Things Happen For A Reason Ch. 02

The doctor held the door open for Sarah and gestured for her to step into the small office just inside the doorway. Following her, he said, "I just wanted to make sure you were doing OK, Sarah. Luke seems to be coming along as well as expected, but he did mention neither of you has seen a counselor since he left the clinic."

"That's right," she admitted. She'd been meaning to schedule appointments for them, but just hadn't gotten around to it. She supposed an armchair shrink would say she was afraid of setting Luke up with someone who might help him remember. "We've been so busy."

"I think it would help," he advised gently, but sternly. "Do you have any questions while you're here?"

What did it say about her that the first question that sprang to mind had to do with sex? She felt her face turn red even as she said, "I, uh, can't really think of any."

"You sure?"

"Well, what if we wanted to, um, resume marital relations," she began. "Would it be OK? Does Luke need more time to heal?"

His wizened old eyes danced with merriment as he answered, "Don't worry. I think its safe for you and Luke to have sex again. That is, unless you're into S&M and practice some pretty strange stuff?"

"Uh, no."

The older man's laugh caused her to smile.

The next few days were busy as Luke detailed his plans for repair while Sarah chauffeured him to the places he needed to buy supplies. One awkward moment came when they were at the hardware store and she ran into the parents of one of her students, who seemed surprised when Sarah introduced Luke as her husband. Afterward, as he loaded buckets of paint and wood into the car, he asked, "Do we have any close friends? Since I left the clinic, we haven't done anything with anyone else. Is that normal?"

"Normal for us?" She stalled, helping him place items in the car, until Sarah had to answer, "We used to have a lot of close friends, but we sort of lost touch after we moved here and plus with you being away so much … There just isn't anyone we've been particularly close to."

Since moving here, Sarah had been so busy with the school and her own life, she hadn't built any close friendships, she thought as she helped Luke load the car. She was friendly with the other faculty at her school and went to the movies or out for a drink with some of them whenever circumstances allowed it. That was as comfortable as she was with anyone these days.

If Luke didn't buy her answer, he didn't say anything. He even suggested they stop at the mall and catch a movie while they were out, and he insisted on buying everything. His playfulness as they waited in line reminded Sarah of the early days when they had first begun dating, and she smiled, wondering if they could simply start all over again. Would it be that easy? Taking a chance, she reached for his hand, and when he didn't pull away, she allowed herself to relax and enjoy the movie.

Maybe it could be that easy after all.