Page 53 of Tony

“I love your view from here, Mr. Alvarez,” she said.

“Call me Ed, my dear. And yes, it is a magnificent view.” The two of them watched silently as Tony shoveled snow from the back porch toward the dock.

With the last dish washed and placed in the drying rack, she found herself unable to move away from the scene in front of her. Even bundled up, she could imagine Tony’s strong muscles bunch and cord as they lifted the heavy snow. He had not waited for his dad to ask for help, but saw a need and immediately, quietly set to the task.

“He was a good boy, who’s turned into a good man,” Ed said quietly, watching his son.

Tears pricked the backs of her eyes as she nodded, afraid to trust her voice to speak.

“A parent wants to see their children happy. Damn near broke me and my Ruthie’s heart when we watched him at the funeral of Marla and Sofia. No man should bury a child, and sure as hell not at the same time as burying his wife.”

The older man’s voice cracked as he spoke and she was no longer able to hold back the tear that escaped down her cheek. She glanced at his face, devastated by the ravaged look etched into his expression.

“Thought we’d lost our son.” Seeing her surprise, he quickly added, “Not literally, but what was left was just a shell of a man. Know this sounds crazy, but we were glad he headed back to his squad. Being in the military gave him something to fight for, a reason to keep living. For his men. For the mission.”

Ed gripped the sink, his gnarled hands clutching for support. She reached out, placing her hand over his. He looked down for a moment, at their touch. She watched as his face transformed as a small smile replaced the haggard expression.

Clearing his throat, he looked up into her face. “He may have gone back to the mission, but he wasn’t the same. Some life experiences change us. My Ruthie died knowing that her son’s heart was damaged and her last words to him were for him to find life again. He may have nodded to her just to ease her passing, but he didn’t feel it in here,” he said, touching his chest.

“We met when he saved me,” she whispered. “I wouldn’t be here today if it weren't for him.”

“My dear, you may have been a mission when you met, but you’re no longer that. You’ve brought him back to life and my only regret is that Ruthie didn’t live to see this day. You’ve given him life again. Hope. Love. You’ve brought my son back to me.”

She choked back a sob as the older man pulled her in for a hug. As she clung to Tony’s father, she could feel his arms doing the same. Both hanging on as the emotions overtook them.

Hearing Tony approaching the house, the two in the kitchen broke apart, both wiping tears from their faces.

“Lordy, look at us,” his father laughed. “We should be celebrating instead of crying.”

She smiled back, wiping her eyes. “Sometimes tears are good,” she admitted.

Ed looked at her benevolently. “Yes, ma’am. You’re right.” With one last pat on her hand, he turned to head out to the garage to meet Tony as he stowed the shovel.

Sherrie dashed into the bathroom to repair her makeup, but when she reappeared Tony’s concerned expression met hers. Walking straight into his arms, she lay her head on his massive chest as his arms enveloped her. Answering his unasked question, she whispered, “I’m fine. Your dad and I just had a nice talk.”

He pulled her away from his chest so that he could peer into her eyes. What he saw nearly felled him…trust, happiness, and love.

After saying goodbye to Ed, with promises to visit again soon, they drove back to the city. Tony glanced over at the profile of Sherrie’s beautiful face, stoically staring out of the window.

“You okay, babe? Dad didn’t upset you, did he?”

She heard the tentative tremor in his voice, recognizing the concern emanating from him.

“Of course your dad didn’t upset me, sweetie. He’s wonderful.” After a brief pause, she continued, “He loves you very much. He thinks you’re…happy now.” The last part sounded more like a question than a statement.

Tony jerked the truck over to the side of the road and Sherrie looked around quickly, glad there were no other cars around.

“What—”

“Babe,” he interrupted. “You’ve got to know that I’m happy. With you. With what we’ve got.”

She turned, smiling as her hand reached over to cup his strong jaw. “I know. It’s just that I couldn’t seem to get over the feeling of you rescuing me one more time, but your dad said something.”

He lifted his eyebrow in question, but she continued quickly. “He said that I saved you.” She so desperately wanted the words to be true, but now that they were out, they sounded presumptuous. Ducking her head, she wished she could pull the words back in.

He captured her face with his large hand pulling it back around to his. “Oh no, baby girl. You don’t get to hide from me. Ever.” Leaning over, he placed a gentle kiss on her trembling lips. “Dad’s right. You did save me. Never doubt that, baby.”

He angled her head for a more intimate kiss, taking this one deeper, wetter. A claiming kiss. One that spoke of love. Hope. Forever.

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