Lock Me In Your Heart

Chapter One

It was late, perhaps too late as Chris sat at his desk lost in contemplations.  He sighed as he felt the tension of the day’s endlessness finally catching up to him.  Rubbing his temples for a moment he switched off the desk lamp and reclined in his chair a bit opting to give himself time for his lingering thoughts, time to drown himself in whatever it was fueling him forward these days.  Through the blackness he reached out to his top desk drawer, not really needing any validation as he reached inside for it.  Though he’d kept it hidden in there buried beneath other various objects, he knew he’d find it somehow.  Tracing his fingers over it’s smooth glass layer, he wondered if he had the strength to look at it, to open up those old wounds and pour salt on them once again.  He’d wanted to just shut it out and in distracting himself with Jack and Livvie, he’d managed to do that for a while, but now, well now there was nothing more than emptiness and if he kept up on this path to self destruction, there’d be nothing left...other than the pain that is.  Then again it was the pain that kept him moving forward.

Reluctantly Chris pulled the photograph out and looked at it through the blackness, yet here in the dark, he could feel her eyes.  He could feel the warmth of her through the coldness that had consumed him.  She was still very a much a part of him and even with her gone, thoughts of her still ate away at his soul.  With a heavy heart and a sigh, he pressed the picture frame into his chest as he reclined back further in his chair lost in the memories of what might have been.

Eve stepped inside the darkened lighthouse and she opened her mouth to call out to Kevin, but with an after thought she remained silent.  She crossed the room leaving the lights off as she thought about her life and where it had taken her.  She’d lost Ian as he’d married Arianna after she’d forgotten him and now with Kevin, she’d lost him as well.  Eve moved over to the fireplace touching the mantle where the tiny plastic race car sat as a reminder of better days with her and Kevin.  At this moment things felt so empty and though she’d wished she’d be able to find some clarity, all she was left with was this sudden sensation that life had thrown her the wrong curve yet again.  Here she was in her home feeling far more alienated than she’d ever imagined and all because she’d allowed herself to fall for the right man at the wrong time, or perhaps he’d been the wrong man when she’d believed it to be the right time.  She was so lost, so confused about things around her, but one thing was for certain, she’d lost Ian.  Seeing him with Arianna had pretty much said it all and now she knew that she’d thrown away any chance with Kevin in running off like she did.

Kevin had once been a source of great enjoyment for her, but now that she stood alone in the lighthouse looking over the remains of what once had been, she felt her heart sink even further.  She and Kevin had shared the laughter together, tears, joy and sorrows and yet she’d tossed him aside giving in to her feelings for Ian and for what?  To end up alone in the end?  Where was the justice in that?  She couldn’t believe that after everything this was where she was meant to be.  Somehow fate couldn’t have it that she’d be alone.  Even that was far too cruel for someone like her.

Ian turned away from the frosted window to see his wife sleeping peacefully on the sofa as she was nestled in under the blanket.  She looked so at ease for the first time since they’d met one another.  He was grateful for that, yet his heart was breaking.  He’d managed to save Arianna, but in the process he’d destroyed Eve.  No, he shook the thought.  That wasn’t possible.  Eve was happily married to Kevin and had no memory of him so therefore he couldn’t destroy someone like Eve who hadn’t known she’d held love for him to begin with.  Eve couldn’t be sad about losing something that in her heart she’d felt she’d never had.  Ian was certain of that, yet that look on her face when she’d heard the news.  She seemed so lost.

“Eve,” he sighed as he swirled the drink around in his hand for a moment.  Just thinking about her brought an ache to his heart.  How he loved her, wanted to be with her, to hold her, to touch her, to whisper words of endearments to her, but now that chance had been lost.  It hadn’t been his in the first place and he needed to keep reminding himself that.  Eve was never his and she never would be.  She had her life with Kevin and he had to keep reminding himself that.  His place was with Arianna and while he may not love her like he’d loved Eve, he vowed to protect her and that’s exactly what he would do from this day forward.  She deserved that much from someone and he would be sure to give it to her.

Chris dusted the flakes off his jacket as he stepped off the elevator.  A light snow had just fallen outside despite the impending spring, yet with the despair Chris was lost in it felt like an ice storm had hit.  He tried to block out his thoughts, but he was deeper in his sorrow.  Nothing would take that ache away from him, well almost nothing as a martini seemed to numb the pain.  After about an hour of sitting in his office, the martini sounded better than ever and at work he couldn’t lose himself in that, but at home, ah yes, at home he could sink himself into a drunken abyss without having to have someone breathing down his throat.  He was alone and that was something that wouldn’t just magically change.  Most of the time he’d hated that alone feeling, but for tonight, well, it would serve it’s purpose.

Chris turned the key in the lock and stepped inside his apartment ready to drown himself in his sorrows when he heard it.  Louder than ever, he heard the unspoken tears and sniffles surrounding him and while he’d felt that kind of despair deep in his heart, he was fairly certain that he wasn’t the one making those sounds.  He reached for the light switch flipping it on as he was met by a tear streaked face and pair of blood shot eyes from over on his sofa.

“Eve?” He questioned taking a step back as he saw her lost in her own sorrow before him.  She rose from the couch as he realized she was shaking.

“Chris, I’m sorry for just barging in like this,” she explained lightly, “but I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

“Eve, what’s wrong?” he asked taking a step forward as he closed the door behind him.

“Everything,” she sobbed harder, “Everything’s fallen apart and I was just so lost.  I still had your key and you weren’t home.....” she broke into full blown tears as he reached out to her pulling her into an embrace.

“It’s okay Eve,” Chris whispered holding her in his arms.

“No, it’s not okay,” Eve shook her head before burying it in his chest, “it’ll never be okay again.”

“Ian,” Arianna called to him as she stretched her arms out on the sofa.  She pulled herself into an upright position as she kept the blanket tight to her body as there was still a chill in the air.  Her eyes adjusted to the light the fireplace had filled in the room as she watched him for a moment or two and realized that he hadn’t heard her call out to him as he stood before the window looking so lost.  She contemplated her words for a moment or so before speaking up again, “You’re thinking about Eve, aren’t you?”

A bit surprised Ian turned around finally hearing her speaking to him, “Nah,” he shrugged it off as he gazed over to her, “I was just thinking about how we’re going to have more of this winter here.  I’m not really sure how much more snow I can stand.”

“Ian, you don’t have to pretend with me,” Arianna tried to assure him, “I saw your face when Eve left the cabin earlier.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Ian shrugged, “What’s important is that you’re safe now.”

“Ian, it’s more than that.  You love her.  I saw how your heart was breaking when she walked out the door,” she frowned, “I know what this must be doing to you.”

“None of that is important right now,” he insisted, “what is important however is keeping you safe.”

“Ian, I’m starting to believe that I am safe here with you,” she offered with a light smile as he moved over to the sofa beside her.

“I’m glad to hear that,” he explained reaching for her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze, “I want that for you.  I want you to feel at ease here.”

“I do,” she replied watching his eyes linger to the fireplace, “but somehow I have a feeling that being here is doing anything but helping you, isn’t it?”

“Arianna, right now isn’t about me,” Ian sighed, “it’s about seeing to it that you have a future to look forward to.  Eve has her future with Kevin and we’ll see to it that you’re given the same luxury.”

After Eve’s sobs had died down, Chris handed her a glass hoping that the martini would help her nearly as much as he’d been hoping it would help him.  Silently he took a seat beside her as he watched the tears trickle down her face.  He reached out to wipe at one and slowly she turned her eyes to meet his yet still saying nothing.

“Do you want to tell me about it?” he finally asked searching her eyes.

“I just didn’t know where to go,” Eve confessed her voice broken by emotion as she gazed into him, “I was at the lighthouse, but I didn’t feel right in being there and I remembered that I still had your key.”

“Eve, you know my apartment is always open to you,” Chris informed her gently as he brushed a lock of hair from her eyes, “day or night.”

“You have no idea just how much I need you right now Chris,” Eve explained trying to keep herself from falling apart as he pressed the pad of his thumb over her cheek removing the tears from her face, “I was just so lost...”

“Why don’t you start from the beginning,” he suggested feeling his body tighten with anger as he thought of Kevin, “What did Collins do now?”

“It’s not what he did,” Eve explained tearing her eyes away from his, “it’s what I did.”

“Eve....”

“I walked out on our wedding,” she informed him as her voice broke up again.

“You what?” Chris asked astonished, “but why?”

“I...I just couldn’t bring myself to do that again.  I couldn’t pull myself together enough to remarry Kevin when I knew in my heart it wasn’t where I wanted to be,” Eve explained lightly.

“So what are you saying?” he asked watching her lower lip tremble slightly as she kept her gaze fixed on her martini glass.

“I’m saying that I fell out of love with Kevin,” Eve admitted more so to herself for the first time and in hearing the words she’d found herself a bit in shock as she thought about what that simple statement meant to her future.

“Out of love?” Chris repeated a bit shocked himself as he watched her, “Eve, but..?  Are you saying that you and Kevin....?”

“It’s over Chris,” she explained turning her eyes back to him, “Kevin and I were just fighting the inevitable together and now I know.  Kevin wasn’t the man that I was meant to spend the rest of my life with.  It’s not Kevin that I was meant to love.”

“How can you be so certain?” he asked searching his eyes.

“Because it dawned on me while I was renewing my vows that I had real love staring me in the face, but I’d been too blind to see it,” she confessed painfully, “all this time the man of my dreams was right before my eyes, but I didn’t know it.”

“He was?” Chris stammered a bit as he watched her eyes full of sorrow.

“He was,” she nodded again, “but I blew it.  I walked away from him when he needed me the most and now I know that I’ll never get him back.”

“Eve, I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Chris brushed his fingers against her skin once again, “I’m sure that if you found a way to be honest with him about how you felt that he’d understand and maybe you’d discover that his feelings for you are still very much alive,” he paused thinking about what she was saying, “maybe his feelings have never died where you were concerned.”

“Or maybe it’s just too late,” She sobbed again, “after everything, I just couldn’t open my eyes and then when I did, it was too late.  He’d married someone who was completely wrong for him and he’d fallen in love with her.  I’m nothing more than a fading memory to him and I know that.”

“No,” Chris insisted cupping her face in his hands as he forced her to make eye contact with him, “I don’t believe that for a second.  Yes, he might’ve married someone else, but Eve, you never left his heart.  He never stopped loving you and he was just waiting for you to tell him how you felt.  Can’t you see that what he felt for you was the one thing, the only thing that kept him going?”

“I sincerely doubt that,” she sniffled as he cradled her in his arms and she continued to cry.

“But it is true Eve,” Chris held her to him tighter, “He was just trying to fool himself into believing that a life without you was something that he could pull off.  He was just trying to prove to you that he could go on without your memory haunting him, but it was all a lie.  It was one horrible lie because that woman never touched his heart like you did.”

“Chris, that can’t be possible,” she argued looking to him.

“But it is Eve,” Chris moved his fingers through her hair as he found himself lost in her chocolate colored eyes, “Can’t you see that he’d move heaven and earth to find a way to keep you in his heart?  Even if it meant keeping you at bay while he pushed you further away from him in an attempt to hide what was consuming him on the inside?”

“Why push me away when he knew how I felt?”

“Maybe he didn’t believe that you’d felt it,” Chris suggested taking in the scent of her perfume as he held her feeling something inside of him that he’d never anticipated feeling again after she’d walked out the door the last time, “maybe he was afraid that you wouldn’t feel the same way about him, that you’d leave him and he couldn’t bear the thought of losing you again.”

“But why marry her?  Why do that?  Why not fight for what we had?  For the love he felt for me?”

“Maybe he thought you were happy with Kevin and he didn’t want to ruin that for you,” Chris suggested wanting so much to be able to open up about all he was feeling in his heart as he held her.  Finally she was understanding, she was getting it and she was here in his arms.  This was proof enough that things were turning around for him.  As he held her, he felt a flicker of hope rush through him.

“But why not ask me?  Why not tell me how he felt and then let me decide?” Eve snapped at him, “why keep me in the dark?”

“Maybe because you weren’t ready to hear it.”

“I’m ready to hear it now.  I need to hear it Chris,” Eve blurted out as the tears spilled down her face, “I want to hear it more than anything.  I want to feel that love again.”

“Eve,” Chris started as she began to shake in his arms.

“I need to hear it,” she continued in between a few other ramblings.

“You will,” Chris assured her, “I promise you that you’ll hear it,” he felt his heart fill with an ache as he held her, “Eve, marrying her was a mistake.  It never should’ve happened and I can see that clearly considering what it brought to everyone....”

“Then why do it?” she asked as she held onto him, “why put everyone through that?”

“He was trying to save her in his own way,” Chris sighed closing his eyes as he felt the warmth of her against him, “He thought he was doing the right thing.”

“Well it wasn’t right for anyone.  It was so wrong, so very wrong,” Eve cried out.

“It was,” he agreed, “and I’m sure if he knew you felt this strongly about him, he would’ve done everything in his power to hold onto you and never let go.”

“I wish he had,” Eve sobbed, “if only he’d told me the truth, then there would be nothing stopping us.”

“Eve, if it’s meant to be, there’s nothing that can keep it from happening,” He paused realizing that he had to tell her.  She was begging him for the words and in feeling her pain, he couldn’t hold back any longer, “Eve, you’re right.  It’s something that should’ve been said a long time ago and I think you should know that with all that I am, I do lo....”

“How could he marry Arianna?” she interrupted him as he felt a pain in his chest.

“What?” he asked withdrawing from her as though she’d burned him.

“Ian,” Eve explained, “how could he marry Arianna knowing that I was in love with him?  After everything we’d been through how could he do that?  How could he just forget about the promises we made each other to spend forever together?”

“You were talking about Ian?” Chris asked pulling himself off of the sofa as he suddenly felt like a fool, like a complete idiot for what he’d almost revealed to her.  Of course Eve wasn’t talking about him.  Why had he ever believed that?  She never was interested in him and now, well now was no different that.  Had he been that blind not to put two and two together?  How he wanted to kick himself in this moment.

“Chris,” she questioned feeling the distance between them, “did I say something?”

“More than you know,” he muttered to himself as he reached for the martini mix and poured himself another glass.

“What?” she asked looking over to him.

“Nothing,” he shrugged turning to her as he tried to hide the pain building inside of him, “Can I refill your drink?”

“Sure,” she nodded lightly as she wiped at her face, “I’d like that.”

“Then another round it is,” Chris reached for her glass swiftly as he turned away from her again trying his best to keep what was going on inside of him from going through to the surface.

“I just don’t get it Chris,” Eve sighed leaning back in her seat, “why is it that life is always doing this to me?  Why can’t I just find a way to be happy with the man that I love?  Why do I always lose them?”

“Because life,” he started dropping the olives in her martini glass before turning back to her, “is never fair.  Haven’t you learned that by now?”

“You’d think I would,” she replied reaching for the glass, “but for some reason I just keep finding ways to kick myself in the head there time and time again.”

“Well shame on you.  Haven’t you learned anything by living with the master here?” Chris half smiled at her, “I mean you don’t see me with any obvious hang ups.”

“That’s because you have a heart of ice Ramsey,” Eve pointed out with a small laugh, “Love ’em and leave ’em Chris.  Nothing invested, nothing lost.”

“Something like that,” he agreed tearing his eyes from her as he downed his drink, “it’s just easier that way.”

“So I’ve heard, but still I keep holding out for some kind of real romance, something that really validates your life and makes it worthwhile, you know?” Eve questioned as Chris finished off his drink and moved off the couch to refill it again, “something that just oozes with romance and promise of things to come.”

“I always told you that hopeless dreamer side would be your downfall,” Chris pointed out pouring another drink.

Eve extended her arm out to him as she tapped her glass against his leg, “Me too.  I need a refill,” he took the glass from her as she leaned back again and sighed, “If only I could’ve stayed focused on the cold, hard cash like you, I would’ve been a hell of a lot better off.”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you Lambert.  Romance is only going to lead you down a dead end road,” Chris filled her glass before turning to her and feigning a tremor rushing through him in disgust, “I mean all those sappy, romantic hang ups, who needs ’em?”

“Not me,” Eve blurted out sitting up straighter as she accepted her drink, “not anymore I don’t.”

“That’s the spirit,” Chris patted her leg as he took a seat beside her.  He watched her face for a moment before turning away as he tried to focus on anything but how good it felt in being close to her, “romance be damned.”

“Here here to that,” she raised her glass in the air, “to a life of loneliness and self preservation.”

“Gee, you make it sound so appealing,” Chris half rolled his eyes as he raised his glass to meet hers, “how about a life of personal rewards and the power of success?”

“Power of success,” she repeated with a light smile, “I think I like that.  To hell with needing a man in my life.  Romance, ah who needs it?  Just as long as at the end of the day there’s a dry martini and good conversation, who cares about all the other stuff?”

“You’re catching on,” Chris clanged his glass to hers before taking another long sip.

“You’re right.  You’re absolutely right,” She continued empowered by her thoughts as she finished off her glass before slamming it down on the table top, “so much for being swayed by beautiful words or sappy love poems.”

“Who needs them,” Chris wrinkled his nose.

“Or romantic candlelit dinners,” Eve continued thinking about it.

“No need in being a cheapskate there in preserving electricity when you have the money to spend,” Chris added on as she tapped on his leg with her hand.

“No Valentine’s day, anniversaries, wedding showers, gift giving there to stress you out when you‘re trying to find the perfect symbol of love,” Eve decided.

“Who needs any of that?  Might as well save the funds for a more lucrative investment like self indulgence,” Chris answered watching her face light up only to be sink down again as she continued.

“No one to hold on a dark and stormy night or to tell you how much you mean to them after a long day of work,” she sighed as her eyes were fixed on her martini once again, “no random ’I love you’ throughout the day when you’re feeling down.”

“Hey,” he reached out to her bringing his hand under her chin as he raised her eyes to his, “I thought we were talking about the high points of going without the ritualistic behaviors brought on by the chemical imbalance called love.”

“We were,” She replied meeting his eyes again as she sighed, “at least I was trying to.”

“Don’t try so hard Eve,” Chris informed her, “just appreciate what you have right in front of you at this very moment.”

“And what might that be?” she asked lightly.

“A good martini and the pleasure of my company,” Chris reminded her with a grin, “you know many a women have gone to great lengths to be in that very position you are in right now.”

“I can just imagine,” Eve groaned slightly.

“Hey watch it now,” Chris warned, “I might take offense here.”

“I wouldn’t want to do that now seeing as you’re all I have left,” Eve sighed again.

“Eve, I’m not all you have left,” Chris pointed out hating to see her so down in the dumps.

“Maybe,” she shrugged as she turned her eyes to his, “but hey, like you said there’s no being down tonight.

“Precisely,” Chris agreed as she scooted in closer to him.

“In fact the way I see it, we have it all here between us.  We have martinis,” she began.

“But of course,” Chris nodded.

“No doubt I could work a gourmet meal out of you in the near future,” Eve offered with a smile, “I’ve got it made.”

“Well actually about that gourmet meal,” Chris pretended to think it over, “I think you’ll have to settle for frozen pizza.  I haven’t gone shopping lately.”

“Having to settle with Chris Ramsey?” she feigned a gasp bringing her hand to her chest, “how ever will I survive?”

“You’ll love every minute of it,” he chuckled lightly as he watched her playful side emerging once again.

“You’re right.  I will,” she laughed lightly feeling a slight buzz coming on as she swatted at his chest, “but I’ll never admit to it in the morning.”

“Oh come on Lambert, you know your madly in love with me,” Chris teased her, “admit it you want me.”

“You’re my dream lover Chris,” she laughed again before growing suddenly serious, “why I can’t stop thinking about what it would be like to make love to you.  It’s been the core of my existence for so very long in wondering what it would be like when I finally had a chance to make hot passionate love to you,” she finished before laughing again.

“So why keep dreaming about it Eve,” he asked capturing her hand in his as he met her eyes, “why not make it a reality?”

“Maybe I will,” Eve laughed again before moving in closer to him as she laced her fingers in his for a moment, “up for the challenge?”

“What do you think?” he questioned boldly as he slid his hand around her neck drawing her closer to him with one swift motion.  Their eyes connected for a moment before he leaned in closer to her capturing her mouth in a hungry kiss.

Finally breathlessly they parted and Eve found herself staring back at him rather shocked by his bold movement.  The two stared at one another sharing a moment of silence before she reached out to his martini glass and tore it out of his hand as she climbed into his lap moving forward in another attempt to claim his mouth with hers again.

Chris barely had a moment to breathe as he felt her over him kissing him, running her fingers through his hair as the desperation within her flowed to the surface.  He could feel the warmth of her body pressed against his and it was driving him to new heights of ecstasy as she kissed him with such passion and desire unlike anything he’d ever known.  He moved his hands over her body gently resting them on her hips as he pressed her to him feeling the intensity and heat behind Eve so alive in her touch.

“Make love to me Chris,” she whispered as her lips traveled over the curve of his neck tasting his skin.  He closed his eyes as he felt her warm breath upon his skin and it ignited a fire inside of him far more than he’d ever imagined in his dreams of her.

“You don’t mean that Eve,” Chris spoke tightly as he felt his body respond to her every enticing movement.

“I do,” she whispered throatily as she gently nibbled on his earlobe, “I want you Chris.”

“Eve...” he breathed her name again as he thought about what was happening with them.  It was everything he’d wanted, everything he’d needed except there was one thing missing.  The one thing he’d wanted to hear from her, “Eve we can’t....”

“Of course we can,” she silenced his protests with another kiss as she threaded her fingers through his hair keeping him close to her, “as long as you promise to respect me in the morning?” she teased.

“I’ll always respect you in the morning,” Chris breathed as he pressed another kiss on her neck, “and in the evening, after midnight....” he whispered trailing kisses over her skin.

“Then it’s settled.  I need you..” she whispered against his lips as he felt the vibrations run through him.

“Eve,” He breathed again feeling his resolve slipping away as he involuntarily wrapped her up in his arms.

“Promise me that you won’t leave me Chris,” Eve pleaded as she plucked at the buttons on his shirt, “Tell me we’ll always have martinis and each other.”

“I’ll never leave you Eve,” Chris assured her as he kissed her again.

“You mean that?” she asked pulling back briefly as she searched his eyes.

“You’ll always have me Eve,” Chris promised her as he reached out to touch her cheek, “I won’t ever walk away from you,” he whispered before capturing her lips in another kiss.  Without another word, he scooped her up and into his arms opting to relocate as she held onto him.  As he carried her, he thought of all the times he’d wanted her, needed her and now she was his.  She would be where he’d always wanted her to be and while it wasn’t like it had been in his dreams, maybe Eve was right.  Romantic hang-ups were the last thing either one of them needed and he’d see to it that one way or the other they wouldn’t lose what they had together.  He’d needed her far too long to ever let go.

Ian put another log on the fire as he sat before the flame thinking about what it had been like to have Eve in his arms.  She was everything he’d ever wanted and needed, but now she was gone.  His heart ached as he thought about what it had been like holding her, coming so close to making love to her and now all he’d have to keep him warm was his memories.  He looked over his shoulder at Arianna who was gazing out into the winter wonderland outside of the cabin.  She seemed so content and so much stronger than she’d been before.  He’d done the right thing.  Arianna needed him and here is where he would stay.

“Ian come here,” she instructed as she looked over her shoulder at him, “you have to see this,” she pointed out to the snow on the ground, “come here.”

“What is it?” he asked pulling himself up from the fireplace as he tried to dismiss his memories of Eve.

“Over there,” she said pointing to the left as he saw a few rabbits on the ground searching around for something to eat.  She looked over to him and smiled lightly, “should we get them something?  They look so cold?”

“They’ll find something on their own,” Ian offered with a smile as one of the larger rabbits emerged from the shrubs and had a green leafy plant in it’s jaws, “See I told you they’d do just fine.”

She smiled, “look at them.  They have their own little family, don’t they?”

“It’s very precious,” Ian noted as he saw the wonder and amazement in her eyes.

“And they’re so free, as if they didn’t have a care in the world,” she sighed as she thought of her own life, “they are there for one another.  A true family.”

“Arianna, you’ll have that too one day,” Ian assured her as he placed his hands on her shoulders, “I promise you that you’ll have a strong and healthy future full of love and happiness.”

“I hope so Ian,” Arianna sighed again.

“If you believe, it’ll happen,” Ian promised, “love will find a way.”

“Like you and Eve?”

“Eve and I weren’t meant to happen,” Ian said unconvinced as he stepped away.

“Aren’t you though?  I can see you love her,” Arianna noted.

“Even so, sometimes love isn’t enough.”

“That’s so sad,” she frowned.

“Sometimes people have to serve a higher purpose and love, well love is just secondary,” Ian finished realizing that he’d lost Eve and it was time to accept it.  It was better this way.

Feeling exhaustion overtake her, Eve settled in over Chris as she felt his damp skin pressed to hers.  She gently kissed the center of his chest as he held her in his arms.  With a light sigh, she felt his fingers move through her hair and she closed her eyes finding herself lost in the feeling.

“What are you thinking about?” Chris asked breaking the silence after the magic they’d just shared together.

“Nothing and everything,” Eve sighed once more as she felt his hold on her loosen a bit.

“You’re thinking about Ian, aren’t you?” he asked feeling his heart breaking as he watched her.

“No,” she shook her head as she looked up at him meeting his concerned eyes, “maybe a little.”

“I wish I could give you what you wanted Eve,” Chris admitted feeling an emptiness as he saw the sadness behind her eyes, “I wish I could’ve given you that dream.”

“Who needs dreams Ramsey when we have martinis and magic?” she asked with a lighthearted smile as he touched her face.

“You do,” Chris sighed realizing that despite the fact that he was holding her and that they’d just made love, he’d never really had her.  She was there physically with him, but her heart was in another place as he held her.  While he’d come so close to pouring his heart out to her in the heat of passion, she hadn’t felt any of it.  She hadn’t experienced any of the love or emotion that had filled him for so long and now, now that he’d held her, that he’d kept her close to him, she couldn’t be any further away then she was in that moment they had together.

“No, I don’t need that Chris,” she shook her head in denial, “You said it yourself, love is just for fools and I don’t want to be a fool any longer.”

“Neither do I Eve,” Chris explained as he released his hold on her, “we shouldn’t have done this.”

“Chris,” she frowned watching him scoot away from her and she reached for his arm, “wait a second.”

“What?” He asked looking over to her.

“Why do you say that?” she asked confused, “I thought....well I thought it was wonderful.”

“Somehow I doubt that,” Chris replied feeling his heart drop as he searched her eyes hoping to find any sign of love behind them, “somehow I find it hard to believe you could feel anything about us being together when in your mind you were making love to Ian just now.”

“Chris....” she started then stopped as she turned her eyes away.

“You don’t have to say it,” Chris slipped out from beneath the thin sheet, “it was a given before we even ended up in this position.”

“Chris, I wasn’t.....” she started as she watched him slip out of the room leaving her alone.  She sat up in the bed pulling the sheet with her as he left the room slamming the door behind him.  She ran her fingers through her dark hair as she let out a frustrated moan, “I wasn’t thinking about Ian,” she whispered to herself before reaching out across his bed to take the robe he’d had hanging on the bedpost.  She slipped into it and tied it around her waist before walking out into the other room and finding him standing in front of the window with a martini in hand while looking outside at the world below.  She approached him silently as she pressed a hand on his shoulder.

“You don’t have to say it Eve,” Chris broke the silence in the air, “I knew where we stood before I took you in there.”

“Chris, you and I both agreed,” she started at a loss as she felt a wall up between them.

“I know,” he nodded unable to meet her eyes, “I know what this was about.”

“Chris, I never meant to hurt you,” Eve began feeling an ache inside of her as she felt his pain.

“I know,” he nodded again finding no other words as he felt the tears burning behind his eyes.  He couldn’t let her see them.  He refused to let her see what this had done to him.  Now in being this close to her after having made love with her only to have her thinking about another man, he was fighting everything inside of him trying not to let her get to him again.  He wasn’t going to allow her to take his heart and stomp on it yet again.  He wouldn’t stand for it.

“Chris, I’m sorry,” She replied feeling the tears in her own eyes as she realized she’d just destroyed something wonderful between them.

“So am I Eve,” Chris whispered unable to face her as he felt her move her hand from his shoulder, “so am I.”

“Eve,” Ian called out to her as he saw her walking down the corridor of General Hospital, “Eve, we need to talk.”

“Ian,” she spoke his name feeling her heart stop as she saw him standing before her, “what can I do for you?”

“I heard about what happened with you and Kevin,” Ian explained searching her eyes, “is it true?”

She nodded.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked painfully as he searched her eyes.

“I wanted to tell you Ian, but then you looked to happy with Arianna and when you said you loved her....” Eve began feeling her heart ache, “I just thought...”

“Eve, I married her to protect her from Ben.  I couldn’t let him murder her,” he explained reaching out to her, “I couldn’t let him kill her when she had her whole life ahead of her.”

“You mean.....” she paused as it hit her finally, “you and Arianna are only...”

“Married by name,” Ian nodded as he reached out to her, “Eve, I wanted to tell you the truth so badly, but when Ben was there, I had to make it look real.  I had to make you believe that I loved her so he wouldn’t see through the farce that we had going.”

“You mean you....you’re still in love with me?” she asked astonished.

“I never stopped Eve,” Ian paused searching her eyes, “does this mean that you...?”

“I remembered Ian,” Eve confessed, “I couldn’t go through with marrying Kevin when I remembered being in love with you.  Ian I couldn’t shut off what I felt for you and I didn’t want to.  I wanted us to find one another again.”

“I’m right here Eve,” Ian replied taking her into his arms, “I’ve always been here for you.”

“Thank God,” Eve breathed squeezing him tighter, “when I thought I’d lost you...”

“You don’t have to worry about that again Eve.  When I know that Arianna is safe, then I’ll find a way for us to be together,” Ian assured her as he touched her cheek.

“You promise?” she questioned behind her tears

“Eve, I promised you that we’d share an eternity together and if you think I’d give up on that now,” he smiled at her, “you’re sadly mistaken.”

“I love you Ian,” Eve couldn’t help but feel her heart filled with joy as she hugged him.  She felt herself wrapped up in his embrace as she noticed Chris across the hall looking onward with a box in hands.  She pulled back from Ian as she thought of Chris.  They hadn’t spoken to one another since the night they’d shared with one another and now, well, now in seeing him like that with the pain in his eyes, her heart sank.  She looked to Ian, “There’s something I need to do.”

He looked over to Chris before meeting her eyes again seeing the urgency behind them, “I’ll be here waiting for you Eve.”

“Thank you,” she touched his cheek before she went off towards Chris determined to talk to him.  She watched him walk away into the on call room no doubt on his way to his office as she followed behind, “Ramsey, Ramsey.  I need a word with you.”

“Eve, not now,” Chris replied setting the box down as he began to gather his things placing them inside.

She frowned, “What are you doing?”

“Packing up,” Chris informed her lightly, “what does it look like?”

“Chris, why are you doing that?”

“Because I’m leaving Eve,” he confessed turning his eyes to her again, “there’s nothing left for me here in Port Charles.”

“Chris, how can you say that?  There are plenty of things here for you.”

“Like what Eve?”

“Like your job,” Eve offered as she watched him pack up his things.

“It’s not enough Eve,” Chris sighed, “there’s nothing left for me here but unhappy memories.”

“That’s not true,” she objected, “There are a great many things here still Chris.  So many of them for you.”

“None worth being miserable over,” he explained emptying out his top desk drawer.

“Chris, you can’t just walk away from all of this,” Eve objected again as she stepped forward, “you can’t just leave like this.”

“It’s for the best Eve,” he replied reaching out to the photograph he’d had buried inside his drawer.  He looked at it for a moment before handing it over to her, “you can have this.”

She looked down and saw it was a picture of the two of them drinking martinis together and she handed it back over to him, “No, it’s yours.”

“You can keep it.  I don’t want it,” he shrugged finishing up with his desk drawer.

“Chris, you can’t just leave like this,” Eve insisted stepping forward, “I don’t want you to go.”

“Eve, you can’t be the reason I stay,” Chris replied with a sigh, “it’s not reason enough for me anymore.”

“Chris please,” she begged seeing the pain behind his eyes.

“I already turned in my resignation,” he explained, “Alan understands and it’s really better that I go this way.  Besides, who knows?  Maybe now you can have this position that should’ve been yours to begin with.”

“I don't want the position Chris.  I want my best friend.”

“He’s been gone a long time Eve,” Chris replied lightly, “part of him left when Julie went away.”

“That’s not true,” Eve protested.

“Eve, come on.  We both know that I was kidding myself here.  All I’ve done is make everyone miserable and it’s time for me to find somewhere new to begin my life again.  I’ve put it off long enough.”

“Chris, you haven’t made everyone miserable,” she began as he gave her a look, “okay so maybe you made some of us miserable, but Chris you can’t just walk away...not like this.”

“Eve, now we both know that if I stay here it’s only going to complicate things further and from what I can see that’s the last thing either one of us needs,” Chris sighed before looking away from her, “I heard about Ian and Arianna.  From the sound of it, it looks pretty promising for you.”

“Chris, I don’t want to lose you,” Eve explained reaching for his hand as he pulled away.  She felt an ache run through her as he looked to her again.

“You won’t ever truly lose me as long as you keep me in your heart Eve,” Chris promised taking her hand again and giving it a squeeze as he fought the tears threatening, “We’ll always have the memories.”

“I don’t want the memories Chris.  I want you,” she replied tearfully as her emotions got the best of her, “I don’t want to lose the only friend I’ve ever really had in my life.”

“You’ll have other friends Eve,” Chris informed her poignantly, “ones who can give you the kind of friendship that you need and deserve.”

“I don’t want other friends,” Eve blurted out, “you know me better than anyone else can.”

“Trust me Eve.  Give it a chance and I’ll soon be nothing more than a bad memory,” he offered up with a smile, “you’ll have a new headache soon enough.”

“You promised me that you wouldn't leave me Chris,” Eve reminded him.

“I never claimed to be a man of my word,” he offered reaching out to touch her cheek, “Good-bye Eve.”

“Don’t go,” she pleaded with him again as she covered his hand with hers.

“It’s better this way Eve,” he explained with a soft smile as he felt her hand touching him.  He leaned in to her kissing her gently on the forehead before drawing back, “you’re going to live a happy life Lambert and I have no doubt in my mind that Ian is going to treat you right.  Despite the fact I think he’s a loser, I know he’s an honorable guy and he’s going to make you a very happy woman one day.”

“Chris....” Eve began as she watched him.

“Don’t let love pass you by Eve,” Chris instructed her as he moved away scooping up his box, “it doesn’t come twice in a lifetime and you need to seize it when it’s right in front of you or else the moment will pass.”

“Chris,” she started again feeling as though this was the end.  She sighed, “take care of yourself.”

“You too Lambert,” he replied forcing a grin as he saw the tears in her eyes, “remember  we’ll always have martini nights.”

“I’ll cherish them forever,” she replied as he gave her one last look before walking out the door.

Eve heard Chris walk away and somehow found herself paralyzed with fear knowing that if she turned around and watched him go it would be all the more painful.  Somehow just letting him walk away seemed easier as she held her breath half expecting to wake up from this dream she’d fallen into, but this was real and she’d just lost the best friend she’d ever had in her life.  Tearfully she stood still thinking about how much she was letting go of with Chris as he left her life.  Feeling her heart sink, she closed her eyes as the tears fell freely.

“Eve,” she heard someone call out to her as she felt a hand pressed on her shoulder.  She turned around half expecting to see Chris, but she found Ian behind her, “are you alright?” he asked wiping at her tears as he saw the sadness in her face, “what happened?”

“Chris is gone,” she explained lightly as he held her face in his hands.

“I heard about his resignation,” Ian nodded in response, “you’re going to miss him aren’t you?”

“Despite everything he was my best friend,” Eve informed him sadly, “I never really told him how much he meant to me, but he was the first person in Port Charles to really accept me for who I was.  He understood me and never judged me.”

“I knew Ramsey had to have a good point about him,” Ian nodded reaching into his pocket and withdrawing an envelope, “he asked me to give this to you.”

“When?”

“Just now,” Ian explained as he watched her tear open the envelope, “he said you’d understand.”

Eve opened the envelope and looked inside finding a bracelet within the paper confines and she pulled it out seeing the martini glass charm shining in the fluorescent lighting of the Chief Resident’s office.  With a tear filled glance, she looked to Ian as a sad smile tugged at her lips, “Can you help me put this on?”

“Of course,” he nodded in response slipping the bracelet over her slender arm, “it’s beautiful.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Eve smiled as she touched the charm with her fingers.

“So what now?” Ian asked as she turned her eyes away from the bracelet and back to him.

“It’s time for me to do what I’ve always been meant to do,” Eve explained reaching for his hand, “Chris wanted me to find happiness and that’s what I intend to do.  He told me not to let love pass me by and this time around, I’m going to take his advice.  I’m not going to walk away from the only real thing I’ve ever really had in my life.”

“Eve,” Ian began as she threw her arms around him holding him tightly.

“Ian, I want us to have that future together.  I want us to have what we promised each other and I know how hard it’s going to be given all the obstacles against us, but I’m going to find a way to make it work.  No more backing away from the moment because if you do, you’ll find that it might evade you and that’s a fate worse than anything I can imagine.”

“I’m not letting you go Eve,” Ian promised her as he held her close to him, “I want to grow old with you and give you the life you’ve always deserved.  You are my heart and I swear to you from this day forward that you and I are going to have our happily ever after.  I want to share my life with you Eve,” he replied touching her face as he was finally able to admit to his feelings for her.

“There’s nothing I want more than to do just that Ian,” Eve replied hugging him again, “I love you.”

“I love you too Eve and I promise I’m never going to let you lose sight of that again,” Ian assured her, “together we’ll find our way.”

“I believe that,” she smiled as he squeezed her to him, “you make me believe that all my dreams are about to come true.”

“If I can make them happen for you, I will Eve,” Ian squeezed her again, “you have my word on that.  I’m going to love you forever.”
 

“Looks like the winds are kicking up out there, aren’t they?” the bartender questioned as Chris stepped in from the storm building behind him.

“Well, they say a storm is brewing,” Chris nodded in response taking his usual spot at the bar.

“I don’t know how you do it Doc,” the bartender sighed, “with hurricane season always threatening you’d think that you’d do like the others and just take off to some big city life.”

“And miss out on this tropical paradise?  I wouldn’t dream of it,” Chris answered with a dry laugh as he looked down to his drink waiting for him on the bar, “Corona,” he nodded.

“Just like you like ‘em,” the bartender nodded, “your drink of choice.”

“Not if he has a say in the matter.  This man seems to me more the martini type,” a familiar voice called out as Chris instantly froze in his seat.  Slowly he turned his eyes towards the entrance of the bar where she stood.  Her hair was longer than he’d remembered and her eyes seemed softer than they’d been so many times in his dreams, but she was still a vision before him.  She stepped forward with a confident smile on her face as she looked to the bartender, “I’ll have you know this man doesn’t settle for anything but the best.”

“Eve,” he breathed her name feeling it reach a part of him he hadn’t felt since he’d left Port Charles nearly five years ago.  He watched her cross the room and still he found himself swept up in her.

“Is that so?” the bartender looked to Chris.

“Humility was never a part of his persona,” she explained with a light smile before turning her eyes to Chris, “unless of course life in paradise has taken your high standards away from you.”

“On the contrary,” Chris shrugged still unable to believe his eyes, “I’ve just learned to appreciate the simpler things in life.”

“That’s always a bonus, but sometimes you need to go with an old favorite,” she motioned to the bartender, “two martinis.”

“Coming right up,” he nodded going off as Eve looked to Chris.

“You know you’re a hard man to find Ramsey,” Eve offered with a smile as she shifted her position on the bar stool, “you wouldn’t believe the things I’ve had to go through to find you.”

“I didn’t know I was being sought after,” He said still trying to make sense of her being there before him.

“Well, sometimes part of the thrill is in the element of surprise,” Eve shrugged as the bartender returned with their drinks.  She reached for her glass taking a sip before setting the martini down again.  She shook her head a bit as her dark locks of hair cascaded around her face bringing attention to her dark eyes that he’d often found surrounding him in his dreams.  “You know this is good,” she nodded to the drink, “but not nearly as good as yours were.”

“What are you doing here Eve?” Chris asked again finding himself shocked to be thousands of miles from home only to have her here before him after all this time.

“Like I said you’re a hard man to find,” Eve continued giving him an appreciative glance, “and I must say Doctor’s Without Limits was the last place I’d envisioned you being.”

“I always told you that I’d find my own tropical paradise and live in it,” Chris offered with a light smile.

“I just never thought you to be the altruistic type,” Eve admitted.

“People change,” Chris shrugged lightly as he reached for the martini in front of him.

“Not that much they don’t,” she explained as a soft smile crossed over her features.

He sipped his drink again before looking her over and allowing his thoughts to slip through, “God, you look beautiful.  Time has done you well Lambert.”

“While I’d like to say thank you and tell you that’s the case, well, I can’t,” Eve sighed, “time has only done one thing for me.”

“And what might that be?” he asked raising a brow.

“It’s shown me that while there are some things you’re certain of in life, it just takes one unexpected moment to change that for you,” Eve answered softly as she moved her hand out to the bar and brushed her fingers against his, “I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you too Eve,” Chris confessed feeling the warmth of her touch, “but you still haven’t answered my question.  What are you doing here?  Ian bring you out here to show you how he once lived?”

She shook her head, “No, Ian isn’t here with me.”

“Why not?” Chris asked seeing something behind her eyes as she looked over to the back of the bar staring at her reflection in the mirror.

“Ian hasn’t been with me in a long time Chris.  Shortly after you left Port Charles Ian and I parted ways,” she confessed poignantly.

“What happened Eve?” Chris questioned lightly.

“I realized that I was in love with another man,” Eve explained softly as she swirled her index finger over the rim of her glass, “I’d tried to fight it, to keep the feelings for him from showing, but over time I was consumed by them and Ian saw that.  Needless to say, he didn’t want to be second best in my life and we parted ways.”

“So he left you?” Chris asked seeing the pain behind her eyes.

“We agreed to end things mutually,” Eve replied turning to face him again, “and in retrospect it was the best thing for us.  We both needed something that we couldn’t find in one another and it took some moment’s of awakening to realize it.”

“And now?” Chris questioned watching her eyes as he felt her finger curl around his.

“Now I’m searching for that truth that had always slipped out of my reach before,” Eve confessed, “I’m here to find something that I lost a long time ago.  I just hope it isn’t too late to find it.”

“Some would say it’s never too late,” Chris offered up as his eyes slipped to the bracelet on her wrist.  He reached out to touch it, “he gave it to you.”

“And I’ve treasured it since the moment it was given to me, although I’d much rather preferred that I’d gotten it from you personally,” Eve informed him as she slipped her hand over his, “I wish we could’ve shared that.”

“I’m sure sharing it with Ian was something in itself,” Chris replied withdrawing his hand as he refocused his attention on his beer while pushing his martini aside.

“It was, but it was never the same,” Eve answered shifting the conversation, “so tell me Ramsey, word around here is that there’s this handsome single doctor making quite a scene with the people around here.  You wouldn’t happen to know him would you?”

“I might be able to investigate for you,” he shrugged lightly before looking to her, “Got a name?”

“Maybe,” she smiled as she reached out to pull a piece of lint from his shirt, “that is if there’s any truth to the rumors that he’s without a woman in his life.”

“From what I understand they are very true,” he answered as he watched her, “he’s still very single.”

“No significant other?” she questioned lacing her fingers with his, “that’s too bad as he happens to be one of the most amazing men I’ve ever met.”

“What about you Eve?  Who’s the latest man in your life?  Unless of course you’re here alone?” he questioned hopeful though he had tried to convince himself over the years that he hadn’t cared, that Eve Lambert had never mattered.

“Actually,” she withdrew her hand from his as she turned her eyes away from him, “I am here with someone special.  He’s one of the most amazing men I’ve ever encountered.”

“Oh,” he replied feeling his heart sink yet again, “I see.”

“He’s really amazing Chris and I love him very much,” Eve continued gleefully as she smiled in his direction, “he’s bright, intelligent, charming and oh so handsome.”

“So how long have you and Mr. Perfect been together?” he asked a bit smugly as he thought about all the time that had passed.  He found himself lost in Eve, but in the same moment the chances of meeting up with her again had seemed next to impossible, yet here she was flaunting another one of her loves to him.  Well, he couldn’t have expected her to be alone forever being the passionate woman she was, he thought to himself as he realized that she hadn’t come here for him like he’d been hoping.  He sipped his beer as he waited for her response.

“He and I have been together since before Ian and I split,” Eve confessed lightly, “it was completely unexpected, but he’s really given me a new look on life.  With him I’ve seen things and experienced things that I never dreamed possible before.”

“I’m happy for you Eve,” Chris forced a smile, “it’s good to see you doing well.”

“Thank you Chris,” she smiled in response, “but you know he’s part of the reason I was looking for you.  I wanted you to meet him.  Actually I’ve waited a long time for you to meet him...nearly five years.”

“Eve are you telling me that you came all the way out here to the island to track me down for me to meet the man in your life?” Chris asked in disbelief as he looked to her.

“Well, that’s one way of putting it,” Eve answered with a nod, “I’ve spend nearly five years trying to find you.”

“Why Eve?  So you could just let me know how happy you are again?” He asked feeling his anger rise a bit, “I mean isn’t it enough that you ripped my heart out back in Port Charles?  Why bring it here Eve?”

“Chris, I....if you’d only.....” she stammered a bit.

“Eve, I gave you your space.  I walked away from you to let you be happy with Ian and right now the last thing that I need is for you to come in here and flaunt off your new love.  Eve, I can’t deal with that,” Chris blurted out finally as he threw his hands out in the air in frustration, “Can’t you see that I love you?  That even after all this time seeing you here like this is killing me?  Eve, I went two thousand miles from Port Charles just to escape what I felt for you.  It took me nearly five years to get to this point and now you just show up and you want to pick up where we left off.  You want me to go back to being good ole buddy Chris and you’re here asking for my seal of approval, well, Eve I just can’t do it.  I can’t give you that.”

“Chris,” she started again as she stood from her stool, “you don’t understand.”

“No Eve, you don’t understand,” Chris cut her off, “Can’t you see that it kills me to think of you with another man?  Can’t you see that I had to go away in order to give you the kind of happiness you were looking for?   Eve, I walked away from it all hoping you’d find what you wanted in this world and now you’re coming back to show me what you have.  Eve, I can’t bear the thought of you with another man and even now when I know time has passed and I should be done with this, I still can’t let go.  I love you Eve and I wish I didn’t, but ever since I left Port Charles, you’re all that I could think about.”

“And you’re all that’s been on my mind too Chris,” Eve blurted out, “Chris, I love you.  I have since long before you left town, only it took you leaving for me to realize it,” she saw the look on his face and she continued further not allowing him room to speak as she stepped forward, “Chris, when you left a huge chunk of me left with you and I was never, ever the same since.  That night that we shared together, while it went so horribly wrong, it meant something to me.  Our making love changed me only you didn’t allow me the chance to tell you just how much.”

“I knew what it did,” he answered.

“No, you didn’t have the first clue.  You left without allowing me to tell you what it meant to me.  Chris, you have no idea how long I’ve been searching for you.  I’ve always been two steps behind, but I’ve never given up on finding you.  I wouldn’t rest until I was able to see you again and now that I’m here, I refuse to look back.  I’m not moving without you.  I can’t go back to living that way again.”

“Eve, you’re not making any sense,” he said seeing the desperation behind her eyes as she stepped towards him again, “what about what you just told me?  You just said....”

“I know what I said Chris.  I was trying to tell you about...” she began as the doors to the bar burst open and this tiny child with dark hair and a worried expression on his face rushed into the bar with his arms extended.

“Mommy.....” he cried out to her as he reached out to her tugging on her leg, “why didn’t you come back?”

“I told you I was going to be a few minutes,” Eve she replied as he tugged on her skirt and he hid behind her leg taking a peek at Chris every now and then, “why didn’t you stay with Maria like I told you to?”

“Maria’s no fun,” he pouted as his eyes looked curiously upon Chris, “I wanted to be a grown up.”

“You’re not old enough to be a grown up yet,” Eve replied scooping him up into her arms as he hooked his arms around her neck.

“Sure I am,” he reached into his pocket and pulled out a green plastic card he was carrying, “See I have dentificashaun...” he boasted proudly turning to the bartender, “I’ll have a tall glass of milk.....no lid,” he instructed as the bartender smiled at him.

“Coming right up kid,” the bartender smiled at him before going to retrieve a glass for him.

“Eve....” Chris questioned as he watched her set the boy down on one of the barstools, “you have a son?”

“Tyler’s the name,” the boy extended his hand to Chris, “and you are?”

“Chris,” he couldn’t help but smile meeting the child’s tiny fingers.

“It’s great to meet you Chris,” Tyler smiled before looking to the bartender down at the other end of the bar, “and don’t forget the straw.”

“Eve,” Chris looked to her again as she offered up an apologetic look, “you didn’t say that the man in your life was...”

“My son?” she finished raising a brow, “you give me the chance.”

“But I thought...” Chris turned his eyes to the child again, “I mean I just assumed that you meant...”

“Chris, I haven’t had time for another man since Tyler came into my life,” Eve informed him lightly, “being his mother has been a full time job in itself especially since his father left.”

“You never said that you and Ian...” Chris began again blinking in surprise.

“We didn’t Chris,” Eve cut him off as she placed her hand on her son’s head ruffling his hair a bit before she looked back to Chris, “but WE did.”

“You mean...” Chris felt his breath catch in his throat.

“That’s right Chris,” Eve nodded as she felt the tears swelling in her eyes, “Tyler is our son.”

“Our son,” Chris found himself at a loss as he looked between the two of them, “but...”

“Just look at him Chris,” Eve urged as Tyler tossed aside his straw and finished off his glass of milk acquiring a milk mustache in the process, “tell me that you don’t see it.”

“My god,” Chris gasped as he looked to Tyler, “why didn’t you tell me Eve?”

“You left Chris,” Eve confessed watching him taking in the sight of their son, “You never gave me a chance to tell you and every time I tried to find you, all I got was a trail of empty paperwork and talk about the great Dr. Ramsey sweeping through town.”

“I wish...I wish I knew Eve.  Had I known...” he stammered a bit.

“None of that matters now,” Eve informed him lightly as he refocused his attention on Tyler, “You know now and that’s what’s important.”

“How about another down here?” Tyler tapped on the bar impatiently.

“I’m doing the best I can pal,” the bartender offered with a smile.

“Well speed it up pal, I have places to go and people to see,” Tyler frowned.

“Tyler!” Eve chastised as he turned to her and shrugged.

“What mom?  I’m just trying to get some quality service here.  I’ve paid my dues,” Tyler informed her as he curled his lip at her.

“You know pal there’s an easier way to get better service,” Chris replied taking a seat beside him on one of the barstools as Eve’s words sank in.

“Like?” Tyler raised an eyebrow curiously at him.

“Like this,” Chris said pulling out a twenty dollar bill out of his pocket, “why don’t you try that?”

“Thanks for the tip,” Tyler smiled curling up the bill and stuffing it into his pants pocket before looking to the bartender, “any year now buddy.”

“Tyler,” Eve started again as Chris reached out to her stopping her before she could yell at him.

He stood up from the barstool before placing his hand on his son’s shoulder, “Why don’t you try to impress your mommy here and try using the word please?”

Tyler sighed, “Fine,” he looked to the bartender, “please.”

“As you wish,” the bartender said handing over another glass to Tyler.

“Thanks pal,” Tyler smiled pulling a few plastic quarters out of his pocket and setting them on top of the bar, “keep the change.”

“This one’s on the house,” the bartender winked at him before going to tend to another patron.

“Wow that was so cool,” Tyler grinned at Chris, “how’d you get to be so smart?”

“I learned a few tricks of the trade over the years from my dad,” Chris admitted, “not all good, but some of them seem to work.”

“Wow, that’s awesome.  My mommy says that I take after my daddy too.  She says I have his smile,” Tyler grinned widely, “right mom?”

“That’s right,” Eve answered with a smile, “you look just like your daddy.”

“Nah, I’d say he’s even cuter,” Chris offered up with a grin as he mussed up Tyler’s hair.

“Hey watch it pal.  I’m out to impress the ladies,” Tyler informed him.

“Not in here you aren’t,” Eve warned before looking to Chris, “besides you remember that surprise I told you about?”

“About meeting someone special today?” he asked with a smile.

“That’s right.  I told you that you had to be on your best behavior because you were going to meet someone wonderful today.”

“I remember,” he nodded looking to Eve, “so where is he?”

“He’s right here Tyler,” she said turning her eyes to Chris, “this is your daddy.”

“Really?” he asked with wide eyes, “You’re really my daddy?”

Chris looked to Eve for a moment finding himself a bit dumbfounded as she nodded encouraging him to go on and he turned to Tyler, “That’s right.  I’m the man lucky enough to be your daddy.”

“That is so cool,” Tyler replied reaching out to Chris and throwing his arm around him in a hug, “I’ve waited my whole life to finally meet you.”

“Me too son,” Chris said holding him tighter as the tears swelled up in his eyes, “me too.”

“Does this mean that we can finally be a family?” Tyler asked turning his eyes to Eve as he noticed the tears upon her cheeks.  He reached out to her wiping at her face, “why are you crying mommy?”

“Because grown ups do that sometimes when they’re happy,” she offered lightly as she looked to Chris.

“And you’re happy?”

“Very much so,” she nodded in response as she watched her son in Chris’s arms.

“And you?” Tyler asked turning his eyes to Chris.

“More than I ever imagined being,” Chris replied as he held Tyler securely in one arm before reaching out to envelope Eve with the other.  Once he’d managed to get a hold on her, he pulled her in close to him as he held her and their son in his arms.  He saw the tears on her face and he leaned in closer to her pressing a kiss on her cheek before whispering in her ear, “I love you Eve.”

“I love you Chris,” she replied choked up on emotion as he squeezed her to him, “more than you can possibly imagine.”

“You coming here with our son was the greatest gift you could’ve ever given me Eve,” Chris whispered in her ear as he squeezed her again, “for the first time in my life everything feels just right.”

“For me too Chris,” Eve admitted as she looked to him, “I hope this means that you won’t mind us staying for a while.”

“If I have my way Eve, I’m never letting you go again,” Chris informed her determined as he squeezed both her and his son to him tightly, “I made that mistake once before and I refuse to do it again.”

“Um hello someone, I’m being squashed here,” Tyler announced as he found himself lost in between his parent’s embrace.

“Sorry buddy,” Chris replied easing up a bit as he looked to his son.

“That’s okay dad,” Tyler smiled at him, “you can make it up to me with a drink.”

“Imagine that,” Chris couldn’t help but laugh as he placed Tyler down on the barstool again, “how about another round down here?”

“Sure thing Dr. Ramsey,” the bartender nodded going to get another milk as Chris turned to Eve.

“I’ve missed you Eve,” Chris informed her lightly.

“I’ve missed you too,” Eve answered as she stepped in closer to him, “and I see now that my biggest mistake was in letting you walk away back then.”

“My biggest mistake was ever thinking I could find it in me to let you go,” Chris confessed poignantly looking to their son, “I’ve missed out on so much of his life.”

“But you have so much to be there for,” Eve reminded him with a smile, “that is if you’d like to.”

“Eve,” he replied pulling her close to him as he touched her cheek gently easing her into a tender kiss, “There’s no place I’d rather be than with you and our son.”

“You mean that?” She asked as they parted and she searched his eyes.

“With all that I am, I want to spend the rest of my life loving you...the both of you,” Chris informed her as he caressed her skin, “I love you.”

“I love you too Ramsey,” Eve couldn’t help but smile as he eased her into another kiss, “I always will.”

“Okay you two, that’s enough of the mushy stuff,” Tyler groaned, “it’s time for a drink here because as mommy always says there’s nothing better than a tall glass of milk and a good conversation at the end of the day.”

“Accept no substitutes Tyler,” Chris chuckled lightly as he moved his arm around Eve’s waist finding himself eagerly awaiting the discovery of his son’s life and in being a part of Eve’s.  Finally after all these years he was exactly where he’d wanted to be.  He’d found his home.