A Love Story Read online

  “You’ve made a lot of friends,” Mac observed, making her comfortable on the sofa, where she could see all the beautiful flowers.

  “Mac, these can’t be only for the gunshot wound. Who did you tell about the miscarriage?”

  “Everyone is grateful you got rid of drug dealers,” he said, avoiding her gaze.

  “Mac…”

  “Okay. Okay. I told Eliza. But I swore her to secrecy.”

  “Eliza! You might as well have told the whole office! She’ll tell Jonesy, and then it will be broadcast across three states,” she wailed.

  “You can’t expect to survive something like this without help from your friends,” Mac said.

  Callie couldn’t argue with him because she felt a huge boost from all these gifts. As she lay on the sofa, she thought all told she was still a pretty lucky girl—she was alive.

  Callie retired to the bedroom to get some shut-eye before Jason returned home bringing his high energy level into the house. She awoke from a nap as Mac arrived home with Jason, who came flying into the house and stopped at the door.

  “Flower garden! We live in a flower garden!” he said as he ran around the house waving his arms like a bird before landing on the sofa next to Callie.

  “Mommy Callie! Mommy Callie!” he said, hugging her.

  “Gently, Jason. Gently. Mommy Callie has a boo boo on her shoulder,” Mac said, pulling him off her.

  Callie reached around and gave him a hug with her right arm. She kissed him and he melted into her arms. It was a good thing Callie got a nap in, because by six pm, their house was abuzz with well-wishers. Eliza and Simon came first, right from work. Eliza hugged Callie gently.

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart, about everything. Thank God you’re okay,” she said.

  Callie closed her eyes and relaxed in Eliza’s hug, absorbing the love. When the doorbell started ringing, Eliza and Simon sprang into action. She heated up the food from friends and Simon set up a bar. Jason was pumped up with so many visitors so Mac put him in charge of opening the front door.

  John Lawrence was the next to arrive, with his wife, Annika. He came over to the sofa and kissed Callie’s hand.

  “Don’t worry, John, I’m not going to fling my robe open this time,” Callie said smiling.

  “I’m not sure if I’m relieved or disappointed. Maybe a little bit of both,” he laughed.

  Annika came over to talk to Callie. She shooed John away and spoke privately.

  “Callie, I had a miscarriage, too. Then we went on to have three healthy children. Don’t worry, my dear. You will recover from this and have all the children you want,” she said.

  Callie hugged her. She needed to hear those words.

  Jonesy came next.

  “Jonesy, you’re responsible for all these flowers and gifts, aren’t you,” Callie said, pretending to be angry.

  “I don’t know what you mean. I only made a few phone calls,” she said, smiling.

  She gave Callie a gentle hug.

  “Get better soon, my dear. We miss you at the office,” she said.

  “Jonesy, I don’t know what I’d do without you. Thank you,” Callie said, hugging her.

  For the next week, people came to see Callie. They sent her cards and letters. Flowers arrived daily. She heard from the parents of the children who overdosed. She heard from the parent’s association. She heard from the alumnae association, the mayor, the provost of the University, even the governor.

  Through all this, Callie never forgot about the miscarriage, but it was impossible to remain depressed. Mac took time to be with her, to listen and even to share his feelings about the miscarriage with her. His efforts to lift her spirits lifted his own as well. Jason was doing well living with Callie and Mac and his loving presence did much to cheer her up.

  After a week, Steve and Laura Michaels came by.

  “I have a special gift for you, Callie,” he said, sitting down on the sofa next to her.

  Mac turned around.

  “You and Mac asked me about your adopting Jason. I have the papers right here. I need your notarized signature, and we can file the adoption. Then you’ll legally be his mother.”

  Callie was dumbfounded. She teared up.

  “And I’m not charging you for my time, Mac,” Steve said, glancing up at his friend.

  “Ah, the real gift!” Mac said, laughing.

  Callie sat without speaking, overwhelmed by emotion, tears forming. She lost her child, but now she had Jason, legally. He’d be her child with Mac.

  “Thank you, Steve. It’s wonderful!” she said, when she found her voice, brushing away the happy tears.

  They all toasted to this new family while Jason jumped up and down and clapped his hands as if he understood he now had an official mom.

  * * * *

  After three weeks, Callie regained some mobility in her arm and shoulder. She postponed lovemaking with Mac for several weeks because she couldn’t maneuver. Her arm was quite sore and she had to keep it rigid.

  He retreated gracefully and waited for her to tell him when she was ready to resume their love life. He didn’t want to pressure her although he wanted to make love to her more than ever and waiting added anticipation, increasing his desire for her.

  One morning, Callie woke up feeling like her old self. Although she couldn’t lift anything heavy, she felt full of energy. She watched Mac shower, shave and get dressed in the morning with renewed interest. She liked looking at his chest, fresh from the shower and still soaking wet. When he was shaving, her eyes traveled the length of his body, creating stirrings in Callie. She couldn’t keep her eyes off him, he was so finely formed, but he had no idea she was lusting after him.

  It was time for another plan.

  Callie gave Jason an early dinner and read to him for an hour so he was asleep when Mac got home. He knew something was up when he walked in the door. The lights were low, there was no Jason to greet him at the door, “Unchained Melody” was playing and something smelled good. It was pot roast.

  “Hello!” He called out.

  “Are you alone?” Callie asked from the bedroom.

  “Yes,” he said.

  “Good,” she said, appearing from the bedroom in a short black nightie and nothing else.

  Mac’s eyebrows shot up as the surprise registered.

  “Where’s Jason?” he asked.

  “Asleep,” she said, walking over to him then loosening his tie. He ran his hands over her smooth, firm bottom.

  “Arm feeling better” he asked, pulling her closer to him.

  “Um humm,” she murmured as she unbuttoned his shirt.

  “Insides feeling better?” he asked, as he ran his hands up her naked back.

  “Um humm,” she murmured as she unbuckled his belt.

  “Protection all in place,” he asked, as his hands rounded her shoulders.

  “Um humm,” she murmured as his pants hit the floor.

  “One thing,”’ she said.

  “What?” he asked, his breath coming quicker while his hands slid the straps of her nightie off her shoulders.

  “I think my breasts have resumed their normal size. But I’m not sure.”

  “Would you like me to check?”

  “Good idea,” she said.

  Mac slid his hands down to her breasts.

  “They seem perfect to me,” he breathed next to her ear.

  Then he took her in his arms and gave her his long, deep kiss. They heated up quickly with some fondling and more kissing. The weeks of abstinence created a mutual hunger, no longer denied. They retreated to the bedroom where he lifted her onto the dresser. She rested against the wall as he placed his hands under her knees, lifting her legs. He plunged into her and began moving, building up an intense rhythm quickly. Callie leaned forward, grasping his shoulders and threw her head back, moaning with pleasure at his every thrust. There was something sweeter in this lovemaking because their passion grew over weeks of touching and kissing without fulfillmen
t. They came together with a heat, a desire for each other only to be satisfied by their complete surrender.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  One Saturday morning in spring, Callie and Mac took Jason to the playground. On the way, Mac remembered a question he meant to ask Callie.

  “Say, where did you get your gun…the little Beretta?”

  “Kyle gave it to me,” she said.

  “Where did you hide it?”

  “There’s a false bottom in the little memory chest,” she said. “I hid it in there. When we got Jason full time, I put it in a safe deposit box at the bank. Guns and little boys don’t mix.”

  “You sure are an expert at keeping secrets from me.”

  “Kyle told me never to tell anyone I had the gun.”

  “Do you know how to shoot it?”

  “He wanted me to be safe always. So he bought the gun at the pawn shop and we went out to the woods. He taught me how to handle a gun and how to shoot it. That’s why I hit Mary on the first shot. I’m a pretty good shot.”

  “You’re full of surprises. What else am I going to find out about you?”

  “There didn’t seem to be any reason to tell you. It never came up in conversation,” she said.

  “I don’t usually ask girls I’m dating if they’re ‘packin’ heat’. I assume beautiful women don’t carry guns. I guess I’m an idiot,” he said.

  “I suppose I should have told you. But wouldn’t you have told me to get rid of it?”

  “I might have.”

  “Then we’d both be dead now. So perhaps this secret was okay to keep.”

  “You almost have me convinced. I owe Kyle a nod.”

  “He saved our lives.”

  “I guess he did.”

  Callie worked extra hard to make up for lost time in the classroom. Mac was busy with orientation for new students, scheduling problems, faculty turnover, sabbaticals and discipline issues. April went by quickly.

  Whenever Callie felt depressed about the miscarriage, she took out the letters, notes and cards from well-wishers and read them again. They helped her feel loved. Mac accepted it when she had a “black day” being depressed over the miscarriage and instead of trying to force her to be happy, he let her work things out her own way. However, he was available more and sensitive to her needs during those times, thus the depressions never last more than a day or two. Besides, who could be depressed for long with the irrepressible Jason in the house?

  Callie and Mac resumed their love life. But with so much going on, they were often too tired to participate. Callie refused to go through the motions. She wanted to be fully present in every way or she’d rather wait. Mac wasn’t as rigid about it, but he went along. Consequently even though they didn’t make love as often as they did when life was quieter, the quality and intensity of their lovemaking remained high. Fireworks were still happening in their bedroom.

  By the time final exams rolled around, Callie was exhausted. She gave her all to her studies, relying on Mac to take care of Jason in the evenings and he stepped up to the plate. Callie’s academic success was important to him, too. He was proud of her.

  Finals finished in early May. Callie took a few days off from work. Mac came home late one night to find Jason asleep and a candlelight dinner waiting for him. Callie was in the mood. Before they could get to dinner, some serious kissing and caressing began in the living room.

  Once in the bedroom, Callie turned toward the bathroom. Mac grabbed her hand.

  “Don’t.”

  “What?”

  Mac pulled her to him and kissed her neck. He whispered in her ear,

  “Let’s make a baby.”

  She stared at him.

  “Don’t you want to have a baby with me?” he asked.

  “More than anything,” she said, giving him a passionate kiss.

  “It’s been two months. You’ve been checked out. We could sort of start now and whatever happens, happens.”

  “Shouldn’t we discuss this?”

  “We are discussing this,” he said.

  “You mean stop using birth control?”

  “Yeah,” he said, kissing her shoulders.

  “Sort of not keep track and if I get pregnant, I get pregnant?”

  “Yeah,” he said winding his arms around her waist.

  “No pressure?” she asked.

  “Right. Throwing caution to the winds,” he said, letting his hands wander over her body.

  Callie turned and pulled him down on the bed and they made love.

  * * * *

  In mid-May, Mac was wrestling with his graduation speech, when John Lawrence came into his office.

  “Mac, this was a very stressful year for you and Callie. I’m giving you two the whole month of July off instead of only two weeks. If you have unfinished work, take it with you or finish it in August. What do you say?”

  “You’ve made me an offer I can’t refuse. Thank you. I would be willing to increase my hours now to take time off,” Mac said.

  “Done. Let me know if you need help.”

  Mac couldn’t wait to tell Callie—quiet time, the three of them together.

  Mac arranged for Ruth to take care of Jason, he took Callie out to dinner. She had news for him, too.

  “I did it, Mac,” Callie said.

  “Did what?”

  “Look,” she said as she handed him a sheet of paper.

  Sure enough, Callie achieved a 3.5 average; the goal she set for herself she reached.

  “Wow! This is terrific, Dean’s List! I’m so proud of you, babe.”

  “Couldn’t have done it without your support.”

  “This is all yours, Callie. You take full credit.”

  Callie blushed with pleasure at his praise.

  “I have something to tell you,” he said, eyes gleaming.

  “What? Not bad news is it? I can’t take any more bad news,” Callie said, turning pale.

  “It’s good news. It seems I’m not too shabby at keeping secrets myself,” he said, patting her arm.

  “What?”

  “I got a letter from my father…”

  “Your father? You never told me you write to him.”

  “Callie, he’s my father, of course we communicate. I don’t hate him or anything. He’s far away. I told him all about you and…”

  “You’ve told him about me? What did you say?” she interrupted.

  “Relax! It’s all good. He’s anxious to meet you, but he isn’t coming back to the U.S. this year. He gave us a special wedding present. Here, it’s in his latest letter…read for yourself,” Mac said, handing it to her.

  “Did you tell him about the miscarriage?”

  “Of course, he’s my dad, Callie. The letter explains everything.”

  Dear Mac,

  I was very sorry to hear about your recent loss. A miscarriage is difficult for women, Mac. We men can manage, but the women take it to heart. Be extra thoughtful with Callie now. I’m hoping when this blows over, you’ll have lots of kids with her to keep that rascal, Jason, company.

  Seems like you picked a winner this time, son. It’s about time! I hoped you’d settle down with some worthwhile girl and now you’ve found her, I have a special present for you. I guess it’s my wedding present. Better late than never, eh?

  About six or maybe even seven years ago, after you boys were out of the house, your mother and I bought a cabin on Lake Onondaga in PA. It’s not a big place, but your mother wanted it to be something special. It has three bedrooms and a tiny room she called her “den”, a place where a woman could escape to when men got to be too much.

  She had a great time decorating the place and bringing all her memories of our family up there. So when we sold our old house and moved here, we kept the cabin and she still had stuff in the States. We went up there a few times before coming here and enjoyed it very much.

  After she passed, I didn’t have it in me to go back there without her. I needed to move on and I couldn’t do it
there because she is so much in the place. So I’m giving it to you and Callie, since it looks like she’s the one for you.

  It’s yours now, I’m enclosing the deed. Tell Callie to redecorate it any way she wants to make it your own special place. Don’t wait as long as we did to be there together, because by then it might be too late to enjoy it much, as it almost was for us. Still, we had a few great summers there.

  I had the lawyer get the place cleaned out. All the dust and cobwebs ought to be gone now. Electricity isn’t turned on yet, but there’s running water and an indoor bathroom. Don’t need electricity up there anyway. Teach Jason how to swim so he doesn’t drown in the lake. There’s a rowboat in the garage. Have a great time. Make some beautiful babies there. We hope to be back for a visit next year. Maybe by then I’ll have another grandchild to meet, in addition to my new daughter-in-law.

  As ever,

  Dad

  Callie teared up as she read the letter.

  “What a sweet man. How come you never talk about him, Mac?” she asked.

  “I don’t know, we’ve been pretty busy. What’s there to say? He’s dad. Okay, I have a great dad. What do you think about this place?”

  “I think it’s terrific! We can spend July there. Oh, Mac, this is the greatest present in the world,” she said, hugging him.

  * * * *

  Jason was as excited as Callie to be going on a trip. He raced around the house, wouldn’t stand still, hid in the closet when Callie wanted to brush his hair and was generally uncooperative.

  “Jason,” Mac said, taking him by the shoulders and sitting him down, “Listen. This is our second house. We’re still going to have this house, but we’re going to this vacation house on a lake for a few weeks. It’s a vacation, we’re coming back. You don’t need to take every toy with you because we’re coming back. We have to be back so you can go to school, right? Okay. So calm down. Let’s load stuff in the car.”

  Jason nodded his head and helped his father. Mac is the voice of reason with the boy. The drive was almost straight across Route 511 in Jefferson County and down Route 12 into Pennsylvania. It took about an hour and a half to get there. The house was a charming Cape Cod with Shaker shingles and teal blue shutters.