Stregnth: A CSI MIAMI fanfic (The entire story)

Author’s Note:

This is a sample of a story that I wrote a long time ago.  It’s fan fiction for CSI Miami, but it’s pretty darn good, and I had once been a writer on Miami Heat which was a fan-fiction site for the show. 

This story got GREAT reviews.  I’ll admit, it was a bit intense, and the original had a bit of language in it, so, this is an edited version.

 

Strength (A CSI Miami Story)

By: Cindy Miller

 

CHAPTER 1

She knew her lip was bleeding.  She grabbed the tissue box and put a tissue to the wound.  She heard the garage door shut.  Finally, he was gone.   She took a breath and got out her phone, calling a very familiar number.  It rang twice.  She had gotten a suitcase and was filling it with clothes and personal effects.  Then she heard his voice.  “Delko.”

               “Eric…” She couldn’t help but start to cry again.  He must have recognized her voice although she’d only said one word. 

               “Cal, what’s wrong?”

               “H-he… Can you come over?  I think I need some help.” She said slowly, head throbbing. She was trying to pull it together. 

               “Sure, Calleigh… I’ll be right there.” He sounded concerned.  They both hung up.  She had been crawling to the bed and the tissue box.  She thought her legs were probably sprained from when she hit the floor.  She’d made him angry.  She didn’t know why.  He got so upset when he’d been drinking.  She now knew that she made a big mistake when she married him.  The first month had been great.  He’d buy her flowers, flatter her, buy clothes for her, and remember every anniversary of anything they’d ever done… But then it all ended.  That’s when he started drinking.  She never could explain why.  She had never done anything but try to be a good wife and make him happy.  After work, he was knocking back mimosas and beers, coming home afterwards and taking out his aggression on her.  She had been in shock the first time he hit her.  And it wasn’t the last.  Every time, she tried to get away.  But every time, he caught her.  She thought she could make it this time.  Calleigh got to her knees, wincing in pain.  She reached in her underwear drawer and got some socks, and other undergarments, stuffing them in a pink bag.  She heard the front door open.  “Calleigh, where are you?” Eric’s concerned voice asked.

               “In the bedroom.”

He came in and saw her on the ground.  “Oh my God!  Are you alright?”

               “Not really.” Her eyes clouded.

               “What happened?”

               “I was supposed to have dinner ready… But I got home late.  He thought I was going out with another guy and he got mad.  Furious…  I told him it wasn’t true, and that he needed to calm down.  He called me a slut and hit me.  I said I was sorry that dinner wasn’t ready.  I’d get right on it.  He wouldn’t listen. He said he wasn’t hungry.  ‘you need to eat something.’ I said.  ‘Don’t talk back to me!  If I don’t want to eat, I don’t want to eat.  Mind your own freakin’ business! You need to mind me, woman!’ He was glaring at me and then his jaw clenched and he hit me again and I fell on the floor, I think I sprained my ankle.  I was crying.  He told me to shut up. He grabbed my arm and twisted it, pushing me against the wall and it hurt so I kept crying.  ‘SHUT UP SHUT UP!’ he kept yelling at me.  And I couldn’t.  He kept hitting me and it busted my lip.  I tried to fight him off, but he was too strong.”

               “Jake did this?”

               “Yeah.  He does stuff like this all the time.  I wanted to leave…”

               “But you couldn’t.  I understand.  Let’s get you out of here.  I’ll take you to the hospital and when you get out, you can stay at my place.  At least until you know what you want to do.”

               “Thank you, Eric.”

               “It’s not a problem.  What do you need to take with you?”

               “Some of those dress outfits in the closet.  And the shoes.  The Mary Janes, and the stilettos.”

               “The boots?  Or the heels?”

               “Oh, just put both of them in there.  I already packed some PJ’s and my makeup.  I’m gonna need it.  That’s really all though.  I already took my pictures and put them in my suitcase.”

               “Ok.” When they were done packing, he carried her out to the car.  He took her to the hospital, not caring that she was bleeding all over his seat.  She told him that her stomach hurt from inside where he hit her, so he thought there might be some internal injuries.  He took her to the ER.  When he walked in, the doctor must have thought Eric was the one who beat her up and then felt guilty about it and had brought her in.  The doctor gave him a stern look.  Calleigh put a bruised hand on his shoulder and shook her head. “Not him…”

               “What?” He hadn’t heard her.

               “It wasn’t him who beat me.  It was Jake.  My husband…  Eric here is my best friend.  I called him to help me.”

               “Oh.” The doctor said, looking apologetic. 

               “It’s ok.  When any guy comes in with a beat up girl, it must look pretty bad.  So, what’s the damage?  What did he do to her?”

               “Her ankles are sprained, lip is busted, wrists are bruised, could be some internal bleeding.  I won’t know for sure until we examine her more closely.  Should I call a CSI in to scrape under her fingernails?”

               “No.  I’ll do it.”  Eric showed him his badge.  “I just got off when I got the call.”

               “Ok.”

               “I have to go get my kit.  I’ll be right back, Cal.” He put a hand on her shoulder, gently, and kissed her cheek, as if to let her know that he’d be right back as soon as he could.  When he left the room, the doctor told her, “He’s a nice young man.” 

               “He is.”  Her eyes looked fearful.  Her breathing quickened. She was afraid now that he was gone.  The doctor put a hand on her’s.  “Calm down.  He can’t hurt you anymore.  You’re safe here.” 

She nodded and calmed down.  He looked at her again.  “If you don’t mind me saying, ma’am, that young man would have been a much better choice for a husband.”

               “Don’t I know it.”

               “He loves you.”

               “I love him too.”

               “Well, good then.”

 

Chapter 2

Eric came back into the room soon enough.  He scraped under her fingernails and as soon as he could, took the samples to Valera at the lab.  She was curious as to what it was about: why it was so urgent.  Eric told her that Calleigh was hurt, and that was all she needed.  She asked who to run the DNA against. 

               “Try the husband.”

               “Jake?  He was beating her?”

               “Yes.  We just need proof to make sure he gets punished for it.”

               “Am I keeping this on the D.L. (Down low)?”

               “Yes.  You know Calleigh.”

               “Yes.  She doesn’t like to be the victim.”

 

Calleigh was told that she might have some internal bleeding, so they were going to monitor her closely.   They gave her a CT scan and an MRI as soon as they could.  While she was doing her CT scan, Eric called Horatio so that he knew what was going on.  He came right down before the end of the test. 

               “How is she?” He asked.

               “She’s pretty beat up.  Both physically and mentally.  Jake really did a number on her.”

               “So you know for sure that it was Jake?”

               “That’s what Calleigh said.  And she doesn’t lie.”

               “I believe her.  He seemed pretty agitated before he left yesterday.”

               “That he did.”

               “I’ll stay with you until we know something.”

               “Thanks, H.”

               “You’re welcome.”

After a few of the tests, the doctor came out with a sad look on his face. 

               “What is it, doc?” Eric asked, concern obvious on his face. 

               “A number of things…  She had numerous bruises; both old and new on her abdomen and back.  Her arm is dislocated.  Both ankles are sprained.  Her jaw is swollen.  But there is something that is even worse than that…Something that she won’t want to hear.”

               “What’s that?” Eric asked.

               “The young lady is pregnant.  About three months.”

Both Horatio and Eric looked sad for her.  They knew that that would make the situation worse for her. 

When she woke up, Horatio and Eric went in to see how she was.    She only stayed awake for a little bit.  The day had taken its toll on her.  She fell back asleep.  Eric stayed with her all night.  Usually, the hospital wouldn’t allow that, but every time he left, Calleigh would become afraid; so, they let him stay.  In the morning, he would tell her the news.

Chapter 3

Her eyes slowly opened.  Light was coming from the window on the right.  Nothing else was there.  She turned a little and she saw him there.  He was asleep.  He was holding her bruised hand.  Has he been here all night?  I know he has…She smiled a little.  She squeezed his hand because that’s all she could do.  His eyes opened and he looked at her.  He grinned.  “Are you ok?”

               “Better.  Were you here all night, Er?”

               “Yeah.”

               “Probably wasn’t much fun.”

               “It was fine.  I just wanted to make sure you were ok.”

               “I’ll be fine.  Did the doctor come in again?”

               “Yeah.  He had some bad news.”  He looked like he didn’t want to say anything.

               “Spill it.  I’ll be ok.”

               “Alright…” He took a breath.  This was hard for him.  “He said that- you’re about three months pregnant.  When Jake kicked you, he almost killed his own child…Just barely missed.”

Calleigh took a breath, obviously upset by the news, but almost in shock.  She moved a hand to her stomach unconsciously.  “Is …the baby ok?” She asked him.

               “It’s fine.”

               “It deserves better… Than me… than him.”

               “Cal, you’ll be a great mom.  And your kid will love you.  You’re not a bad person.  Now, I’ll agree with you about Jake, but not about you.  You’ve never been anything but wonderful.  You didn’t deserve any of the crap that you got.  Don’t think that somehow you deserved what happened to you.  No one could ever deserve that.”

She nodded a little, still so small and afraid.  A tear fell from her eye and he brushed it away.  “Thank you; for being here with me.  You don’t know how much it means.”

               “I’m glad to be here.”

               “Eric…” Her voice was soft and she left it off, emotion filling it, hair falling across her face.  He helped her pull it back.  His hand lingered on her face for a while, and she pulled him closer, kissing him softly and slowly more passionate.  After a few moments, he stopped her.  “Calleigh-I really enjoyed that… Don’t get me wrong.  But- you’re still married and even though you’ve said you want it to be over, I don’t know-I still don’t feel quite right about doing this… yet.” He almost looked afraid that she would be mad.  She grinned a little.  “I’m not mad.  It’s actually-I think it’s very admirable.  I just got carried away.  It’s been a long night.  And I guess, it was like the relationship with Jake, the real part, was over long ago.  I forgot about it.  I know it sounds crazy.  But I’m not trying to justify what I did.”

               “I know that, Cal.”

               “Good.  I’ll try to behave myself.  I swear.” Her smile brightened, and it made Eric remember the way she was before she got together with Jake.  And they both laughed, both knowing that this-their friendship was more important to each of them, than anything else.

1 1/2 YEARS EARLIER

“I’m getting married.”

The words hit him like a sledgehammer.  He pasted on an “I’m ok.  I’m even happy” face, but, inside he was screaming.  He had loved Calleigh for years and he waited patiently for her to be ready to let him in.  And now, she was marrying someone else… Jake of all people… He’s not good enough for her.  But, she looked happy, so he put aside his bad feelings and said, “That’s great, Cal! When’s the wedding?” Like the best friend that he was. 

She told him all the details.  And she asked him a very important question that day.  “Will you be the Best Man?  Jake really doesn’t have a lot of guy friends… It would mean a lot to me if you would be up there with me, Eric.”

He couldn’t say no.  “Sure.  I’d love to be there for you.”

When she hugged him, he had to fight back a stubborn tear and push past the wash of sadness.  When she left, it took him a minute to be able to move.  Over the next three months, he listened to all the wedding talk.  And then, he stood up there on her wedding day with a straightened tie, next to Jake, and watched the love of his life marry somebody else….

 

Chapter 4

PRESENT

Eric was in the hall of the lab, getting DNA results from Valera when he saw Jake come in.  Of course, even before he knew Calleigh and Jake had been together, he didn’t like Jake.  There was something about him that made Eric mad.  And then, when he found out they had dated, he hated him even more.  But, in typical Eric Delko style, caring deeper for Calleigh’s happiness and well-being above his own, he was nice to Jake anyway.  He played nice and really had worked on it.  But now, Calleigh didn’t like Jake either, so he didn’t feel like he had to pretend so much anymore.   At first, he thought that Jake didn’t see him, which was ok with Eric, but he yelled out to him like he was calling a servant.  Eric turned around and rolled his eyes, coming over.   “You bellowed?!” He said sarcastically.

               “Ha, Ha.  Very funny.  You should take up stand-up comedy.”

Eric hated when people said that to him.  It was only funny when Speed had said it… Well, thinking about that only opens up a can of worms…

               “Funny.  What do you want?”

               “Where is she?”

               “Who?”

               “My wife.  Where is she?”

               “Why do you ask me?  Am I like, the authority on that or something?”

               “You work with her.  You two seem a bit too chummy.  Always have.  I thought you might know where she is.  Could she possibly be hiding out at your place?  Maybe ashamed to come home because the two of you were sneaking off after work to have a little romp beneath the sheets?”

               “You have a very vivid imagination.  Talk about assuming.” He rolled his eyes.  “No.  Calleigh is not at my place.  She wasn’t at my place.  We are not sleeping together.  We do work together.  And we are friends, very good friends, always have been, but we aren’t dating and she wasn’t stepping out on you.  I know you like to assume those things.”

               “Are you trying to say something, Officer?” Jake gave him a long probing stare.

               “Nothing you don’t already know.”

               “What do I know?”

               “You are a wife beater.  You think her friends don’t notice the bruises on her arms?  You don’t think we realize that she’s basically only allowed to go to work and come home?  That’s not her doing.  You control her.  You don’t respect her.  You treat her like garbage and if you think I don’t notice, than you insult my intelligence.”

               “I never beat her.” He said, not very convincingly.

               “Yeah right.   I’ll tell you something, Jake, you need help.  You just denied something that is fact. Something that you did.  I know you did.  I saw the bruises and the marks you made on her last night.  She called for help.  You want to know where she is!?  She’s in the hospital.  Because of you.  You beat her. “

               “You need to harness them.  Keep them in line.”

               “Women aren’t animals.  They’re people.”

 

               “Says Mr. I-used-to-be-a-ladies’-man-but-now=I’m-so-righteous!”

               “I never forced anyone to do anything they didn’t want to do.”

               “So you think.”

               “It’s true.  Anyhow, we’re not talking about me.  I don’t have a wife I almost beat to death.”

               “Hey! The bitch was stepping out on me.”

               “If she was, I can’t say I’d blame her, but she wasn’t.  She was working late.  She signed out at 9:30.  Saw her do it myself.  She was really upset.  She knew you were going to be mad.”

               “Damn right.”

               “You have no right to treat her that way.”

Finally, he had struck the nerve, and Jake just walked away.  And softly, Eric muttered to himself, “I hate that man.”

Chapter 5 Move Along

His cell phone rang in his pocket.  He flipped it out, seeing Calleigh’s Cell on his caller I.D.  He pushed the TALK button. “Hello?”

               “Hey, Eric, it’s me.”

He knew her voice, so even if he hadn’t seen her number, he would have known who was calling. 

               “Hey, Cal.  What do you need?”

               “I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”

               “Sure.”

               “Could you possibly get into my desk and get the blue business card out of the top drawer and bring it to the hospital the next time you come?”

               “Yeah. I’ll be over in like an hour.  Ok?”

               “Yeah.  Thanks, hon.”

He smiled a little. When they hung up, he went straight in to find it.  He would forget otherwise.   It wasn’t that hard to find, just under a notebook and some note cards.  He picked the card up and put it in his pocket.  It was only he put it away that he thought to look at what it was for. It was a card for Counselor Angela Carson, a divorce lawyer.  She’s actually doing it. He thought to himself.  He wasn’t really sure what to think, but he knew Calleigh was the kind of person who wouldn’t let her man push her around for long.  She was strong.  She found her way out and this was it.  Working in the criminal justice department, they saw it all.  He knew women who would get beaten for 10 years and never say anything.  They would lie about the bruises and scars and say that they fell.   Calleigh didn’t lie.  She understood that the longer she kept silent, the longer Jake could hurt her, and she wasn’t going to stand for it.  It wasn’t only for her.  It was for her job, and now, for her unborn child.  She was going to do everything in her power to make it so that him or her would have the best life available.  Calleigh never would lie and tell a cop that Jake was “really a nice person” or “he loves me, I just made him angry.”  In this situation, most women wouldn’t listen to reason.  But Calleigh, she was different.   After he finished up some work at the lab, Eric took her the card.

               “Thank you.” She smiled.

               “You’re welcome.  How are you doing?”

               “I’m doin’ fine, love.”

He smiled a little.  She had called him love.  He knew he probably should stop her, but he didn’t feel like it.  It made her happy.  He got a call from the lab about some evidence, and went out into the hall.  When he came back in, Calleigh was on the phone.  He heard the last part of the call. “Yes, that would be great… thanks for getting back to me so quickly… Yeah, I know.  It’s a relief…alright, well I’ll talk to you on Friday then… Ok, bye.”

Eric walked in then. “How did it go?”

               “Fine.  I was already in the process of filing for divorce.  I was just waiting for the paperwork.  It came to me today. The lawyer’s coming on Friday to help me sort things out.”

               “That’s good. So you’re really going through with it?”

               “Yeah.  I have to.  Not just for me… For my baby.”

               “And you can put it all behind you.”

               “Yeah.  I can start fresh…You know, I’m just-scared.  I want to be a good mother, but it’s not really my thing.  I’ve never really had an example of how to be a good mom.  I want my child to grow up great.  I don’t want to screw it up.”

               “You won’t, Cal.  You’re a good person, a strong person.  I know that you’ll do the best you can.  You don’t have to do it alone.  If you need help, one of us will always be just a phone call away.”

               “I know.” She smiled.  “I know I can count on you.  I always have been able to.  And everyone else, they haven’t failed me either.  I just-I don’t want to take advantage of anyone.”

               “You won’t be.  It’s our job as human beings, as your friends.”

               “I know you think of me as more than a friend.”

               “Yeah.  I do.  But that’s not why I want to help.”

               “I know.  But I really appreciate it.  And I want you to know that I’ll pay you back, somehow.”

               “You don’t have to.  I’m glad to help.”

               “I know you are. I also know that what I feel for you won’t go away.  If I’m starting over, I want it to be with you.”

And he didn’t know what to say to that.  She grinned and kissed him softly on the cheek. “I was wrong.  You were right.  I should have chosen you, but I was stupid and unsure of my feelings.  I know it doesn’t justify what he did to me, but still, I’ve paid the price.  I don’t want to keep paying it.”

Chapter 6

Jake never bothered to find out what hospital Calleigh was in.  He didn’t care.  She was almost out when he finally asked about her.  Of course, by that time he had gotten the divorce papers and he was angry, so he wasn’t told much.  It took him a while to agree to sign the papers.  Eventually, all the paperwork caught up to him, and he had to spend a little time in jail, two weeks, and attend a mandatory Anger Management class.  But, unfortunately, that was all the time he served.  But, possibly, the worst punishment was that everyone knew he had abused his wife.  It wasn’t a secret.   He had to pay a fine, and give her money each month in damages.  He also had to pay all her medical bills.  He didn’t know about the baby yet.  And he didn’t know that Calleigh was staying with Eric at his place.  She kept trying to get him to let her look for a place, mainly because she thought she was being a bother, but he would always tell her that he was glad to have her.  She finally went back to work.  Anything she couldn’t handle, Eric helped her with, but everyone knew there wasn’t much that Calleigh Duquesne couldn’t handle.    She was coming out one day and Jake saw her.  She walked away quickly, but he had seen her and chased after her.   “Get away from me!” She said.

               “No.  Get back here, bitch!”

               “You have no authority over me.   I left you.  So go away.”

               “What world do you live in, Barbie.” He had a taunt in his voice. “The divorce isn’t final yet.  I believe we still have 35 days to go.”

               “It matters little to me.  It was over for me a long time ago.  I live in the real world.  I wasn’t going to let you beat me and not say anything.  I was filing for divorce a long time ago.  I just had to do it behind your back, so it took a while.   But don’t think I wouldn’t have done it sooner if I could have.”

He couldn’t say anything to that.  He just looked mad.  Finally, he softened a little.   “Come on, Calleigh, baby, give up the act, come home.”

               “No, Jake.  I’m done.  That place is not my home anymore.  You don’t realize how badly you hurt me.  Look at this, and tell me why I should come back.” She lifted up her shirt a little so he could see the concentrated bruises, just now starting to heal.  “You did that.”  He seemed a bit embarrassed. 

               “I won’t do it again.”

               “That’s what you say.  But when you drink, you forget promises.  They don’t matter.  You don’t know what the hell you were thinking.  You get angry.  You love the booze more than me, Jake.  In fact, I don’t think you ever really loved me.  I was just that trophy wife to you.  I didn’t see it, but I do now.  And I’m not going back.”  She took a breath. “Jake, you need to realize something.  You have a problem.  And your problem almost killed two people.”

               “Two? What are you thinking about?”

               “I’m talking about me, but that you know.  But the second person—you almost killed your own child, Jake.  Because you were selfish.”

He looked contrite.  He got into his wallet and handed her a crisp hundred dollar bill.  “Here.  Take it.  I don’t know where you’re staying, but you’re bound to need something.  I’m—I’m sorry.”

               “Thank you, Jake.  That was decent of you. Please, just think about this incident when you get the urge to drink.”

               “I will.” He said.  He tried to kiss her, but she told him no.  He didn’t want to back off.  But when he saw Horatio walking over that way, he backed off.  And he walked away.  Horatio turned to her. 

               “Ma’am, are you ok?”

               “I’m fine.  It could have been much worse.  I told him about the baby.  He gave me $100.  Probably just because he felt bad, but it’s a start.  I feel he owes me at least that.  I didn’t want to tell him, but I had to.  He may be scumbag, a wife-beater, and a drunk, but he’s the baby’s father, and I think he should know.”

               “Hopefully, it’ll get him to think.”

               “That would be my hope.”

               “How’s staying with Eric working out?”

               “He’s great.  He gives me my space, but is always there if I need something.  I feel like I’m taking advantage of his hospitality.  He never said that, and I know that’s not what he’s thinking, but still—I don’t want to take it for granted.”

               “Trust me, Calleigh, he’s a good man, and he loves you.  He wants to be there for you, and for your child.  That’s the only thing that matters to him.”

She smiled faintly, nodding. Deep down, she knew it was true.

CHAPTER 7

Finally, Calleigh’s divorce was final.  It had been hard for her, mainly because she had to leave everything behind and start all over.  She felt bad for not finding a place of her own.  She claimed that she was putting Eric out, even though he always told her it was no big deal. 

She had recovered.  A few weeks went by, and she went and saw the doctor.  She was afraid, so she asked Eric to wait in the waiting room, just so she knew he was closeby.   The doctor saw him and grinned.  “He’s cute.  Is he with you?”

               “Yes, but no.  He’s with me, but he’s a friend, not my husband.”

               “Interesting.  Where’s your husband?”

               “Don’t have one.  I’m divorced.”

               “Sorry.”

               “It’s really ok.   It was better that it ended.  He was beating me, almost killed me and our baby.  Put me in the hospital.  Eric was there with me and I’m staying at his place.  He’s insisting that I stay there and not find another place.   He said with the baby coming, I might need someone to look out for me and the little one.  I tell you, he’s the kindest man I’ve ever met.”

               “He’s stepping up for you.  And they say chivalry is dead.”

               “Yeah.  I should have married him instead.”

               “Sounds like it.  But you still have a chance.  You love him right?”

               “Very much.  We hadn’t been ‘dating’ per say, but we do things together.  We know how we feel about each other.  Hopefully, it’ll work out.  If he asks, it’ll probably be after the baby comes.”

               “Well I hope I see a lot more of him.” She grinned.  After she checked Calleigh out, she said, “You and your baby girl are very healthy.  Barring any complications, you should have a normal delivery.”

               “That’s good.”

When they went back into the waiting room, the doctor introduced herself to Eric and wished Calleigh well.   “How did it go?” He asked Calleigh as they were walking out.  She put an arm around him.  “Well.  I’m gonna have a baby girl.  We’re both healthy.”

               “I’m glad to hear that.”

He kissed her cheek, and she smiled.  “Eric, what are we?”

               “Us?”

               “Yes.”

               “Um, I would say that we’re friends.  And I would say that we love each other.  Maybe, if I was to be bold, I’d say we’re a couple.  I mean, that’s what I want us to be.”

               “Good.  I like that.  You know, I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Eric.  And I think you’re the sweetest, most handsome guy I’ve ever met.”

               “You’re making me blush.” He grinned.  “I think you’re beautiful and smart, kind, fair, selfless…  All that and so much more.”

               “Really?”

               “Uh-huh.”

               “Wow.”

 

CHAPTER 8

They went out for dinner at a restaurant called Plaza Mexican, which was a personal fave of theirs’.  The waiter asked if they wanted some Margaritas.  They both declined, and once the waiter saw Calleigh’s stomach, he knew why.  She had a little bump by now. 

Calleigh noticed that Eric looked a bit nervous, so she asked him what was wrong.

               “Nothing’s wrong.  I just- I had something to tell you, and something to ask.  I just didn’t know how.  I didn’t want it to come out the wrong way.”

               “I’m sure you’ll do fine, whatever it is.  And even if the words come out wrong, I’ll always understand.”

               “In that case…” He had a little grin.  “I know all this has been sudden.  I know that it’s been rough for you.  But you never once gave the appearance of feeling sorry for yourself.  You’ve held on, and that’s what I’ve always loved about you.  Cal- since you’ve been at my place, I’ve been happier than I’ve been in ages.  And we’ve gotten close.  You’ve always been that special someone to me, Cal.  I love you, with all my heart.  I always have, even though I didn’t realize it.  Everything’s changing now, and I know that.  Pretty soon, you’re gonna be a mom, and it’ll be a challenge.  You may think that everything with Jake was your doing, like somehow, you deserved it, but you didn’t.  You shouldn’t have to do it all by yourself.  You should have someone to stand by you-take care of you and the baby.  And if you agree, I’d like to be that person.”

She looked into his eyes, obviously touched.  Her eyes filled with tears.  She tried to speak but her voice broke.  She finally collected herself.  “I’d love that, if it’s not too much trouble.”

               “It’s not.  And there’s one more thing:”

               “What’s that?” Her eyes were wide.

               “Calleigh, will you marry me?”

She was very surprised to say the least.  But she was happy-ecstatic.  And she nodded.  “Yes!  Yes I will.”

A smile crossed his lips.  She could tell he was thrilled to pieces.  He had always loved her.  They both got up, hugging and kissing, him holding her close to him, and he could feel the baby kick.  In some ways, it was a reminder of the bad things that had led them here, but yet, it was a sign of hope.  And it was a realization that finally, something good was happening.  And in spite of the hardship and responsibility surrounding raising a family, especially an unplanned one, there were guys (or guy in this case, meaning Eric), that were knights in shining whatever, coming to rescue the lady, without making her feel like a poor little damsel in distress.  Calleigh found it amazing that anyone could love her that much.  She had never had that before.  But Eric, he was willing to take responsibility and raise a child that wasn’t related by DNA, and wasn’t his doing.  He put the thought aside, was selfless, and stepped up.  But of course, when Calleigh really thought about it, she realized that she already knew that Eric was that guy.  He always had been, she just never saw it.  And she knew why she wanted to marry him now.  All the hesitations she’s had in the past, flew out the window.  She was happy.  And she had everything she could ever wish for.

Chapter 9

When he came into his apartment after work, he could smell something cooking, and hear music playing.  “I’ll be 87, you’ll be 89, I’ll still look at you like stars that shine in the sky, oh my, my, my.” He smiled. Calleigh always said she wasn’t a good cook, but he begged to differ.  Of course, since a bachelor’s meals consisted of Campbell’s soup, Kraft Mac N Cheese, and microwavable meals, any home cooking, especially Southern home-cooking was wonderful.  He went over to the kitchen where Calleigh was stirring some gravy on the stove.  She hadn’t heard him.  He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck softly, loving the feel of her soft skin.  She turned around, wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him back.  “Hi.”

               “Hi.  You’re making dinner?”

               “Yeah.  I hope you like it.”

               “I’m sure I will.” 

She turned back around and stirred the pot again.  “Can’t let the gravy burn… And can’t let it stay too thin either.” Then she jumped a little.  He was startled. 

               “Ooh!” She laughed, putting a hand to her swollen belly. “She was asleep for a long time.  But she’s up now.”

               “The baby’s kicking?” He smiled a little, eyebrows raised.

               “Uh-huh.  She’s a little champion.  Already been through a lot, but she’s tough.”

               “Just like her mother.”

She smiled.  “I’m tough?”

               “Yeah, that’s one of the things I love about you.”

               “I wasn’t so strong a few months ago.”

               “Well, they say, even a strong man falls, and even a wise man has to learn.”

               “I had heard that.”

               “Yeah, I mean, you wanted to leave, you just couldn’t.  That’s not your fault.  But you survived.  You didn’t give up.  You kept pushing.”

               “I guess.”

               “You did, Calleigh.  And I’m so happy that I get the honor of being with you.”

               “I can’t wait until next Saturday.  Then, I can call myself, Mrs. Eric Delko.  It has a ring to it. You know, I’ve been working on keeping in shape so I can fit into my dress.  So far, I’ve stayed at about the same weight so far… But after the wedding, I won’t have to try so hard…  I hope that’s ok…”

               “Calleigh, I am ok with anything as it’s related to you.  If you think it’s a good idea and you want to do it, go ahead with it.”

               “That’s sweet.”

               “I love you, Calleigh, and it doesn’t matter what or how you are.  You’ll never lose it.”

All she could do in response was hold him tight.  He was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

CHAPTER 10:

When he saw her walking down the aisle, the only word he could think of was perfect.  It was perfect.  She was gorgeous, and even though he wasn’t the crying type, he felt a tear come to his eye.  She was the love his life, and she was marrying him.   Everyone knew that she was pregnant, but it was understood, the situation, and everyone knew that it didn’t really matter.  When the priest pronounced them husband and wife, everyone clapped.  They were so glad that the two of them had finally gotten hitched.  It was something that seemed so normal.  They were meant to be together.  Even though what happened to Calleigh was horrible, they knew that it must have been fated to happen or something and that something good had come out of it.  It allowed the couple to get together.  It also showed that Eric was a good man.  He truly cared about Calleigh, and it didn’t matter what anyone else said or thought.  To him, it didn’t matter that she was pregnant with her ex’s child, because no matter how bad Jake was, the kid was half Calleigh, and half Calleigh wasn’t bad at all.   Also, Eric loved women.  This could be construed wrong when said aloud, but all it meant was that he valued women.  They were special and beautiful, things to be appreciated and cherished.  They were miraculous.  Especially Calleigh.  She was his best friend and he loved her.  He was committed to her.  And as they danced at the reception, he saw the smile on her face and just knowing she was happy made him grin.  That was all he wanted.  Her happiness.   One thing about Calleigh, she never ceased to amaze him.  As they were dancing, she  said that the next song was a surprise.  Then the music to the Ricky Martin song, “The Cup of Life” came on.  He smiled.  Then, she shocked him, she asked him to dance and he discovered that she was a superb salsa dancer.  Well, he guessed he’d find out a lot about her from now on.   That night on the way to the hotel where they would be staying for their honeymoon, she kept looking over at him and smiling.

 “This is the happiest day of my life.” She told him.

“Mine too.” He smiled. 

When they got into the hotel, Eric took her bags along with his up to the room.  They were both tired, so they just changed and got into bed.  It was pretty late.  Calleigh was tired, Eric knew, even though she hadn’t said that she was.   She had only said that her feet hurt.  Of course, for the reception, Calleigh had changed into some ballerina flats so she could wear shoes but her feet wouldn’t kill with the heels on.  When they fell asleep, she was in his arms.    And he knew he was the luckiest man on the planet.