Chapter Forty Eight

Stephen

I’d finally brought Trinity, my wife, home. My heart was in pieces, but she was slowly piecing it back together. As we walked through our house, I watched her absorb the memories that filled our home. The memories we’d created together, our shared life, was like a painting spread out before us. As I pointed out our most cherished memories captured in photographs around our home, we came across our wedding photos and pictures of our children.

Trinity asked about our wedding. When our wedding song started playing and I held her in my arms, dancing with her, I felt a deep longing for my wife.

Yes, I was holding her in my arms right now, but every part of me ached for her to remember what we’d built. I’d promised to protect her from anything and anyone, and deep down, I felt like I’d failed her. I hadn’t been able to protect her when she needed me the most.

I was quickly pulled from my thoughts when Trinity asked to see our room. I’d longed to have my wife back in our home, in our bed, but I was scared. I was afraid it would be too much for her, that she’d become overwhelmed or upset. I was trying not to push her into something she wasn’t ready for. But when she pleaded with me, I understood her need to do this.

I gently took her hand and led her to our bedroom. I opened the door and stepped aside, letting her enter first. I watched as she carefully took in our room. She walked over to her vanity table, running her hand along it, picking up a photo of us. She traced her fingers over our faces before putting it back down.

She moved on to our wardrobe, noting how everything was neatly arranged on its respective sides. She took in the dual dressing tables in the middle, laden with our aftershaves, perfumes, body lotions, and hair gels. She continued on to the ensuite bathroom, taking in the dual shower and bathtub before walking back out.

She stood at the foot of our bed, running her fingers along the ottoman as she looked at our bed.

“Trinity - That’s my side?”

“Stephen - Yes. I feel more comfortable with you sleeping on that side.”

“Trinity - You like this side?”

She pointed to my side of the bed, questioning.

“Stephen - I could sleep anywhere as long as I’m with you. I just prefer sleeping closest to the door. That way, if anything ever happened, I’d be between you and, say, an intruder.”

“Trinity - To protect me?”

“Stephen - Always.”

I softly ran my hand along her cheek as she leaned into my touch. After a few moments, she walked over to my bedside table and picked up the photo I have of her on it. She turned to me, holding it.

“Trinity - You like this photo?”

“Stephen - It’s my favorite.”

“Trinity - Why?”

“Stephen - It captures everything my heart sees in you. I can’t quite explain it, but you are at your most beautiful when you are pregnant, or with our children. I’ve never really been able to explain it to you properly, but it’s just something that tugs at my heartstrings. I remember the day this photo was taken clearly. I’d just come home from work, Clint had just dropped me off, and you were sitting on our couch feeding our twins who were just a month old. Seeing you nurture and feed my children, holding them, their beautiful mother, my wife...”

“Trinity - Stephen.”

I shook my head, trying to pull myself out of that memory before my emotions got the better of me.

“Stephen - Yes, doll?”

She gasped when I said that, looking shocked.

“Stephen - What’s wrong?”

“Trinity - I feel... I don’t know, just... I felt something when you said ‘doll.’ Like that was supposed to mean something or be something special.”

“Stephen - Because it is.”

“Trinity - Is it?”

“Stephen - I’ve always called you my doll, because to me, you are perfect. You are the most elegant, classy, beautiful woman I’ve ever known. You are intelligent, caring, motherly, and you are everything I’ve ever wanted and more.”

“Trinity - Oh.”

I saw her blush and lower her head slightly. I reached out, taking her hand in mine, stroking her fingers.

“Stephen - What were you going to say?”

“Stephen - Can I...”

I stepped closer to her, wrapping my other arm around her back, stroking it gently.

“Stephen - What is it?”

“Trinity - I just have a lot of emotions running through me right now. But even though I can’t remember a lot of what you’re telling me right now, I can’t deny the intimacy and the attraction I felt towards you out there. Like I’m drawn to you and I can’t control it.”

“Stephen - I know. I’ve always felt that with you.”

“Trinity - Can you kiss me, Stephen?”

“Stephen - I have, sweetheart. Every chance I get.”

“Trinity - No, really kiss me. I want to remember you, I want to remember us. I...”

“Stephen - Trinity?”

I took her chin and tilted her head up to look at me.

“Trinity - I want to be close with you. I know it sounds crazy, but I have your child inside me, you are my husband, and I can’t remember any of it. I want a memory of you, Stephen. I want to know what it is about you that made us create all this beauty together.”

“Stephen - It was never about me, Trinity. It was always about you. Everything I do is because of you. I would have none of this without you. Don’t give me credit that so freely belongs to you.”

She stepped in closer to me and ran her hand up my chest to my cheek as she looked up.

“Trinity - Stephen, show me our love, please.”

“Stephen - What is it you want?”

My heart was racing, and I could barely breathe.

“Trinity - I want you to make love to me. I want to remember our love.”

“Stephen - Are you sure? Trinity, I don’t want you to feel pressured or think you have to do something because you don’t. I will wait as long as I have to for you.”

“Trinity - I can feel that. I feel safe with you, Stephen. I feel loved, I feel protected. I want to know our love over again, not just feel it around me. I want to feel it with you.”

“Stephen - You know you are the only woman I have ever loved.”

“Trinity - Am I?”

“Stephen - I’ve said it before, but I was a shell of a man before you. You are what made me the man I am today. You are my world, Trinity.”

“Trinity - Then please do this, Stephen. Do it for me, do it for us. Let me feel our world again. Make love to me.”