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lulubelle814 · 6 days

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In Every Life - Part 3

Part 2 - In Every Life Masterlist

Masterlist

Present Day (1975)

Everything was on fire. Smoke and screams filled the air. He was glad she wasn’t here to witness this, but he knew it’s what he deserved for what happened to her, for trying to move on afterwards.

Glancing over the balcony wall, the building next to theirs was suffering a similar fate. Thankfully that’s where the chaos and destruction seemed to end. In the far distance, he saw the city, quiet in the early morning hours. He could almost spot the neighborhood where they were supposed to live together before it happened.

Bitter-sweet memories / That's all I'm taking with me / Good-bye, please don't cry

He could hear the music floating on the wind, reminding him of the enormous hold in his heart.

1 year ago

Valerie needed to get out of her apartment for some fresh air, and it was such a beautiful day. Grabbing her purse and a book, she headed outside and down the block.

Standing at the crosswalk, she patiently waited for the crossing sign to give the go ahead to cross safely when someone walked past her, evidently not paying attention. He was, however, jolted back to the present by someone grabbing his arm and pulling him back just as a car was about to hit him. The gentleman managed to keep himself upright. Looking at his savior, she was just a tad shorter than him with wavy auburn hair and the bluest eyes he’d ever seen. “I can’t believe I almost walked straight into traffic,” he exclaimed. “I’ve never done that before. I swear.”

She smiled at him. “It happens to the best of us.”

Although embarrassed, he introduced himself. “I’m Robert Laing.”

“Valerie Hutton.”

“Can I buy you a cup of coffee to thank you?”

She nodded. “I’d love that. I was just on my way to get one anyways.” It seemed fortune favored him this morning.

Once safe to do so, they crossed the street together. There was a diner she enjoyed going to since she moved to the area a few weeks ago. Evidently he was also a fan of the same diner. Sitting down, he ordered a coffee while she had tea.

Looking back at him, she had to ask. “So what made you so preoccupied that you almost walked into traffic?”

She smiled and laughed a little, as did he. “I've got this complicated surgery later this afternoon, and I keep going over it in my head. I want to make sure it goes well.”

Frowning, she was confused. “I'm you're having surgery, should you be drinking coffee? I thought you couldn't eat or drink for, like, hours before going under the knife.”

He raised his eyebrows, confused a bit before it dawned on him. “Oh! I should probably clarify. I'm a doctor. A surgeon actually.”

‘Impressive,’ she thought. “What kind of doctor?”

“A neurosurgeon actually. My patient this afternoon has a tumor that's delicate to operate on, and I want to make sure it goes as well as it possibly can.”

“Well, walking into traffic isn't one of those things, I hope.” Valerie smiled at her own joke. Robert laughed as well. “No, it definitely is not. Thank you again for saving me. I feel like buying you a cup of tea isn't thanks enough. Maybe I could take you to dinner tomorrow?”

“I'd love that. Plus you can tell me how the surgery went.”

“Sounds like a great plan to me.” He realized he hadn't eaten breakfast yet this morning and was feeling a bit peckish. “I'm going to order some breakfast. You're welcome to order something as well. It's on me.”

“Oh, breakfast AND dinner? You really know the way to my heart.” She laughed, as did he. When the waitress came back with their drinks, they ordered some food: pancakes for her and an omelet for him. As they chatted, they ended up sharing bits of their food with each other.

“So what do you do for a living, if I may ask?”

“I'm a secretary at a law firm. It's nothing fancy, but it pays the bills. I mostly just answer phones, file paperwork, and let my boss know when their clients arrive.”

She was certain at that moment that he’d make an excuse to cancel their dinner date for the following night. Why would a neurosurgeon be interested in dating a secretary? Oh well. She at least got to have breakfast with him. But maybe he wouldn’t cancel? While they had just barely met, she had this feeling about him, that he wasn’t that kind of guy, that she wanted to spend more time with him. What she didn’t know was that he felt the same. Not about the job comparison but that he also desired to spend more time with her. It’s like there was some sort of connection from the moment he saw her when she pulled him back just in time to avoid getting hit by a car.

When their dinner date rolled around the next evening, they could barely take their eyes off each other, playing a bit of footsie under the table. It was like they’d been together for years and the rest was only minor details.

“How did the surgery go?” She was genuinely curious, not just asking to be polite which surprised him a bit. The ladies he usually went on dates with didn’t care about the actual surgeries, more just that he was a doctor.

“It went very well! Thank you for asking. I was able to get the entire tumor removed, and my patient is recovering well so far. That’s all thanks to you by saving me from walking in front of a car while being stuck in my own head. I quite enjoy telling my colleagues that I was saved by a beautiful woman who agreed to have dinner with me.”

She could help the blush that spread across her cheeks, feeling slightly embarrassed. She wasn’t used to being complimented like that. Usually when that happened, she was being cat-called by construction workers or getting hit on by random drunks (which is why she steered clear of going to bars at this point in her life). “You are too kind, Robert.”

“I mean it! You are the most captivating woman I’ve ever encountered. While I do not relish the thought of being hit by a car, I’m glad it gave us a chance to meet.” She blushed again. “How was your day at the office?” He genuinely wanted to get to know her.

“It was the same for the most part.” He raised an eyebrow at her statement, silently inquiring what made it different. “A new client came in today, and something about him just gave me the creeps. My boss has different kinds of clients, but something about this guy just ....” She shuttered. “I’ll be very glad when their business is concluded. I hope it won’t take long. Roger was fingered as the guy who robbed that petrol station a couple of weeks ago, but the entire case (from the bits I’ve heard) are largely circumstantial.”

“I’m so sorry, darling. I can’t imagine what that must feel like. If he does give you trouble, let me know? I’d happily defend your honor.” It was easy to tell he meant every single word. There was just something about Robert that made her feel safe, like she could run to him with any problem, and he’d solve it for her. Frankly, it scared her a little as well, to feel this way about an almost complete stranger. The only person in her life that she’d felt this way about before was her dad, but he passed a few years ago, heart attack.

“I really appreciate that. Really. More than you know.” He could tell from her response that she didn’t have someone like that in her life, and it made him sad and even more determined to be there for her when she needed it. He decided at that moment that no matter if this worked out or not, he’d be there whenever she needed someone, but there was no way he’d let this incredible woman walk away without a fight should something happen.

Looking at the menu, everything sounded incredible. She ordered the shrimp garlic pasta while he ordered the lasagna. Both looked so good that they ended up sharing their dishes. When she offered some to him on her fork (with the intention of putting it on his plate), he instead leaned forward and ate it directly off the utensil causing butterflies to explode in her stomach. So when he held up a piece of his lasagna for her to try, she did the same. It then took everything he had not to just jump across the table to kiss her silly.

To say dinner went well was an understatement. Valerie didn’t have a car. So she splurged and got a taxi. Rather than take a taxi back home, Robert offered her a ride. When she gave him the cross streets for her apartment, he got excited as it was not that far from his place.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he exclaimed. “I live on the other side of Creston street!”

“By that beautiful flower shop?”

“That’s the one!”

“No way! You’re maybe a 10 minute walk from here. Talk about coincidence!”

Parking his car, he walked her up to her apartment. Not wanting to get ahead of himself and scare her, he gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’d like to see you again, if that’s alright.” She agreed, and they made plans to go to the new Robert Redford movie, The Great Gatsby.

She woke up early the next morning to a light knock on the door. Looking through the peephole, she didn’t see anyone. Maybe it was a delivery or something? Opening her door, she saw the most beautiful bouquet of peonies.

Tucked inside, she found a card.

These pale in comparison to your beauty. Thank you for a wonderful evening. -Robert

She squeed so loud with joy that her elderly neighbor opened their door. “Is everything alright, dear?”

“Yes, sorry Ms. Tully.” She loved her neighbor. Ms. Tully welcomed Valerie to the building when she moved in. Her husband had died some years before, and Valerie took it upon herself to look after her sweet neighbor. She was small but mighty. Someone had tried to rob her on the street a while back, and she beat them with her cane, scolding them to the point that they turned themselves into the police to protect him from her. As it turned out, the police had been looking for the would-be robber as he’d attacked several women to steal their purses. The arresting officer at the precinct laughed when the robber told him why he turned himself in, not believing an elderly lady would be able to do such a thing.

“Why don’t you come over for a cuppa and tell me about the gentleman who sent those?” Ms. Tully always had the best biscuits, and Valerie could never turn her down. After placing the flowers on her coffee table, she scurried over to her neighbor’s place.

As soon as she sat down, Muffin jumped into her lap, demanding pets. Muffin was an overweight but very sweet calico. Well, sweet to her and Ms. Tully. Muffin typically hated most people and had the tendency to lay in the window to judge everyone walking by. Her mortal enemy was the bird who would regularly sit on a branch just outside the window and mock her, at least that’s how muffin felt. Okay, fine. Muffin was a spiteful old bitch who was very picky about who she liked.

Ms. Tully brought over a pot of tea with 2 cups and a fresh batch of homemade biscuits. Valerie told her all about Robert: how they met, him taking her to breakfast, and their date last night. No detail was spared.

“That’s how I felt about my Steve. People said love at first sight doesn’t exist, but I can assure you it does. We met when my friends took me out dancing. When I saw him, it was like everyone else ceased to exist. We danced all night, and then he walked me home.”

Valerie loved when Ms. Tully would tell stories about her husband. She wanted that, a relationship like the Tullys. The only problem is that other than her neighbor, those stories only seemed to exist in fairy tales. At least until she ran into Robert. They’d only known each other a few days, but from the moment their eyes met on that street corner, nothing else seemed to matter.

It’s not that she was unhappy with her life. In fact, she was quite content. She had a good boss, a couple of good friends, an elderly neighbor she adored, and an apartment she loved. If that was all she got in life, she was very happy with it.

“If he hurts you in any way, he’ll have me to deal with.” Valerie laughed, imagining Ms. Tully beat Robert (who was more than a foot taller than her dear neighbor) with her cane.

“I’ll be sure to let him know.” She couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when she told him. It was inevitable that Robert would meet Ms. Tully, and she’d put the fear of God in him.

Val had to leave. There were a few things she had to take care of today, namely her laundry. Her building didn’t have machines. So she packed up her laundry in a large basket, a book, and a fist full of quarters and headed to the laundromat for the next 3 hours (depending how many machines were available). When she arrived, there were (thankfully) 2 machines available. She promptly filled them up and started her wash before tucking away in a chair with her book.

Not even a few pages in, she heard the door open and felt a pair of eyes on her. Looking up, Robert was looking at her while holding his own bag of laundry.

“Fancy meeting you here.” They both laughed.

“I’d think a fancy doctor like you would have your stuff dry cleaned.”

He grinned, loving her snarky remark. “Just for my suits. For everything else, I prefer to slum it.” She couldn’t hold in a snorting laugh which made him smile even more. He wanted to hear more of that laugh.

Thankfully more machines were becoming free, allowing him to start his own laundry. While he did that, she cleared out the seat next to her in case he wanted to sit there, which he did. He’d brought his own book to entertain himself. Instead, they spend the next couple of hours chatting and laughing.

She told him about Ms. Tully’s warning. “You’ll have to meet her sometime. Watch out though. Her cat hates people. Well, most people.”

“I’ll be sure to pack my pockets with treats. My mum had a cat like that, and bacon was the way to his heart.”

“I think bacon is the way to most people’s hearts.” The entire time they were there, neither touched their books.

“Normally I try to do my laundry on a Thursday evening, but the surgery ran long.”

“I usually come on a Friday night, but I had a date with this cute guy.”

He raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. It went well at first, but I don’t think anything will come of it.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well, he didn't seem to pay attention and almost walked straight into traffic.”

He laughed. At some point, his arm rested on the back of her chair. In her imagination, she could see them doing laundry together for the coming months until they got married. He’d buy a house with a washer and dryer. Then they’d do laundry together while taking care of their kids. She could see the toys strewn around the living room, the books relocated to a little library room that also acted as a home office when he needed to work on paperwork. The kids would play around the backyard with

She had to shake herself out of that image. There was no telling if this would work out or not, and she didn’t want to get ahead of herself. But it was just such a beautiful picture in her mind. Little did she know that he was picturing something similar.

“Thank you so much for the flowers. They’re beautiful! Peonies are my favorite, especially white and lavender ones.”

“I’m so glad you like them. I saw them at the flower shop when I was passing by, and they made me think of you. I couldn’t not get them for you.” He made a mental note about the peony being her favorite.

When their laundry was done, they used one of the tables to fold everything. It was hard not to laugh watching him struggle to fold a fitted sheet. She took it from him and folded it (mostly) for him. “That’s much better than anything I can do with that. It seems like they make those things impossible to fold. Sometimes I just roll it up and toss it in a cupboard.”

“I get that. I’m not great at folding those, but Ms. Tully showed me how she folds hers. I can’t do it nearly as well as she can. That’s about as close as I can get.”

Robert didn’t care one bit, not even if she had set the sheet on fire or thrown it in the bin. Running into her at the laundromat made his day. There was just something about her he couldn’t put his finger on, but being even in her vicinity brought him comfort and helped him to relax. His colleagues had been giving him a hard time for quite a while, even trying to set him up on dates. Women would very openly flirt with him as well. He was just never interested.

She handed the sheet back to him, and his hands brushed hers as he went to take it from her. That one touch made him forget where they were. He tossed the sheet carelessly into his basket as he leaned down, placed a hand on her cheek, and lightly placed his lips on hers. The moment their lips touched was like fireworks. She leaned up into him, returning his kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. As he wrapped his around her waist, a distinct coughing sound brought them back to reality causing them to pull apart. Looking around, the handful of patrons in the laundromat were all staring at them. “Get a room,” someone said. Sheepishly, they finished folding their laundry and headed their separate ways.

Two weeks had passed. Robert and Valerie continue to go on dates, and he’d kiss her each time he took her home. Last night he’d taken her dancing, which she hadn’t done in a long time. Neither had he, in fact. But they both had so much fun.

Today, however, he was at the hospital. There was a minor surgery he was performing. She’d come back from grocery shopping to find Ms. Tully’s door broken open. Logically she knew she should call the police, but that thought went out the window when she heard Muffin’s meows. Dropping her bags by her door, she ran into Ms. Tully’s place to find it in shambles. Muffin came out and led Valerie to where Ms. Tully was unconscious on the floor, bleeding from the back of her head. She ran over to check that she was still breathing. Placing 2 fingers on the pulse point in her neck, Ms. Tully was definitely still alive. Hurriedly, she rang the police, giving them the address and apartment number. While she waited, she stayed with her elderly neighbor, knowing enough, at least, not to move her.

The police arrived a few minutes later along with an ambulance. Valerie answered questions while the paramedics loaded Ms. Tully into the ambulance. When all was said and done, they let her know which hospital her neighbor would be taken to before leaving her alone.

Before anything else, she took Muffin to her apartment so that the cat wouldn’t get hurt accidentally by the broken glass and such. She also took over the cat’s food (putting it in a cupboard in the hall) and litter box (which she put in the spare bathroom). Now that Muffin was safe, she spent the next couple of hours cleaning up her neighbor’s apartment, trying to salvage what she could.

Another caring neighbor had seen the aftermath with the door in shambles and, without asking, worked on repairing what he could. It would stand well enough to appear secure, but in the end, the door would need replacing. He took the liberty of talking with the landlord who had the door replaced very quickly. The landlord had a sweet spot for Ms. Tully especially as she was the longest running tennant he’d had in that building with little to no issues.

Once the door was replaced, he left a copy of the keys with Val who would give them to her neighbor. When all was said and done, she hopped in a cab to the mentioned hospital. Finding the welcome desk, she asked about Ms. Tully. She was in surgery as they’d found a brain clot from being hit on the back of her head but the attending surgeon should be done shortly. The kind nurse said they’d keep her up to date if she was staying, which of course she was.

It was at least another hour later when the nurse told her that the doctor would be out shortly to talk to her. When the doctor came out, he asked the nurse who was the one here for his patient. Pointing to Valerie (who had her back facing the nurse), he walked over to her.

“Are you here for…..Valerie?” Hearing his voice, she looked up, seeing Robert in his scrubs. She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him. She began to cry on his chest. He sat them down and held her close. “I didn’t think when I saw the name Tully that it would be your neighbor, darling.” He shushed and cooed into her ear, trying to help calm her down.

“It was so awful, Robert! I was only gone for maybe 20 minutes to get a few things from the store. When I came back, her door was wide open…..glass everywhere………” He continued to console her, trying to help her calm down.

“It’s alright darling. She’s alright thanks to you.” He pulled back to look her in the eyes. “She’s a fighter, that one. Ms. Tully has a fair number of bruises and a fractured right arm. The most alarming part was the brain clot from where she’d been hit, but I was able to get it cleaned up. It’ll take a while, but she’ll recover.”

Knowing that it was her Robert who performed the operation brought her an immense amount of relief. “I’ve got Muffin set up at my place.” She thought for a minute. “Who could have done this? Who would attack poor Ms. Tully? IN HER OWN HOME!”

“I don’t know, darling. I don’t know. But I’m sure the police are working very hard to find out who did this. She’s in recovery right now. I need to go check on her. I’ll come get you once she’s settled in a room?” She nodded.

When he came back to the waiting room, he guided her back to his elderly patient’s room. Being the head neurosurgeon, he pulled some strings to get Ms. Tully her own room. It even had a view of the hospital garden.

Valerie was happy to see her neighbor awake already. Robert checked her vitals and looked over the stitches in her head to make sure everything was still holding properly.

“Valerie, I know you’ve been seeing that gentleman you told me about, but I think Dr. Laing here is a real catch. Just look at him!”

Robert blushed, and Valerie was shocked. “Ms. Tully! You just got out of surgery, and you’re trying to set me up with your doctor?”

Ms. Tully grinned as she nodded. Rather than tell her who Robert was to her, she walked over and gazed into his eyes. “I suppose you’re right. He is very easy on the eyes. I wonder…..” She leaned up and kissed him. “Yep, good kisser. I think you’re right, Ms. Tully.”

Robert wasn’t sure what to do at this point until Valerie broke down laughing. “Ms. Tully, this is the man I’ve been telling you about, Robert.” Ms. Tully looked between the two before narrowing her eyes at her doctor. “If you do anything at all to hurt her, you’ll have to answer to me. And keep that dingle-doodle to yourself.”

Robert held his hands up in retreat. “You have my word, Ms. Tully.”

Valerie giggled a bit before turning back to her neighbor. “Don’t worry about Muffin. She’s at my place. I’ve got her food and litter box. Mr. Jenkins already replaced your door, and he gave me the spare keys.”

Robert took his turn, this time as Dr. Laing. “Surgery went well. You had a clot from the hit to your head, but it’s cleaned up. Your right arm is fractured, and you’ve got a fair number of bruises. I’d like to keep you here for a week to make sure you’re healing well. We’ve also got you on some medications to help with the pain. Is that alright, Ms. Tully? Do you have any questions?”

Rather than address her doctor, Ms. Tully looked to Valerie. “Is Muffin alright? She gave the man a fright, scratching and clawing at him. Even bit his ass. I’ve never seen Muffin move like that before, especially for an old fat cat.”

“She’s good. I looked her over, and nothing seemed to be wrong. I’ll take good care of her until you get home.” It was touching how she was more worried about the cat than herself. “Is there anyone you want me to call?”

In the end, Ms. Tully had Val call her son. Robert offered to call himself as he was her doctor, but Val thought it would be better coming from her. The call was brief, and her son was at the hospital within the hour.

“Mum, I’ve told you that you shouldn’t be living alone!”

She scowled. “I can take care of myself. I don’t need a caretaker. I won’t let you put me in a nursing home.”

Robert interjected. “I hate to say this, but I agree with your son. Valerie was fortunate to find you as quickly as she did, which is why you're in better shape than what could have happened.”

Acting like a petulant child, Ms. Tully pointed at Robert. “You’re officially on my shit list.” It wasn’t the first time a patient had told him that, and he didn’t mind. He had their best interests at heart.

“Mum, I know you don’t want to go into a nursing home. I wouldn’t do that to you, but Diane and I would like you to consider moving in with us. You’d have your own space, but we’d be near. I know you want to be independent, but we worry about you.”

No decisions were made that night, but Ms. Tully consented to at least think about it. Valerie assured her that Muffin was fine at her place, and she’d take good care of her cat.

Since his shift was over and all patients had been checked on, Robert drove Valerie home so she wouldn’t have to pay for another taxi. Well, that and he wanted to see the state of everything for himself. Valerie used the new key to get into Ms. Tully’s place. There was still cleaning to do and furniture to put back in place, but it was enough to rattle him. He moved the heavy furniture back in place. It was evident that whomever broke in was checking loads of places for where the elderly resident might hide money or anything of value. The overturned couch was no surprise. His own grandma used to hide cash in her couch.

They eventually made their way over to Valerie’s place next door. Robert spotted a folded notice on her door and grabbed it for her. Looking around, most doors had the same one on theirs. Handing it to her, she didn’t hesitate to open it with Robert reading over her shoulder. It was a short message from the landlord advising that there was a break-in, that it was an isolated incident, and that he would be working with the police to find out how the intruder got into the building.

Opening the door, Muffin came running to her. Picking her up, Muffin sniffed Robert, unsure of him at first until she caught a whiff of both her owner and her favorite person (Valerie) all over him. She gave him a tentative approval and allowed him to pet her. Robert gave the cat a quick look over to double check she was okay, which she thankfully was. This cat likely prevented the intruder from doing more damage to Ms. Tully.

“It scares me that someone broke into your building.” Looking around her apartment, all he could see in that moment was someone breaking in and tearing her place apart.

“Same. This is usually a pretty safe neighborhood.” He could tell she was scared that it might happen again. They sat down on her sofa, and Muffin curled up in her lap while Robert wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Taking a deep breath, a thought came to his mind. “I have a proposal.”

She hummed in response as she continued to pet the cat. Her mind was spiraling with thoughts of what would have happened to Ms. Tully if she hadn’t found her so quickly.

“You’re welcome to say no, but how about you stay at my place for a couple of days? At least until they figure out how the guy got in and can fix it?”

“I…what?”

“I have plenty of space. You can even sleep in the guestroom. I promise to be a perfect gentleman. Absolutely nothing will happen without your express consent.”

She was a bit surprised at his offer. “We’ve only known each other a few weeks, Robert. Are you sure about this?”

“I’m very sure. If you don’t want to stay at mine, I could sleep here on the couch? I just worry for your safety right now. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.”

It was easy to see the concern in his eyes. There was no sign of lies in anything he said, and she knew he’d keep his promise. In fact, it brought her a sense of comfort. “What about Muffin?”

“Muffin is always welcome. I don’t have any pets, and she can have the run of the place.” The cat lifted her head, looking up at Robert as if she understood what he’d said and gave her answer by moving over to Robert and curling up in his lap.

“I think that’s a yes from Muffin.” They both laughed. Val packed a few things while Robert loaded up the litter box, food bowl, water bowl, and bag of food for the kitty. Once she had everything else together, he took her bags to his car as well. She carried Muffin in her lap during the short drive to his place.

He let her inside before unloading everything from his car. He showed her to the guestroom while Muffin explored his house, deeming it acceptable. Robert gave her a spare key. “I don’t want you to feel like I’m holding you hostage or anything.”

“Not at all. I’ve just………..okay. Don’t laugh at me when I say this, but I’ve never stayed over at a man’s place before, not by myself.”

“Why would I laugh at that? I don’t see anything wrong with it. If it helps you feel better, I’ve never invited women to stay over, except for my sister.” He took his hands in hers. “I know a lot of this is new to both of us, but I swear I won’t do anything to make you uncomfortable. If you don’t feel alright staying here with me, then I’ll go stay in a hotel so you can be here with Muffin.”

“I couldn’t ask you to do that. This is your house, your place.”

“You mean so much more to me. Just promise me you’ll let me know if something bothers you?”

Valerie nodded. “Okay.” He picked up her bags and placed them in the guest room. She put the litter box in the guest bathroom while Robert placed the bowls in the kitchen, filling one with water. Muffin didn’t hesitate to make herself comfortable on his loveseat, claiming the entire thing for herself. Valerie changed into some sleepwear before going back to the living room.

He had changed as well, into a pair of joggers and his old Cambridge shirt. “I have pizza on the way.”

They turned on the TV to watch whatever was on (it was an old episode of Doctor Who).

“How is it that you have this house but no washer/dryer?” It just dawned on her that with a place this size, it didn’t make sense.

“I started renting this place about 3 months ago, but it didn’t come with them. I have the hookups for them, but I just keep forgetting to do it until laundry day happens.”

“I’ll go with you, if you’d like? I don’t know anything about buying a washer/dryer set, but I can keep you company. We can go on your next day off. I’ll make a list of local places we can go to.”

He grinned. “I’d like that.”

Once the pizza arrived, they dug right in. She was still a little too rattled to be able to eat much, but she was able to consume a couple of slices before she curled up next to Robert, laying her head on his chest.

He started to yawn and looked at his watch. It was later than he thought. He started to get up before realizing she was asleep against him. Instead of moving her, he reached and grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch to spread over them both.

When he woke up in the morning, she was gone. As he started to look around, he could smell something cooking in the kitchen. Slowly getting up, he made his way towards the amazing smell and found her cooking eggs and bacon. “I could get used to this if you’re not careful.”

“It’s the least I could do for you letting me stay here for a couple of days.”

While she finished cooking, he set the table. He really could see them doing this on a regular basis, and it felt good. “I have to go to the hospital today. I don’t have any surgeries planned, but I have patients to check on and paperwork to go through.”

“I have to go to work as well. Do you have time to drop me off?”

Smiling, he could definitely get used to this. “Of course, darling. In fact, how about you drop me off at the hospital? You can come by and see Ms. Tully when you’re off work, and I should be ready to leave around then as well.”

“First you trust me with your house, and now with your car? You must really like me or something.” Valerie couldn’t help the giant smile from spreading across her face.

“I really do. Actually, I……” Taking a deep breath, he continued. “I love you, Valerie. I know it hasn’t been long, but I do. I’ve never felt this way about anyone.”

She placed a hand on his mouth to stop his rambling. “I love you too.” With those words returned, he swept her into his lap and kissed her madly, never wanting to let go, not that she minded one bit.

Pulling back, he laid his forehead on hers. “I’ve wanted to tell you that for a while but was afraid you wouldn’t feel the same. I know this is fast, but….”

Valerie placed her hands on the sides of his neck. “It is, but it also feels right.” Her words gave him the reassurance he needed. Leaning up, she kissed him softly before getting off his lap. “We’d better get ready for work, mister.”

She sauntered off to the guest room to get ready. As he got ready in his room, his mind was a whirlpool of thoughts. It’d only been 2 months. In his previous relationships, he’d always felt this need to run and hide, afraid to commit. This time it was the opposite. From the moment they ran into each other at the crosswalk, he wanted to be with her, stay with her for as long as she’d have him. Knowing she loved him too was the icing on the cake.

A knock on his bedroom door broke him out of his stupor as he was putting on his tie.

“Does this look okay?”

“You look amazing. I’m not sure I can let you out of the house in that. In fact, I’m not sure I can ever let you leave again.” He smiled, joking of course. Seeing her look so incredible caused him to forget how to tie a tie. So she walked over and helped him. “I could say the same about you, mister.”

Present Day (1975)

He could hear screams coming from every direction, but none phased him. This wasn’t where he wanted to be. No. He wanted to be at home with his new bride, but fate had other plans. Damn fate. Since that was taken from him, this was where he felt he belonged: alone, waiting for the building to finish consuming him. This is what he deserved after what he did…..well, more like what he didn’t do.

The only thoughts he allowed to pass through his mind at this point was his beloved Valerie and how much he missed her.

Tears fell down his face again, thinking of her. Today was supposed to be their wedding day.

4 months ago

The lease on her apartment would be up soon. With Ms. Tully gone to live with her son, Valerie wasn’t keen on staying. Her landlord was kind and said she could stay longer as long as she gave him a 30 day notice. While he enjoyed having her as a tenant and didn’t want her to leave, he had too much respect for her. She’d always been kind to him, on time with the rent, and all the help she gave Ms. Tully when the break-in occurred.

Looking at her left hand, she admired the ring. Robert really had great taste. While she never imagined getting engaged, she had absolutely no doubts that he’s the one and couldn’t wait to spend the rest of her life with him.

This afternoon, Robert was taking her to look at a house. “Why are we looking at new places? Your house works the way it is.”

He looked over at her from the driver’s seat. “That’s true, but it’s only a rental. I’d like for us to have our own little slice of paradise.”

He pulled up to a beautiful cottage.

To say she was stunned would be an understatement. This was her dream home! “You’ve got to be shitting me.”

She got out of the car and started looking around. He took his time catching up to her, laughing a bit in the process. “Is it to your liking?”

Valerie was speechless. Taking her hand, Robert took her on a tour of the house, showing her the bedrooms, living room, kitchen, and such. Her favorite part though was the garden out back. “You can decorate or set up however you’d like.”

She turned to look at him. “Robert, I love it, but this is too much. I can’t begin to imagine what a place like this costs, not to mention decorating it? Plus there has to be several others looking at this place, too.”

Robert grinned. “I wouldn’t say that last bit.”

“What do you mean?” Confusion spread across her face.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “Because it’s ours.”

Birds fled at the sound of her squealed excitement and jumped into his arms, nearly knocking him over. “What? Really?? I can’t believe you bought this place! It’s perfect!”

Holding her, he spun around a couple times before kissing her and setting her back on her feet. “You deserve nothing but the best, my dearest. The wedding isn’t for another 3 or 4 months, but I know your lease is up. When I saw this place, I knew it was the one. It will also remove the need to renew your lease on a month-to-month basis. That was incredibly kind of your landlord to offer, but we can go ahead and move you in here. As the wedding gets closer, I can pack up my place to move in once we are married.”

“I love you so much, Robert. You are the most wonderful man I’ve ever known.”

“I love you, too, my darling girl. You deserve all this and more.” He took her hand and guided her over to the garage. “There’s one more thing.” Opening the garage, they found a brand new Jaguar.

“Oh Robert! You really shouldn’t have.”

“Yes, I should. You deserve nothing but the best. Plus, it’ll be easier than trying to juggle one car between the two of us for going to work……..or picking up the kids…..”

“You want kids?”

He smiled and nodded. “I do.”

“Me, too.” Rather than rushing up to him again, she sauntered to him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him a sweet kiss.

The next week was filled with packing and moving. Most of her furniture was sold or donated. In between everything, wedding plans were being made. Everything was coming together. There was even talk about getting a dog. With so much already going on, they decided to wait until after the wedding to look for just the right dog.

To make unpacking easier, Val had labeled each box by room. That way when they unloaded boxes, they were put into the room where the contents would be placed. Hanging up the clothes was easy followed by the kitchen boxes so she could start cooking once she’d gone grocery shopping.

Hearing a knock at the door, she answered it only to find her fiance. “You know you can let yourself in, right? Or did you lose your key already?”

“I just didn’t want to walk in on you naked or such. Not that I would mind, but I figure you might.”

She paused, thinking for a moment. “Excellent point. Thank you. So what are you doing here? I thought you had surgery this morning?”

He sat on the back of the couch and sighed. “It got canceled. When I left last night, she was stable, but something happened overnight, and the patient didn’t make it.” She walked over to him and gave him a hug which he appreciated.

“I’m so sorry. That can’t be easy.”

“It’s okay, but enough about me. I came by to take you out to brunch. You’ve been working so hard on unpacking and setting things up that I thought you’d like a break.”

She rummaged around in her purse. “I completely forgot to take my keys back to my landlord. Do you think we could swing by my old place while we’re out?”

Wrapping an arm around her from the side, he leaned over and placed a kiss on the top of her head. “We can do whatever you’d like.”

They walked out to his car. Being a gentleman, he opened her door before going around to his own. The car started with a beautiful rumble, and they made their way into town and to her old complex. “Would you like me to take them in for you?” He offered, but she declined. “I’ll only be a minute.” She disappeared into the building, coming back out about 10 minutes later.

After brunch, they decided to go on a ride through the countryside. There was no specific route or destination in mind. They just went wherever their hearts told them, or at least until the car was almost out of petrol which they took as a sign to head back.

Robert pulled up to a petrol station. There were 2 other cars there: one was empty but still running by the front door. The other was parked off to the side, likely belonging to the attendant inside. He felt this unease as they pulled up next to the petrol pump. “I think we should maybe try the next petrol station. Something feels, I don’t know, off?”

Val patted his shoulder. “It’s alright, Robert. We’re already here. Go ahead and get the tank filled while I run in to get us some drinks? I’ll pay for the petrol while I’m inside.” His gut told him they should leave right then, but he conceded. “Alright, but let's be quick. There’s just something about this place that gives me the creeps.”

She agreed, picking up her purse and walking inside. He got out of the car and started to fill the car up. Just as it finished and was placing the handle away, there was a loud bang. Not even thinking about it, he ran inside. He needed to make sure Valerie was alright. As he opened the door, a man flew out, almost plowing over Robert in his haste to get away. If he’d thought about it for even a second, he would have seen the gun in the man’s hand and the blood splatter on his shirt, but he was too focused on finding Valerie.

His eyes darted everywhere. Moving further into the petrol station, there she was on the ground, gunshot wound to the abdomen, bleeding profusely. He dove to her side, taking off his jacket to try to stop the flow of blood, but even his medical knowledge told him there was nothing he could do, but all logic had left him at that point. The bullet had gone through her kidney causing her to go through hypovolemic shock.

“So cold.” It was difficult to understand her, but he could feel her getting colder by the second. He scooped her up, holding her close in the vain hope that he could keep her warm, keep her alive. Just as long as she was in his arms, everything would be okay.

As he held her, he kept brushing her hair with one hand, trying to tell her everything was fine, that help was on the way, and she’d be fine, that she just needed to hold on, but her pulse continued to grow weak. The tears on her face slowed down as she looked into his eyes.

Bitter-sweet memories / That's all I'm taking with me / Good-bye, please don't cry

“I love you,” she squeaked out.

“I love you, my darling Valerie. Always.” His tears started falling faster.

He could feel her heart slowing. “Always,” she whispered with the last of her breath. Robert held her body tightly, rocking back and forth as he cried, his reason for living now gone. It took two police officers and a paramedic to get him to let go of her so they could take the body away.

Present Day (1975)

That was the absolute worst day of his life. He blamed himself, saying he should have gone with his gut feeling and left to get petrol elsewhere, or at least gone in to pay himself. Maybe then she’d be here with him or instead of him. “It should have been me,” he cried to himself.

The foundation was crumbling, the support beams falling. Robert didn’t care. He’d only moved to this apartment building because he couldn’t bear living in the house meant for him and Valerie. Friends and colleagues helped him take care of her belongings and relisted the house while he moved into this concrete monstrosity. It felt cold and unfeeling from the moment he stepped inside, exactly what he thought he deserved.

The balcony rumbled, vibrating harshly. Closing his eyes, he accepted his fate just as the balcony on his 25th floor apartment gave way, the building collapsing in fire and dust.

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