Please, You Take Her

"I don't try to be mean. I love you too much to do that."

I lunged forward, knocking him backward onto the sofa and smothered him in kisses. He tried to defend himself as I climbed onto him with tears of joy streaming down my face. After a few seconds he relented as I found his lips and pinned him beneath me. He wasn't getting away until I was done with him. Then I realized he wasn't running away from me. I had captured his heart. He was mine, no one else's.

We lay together on the sofa holding one another, not speaking, just caressing. After a few minutes I whispered, "I want to go home."

"You are at home," he responded quietly.

"No. I want to go to our home in the railcars. I want that place, I want you, and I'll wait for you to come back from your next tour."

"About the next tour, I think we need to talk. I know we have talked about how much I'm gone and that you don't like it. So..."

"No! I don't want you to give up what you like to do..."

"Bridget I know you don't. That's why I want you to come with me. That is if you want to."

Dick

It took about a week to make all the arrangements for Bridget to move in with me. Her employee didn't mind the change as she could work from home just as well as Bridget could. They met face to face at the beginning and end of the week at first and everything seemed to work well enough. There were a few glitches, but they were ironed out after the first two weeks.

I went about working with Bridget to set up her camera so it was basically a glorified point and shoot and she was overjoyed with what she was able to achieve with the different lenses. Over the course of a few weeks I read the manual to her so she understood the options available to her and she picked those she thought she would use.

I found I had the kind of patience with her I didn't think was possible when I first met her. She worked hard at her craft and anyone who didn't know her well enough would never recognize she had a disability. My respect for her had grown steadily over all the months we had been dating.

When we announced our engagement to our parents our lives grew more complicated, but better. I met her sister and brother and appreciated the fact she was the only one with dyslexia. My parents were overjoyed and pampered her beyond belief--my mother suggesting there was no reason not to be good to the mother of her future grandchildren. I was surprised she didn't already have a list of potential names to show us.

Preparations for the trip to the Dominican Republic occupied a great deal of my time. Leading a tour to a new location, even after an initial three-day visit to become familiar with the geography, birds, plants, and people I would work with, took time. Our visit confirmed taking Bridget with me was one the best ideas I had ever had.

I was thrilled to watch her use her new camera and use her sketch pad to capture things I would never have noticed myself. She was an extra set of eyes and ears and I was so much better for it. That didn't include having her to hold each night. The joy of being able to watch her behind as she walked in front of me on the trails was a pleasure I could never admit to. If I watched and thought about it too much I had to deal with the physiological response and the potential for embarrassment was high.

Bridget

I had no idea how much work Dick put into getting ready for a tour. He read the bird literature and general works on the cultural and natural history of the country. He searched online databases for the most up-to-date information on endemic species--those were the draw cards for listers. He looked over the plates of the three field guides and bird finding guide for Hispaniola. He had a notebook full of photographs and drawings showing specific details of difficult to identify birds in unusual plumages. All of this was a revelation to me--he was good because he worked at it.

He read to me for about an hour each night from the materials he had gathered so I could be as well prepared as possible. He knew reading wasn't my strong suit and he found a way to educate me in a way I understood. Living together wasn't all fireworks and fun, we grew to know each other's moods, and what buttons were best not to push. But, we pushed most of them at least a couple of times before we understood each other.

When everything was accounted for I was the happiest I had ever been in my life even though the first flush of infatuation had passed us by. We talked about setting a marriage date, but decided to wait until the tour was behind us. It didn't take long for me to understand he wasn't taking me along for the sole purpose of keeping me from being bored and lonely by staying home. I was his partner, it was 'our' tour to lead, not 'his'. I love him even more knowing I was truly his partner.

My business was going well and I found myself coordinating the work with my employee with her doing most of the day to day business stuff I knew I wasn't well suited for. I gave her another raise she hadn't expected and her good attitude got even better. I was making excellent money and my clients were happy. I was near the point of having to hire another person if I were to bring on more clients.

I went to my doctor and had an IUD put in thinking it would be a while before we decided to have children after we were married. Frankly, I didn't like the idea of a barrier between us when we made love. Afterward I enjoyed sex even more--perhaps it was more emotional rather than physical but it worked. Having a good thing made better was something I could live with despite it being a little messier. The things your mother never bothers to tell you about!

The first day of the tour took us to the villa Pajon Eco-Lodge located in Parque Nacional Vallie Nuevo. We had a group of thirteen birders on the hike, Dick leading and I trailing. I understood when Dick handed me a green laser pointer I was just as responsible for finding and pointing out birds as he was.

The looks on the faces of the mostly male birders was amazing to watch as I found birds they hadn't seen even after Dick had pointed them to the location. When we returned to our room that first night Dick had nothing but praise for me.

When we returned home to the winter temperatures of November we snuggled together and made plans for our wedding. There was some disagreement regarding how many people we should invite, but he finally agreed to a smaller number, mostly family, despite saying he wanted to show me off and make his male friends cry. He made me laugh when he said it, but it made me feel wonderful as I knew he meant it.

I was a March bride and by the time the tour scheduled for Brazil came around we were ready. It would be three months before we would return to the States. When we stepped off the plane in Manaus and boarded the shuttle the driver, Perez, looked at us with a smile and then waved his hand.

"Aaahh, the two of you. It is good to see."

I was getting my small bag around as Dick stepped of the shuttle and walked toward the lodge. I looked out the window as he shook hands with Carl and Andy. I saw them laughing together as I stepped out of the van. As I approached Carl saw me, then Andy and moments later they looked to Dick. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but when I stopped in front of them they stood silent with broad smiles.

Dick

I really hadn't thought about it until I was on the shuttle with Bridget. The driver was someone I had worked with each year since I started guiding here. He obviously remembered Bridget too. As we sat down together Bridget took my hand and it was then Perez took notice. I had wanted to invite Andy and Carl to our wedding but when we exceeded the number of people we had decided to invite I had to drop them off the list. I felt bad even though I didn't think they would be able to make it given their work schedules.

Bridget was fussing around with her bags, insisting she would get her own rather than my taking at least one of them. I stepped off the shuttle and walked quickly to the lodge after spotting Andy and Carl. It was a happy reunion as we shook hands. Then I saw the expression on Carl's face change as he nudged Andy's arm.

"Crap! She's back. I don't believe this. Dick did you know she was coming back?"

Before I could respond Andy spoke up as he reached into his pocket.

"Okay, two tosses, whoever loses the first toss, goes again, whoever loses the second time takes Bridget for the entire tour."

"Guys, we don't need to do that..."

"What do you mean? Are you willing to do it without an argument?" Carl asked wide-eyed, his voice incredulous.

I held up my left hand showing them my wedding ring and smiled.

"She may be a beautiful pain in the ass at times, but she's my pain in the ass now. Bridget is my wife, so be nice."