Michael

I found Callie in the kitchen, the cupboards open. She was wrapping dishes in newspaper and carefully layering them into boxes. I knew I'd never seen my mother do that, and it made me proud to be with a woman who understood the real value of life. She stopped and ran to hug me as I came to the door.

"I'm just so excited, Michael! You should see Dad. He's way ahead of where they expected him to be. The stroke only damaged one side from the waist down. A few months of physical therapy and he should be back to his old self. I could see how much it meant to him when I told him the good news about the new job and living arrangements. Michael, I can't thank you enough. You just may have saved Dad's life."

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far, Callie. Your dad has been a good provider since before we were born, and he's still got a few tricks left up his sleeve."

"Oh, my God... and now you're learning modesty, too?" Will wonders never cease!"

I took her teasing good-naturedly but recognized the truth beneath her words. I wanted to be careful and not paint my dad completely with a tar brush, but I could see that every tendency of his that I'd mimicked had led to my least desirable qualities. There was a lesson to be learned somewhere there, but for now, I was content to wrap dishes and stack boxes.

"Want to take a break and eat the pizza while it's hot?" I asked her, and she nodded enthusiastically and opened the refrigerator to hand out the sweet tea. We took our glasses and the box of pizza and went outside to sit on the small patio and eat.

I told Callie of my decision to quit football and the conversations with Coach Silman and with my dad.

"Oh, Michael, but I thought football meant so much to you!"

"It used to, but my priorities are changing," I said, giving her an even look. She blushed and looked away, and I knew she wasn't sure how to interpret what I'd said. "Anyway, the coach was a real gentleman about it. Shook my hand, wished me well and actually threw a few compliments in on top. He's a good man, but that part of my life is done."

"And I never got to see you play..."

"A couple of games left in the season. Let me know and I'll get you great seats. Why not bring your girlfriend with you? Deb, was that her name?"

"Let me see how the move goes. I sort of have my hands full at the moment."

"Of course you do! Don't give it another thought, lassie. And I keep forgetting about the baby. I'm sorry."

"Would you have anyone who could video it?"

"Video it? It's on television! Why didn't I think of that? Of course, I'll send you a DVR and you can set it to record and watch it whenever you like."

She frowned, but didn't say anything. I caught on.

"You don't have a digital television or cable, do you?"

"Let's finish this pizza while it's hot - I've got to get the place packed up because I have class tomorrow and need to pick up Josiah."

"Who's going to watch him while you're at school?"

"Deb, although I'm paying her now; it's not just going to be a favor."

I nodded. I felt like a real jerk. Me sitting there with too much and complaining about it, and her, with almost nothing but commitments and problems and no one but herself to solve them.

We finished the kitchen and then did the living room and her dad's room. Finally, there was only her room and the bathroom to be finished up. This was the only place I'd ever seen her live, and it bothered me to see it looking so sterile. I tried to imagine my entire life packed up in a few boxes, but couldn't do it. There would always be my room at the farm, and Mom would see to it that I never got rid of my childhood things. "They're for your son, Michael," she'd tell me when I wanted to throw away small clothes or toys.

"But, Mom... my kids aren't going to wear hand-me-downs. Let me at least throw away the clothes or give them to a charity."

She would look at me and then finally nod. "Save the baby clothes; they're sentimental. And your toys; save your toys. Plenty of room in the attic."

I knew she wished someone had insisted on that when she was a young girl. She had come with nothing but the clothes on her back. Dad had insisted. It was his pride. He bought her everything new, and I often heard him tell her, even if in jest, that she was nothing until she married him. I would never say that to Callie. Never.

"The Smithfields are letting me borrow their trailer to move Hector over, Michael."

"That's good."

"Michael... I'm going to kick this thing."

"You mean the spells?" I knew that's what she was referring to, whether she admitted it or not, but she nodded.

"Good for you! Would you like to see the therapist some more? I could arrange for it."

She shook her head. "No, I think he explained what was going on well enough. I can take it from here. I just had to make my mind up, and well, now with Dad and all, it's all the more important that I ride. You know... Dad used to say I'd make a good jockey, since I'm so little and stick like glue to the saddle, or so he said."

"Your dad knows what he's talking about. Don't take that too lightly."

She nodded and turned, going into the bedroom and straightening out the crib. I heard her cry out from the kitchen and quickly went in. She was sucking on her finger.

"What did you do?" I pulled it out of her mouth to look at it. A tiny drop of blood welled up.

"Oh, caught it on something sharp underneath the crib. I was looking at it to see how it came apart and caught my finger. It's fine. Just startled me more than anything."

I took her finger and kissed it, her drop of blood on my lower lip. She started at it a moment, and then couldn't help herself; she stood on tip-toe and kissed me.

I had so much emotion bottled up inside that this was all I needed. I lifted her off her feet and wrapped my arms around her, gathering her thick hair into one hand and letting it fall like a white curtain over us. Rolling onto her bed, I pulled her with me. She didn't fight, just lay back with a sigh of contentment. I tugged and soon had our clothes on the floor. "Let me love you here, in this house, just once," I said in a low voice. "You don't know how many times I dreamed of doing just that."

Callie looked up and nodded, folding her arms around the back of my neck and pulling me down upon her. I was afraid I'd hurt her, so I put the majority of my weight on one side.

"Michael, I want to feel you inside me, as deep as you can go."

I nodded. I could feel that she was already wet and waiting. As I slid in, she wriggled around, offering me angles to penetrate. It was the best feeling I could possibly imagine, and I wanted to hold still and stay like that permanently. The image of our being hooked together like two mating dogs went through my head and I chuckled.

"What?" she whispered, stiffening.

"No, no, relax. You feel so good I want to stay in you forever. A picture just went through my head of us hooked together like dogs."

She burst out with a loud laugh and wrapped her legs around my waist. "Here, let me see if you can carry me."

I took her up on it, inching to my feet with her wrapped around my middle and me still deeply seated inside. "You fit like the missing puzzle piece, lassie."

"Oh, thanks, now I'm a piece of an old puzzle?"

"You've always been... I'm just now realizing that. I've been such an ass, lassie. I don't know why you have anything to do with me at all."

"Because you feel good inside me," she teased, and I pumped her hard to reward her.

Her head fell back and her long hair cascaded behind her. She was like a beautiful china doll, and I wanted her with me always. I walked to the edge of the room and pushed her bottom onto the top of the dresser. It was exactly the right height and I could pull her hard against me as I penetrated her. I wanted her... more... faster... deeper, and her soft cries of pleasure just maddened me to give her more. "Michael!" she cried out, and then began to spasm as her orgasm broke. I felt the hot flood of fluid surround me and it was my undoing. My own spasms began - that excruciating pleasure that only came when you were with someone you truly cared about. She was that for me. No other woman had ever brought me close to what Callie made me feel. I was sucked into her world and didn't want to leave. More importantly, I didn't want her to leave me.