TWELVE

Cate cringed as a shrill whistle pierced the air near her ear.

She shot Jon a sideways glance, then couldn’t help but giggle at his enthusiastic outburst.  He was bundled up to the chin, the collar of his heavy coat turned up against the night autumn chill.  His hands shoved deep in his coat pockets, Jon bounced on the balls of his feet as he surveyed the pageantry unfolding before him.

Despite his warm attire Jon seemed unfazed by the weather, his excitement obvious in his ruddy cheeks, sparkling blue eyes, and ear-to-ear grin.  Beside him Stephanie looked on, her expression and actions strikingly similar to those of her father.

Cate smiled to herself as she turned her attention back to the pre-homecoming ritual.  Her eyes swept over the portable bleachers, arranged in an arc around the perimeter of the field and filled with excited students, proud parents, and jolly alumni.  In front of the seating perky cheerleaders shouted out chants and somersaulted across the grounds, urging the crowd to join in their cheers.

Behind them a marching band stood in formation around a towering pile of brush and kindling that would soon be ignited for the traditional bonfire.  At their forefront, the spirited drum corps beat out a funky syncopated cadence, charging the festive air.  On the far edge of the field a crowd of large young men huddled together, first growling, then chanting, then shouting out their allegiance to each other, their coach, and their school, bouncing and swaying together in their excitement.

A wave of nostalgia washed over Cate as the sights and sounds of the pep rally took her back in time to her own college days.  Back to the days when she was like Stephanie, flush with the excitement of newfound independence and intellectual discovery.  Back to a time when she was cocky and carefree, and her only worry was how early she would be able to escape Friday classes for Happy Hour.  Back to a time when she and Danny and their friends dreamed of what their future would hold but weren’t in a hurry to find out.

It seemed like just yesterday, yet a hundred years ago.

Cate’s smile gentled as she again turned to look at Jon.  She chuckled huskily to herself as she realized that never in her wildest college dreams had she imagined herself standing here – or anywhere – with Him.  As wonderful as those college days were, she wouldn’t go back there if she could.  Her life now was so much better, even when it was difficult.    

As she watched her husband’s gleeful response to the perky cheerleaders bouncing back and forth in front of the bleachers, Cate’s heart squeezed.  He looked so happy and relaxed, reveling in his role as Proud Papa.  As if he could read her thoughts, Jon slipped an arm around his daughter and gave her a little hug before releasing her to clap and whistle loudly as the football team charged onto the field.

This weekend was exactly what he needed, a distraction from the hardships of the past few months.  Their medical issues aside, Jon had been under a great deal of stress, juggling his Foundation and Committee work, his business, his rejuvenating acting career, and his music.  He hadn’t had enough time to spend with his children, especially Stephanie.

Cate shook her head slowly in affirmation of her thoughts.  This weekend was about Jon’s family.  Nothing else.  Despite her vow to her physician, Cate was determined not to let their disappointing news of this morning cast a shadow over her husband’s happiness.  Discussion of their uncertain future could wait.

Jon felt Cate’s eyes on him.  He turned his head to give her a quizzical smirk.  “What?”

“Nothing.”

Jon leaned closer, shouting to be heard over the raucous crowd surrounding them.  “You’re giving me that look again.”

Cate grinned.  “What look?”  She knew exactly what he meant, but she played along.

“You know.”

“No, I don’t.  I was just watching you.  There was no ‘look’.”

Jon grinned and leaned in even closer, so his mouth was next to Cate’s ear.  “Yes there was. I know that look.  That’s the “I’m the luckiest woman in the world, I get to go home and fuck a rockstar’ look.”  He pulled back to give Cate a naughty smirk, his blue eyes dancing merrily.

Cate rolled her eyes but chuckled as she leaned in to reply.  “No it wasn’t.  If that was any ‘look’ it was the ‘look at the middle-aged goofball acting like a frat boy’ look.”  Her tease was gentle.  She leaned back to match Jon’s smirk.

“Yeah, right.  C’mere, you.”  Jon circled Cate’s waist with an arm and pulled her against him.  Cate gladly snuggled up to his side as Jon dropped a kiss against her hair.

“Okay, maybe it was more like the ‘I love seeing my husband have so much fun with his daughter’ look,” Cate admitted, turning her face up to Jon’s as she spoke.  She slipped her arm around Jon’s waist and gave him a squeeze.  “I’m glad we’re here.”

“Me too, Baby.”  Jon smiled and brushed a kiss across Cate’s lips, then again murmured into her ear.  “But that ‘go home and fuck a rockstar’ thing is definitely an option.  Just sayin’.”

Cate laughed and nodded, her chill-pinkened cheek rubbing against the rough wool of Jon’s coat.  “We’ll see.”

“Maybe I can persuade…”

Jon’s playful response was cut off by a loud, brassy blast from the marching band.  He paused and gave Cate a grin and a saucy wink, then turned his gaze back to the field.  His arm remained around her waist, holding her close against his side, warming her against the frosty night’s chill.

On Jon’s other side, Stephanie glanced sideways.  She smiled at the sight of her father and stepmother standing close together, grinning as they watched the antics on the field.  Though she had never quite understood why her mother and father divorced, Stephanie was glad Jon had found Cate.  She was good for him, and he was clearly devoted to her.

With a happy sigh Stephanie snuggled back against Brendan, who was standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist.  She turned her head away from her parents and leaned to the side to look up at her handsome beau’s face.  The two young people shared a conspiratorial smile, then Steph leaned up to murmur in Brendan’s ear.

“Don’t think we’re gonna have any problem ditching Daddy and Cate.”

Brendan chuckled.  “No?”

“Nope.  Look at them.  They want to be alone as much as we do.”  Stephanie pulled back to give Brendan a saucy wink.

Brendan grunted softly as Stephanie’s buttocks ground against his crotch.  “God, I hope so,” he growled.

“Soon, Babe.” Stephanie smirked again.  “Just hang in there.”  She straightened and turned her attention back forward.

Brendan blew out a long breath and dipped his chin to rest on Stephanie’s shoulder.  “I’m trying.  Can this fucking rally get over, already?”

Stephanie giggled and crossed her arms over Brendan’s around her middle.  “Patience,” she chided quietly.  “Good things come to those who wait.  Multiple times.”  She snickered dirtily at her not-so-subtle double-entendre.

Brendan groaned again in response.

For the next hour the night was filled with electricity.  The band played rousing fight songs, the cheerleaders chanted and climbed and shook their pom-poms, and the Dean, the Student Body President, the Football Coach, and the Captain of the football team all gave inspirational and boisterous speeches.  Finally the sky was lit with orange flame as the huge brush pile was ignited to signal the end of the official pep rally.

Throughout the event, Jon kept a close eye on Cate.  She seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself, though he saw the familiar weariness in her smile.  Jon knew she must be exhausted; they had both endured a long, emotional rollercoaster ride of a day.

When finally the bonfire was lit and the crowd started to disperse, Jon turned to Stephanie.

“So, you two gonna hang out here awhile?  Or do you want a lift back to your dorm for that party?”

Stephanie’s eyes widened with surprise.  She had been sure her father would stay out here until the bonfire was reduced to a pile of smoldering embers.  “Umm… I guess we’ll hang here awhile.  The party doesn’t start until later.”  She tilted her head.  “You guys going back to the cabin?”

Jon nodded and looked at Cate.  “Yeah, think so.  I’m beat.”  He saw the surprise in her expression, but she didn’t argue.  “Cate’s tired too.  It’s been a long week.”

Stephanie shrugged.  “If you wanna go, it’s cool.”  She looked at the group of students gathering near the bonfire’s edge.  “Actually, there are a couple of my friends.”  Stephanie pointed in the group’s direction.  “We can catch a ride back to the dorm with them.”

Jon raised a brow and gave Brendan a half-smirk.  “And how about you, Brendan?  Need a ride to the frat house?”

“Jon,” Cate warned him gently.  Her hand slipped into the crook of his arm.

“No thanks, Mr. B.  Connor’s gonna meet me at the party.”  Brendan squirmed slightly under Jon’s appraising stare.  He wasn’t lying to Steph’s Dad – his friend was going to attend the party at the Quad.  Brendan just wouldn’t be going home with him after the party.  He already had a place to sleep.

“Alright.”  Jon gave Brendan another stern look for good measure, then stuck out his hand.  “We’ll see you in the morning, then.  Be careful at the party.  Call a cab if you need to, or call me.”

Stephanie smiled as she rolled her eyes.  “Daddy, we’ll be fine.”  She stepped forward to plant a kiss on his stubbly cheek  and give him a brief hug.  “Don’t worry.”

“That’s my job, to worry.”

“Well, take a night off.”  Stephanie gave her father a sweet smile.  “I’m a big girl.”

Her words made Jon’s heart squeeze.  “I know, Princess.”  His smile turned bittersweet.  “You’re a woman.”

“Ugh.”  Stephanie couldn’t hide her impatience any longer.  “Daddy, seriously…”

Cate chuckled and stepped in.  “Come on, Jon.  Steph’s got plans.  Let’s get out of here and let her get on with them.”  She leaned in to buss the girl’s cheek.  “Night, Steph.  Have a good time.”

“Thanks, Cate.  We will.”

“And be careful.”  Cate couldn’t stop the warning before it slipped from her lips.  She gave Stephanie a sheepish smile.  “Sorry.  Can’t help myself.  Cop.”

Stephanie chuckled and leaned against Brendan.  “I know.  S’Okay.  I will.”

“Alright… Good night.  I’ll text you when I hear from your Mama.”  Jon slipped his hand into Cate’s and took a hesitant step away from his daughter.  “See you in the morning.”

“’Night, Daddy.  ‘Night, Cate.”

With another reluctant smile, Jon turned away from Stephanie and Brendan.  He carefully climbed down the bleachers, leading Cate by the hand.  When they were on firm footing, he glanced back over his shoulder to see his daughter and her boyfriend sharing a kiss.

Cate chuckled.  “You wanna stay?”

“Nah.  They don’t want us around.”  Jon shrugged and gave Cate a rueful smile.  “Besides, it has been a long day.  These old bones are tired.”

Cate sighed and nodded.  “Yeah, me too.”

“Well, then…” Jon slipped an arm around Cate’s waist.  “Let’s go home.”

*****
Cate stared unseeingly at the flickering tongues of fire behind the iron scrollwork screen.  The dancing flames would have been hypnotic if her mind hadn’t been otherwise occupied.

“Here ya go, Baby.”

Cate jumped slightly at Jon’s soft voice.  She looked up to see him smiling down at her, holding out a mug in offering.

“What’s this?”

“Warm apple cider.  To thaw you out.”

“Uh… Thanks, Babe, but…”

Jon cut off her protest.  “It’s organic, and it’s just cider.  With a little cinnamon.  No extra kick.”  He pushed the mug a little closer to Cate. “Here, take it.”

Cate smiled tiredly.  “Okay.  Thank you.”  She reached up to take the ceramic cup from Jon’s grasp.  Its warmth in her hands was comforting.

Jon nodded a silent “you’re welcome” before setting his mug on the cocktail table and lowering himself to the floor with a groan.  He settled beside Cate, leaning back against the heavy leather couch and stretching his legs out toward the fireplace.  Jon reached for his mug of cider and pushed it toward Cate, offering her a toast.

Cate reached up to touch her mug to Jon’s then raised it to her lips.  She purred softly as the sweet, warm beverage slipped down her throat.   “Mmmm…  Baby, that’s good.”

Jon chuckled.  “Thought you’d like it.  Better than that shitty tea you drink.”

Cate snorted quietly.  “Yeah, well…”  She turned her gaze back to the fire, though a gentle smile remained on her lips.

Jon sighed and moved closer to Cate.  He slipped his arm around her shoulders, then turned his blue eyes to the fire.  A little smirk curved his mouth as a happy memory flashed in his mind.

“You remember our first date?”

Cate’s brows lifted in surprise, then she nodded.  “Of course.”  Her smile broadened and she tipped her head against Jon’s shoulder.  “How could I forget?  One of the most romantic nights of my life.”  She chuckled softly.  “What made you think of that now?”

“Sitting here on the floor with you.  Remember how every time I tried to make a move on you the damned furniture kept sliding?”

A musical laugh escaped from Cate’s throat, warming Jon’s heart.  “Yeah, well.  That probably had something to do with all the wine we drank.  The furniture didn’t move on its own, you know.”  She took another sip of her cider.

“Until we went out onto the deck.”  Jon sighed softly, a little growl roughening the sound.  “Then things stopped moving.”

Cate echoed his sigh, feeling her pulse quicken at the memory.  “Yeah… the furniture, at least.”

“You smoked my cigar.  And fed me strawberries.”  Jon groaned again, his smile darkening.  “That was so fucking sexy…”

“I couldn’t help myself.  You were… just…” Cate hesitated, searching for the perfect word to describe the memory.  “Exquisite.”  She sighed dreamily.  “My God, Jon… I would have done anything for you that night.  Anything.  I was all yours, putty in your hands.”

Jon smiled at her admission.  “Well, I kinda liked the way it turned out… you falling asleep in my arms.”  He turned his head to place a kiss against Cate’s hair.  “It was romantic.”

“Until we both woke up with raging hangovers, anyway.”  Cate chuckled ironically.

“Yeah, but somehow we both survived.”  Jon set his mug on the floor at his side and reached up to caress Cate’s cheek.  She turned her face to his and they shared a sweet smile.

“Seems like a lifetime ago,” Cate observed quietly.

“Uh huh.”  Jon nodded slowly.  “But it’s only been a few years.  A few wonderful years.” He tipped his head to touch his forehead to Cate’s.  “And there’s a lot more to come, Baby.  For you and me… For our family.”

Cate’s heart clenched at Jon’s words.  She tried to hide her reaction, but her smile faltered.  She knew in an instant that he noticed.

“Cate, can we talk about what happened this morning?’”

“Jon…” Cate sighed softly.  “I don’t… this weekend…  It’s supposed to be your time with your kids.  With Stephanie.”  She swallowed hard.  “I don’t want this to ruin that.”

Jon pulled back and shook his head slowly, his blue eyes locking with Cate’s.  “Baby, you don’t get it.  I want to talk about this – about us.  This weekend is about family, and you are my family.”  He smiled gently.  “How am I supposed to not think about this?  It affects both of us.”

Cate was silent for a moment, searching Jon’s gaze.  The sparkling indigo depths betrayed nothing, no fear or anger.  Only sincerity and affection.

She sighed again, her shoulders slumping.  “Okay.”  She turned her face away from Jon’s, her gaze settling again on the fire.

“Okay.”  Jon shifted and pulled Cate closer.  “So.  This morning sucked.”  He chuckled half-heartedly.  “There’s just no other way to put it.”  He paused and was heartened to hear a soft chuckle from Cate as well.  “But it’s done, so the question is, where do we go from here?”

“Well, I guess we go see Dr. Klein on Friday.”  Cate’s voice was lightly tinged with bitterness.  “And after that, more tests.”

“Yeah, I got that part from talking to Dr. Seuss.”  Jon picked up his mug and took another drink of cider.  “I know there are gonna be more doctors and more tests, Baby.  All that scientific shit… I don’t wanna think about that tonight.”

Cate sighed, a little relieved.  She wasn’t capable of turning on her science-brain at the moment.   “Me either.”  She returned her gaze to the dancing flames.

“Jane said we need to think about how far we want to go with this… process.”

“Uh huh.”

“In other words… what we’re willing to do for a baby.  And what we aren’t.”

“Yeah.”

Jon paused for a long moment.  “Cate… You do still want to have a baby, don’t you?”

His question surprised her.  “Yes, Jon.  Of course.”  Cate swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry.  “Do you?  Still want to have another child?”  She turned her head to see his response.

“Yeah, I do.  I really do.”  Jon reached up to lightly tap the end of Cate’s nose, giving her a little smirk.  “Hell, I’d like to have four more.  But one thing at a time.”

“Well, I don’t know about four…”  Cate couldn’t help but smile at Jon’s reply.  She sighed gain, more gently this time.  “So, I guess we have some decisions to make.”

“Yeah.”

Jon was quiet for a moment, his eyes on the fireplace.  “Baby, you’re the one who is going to have to go through the most.  So I guess… I guess whatever you want is what I want.”  He turned his head to give Cate a soulful look.  “But I want to make it clear, right now.  Cate, I’m willing to do whatever it takes.  Money, travel, doctors, exotic treatments… Whatever you want to do, I’m there with you one hundred percent.”

Cate’s eyes moistened at her husband’s earnest declaration.  “I know.  And thanks.  But this is about you, too.  Surely you must have some feelings about how to deal with our… Infertility.”  Her heart clenched as the ugly word passed her lips.

Jon’s reaction was immediate.  “Don’t.”  He gently pressed a finger to Cate’s lips.  He shook his head slowly.  “She’s wrong.  I know it.”

“Jon…”

“No.  I don’t accept her diagnosis.”  Jon drew his fingertip down to Cate’s chin and gave her a serious look.  “There’s got to be a reason for our… difficulties.  We’ll figure it out and work through it.”  He gave her a tight-lipped smile.  “There’s an answer.  We just have to find it.”

Jon dropped his hand to her lap as Cate nodded mutely.  His fingers curved over the back of Cate’s hand, twining between hers.  “So,” he said softly.  “You’ve done the research.  What are our options?”

Cate took a breath.  “Well, of course the first thing we have to do are these additional tests.  What Dr. Klein finds there will tell us if we have several options or just a few.  Or..”  Her voice trailed off, unable to finish her sentence with the word “none.”

“Okay, best-case scenario.  Your tests show you’re normal and healthy.  No physical reason for… for you to not get pregnant.  So then what?”

“Well, then there are a couple things.  Some of them go hand-in hand.”  Cate’s soft voice evened out.  “Most likely the first thing Dr. Klein would have us try is an ovulation stimulant therapy.”

“Drugs?”  Jon’s brow creased with worry, though he knew the answer.

“Yes.  Oral and injected.”  Cate nodded slowly and gave Jon a long look.  “But mostly hormones, like the ones Jane told you about this morning.  Basically we’d load up my body with the right kinds of hormones and try to get it to produce more eggs, in the hopes that at least one of them would be fertilized and attach.”

“More targets, greater chance of a baby,” Jon echoed softly.  His lips curved upward.  “But that also means a better chance that we could have more than one.”

“Yes.  Stimulated ovulation would increase the chance of twins.  Or triplets.”  Cate winced involuntarily as she said the word.  Then she couldn’t help but smile at Jon’s reaction.

“Actually, that would be kinda cool.  Twins.”  Jon chuckled as a grin lit his face.

“I’m not so sure about that.”  Cate grimaced again, then gave Jon an apologetic smile.  “I’m not sure I could handle twins.  Hell, I’m not sure I can handle one baby.”  She sighed.  “I just… God, Jonny.  What if we go through all this and I turn out to suck as a mother?”

Jon chortled softly and squeezed Cate’s hand.  “No chance.  You’re gonna be a fantastic mother.  I know it.”

Cate took a deep breath, then sighed again.  “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Babe.  Not so sure I share it, but anyway…”  She smiled gently.  “That’s a risk of superovulation.  Multiple births.”

“Okay, so what else is there?  IVF?”

Cate nodded slowly.  “Yes, but  there’s also IUI.  That’s kind of the next step before IVF.”

“Remind me what that is again?”  Jon recalled the acronym, but he wanted to keep Cate talking.  He knew verbalizing soothed her, let her work through things in her mind and her heart.  He wasn’t sure she even realized that about herself, but he did.

“That’s Intrauterine Insemination.  The sperm are collected from the male, washed, then inserted into the uterus around the time of ovulation.  Basically gives the swimmers a little help going upstream.”  Cate chuckled at the analogy.

“So that means I get to go see Doris again, huh?  Awesome.”  Jon’s tease was gentle.  “Next time I’m bringing my own porn though.  Or you can come with me.”  He gave Cate a little wink.

She giggled softly at his invitation.  “Yeah, well.  That’s not exactly the way I’d like to conceive our baby… but if that’s what it comes down to, I guess that’s what we’ll do.”

“So, first we’d try to do it the natural way, just with ovulation drugs.  Then we’d try to shoot my boys up in there.  Then what?”

Cate’s smile faded a little.  “Then I guess we’d try IVF.  Have the scientists do their thing, mix my eggs and your sperm in a petri dish, then implant them and hope for the best.”  She sighed sadly.  “Again, not exactly what I’d hoped for, but …”

“But if that’s what it takes, that’s what we’ll do.” Jon finished her sentence, his voice tender.

“Yeah.”  Cate nodded, then was quiet for a moment.  “But if that doesn’t work…”

Jon pulled in a breath.  “Well, then I guess… we have to think about other stuff.  But the IVF, and the IUI… they’re not one-shot deals, right?  We can try them a couple times, if it doesn’t work right away?”

Cate looked down at her lap, at Jon’s hand covering hers.  His wedding band glinted softly in the firelight.  “Yes, we can try more than once.  But each time, the chances of success are lower.  Until…”

“Until we decide it’s time to stop.”  Jon’s voice suddenly sounded hollow.  He cleared his throat, then took a breath.

“One of the things Jane mentioned was… was involving other people.  Donors, surrogates…”  He paused again.  “How do you feel about that?”

Jon turned to watch Cate’s expression.  His heart squeezed as she pulled her lower lip between her teeth, one of her unconscious “tells” when she was troubled.  Slowly she shook her head, then turned her dark blue gaze to him.

“I don’t think I can do that, Jon.”  Cate gave him an apologetic look.  “I… I don’t just want a baby.  I want our baby.  And even if genetically it would be ours…”  She took a deep breath.  “The thought of another woman carrying and giving birth to your child…”

“Our child,” Jon gently corrected her.  “If we used a surrogate, it would be our baby.”

Cate swallowed hard and nodded.  “Yes, but I just don’t think I could deal with that.  With another woman being so intensely and primally connected with my child… I just….”  Again she shook her head.  “No.  I’d rather not have a baby at all, than have to share it with someone else.”

Jon let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding.  He nodded empathetically and squeezed Cate’s hand.  “I’m with you.  Cate, I want another child.  With you.  Only with you.  And if that’s not meant to be… well, then I don’t want it to be.”

Cate’s relief was obvious.  Her shoulders slumped as she breathed out, her eyes sparkling with the beginnings of tears.

Though she had tried hard to remain optimistic as she considered all their potential options, Cate had decided early on that involving a donor or surrogate was a deal-breaker for her.  She had been afraid that Jon would see things differently.  His desire for another child was so strong that it sometimes seemed he would stop at nothing to add to his family.

“I’m glad you feel that way too,” Cate half-whispered.  “I can’t imagine sharing that part of you with anyone else.”

Jon smiled and leaned in to place a kiss on her trembling lips.  When he pulled back she was smiling.

“Okay, then.  So I guess we’ll see what’s what with this next round of tests, then we’ll take it a step at a time.  Do whatever Dr. Klein recommends, as long as it’s just you and me.  Right?”

Cate nodded, her sapphire eyes sparkling in the firelight.  “Yeah.”  She nodded slowly.  “Jon… thank you.”

Jon’s eyes moistened at her soft words.  “For what?”

“For understanding.”

Jon grinned and chuckled huskily.  “Well, I won’t pretend I always understand you, Baby.  But if I’m gonna do it just once…”  His smile gentled.  “I’m glad it’s now.”

Cate’s soft laugh filled Jon’s heart as he again touched his lips to hers.  They savored a lingering kiss of comfort and reassurance before taking a long, silent moment to gaze at each other in the firelight.

“So.”  Jon gave Cate a little wink.  “Now that we have a game plan, guess we just gotta stick to the playbook, huh?”

Cate giggled quietly at his corny football metaphors.  Somehow they seemed even more apropos on this Homecoming weekend.  “I guess so.  I assume you’re the Q-B?”

“Of course.  I don’t know how to be anything else.”  Jon grinned playfully.  “And I think, even though we have a change in game strategy, we gotta keep the fundamentals sharp.”  He gently disengaged his hand from Cate’s and trailed it up her body, to her cleavage.

Cate giggled again as she felt Jon’s palm curve over her breast.  “Oh, that old ‘practice makes perfect’ line again?”

Jon winked and nodded.  “Yep.”  He shifted on his hip, trying to turn more toward Cate.  With the action he pushed hard against the leather sofa at their backs.  With a loud grating noise the divan gave way, the heavy piece sliding several inches away from them on the hardwood floor.

The sudden movement caught Jon and Cate fully by surprise.  Jon let out a yelp as he listed sideways, unable to keep himself from toppling onto the floor.  Cate squeaked as she went with him, landing half-beside him on the rug, half-on top of him.

They were momentarily stunned by the sudden movement, then Jon began to laugh.  Cate dropped her head against Jon’s chest as her giggles joined his.

“SonofaBITCH!”  Jon swore without venom.  “What is it with us and fucking furniture?”  His arm tightened around Cate, hugging her against him as he lay prone on the carpet.

Cate gasped a breath through her mirth.  “I don’t… I don’t know,” she commiserated breathily.  “We really should… stay ON… the furniture… I guess.”  She lapsed into another fit of giggles as Jon laughed again in response.

They lay on the rug together, laughing and holding each other, for a long moment before Cate raised her head to give Jon a smile.  He grinned back at her.  “So, I guess I’m not gettin’ laid, since tonight we seem to be reliving moments from our first date?”

Cate snorted, then smiled sympathetically.  “It’s not exactly like our first date.  We’re not drinking wine, you’re not singing to me, we’re not drunk-dialing Richie…”  She chuckled.  “In fact, it’s nothing like our first date.  Except for your ineptitude with home furnishings.”

Jon groaned playfully, then gave Cate another squeeze.  He raised his head and gave her a sincere look, his eyes glowing with affection.  “Yeah, well.  We’re older and wiser now.  And quite frankly, Baby…”  Jon reached up to brush back a thick lock of auburn hair from Cate’s cheek.  “I’d be perfectly happy to have you just fall asleep in my arms tonight, like you did back then.”

Cate’s heart melted at his sweet sentiment.  She gazed back at Jon for a moment, then lowered her head against his chest.  She sighed gently as she listened to the rhythmic beat of his heart under her ear, then she felt his arms tighten around her.

Cate nestled her cheek against Jon’s chest and closed her eyes, pulling in a deep breath.  As she let it go, she felt the worry and sadness of the day flow from her body, replaced by calm.

Jon smiled and dropped his head back to the floor.  He could feel Cate relax, her body melting against his.  He took a deep breath of his own, then sighed with contentment.  “We’re gonna be okay, Baby,” he whispered as his eyes closed.

“I know,” she replied.