Her father nodded slightly.

“Sorry I did it that way.” Dar hung her head, studying the ground between them. “She want you to come up there?”

A long, shaky breath. “Yeah.”

Dar shifted her energy away from the intense emotion and towards the practical. “Want me to take care of getting you there?” She peeked up at him. “I think I can get you a flight out tonight, yet.”

He let his grip on her go and leaned back against the car, either dazed or exhausted, it was hard for Dar to tell. “Lord, I can’t believe this is happening.” He raised his head with an obvious effort. “If’n that’s t’only way. Yeah, I guess.”

Dar took the keys of the Lexus and unlocked it, then opened the door and grasped his arm gently. “C’mere. Siddown.”

“She…wanted t’come here,” Andrew murmured. “Wasn’t fair, case things don’t work out.”

“They’ll work out.” Dar glanced around, then realized her father had taken the cell phone, and tucked it under one arm, where he had it pressed against his body. “I need…” She looked at the building and found worried green eyes in the doorway, looking back at her. “Ah. Yeah.

That’s what I need.”

She gave Kerry a smile, and a jerk of her head and the blonde woman practically flew out of the alley and bounded across the parking lot.

“Let me borrow your cell. I’ve got to get a ticket to Connecticut,” Dar announced, as her lover reached them.

“Really?” Kerry handed it over, then got in closer. “Awesome!” Her face lit up with a delighted grin.

Andrew lifted his head at that, and regarded her with a faint smile tugging at the very corners of his lips.

She threw her arms around him and squeezed. “Wow. I’m so glad,”

she whispered in his ear. “I had fingers and toes and everything else crossed for you.” He returned the hug and patted her on the side. “Can you get a flight?”

“Yeah.” Her lover held up a finger, the pressed the phone to her ear.

“Yes. Open return. My card’s on file.”

Andrew stirred, but found it difficult to stand with Kerry wrapped around him. “Ah.”

“Don’t argue with her,” Kerry advised softly, hanging on. “Just let her do her thing and get her back later.”

“Yeah. That’s right,” Dar was saying. “E-ticket it. We’re on the way over now.” She paused. “Thanks. No, that’s fine. Right. Bye.” Dar closed the phone and nodded. “All set.” Then she put a hand on her father’s knee. “You got ID?”


144 Melissa Good He nodded.

“Do you have something to wear other than that?” Kerry inquired.

He shook his head.

“Okay.” Kerry released him and exhaled. “I’ll stop and pick something up and meet you there?”

“Right,” Dar agreed. “Let’s go.” She glanced behind her. “What about…”

“Rain check.”

“Right,” Dar considered. “Men’s extra large, he likes blue.”

“Right,” Kerry agreed, making a note on her palm pilot. “See you there.” She patted Andrew’s arm and trotted off.

Finally regaining a little equilibrium, Dar’s father stared bemusedly after her. “You two always just take over stuff?”

“The occasional multi-billion dollar company, sure,” Dar replied.

“C’mon. We haven’t got that much time.”

“Good.” He sighed. “Less time for me to chuck up my guts with.”

Dar got in and started the engine, then shifted the Lexus into gear.

She spared a glance sideways, catching the reflection of her father’s face in the passenger side window, where silent tears made glittering tracks from scared, haunted eyes.

FOR A LONG while, she merely sat there, curled up on the couch, the phone cradled against her chest. Every so often she would press the caller ID button, watching the familiar name blink at her, just to prove it had really happened.

D Roberts. 305 930 1101

She traced the letters and numbers with a trembling fingertip. It was like being inside a dream, really. She didn’t feel like moving, or thinking.

She just wanted to savor the simple pleasure of lying here outside the cloud of despair that had cloaked her for so very long. It hadn’t really sunk in yet. Not really. She was just caught between a wild hysteria and a need to hold this feeling to her and breathe in its rare and special fragrance.

Andy. Her lips shaped the name, for so long banned from her speech. She curled around the phone again and started crying helplessly.

She had no idea how long she laid there, before the phone sent shocks through her as it rang softly again.

Cecilia’s eyes went anxiously to the display, not wanting it to change.

And, as though obedient to her heart, it didn’t.

She pressed the button. “He-hello?” Greedily, she wanted to hear him again.

“Cec?”

“Yes.”

It was noisy, where he was. “’Bout to get on an airplane. I—”

She started counting the hours. “Which one?” She was aware, sud-Eye of the Storm 145

denly, of Dar’s voice in the background and a warmer, lighter, tone answering. “I’ll meet you.”

There was a rustling of papers. “All right. Won’t be there till damn near midnight.”

“I don’t care.”

“Ceci. I…something I need to tell you…I’m not—”

“Andy.”

He stopped speaking.

“Whatever it is can wait.” Cecilia wished she could simply crawl through the phone, and out the other end. “I just want you here.”

“I want to be there.” His voice was rough and strained. “I gotta go on.”

A fumbling sound and soft, muffled voices. Cecilia simply closed her eyes and waited. Then a lighter, richer tone came down the line.

“Mother?”

She had to breathe a few times before she could answer. “Yes.”

“I have his flight number. If you…”

Oh, Of course. “He’s really there?”

Dar got very quiet. “He’s really here.”

The hot tears spilled over her eyes again and she stifled a sob. “What flight?”

“Continental…1822,” Dar murmured. “Mother, he’s had a tough time. He got messed up pretty badly. There’re a lot of scars.”

She had to run that through her wildly scattered mind a few times before she understood what her daughter was saying. “You think I care what he looks like?” she gasped.

“No,” Dar’s voice came back, warm and positive, “but I think he does.”

“Oh.” Cecilia moaned. “No…no…I just want him here.” She started crying again.

“I know.” Dar sighed audibly. “Plane just pushed back from the gate.” She paused. “If you need anything, let us know.”

Ceci quieted a bit. “All right.” She closed her eyes for a long moment, tasting the bittersweet irony. “Thank you, Dar.”

There was a very lengthy silence. “You’re welcome.” The words finally came back to her, low and subdued.

Dar slowly closed the phone and leaned her head against the cold glass, staring out into the darkness at the retreating running lights of a Boeing 757.

Kerry leaned next to her, the blonde woman’s sigh fogging the glass lightly. “Boy. What a night.” She turned and regarded her lover. “Are you okay?”

“Still in shock, I think,” Dar murmured. “I can’t believe what just happened.”

Kerry rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn. “I think your dad’s in total shock. I put a blanket around him on the plane and told the steward to keep an eye on him.” She smiled up at Dar. “I’m so glad for them, 146 Melissa Good though.”

“Yeah.” Dar watched the plane disappear with a faintly wistful look.

“Wish we could be there to see them get together.” Kerry sighed. “It makes me feel great thinking about Dad being happy.”

Dar watched the tears well up in Kerry’s eyes, to be quickly brushed away, and she reached out to capture one of the blonde woman’s hands.

“You know he really likes you.”

Kerry didn’t answer, visibly holding back her emotions. Finally she cleared her throat. “You and he have taught me so much...” She had to stop, putting a hand to her mouth, then went on. “About what love is.”

Dar stepped closer and pulled Kerry’s head into her shoulder, sliding an arm around her back. “We taught you that?” she whispered in an amazed tone, as she stroked the soft hair. “C’mon. Let’s go home.” They started side by side down the long, almost empty concourse.

Outside, a rumble of man made thunder rolled overhead as a plane shot skyward, heading north.

HE WAS TWENTY minutes into the flight before he remembered, way too late, that he hated flying. He clutched the soft, blue blanket around his shoulders and slowly turned his head, regarding his surroundings with some surprise.

“Sir, can I get you something to drink?” The steward smiled kindly at him across the empty first class seat next to him.

“You got any warm milk?” he muttered, surprised at how cold it was in the plane.

“Sure.” The steward disappeared

Andrew peered out of the window at the darkness, then let his head fall back against the leather seat. Least there was room up here. He stretched his long legs out towards the bulkhead and tried not to think about exactly what he was doing.

“Here you go.” The steward put a napkin down at his elbow, and settled a steaming cup into the holder between the seats. “We’re working on a little snack right now. It’ll be out shortly.”

“Mhm.” Andrew decided on a grunt, as he picked up the cup and sucked gingerly at the warm milk. Tucked under his knees he could feel the soft warmth of the leather bag Kerry had given him, full of God only knew what stuff the sweet little kid had picked out.

Frankly, he was scared to look.

Andrew sighed. Hell. He was scared, period. But like in battle, now that he was committed to the action at hand, the fear was fading, replaced by an odd mix of fatalistic acceptance and anticipation.