by Lisa Lace
We go to Laura’s bedroom. As soon as the door is shut behind us, Tom pulls my soft sweater from my shoulder and presses me against the wall.
I’m turned on by the urgency in how he presses his lips down over mine and kisses me like he won’t survive another moment without tasting me.
I wrap my arms around his neck and pull his face toward me so I can kiss him back. Tom unzips my little black skirt, and I peel off my dark pantyhose and panties.
I relish watching Tom trace his eyes over my naked body. He takes off his shirt and unbuttons his pants, letting them fall to the ground. He takes off his briefs, and my breath catches in my throat at the sight of his hard, ready cock.
Slowly, I lower myself onto my knees and raise my eyes to Tom’s as I take his thick cock into my mouth. He lets out a low growl of pleasure as I suck, pressing one palm flat against the wall to steady himself as I take him in deeper.
I enjoy the sounds Tom makes when I pleasure him; low, breathy moans that make me wet. He holds out a hand to pull me to my feet and guides me toward the bed. I lie down on my front and lift my hips.
Tom wraps an arm around my waist and pulls my body closer. Then, he pushes his cock into me. I bow my head and arch my back when he enters me, then press back against each of his thrusts, taking him in deeply.
Each hard, deep stroke sends frissons of pleasure through my body. I tilt my head back and let out a soft moan as an orgasm builds inside me.
Tom reaches around and rubs my clit as he moves inside me. The pleasure builds until I climax. I turn on the bed, lying on my back, pulling Tom down to kiss me. His skin is hot and flushed. I run my hand along his strong, muscular shoulders and part my legs.
Tom thrusts into me again. The next wave of pleasure comes quicker than the last. I take deep breaths to stifle my blissful cries.
He rocks into me, harder and faster, and I come once more before he reaches his own climax. Then, I lift my upper body and press my lips against his, holding onto the back of his head to keep his mouth pressed against mine in a deep, sensual kiss.
Finally, we draw apart, and I lie against Tom’s chest.
As the last of the sensations fade away, sadness sets in. Right here, nestled against Tom, is where I belong. Yet I don’t know how many more moments like these remain.
Tom
Everyone fusses over Laura when I wheel her across the threshold and into the living room, then scold her when she tries to move into her favorite armchair.
I wrap my arm around her lower back and help lift her into her seat, fluffing up the cushion Zoe bought behind her back.
Laura looks around the house, at the Christmas tree that wasn’t there before and the decorations we’ve put up. She beams. “The place looks great.”
“It’s great to have you home,” Zoe tells her. “We’ve missed you so much. Are you comfortable? Do you need anything?”
Laura lifts her hand. “No, honestly, I’m fine! I’m out of the hospital bed and in my own home. I’m on top of the world right now.”
“Don’t overdo it because you’re feeling good,” I warn her. “You’ve got to take it easy.”
Laura rolls her eyes playfully. “All right, Dr. Vermont.”
“Seriously, Laura; I don’t want you hurting yourself. The kids are thrilled you’re home, and that’s where we want you to stay!”
She opens her arms to invite me for a hug. I go over and lean forward so she can wrap her arms around me. She smells of the same perfume our mom used to wear; the wool of her knit cardigan is warm. I feel a tug of affection for my big sister. We’re closer now than we’ve ever been before.
“Thank you for all you’ve done, Tom.” She peers around my shoulder and looks meaningfully at Zoe. “You, too, Zoe. You two have done more than anyone could ever ask for. I love you both more than you know.”
Zoe smiles. “We wouldn’t do it for anyone who didn’t mean the world to us. Thank God you’re home and on the mend.”
Laura claps her hands together gleefully. “And in time for New Year’s!”
I raise an eyebrow. “What did I just say about taking it easy?”
“Screw that! I missed Thanksgiving and Christmas in my own home. I’m going to enjoy this New Year’s Eve. It’s a chance to say goodbye to hospital beds, and hello to more time with my kids and getting back to work.”
“You and work!” I grin. “You’re honestly worse than I am.”
Laura reaches out for my hand and squeezes it tightly. Her face is gleeful. She looks like she might burst with joy. “I can’t wait for tomorrow night. Let’s celebrate everything we have to look forward to.”
Even though New Year’s is going to be a quiet celebration between us in Laura’s house, she insists we dress up.
I put on the tailored dark gray suit I was wearing the day I left New York. Megan tells me I don’t look seasonal enough, and threads some loose tinsel around my shoulders. Jack finds that hilarious and puts a festive headband on me with two glittery pom-poms on springs.
They kill themselves laughing; Megan snapping photos. I wonder who’ll see them, whether the press will pick them up. For once, I don’t care. Time with my family is not a PR move. It’s just life, exactly how it should be, and I don’t care who sees me dressed up like a Christmas tree.
Zoe appears in the living room doorway, and I do a double take. She’s wearing a black dress with open shoulders and a low neck. She has on the necklace I bought for her, the pearl reflecting back the sparkling lights on the tree. Her killer legs are on show in black pantyhose and a pair of high heels. Her red hair is gleaming, brushed until it shines. She’s not wearing much makeup, only some eyeliner and shadow that makes her emerald eyes sultry.
She wheels in Laura, who she’s helped into a red lace-overlay dress, then comes over to me. She smells of sweet perfume.
“You look beautiful.”
Zoe twists the strand of tinsel on my shoulders around a finger and smiles, lifting her eyes to mine. “So do you.”
I take hold of her hand, and we stand together. Megan starts music playing through some speakers wirelessly connected to her phone, and switches on a mini disco-light on the coffee table, which sends circles of color dancing over the ceiling.
The adults crack open a bottle of wine. We all chat, laugh and enjoy each other’s company until it’s time to turn on the TV and watch the ball drop in Times Square.
I hold Zoe’s hands as the countdown begins, holding her gaze with mine. With the New Year only seconds away, I feel like we’re the only two people in the world.
I watch her lips count the seconds. “Ten…nine…”
“Eight…seven…six…”
“Five…four…three.”
“Two…”
“One.”
I catch Zoe in a kiss as the fireworks erupt on TV. I hear Laura and Megan cheering behind us and giggling when I sweep Zoe off her feet to kiss her, then put her back down.
Zoe’s face is flushed when we draw apart, but her smile is huge.
We all congratulate each other on the New Year, and then I ask if I can steal Zoe away for a moment.
I take her into the backyard. It’s a cold, crisp night. The ground is covered in a fine silver frost. The sky is bright and clear.
Zoe wraps her arms around herself against the cold. Her breath clouds in the air; her cheeks flush brighter, her eyes are sparkling.
She smiles. “What did you want to show me?”
“I wanted to give you something.”
I hand her an envelope and watch her open the unlimited airplane ticket I got her. She holds the ticket in her hand, looking a little confused.
I take her hands, catching her eyes and smiling brightly. “It’s unlimited, Zoe! You can see me anytime you like. I have one, too. There’s no reason we can’t see each other all the time.”
Her smile doesn’t reach her eyes, but she kisses me softly. “Thank you, Tom.”
“What’s wrong?”
Tears spring to her eyes, even though
she still smiles. She offers a little shrug and shakes her head. “It’s getting real now. You’re leaving.”
I wrap my arms around her and pull her close against me. “We’ll see each other all the time.”
“I don’t think you realize how much I’m going to miss you.”
I do understand. Every time I think of waking up in my huge, empty penthouse without Zoe, it breaks my heart. No matter how limitless the plane ticket, I can’t change the fact that New York seems a very long distance away.
Zoe
I place my bags on the floor in the hall of my own apartment, then look around and burst into tears. The apartment feels so cold and empty. There’s no life inside. Nobody is laughing. There’s nobody to talk to. I’ve never felt so alone.
Laura told me that I should stay with them until Tom returned to New York, but I couldn’t bear the thought of spending one more night with him, knowing it would be our last until God knows when.
I take out the ticket he bought me and place it on the little table by my apartment door, then stare at it for a long time.
The ticket was meant as a kind gesture; a promise that things weren’t over between us. I’ve been waiting for so long for a sign of commitment from Tom, and now he’s offered me one, it doesn’t feel like enough.
I realize that I want more than a long-distance relationship or some once-in-a-while romance that will never compare to what we’ve shared these last few months. I want the life we’ve been living; every day, side by side.
Anything else would be a step back.
I leave my bags in the hall and fall onto my bed to cry my eyes out. I know that there’s barely twenty-four hours before Tom leaves, but I can’t hold it in anymore. If I don’t let it out now, I’ll never be able to say goodbye.
Tom
The day I leave has come faster than I ever imagined. I still remember the morning I left New York; how much I’d resented the idea of wasting three months in some dead-end town with a sister I’d grown apart from when I could be working.
Back then, it was the promise of meeting my mystery online woman at last that had made the thought of returning to my old town a little easier. I could never have known that Zoe herself would be the one to feel like home.
Laura and the kids are ready to say goodbye. My pilot has clearance to take off in an hour; I have to leave soon.
Megan is the first to say goodbye. She gives me a big hug with tears in her eyes. I hug her tightly back. “I’m going to miss you,” she says. “Promise you’ll come back soon. It’s my sixteenth birthday in March. I’m going to wear my new dress. There’s going to be a party.”
“I’ll be there.”
“You swear?”
“It’s a promise.”
I beckon Jack over to me next and ruffle his hair before leaning down to hug him goodbye. “Keep practicing those games, Jack. We’re going to have a competition when I come back for your sister’s birthday.”
Laura looks up at me from her chair and grins. “Who says you’re allowed back?”
“No turning back now. You’ll never get rid of me.”
She grins widely. “That’s all I ever wanted.”
I hug her and look out the window at my parked car, then cast my eyes down the street.
Laura takes my hand. “She’ll be here.”
“I thought she’d be here by now.”
“It’s hard for her to say goodbye. She’s never had someone like you in her life before.”
“Someone like me?”
“Someone she cares about that deeply.”
“I gave her the ticket,” I say. “It’s not over.”
“No,” Laura agrees. “But it’s not going to be the same.”
I check my watch. I have only minutes before I have to leave.
I’m filled with relief at the sound of the front door swinging open. Zoe appears breathless around the doorway a moment later and quickly rushes over to throw her arms around my neck and kiss me. “I’m sorry I’m late.”
I hold her tightly, breathing in her sweet scent and feeling her soft hair against my cheek one more time. I don’t want to let her go. “I thought you weren’t coming.”
“I almost chickened out. I’m not good at goodbyes.”
“I’m glad you came.”
“Me, too.”
I step back, taking her hands. I’m about to say my final goodbye, but I can feel Megan and Laura’s eyes on us, so I lead Zoe into the backyard for some privacy.
We sit on the edge of the porch together. “So,” Zoe whispers. “You’re really going.”
“It won’t be for long. We’ll see each other again.”
She nods. “I know. But I’m going to miss this; you know.” She gestures around. “All this.”
“Life.”
“Yes.”
“Who knows what’s going to happen? Maybe in a year’s time, we’ll have a new life of our own.”
Zoe doesn’t look convinced, but she forces a smile. “Maybe. In a year.”
“Hey, don’t look so sad, Zoe. You’re making me think it’s over.”
She shakes her head, letting out a long breath, her eyes filled with tears. “No, it’s not over.”
“It just won’t be the same.”
She throws her arms around my neck. “Please don’t be a stranger.”
“I’ve already promised to come back for Megan’s sixteenth birthday.”
“That’s not until March!”
“You can come to New York before then. I can show you the sights.”
She nods, sending a couple of tears falling to the porch.
I lift her face and kiss her. “This time with you has been something I’ll never forget, Zoe. Thank you for everything you’ve done.”
We hold onto each other tightly, until Megan comes running out, pausing at the back doors awkwardly. “Sorry, guys. Mom sent me out. She says you’ll miss your takeoff time.”
Zoe offers a half-smile. “Your private jet awaits.”
I stand, holding out a hand to help Zoe up. We hug each other one last time, then kiss deeply.
“Goodbye.”
Zoe blinks back more tears. “Bye.”
I have to turn and walk away before I lose my will. Every step I take feels like a mistake, but I have to go. My whole life is in New York.
Think about the tickets, Tom. You can see her anytime.
I say one last goodbye to Laura and the kids, giving each of them a hug, then walk briskly toward my rental Mercedes.
It’s full of gifts from everyone in the trunk; the plant Zoe gave me is strapped into the front passenger seat beside me. I turn on the ignition and reach for the stick to switch into drive. I’m about to press down on the gas when something catches my eye.
Zoe’s note. I still haven’t read it. I turn off the car and pull Zoe’s card toward me. I open it and read.
Dear Tom,
Merry Christmas.
I know you don’t know the first thing about flowers, but this one is a chrysanthemum.
Chrysanthemums symbolize lasting relationships, loyalty, and devotion. People don’t often give someone a red chrysanthemum because that’s a symbol of devoted, passionate love rather than friendship or a short romance.
It was the perfect flower for you.
The time I’ve spent with you since you came back to Maine has turned my life upside down. You’ve given me all the things I never knew I wanted.
Please stay, Tom. I love you.
Zoe xx
Zoe
After Tom leaves, I’m in shock. Everything I’ve grown to love and cherish has been ripped away. I start to cry as soon as he’s gone, and Laura’s face creases with sympathy.
“Oh, sweetie,” she says. “I’m sorry.”
I wipe my eyes, but the tears keep coming. “I really thought he might stay.”
Laura rubs my back. “You never know what the future holds. I believe that you two are meant to be together. I’ve never seen either of you so hap
py before.”
“There’s so much keeping us apart now. I have my work, he has his. How are we meant to build a life together with all that in the way?”
“When things are meant to be, they find a way.”
“I love him, Laura.”
Her face softens into a kind smile. “I know. It was written all over your face every time you were in the same room. His, too. How did you even get there? You had such a rocky start.”
“All I had to do was look beneath the surface. All that ego and flashing his money wasn’t real. The real Tom is the kindest, sweetest, most generous man I’ve ever met. He tries so hard.”
Laura nods. “I always saw that in him, too. No matter how much he screwed up, you could never say he didn’t try.”
“What will I do without him?”
“You’re not without him. It’s just going to take a little more effort now.”
“It sounds stupid, but I miss him already.”
“It’s not stupid.”
I raise my hands helplessly. “I know he’s trying right now, with the ticket and everything. I mean, this necklace. What a beautiful thought. He’s trying to show me that I mean something to him, right?”
“I’ve known Tom his whole life, and he’s not the sort for grand romantic gestures. He wouldn’t have done those things if he didn’t want you to know how much he cared.”
Megan is listening in on our conversation. She reaches out and gives my knee a squeeze. “Don’t cry, Aunt Zoe. I know he hasn’t been around before, but I really believe him this time. He’s different now.”
Laura nods. “She’s right, sweetie. I’ve never seen this side of Tom before. You bring out his softer side.”
“And what about when he’s back at work?” I ask. “Don’t you think he’ll go right back to how he was before he came here? All those cameras flashing in his face and people worshipping him. Will he forget what we had here?”
I hear the front door open and spin around to see Tom standing there. In his hand, I see my chrysanthemum note.
