***Part Ten***
Word Count: 997

Five Years Later

"What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" Joe asked. "I find that incredibly hard to believe."

She turned in his arms, sliding hers around his neck. "Believe it. I was just enjoying the view."

"I was, too."

"You just got out here."

"That wasn't the view I was talking about," he said, sliding his hands along her hips to the small of her back.

"Someone's going to see."

"Me touch you? God forbid. Our room looks over the ocean anyway. They're looking out there, not up here."

"Maybe."

"No maybe's about it," he said. "Besides, a man's allowed to touch his wife. Especially when he just found out she's pregnant."

"Like it took that long," she said with a soft laugh.

First there were her father's terms on paying for her college making them wait until she'd graduated. Then she'd passed her exams and gotten a job as an OB nurse at a big hospital. It was a good paying job, so they decided to wait longer. Partially until her benefits kicked in but also so she didn't go out on maternity leave right after starting the job. They hadn't argued about it necessarily, but she knew he thought she was putting him off.

It wasn't just Chris who'd been busy the last few years, though. Joe had worked his way up and out of Dawson's Garage. First he'd gone to a smaller auto body place that specialized in pricier foreign cars and then to a dealership where he was now the dealership's service department manager.

She was so proud of him. She thought in some ways what he'd achieved since meeting her was more impressive than what she'd done because until meeting her he hadn't believed he could do anything other than what he'd been doing.

So, both of them in a good position to take their first real (and well-deserved) vacation, they were here in Hawaii. It was her parents' condo. Her father had offered the use of it when he'd heard they were thinking about taking a very belated honeymoon.

While her dad was never going to be head over heels about Chris' choice in husband, the two of them had things in common that at least gave them something to talk about when they saw one another for family dinners. Cars. Her dad loved cars and Joe loved working on them. For a while, they'd worked together rebuilding an old Mustang her dad bought. Joe had done most of the work, but her dad helped. She'd never really seen her dad gets his hands dirty before then.

So, offering the condo wasn't a huge surprise to either of them as her father had seemingly come to grips with the fact his daughter had married someone he hadn't approved of. He'd seen, though, how good Joe was to her so he had nothing to complain about. The news of an impending grandchild hadn't surprised her parents or his. They all seemed to know what they'd waited for.

So, here they were their first real vacation. Alone. No household duties. No work. No distractions. Just the two of them with nothing on the agenda but relax and enjoy the island weather. She was looking forward to an incredible ten days. It would be their last vacation alone most likely unless they left kids with their parents, but Chris didn't think Joe would want to do that anymore than she would.

Last night had been Halloween and they'd spent most of the evening in a nearby town, watching the locals' parade up and down the town's streets in costume. The entire town except a few shops along the main drag shut down and partied. Alcohol wasn't allowed in public, so it was a good-natured, sober partying. They'd had a blast. She'd always loved coming here as a kid and was glad to see Joe enjoyed it, too.

"I still can't believe it," he said, a hand sliding to her stomach. She wasn't far enough along to show, but he did that a lot. Touched her there as if he could feel it by sheer will in wanting to.

"Why?"

"I don't know. Who would have thought?"

"Right? Just think we owe it all to Brenda and her step-mom."

"We're not naming it Brenda if it's a girl."

Chris laughed. "I'm not asking you to."

"Good."

"So, you're really happy?"

"Why would you ask that?"

"I don't know. The doctor said it could take a while after being on the pill for so long."

"So it didn't."

"Maybe you weren't prepared for it this quick."

"I was ready for it four years ago, Babe, so no problem for me."

"Good."

"Though I was kind of looking forward to being able to tell him or her that he was made here."

"There's always the next one. We can always pretend."

"I think by the time they'd be old enough for me to tell them something like that, they'll be old enough to do the math and know that's not true."

She kissed him, shaking her head a little.

"That's not what I meant."

"What did you mean?"

"I meant we could pretend for the week I'm not and we're trying. It is our honeymoon after all."

"Oh," he said with a laugh. "I see. Yeah, I'm up for that."

She brushed up against him and laughed. "I know you are."

"You sure you don't want breakfast first?"

"Breakfast is highly overrated," she said, kissing a spot on his neck she knew was his undoing even after all this time.

"That's not how I've heard. I heard it was the most important meal of the day."

"Oh, it is, but they don't tell you when you have to eat it."

"Ah, right, well then. Let's get you inside, but later when it's dark I plan to come out here again with you."

"I can't wait."

~The End~

Story ©Susan Falk/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com