“I’m just glad you kept eating your Wheaties all these years.”
I giggled as he wagged his eyebrows at me. “Got to keep my wife satisfied.”
“And that you do in spades.”
With his fingers slightly behind the frame, he moved the picture and then paused. He pulled the frame off and flipped it over, his brows creasing.
Had something happened to the painting? Oh no! I pulled the covers up over my chest as I sat up. “What’s wrong?”
With a gentle touch, Gael removed the back of the frame and pulled out some folded pages. My heart leapt in my throat. I asked, “Are those?”
Opening the pages, Gael quickly scanned them. “Yes, it’s the missing journal pages.”
“Oh my gosh! Gael! It’s … I can’t believe it!” Excitement bubbled inside me. A couple of years after we read the journals again, I noticed toward the back there were several pages that had been removed from the journal. They hadn’t been ripped, but taken out with care. It was why we had missed it the first time.
Gael sat beside me clearly enthralled with the find. A love for Daniel and Sophia was something we shared. “Do we want to read them?”
I chewed my lip. This was the last piece of her to be discovered. It had been so long and I wanted to hear her words. “Yes, please read them to me.”
That was the same request I had asked Gael all those years ago as he read words from Sophia’s journal in this very room of Daniel’s house.
Laying down, I moved into the crook of his arm. The deep tenor of his voice brought back a sense of déjà vu as the words from my great-great-great-grandmother were read aloud.
Dear Diary,
My Danny came back for me. My heart always knew he would.
THE FEEL OF Danny’s lips upon my forehead caused my heartbeat to soar. He was really here. The ache in my chest was almost more than I could bare. I had moved on without him. Guilt tore apart my insides as I tried to understand how this could happen.
“Make love to me, please.”
Daniel froze, not moving an inch. “Sophia, you’re sick and can barely move. I can’t—”
My body was weak, but having him near me, I found an inner strength. I needed to feel him inside of me. I needed to feel his love before I passed on. “Please, Danny. I’ve waited so long for you.”
When I saw the tears rolling down his face, I knew more than ever this was what we both needed. “Do you know how many nights I have dreamed of you, Sophia? Being back in your arms as we made love in front of the fire. The night I held you in my arms as we dreamed of our future. I want you more than anything, my darling, Sophia.”
I asked Daniel to help me remove m
y gown. The confusion if he should do as I asked was evident in his eyes. But I had been dreaming of this moment for far too long to let it slip by.
When he finally laid his hands on me I felt alive again. For months, a piece of me had been missing. Lost to the sea. Now with my love next to me, I felt whole again.
Almost whole.
“I have longed for your touch for so long, Danny. The countless hours I dreamed of this.”
Daniel’s hands moved my garments slowly down. My body trembled as I anticipated him.
“Sophia, I am not sure—”
My energy was weakening. I pleaded my case with Daniel until he finally moved over me.
“You must promise me you will speak if I hurt you or you can no longer take the action.”
Oh, how my Daniel cared about me. Always thinking of me first. With a soft smile, I answered, “I promise you, Danny.”
His lips softly moved over mine as I felt the love between us. “I’m going to make love to you now, darling.” The moment he slowly pushed into me I found a renewed strength. It was as if the fever had left my body.