To Everything, There Is A Season

Chapter 40

"What did you do?" Meryl asked Don has he led her over to the kitchen table that was bathed in candlelight and filled with food he had obviously bought while he was out. "I can't believe you did all this."

Don walked behind her and held her from behind. "It's our anniversary and first night in our new home. Of course I did, you deserve the best."

"I have the best, I have you." Meryl said as she turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You transformed this place."

Don shook his head. "I simply got dinner and lit some candles. I didn't transform this place. You have in only a few hours. It looks amazing."

"Gotta get our home ready for my guys." Meryl moaned as placed a long and deep kiss on his lips. "Speaking of my guys. Where's my little boy?"

Don led her over to the table and pulled the chair out for her so she could sit down. "He is staying the night with his Aunt Maeve and Uncle Third who are thrilled. Third said you packed plenty of stuff for him for the day, and I said we would pick him up in the morning. I also said we would call before he went to sleep since we didn't tell him he wasn't spending the night I don't want to scare him, I want him to hear from us. I hope you don't mind I did that without talking with you first."

"Our boy is taken care of by people who love him almost as much as we do, and I get to spend our first night in our new place alone with the love of my life on our anniversary." Meryl prolonged the kiss as long as possible as he pressed his lips to hers before walking over to the kitchen island. "Of course I'm not mad. I think I have fallen in love with you harder and deeper than ever before."

Don carried two glasses, that he had already prepared, over to the table and sat down across from her. "Good, that was the plan."

"What is all of this?" Meryl asked as he took the lid of their plates and saw all of the food. "Don, did you get..."

Don smiled that he knew exactly what he got for them for their meal. "PJ Clarkes, our first official non-date."

"I was so nervous." Meryl smiled at the memory. "I kept ordering rum and cokes because I was already falling in love with you, and fast, and was so nervous."

Don took one of the glasses he brought over to the table and handed it to her. "Rum and coke for my love. I had no idea where our alcohol was so I stopped and got some. Hopefully, you aren't nervous tonight."

"Maybe nervous wasn't the right word." Meryl said as she reached over to stroke his fingers. "I was never nervous around you, from the moment I felt you I felt like I was home and safe as long as I was around you; as long as I AM around you. Then that whore came up."

Don almost spit his drink out from laughing. "M, I think I went on maybe 2 dates with her at the most. As soon as I saw you, nothing else mattered. I was head over heels, turn the lights off the show is over, in love."

"I'm glad." Meryl lifted his hand to her mouth to kiss it; she was greatly enjoying this little walk down memory lane. "But I didn't know that. I knew I had no right to feel jealous, but I was terrified I lost you before I even had you."

Don got up, turned her chair out from the table, and knelt down between her legs. "You had me from the very beginning. I kind of liked knowing you were jealous, it gave me hope."

"You made me feel so at home, it just took me a little while." Meryl smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair. She knew she didn't have to explain to him about how conflicted she was when she started falling in love with him because of having lost John not that long before she met him, and that was one of the many reasons she loved him so much. "You were so patient and so loving to me. You gave me the time I needed to heal, and in that time we became best friends, which I think is why I love you so damn much. Thank you for giving me time and loving me the way you did, the way you do."