Rae Of Sunshine

Annulment

Chris looked at his phone. His alarm clock was about to go off. He placed his phone on the bed stand.

He looked down at Rae who had an arm around his waist and her head rested on his arm. His heart warmed every time he saw her like this, in his arms. It wasn't getting old.

Watching Rae wake up and seeing her face light up when she saw him was indescribable. He knew he put that smile there. She was an early bird by nature even though her first few moments involved her pouting and frowning as she contemplated getting out of bed.

If anyone had told him years ago that he would be swept away by his long-forgotten childhood crush he'd have bet his fortune against it. If it weren't for the man who'd handed him the flier he would not have been able to uncover the lost memories. He frowned.

The amount of trust he'd placed in Cassie's hands and how grossly she'd violated his trust was astounding. The things he'd done under her influence and the way she'd resorted to hypnosis and drugging him when he actually had a spine was downright creepy. He was so glad that he'd found a way to uncover the truth before it was too late.

He was incredibly lucky to have Rae in his arms. The things he had uncovered were appalling to say the least. Occasionally he wondered how he had been able to look at himself in the mirror.

The only comfort was that a lot of the things he had done which were bad were while he was drugged or heavily hypnotised. It still made his stomach churn that Cassie was at the heart of it all. He had always thought that she had been the voice of reason and compassion in his life.

The betrayal at her behaviour after he had trusted her utterly was so strong that he was often saddened when he thought of Cassie. Ironically she had been sending him emails about coming to visit and he had been putting her off. He refused to think of having her in the house with his most precious loved ones in the same space.

His mind went back to the advice that Cassie had given him to not consummate his marriage on the wedding night. He had told Rae to rest up and expect him their marriage complete from night one and he had lived up tot that promise. He had done it with such desperation that Rae had cradled him after and told him she was here to stay until death tore them apart.

He had made up for it in all the days that followed during their honeymoon by tenderly and softly making her his over and over again. He also accepted the same possessiveness from her and enjoyed her claim on him each and every time. It was the first time he had realized the level of peace and contentment he felt since she entered his life more regularly.

He traced a finger along her forearm. It was their first day back at work and he was not looking forward to it. He couldn't imagine not being able to make her giggle at lunch and then showing her just how much he loved her all afternoon. It was such an oddity that he was already used to the honeymoon routine.

He had been pleasantly surprised at how happy he had been to get home and find his little Jellie waiting for mama and papa. His heart had filled with even more love and he had been shocked to find Jellie wiping away the tears as they ran down his cheeks. She had kissed his cheeks and told him she would not let him go away for so long next time.

He'd held both of them in his arms and revelled in the sensation of loving and being loved. He felt a renewed purpose in getting back to work and working out how to leave a legacy for the three of them after he was gone. He was in love with life and planned on making the most of it.

He had genuinely hugged and kissed his mother-in-law for keeping his daughter entertained while he made sure that Rae knew she was the only woman for him, for all his days. It was one of the best moments of his life and he was so aware of the blessings that he had. For the first time in ages he felt truly alive and in the moment with no sense of danger.