Autumn in Philadelphia Trilogy

The Return: Strange World

"When they come... they come at what you love."

― Mario Puzo, The Godfather

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The phone alarm sang out at 5:30 am Monday morning. Jon opened one eye, mumbled something rude to it, and ignored the ringing. A few moments later, Audrey stirred under his arms.

"Jon?" she mumbled sleepily. Her grip on his arm tightened.

"Go back to sleep," he said as he kissed her full on the mouth. He ran his thumb over her lips and kissed her again. "I'll bring you coffee."

Audrey held on and pulled him back when he tried to leave. "Is it summer vacation yet?"

"I wish, babe."

Unwillingly, Jon removed himself from her and the warm bed. The fleece of his pajama bottoms snapped and crackled from the static electricity in the sheets. He picked his shirt up off of the floor and got dressed in the chilled house. He went through his morning routine on automatic. After grabbing his coffee and Audrey's, he headed back upstairs and was greeted by the noise of Shawn and Julia arguing over the bathroom. He chuckled and entered his bedroom. His wife was still buried under the covers. Her hair, splayed out over the pillows like a two dimensional fire, was all that could be seen of her.

"Coffee's here."

Audrey sighed and pulled the covers down just enough so that she could see him. "Are you sure it's Monday?"

Jon chuckled. "Positive. Wish it wasn't. Wish we could relive yesterday."

Audrey gave him a lazy smile and pulled herself into a sitting position as she accepted the coffee. "Yesterday was fun."

After recovering from a small hangover, Jon spent all of Sunday making up for his terrible treatment of her on Saturday. He had Shawn and Julia watch the younger kids while he took her to some of their old hangouts on Bleeker Street and and then spent the evening alone together. Everything seemed back to normal, but Jon knew it wasn't. Audrey acted as though the incident between them before he met with Eli hadn't happen, but there was no chance she had forgotten. Without time to fully talk through everything, coupled with his reluctance to do so, Jon let it go and hoped it wouldn't come back on him later.

As they drank their coffee, the conversation centered on the kids and their schedules. Before long it was time for Jon to leave; Julia was knocking at the door to remind him of the time. Jon stood up. Audrey handed him her mug, stretched, and dropped back against the pillows with a happy, sleepy smile. Jon stared at her for a long moment. It felt like he was looking at her for the first time in a very long time. He'd almost forgotten how beautiful she was.

"Hey," he said leaning over her.

She reached up and locked her fingers around the back of his neck and pulled him down to her. "Hey."

"I love you."

"I know," she said with a pleased smile. Jon was not stingy with his sentiments, but he was not one to over do them, either. Recently, he had been saying those little words more often and she loved it. "I love you, too."

He breathed in her ear, "You are the only one I've ever been able to say that to and not thrown up before I could get the words out."

Laughter bubbled up out of her and filled the room. Her grin and merriment was like a beam of bright sunlight that warmed him all the way through.

"You are so romantic!" she exclaimed gleefully. "And so poetic!" She kissed him several times then flopped back onto the pillows again.

Jon smiled, kissed her one last time, and reluctantly left.