Thanks a lot to techsan who edited the story pretty quickly and turned it into a better one.
Chapter Sixteen
One Saturday morning when they were reading the newspaper Anna suddenly said, "I would like to see that movie. I wonder when it will be shown on TV."
"I'll be honored to take you to the movies if you let me," Chris said half heartedly, not thinking she would agree to go.
"Can we go today? I don't feel good. Maybe some distraction will help."
"Sure, let me check the time." Chris choked on his coffee and he ran to the kitchen actually singing.
"What's going on here?" Mrs. Sanders asked with interest.
"You are going to have to deal with Angela on your own tonight. Anna and I are going to a movie."
"I get the privilege of baby-sitting, then! Oh, anyway, you can stay out all night if you want. It was about time you two started to date."
"It is not a date."
"Yes, yes. I know it isn't a date when two people who love each other go out to a movie."
"Melinda!"
It was a romantic comedy. They had fun, shared a big box of popcorn, and talked but as they headed out of the movie theater Anna stopped and started to shake like a leaf.
At first Chris didn't recognize it and continued talking, "The hero was such a fool, don't you think? He kept falling when he saw her."
There was no answer. He turned to Anna and saw that she had gone pale and shaking.
"Anna, what's going on? Are you ok? Are you cold? Anna!" Chris asked worried and almost in panic.
"I, I, please," Anna said incoherently.
Chris didn't understand anything but held her tightly in his arms until her shakes subsided and she could talk. She buried her head in his shoulder and refused to look anywhere for a while. Chris was trying to talk as soothingly as he could but it was mostly gibberish as he didn't know what caused the fear attack until she could tell him that she thought she saw Stephen. Chris neither wanted to remember the guy, nor wished he had so much effect on her life.
His warmth, the smell of his aftershave, his strength was already calming her. When she looked up at him with teary, grateful and loving eyes, he was once again drawn to her lips. The kiss was such a great distraction for her that she forgot where they were, what she was thinking; there was only the soft and sweet kiss which she didn't want to end. He kissed her so longingly, so lovingly that her stomach clenched, a warmth spread downwards from her stomach, a little voice shouted, "more, more". The kiss was a distraction for Chris, too. He had lost track of time and place. There was only Anna and him in the world. She was so sweet, so giving.
They parted with an "oh, thank you." Both of them were trying to put their feelings in order and understand what was going on once again. They talked about nothing in particular as they drove home and neither one was able to talk about what had happened once again. In front of her bedroom, Chris took her head in his hands, kissed her good night on her forehead and ran to his room. He had even forgotten to kiss Angela goodnight like he used to do every night. Although she didn't object to either of his kisses and actually was reciprocating, Chris hoped he didn't scare her. He was so blind with thoughts that he couldn't see that she wanted him, too.
Chapter Seventeen
Christmas was a merry time for all. It had begun to snow. They persuaded Mrs. Sanders and also Mark, who had come for a visit, into a great snowball fight in the garden. Mark had come to inform them that Stephen was found dead. That was a great relief to everyone. But Chris started to feel uneasy. Now that Stephen was no longer a concern, would she still want him in her life? His duty was over. She and Angela were safe. The wonder started to eat him inside. He had to find a way to stay.
To ensure he stayed through Christmas, he brought a Christmas tree to be put up in the sitting room along with many decorations. The little angels, snowflakes, little shiny balls, and stars were everywhere. The weekend before Christmas they decorated it. He was on top of the ladder and Anna was handing him the decorations and showing where they should be hung. After she gave him the last star and said its place is on the very top of the tree, he placed the star. Nevertheless a surprise was waiting, he slipped and fell on her as he was getting down from the ladder.
"I am sorry. Are you hurt?"
"No."
He turned around to stand up but they ended in a position lying face to face so close that he could smell her shampoo and she could smell his aftershave and her stomach again clenched. Chris was lost again to her attraction and they started kissing. His hands travelled downward passing over her nipples. She quivered but she froze when his hand reached her underwear. He immediately sensed it.
"I am sorry, I am sorry. Why am I always doing things I shouldn't do?" Chris said more to himself than Anna then continued without giving Anna a chance to recover and answer. "I love you, Anna, and I won't lie. I want you but I will never do anything you don't want, anything that could hurt you."
Anna was speechless. She felt a deep void after he stopped kissing her but him loving her - she had to admit she knew it all along. She searched for words to express her feelings, but there were none. She was happy, sad, excited, worried at the same time. Chris had jumped to his feet by the time and was walking out of the door.
Mrs. Sanders came in to announce dinner time and they were saved for the moment from further wondering what they would do with their feelings.
Everybody received presents. Chris had bought a golden necklace with an angel and two flowers on pendants. He said those flowers were Anna and Angela. Anna gave Chris a new watch. Angela received a teddybear and a teether. Mrs. Sanders wasn't forgotten, of course; Anna had bought her a new sweater and Chris a new blanket for her knees which ached in the evenings. In the following days Anna was never seen without the necklace or Chris without the watch.
"I have a present for you for New Year's Eve," Mrs. Sanders said after Christmas, "I'll babysit Angela and you two are going out to Luciano's Restaurant for dinner. I won't take no for an answer. I've already made the reservations and paid for it, so go and enjoy yourselves."
"You didn't need to do it. It is an expensive restaurant."
"I wanted to," Mrs. Sanders answered, hoping the romantic, cozy atmosphere of the restaurant would help these two blind lovers. She was getting bored waiting for them to figure out their love at their own pace. She thought they were so slow that they could be in a nursing home by the time they married.
Anna once again stunned Chris by wearing a red silky dress with thin straps made up of little shiny red beads. It fit her like a glove from the stomach up but had a nice wavy skirt which was just long enough to cover her knees. The matching pumps made her legs look longer and firmer. Her hair was pulled up in little curls. The necklace which was her Christmas present was around her neck. She was glowing and anybody could see that it was the happiness light in her that was shining.
They had a very romantic time at the restaurant. They ate and drank a little. Their nerves were working overtime but they had fun and toasted Mrs. Sanders who organized the night for them. Seeing Mark and Heather there was a great surprise but they eventually ended up at the same table. The couple was so into each other that Chris gulped every time he saw Mark kissing Heather or caressing her. Chris was holding himself back like a gentleman so no kissing accident happened. He was fighting with himself but he couldn't extinguish the fire she lit on his skin whenever she touched him, couldn't avoid the pain in his stomach when he looked at her, couldn't avoid wishing.
Anna was feeling the same fire but avoiding the truth. She thought that maybe it was the wine or the atmosphere of the restaurant which made her feel strangely. Nevertheless she felt so comfortable in Chris's arms that it was like she belonged there. There was magic in the air. They were dancing in such harmony that the other couples envied them. They weren't aware of the others, though. When they danced it was like only they existed on the stage. And when the dance ended, they didn't want to let each other go.
"Ten...nine...eight...seven...six...five...four..three...two...one!" Everybody shouted and the new year came with the cheers of the people. Everybody was jumping, baloons and confetti were set loose. Anna was watching the entertainment like a little child who has seen the amusement park for the first time in her life. She pulled Chris to a relatively quiet corner of the restaurant.
"Thank you, Chris, for everything. I didn't even know when new year came last time and I had no hope of seeing the next one," she said with gratitude and kissed him lightly on his cheek.
Chris was timid. "You're welcome. I was more than just happy to help two lost angels. Not everybody has the chance to have even one angel in his life, but I have two. But you are not kicking me out, are you?" Chris answered in her ear. Her perfume made him feel dizzy and electricity flew over his hand which he had put on her shoulder unconsciously. He pulled it back suddenly.
"No, of course not. I need some more time to adjust myself to the feeling that Stephen is not there anymore. But still there are many people like him. No, would you please stay for a little while more?" She thought he wanted to go now that he had kept his promise. She desperately wanted him to stay.
Chris was a little relieved and led her to their table.
They drove back a little while later. Angela was still too young to understand New Year and would be awake early in the morning just like any other day. There was a strange tension in the air. Anna went to check on Angela to escape.
