Terry and Gene 25

Three months had passed since Jason's death. Terry still had no furniture. She had decided to build up her savings and move away. No sense in buying furniture that she'd just have to move. She thought she'd go to Santa Fe and open a gallery there.

It was almost closing time. Terry was dusting the sculptures with her feather duster when the door opened. She turned to greet the customer, but instead her heart bottomed out of her chest and she dropped the duster.

Gene stood just inside the doorway. For a moment he just stared at her as if he couldn't believe she was standing there.

Terry walked toward him. "I'm getting ready to close. Do you want to come upstairs?" She asked quietly. He barely nodded.

Terry put the money in the safe, locked the back door, turned off the lights and went to the front door. Gene held it open for her. She locked it and led him up to her apartment.

"Still no furniture?" he asked.

"I'm thinking of moving. Maybe New Mexico," she said.

"New Mexico?" he asked. Had his voice cracked?

"Let's go up to the garden. My swing is still there." she said.

She held the door open for him as he climbed up. It was just light enough for them to see the glider.

They sat on the same side, not touching. They watched the stars come out in silence. Gene sighed a couple times, but she didn't dare look at him.

She felt his hand on her leg. Taking a deep breath, she wove her fingers in between his. She squeezed his hand and started to cry.

"Terry, I don't want to live without you. I can't. I tried and I can't." His voice trembled. "I didn't mean for him to use that money to kill himself. I just wanted him to go away so I could have you to myself; so he couldn't make you cry anymore. God, Terry, you have to forgive me. Please."

Terry looked at him in the darkness. "Forgive you? You don't need forgiving. I do. I said all those horrible things to you. And I lied to you." She was sobbing now.

He took his hand from her and put his arm around her, burying his face in her hair. He held her until she got control of herself.

"Please come home with me," he said.

All Terry could do was nod. He must have felt her response because he stood up and helped her out of the swing.

***

She woke in the morning to find Gene watching her sleep. He smiled when he saw she was awake and gave her one of his cherishing kisses. When he pulled away, Terry's stomach growled. They both laughed so hard tears ran down their faces.

"I'd better take you to breakfast." They got up and dressed and Gene said he was taking her to Franco's.

"You don't have to take me there. Any place is fine."

"I want to celebrate you coming back to me," he said.

She smiled at him.

When they got to Franco's, Gene held her hand as they walked in. Several heads turned as they were escorted to Gene's favorite table.

Breakfast was wonderful. Everything had been perfect from the moment she stepped into Gene's house. She pondered this as she sipped her coffee while Gene was off taking a phone call.
When he came back, instead of returning to his seat, he knelt beside her.

"Terry," his voice was husky. "I love you. I love you more than life itself. Will you marry me?" He held out a red box to her.

She took it with a shaking hand. Without opening it, she wrapped her arms around him and cried into his shoulder.

"Yes."

When she released him, there were tears in his eyes as well.

"Aren't you going to open it?" he asked.

"Oh!," she laughed. She opened the box to find the most beautiful heart-shaped diamond she had ever seen. She removed it from the box and slipped on her finger. It fit perfectly.

"You are amazing." she said with a smile.

"Not as amazing as you," and he pulled her down to kiss him.