It was against Travis’s will, but I insisted on a hot bath. He joined me in the tub, and it was a glorious feeling. Until then, I still couldn’t believe that Travis and I were back together…back in each other’s arms. I didn’t need to lose him again. That finally, we’d laid down all our cards on the table, and taken off all our masks. We were starting afresh, and nothing could come between us again.
I dressed in one of his pajama bottoms and shirts, which were too big for me. I had to tie the shirt in the waist area as it was big enough to be a dress.
Travis’s room was huge. It had a royal bed in the center, the headboard and edges of which had elegant gold carvings. The couch set had matching carvings, and the fabric on them was lush and luxurious.
“Would you like to have dinner here, or downstairs? Or perhaps you’d like to go out?”
“I’d like to see the house, if that’s okay with you,” I replied. “I haven’t been here before.”
He took my hand in his and led me out the door.
The whole house was massive. Like their lake house, it was covered mostly in glass. The chandeliers were elegant and looked very expensive. I could tell that the house was years old. Probably older than Travis. But it was rich and luxurious. More like a manor or a small castle than a house. It had about eight bedrooms, two living rooms, a library, a game room, and a huge nursery.
“Is this the house you grew up in?”
“I can’t tell which house I really grew up in,” he replied. “This was my grandparents’ house. I have many happy memories here from when my grandmother was alive. My grandfather died a month after she did.” He took a deep breath. “They were so in love with each other. Even in their old age, I remember how happy they were. When my grandmother died, my grandfather was devastated. Then one day, he told me, ‘I will be happy again, son. Soon, I will be with my love again.’ He died after a few days. I remembered being so sad…but then again, I knew that he’s happier. Because they’re together again.”
I couldn’t help crying. Travis’s grandparents’ love story was so touching.
“Hey…” Travis said, pulling me into his arms. “Why are you crying?”
I giggled. “That story was sweet.”
“I know,” he said. “I was only ten then. It’s been a while since I thought about that. Maybe I used to believe in love because I witnessed that through my grandparents. Then my parents shattered whatever hopes and beliefs I had.” He looked down at me. “Thank you for making me believe in that again, Brianne. I know that love like what my grandparents had really exists…because I found one just like theirs.”
I smiled and then I reached up to kiss him. “I love you.”
“I love you more.”
We checked out each of the bedrooms. They were all only a little smaller than Travis’s bedroom, but still about twice the size of my bedroom in Connecticut.
“When was the last time you were here?” I asked.
“I don’t remember,” he replied. “It’s been a long while. I found out that my grandparents left me this house when I turned nineteen. If I had known that earlier, I would have moved out of my father’s house sooner. Here, I’m safe from him and his bodyguards.”
“But you’re safe from him now, aren’t you?” I asked.
He looked at me wearily. “I am. Because I’m his son. But I’m afraid of what he might do if he finds out just how important you are to me.”
I hugged him. “You know you can stop, Travis,” I said. “I know you don’t need the money anymore. I’m a simple woman with simple needs. Don’t you have enough money…to quit this war? Leave your father be?”
He took a deep breath. Then he pulled away from me slightly so he could look me in the eyes. “Are you asking me to?”
I took a deep breath. “I want you to be happy, Travis. To concentrate on your own happiness, on your own life, instead of your father’s destruction. It’s not worth it. You deserve to live your life…for yourself.”
He didn’t say anything. He just gave me a hug. Then I heard him take a deep breath and kiss my forehead.
He led me to the dining room. There was a long table in the center. Maids were standing close by. They greeted us warmly. The table was set for two.
“Hungry?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. Actually, I am.”
After dinner, Travis decided to show me the outside of the house. At the door, I saw a familiar old woman. She was much older now. But I still recognized her.
“Mrs. Beets!” I reached forward and gave her a hug.
“Madam.” She smiled.
“Do you live here now?”
“Wherever the Master needs me, madam,” she said. “I’m happy that you are our Mistress now. I know you will take care of him.”
“I will.” I smiled at her. I knew I meant that.
The garden was massive, beautifully landscaped and adorned with roses. There was a gazebo where luncheons and private dinners could be held. They also had a pool and a huge yard where kids could play football.
I realized, as I toured the house, that I could picture our kids playing here. I could picture us having family dinners in the gazebo, the kids playing football with their father, or the entire family swimming in the pool.
I sighed sadly. If only I could give Travis kids…if only there weren’t something wrong with me.
“Are you okay, love?” Travis asked, forcing me to look into his eyes.
I smiled at him but did not say anything.
“Brianne…this is me,” he said gently. “You never used to hide anything from me.”
He was right. He used to know every single one of my pains. He could read me like a book. After all that we had been through, he deserved my honesty.
“I was just thinking that it’s so beautiful here,” I said. “This…would be a good place to grow up in.”
He smiled. “Would you like us to live here?”
“Yes…if only…we could have kids.”
He hugged me. “We will have kids, love,” he said. “We will keep trying. There are plenty of options now. Medically, we could try two or three options. If nothing works, we can always adopt. There are plenty of kids out there looking for a family. Like the two of us…when we were young. We were two kids desperately wanting to belong to a family again. We had each other. We were all the family we needed. If we can’t have kids of our own, then we will adopt.”
I gave him a hug. “I’m really sorry, Travis,” I said to him.
“Don’t be,” he said. “It isn’t your fault. And we still have a chance. Right now, I’m just so happy that we’re back together. That I don’t have any risk of losing you anymore.”
I reached up and kissed him.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you for accepting me…in spite of my…condition.”
He pulled away from me so he could look into my eyes. “Don’t you ever think that you’re less of a person…or a woman…just because you have lesser chances of conceiving, Brianne. And don’t ever think I would love you any less because of that. I don’t, and I won’t.”
He wiped the tears from my cheeks.
“Our chances of having a baby are more than you give it credit for, love. I know you never missed any of your doctor’s appointments. And your recent tests were getting better results.”
“But still no guarantees,” I replied.
“But our chances are increasing.”
I nodded. Then I stared back at him. “Wait a minute. How do you know all that?”
He stared at me for a while and then he smiled. “I get all the results of your tests and your gynecological reports are sent to me.”
“That’s illegal.”
“I’m your husband, Brianne. I have a right to know what’s happening to you, too.” He stared at me deeply and then he leaned forward and gave me a gentle kiss on the lips. “I don’t have to always be physically with you to keep my promises to keep you safe. I did that for more than a decade before we got engaged. Come on, don’t you know me by now?” There was laughter in his eyes.
I pinched him playfully. He laughed and hugged me to him tightly.
“And there I was thinking you’d stopped loving me,” I whispered.
I felt him shake his head. “Never,” he said. “I could and would never stop loving you, Brianne.”
We stayed in the gazebo for a while. The moon was shining above us.
“So do you want to live here?” he asked.
“Yes. I think I like it here. It would be the best place to raise our kids. You have happy childhood memories here. I grew up in this city, too. Education for the kids is good. It’s closer to Tom and to your grandparents…it’s a drive away from the lake house, if we want to spend a weekend there,” I said to him.
“Well, I don’t really mind where I live as long as I’m with you.”
I smiled at him. “But we need to renovate some things. I hope your grandparents won’t mind. We need to repaint many of the rooms. I think we need more chandeliers. I want this house to be full of light…full of life. We’re done being sad, Travis.”
He chuckled. “I think you’re right. And I think my grandparents will be very happy. I think Grandma would be very pleased it is you wearing her engagement ring now.” He kissed the top of my head. “Do you think Tom will be pleased with this?”
“Yes,” I said, remembering my dream. “He…sends you his love.”
Travis pulled away from me to look at me in the eyes. “Brianne…”
“I saw him, Travis,” I said. “In my dreams. Before I woke up here. He told me that I was going to live a long and happy life. And he told me to send you his love.”
Tears welled up in Travis’s eyes again. He pulled me to him in a tight hug. I heard him take a deep breath. Then I heard him whisper, “Thanks, bro.”