The Journey Home Ch. 07

She reached for the bar of soap and lathered to her hands. Starting at her feet, she massaged the soap into her skin, working her way up her body; her hands swirling around carefree. When she reached her thighs and buttocks she felt her body tremble with arousal.

This was her first shower alone since returning home with Ben and she had become aroused beyond comprehension. She placed one hand over a breast, her palm grazing the erect nipple. She slipped the other hand between her thighs. With visions of Ben in her mind, visions she didn't mind having, she continued to massage her swollen clitoris and tease each nipple until she peaked and her orgasm drove through her like a bullet.

Her legs trembled and stiffened, her ass pressed hard against the tile and her fingers quickly slid over her hard nub. She gasped for air as the convulsions eased and her breathing regulated. Laura returned to washing herself, her hair being the last step before she stepped from the tub and rapped a towel around herself.

"Knock, knock!" A sound came from downstairs. Laura was hesitant to answer the door, but when the knocking wouldn't stop she asked who it was.

"Hey Laura, it's me, Peter," he said, standing outside on the mat.

Laura didn't open the door all the way because of the way she was dressed. When Peter told her that he had something to give her, she opened the door a bit wider to peek around and speak with him.

"Hey, I have your suitcase and Ben's bag too. Do you want me to just leave them out here and you can get them later?" Peter asked through the small open space between the door and the frame.

Embarrassed for him to see her like that, Laura told him he could slide the bags inside the door. She stood behind it and held it open. Peter opened the screen door, set the bags just inside then stepped back onto the porch. She pushed the door closed, peeking around it again to continue speaking with him.

"Thanks Peter," she said, fiddling nervously with the handle of the door, trying to keep herself hidden from his view.

"Hey! Before I go, I wanted to let you guys know that Sara and the babies are home now. They were released just about an hour ago. She's quite tired so if you could give her some time to rest before you and Ben come over that would be great." Peter said as he turned and started to walk off the porch.

Still a bit flush from her shower activity Laura shouted to Peter as he walked back to his car, "Hey thanks for bringing these over Peter and tell Sara we said hi!" Peter waved to let her know he heard what she said as he shifted into drive and headed home.

Just as Peter turned the corner, Ben pulled into the driveway. He turned off the engine and got out in a rush, forgetting his keys in the ignition. He slammed the door and ran into the house.

He called out for Laura downstairs but she didn't answer. He ran over to the staircase taking two steps at a time to get upstairs as quickly as possible. Again he called out for Laura.

"In here!" Ben heard her voice coming from the bedroom and rushed in to see her.

"Hey, look what Peter brought by," she said with a broad smile as she turned to look at Ben.

"Oh that's great!" Ben said smiling back as he walked over to Laura and lifted her to her feet.

"Looks like someone woke up in a good mood today," she whispered seductively as she turned to face him.

Without a word, Ben took one step back, bent down on one knee and took Laura's hands in his. "Will you marry me Laura?" he asked as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"Oh my God! It's my ring! Where did you find it?" Laura cried as Ben waited for her answer.

"Ahem," he sounded as he cleared his voice and held her left hand in his.

Laura took a step forward, her hands shaking, "Oh yes Ben! I will marry you!" she finally said.

Ben placed the engagement ring on her finger and then pulled her to his chest and with hands on either side of her face he brought his lips to hers and kissed her tenderly. He broke the kiss just long enough to scoop her in his arms and walk across the bedroom to the bed.

~~~

The remainder of the week Ben and Laura planned their wedding. "Ben?" Laura started. "Do you remember when we did this before and I said how much I wanted a big wedding with all the extras?"

"Yes and that's still fine with me," Ben whispered as he leaned in to kiss her neck.

"Well, I've been thinking; I don't want to wait any longer than we have to. I don't need all that fancy stuff to be happy with you. Let's just plan a small ceremony here in the yard with our closest friends and family. I was thinking six weeks from now would be good!"

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Ben asked her and then continued; hiding his excitement that he didn't have to go through with all the hoopla she wanted before. "And why six weeks?"

"Yes, that's what I want. I've changed a lot since I left for my trip with the girls. I've discovered that you're the most important thing in my life, not a fancy wedding. I want to wait until Sara is rested enough and the babies are a bit bigger. Besides, I should be settled into my new job by then and Dr. Tate can give me a clean bill of health. That's why I said six weeks," she replied with a hug.

"Okay then, six weeks it is! We had better get to planning!" Ben said with excitement in his voice and a smile across his face.

~~~

The week Laura returned passed quickly with the birth of Sara's twins and all the wedding plans. Monday morning Laura awoke bright and early. Ben was still asleep as she crawled out of bed and walked to the shower.

After a quick shower, she dried off and dressed for her first day at her new job. "This'll be perfect!" he said excitedly as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror behind the bedroom door. She slipped her black heels on just before she walked out of the bedroom on her way to the kitchen for a quick cup of coffee.

Eight a.m. she was headed out the door to her first day of work. Her hands left sweat prints on the steering wheel as she drove and the closer she got to the address on the paper Ben gave her the more nervous she became. She pulled into the parking lot and got the shock of her life.

Unknowingly, Max had phoned them and told them Laura was returning. He warned them that she may not remember being there before and to be easy on her today seeing it's her first day back.

As she neared the entrance and found a parking spot she began to cry. "Oh my God! I can't believe it!" she thought to herself as she parked then exited her car. As she walked toward the front door she shouted, "Oh my God! Joan, Clark, Sue, Carl," remembering everyone she had worked with.

A tear came to her eye as she walked through the doors and saw her desk, walked over and sat down in her swivel chair. Glancing around, her heart began to ache when she saw other employees sitting at the desks belonging to her girlfriends that went on that fateful vacation with her.

"I know it's a lot to deal with Laura, so if you want to come back tomorrow and start the week then that would be just fine," her manager said.

"No! I'm okay, it'll be fine," she whimpered. She tried her best to be brave, but it was difficult for her with the flashbacks of her friends sitting at their desks and then of them on the airplane.

Laura stayed the remainder of the day and when the clock struck five, she hugged everyone and said she would be back in the morning. Before she left she walked back to her desk, picked up her phone and called Ben. "Hey baby, it's me. I just wanted to remind you about my appointment with Dr. Tate and Emma this evening. I'm headed over there now if you are available to meet me there," she said and then hung up the phone before she walked out of the bank and to her car.

Pulling into the hospital driveway she steered toward the visitor parking structure. She grabbed the ticket from the automated machine and then followed the arrows that directed her where to park. Because it was later in the evening, many of the close spots were available and she pulled into the first one she saw.

Laura waited a couple minutes for Ben, but as her appointment time neared she decided to go up without him. "I'm sure he'll be able to find me," she said to herself as she exited her car and walked toward the hospital entrance.

As she pushed the revolving door to walk through, she saw Ben drive up, but he waved her on. She continued through the door and had every intention of going straight to the room number of the card, but as she crossed the lobby her eyes and ears were drawn to her right.

A huge fountain decorated the lobby. Laura stopped to admire the artwork and tossed a penny into the water, making a wish. Standing near the edge for several minutes the sound relaxed her and the mist refreshed her.

"You're going to be late if you don't get a move on," Ben said as he approached, startling her. She didn't want to leave, but she didn't want to keep the doctor waiting either. She clenched Ben's hand and they headed for the elevators.

"Hello Dr. Tate," Laura said, smiling as she walked into the waiting room relaxed and cheerful.

"Hello Laura, Ben," he replied and then continued. "You are my last patient today so you can come right on in. Ben, would you like to join her? Emma will show you to the exam room."

Ben looked at Laura as if asking if she wanted him in there with her. She just grabbed his hand and pulled him along as Emma held the door open. Both Laura and Ben immediately felt relaxed and calm as they walked to the back of the long hallway to the exam room.

"You can wait in here Ben," Emma said to him and then continued. "Laura if you would come with me so we can get you a gown to put on." Emma and Laura walked out of the exam room and across the hall so she could change.

Laura undressed quickly and slipped on the gown for her examination and then returned to the room where Ben had been waiting. She hopped up on the table and waited for Dr. Tate.

"Hello there young lady," Samuel said as he walked in the room and closed the door behind him. "How have you been feeling since your return from Florida? Anymore visions?" he asked, checking her vitals.

"Oh doctor I'm doing fine!" she said with a broad smile. "I've had a couple visions, well images to be exact, but nothing for you to be concerned about," she added as she glanced over at Ben and winked.

"How was your first day on the new job?" he questioned her.

Knowing the area well after growing up in the city and living there all his life, he suspected after speaking with Emma about Laura's past, that the bank she was going to be working at was the same bank she was employed at before her accident. He was very concerned how she handled the shock or if she even remembered.

As he waited for her to process her thoughts, he walked over to the small white cabinet and grabbed some instruments from the top that Emma had placed there earlier. Laura began to answer his question when he turned back toward her again.

"It was an okay day I guess. I didn't recall working for National City bank when I got the job in Florida. I just knew I was good with numbers and money. When I walked to the front door everyone came out to greet me and many faces looked very familiar. As I got closer I recognized my boss and a few co-workers. It was embarrassing because they cheered me until after I walked through the door."

She paused briefly to ask for a cup of water, took a deep breath and continued. "When I got to my desk I sat down and looked around and then it hit me. Other workers were sitting in the chairs my girlfriends sat at the last time I was there. Then memories of the accident rushed over me. My boss asked if I needed to try it again tomorrow, but I stuck it out and at the end of the day I told them all I would see them tomorrow."

"Well I must say, I'm very proud of you for sticking with it Laura. I'm not sure who your primary care physician was before, but if you don't mind I would like to keep you on here as my patient at least for a little while longer. Is that okay with you?" he asked her as he jotted down some notes on her chart.

"I would like to do a full exam of you today while I have you here. Do you remember when your last physical was?" he asked as he prepared the instruments.

"It's probably been close to a year if Dr. Stone didn't do one when I was in Florida," Laura said then agreed to the physical and keeping Samuel as her doctor. She felt at ease with him and became quite close to Emma in Florida.

"This might be a bit cold," he warned as he pulled the stethoscope from around his neck, put the earpieces in his ears and the diaphragm to her chest.

Laura jumped slightly and emitted a soft giggle as the cold metal circle was moved around her chest then to her back. She followed each direction Samuel gave, inhaling, exhaling and coughing.

"Everything sounds good there," Samuel said as he hung the stethoscope back around his neck and pulled a long metal tube out of his pocket. "I'm just gong to check your ears, nose and throat now," he said and then instructed Laura to tilt her head back.

"We're almost finished," he said as he returned the items to the counter behind him.

Returning to the exam table, he informed Laura of the other tests he needed to do and asked Ben if he would like to leave the room, but Laura asked him to stay. Ben felt uncomfortable with the idea of having to watch the doctor perform certain tests on Laura, but he figured after everything she endured it was the least he could do. He clenched his teeth and sat back against his chair, feet flat on the floor; looking everywhere but at what the doctor was doing.

"Okay, you can relax now Ben, it's all over with," Samuel said as Laura removed her feet from the stirrups and relaxed on the exam table. He disposed of the gloves he wore, washed his hands and then grabbed a new pair of gloves from the box on the counter beside the sink. He walked to the side of the exam table and then parted her gown from her neck to the waist. "My hands might be a bit cold here," he said as he touched her right breast.

Ben couldn't figure out why he was so embarrassed. "Damn! It's not like I've never seen those body parts before," he thought to himself as he looked up at Samuel and Laura once again. "This just isn't right, man!" he scolded himself, folding his hands in his lap to cover his rigid shaft as Samuel performed the breast exam on Laura.

"Okay, the worst part is over. Now Emma will come in and get some blood from you and then before you get dressed I need a urine sample and then you are good to go. After you get dressed I want you to make a follow up appointment for one week so we can go over the results," Samuel said and then turned to walk out of the room.

After the two remaining tests, Laura changed her clothes, dropped her gown into the hamper in the corner of the changing room and then met Ben at the front desk to make her next appointment.

"How long will you be in Michigan Emma?" Laura asked as Ben handed her the check he wrote to pay her bill.

Emma smiled broadly and turned slightly to see if Samuel was near and then answered. "I'm hoping to transfer here. If you haven't noticed Dr. Tate is quite a catch," she continued as her cheeks turned rosy.

Laura noticed, but she didn't want to make Ben jealous so she just smiled and thanked Emma for being such a good friend to her as she handed her the check and then walked toward the exit sign with Ben.

~~~

The second week passed quickly and once again it was time for Laura to visit Dr. Tate and Emma at the hospital. She arrived a little early so she could talk with Emma before being seen by Samuel. When she walked in the office on the fifth floor Emma was waiting for her. "Well, I have some good news!" Emma said excited and continued before Laura could get a word in. "I'm here for good! Samuel asked me to stay on and Dr. Stone said it was for the best and I owe it all to you!"

Laura blushed at her words as she sat on the edge of her seat.

"Dr. Tate will see you now," she said as she escorted Laura to the first open room.

"Well what's the verdict doc?" Laura asked when he walked into the room.

"The ex-rays still show a bump on your head, but that's understandable considering. I want you to take it easy for a while longer. You can work and resume all your daily activities as you were, but call me immediately if anything changes. Make sure you get plenty of rest and protect that bump until it's gone. Other than that you seem to be in perfect health. I want to see you back in my office in a month to check that bump though," he told her as he stood, shook her hand and excused himself to see another patient.

She picked up her purse and headed to the front desk to pay her bill and schedule her next appointment with Emma and then she headed home.

Laura pulled into the driveway and entered the house through the side door. She turned to walk up the stairs that led to the kitchen ad Ben was waiting at the table, somewhat patiently for her return and the good news.

"Everything all right?" he asked as he pulled her in for a big hug and then continued. "I really missed you today."

After Ben released her enough so she could speak, Laura told him everything the doctor said. He was also concerned about their sex life after Laura told him what the doctor said about her taking it easy, but she reassured him it was okay. "I have to be careful and not overexert myself too much and try not to do a lot of bending," she said. Laura turned and then sat on Ben's lap as they talked more about Dr. Tate's findings.

Because of her long day with work and the doctor visit, Laura opted not to go visit Sara tonight. She stood from Ben's lap and suggested they make dinner together as she walked over to the cupboard and took out a box of tuna helper and brought it to the stove.

As she bent over to get the saucepan from the cupboard under the sink Ben sauntered up behind her and pressed his thighs into hers. "Hey! Watch it! You know how I get when I'm hungry," she said with a giggle as she put the pan on the back burner of the stove and started dinner.

Ben helped her with the meal and set the table while he waited for the food to cook. Candlelight danced about the room and the crystal vase, that held a single red rose, shimmered with the romantic glow. A tear came to Laura's eye when she brought the meal to the dining room table.

After they ate, Ben told Laura to go relax and he would clean up from dinner. Laura wasn't about to argue with him tonight, she was exhausted. She scooted her chair from the table, stood then walked into the living room and turned on the television before she settled on the plush sofa.

"Oh where's that darn remote?" she thought to herself as she searched under the cushions and around the coffee table. Finding it under some newspapers she picked it up, selecting The Movie Channel. Ben cuddled beside Laura as soon as he finished in the kitchen. The evening was quiet as they watched television for a while then retired to the bedroom for a good night's sleep.

As much as Laura loved the sex with Ben, tonight she was just too exhausted to enjoy it. She changed out of her clothes and into her silk nightgown and immediately crawled beneath the covers. Ben, a little disappointed by the fact that there wouldn't be any sex that night, changed into his pajamas as well, but only after a nice quick cold shower. He cuddled up to Laura in the bed and with his arm around her waist said, "Good night baby. I love you." He kissed her cheek softly and then closed his eyes. Laura muttered, "I love you too." She immediately drifted off to sleep as Ben settled beside her. "Oh why do the weekends have to pass so quickly?" she thought to herself as she slid out of bed the next morning, Ben still asleep beside her. She watched him for a moment before she leaned down, kissed his cheek softly and then headed to the bathroom for her morning ritual to prepare for work.