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was all it generally took for Robin s insides to become en-
flamed with desire. He was like a drug. She didn t need alco-
hol or other stimulants to get high. One touch from William
and she was in overdrive. She had never been with a man like
him whose love making could bring her to heights most wom-
en dreamed about. Sex with Chad couldn t even compare.
Drying her hands on a dishtowel, she turned her head to
meet his hungry lips and all her fears and worries dissolved.
William adored this passionate woman whom he carried
into the bedroom. She hadn t just given him a life, she had
given him a wondrous journey where each day took him to a
new place. She was spontaneous and lived each day to the ful-
lest. It was as if she feared tomorrow wouldn t come. He d
often find himself wondering about that, but never could get
her to talk about it.
Now running his hands down her silken skin, he won-
dered how he ever lived without her and her love. He could
so easily lose himself when he was making love to her. The
outside world would fade away. It mattered little when all he
needed was Robin. Whatever life he had, whomever he had
been in his past life mattered little now. He had a new life.
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Chapter 49
The Christmas vacation over, Mark returned to work.
Kate wasn t quite ready, physically or emotionally. She
needed more time to heal. Her parents heard the call of the
open road and were ready to leave, but before leaving, Mrs.
Douglas had one last heart-to-heart talk with her daughter
over lunch at a small restaurant in town.
I don t know when Dad and I will be back. We d like to
head up towards Washington to visit a while with your sister.
I m glad you and Dad were here. I doubt if I would have
gotten through everything that happened without you both.
You underestimate yourself, Kate. There s an inner
strength deep inside you.
You always see the cup half full, don t you, Mom?
No. I guess I m just a realist. There s a difference be-
tween being a realist and an optimist, you know.
I have this pain inside. I don t even know if it stems from
the guilt I feel losing the baby or the loss of the baby itself.
Will it ever go away?
I d love to lie to you, Kate, and tell you it does, but it
doesn t. Instead it s merely tempered by time. I still wake up
thinking about Hal and imagine him walking through the
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Autumn Leaves
door, even though your brother has been gone so many years.
It s one of life s little quirks.
I m glad we re having this talk. I m going to miss having
you around.
You don t have to. Whenever you need to talk, you can
call me on my new cellular phone. What a most thoughtful
gift.
Don t forget that you get to pay the phone bills,
though.
If I m able to hear more from you and Joan, it will be
worth every cent.
Thanks for everything, Mom, Kate said, reaching across
the table to hold her mother s hand.
Hey, I did nothing more than was covered under my job
description, her mother said, trying to lighten the moment.
You know what I meant.
I know, Mrs. Douglas said, giving in to the tears she had
been fighting. Your father and I love you very much, Kate.
When you hurt, we hurt. It s a fact of our lives. It s what
makes us parents. No matter how old the child gets, the pain
remains the same.
I think I can relate to that now that I have Paige and have
gone through the miscarriage. I just wanted you to know how
wonderful I think both of you are.
We know we have succeeded as parents when we see
you and Joan. We couldn t ask for anything more.
The waiter came and asked if they d like more coffee. It broke
up the seriousness of the moment and the conversation over their
last cup turned to Paige and how quickly she was growing up.
If you don t come back quickly enough, the next time
you see my daughter, she ll be a woman.
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Autumn Leaves
Mrs. Douglas laughed. She s already a thirty-five-year
old woman trapped in a child s body.
You re right, Kate said as she laughed along with her
mother.
She s going to be a beautiful woman, Kate. No one can
deny she s your child. In fact, she could be your clone.
Do you really think so? I often see Peter s face when she
smiles.
No. She definitely favors you. You re going to have your
hands full keeping the guys away from her.
Thanks.
Your father and I had to go through it. It seems only
fair.
Come back soon, Mom.
We ll try.
* * * *
The following week Kate went back to school. She was
greeted with a few words of sympathy from her fellow teach-
ers, but no one attempted to get her to talk about the accident
or miscarriage at length. She hadn t wanted to and for this she
was thankful. Perhaps Mark s returning to school a week be-
fore her was a contributing factor.
Getting back into the routine of teaching helped her in
her healing. Seeing her class grasp the concepts in the lessons
she was giving day after day was worth its weight in gold.
Teaching was also a bond that she and Mark shared. They of-
ten prepared lessons together and discussed certain problems
that popped up from time to time with some of their students.
The kids at school still referred to them as Ken and Barbie,
which they both found amusing.
Most important, Kate began to deal better with her inner
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Autumn Leaves
turmoil and pain. Her nightmares lessened and she was once
again receptive towards Mark. She had shut him out. It hadn t
been done intentionally, but nevertheless, the pain he felt as a
result of it was the same.
They were in the middle of writing lesson plans one
evening. Paige had gone to bed and the apartment was still,
except for the occasional turning of a page or the scratching of
a pen across a sheet of paper.
Kate put her pen down and was watching Mark who was
thoroughly engrossed in what he was writing. She studied the
lines of his face, wanting to trace them with her finger. Sud-
denly she had an overwhelming desire to kiss his lips. Realiz-
ing she had been staring at him, Mark looked up.
He looked into those expressive blue eyes and saw the
passion that had been lacking for the last month or so. He
smiled, knowingly. The smile was returned. Without a word
being said, they both got up and walked into the bedroom.
Kate fell back on the bed and reached for him. He was in
her arms instantly, his lips on hers. Tears of joy welled in his
eyes, as he whispered, Hello, stranger, it s been a very long
time.
Too long, was all Kate said before they became lost in
one another.
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Autumn Leaves
Chapter 50
Kate saw her mother s prediction come to pass. Paige had
passed her thirteenth birthday and seemed to have a different
boyfriend every week. She d be telling Mark and Kate how
cool one particular boy was and how great it was to hang out
with him, only to dump him for another even more cool guy.
They couldn t keep the names straight. The telephone became
nearly exclusively Paige s, and then there were the endless
parties every weekend. The two of them had become chauf-
feurs.
Lying in bed one night, Mark said to Kate, Maybe we
should marry off Paige. That way, we ll save wear and tear on
the cars.
You mean let some unsuspecting guy chauffeur her
around?
Yeah, something like that.
Why not sell her into a white slavery ring while you re
at it, and make some money at the same time?
Now that s a thought.
I was only kidding, you know.
Now she tells me, Mark replied and got bopped on the
head with a pillow for his trouble. Honestly, that girl changes
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Dobre pomysły nie mają przeszłości, mają tylko przyszłość. Robert Mallet
De minimis - o najmniejszych rzeczach.
Dobroć jest ważniejsza niż mądrość, a uznanie tej prawdy to pierwszy krok do mądrości. Theodore Isaac Rubin
Dobro to tylko to, co szlachetne, zło to tylko to, co haniebne.
Dla człowieka nie tylko świat otaczający jest zagadką; jest on nią sam dla siebie. I z obu tajemnic bardziej dręczącą wydaje się ta druga. Antoni Kępiński (1918-1972)
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