Faith

When Faith awoke with Brian beside her, it was more than magic. For a while, she simply lay there, watching him sleep. She had imagined it before, as a girl, as a woman, but now she didn't need her dreams. He was here beside her, warm, quiet, and outside an early morning rain was falling. Careful not to wake him, Faith slipped out of bed.

When he rolled over, he smelled her--the springtime scent her hair had left on the pillowcase. For a few minutes he lay still and let it seep into his system. Content, he lay back and looked at the room he had not been able to see in the dark.

The walls were papered, ivory, with little springs of violets. At the windows were fussy priscillas. There was an antique rosewood bureau cluttered with colored bottles and boxes. On a vanity was an old-fashioned silver-handled brush and comb. He watched the rain fall and smelled the potpourri on the stand beside the bed. The room was so like her--charming, fresh, and very, very feminine. A man could relax there even knowing he might find stockings draped over a chair or a blouse mixed with his shirts. He could relax there. And he wasn't letting her go again.

He smelled the coffee before he was halfway down the stairs. She had classical music on the stereo and bacon frying. He had not known it would feel so good just to walk into a kitchen and find your woman cooking for you.

"So, you're up." She was wrapped from head to foot in a bright flannel robe. Desire dragged quietly at his stomach muscles. "There's coffee."

"I could smell it." He went to her. "I could smell you the moment I woke."

She rested her head on his shoulder, trying not to think that this was the way it might have been. "You look as though you could have slept for hours. It's a good thing you didn't or the bacon would be cold."

"If you'd stayed in bed a few more minutes, we might have---"

"Mom! Mom! It's raining!" Claire burst through the door and danced around the kitchen. She stopped in front of Brian and grinned. "Hi."

"Hi yourself."

Faith hadn't known just what reaction Claire would have to finding Brian at the breakfast table. With a shake of her head, she began to beat eggs. She should have known Claire would be willing to accept anyone she decided to like. "Breakfast?"

"I had cereal at Marcie's."

"Did you thank her mother for having you?"

"Yeah." She stopped a minute. "I think I did." Scrambling out of her coat, she chattered at Brian. "You're not going back to Africa, are you? Marcie's mother dais you'd probably be going to some other neat place."

"I'm supposed to go to Hong Kong in a few weeks." He glanced at Faith but she didn't turn. "But I'll be around for Christmas in a few weeks."

Faith thought of the years Brian had grown up without a Christmas tree at his home. She remembered how hard he had tried to pretend it didn't matter.

"You can have dinner with us," Claire declared. "Mom makes a big turkey and Grandma and Grandpa come over. Grandma brings pies and we eat til we are sick."

"Sounds great." Amused, he looked over as Faith scooped eggs onto a plate. "I had Christmas dinner with your grandparents a couple of times."

"Yeah?" Interested, Claire studied him. "I guess I heard somewhere that you used to be Mom's boyfriend. How come you didn't get married?"

"You'd better hurry, Marcie's waiting to play in the rain."

"Are you coming out?"

"Soon." Grateful that her daughter was easily distracted, she set the platter of bacon and eggs on the table. Ignoring the half-amused lift of brow from Brian, she took her seat.

"Come soon, Mom, you dance the best."

"Soon as I'm dressed. Don't forget your top button."

Claire hesitated at the back door. "Hope to see you soon, Brian."

Moved, he only stared at her. Just like her mother, he thought, and fell in love a second time. "You will." The door slammed behind her and he commented, "she's quite a kid."

"I like her." Faith smiled and pushed the food around on her plate.

"Can I get an invitation for dinner tonight?"

"You never needed one."

"Don't cook, I'll bring something."

"It's okay, I---"

"Don't cook." he repeated, rising. He bent down to kiss her, then lingered over it. "I'll be back."

He took his coat from the hook where it had hung beside Claire's. When he was gone, Faith looked down at the toast she had crumbled in her hand. Hong Kong. At least this time she knew where he was going.