He reached to my back, pulling the zipper of my dress back up, and then he stepped away from me, holding his hand out to me. We walked back to the house, and I ignored the cold. His hand was holding mine, and it was the only thing that touched me. I wanted the walk to take forever—the rest of my life at least. I also wanted it over.
We walked through the house, and Ross followed us silently out to the front porch.
“Helene, I’ll be in touch.” He nodded to me kindly. “I’ll wait in the car,” he said to Kane, and Kane nodded.
Kane stepped down the first porch step, and he turned to me, pulling me into his arms. “Just a little while,” he whispered against my ear.
I closed my eyes as I nodded. “Just a little while. And you’ll come back…”
“I’ll come back to you.”
“And you’ll marry me…”
“In my heart I already have.”
“And you’ll give us babies…”
“I can’t wait to meet our children.”
“And you’ll love me…”
“I never stopped, and I never will.”
He pulled back, and I cupped his cheeks, brushing his tears away with my thumbs as he did the same for me. He nodded.
And I nodded too.
When Hilde pulled up at just that moment, my attention shifted to her car, and Kane glanced back.
“I called Hilde a little while ago,” he said when he looked back at me. “I didn’t want you to be here alone after I left. But she doesn’t know what’s going on.” He bit his lip. “She loves you, even if she hates me.” He smirked, but it fell quickly. “She only hates me because she doesn’t understand us and the things we went through. You can make her understand, but she needs to hear it from you … when you’re ready.”
Hilde climbed out of her car. She looked worried—more than worried, and she paused, gripping the top of her driver’s side door as she stared at us.
Kane glanced back at Hilde again, but his attention returned to me quickly. “And she still may hate me…” He smiled, but his lips trembled. “I love you so much.” His hands were tremoring as he held mine.
“I love you too.”
He brushed another tear away, and then he sighed heavily. “My sweet Hell.” He leaned forward kissing my forehead and letting his lips linger on my skin. “We’re going to be okay. Don’t stop saying that. Don’t stop believing that.” And then he let go of my hands, and he turned away.
He passed Hilde on his way to Ross’s car, and she watched him suspiciously as she walked toward me, her eyes continuously glancing over her shoulder as he climbed in the passenger seat.
The last I saw of his eyes were the very moment before he covered them with his hand. The car was backing up, and Kane’s eyes were on me. I watched as his lips pulled up in a small smile, the shimmer of his eyes intensified for a moment, and then he covered them as his shoulders started to shake and he lowered his head.
That was it. He was gone. Again.
I sank to the top porch step, suddenly unable to support my own weight, and I covered my eyes as I buckled over and sobbed.
“Helene… Helene…” Hilde sat beside me, wrapping her arm around me, and she shushed me quietly as she pulled me closer to her.
“It’s going to be okay.” I nodded as I cried. I wasn’t sure if I was reassuring Hilde or myself. “He’s coming back,” I whispered.
We were going to be okay.
Epilogue
Helene
Five Years Later
I often saw him around campus, walking in that same casual and laid-back way he’d always had. He never carried a backpack with him. It was always just a book or two and a pen. And he always wore jeans, a casual shirt, and work boots. I, on the other hand, dressed far more professionally. He would smile kindly at me if he passed me on the sidewalk, and I would smile back, my cheeks warming.
But on this day his path was leading in the same direction as mine, and when he reached the door of the Academic Center, he pulled it open for me.
“Thank you, Mr. Thorson,” I said curtly, forcing my response to sound professional.
“You’re very welcome … Dr. Thorson.” He winked as I passed him.
We walked side by side down the hall, and when he suddenly reached in front of me, grabbed the handle of the door we were passing, and then pulled me into the darkened room after him, I let out a yelp of surprise. He pushed me to the wall just beside the door, and his lips found mine in the near dark. He groaned as he kissed me, and he pushed his tongue past my lips.
I was wearing black trousers and a fitted light pink knit shirt. It hugged my belly, and his hands ran over my protruding stomach as his moan loudened.
“Have I ever told you how much I enjoy making babies with you?”
I laughed quietly, letting my palm rest against his cheek as my thumb covered his lip and stopped his mouth from any more inappropriate kissing.
“You’re going to get me in trouble,” I admonished.
He scoffed. “I’m pretty sure baby number two was conceived somewhere on this campus…” he said as his hands still ran over baby number two’s bump. “…so it’s a little late to be worried about propriety, Hell. Don’t you think?”
“Later.”