The Heart Can't Make It Alone (Completed)

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

***

"We need a do-over," Joe said to Val as they rode home from picking the twins up from Cherie and Vince's house.

"A do-over of what?" she asked.

"Our anniversary wasn't very fun."

"Humph. No, it wasn't," she agreed. "What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking that we jump on a plane to anywhere, just to get the hell outta Lakeland for a while. We both could use a vacation right about now."

"Where would we go?" she asked, taking a bite of an apple she'd taken from her parents' house.

"Gimme a bite of that apple and I'll tell you."

Val held the apple to his mouth and he took a sizable bite.

"Mmm. That's good."

After he'd finished chewing, he spoke.

"I figured a trip overseas. Maybe Fiji. My cousin owns a resort there, and I hear it's nice around this time of the year."

"You have a cousin in Fiji?"

"Well, he doesn't live there. He just has the resort there."

"That's pretty cool. What's his name?"

"Ikaika (Ee-Kye-kuh), but we call him 'Kai' for short. If you're cool with Fiji, then I'll give him a call. The resort's pretty nice."

"Maybe."

"Well, think about it. I got a couple more weeks off, so whatever you decide is fine."

After their talk last night, Joe and Val had been in a better place in their marriage than they'd been over the previous several months. Although she still felt the guilt of what she'd done, she was thankful that Joe had forgiven her, ultimately deciding to keep their family together. Her guilt would have to be something that she'd have to work through. "Forgiving yourself won't come easy," her father told her, "but you'll eventually get there. Just give yourself time to heal."

"Baby?" she heard Joe say, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"Are you good? I kinda lost you for a second there."

"Oh, I was just thinking about something my dad told me. Ya know, I really ..."

She left her thought hanging, prompting Joe to urge her on.

"You really what?" he asked, quickly glancing at her and back at the road.

"I really wanted our baby, Joe, and it hurts that my pregnancy ended the way it did."

"I know it does, baby. It hurts me too," he said, resting his hand on her thigh. "But you know, things happen for a reason and you know how I am. I believe God has a plan for everything. I can't tell you that I know what that plan is, but I can tell you that I trust it and you should too."

"You think we'll have any more?" she asked, turning to glance at their sleeping babies.

"I don't know, but I'll be happy either way. Would you like to have more?"

"I'm not opposed to it. Ya know? If it happens, it happens."

"Whaaat?" he asked in surprise. "What happened to all that shit about not pushing out no more of my bigheaded babies?"

She let out a light giggle before answering him.

"I'd do anything for you, Joe. Even push out more of your bigheaded babies."