A Mahogany Moment

EPILOGUE

Winter, 1944

Olivia hung the last of the decorations on the Christmas tree and stepped back to admire her work. Pleased with herself she walked away and began to clean up.
"Can I put the star on top of the tree, mama?" Olivia smiled and handed the golden star in the box full of decorations to her two-year-old daughter. Cora Marlene Ross was a beautiful combination of both of her parents with Cora's blue eyes and dark hair and Olivia's heart-shaped face and full lips.
"How about I help you?" Olivia lifted Cora up so that she was eye to eye with the top of the tree and Cora quickly placed the star in its position.
"How's that?" Cora asked.
"Perfect."
"I want daddy to come home for Christmas." Cora said as Olivia sat her on the floor.
"Have you been a good girl this year?" Olivia asked as she rummaged through the box.
Cora nodded her head vigorously.
"Have you listened to your mama?"
Cora giggled, "yes!"
"Then if we hope really hard I'm sure daddy will come home." Olivia had received a letter from Jamie a few months prior saying he would be home for Christmas but that had been the last letter she'd received and Olivia was beginning to worry.
"I'm sure he'll be home sooner than you know." Olivia smiled in Mrs. Evans direction.
When Olivia had learned she was pregnant she'd wrote to Mrs. Evans to tell her the good news and the woman had immediately booked a train ticket to San Diego to help Olivia prepare for the child. Loving the city so much Mrs. Evans had decided to move to San Diego and she had been a godsend with Cora ever since.
"It's bed time, Cora. You have to go to sleep or else Santa can't bring you your gifts."
At that moment Cora yawned and Olivia smiled at her fondly. She hadn't thought she and Jamie would have created a child that night but they had and she was never happier. When she wrote to Jamie where he was stationed and told him about the baby he was elated. He had even managed to arrange to come home to witness the birth.
"Let's get you upstairs."
"I'll take her. You finish up down here." Mrs. Evans said and she picked up the tired Cora and carried her up the stairs.
Olivia finished cleaning up the Christmas decorations and she thought back on the last time Jamie was home. It was six months ago and he and Olivia had spent their short time together tearing at each other's clothing.
Olivia touched her hand to her protruding stomach smiling at the memory.
She hadn't wrote to Jamie about the pregnancy saving it as a Christmas surprise. She prayed Jamie would come home and she would able to tell him the news or in this case, show him. When she was done cleaning up Olivia climbed the stairs and went to check on Cora. She was sound asleep in her crib and Olivia smiled. She walked down the hall past Mrs. Evans room door and thank God once again for sending her before entering her bedroom.
Olivia had put her all into fixing up the house once Jamie had left needing something to keep her mind off of the possibility of him not coming home. When he first arrived for the birth of Cora Olivia had held on to him all night for hear he was a dream.
Each letter was a relief and hope that when it was all over he would indeed be home.
Climbing into the bed, Olivia turned off the light and settled in falling fast asleep.
Olivia had to be dreaming. She felt the softness of lips on hers and she smiled.
"Liv?" Hearing his voice always relaxed her. Olivia opened her eyes and gasped when she saw Jamie sitting on the bed beside her.
"Jamie?"
Jamie nodded and Olivia sat up in the bed throwing her arms around him. Jamie went to hug her but pulled back when he felt something in the way. Looking down his eyes widened when he saw her rounded stomach.
"Liv, you're..."
"Surprise!" Liv cried, "I was hoping you'd come so I could surprise you. You're not mad are you?"
"Mad? I'm hoping for a boy this time but I wouldn't care either way. Wow we're having another child."
"You're the one who insisted on not letting me out of the bed the last time you were here. You shouldn't be surprised you know."
Jamie laughed and Olivia looked him over. He looked good in his green uniform.
"When do you leave again?" She asked.
"I don't."
Olivia's looked up. "What?"
"Surprise! I wanted to surprise you. I've finished my tour. I'm here to stay, Liv." Olivia felt the tears falling down her face. She threw herself at him and he caught her careful to watch out for her stomach.
"I'm so happy. You'll be here for the birth. I was so scared you'd miss it."
"I told you I was coming back."
"And don't you ever leave us again, Jamie Ross."

Their hearts raced as their eyes locked. He held her gaze, his fingers gently tracing the curve of her cheek before cupping it, his touch both tender and possessive. She could feel the electricity between them, a magnetic pull that drew her closer.
With a mixture of longing and hesitation, their lips met in a fervent kiss that ignited a fire within. Their mouths moved with a rhythm born from unspoken desires, each kiss a declaration of the emotions that had been building between them. His hand slid down her back, pulling her closer, their bodies pressed together in an embrace that left no room for doubt.
As the kiss deepened, their breaths mingled, and the world seemed to fade away, leaving only the heat of their connection. Time became irrelevant as they explored each other's mouths with an intensity that left them breathless. It was a dance of passion and vulnerability, a symphony of sensation that spoke of a bond too powerful to ignore.
They broke the kiss, their foreheads touching as they tried to catch their breath. Their eyes locked once again, a silent understanding passing between them. In that moment Olivia knew that coming to the small town in Alabama had been fate.
That moment in Mahogany when she found Jamie her life had been forever changed and she thank God for it.

I want to thank you all for the views and votes! Thank you for loving the characters the way I did. This was my first story on wattpad and the overwhelming support did shock me but motivated me as well. I'll be writing more. stay tuned!...