Never Say Goodbye

Chapter 21

 I asked Adele the night before if I could use the kitchen to make breakfast for everyone. She happily agreed loving to get the morning off. As I worked around the kitchen Charles kept poking his head over my shoulder only to ask what I was doing and why I was putting it in the food. Then he resorted to hugging me from behind and squeezing my middle with some enthusiasm. He was nothing less than distracting and I was trying to concentrate on cooking when he brushed my hair aside and began kissing my neck. A gasp escaped my lips and I dropped the spatula.

"Um-Charles, please don't do that."

I could feel his warm breath on my neck when he chuckled. "Why not? Don't you like it?" He kissed me again softly on the same spot. My breath came out in a gasp.

"It's not that, it's—" I was already hyperventilating by this point and it was getting complicated to form whole sentences.

"Yes, you were saying?" He said with a smile in his voice. He continued his torturous kisses.

"Charles" I squeakily pleaded. "I can't—"

"Mmmmm I see that my dear. I must say, I enjoy hearing that excited quiver in your voice."

"You are—"

"I am what dear? You really must finish your sentences."

"Evil, you are evil." He laughed and leaned in closer to kiss me on the cheek then I suddenly felt him stiffen. "Charles?" I twisted to look at him. He was pale and staring at me oddly. Then he quickly grabbed the sides of his head and winced in pain.

"Is it the headache again? Let me look for some lavender or peppermint." I began to search his face not knowing what I was actually looking for. He clenched his eyes one more time before opening them again. "Is it gone?"

He shook his head "No, but it's manageable." Then a wide grin spread across his face. "I remembered something though."

"You did? What did you remember?"

He picked me up and twirled me around "You, I remember you. I remembered something with you in it, I mean." He smiled triumphantly "You looked younger. I was holding you from behind, like I was just now. We were singing in front of a huge fire. I kissed you on the cheek. I remember asking myself if I should do it or not, because I was afraid of how you would react."

"It was the first time you kissed me. We were having a bonfire with Judy and a few other friends out in the woods, well I say woods, but we actually weren't far from your house. That was our first vespers together. I mean, after you told me you liked me and before our first date."

"Helen, I remembered something." Tears of happiness pooled in his eyes.

"My, don't you two love birds look like you had a good night." Judy was dressed for the day in a simple sky blue dress that plunged ever so slightly at the neck line. I could still see the echo of sleepiness in her eyes. "What's the celebration?"

Charles ran over to her and gave her a big hug "I remembered something. It just came to me out of thin air too. I wasn't trying or thinking about anything, it just came."

"Charles, that's great. What was it you remembered though?"

"It was a bonfire, I kissed Helen on the cheek, and we were singing."

Judy whistled "That was some time ago lumberjack Charlie."

"Lumberjack Charlie?"

"That's what I used to call you when you acted all macho. You did that night too. You wouldn't let me help you gather the wood and start the fire because, and I quote, 'you are a girl, you'll probably do it wrong.' You were a little mad because I made fun of you for trying to show off to Helen."