We had been home for about a week now. It had been strange at first living here, but I was settling in. Parker had brought over a bunch of my clothing from my place, and I had just finished putting it away. We would go over tomorrow to get a few of my other things. I was glad he had asked me to move in with him. The other place held one nasty memory I couldn't seem to forget when I was there alone. I didn't tell him that, but I think deep down he knew. We had decided to rent out my place, and we wanted to get it cleaned out and rented as soon as possible.
It was a little after ten when I sat down with a cup of tea to read the newspaper. I was waiting for Parker to get home from work when my phone rang.
"How are you feeling?" Elliott’s voice came over the phone.
"Doing okay." I smiled. "What about you?"
"Good. Jen and I should be leaving tomorrow. Looks like everything is all ready. We will call you guys once we arrive."
"Great! I can't wait to see you both."
"I can't wait to see you either."
"Elliott, I wanted to say I am sorry, and I am grateful for you." I felt he had to hear it; he had to know.
I heard the front door open and glanced around the corner to see Parker taking off his shoes. He looked so hot in his uniform.
"Listen, Parker just got home. See you tomorrow?"
"You got it. Oh, and the same goes for me." I heard him swallow hard then heard Jen yell bye in the background before I hung up.
Smiling to myself, I got up off the couch and walked into the kitchen. Parker looked beat.
"Hey, beautiful!" Wrapping me in his arms, he kissed me gently. "How was your day?"
"It was good. Yours?"
"Don't ask!" he said, kissing me again. "Who were you talking to?"
"Elliott. They will be back in town tomorrow. They called to let us know," I said, leaning into him.
"How was your doctor’s appointment today? I wanted to go with you, but I couldn't even get a minute to call you."
"Everything is good. The baby is going to be fine."
"I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am to hear that." He leaned in for another kiss. "I'm going to go and have a shower."
"Did you want anything to eat?"
"No. I ate dinner late. How about tea?"
I nodded as he headed to the bathroom. Parker was still in the shower when I brought the tea into the living room. I lay down on the oversized couch and pulled the blanket over me then turned on the TV. Once I had found a movie to watch, I relaxed back into the cushions and shut all the lights off. It wasn't long before I drifted off.
I jumped a little when I felt the couch sink down, and I opened my eyes.
"It’s just you." I smiled and looked into Parker’s eyes. He lay down beside me.
"Yep, it’s just me. Come here," he whispered as he placed his arm around me and pulled me into him, pulling the blanket up around me.
I rested my head on his chest, breathing in his cologne. It truly felt like home in his arms.
I woke up and looked at the clock. It was already nine. I crawled out of bed and headed to the kitchen to make some tea. Parker had already left for the day and would be home in time to head over to help Elliott and Jen when they arrived.
I grabbed my phone and checked my email. The only one that caught my eye was from Brad Keller. I still hadn't let him know about my decision, and he was asking.
I took my tea into the living room and sat down on the couch. Parker and I had talked, and we both decided that work could wait until after the baby was born. Being pregnant, he didn't want me to travel back and forth. I took another sip of my tea and dialed Brad’s number.
"Brad speaking."
"Hi, Brad, it’s Tatum."
"Tatum, how are you feeling? We are very concerned about you."
"I'm doing better, thanks for asking. I got your email this morning, and I wanted to call you back.”
"Well, I am glad that you did. Listen, there is no rush. I know that you are on medical leave, but I wanted to know how long it will be before we can expect you back?"
"Thank you. I am happy that you are so understanding. But considering all that has happened, I have decided that I will not be returning. I wanted to thank you, though, for the opportunity."
"Is it the travel that you are concerned about? We have been thinking about that. We really want you to stay with us. That is why I went to the president and talked to him about you. He is willing to make your position remote. You will be able to work from home and will only be required to come to the office a few times a year."
I went quiet. This was not how I planned this to go. "I thank you for that, but I am going to have to decline. I will be sending in my formal resignation to you once I get to my laptop." I swallowed hard. As much as I loved working, I knew this was the right thing to do.
"I am sorry to hear that, Tatum. I want to wish you all the best."
"Thank you, Brad. I wish you all the best as well." I hung up the phone and sat back against the couch. I didn't feel bad about quitting. I was actually relieved and happy to know I was going to finally start my life with Parker and our son or daughter.
I had spent the rest of the day doing laundry and looking online for some things for the baby's room. We had decided to turn the bedroom across from ours into the nursery, and I wanted to take my time picking things out. I looked up at the clock. Elliott and Jen should arrive any minute.
I was about to start dinner when my phone pinged with a message. I looked down at the phone and saw a message from Jen.
JEN: "ABOUT TWENTY MINUTES AWAY! SEE YOU SOON!"
I smiled at the message and typed out a quick response as Parker walked through the door.
"Hey, beautiful."
"Hey. How was your day?"
"All right. Listen, how about you come and sit down. I have news."
The look on his face told me something was wrong. "What is it?"
"Just come over here and sit down please."
I walked over to the table and took a seat. He sat down beside me and took hold of my hand.
"I got a call today from your lawyer."
A funny feeling started to grow in the pit of my stomach. "Has he been released?" I felt a rush of heat run up my body. "Please don't tell me he has been released. I don't think I can handle that."
"No, he hasn't been released."
I felt the breath I hadn't even known I have been holding leave my body.
"They found him this morning in his cell. Dead."
I stared at Parker, not sure what to say. I wasn't even sure how to feel about this. I was angry that he would not be punished for what he had done to me. But a huge part of me was glad I would never have to see him again.
"What happened? “I choked out the words, barely recognizing my own voice.
"Well, it’s still under investigation, but the lawyer said it looks like it may have been either a massive heart attack or a stroke."
I sat there for a minute, taking in what he had said. At that moment, a sense of peace came over me as I looked at Parker, trying to digest this new information. It was over. I would never have to worry about seeing him ever again, whether it be in a court room in a few months or on the street in some city somewhere years from now. I didn't need to worry if I didn't lock a door at night. He simply wasn't coming back. That knowledge was probably the best present I could have asked for.
"Are you okay, Tatum?"
As he asked me that, a flood of emotion ran through my body, and all the tension and stress I had been carrying the last few months released itself. "I'm good."
I stood from my chair and straddled his lap. As he wrapped his strong arms around me, I nuzzled my face into his neck. "I love you. Thank you."
"Thank you for what?"
"For coming back into my life when you did, and for showing me my way home to you." My lips met his, and I kissed him deeply.