He groaned her name when he realized what he'd done. He had protection with him, and here they were risking the possibility of another pregnancy. "I didn't... I should - "
"No." Her arms tightened around him. "Don't stop. Not now. It's all right...this is my safe time."
God forgive him his weakness, but he did as she asked and poured his life into her.
Afterward Ian held her, kissing her repeatedly. Maybe now this insanity about divorce would be over. Maybe now they could go back to being married. But he was afraid to suggest it, afraid she'd reject him.
A few minutes later, he stood and retrieved his clothes. Cecilia sat up on the bed, clasping her knees with both arms, and watched him dress. He silently begged her to speak, invite him to stay the night.
She didn't.
This was crazy, idiotic! They'd just finished making love. She had to know how he felt about her. He hadn't tried to hide his feelings. He waited for her to say something, to stop him. A word, that was all it would take. One damn word. She wasn't willing to give him even that. So he left.
Grace was in a glorious mood. The entire world could now be viewed through rose-colored glasses, and all because she was going to become a grandmother. That news was just the boost her life and her marriage had needed. Dan's spirits, too, had revived, and they'd had a wonderful talk, reminiscing over the early years of their own marriage when their daughters were young. In the weeks since Kelly's phone call, Grace's love for her husband had been rekindled. The dark times they'd experienced recently had clouded her perspective on their years together. Maybe she didn't always get what she wanted from Dan, what she needed, but she did love him.
They'd been little more than teenagers when they got married. So young... It hadn't mattered that they'd lived below the poverty line, they were happy. Vietnam had shaken up their lives, but they'd survived and so had the marriage.
Wednesday night was her aerobics class, and Grace hurried in the front door, coming straight home from the library. To her surprise, the house on Rosewood Lane was dark and silent.
"Dan?" she called out. Almost always he was home before her.
Nothing.
The first thing her husband did when he walked in was turn on the television. He showered and changed clothes, but the TV was on, even if he wasn't watching.
He hadn't mentioned anything that morning about being late. She checked the calendar to be sure he didn't have a dentist's or doctor's appointment, but nothing was noted. Pulling hamburger out of the refrigerator, she hurriedly put together a casserole and placed it in the oven, then packed her exercise clothes and tennis shoes inside her gym bag.
The phone rang and she answered it immediately, expecting to hear Dan's voice. The caller was someone wanting to ask her questions for a survey; she got rid of him in short order. Answering the phone prompted her to check the machine, but there were no messages.
When the oven timer went off sixty minutes later, she took out the beef-and-rice casserole and set it on the stovetop to cool. Wednesday evenings were hectic for Grace. Dan didn't object to her attending the exercise class, but he didn't like waiting for her to return before he ate dinner. Consequently, Grace rushed home, got a meal on the table and then rushed out the door to meet Olivia for their seven o'clock class.
When it was obvious that Dan wasn't going to be there to join her, Grace ate alone. She picked at the casserole, which was one of his favorite recipes and not hers. Because she'd be leaving him, she always chose a dish she knew he'd enjoy. That was something she did, almost unconsciously, on Wednesdays.
As she sat at the table, the space across from her empty, Grace reviewed that morning's conversation for something she might have missed. The alarm had gone off at the usual time. Dan made the coffee and packed his lunch; Grace showered and dressed. They each had toast and homemade strawberry preserves while she wrote her list for the day and he read the Bremerton Sun. After thirty-five years together, they'd settled into the comfort of habit.
Grace couldn't recall Dan saying or doing anything out of the ordinary that morning. She'd kissed him on his way out the door, same as usual, mentioned what she'd be making for dinner and said