Just This Once
***Part Five***
Christine woke the next morning feeling better than she could remember feeling ever before in her life, certain she was in love. The previous night had been a bliss; she and Adam had made love continuously through out the night. He'd been so gentle and caring and loving. Christine refused to open her eyes to the morning and chance not seeing him next to her once again. They'd never done more than hold each other in the nights past, but last night had been different. Christine snuggled her naked body deeper into the pillows and pulled the quilt she lay under up to her face.
Before another thought could enter Christine's mind there was a loud knock at her door. She would have ignored it, but it was persistant.Gathering her senses she wrapped herself in the quilt and went to the window where she peeked out to see Deena staring back in at her. Christine jumped nearly dropping the quilt, Deena had startled her, she hadn't expected someone to be staring in the picture window. A smile spread across Deena's face.
After she'd let Deena in Christine ran up to her bedroom where she pulled on a pair of sweats and a T-shirt before returning to the kitchen where Deena already had fresh coffee brewing. "OK," Deena grinned, "I want to know everything! You've been very secretive about this guy and damnit, I want to know more!"
"There's not a lot to tell," Christine said, but her eyes said differently as they drifted to the envelope on the table, the envelope that Adam had written on just the morning before. "It's all a bit confusing right now, but once I've mastered the understanding of men I'll be sure to let you know."
Deena sighed, "he's everything you want, but... Right?"
"Always the case isn't it?" Christine tried not to look at the envelope, but her eyes seemed to have a mind of their own.
Deena leaned forward and picked up the envelope, flipping it over and back again she tossed it on the table. "What's the deal?"
"What do you mean?" Christine asked as she reached for the envelope. Flipping it over and over again Christine couldn't believe her eyes; it was blank. This was a letter from Adam only yesterday and now it was blank... He must have gotten another envelope this morning but never got around to writing a note, she reasoned. "I.. I thought this was the note he left yesterday morning, but it's not."
"Yesterday morning?" Deena grinned, "just how often does he stay here?"
Christine shrugged, "every night since the day after we met, but he just holds me."
Deena read her mind, "until last night, eh? He'll be back Chris, I know it."
"I'm sure he will," Christine began, "but his note was just a little vague and confusing. He said in it, that when he left it wouldn't be because of me it'd be because his job was done, but he also said that he couldn't explain..." Christine got up to pour them each a cup of coffee, "and last night he told me that I held his heart, he said he'd never thought that he would know love but he was given this last chance."
The girls sat and talked for an hour or so before the conversation turned towards the large crates in the attic and Christine's latest discovery of the lock box. Deena's curiosity grew nearly as quickly as Christine's had and together they went into the library. They stood talking about it and sharing their fantasies of what might be inside the box while they put the books she'd found up on a shelf.
"This one is odd," Deena said, "it is has no title on the cover." She held up a small brown book bound with black so that Christine could see it. Deena turned it over in her hands before opening it, "the pages are blank." She paged through the book briefly until it opened up to a page that had been marked with a small silver key which Deena did not notice as it fell to the floor. "Listen to this," Deena said as Christine bent to pick up the key and slid it into her pocket wanting to open the box alone. Deena sat in one of the more comfortable reading chairs and began reading aloud:
"April 12th, 1973. William has found my journals, he has burned them all but this one. 'This one,' he'd said, 'could do the family no harm with it's blank pages'. He does not see, he is the only being that has done this family any harm and now I fear for the life of my last surviving child. I dare not say much in these pages, if he were to find even this one entry he'd destroy this book and the key as well. Had I not married so young, had I realized that this was not an unconditional kind of love, not a love that was true, I would not have had my four darling children, so I regret it not. But I did and though our marriage was a mistake our children were not, they were indeed a blessing. How much worse would things have been had it not been for the children? Perhaps he would have killed me, perhaps he still will if he finds this and especially so if he finds the lock box I've hidden. I hope that it is not he, but someone else who finds these things and I hope that whoever it may be can understand why I have done what I've done. I hope, also, that they know what they should do with the understanding and knowledge they will then hold."
"Wow, makes me wonder what is in it even more now!" Deena said after a deep breath.
Christine simply nodded while she stared at the box and felt of the little silver key she now held in her pocket.
The girls spent much of the morning together talking and playing Cribbage. They ate a small brunch and talked some more as they played more cards. They dwindled much of the afternoon away as well and finally, when the clock struck four, Deena announced she had to be going as she wanted to make a nice dinner for Trey.
"Can you believe that it's below freezing out there and they still have him working in this crap?" Deena asked as she stepped back inside from starting her car so that it could warm up. "Chris," she sighed, "I have this feeling you're worried and you shouldn't be. You're wonderful Chris and if he doens't come back then he doesn't deserve you anyway, but I'm sure he'll be back. I mean, think about the things that he's told you, he's already head over heals in love with you and it's only been, what, nine days?"
Christine smiled, "you think I'm wonderful because you have to, it's your duty as my best friend!"
They both laughed, but Deena wasn't satisfied, "Chris, he'll be here, I'm sure." After a quick hug and saying their goodbies Deena headed to her car.
Christine shut the door and headed directly to the library determined to open the box when there was another knock at her door. Frustrated she tossed the small silver key on the desk next to the box and hurried to the door hoping that it was Adam who'd distracted her; it was. Christine looked past him to see Deena's car had just pulled away from the curb and looked back at Adam as he waited for her to invite him in. Blinking back her confusion she nodded, "Adam, get in here out of the cold." She closed the door behind him and turning to him asked, "you did just see my friend Deena leaving, didn't you? Did you introduce yourself or were you waiting for her to leave so you wouldn't have to meet her?"
Adam looked confused, "neither," he said, "I seen a woman I didn't know getting into a small red car, but did not know she'd just left here, nor was I waiting for her to leave." He shook his coat off, "did I not do something I should have, or did I do something I shouldn't have?"
Christine shook her head, "neither. I just really thought that you two would have passed each other on the sidewalk before she reached her car, that's all." Christine began walking towards the kitchen, key and lock box forgotten, "you're earlier than I expected," she said over her shoulder.
"I've been thinking about you all day, thinking about the night we spent together and wondering what it all means." He was following her to the kitchen, "and," he sighed, "wondering what it all might mean tomarrow."
Christine put water on to boil for hot chocolate, "why worry about tomarrow? From what I've gathered from your note yesterday, we can't be sure there will be a tomarrow for us, so why even think about it? We've got each moment and then we've got the memories, that's all you could give me so that is all I take."
He grabbed her then in a tight embrace and kissed her. "That is all I can promise, that and that my love will linger even after I am gone."
Christine didn't understand and she wasn't sure she wanted to, right now she did not care, right now she wanted him.
He turned the fire off under the water and led her upstairs to her room where they would spend the entire afternoon making love. They held each other, whispering softly of their feelings and made love some more.
When Christine opened her eyes next it was early morning, close to 3 a.m., and the first thing she noticed as she roll over to reach for Adam is a note on his side of the bed and taped to it was the small silver key. Christine turned on the small lamp next to the bed and read the note.
My dearest Christine, I see that you have found the key and the box which it unlocks, this pleases me. Once you have found the truth understanding will be yours. I can already feel the fredom of my soul, though my heart will forever remain here with you. Forever yours, Adam.
Without hesitation Christine pulled on a robe and ran down the stairs, note and key in hand. She entered the library and went to the desk where she sat down and turned on the desk lamp. She knew she had to open this box but she was almost scared to find out what the box really held. After deliberating for seconds that seemed like minutes, Christine pulled the box to her and inserted the key. She sat holding her breath as she turned the key and heard the click of the lock. She lifted the lid slowely unsure of what secrets it might hold.
Inside she found a letter that appeared to be hand written on some kind of stationary and a photograph. Christine stared at the photo in disbelief. It was Adam Bradshaw!