The Love Doctor

by S. W. Andersen

  "I know you aren't a fan of large bouquets, but I hope this is okay?" She held it out.

  "Very much so." How could it not be when given with such affection? She accepted the gift with a smile.

  Allie's blush was adorable, nearly matching the red of her shirt. "They say an unopened rose bud signifies great promises in the future."

  Heat rolled up her neck and settled into her cheeks. "Thank you, Allie. It's beautiful." She leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to Allie's lips that left her girlfriend standing in the hallway with eyes closed and a goofy smile. Sofia laughed. Her fingers slipped between Allie's and she led her into the apartment.

  "Dinner smells amazing, Sofia."

  Leaving Allie beside the island, she tended to the sauce with a gentle stir. "Thanks. It's got a little while to simmer still."

  Allie set her keys down and quietly slipped behind Sofia, snaking her arms around her waist and nuzzling her nose into her hair. "I have no problem with that at all."

  Tipping her head away, Sofia sighed as warm lips graced her skin just behind her ear. Goosebumps zipped up her spine. "Neither do I." She spun around and draped her arms around Allie's neck. "Whatever will we do with our time?" Her brows shot up, then bounced with mischievous intent.

  With a laugh, Allie pulled her in closer. "I'm sure we can think of something."

  A kiss followed, long and slow, losing themselves in one another until the sizzle of sauce hitting the burner pulled Sofia's attention back to the stove.

  "Let me turn down the heat."

  "I hope you're just referring to the stove, because I am completely in favor of us turning up the heat," Allie stated with utmost seriousness.

  "Ahh, good one," Sofia snickered, but couldn't ignore her body humming with approval.

  Her straight face gave way to a sexy smirk as Allie said, "You loved it."

  "I did. And for the record, I am not opposed, but let me take care of this first."

  "Fine." Though the words spoken were in agreement, Allie did not release her hold.

  "You'll have to let go of me."

  "Never." The red sauce overflowed again, sizzling and burning on the stove top. "Okay, maybe just for a minute."

  "Why don't you head to the living room and I'll bring us some wine."

  Allie relented, but not before giving Sofia one last passionate kiss. Short of breath from the heat of the moment, Allie rasped, "Hard to believe I really haven't been back here since our weekend together."

  "I know. Though I have certainly enjoyed your place." Sofia kissed Allie again, quick but tender. "And the beach." Another kiss. "And the hotel in the Keys." Then, she gave her one more kiss for good measure before unraveling herself from Allie's arms. "Now shoo," she said. "You're too distracting, and I mean that in the best possible way." With a cheeky grin, Sofia turned her attention back to the stove.

  ♥♥♥

  Allie chuckled and walked away. As she moseyed through the living room, she perused a row of old books noting Chaucer, Thoreau, and what appeared to be an antique chemistry book of some kind. On the coffee table lay Time magazine's Star Trek 50th anniversary edition. Smiling to herself, she continued on, taking in the dolphin knickknacks and sunset painting. Or was it a sunrise? Hard to tell, but it was beautiful and fit Sofia's love of the water to a T. When she came to a board on the far wall pasted with a collage of photos, she stopped. Allie recognized Reyna immediately. Then, there was an older couple that looked to be Sofia's parents. Did any of the other faces belong to Kylar?

  She hadn't actually seen a picture, nor had she asked. Allie didn't want to be too forward, but she had done some reading about dating a widow. At first, it was for her own insecurities about what not to do and wondering if she was constantly being compared. She learned comparisons did happen, but were just a way of acknowledging things were different and not in any way demeaning of their new relationship. She also discovered it was helpful for widows to talk about their late spouse and it shouldn't be a point of contention. Allie didn't feel it had been, but she also wanted Sofia to know she was okay with her sharing. After all, she wanted to know everything about Sofia and Kylar had been a big part of her past. She also knew without a doubt she wanted to be Sofia's future.

  She continued to skim the array of pictures. A photo of five women around a much younger Sofia at a party. Reyna beside her and another at something formal. College graduation. A birthday. A beach party. Allie was so engrossed in the collage that she never heard Sofia approach from behind and jumped when a pair of arms slid around her stomach.

  "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

  A gentle kiss was placed behind her ear. The trail of goosebumps across her neck proved it to be a worthy apology. "It's okay. I uh...was just enjoying your pictures."

  Sofia set her chin on Allie's shoulder and stared at the memory-filled board along with her.

  "Are those your parents?" Allie pointed to the older couple.

  "Yeah."

  "How old are you there?"

  "Seventeen."

  Allie noted the short response and hesitation in Sofia's voice, so she focused elsewhere, hoping she'd feel comfortable enough to open up. "I love the Star Wars shirt."

  Sofia laughed and rolled her eyes. "So, now you know I'm a nerd."

  "Oh, the DVD collection and Star Trek magazine gave that away, honey, but I'm glad to see you haven't changed. You are still a beautiful nerd."

  "Thanks." Sofia's hold tightened.

  "Do you see them often?"

  "Pretty often. They live in Cocoa now. They'll be down next month if you'd like to meet them."

  "I'd love that."

  "Yeah?"

  "Yeah." Allie's repeated confirmation bounced with humor.

  "Okay then." Sofia didn't sound convinced.

  "Why is that so hard to believe?" Allie wanted to turn and look into Sofia's eyes as she answered, to see what doubts and fears she truly had, but she didn't want to break the connection. Besides, she wasn't done exploring the photos yet.

  "I don't know. We're still pretty new and I wasn't sure…with…um…"

  "Ah. Well, relax." Allie gave Sofia's hand a squeeze. "Not having my parents anymore has nothing to do with meeting yours. I'm all in, Sofia."

  "Me too." Sofia kissed Allie's cheek and then snuggled deeper into her shoulder.

  Silence fell between them until Allie pointed to another photo. "What about this one?"

  "That was my senior year of undergrad. Rey, Barb, and Jenna," she pointed each woman out, "threw me a surprise party."

  "Nice." Allie scanned the many choices, deciding which one she wanted to ask about next. An intimate-looking photo of Sofia sitting on the beach at sunrise drew her attention. Her body was snug against another woman's and her left arm draped around her back. "And this one?"

  A pause. "That's Kylar." Her voice fragile, almost brittle.

  Curly red hair touched the woman's shoulders and speckled cheeks glowed from the intensity of her smile. Joy and love radiated from the couple. "She's beautiful." Allie slid her hands down to cover Sofia's, giving them a squeeze of comfort.

  "Yes, she was."

  Allie ignore the past tense. "You look very happy."

  "It was a great day. Umm, that was our bachelorette party."

  Sofia's grip loosened and she attempted to withdraw, but Allie held her hands in place. "Will you tell me about her?"

  Another brief pause came before Sofia asked, "Wouldn't that be weird?" Her tone conveyed curiosity laced with caution.

  "No," Allie answered with certainty. "Not for me, but I don't want to make you uncomfortable. Just know that I'm okay if you ever want to share a memory or something. I know we've only been together a few months, but I hope to be around for a long time and I don't want you to feel like you have to hide a part of you. Especially, such happy parts."

  More silence. Would Sofia respond or recoil? Allie could only wait.

  "She was an art major," Sofia finally said, her words comi
ng slowly. "And a very good painter. In fact, she painted that sunrise on my wall. We were both very fond of the water." As she relaxed, her words flowed more smoothly. "We hit it off right away. She made me laugh a lot. On our first date she made me laugh so hard I spit up my wine. It was just one of those random, absurd observations, but she could do it so straight-faced and out of the blue. That was one of the things I loved about her."

  She cleared her throat and then pointed to a gangly boy with oily hair and thick glasses. "That's my cousin, Jeremy. He's an ass. Hopefully, you won't have to meet him anytime soon." She stepped back, her arms falling away from Allie's waist signaling the end of her trip down memory lane.

  Allie laughed, but was grateful for having made a big stride in their growing relationship. She turned to face Sofia fully. "Thank you for sharing that with me."

  Sofia offered a small smile and reached for the two glasses of wine she had set on the coffee table nearby. "I'm so glad you're here, Allie. And I don't just mean for dinner tonight. I mean here, in my life."

  "Me too."

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  "Allie, honey, are you sure you're all right?"

  "Yeah. I mean, of course. It's just your parents. No problem, right?"

  Sofia chuckled and wrapped her girlfriend into a tight embrace. "Right," she agreed and then pecked her on the lips. "It'll be fine. They're very nice. Besides, they just want me to be happy and you make me very," she kissed her, "very," and again, "happy. Okay?"

  Allie nodded, the look on her face anything but certain. "Are you sure I make you happy?"

  How could she not know? Sofia's hand went to her cheek to offer her assurance. "Absolutely positive and you know it. Now stop all the self-doubting and let's go."

  "Where are we having dinner?"

  "Yeah, about that…you're going to want to change that blouse. Or at least bring something else to put over it."

  "What? Why?" Allie frowned and pulled herself free of Sofia's hold to fold her arms over her chest in defiance. "It's cute."

  Loving the adorable look upon Allie's face, Sofia grinned. The purple blouse was cute and sexy and she really did love it on her, but she didn't want it ruined. Her parents tended to tear through crabs like cavemen pounding, cracking, and slurping every bit of meat they could get out. To be honest, she was just as bad. That's why she was wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Hopefully, Allie wouldn't run for the hills when she witnessed the event. "We're going to their favorite restaurant for garlic Dungeness crabs. It gets a bit messy. Not that you have to eat the same thing, but sometimes there's shrapnel."

  The crease in Allie's forehead relaxed as a hint of a smile took form. "Shrapnel? Seriously, Sofia?"

  Sofia peeled Allie's hands away from her chest, then led them down to her own hips. "Mhm. You may want to bring goggles too," she added straight-faced, but a breath later, she broke out in a laugh.

  "Funny," Allie said with obvious sarcasm before kissing Sofia on the cheek. "Okay...so, I'll change. I'm assuming they have those plastic bibs, right? Like at Crab Hut?"

  Sofia laughed again and nodded.

  "Great." Allie headed for the bedroom, but stopped and grabbed a pen off of the counter.

  "What's that for?"

  "I'm writing Doctor Love on yours."

  "What? No, you're not." Sofia lunged to grab the pen away, but came up short as a wildly giddy Allie ran into the bedroom. "Al!" She chased after her.

  Allie stopped at the dresser and looked back, her smile radiant and eyes twinkling with mischief.

  "I thought you wanted to make a good impression?"

  Mulling the question in her head, Allie nodded, but then shrugged. "Somehow, I think they'll love it. Guess we'll find out." She smirked, then let out a laugh.

  "Just remember that payback will be imminent." With hands on hips, Sofia hoped her threat would change Allie's mind.

  "Imminent? My, how very Trekkie sounding. Will this payback involve some kind of futuristic handcuffs?"

  "Oh my God!" Sofia tried hard to be appalled, but failed miserably as a smile broke through. "No, because that would be enjoyable."

  "Damn. Can we role play that sometime? I'm betting you have a Starfleet uniform somewhere," Allie teased as she rummaged through Sofia's drawer full of neatly folded shirts. She settled on a light blue, beach-themed shirt that closely matched Sofia's faded green one.

  She did have a uniform, but Sofia wasn't ready to open that can of worms yet. Hoping to change the subject, she blurted out, "We're going to be late." She resisted the urge to straighten the mess Allie had made in her drawer and went to grab her keys instead.

  "I was right. You do, don't you?" Allie yanked off her cute blouse and slipped the new shirt over her head as she trotted after her. "Which one? Captain? Spock? Uhura? Mmmm, you'd rock that skirt."

  "You can be so bad," Sofia smiled, but reached for Allie's hand and pulled her in close. "I love that about you."

  "Do you?" Allie's voice dropped an octave, but remained light and teasing.

  "Mhm. In fact, I love everything about you." She interlocked her fingers behind Allie's back, keeping her in place.

  "Everything?" A single brow arched. The corner of her lip rose along with it. "Highly doubtful."

  "Well, the way you can massacre a fitted sheet drives me mad."

  "It's a gift."

  "And your choice in television shows is highly questionable."

  The playfulness continued as Allie's mouth dropped open, feigning shock and awe. "Hey, you enjoyed Pretty Little Liars too."

  Sofia laughed, but didn't deny it. She stared deep into Allie's warm brown eyes, feeling her heart swell like a tidal wave while a gentle calm ruled her soul. Her laugh faded as she realized an absolute truth, one she had suspected, but hadn't been able to fully voice. But now…the truth was undeniable. "What I love, is you, Allie."

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  The entire ride to the restaurant Allie's smile never ceased. Their hands remained joined and soft glances were exchanged every chance they got. She replayed the moment over and over in her mind. The confession had struck Allie silent, hitching her breath and prickling her eyes with tears of joy. Hearing Sofia say those three little words, words she had been ready to say herself, had caused a welling of emotion in her chest that threatened to rip open a hole if denied escape. A deep shuddering breath had fallen from her lips and an awe-inspired smile streaked across her face as she had finally set her own truth free. "I...I love you too, Sofia."

  As they pulled up to the hotel, Allie's joy receded and anxiety took its place. A middle-aged couple waiting out front smiled and waved, their excitement on display for all to see. The fingers of Allie's free hand fidgeted, her thumb quickly tapping every other tip in succession.

  Sofia happily waved back at them. "Deep breath, Allie," she said, her eyes never leaving her parents. "Everything will be fine. Just be warned, my dad has a dry wit."

  "Noted." A long, deep intake of fresh air helped Allie gather a smile of her own as the car came to a stop. They were barely out of the car before Sofia's parents were on them.

  "Sofia." The short, thin-framed woman with long, reddish-brown hair falling over pale skin rushed forward. She pulled Sofia into a bear hug, crushing her against her stylish knee-length floral dress.

  Her father, with his perfectly pressed clothes—every crease of his khaki shorts exactly where it should be—stood alongside awaiting his turn. He was of average height, but a strong build. His meticulously groomed, short, salt and pepper hair highlighted tan skin. So that's where Sofia got her neat and tidy gene, Allie mused to herself. She approached slowly with nervous anticipation of Sofia's introduction. Don't say anything stupid. First impressions were everything and these were two people she did not want to disappoint. She didn't want anyone worrying she wouldn't take good care of their daughter.

  "Hi, Mom. So good to see you. I love your hair."

  "Thank you."

  Sofia freed herself from her mom and fell int
o her father's arms. "Dad."

  "Mi cielo. We've missed you." He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her slightly as he kissed her on the cheek. Then, his curious green eyes landed firmly on Allie. They matched Sofia's, both in color and intensity, and she shifted under his careful appraisal.

  Without another moment to waste, Sofia took Allie by the hand and brought her forward. "Mom, Dad, this is Allie."

  His gaze softened and he extended his hand. "Hello, Allie. So nice to finally meet you. Call me Manny."

  "So great to meet you, sir…err…Manny." A shy smile slid to her lips before shaking his hand with enthusiasm.

  "And I'm Gina." Sofia's mother stepped forward and pulled Allie in for a warm embrace. "We can't wait to get to know you. Our daughter has been so happy."

  "Indeed. But first," Manny intervened, "we eat crabs. You can tell a lot about a woman by the way she eats crabs. You do like crabs, don't you, Allie?"

  "Um…yes," Allie sputtered, almost second guessing herself. "Although from what Sofia has told me, I don't think I'm quite as passionate about them as you guys are."

  Sofia smiled and squeezed Allie's hand as her parents laughed.

  "That's all right," Manny said. "There's only two rules. First, don't touch another person's crabs and second, nothing goes to waste. You will not be judged on etiquette. We save that for Italian night."

  "Dad!"

  "Just kidding. Come on, let's go eat."

  ♥♥♥

  Sofia hadn't been kidding when she'd spoken of shrapnel, though most of it had come from Allie herself. With the exception of Sofia's lemon juice blinding her right eye and a cut to her finger from a pointy claw, she had come out mostly unscathed.

  Dinner had gone smoothly. They had enjoyed light conversation, until the food came, and then there was silence. And crunching. Manny and Gina were lovely and funny, just like the daughter they raised, and it was plain to see how relieved they were to have Sofia smiling again. A swelling of pride filled Allie knowing she had helped make that happen. She couldn't imagine how hard it must have been all those years, but if she had it in her power, they would never know that pain again.