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“Hey Mary-Anne!” Bobby’s loud voice was filled with excitement as he ran quickly into the house, leaving his mother behind in the driveway, “Mary-Anne! Where are you?”
“Bobby Parsons, drop down your voice! We are both in the kitchen making supper!” Bobby’s father yelled out, “There is no need to yell!”
Bobby burst into the kitchen then screeched to a stop. With a goofy smile on his face, he stood there looking at Mary-Anne, hiding something behind his back. Before anyone could speak a tiny “meow” was heard and Mary-Anne’s hands covered her mouth, as her eyes grew as big as saucers.
Bobby walked up to Mary-Anne, smiling widely and brought out from behind his back, the fluffiest kitten anyone had ever seen. The tiny puffball meowed again, looking up at Mary-Anne with big blue eyes. Tears poured down Mary-Anne’s cheeks as she reached out for the kitten. As she held the kitten close, loud purring filled the kitchen and all Mary-Anne managed to say was “oh.”
Lisa walked up behind Bobby and set the large bag on the floor, smiling at Mary-Anne’s reaction and Bobby’s happiness over bringing joy to his friend’s life. Robert pushed aside a tear, trying to hide how deeply this affected him but Lisa caught his actions. Looking directly at Robert she whispered “I love you” and he whispered back “you are beautiful.”
Bobby reached down and started pulling things out of the bag; Lisa had just set on the floor.
“Look Mary-Anne! We got her toys! And we bought her this blanket for her pillow!” Bobby continued on, excitement rising in his voice as Mary-Anne watched it all with big eyes filled with tears, “And look at this pillow! Isn’t it soft and deep! She can curl up on the blanket and be real happy! And we bought the best food! See! Gourmet Food for Kittens! And……”
“Oh Bobby! I love you so much!” Mary-Anne exclaimed, “And I love you all so much! Oh my very own kitty! Oh!”
Bobby scuffed his foot on the floor, suddenly embarrassed, “Geez Mary-Anne, it’s only a kitten.”
“Bobby, I don’t care! You can pretend you don’t love me all you want and I know you do!” Mary-Anne stated with determination, “And that’s all there is to it!”
Lisa and Robert exchanged smiles, as the children scampered off with the kitten, Bobby dragging the bag of toys behind him. As the children left the kitchen, Robert walked over and pulled Lisa into a tight embrace.
“Honey, you are the most beautiful woman in the world,” Robert whispered with love, “And I am one very lucky man for having you in my world.”
Lisa melted in his arms, thanking God silently for bringing Robert into her life after years of solitude. There was a time she believed no man would ever love her. A time where she believed she’d never love again either. Then one day, this tall handsome man walked into the restaurant where she was moonlighting and stole her heart. Her life had never been the same since that day.
“Sweetheart, it was all Bobby’s idea,” Lisa whispered back as she remained locked in Robert’s protective arms, “We were in the pet store looking at dogs for his birthday, like we had talked about and he saw the kittens.”
Lisa pulled slightly away, looking up at Robert she continued, “He said that he would give up having a dog if we would let Mary-Anne have a kitten. Because Mary-Anne loved kittens and her dad had killed hers. And he wanted her to be happy again.”
Tears flowed down Lisa’s face as she continued, “He said her happiness was more important because he was always happy. He had parents who never hurt him, not like Mary-Anne and he wanted her to know what that was like. To be that happy.”
Robert’s knees suddenly became weak and he stumbled, releasing the embrace he had with Lisa. Lisa grabbed a chair, which Robert took willingly, then sat down. Lisa pulled out another chair and sat down across from Robert at the kitchen table. In the distance they could hear the unrestrained laughter of Bobby and Mary-Anne.
“Isn’t it amazing how he’s grown up?” Robert stated, “All the things that happened after his sister went missing and he tells you that he never had parents who hurt him?”
Robert covered his face, tears flowing as he continued with a broken voice, “After Tracey disappeared I couldn’t stand being with him. I couldn’t stand being near you. I ran away into the booze. I yelled at you both some nights until my voice was hoarse but he said we never hurt him? I don’t deserve this, any of this! I should have kept her safe! I should have stopped her! I shouldn’t have taken my guilt out on you and Robert! I don’t deserve your forgiveness and his love. I don’t!”
Lisa reached out and took Robert’s hands into her own, looking at her husband, broken and filled with guilt, then chose her words carefully, “Robert, sweetheart, it was a hard time for us all and continues to be hard. No matter what you remember, I remember a father who was at every ball game for his son. I remember a father who spent hours out there building a tree fort, patiently teaching a young 6 year old how to use a hammer. I remember a very strong man forcing the police to search for his daughter and I remember how many long hours this very strong man has spent searching on his own.”
Lisa reached up and brushed away his tears, looking at her husband with tenderness, “There was only a few nights you raged, all you did was yell. Yes it hurt and yes, Bobby was confused but we survived. Because no matter what, we loved each other. You deserve us Robert and we deserve you. Love isn’t conditional, sweetheart, love simply is.”
Robert stood up and walked over to Lisa, pulling out her chair then going down on his knees he took her hand in his, “I make this promise to you. I will never take the love in this house for granted. I will never stop looking for Tracey and I will never touch another drop of alcohol as long as I live.”
Before Lisa can speak, Robert tenderly pushes away her tears and kisses her gently on the lips, then speaks with deep affection and respect for the woman before him, “I will never stop loving you, my beautiful woman.”
“Gross! Dad!” Bobby yelled out in disgust as Mary-Anne giggled behind him, “Yuck!”
Robert and Lisa burst out laughing together. Then both stood up and opened their arms as the children ran over to them, pulling them all into a tight group embrace. The kitten continued to purr loudly, filling the room with calm as all came together with love, forgiveness and peace.
© 2001
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