'Til the End of Time

by Sabra Brown Steinsiek

“I’m glad to do it. How’s she holding up?”

  “She’s tired but calm.”

  “It’s been some Christmas.”

  “The best one ever. See you tomorrow, Pierce.”

  Taylor switched off the ringer on his phone after he was through. He knew Pierce was right. Once the press had hold of the news, the press would be trying everything they could to reach them. He called down to the security desk and let them know that no one, other than family or Pierce, was to be allowed up. For now, he would protect their privacy.

  He looked up as Laura came into the room.

  “Annie’s on her phone spreading the news to all of her friends,” she said with a smile as she came to sit beside him, leaning against his shoulder.

  “You look worn out, Laura.”

  “I am, but I don’t want to sleep for fear I’ll wake up and it will be a dream.”

  “No dream. You’re home. You’re safe,” he said as he pulled her closer against him. She murmured a wordless sound of contentment.

  “That was Pierce on the phone. The ambassador broke the news a while ago.”

  “Was he able to arrange things so I can talk to the family first?”

  “He said he was working on it.”

  For a moment they sat in silence, content just to be together. Taylor toyed with her hair, now more white than red. “We should head for bed, Laura.”

  “I thought you’d never ask,” she said with a soft smile.

  “Bed, Laura. As in sleep!”

  “Later, Taylor. Right now, I want you to take me to our bed and welcome me home properly,” she said, kissing him gently.

  “Are you sure? I don’t mind waiting as long as I get to hold you. You feel so fragile to me, I’m afraid of hurting you.”

  “Taylor, I’m fine. And I need you.” She stood and pulled his arm until he stood and, with arms around each other, they headed for their bedroom to pick up where life had left off.

  Chapter 39

  Taylor woke early the next morning, his eyes flying open as the memory of yesterday came back. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized Laura was really there, safe in his arms. He leaned on one elbow where he could look at her.

  She was sleeping soundly, relaxed completely, her lips parted as she breathed softly. He admired the early morning light that gave sheen to her bare shoulder and the curve of her breasts just above the sheets. He could see new lines on her face that hadn’t been there before and a part of him mourned the silvering of her once bright hair.

  When they’d come together last night it had been almost too intense for either of them. The need, the wanting, was so great, yet they held back as they explored each other. It hadn’t taken him long to realize that she might look as if she would break but she was more than strong enough to bring him to a climax that was beyond any he had ever felt. She had cried out and reached her own release as he did, and it was a long time before their breathing had evened and they had come back to earth.

  As wonderful as it had been to make love with her again, he cherished the time they had spent lying quietly in each other’s arms as they savored the wonder of being together again. He couldn’t resist leaning down to lightly kiss her bare shoulder before he settled beside her again.

  She had told him her story last night, most of it anyway. She had been so incredibly lucky that her designated captor had turned out to be a good man. The thought of what might have happened at the hands of another still gave him chills.

  The most important part was the story of her escape; that she would not be sharing with anyone else. For the world, her story would be that she had seen the paper with the story about Betta and Rhen and knew it was her only hope. She had escaped on her own, and her report of where she had been held would lead any investigation in the wrong direction. She would keep her promise to Amala and protect them.

  He felt her stir as she turned to face him, her eyes glowing in the morning sunlight. “Hi,” she whispered sleepily.

  “Hi, yourself. You should go back to sleep. It’s early yet.”

  “And miss a minute of being with you? I don’t think so.” She turned so she was lying on his chest, her chin on her crossed hands. “I could hear you thinking, Taylor. That’s what woke me. You’re still worrying.”

  “I’ll try to think more quietly in the future. And all I’m worried about is how to keep you safe from our side while they question you.”

  “There’s nothing they can do. I have nothing to tell them that would be of any help. It will all be front page news for a couple of days then the world will go on to something more interesting.”

  “I’d like to take you away after all of it.”

  She sat up and pushed her hair back from her face in the gesture he knew so well. “Taylor, I know what you mean, but I want to stay here. I’ve been gone. Now I need to be with you and the rest of the family. We need to work at getting back to normal. Won’t you have to be back at the theatre next week?”

  He looked a little sheepish. “Uh…no. I left the show when you disappeared. There was no joy left for me to turn into music.”

  “Surely they’d take you back!”

  “Probably, but that’s not what I want. And don’t call me ‘Shirley’.”

  She laughed. “No, you don’t look like a ‘Shirley’ at all,” she said as she pulled the sheet off of him and gazed at his body. “Don’t think I’m dropping the discussion of your career permanently, but I see something has come up that demands my immediate attention.” She leaned down to kiss him and he pulled her into his arms. Right now, his only job was to make her as happy as she was making him.

  Chapter 40

  Their first order of business for the morning was a trip to the doctor. She insisted it wasn’t necessary, but Taylor wouldn’t budge. He couldn’t rest easy until he knew she was well.

  The doctor confirmed that, despite being underweight and slightly anemic, Laura was in good health. He’d cautioned her to eat properly, prescribed some vitamins, advised counseling, and told her to get on with her life. Laura made sure he told Taylor to quit fussing at her—not that she actually thought it would do any good.

  The story of Laura’s return had appeared in the Times that morning, along with an eyewitness account, written by Sergeant Toby Grossman, of the reunion at the orphanage. His pictures appeared along with the story and he had a job offer by the end of the day for when he came home.

  Her editor at the paper was urging her to write a first person account of her captivity and she was considering it. There had already been a book offer made through her agent that she’d turned down. There was simply not enough of her story to make a book, she felt. Writing the series for the paper would be hard enough, if she decided to do it.

  After a short nap, she began pacing the apartment about the time her parent’s plane was to land, unable to sit and wait patiently.

  “They could be a while, with traffic and all,” Taylor said as he watched her.

  “I know. But I feel as if I might go crazy with waiting.”

  “They’ll be here as soon as they can. Then the rest of the family will be along this evening, along with Pierce. Are you going to be all right with all the activity?”

  “Yes, oh, yes! I’ve had enough of being alone to last me a lifetime.”

  Just then they heard the chime of the elevator arriving and she flew to open the door.

  “Mamá!”

  “Mi’ja!” Laura’s mother embraced her and their tears mingled as they held each other tightly. Sean stepped forward and embraced them both.

  Beth came into the apartment around them, leaving them to have this time together before she had her turn at greeting her life-long friend. Taylor came and gave her a hug and they watched the reunion going on before them.

  Finally, Sean stepped back and gently pulled his wife away from their daught
er. “Let me look at the girl, Maria,” he said as he placed his hands on Laura’s shoulders. He and his daughter were so alike that tiny Maria was dwarfed between them. “Not too much the worse for wear,” he said gruffly. “Nothing your mother and Rosina can’t fix.”

  “Si, I have brought you green chile. That will fix anything.”

  Laura laughed and embraced her parents once again. “I love you. I love you both so much!”

  “It’s good to have you home,” her father said.

  “Hey! What about me?” Beth said quietly.

  Laura turned to face her and the two looked at each other for a long moment before rushing wordlessly into each other’s arms. Now it was Sean and Maria’s turn to watch as their girls were reunited. Never, since they met at thirteen, had Laura and Beth gone so long without being in touch and each had felt the others absence keenly. When they finally drew apart, both were crying.

  Annie came in and was hugged by her grandparents then Rosina suggested they all go to the dining room for coffee and cake. She exchanged a look with Maria and nodded. Beth and Laura saw the exchange and Beth rolled her eyes, “You are in so much trouble, girl. They’ve got that ‘fatten up’ look in their eyes.”

  “If it involves green chile and chocolate cake, I’m all in favor of it,” Laura said taking Annie’s hand. “Let’s go eat!”

  * * *

  By six, the family was all gathered. Rosina had prepared enough food for an army and everyone was laughing and talking at once. Rhen had met her new great-grandparents, had already learned to say “Abuelo” and “Abuelita”, and had fallen in love with Taylor’s favorite biscochitos.

  Taylor answered the door when Pierce arrived and they stood in the foyer to talk before going in.

  “It sounds like things are going well,” Pierce said.

  “They are. It’s almost as if she were never gone. What does she have to face tomorrow with the authorities?”

  “Not too much. She’ll need to come down to my office. Someone from Homeland Security and from the C.I.A. will be there to hear her statement. I managed to convince them she’d be more comfortable there. I expect it to be short and sweet with a minimum of media coverage. She’ll want to hold a press conference eventually but I imagine the Times has first dibs on the story.”

  “Pierce!” Laura stood in the doorway. “Oh, it’s so wonderful to see you.”

  He hugged her and said, “Same here. Welcome home.”

  “Come in. Mom’s fixed green chile stew and you might still find some left. When you’ve eaten, I’ll tell you all what happened.”

  * * *

  A half-hour later, she began. Everyone was quiet as she related the story of her capture. Rhen and Kat were snuggled up against their mothers, not understanding it all but knowing that something important was happening. Annie and Taylor sat on either side of Laura as she told them of the nightmare days she had endured.

  An hour later, finished, she leaned back against the couch cushions, suddenly drained. Telling it had been like reliving parts of it and she was more shaken than she had expected to be.

  No one spoke at first until Maria crossed herself and murmured “Gracias a Dios!” Then they began to quietly prepare to end the evening. Everyone could see that Laura was worn out with the telling.

  With hugs and kisses, Meg and Betta left for home with their families. Annie retreated to her room and Beth and Maria joined Rosina in the kitchen. Sean excused himself to make some phone calls, which left Pierce alone with Taylor and Laura.

  “That’s it then, Laura. Tell the same story tomorrow to the authorities and you’ll be done. There’s nothing they can badger you about if you just tell them as straightforwardly as you told us tonight.”

  “Pierce, thanks for taking care of things for me. We owe you so much.”

  “You don’t owe me anything, Laura. Just having you home and safe is more than enough. I’ll let myself out and I’ll see you in the morning.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Try to get some rest tonight.”

  When he had gone, Laura leaned her head on Taylor’s shoulder and sighed.

  “Tired?”

  “Exhausted. I guess I will need to sleep tonight,” she said with an apologetic smile.

  “As long as you let me hold you, you can sleep as long as you’d like. Why don’t you go on? I’ll tell everyone goodnight for you and see that they’re settled.”

  “I should…”

  “No ‘shoulds’, Laura. Go on. I’ll be in soon.”

  * * *

  Laura had changed for bed and was coming out of the bathroom when there was a soft knock on the door. She opened it to find Beth standing there.

  “Can I come in for a minute?”

  “What took you so long?” Laura asked as she shut the door behind her.

  “I had to get past your guard dragon. Taylor is bullying everyone into leaving you alone…not that that isn’t the right thing to do,” she added.

  “I am tired. It was harder to tell it all than I had expected it to be.”

  “Would you like me to leave?”

  “No, I was hoping you would come. I probably would have sneaked out to find you later if I had to.”

  Laura sat on the bed and leaned back against the headboard while Beth sat in the armchair by the bed. It was a pose they’d taken countless times before as they talked out their cares, worries and triumphs.

  “The boys and Jason are well?” Laura asked.

  “Yes. They send their love. Jason would have come, but it’s a busy time at the gallery.”

  “I understand. We’ll come out soon to see all of you.”

  “Are you really all right, Laura? Were you telling us the truth when you said you hadn’t been harmed?”

  “The whole truth. I was lucky.’

  “I guess,” Beth said with a rueful twist of her mouth.

  “How was Taylor while I was gone? Is he going to be all right?”

  “He was devastated. I think if it hadn’t been for Annie, he might have given up. As it was, he practically hibernated in the apartment until a couple of weeks ago, when your Dad helped him see that Annie still needed him.”

  “He said he left the show and he’s not going back.”

  “He never went back after the word came that you were…he said he couldn’t sing anymore, didn’t care.”

  “He has to go back eventually.”

  “I don’t know, Laura. I think he really might be ready to retire.”

  “Hopefully he’ll relax after a bit and change his mind.”

  They both jumped as the door opened quietly and Taylor came in. They looked like frightened little girls caught doing something wrong by the principal and Taylor had to laugh. “I should have known I’d find you two together.”

  “Yeah, Taylor,” Beth said, “it’s going to take a lot more than you snorting fire to keep me away from her. It never worked before and it won’t now.” She stuck her tongue out at him.

  “Snorting fire?”

  “Beth seems to think you’ve been behaving like a guard dragon and I agree with her.”

  “Okay, tomorrow I’ll swallow the fire extinguisher. But for tonight, Beth, out! She needs some rest.”

  “I agree with you, which is the only reason I’m leaving. You don’t scare me, Taylor Morgan,” she said as she stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.

  He hugged her, then opened the door for her. “I’ll keep working on it, Beth. Maybe someday you’ll develop the proper respect for me,” he teased.

  “Not a chance,” both women said together as Beth slipped out into the hall and Laura felt her world settling back into a normal orbit.

  Chapter 41

  Everything went as Pierce had predicted. Laura gave her statement and answered a few questions. Then she was free to go. She spent the next few days in the heart of
her family. There was so much to catch up on.

  Taylor made good on his promise to stop the fire breathing, with one exception. He insisted she take some time to rest every afternoon, usually in his company. Sometimes he wanted to yell at everyone to go away and leave them alone. It was those quiet moments together that kept him sane.

  Laura’s parents and Beth left on New Year’s Eve morning and Annie volunteered to baby-sit Kat and Rhen, so their parents could go out to celebrate. Rosina made herself scarce in her own apartment and, for the first time, Taylor and Laura were truly alone.

  Rosina had left dinner for them and they shared it by candlelight in front of the window that overlooked the New York skyline. They’d always had a party on New Year’s Eve, a party that was eagerly anticipated each year by their friends. There had been no time, even if they’d had the inclination, to plan one this year, so they would see the New Year—and their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary—in with only their own company.

  After dinner, Taylor drew Laura into his arms to dance with her to the music that was softly playing. At the stroke of midnight, he kissed her. “Happy New Year, Laura, and Happy Anniversary.”

  “What happened to the cruise you were planning?” she asked as she gazed into his eyes.

  “The woman I was planning on going with stood me up.”

  “Silly woman. She obviously didn’t know what she was missing.”

  “So, I had to find another gift for her,” he said as he danced her over to the sofa and sat her down. He reached behind one of the numerous flower arrangements that had been arriving all week and pulled out a small box. “For you, my love.”

  “Taylor, I didn’t have a chance to get you anything!”

  “There is absolutely nothing I need that I don’t already have.”

  “I could say the same, you know.”

  “Maybe after you open the box, you can.”

  She slipped the ribbon off and opened the box to find a gold band set with 25 tiny scattered emeralds that sparkled in the candlelight. “Oh…” she said softly, “it’s so beautiful!”