Kristin’s eyes fluttered open as she felt something brush against her skin. She noticed something blocking the light from the window as her eyes adjusted to the late afternoon sun. Hold on, that wasn’t something; that was someone!! Kristin reached up to rub the sleep from her eyes and her mouth dropped open at what she saw; she must be imagining things.

“Tommy?” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears as she sat up in bed.

“I was an ass,” Tommy said, still unable to tear his eyes away from his wife.

“You got that right!” Kristin laughed as Tommy scooped her up into hug and her laughter turned to tears of joy. “I knew you’d come back!”

“I don’t know why I didn’t tell you I was going away,” Tommy explained, still holding Kristin close to him. “I didn’t mean anything by it; I don’t know why I didn’t just tell you that I honestly forgot and that I was sorry. I—”

“Shhhhh,” Kristin hushed his apology as she lifted her head from his chest and reached up to put a finger to his lips. “I know.”

“But I was horrid to you!” Tommy exclaimed. “I knew you were right but I still kept ranting on and on and I wouldn’t shut up. Kristin, I told you to get an ABORTION!”

“Well, as usual, I didn’t listen to what you said!” Kristin smiled as she took Tommy’s hand and placed it on her belly.

Tommy froze for a minute; staring into her eyes as she tried to read his thoughts.

“Can't you say something?” Kristin said jokingly. “After all, this is your fault!”

“I…I…” Tommy stuttered. “How?”

“Tommy,” Kristin began to explain. “When a man and woman love each other very much; sometimes they decide to make a baby. When—”

“I do not need that part explained to me,” Tommy chuckled. “I wrote the book.”

“So I’ve heard,” Kristin smirked at him.

“Very funny,” Tommy replied. “Why didn’t you tell me? I thought it was just a way to make me stay!”

“If you recall, Mr. Bialystock, I did inform you!” Kristin replied.

“I prefer to be called Bond, James Bond.” Tommy retorted.

“Cute,” Kristin shot back at him.

“Kristin?” Tommy questioned as his attitude became more serious.

“Yeh?” Kristin replied as the smug smile disappeared from her face and was replaced with a look of interest and concern.

“Is there any way you could find it in your heart to take me back?” Tommy asked. Kristin had never heard him speak so seriously since the first time he had told her that he loved her.

Kristin’s heart melted. She had been waiting to hear those words for 3 months; he had finally said them.

“I love you, Tommy,” Kristin said in answer to his question. “I never want to be separated from you again.”

Tommy wrapped her in the tightest hug he had ever given her before and, just as she had imagined, all the pain of the last 3 months disappeared. As she stood there with her face pressed to his chest and her arms wrapped tightly around him she felt as though she could stay in that moment forever.

“I’m so sorry,” Tommy whispered, his voice catching in his throat. “I’m so sorry.”

Kristin backed away from him and looked up into his face; he was crying. In all the years she had known Tommy she had never seen him cry. She reached up and wiped the tears from his cheeks before pulling him close and kissing him; their first kiss in 3 months.

“I’m sorry,” Tommy said, kissing her again.

“Hush, you’re ruining it!” Kristin replied.

“What are you gonna do about it?” Tommy asked.

“I’ll kiss you forever and you’ll never be able to go back to work,” she replied between kisses. “You’ll lose all of your money.”

“Try it,” Tommy answered. “You’re gonna have to come up for air eventually.”

“Shush,” Kristin said as she kissed him with all the passion she had been saving up while he had been gone.