Chrissy's Deception Pt. 03

Mike stopped in front of her. He looked down into her eyes with an burning intensity in his own. In a rather strained voice, he said, "Will you go for a ride with me?"

Chrissy laughed at his seriousness and said, "Sure, just let me get my shoes and socks. I'll met you downstairs."

After having been in the car for five days, Chrissy was surprised that Mike wanted to get back into it. But something was up and she would go with him and find out what it was. When she got downstairs, he was leaving a note for Tracy and Mark. He motioned her to be quiet as they went out the door, so as to not wake up the newlyweds. Once they were outside, he dropped his arm around her shoulders and led her to the passenger side of the car. He opened the door for her and waited for her to get in. She had assumed that she would drive, but didn't question Mike since he looked so preoccupied and focused.

The car was filled with silence as they drove back down the long driveway and out onto the main road. On the way in, they had passed the house that they had looked at buying and Chrissy had commented that the "for sale" sign was gone. Now, Mike was pointing the car back in that direction. When he pulled into the driveway of the house, Chrissy shot him a surprised look. He was staring at the road in front of them with such intensity that she didn't dare comment. Finally, Mike pulled the car to a stop in front of the house and cut off the engine.

When Mike turned to face Chrissy in the seat, she had no idea what to expect him to say. Driving into the driveway of someone else's house was rather strange behavior and she wasn't sure what he was up to. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to explain.

Mike took several deep breaths as he tried to form the words that he wanted to say. Finally, he blew out a long sigh and said, "You want to go in?"

Chrissy was even more confused, "Mike, the house isn't for sale anymore. Why would we go into someone else's house?"

Mike just looked at her in frustration. After a few moments, he said, "Just come on. I can't explain all this. I've been trying to figure out how and you would think after a month I would know what to say, but I haven't got a clue." As she sat in the car, totally confused, Mike was climbing out of the car and coming around to open Chrissy's door.

Chrissy took the hand Mike offered and followed him up the steps. She watched as he pulled out a set of keys and opened the door. None of this was making sense to her. Mike took her hand and pulled her into the house.

Chrissy's eyes flew open wide as she recognized her own furniture, the same furniture that Mike had promised her he was sending to storage, sitting in the living room. "What's going on?" she asked as she began walking through the house. In the kitchen, she saw all the new appliances and remodeling that she had wanted done. She saw her kitchen table over in the corner. As she wandered through the house, she found her bedroom furniture in the master bedroom and her guest bedroom furniture in one of the spare bedrooms. The bathrooms had been remodeled just like she had wanted them. There were even curtains hung on the windows. The house was perfect.

Furious by this point, she rounded the corner back into the living room where Mike was still standing. "Ok," she practically shouted, "Tell me what's going on and tell me now!" Mike had the audacity to chuckle at her outburst. As her face just grew more angry, he sobered up and began trying to explain. He kept starting then stopping, never managing to get a full sentence out of his mouth.

"Look, I wanted to do this right, but I'm just no good at this stuff, you know?" he finally mumbled.

"No, Mike, I don't know what you mean! What kind of "stuff" are you talking about?" Chrissy stormed at him.

Mike ran his hand through his hair and sank down onto the nearest couch. He looked up at Chrissy and sighed, "I didn't handle this very well. Please, Chrissy, sit down and hear me out."

Chrissy continued to look skeptical, but she sat down on the couch beside him, waiting for him to continue.

Looking away from her, he began, "When I first met you at the airport, you rocked my world. I never imagined that I would meet someone who blew me away, but there you were. Then we had that incredible night together. I almost died the next morning when you weren't there. I've never been so happy as when I saw you walk down your sister's stairs that day. I felt like somebody on death row being given a reprieve. When you told me that crazy story about trying to get pregnant, I jumped at the chance to spend more time with you. I told you it was going to be a charade, an opportunity for me to have some casual sex," he turned to look her in the eye, "but Chrissy, it's never been a charade for me. I've wanted you from the moment I met you."

Chrissy was barely breathing as Mike continued, "I went back to the Marines, knowing that I was only going to finalize the details of my retirement. I hadn't told you because I was afraid you would run away again. I didn't come to Chicago because I wanted to live in the city. I came to be with you. And these last five weeks together have been heaven. I just couldn't give all that up. So, I bought this house, I got a job in Boise and . . .", Mike fumbled in his jacket pocket before pulling out a ring box. He dropped down on his knee in front of Chrissy and continued, "and I want you to share this life with me. I want you to share this house and be a part of everything that's a part of me. My darling Chrissy, will you marry me?"

Tears were streaming down Chrissy's face as she stared, first at the solitaire and then at the man, still on his knee in front of her. Her heart was screaming for her to say yes, but her mind wouldn't let go of one important fact - she wanted children. More importantly, she was going to have a child. And Mike didn't want kids. He had been clear from the beginning, hadn't he?

A sob tore out of Chrissy's throat as she buried her face into her hands. Mike looked at her in confusion. "Chrissy? This is the part where you say 'yes'. Remember?"

Chrissy raised her tear streaked face to him. There was no way her voice was going to hold up while she explained to Mike why she couldn't marry him. Finally, desperate for him to understand, she managed to squeak out, "But, babies . . . "

Mike looked stricken for a moment, then he said, "Chrissy, I know I haven't gotten you pregnant yet, but we've only been trying a few months. We'll keep trying until we get your babies. I know you want them, sweetheart, and it will happen. We just have to give it time."

Chrissy stared at him in confusion. She dropped her eyes and in a voice still filled with tearful emotion, she managed to say, "What are you talking about? I thought you didn't want kids?"

Mike threw back his head and gave a happy laugh. "Oh, Chrissy, I have dreamed almost every night of babies with flaming red hair and dark brown eyes. Honey, I want to have children with you more than just about anything in this world. I know we haven't managed to yet. But, if it doesn't work out soon, I'll go to the doctor and be tested. And we still are planning on adopting, too, aren't we?" Mike put his finger under Chrissy's chin to pull her face up so he could see her.

When he did, he was shocked to find that she was silently laughing. He flashed her a confused look, but she just burst out giggling in his face. "Chrissy? What's the matter with you?" he asked.

Chrissy pulled herself together enough to answer. With a voice filled with happiness, she said, "Mike, Mike. What's wrong with me? You want to know what's wrong with me? I'll tell you what's wrong with me. I'm going to have a baby. I'm going to have your baby! We're already pregnant - but I was so afraid that you didn't want kids. I was scared to death to tell you!"

Mike sat on the floor in front of Chrissy, with his mouth hanging open. "We're going to have a baby? How long have you known?"

Chrissy smiled and said, "Actually, only about five hours now. Tracy was the one who called it to my attention!"

Mike's only response was, "Oh", as he stared out into space.

Tracy waited for a few minutes for Mike to speak again, but he seemed to be lost in thought. So Chrissy cleared her throat. When he looked at her, she said, "I think there was an unanswered question on the floor. Do you happen to remember what it was?"

Mike grinned at her and said, "Yes, madam, I do happen to remember. This Marine was asking you to be his girl. And the offer still stands. Chrissy will you marry me and have babies with me and share this house and fulfill my life?"

Chrissy's smile couldn't get any bigger as she nodded her head, and said, "Yes, my beloved Marine, I'll do all those things and more - I'll love you forever and ever."

The ring was barely on Chrissy's finger before Mike was kissing her. They ended up on the floor with Mike gently laying on top of Chrissy. "I don't want to hurt the baby," he murmured.

Chrissy just smiled, "I don't think you have to worry about that yet."

As he fingered the ever present charm bracelet on her wrist, Mike looked into her eyes and said, "Chrissy, my love, my very own soul mate, from the very first day I met you in the airport," he caressed the airplane charm, "and fed you chocolate covered strawberries in bed," he caressed the strawberry charm, "you have had my heart," he caressed the heart charm, "and now you will have my babies," he caressed the baby carriage. Grinning at her with his cockiest grin, Mike added, "And that, my dear Mickey, is what you get for staring at strangers in the airport!"

Epilogue

Chrissy sat on a blanket near the river, enjoying the Boise Greenbelt. It was a beautiful spring day, with lots of sunshine. From where she was sitting, she could see that many young families had decided that it was a great day for a picnic. Blankets dotted the landscape and children of all ages were running and playing.

Just for a moment, Chrissy closed her eyes and drank in the warmth of the sun on her face. Then the tiny, wiggling bundle in her arms brought her back to reality. She smiled down into the face of her newborn nephew. He was the spitting image of his daddy, but he had his mama's big blue eyes.

The little boy had been a complete surprise. Sky had already started her third year at the university and was engaged to her high school sweetheart, Steven, when Tracy and Mark had found out that they were expecting. Sky had come home for the birth and had been in the delivery room with Mark and Tracy. Even with the age difference, it was obvious that Sky was quite taken with her little brother. And Tracy and Mark hadn't stopped beaming. Little Hank O'Connor was now two months old and the light of their lives. Chrissy and Mike had practically had to beg Tracy and Mark to let them take him to the park with them.

Chrissy was lost in happy thoughts about her family when she felt a shadow cross her body. She looked up to see Mike looking down at her. He was the most handsome man Chrissy had ever seen and he still managed to take her breath away every time that she looked at him. This time was no exception. And with the addition of their two year old daughter on his shoulders, it made him look even better. "Hey, handsome. Where did you get the cute little redhead?" Chrissy said, teasing Mike as he reached up and took Mickey off of his shoulders.

Mike plopped down on the blanket beside Chrissy as Mickey toddled over to her mother to inspect her cousin. Mike reached out to touch the baby's cheek before he answered Chrissy, "Well, I found this wonderful woman who was willing to fulfill my every fantasy - including giving me little red haired babies!"

"Baby sleepin', mama," Mickey said, in a loud stage whisper.

Chrissy smiled at her baby girl and said, "Yes, honey, he is. Where did daddy take you? Did you go down to the river?"

Mickey immediately launched into a babbling tale that Chrissy managed to understand about half of.

Mike smiled over his daughter's head and said, "You know, if we don't get another child soon, she's going to be Sky, made over!"

Chrissy just smiled and reached over to her purse. She pulled out an official looking envelope. Mike and Chrissy had begun the process for adoption of a child from overseas. So far, most of the paperwork had been done and the in home studies had been completed. Chrissy hadn't told Mike yet, but they had received a letter the day before telling them that they had a son, 5 months old, waiting for them now. All that had to be done was to arrange the date for the trip to pick him up and to finalize the adoption.

When she dropped the envelope in Mike's lap, he looked down at it, puzzled. "What's this?" he asked. Chrissy didn't answer him but merely waited as he opened the letter and read the news.

Mike's war hoop of delight caused Hank to stir and several other families to turn around to stare at them. Mike was so excited that he didn't even seem to notice, though. "We have a son! We have a little boy! What's his name? When can we go get him? How soon can we arrange it? Do you want to go, or should I? Well, say something!" he blurted out, all in one breath.

Chrissy just laughed at him, "Well, if you would give me a chance, I would love to say something. But you have to stop talking for me to be able to get a word in edgewise."

Mike tried to look chastised, but he was just too happy for it to work. Instead, he grabbed Mickey up in his arms and said, "Baby, you have a little brother!"

Mickey looked over at Hank and back at her daddy. Her little brow knit together in confusion. "Hank Mickey's brudder?" she asked.

"No, no, you have a real little brother. Hank's your cousin. You get to have your own little brother, too," Mike told her, still too excited to calm down.

Mickey just looked up into her daddy's face and patted him on the cheek, "Daddy be ok!" then she toddled back over to see Hank.

"Well?" Mike prompted Chrissy when she just continued to stare at Hank and Mickey. "Which one of us gets to go get our boy?" he asked again.

Chrissy turned to smile at him. She said, "The letter says that we can fly out anytime in about 8 more weeks. Since I don't think I'll be quite over the morning sickness yet, I think you better go."

Mike just sat on the blanket, looking at Chrissy like a stone statue. Finally, he managed to squeak out, "Morning sickness? What morning sickness?"

Chrissy smiled at her husband and pointed to her charm bracelet, "Well, we had an airplane charm, a strawberry, a heart and a baby carriage. First we added the wedding ring charm. And now, we've added a little girl charm and a little boy charm," Mike saw that she had already gotten their son's charm put on her bracelet. She continued, "But I have all the rest of this room on here and I really think we need to fill it up!"

Mike laughed out loud as he reached out and pulled her into his arms. As she snuggled up to him, he caught sight of the bracelet and noticed that, indeed, it did have room for more charms. Life just didn't get any better than this!