I Never Dream You'd Leave in Summer

Chapter 3 - Life Does Go On

I stayed another two days since we had not yet drawn a case. We went to the local FBI office and video conferenced Director Vance and then had a joint conference with the Director and with King. It was decided that since King had not yet hired a replacement for Sonja that she would take her position back and that the new agent would be to replace Sonja in Immigration.

The grandmothers were not having it about the parents not being husband and wife. And actually given the situation with LaSalle Industries, the JAG at Belle Chasse strongly suggested that we make our relationship legal as well.

Sonja's lawyer was a bulldog and insisted that I not only give her child support but also an allowance if we separated within the first five years of our marriage with a payment double that if I were to die. Rachelle objected but I reminded her that it was just money. Sonja loved me before I had money and I couldn't see that she would not spend the money on my child. Seems like the one good thing from my father's ill-timed decision to drop the company on me was that my children would live in comfort and be able to attend the finest universities in the nation.

We bought a beautiful home right on the water. We had the wedding at the new house. Sonja wore her sister's wedding dress.

I finally got my boat and had the hardest time getting my wife to get on it. Brody flew out and stayed a week with Sonja to unpack and place the furniture right where she wanted it. Loretta was the one who lost her mind never having had a baby of her own. My mom finally banned her from going shopping with Sonja.

The baby came right on time. Between Sonja's perfectly fit body and her bones, the delivery came quick and easy. We named our daughter after Brody's sister Emily. She had Sonja's father's hazel colored eyes, Cade's nose and my wild hair but dark like Sonja's.

Momma came to live with us for the first year while Sonja's mother came for the holidays and a couple of times during the year to give momma a vacation. We wanted to hire a baby nurse but momma wasn't haven't it so we ended up hiring a cook and a part time maid instead.

I watched my wife crying at Emily's first birthday party. If I had had any doubts, they melted away as I watched my daughter and her mother interact. Momma told me at least once a day how fortunate I was to have married a smart, beautiful woman like Sonja who obviously loved me very much.

Early on in our marriage I purchased every album recorded by Roberta Flack. Sonja won't let me play 'I Never Dreamed' while she is in the house but finds every opportunity to play 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face'. Her sister secretly told me that it was because it reminded her of the look I evidentially had on my own face one day when Sonja was quizzing me about Savannah. She had told the sister that she hoped to find a man who loved her as much as I loved Savannah. Sonja told her that I had that look on my face again the first time we hugged the day after she and King almost blew up on the tug out in the water. Sonja said it scared her and for months she ran away from me even though she had realized on that day that I was in love with her. There are just some things that I will never understand about my wife.