The Notoriously Dizzy Steps
The Conclusion
By Elle
�Hi.��
His
left hand reached out to stroke her cheek, but she flinched before there was
even contact, and he drew away, folding his arms across his chest.�
�What
are you doing here, Danny?�
Trust
Michelle.� The
recesses of his heart smiled.�
No tears, no fainting��
Cut to the chase.�
�I�
I wanted to make sure you were all right� with this all.��
At her impassive face, he faltered, waving his left hand at nothing, and
just as quickly returning it to its place across his chest.
�This
all?�� She
queried.� �Do
I really have a choice in the matter?�
�No,
not really.�
�I
didn�t think so.��
She sighed, wearily making her way to the side of the empty red brick
fountain, and lowering herself onto the ledge.�
�Does anyone else know that you�re here?�
�No,
only you.�� Just
you and me, as always, he thought.
�So
it will be just one more beautiful lie in our relationship?��
The frost in her breath floated towards him frigid night air.�
�To go with our first marriage, and the vows we took, and the children
we were going to have��
He
grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her forcibly to her feet.�
�No!� Don�t
ever say that anything in our relationship was ever a lie.��
He drew her even closer, and she watched as their very breaths mingled.�
�I wanted every aspect of our marriage, of us,�
to work.�
I loved you more than anything I have ever known and I�.��
He
stopped himself, loosening his grip on her shoulders, seating her gently on the
fountain�s ledge and himself just beside her.�
�It just didn�t work out.�
They
sat beside each other in silence, never touching, until he raised himself to
leave.
�Why
can�t it work out now?� she asked quietly.
�What
did you say?�
�You
heard me.�� She
stood to join him.
Her
fingers across his mouth silenced him.�
�I mean it.�
The business is legitimate; it has been for some time now.�
The other families have accepted it.�
Whoever�s been on your tail knows you�re alive whether you�re in
England, here, or Timbuktu.�
You�ve long since proved you can live outside the family.��
She considered her next words carefully, �You could come back.�
�Why
would I want to come back?�
She
looked downward, at her red velvet pumps and his academic, black boots, and the
space between them.
�I�
I� We�re not twenty-four and twenty anymore, and Danny, I�m not even sure
if I know you anymore.�
Danny, the ivory-tower professor of Shakespeare� never in a million
years would I have guessed that.�
So I don�t know if I love you anymore��
He
squeezed eyes shut as tightly as he could as she continued.
�But
I know that at twenty-four and twenty, we shared something very special,
something very few people ever get to experience in a lifetime, maybe many
lifetimes.� I
know because something�s been missing in my life for the last ten years, and
I�ve looked around and I don�t see it in many other people�s lives.�
I don�t know if we�d make it if we tried again.�
�Michelle,
we�re different people�.�
�But
don�t you see, Danny?�
Ten years ago, I would have said we�d do anything for each other.�
And we couldn�t do it.�
We DIDN�T do it.�
We ARE different now, maybe stronger, smarter, wiser, and if we worked on
it, maybe our relationship could be deeper, closer, dearer� better.��
She
chuckled ruefully.�
�Maybe it�s crazy to want to try again.�
I certainly haven�t been kidnapped, drugged, or jailed in the last ten
years� or at least I hadn�t before that weekend, but I want to try again.�
I do.�
�So
will you come back?��
She looked up at him.
�I
want you to come back.��
She paused.�
�To me.�
He
leaned down bringing himself to eye level with her.�
And smiled.�
�I�d like that.�
I will.�
She
smiled back and took his hand in her own.�
�Good.�
Besides I can think of much better things to do with a pair of
handcuffs.�
����������������
A
while later, back in the ballroom
Abby
Bauer was happily ensconced on Santa�s lap, feeding him chocolate cake when
Bridget and Dylan approached, coats in hand.�
�Hey,
have you guys seen Michelle?��
Bridget asked.�
�We
have to grab a ride with Josh and Reva, and we just wanted to say good bye.��
Dylan added.
Rick
and Abby turned to each other shaking their heads.�
�No,
we haven�t seen her in a while� since���
Rick began.
�Has
anyone seen her?��
Abby asked.
�She�s
on the patio,� a small voice piped up.
All
eyes turned to twelve-year old Maureen Reardon who obliviously was working on
her own slice of chocolate cake.
�The
patio?� Are
you sure?�� Abby
asked.� �It
must be freezing out there.�
�Yup,
but I think she�s okay.�
She�s plastered up against some guy in a leather jacket.�
�Some
guy?� Rick asked.
�Yeah,
some guy with dark curly hair in a black leather jacket.�
�Abby�..�
�Rick,
you don�t think�.; it couldn�t be.�
In
seconds, Dr. Rick Bauer was racing out the french doors to the patio, wife in
tow.
�����������
The
Country Club Patio
Red
velvet and black leather entwined on the patio bench.
�Michelle!��
Rick bellowed.
Red
velvet stirred.
�Michelle
Bauer!�
She
turned to look over her shoulder at her brother.
�Oh,
my God!�
Danny
hugged Michelle even closer on his lap, caressing her cheek with his own as he
turned to face Rick and Abby.
He
grinned.� �We�re
back.�
THE
END
�