Chapter 18
Frank wasn't sure how much later it was when he finally
got his breath back. He could just make out Rachel's face in the dim light,
and he gently pulled her to him, kissing first her forehead, and then each
eyelid, the tip of her nose, and her mouth. He felt her hand on his back,
gliding gently up and down his spine.
The kiss deepened, and Rachel snuggled closer, pushing
the length of her body up against his.
"You'll be the death of me, woman," Frank growled.
She chuckled as he pushed her onto her back, and began
kissing his way down her body. When he reached her stomach, he stopped,
frowning. His finger traced a small, snake-like scar on her abdomen. He
was reasonably sure it hadn't been there two years ago.
Rachel saw the question in his eyes, and whispered, "It's
a Caesarean scar, Frank."
Frank swallowed. As if he needed another reminder. He
stared out into the darkness blankly for a few moments, his finger still
tracing the barely noticeable scar; like the tongue that was irresistibly
drawn to the gap where a missing tooth used to be.
I touch you once, I touch you twice
I won't let go at any price
I need you now, like I needed you then
You always said we'd meet again
Finally, he seemed to collect his thoughts once again.
He bent and kissed the scar reverently, before straightening up and pulling
Rachel back into his arms. He'd been holding her a long time before he
realised she was sobbing.
"I'm so sorry, Rach," he whispered, almost crying again
himself. He rocked her back and forth. "I'm sorry," he repeated, over and
over.
Eventually, Rachel took a deep breath and pulled slightly
away from him. "It's not your fault, Frank," she assured him. "It's just..."
She shook her head, frustrated. "I've dreamed about this night for so long,
I can't believe I'm not going to wake up soon."
A mischievous smirk crept across Frank's face. "Now what
can I do to convince you I'm not a dream?"
You've been the blood in my veins, the only one
who knows my middle name
And the smiles, they came easy, 'cause of you
You know that I love you, but I hate you, 'cause
I know I can never escape you
Let the choir sing, for tonight I'm an easy mark
~~ * ~~
Frank was awoken a few hours later by the early morning
sun streaming in Rachel's window. He thought at first he was still on the
boat, until he registered the weight of Rachel's head on his shoulder.
Her alarm clock clicked over to five-thirty as he looked at it.
Frank really missed being able to sleep in. It was not
a wise thing to do when sailing solo on the middle of the ocean.
He tried to go back to sleep, but he was conditioned against
it. Carefully easing Rachel's head back onto the pillow so as not to wake
her, he climbed out of bed and picked up his clothes from where they lay
strewn across the floor.
He'd intended to go downstairs and put on a pot of coffee,
but he found himself irresistibly drawn to the bedroom across from Rachel's.
The baby's room.
Carefully, he eased the door open and tiptoed inside.
She looked like an angel. He supposed all fathers thought that about their
daughters.
Father. The word still sent shivers down his spine. It
scared him silly, but at the same time it made him feel like he was on
top of the world. Frank suddenly realised she looked a lot like Kevin when
he was little. He was glad to think some small part of his younger brother
lived on.
He had no idea how long he'd been staring at her before
he suddenly noticed her eyes were open.
Ali stared up at her father, frowning, as if she wondered
what to make of him.
Frank tried to smile; he knew he was a stranger to her.
Seeming to make a decision, the little girl stretched
her arms up towards him as he had the day before, on the beach.
"Up!"
Frank barely hesitated before leaning down and gingerly
picking her up. As soon as he did, she wrapped her arms around his neck
and hugged him. Taken aback, Frank found himself caressing her soft curls.
There was a rocking chair next to a bookshelf on the other side of the
room, and he sat in it, rocking her back and forth until she drifted off.
Tears silently leaked from his eyes; he'd never cried this much in his
whole life.
He must have fallen asleep again, because he was woken
by a sudden movement, and a cry. He couldn't say if she'd been having a
nightmare, or whether it was waking up in the lap of a stranger (and that
idea *hurt*) but Ali was quickly beginning to bawl. He pulled her close
in his arms, and cooed to her. "Shh, darlin'. You'll be right. Shhhhhh..."
He began rocking back and forth in the chair. It seemed to work, as sobs
subsided into whimpers.
~~ * ~~
Rachel jerked awake, hearing her daughter's cry. She was
already out of bed and almost out the door before she noticed Frank was
missing. She frowned, wondering where he was, but pushed it aside for the
moment.
Noticing the open door, Rachel frowned. She slowly walked
to it and looked inside.
She heard Frank before she saw him.
"You'll be right, darlin'. Shhhhhh."
The room was dark except for the light oozing in around
the curtains, but she eventually spotted Frank in the rocking chair. He
was facing the other way, so he hadn't seen her yet.
Rachel realised how difficult a transition this was going
to be when she had to fight the urge to take over. Ali, on the other hand,
seemed to take it in her stride. She'd stopped crying. Rachel watched him
for a minute before she approached. "Frank," she said, quietly.
His head shot around at her voice, and he looked guilty;
as if he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't. He stood up carefully.
"Here's your mum," he said, and made as if to hand the baby over, but Rachel
quickly shook her head.
"She's okay with you, Frank," Rachel told him quietly.
He didn't actually look as if he was in a particular hurry to hand her
off. Rachel took another step towards him, kissing Ali's forehead and then
putting her arms around both of them.
Frank breathed out slowly. He didn't know why he felt
guilty, but he was glad Rachel had been understanding. "I love you, Rach,"
he whispered in her ear.
Rachel pulled back to look Frank in the eye. "I love you
too," she whispered, meeting his lips with her own.
"Befuss!" Ali exclaimed.
Rachel drew back, laughing. "Breakfast soon, baby," she
soothed, "Then Mummy has to go to work and you've got to go visit Sonia."
"Sonna!" Ali crowed.
"Want some coffee, Frank?"
"Yeah, thanks."
He followed Rachel downstairs to the dining room, where
Rachel took the baby from him and put her in a high chair. "What do you
want for breakfast, Ali?"
"Weet-Bix!" the child answered immediately.
Frank laughed, "I like a woman who knows what she wants."
Rachel grinned, spooning coffee into the pot. "Oh, she
knows what she wants!" she assured Frank. "You, wrapped around her little
finger."
"Too late," Frank sighed.
Rachel chuckled. "I had a feeling."
"Who's Sonia?" Frank asked.
"Oh, she's the woman who runs the daycare centre."
"You're taking her to a daycare centre?"
"Well, I can't take her to work with me!" Rachel answered,
surprised.
"But I'm here, I can watch her," Frank frowned.
"It involves a little more than watching, Frank," Rachel
informed him. "Do you even know how to change a nappy?"
Frank shook his head. "I'm sure I can figure it out."
Rachel sighed. She could definitely understand the way
he felt, but she also knew leaving him with Ali for a whole day wouldn't
be smart. Not yet. "She doesn't know you, Frank," she said quietly, then
wished she could take it back. He looked like he'd been hit by a freight
train.
"She'll get to know you," Rachel soothed. "There's plenty
of time."
"I know. It's just..."
"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry. Here, would you like to take
care of breakfast?" Rachel asked, handing him the bowl of cereal.
"Rach, I was thinking," Frank began, spooning the soggy
cereal into his daughter's mouth.
"What about?"
"Well, if she calls David 'Dad', what's she gonna call
me?" he asked. It was a deeper question than its face value suggested.
"Well, she doesn't actually call him that anymore," Rachel
laughed. "It's more like 'Dabbid' now." She knew she was avoiding the question,
but she was quite simply afraid to rock the boat. "What would you like
her to call you?"
"Well, Daddy seems like a good idea."
"You reckon?" Rachel asked, squinting at him mischievously.
Frank nodded. "I reckon. Daddy goes pretty well with Mummy,
don't you think?"
"I'd say so."
"Kinda like husband and wife."
Rachel's eyes widened. "What are you saying, Frank?"
Frank laughed, putting the bowl down on the high chair.
"Shall I rephrase it? Marry me."
Rachel swallowed. "Wow. Don't you think we should take
some time to think about it?" she asked.
"You can take all the time you want," Frank shrugged.
"As long as you say yes. I've had the last two years. Even longer. I reckon
that's enough for any man to know he's in love."
Rachel took a deep breath. "Yes, Frank."
"Yes what?"
"Yes I'll marry you, idiot!"
Now I believe there comes a time
When everything just falls in line
We live and learn from our mistakes
The deepest cuts are healed by faith
Frank grinned from ear to ear. Rachel laughed at the look
on his face, and pulled him down for a kiss. Both jumped at the sound of
a splat.
Ali had knocked the still half-full bowl of weet-bix onto
the floor. And the little minx didn't look the least bit remorseful about
it, either.
Frank shook his head, and stooped to pick the bowl up.
"Don't worry, we haven't forgotten about you, gorgeous," he cooed. He swung
her out of the chair and handed her to Rachel. Then he headed to the kitchen
for a cloth.
"Domesticated already?" Rachel asked, as he wiped the
mess from the floor.
Frank grinned up at her. Then a thought seemed to strike
him, and he frowned. "Hey, Rach, if we get married, does that mean I have
to become a Jew?"
The Journey
By: Sarah LoTuS