Courage Under Duress (SYTYCW)

Chapter 28

Dinner was enjoyable.  I had never laughed so much in far too long.  Thomas had always been quite the joker in the past but I never knew where he got it from.  Clearly, it came from his mother.

Watching as the two of them bickered back and forth, I couldn't help but be reminded of what family was all about.  It's not like I had forgotten how having a family around was, it was more of the fact that I had missed it so much after my parents deaths.  Aside from Dominic, I had no one else and no real confidence or urge to make new friends after my old ones had deserted me for fear that I would lose those friendships as well.

In the midst of the jokes and teasing, I began to wonder why we were there at all.  What did his mother's place have that Thomas' didn't?

"Erica?"  I snapped out of my reverie as Thomas' mother called out to me.  "Are you okay, honey?"

"Yeah, just a small case of claustrophobia," I told her.  "I think I'll go get some air."

"I'll come with you," Thomas offered.

"No, it's fine.  Spend some time with your mother.  You've been gone for too long," I reminded him.

"But, E-" he protested.

"I'll just be on the back patio," I assured him and he nodded in agreement.

I'm not sure how long I had been sitting on the patio swing by myself but when I heard the door, I hadn't expected Marie to be the one to join me.

"How are you doing, honey?" she asked me as she sat beside me.

"As good as I possibly can be I suppose," I answered.  "I'm presuming that Thomas has told you the entire story?"

She nodded.  "You know you'll make it through it, right?" the woman told me.  "You remind me so much of myself that I have no doubt that you'll pull through."

"I hope so.  On most days, it takes everything to keep it together.  I'm thankful for Thomas but it weighs heavily on me that he's put himself in danger already just to help me out.  I'm worried for him more than I'm worried for myself and now that we're here, I'm worried for you too."

"That's a lot for you to bear on your own, sweetie," she said.  "You know that you need help, just like I needed it."  I looked at the woman in shock and found my gaze lowered to my hands again.  "Thomas told me that he shared our story with you.  If it weren't for Doug, I never would have gotten out alive.  I shudder at the thought of what could have happened to my Tommy.  He loves you, you know."  My head snapped up to look at her.  "Don't tell me you can't tell.  It's in the way he looks at you, the way he speaks to you, about you, the subtle gestures like how he knew you were apprehensive when you first got here.

"That man in there is just like Doug was with me.  You might not see it right now but you just might later on.  Take his help, Erica, because he won't let you turn it down.  As for worrying about me, I know how to handle myself.  If Dominic wandered over here, he'd be running for the hills with a few extra holes to breathe through," she said.  I giggled at her don't-mess-with-me expression.

"You make it sound so easy to do.  To overcome the man, I mean," I told her.

"Oh, I'm not going to sell you on any notions that it's easy at all, honey.  It's not going to be.  You're dealing with someone who's been trained to behave as if he's smoke under the cover of darkness, kill and hunt without anyone knowing he's been there."  The woman shook her head.  "No, there definitely won't be anything easy about it.  The fact that Tommy has no support from his team is what baffles me."

"Mom."  Thomas walked out to join us.  "I'm sure there's a reason.  If the Sergeant wants me out, then I'm out, no questions asked."

"But-" she contested.

"It's not like I'm not being paid.  They forced the sabbatical on me and I'm glad because I can watch over Erica a heck of a lot more."

"I bet you do."  His mother teased him and winked at me.  I couldn't help the giggle.  "I'll leave you two be."  I got up to stop her.

"Marie?"  She turned to face me.  I took the few steps toward her and hugged her tight.  "Thank you."

"You're welcome, honey."  She squeezed back.  I closed my eyes and soaked up her comfort.

When Marie disappeared inside, I took my seat on the swing.  Thomas came to join me.  The night breeze did wonders on keeping us cool from the heat.  I leaned my head on his shoulder and reached for his hand.

"Your mother is wonderful," I told him.  "She's so strong and despite what she's been through, she seems so happy and solid on her feet."

"She worked hard to get there.  I doubt that she'd be the way she is today without Doug."

"I'm sure you had a play in that too, Tommy."  His head snapped and he jumped away from me with a look of shock on his face.  I smirked at his reaction.  "Yeah, your mother called you that earlier when we were talking."

"So you were talking about more than just my job, huh?"  He smiled and turned his body toward mine.  I nodded in response.  "What else about me?"

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you," I said in a singsong fashion.

"I have ways to make you talk, you know."  He grinned.

"You'll torture it out of me?"

"I would never," he said and pushed a strand of loose hair behind my ear, "but then again..."  Letting the sentence hang, he motioned with his index finger for me to approach him.  His lips met mine in a hungry fashion before the rhythm slowed to a gentleness I had grown to enjoy and crave.  "I'm sure I could torture you in a way that you would enjoy just as much as I would."  He winked and kissed me again.

"We should go to bed," I whispered between kisses.

"I think you're right.  We have lots to do tomorrow."