The Sky and the Stars - Tom and Sarah Kazansky

-18-

After explaining why beach volleyball was so hilarious, the group headed out. It was Sarah and Tom, Anna and Maria, and their husbands.

Maria was pregnant so she and Tom sat on the side lines watching the game where it was Sarah and Anna vs. the husbands. 

"Come on, just one game!" Tom complained.

"No!" Anna told him.  "You're still healing. The fresh ocean air will do you good."

"Just one."

"I'll tell Mama!"

Sarah loved the playful sibling banter, and soaked it all up, something she had never experienced herself.

"You can work on your tan," she told him.  "And cheer us on."

"Watch out, Sarah's got a mean spike!" called Tom.

"Sounds like it!"

Afterwards, after soaking up a lot of sun, they hit the ice cream shop.

"We cannot tell the kids about his," said Anna, shoveling a large spoonful of her chocolate ice cream into her mouth.  "They will riot."

Tom, who had been on a healthy diet instructed by the doctor and his mother, ate his ice cream as if it were the last time he would ever have it. It was a special treat, especially for him. 

Once they returned to Marta's house the sisters and their families headed home and Tom was sent to rest. Sarah helped Marta out in her lovely garden and then Marta made them lemonade to enjoy outside afterwards. 

"How do you do it, if you don't mind me asking?" Sarah asked, the question that had been burning on her tongue ever since the invitation to travel to L.A. with Tom to meet his mother and sisters. "Survive the worry, that is, when Tom's out on a mission. I really struggle with it. And I realize it's probably really personal, so don't feel you have to answer. I'm just curious, and looking for tips."

"Of course. Good question - sometimes, I don't know. It feels like you will always struggle with it, understandably. But you have faith in your love for them - your love is stronger than the worry."

Sarah exhaled heavily, a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding until just now. "Wow, that's beautiful. Thank you, I really needed to hear that."

Marta smiled and reached out and took Sarah's hand, giving it a squeeze. "I'm glad it helped. You must remember and always know that it will be difficult, but you know that it is only difficult because you love and care for them so much."

Sarah smiled, thanking her again for her kind words, feeling refreshed and content on the matter for now. 

After dinner, Tom was sent for yet another rest  - "You've had a big day, going out to the beach with everyone," Marta was quick to remind him -  and once it was dark he joined Sarah in his old room for their 'date' of stargazing out his window. 

"You're right, it is a good view from here," he told her.  "Too bad I didn't know about it until now." He pulled his gaze away from the clear sky and turned to her. "Speaking of stargazing, how would you like to return to your special spot in San Diego?"

"Oh yeah?" she eyed him, wondering what scheme he had up his sleeve.

"Yeah. What d'you say we take a little road trip out to San Diego and I'll take you flying."

"At Top Gun?" She was shocked.

He chuckled.  "No, an old friend from my flight school days lives out there and has some planes he's fixed up and flies. He let me practice with them. And this will give my mom and sisters a much needed break from playing my nurses and worrying about me. Honestly, as happy as I am to be home, I feel a little suffocated. And I'm healing well. And am thoroughly rested. And I don't want to put pressure on all of you to look after me."

"They're just happy you're home - we all are. Yeah, okay, road trip sounds nice. But I don't want to cut into the time you have with your family."

"You aren't - besides, I want to spend some time with my new girlfriend, too, just us. Also outside of the hospital and my family home."

She chuckled.  "Yeah, that does sound nice."

"Yeah, yeah it does. Back to where it all began."

For them, and for everything. 

And so all was arranged - Tom took care of all the details and Sarah was in for a surprise and just went with it.

Marta wasn't thrilled at Tom taking off so soon while he was still healing, even if it only was for a few days, but she also understood that the young lovers wanted some time to themselves. 

This time, both shared the driving. They didn't even stop at the hotel first, heading right for the lookout they had appropriately named, 'Sarah's Special Place'.

They parked the car got settled on a spot on the grass, and cuddled close, sitting in comfortable silence while watching the stars flicker above them. 

"I feel guilty," Tom said suddenly, breaking the silence.

She turned to him and found him looking sad all of a sudden. This alarmed her.   "What do you mean?"

"I feel guilty - about Goose." His words struck her.  "I've been thinking about him a lot since my crash..."

Okay, that part made sense. But there was more to it. "But why would you feel guilty?"

"Cause I was up there, and it was them flying through my jet wash that caused them to spin out of control, that made them have to eject..."

"Oh Tom-" Clearly this had been eating away at him. And she hadn't known such details before.  "Have you told Pete how you feel about it?"

"No. I haven't told anyone. Not even Slider. I didn't even want to tell you -  I was going to, that time we came out here after graduation, but I just couldn't bring myself to. It was selfish, but I didn't want to change the way you looked at me..."

"Oh Tom, no - and I don't think anyone blames you. And maybe, if you talk to Pete, it could help bring you both some closure."

"Maybe. I'm glad I told you though." 

"Yes, thank you for telling me." She leaned into him, wrapping him in her arms and giving him a squeeze. 

His gaze flicked back up to the stars.  "There will never be another Mother Goose..."

"No, there won't. But he's still well loved and well remembered."

He nodded.  "He sure is."

"And there's so much pressure on you up there, and with everything happening so fast, things can change in an instant - I can't imagine."

"Yeah, and he led me to you, and I will be forever grateful for that." He was choked up, his voice heavy, and she could see tears in his eyes in the moonlight.

"Oh, Tom-"

They connected in an embrace, and things quickly grew heated from there. And as much as both thought it was romantic out here, they wanted to go somewhere more private.

While Tom showered at their hotel room, Sarah lay across the bed in a fuzzy hotel robe reading one of her space science books. When she heard the water turn off, she set down her book and snuck to the bathroom to surprise him.

They ended up back in the bed quickly. Sarah laughed when she heard her book hit the floor, thrown from the bed thanks to their movements. 

It was nice to have some time just the two of them - and it was much overdue. 

(Ah, love! ;) Haha!

I've got the next few chapters planned out! Yay!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :))