork, he held his breath as he opened the card. Inside, in letters sloppily written as if by a child, he read the words, "Merry Christmas, Daddy."
"Oh, Christ," he said, covering his mouth as tears rolled down his face. "Oh...dear...God."
Noticing Bill beginning to sway, Eleanor rushed over, and putting her arm around him, guided him to a chair. "I think you had better sit down for a minute."
"Did you know?" he asked.
"I had no idea," she said, sitting on the arm of the chair. "That's why it took me so long to get back to the bedroom. If I had walked in crying my eyes out, you wouldn't have been surprised."
Reaching out, he took another from the table. Similar to the first, it showed another family of three, but this time, instead of standing under a Christmas tree, they were surrounded by bunnies wearing red and green bows. Chuckling at the humor, he opened the card expecting to see more levity, but when he read the words "I love you, Dad," written on the inside, he began to cry even harder.
Wrapping her arm around his shoulders, Eleanor pulled him close, and knowing no words were needed, she remained silent. Hearing a floorboard creak, she looked up to see Laura standing in the doorway, and smiling at her daughter, Eleanor mouthed the words "I love you" before returning her attention to William. Watching as he traced a misshapen bunny with his finger, she said, "I'd have to say she was never much of an artist."
Shaking his head, he sniffled back a tear. "It's the most beautiful card I've ever seen."
"I'm glad you like it, Dad."
Hearing the endearment he never thought he would hear, Bill wept openly. Looking up, he saw his daughter standing across the room, and taking a deep, ragged breath, he stood on shaky legs. It took only seconds to reach her, but when he did, Bill suddenly had no idea what to do.
Sensing his hesitation, Laura opened her arms. "Merry Christmas, Dad."
Bill fell into Laura's arms and held on tight. "Oh, Laura, I love you so much. I'm so sorry for what I did. I'm so sorry for walking away. Oh dear God, I love you so much. I love you so much."
Toni stood on the stairs, looking on with tears in her eyes. The night before, sitting on the edge of the bed, she had watched Laura draw trees of blue and orange and stick-figured people with curly hair and smiling faces. She had looked on with amusement while Laura, determined to make the cards appear as if written by a child, used her left hand to draw most, and when Toni read the sentiments inside, she cried, for Laura had finally spoken the words of her heart.
Catching Eleanor's eye, Toni motioned toward the kitchen, and with a nod, Eleanor quietly walked past the two people still hugging under the mistletoe.
As Toni headed to the coffeepot, Eleanor wiped a tear from her cheek. "Did you have anything to do with this?"
"No, it was Laura's idea. She spent half the night writing them...one for every year he missed," Toni said, pouring herself some coffee. "Do you want a cup?"
"Actually, if it's all the same to you, what I'd really like is a hug. That is, if you don't mind."
Toni put aside the coffee, and walking over, she wrapped her arms around Eleanor. "I don't mind at all, Eleanor. I don't mind at all."
Hearing the back door open, Toni smiled at Bill as he made his way to the bench, and unlike the first time they had met outside for a smoke, this time he didn't ask before sitting down next to her.
"They're going to start talking if we keep meeting like this," he said, pulling his pipe from his pocket.
"Sorry, Bill, you're not my flavor."
Grinning, he said, "Thanks for coming to morning service with us."
"You're welcome."
"You did rather well for it being so crowded."
"What did you think I'd do? Run, screaming in terror?"
"Wasn't sure," he said with a shrug. "But those blue-haired old ladies scare the shit out of me."
Throwing back her head, Toni burst out laughing. Taking a few moments to get herself under control, she said, "Thanks, I needed that."
"What do you mean?"
"Just a bit nervous about today. That's all."
"Oh? Can I ask why? It's not like you haven't met them all before, and if you're worried about Alice, don't be. She won't be here."
"What? Why?"
"Dorothy called this morning while you and Laura were getting ready for church. Alice decided that it was best that she spend the day alone with her girls, so they had their Christmas celebration last night. Emma, her oldest, is apparently asking a lot of questions and this will give Alice more time to talk to her without all of us being around."
"Shit," Toni said under her breath.
"Don't."
"Don't what?"
"Don't you dare blame yourself for her not being here today."
"Well, if it wasn't for me-"
"If it wasn't for you, none of us would know what kind of man Ron is, and Alice and her children would still be living with the son of a bitch. You're the reason they're not. You're the reason they're safe."
Toni flinched, her eyebrows drawing together as Bill's words nestled into the crevices of her mind, and then Laura's favorite phrase popped into her head. Give me a reason.
How many times had Toni asked herself why? How many times had she looked for the reason? Sitting alone in her cell, covered in bruises and blood, she had talked to God. She had asked him so many times-why? Why her? If she had made a left in her life, instead of a right, would things have been different? Would a no instead of a yes have changed her path so drastically that Alice and her children would have eventually felt the sting of Cameron's belt? Was this the reason Toni had been looking for, or only another question that would never be answered? Is there really a reason for everything?
"Are you okay, Toni?"
"Huh?"
"You have an odd look on your face."