After a long day at work Parker came home to a lonely house. She gets Catherine ready for bed. Catherine falls asleep crying for her daddy. They both missed him so much. Paker lays Catherine in her bed and hears a knock at the door. She opens the door to find her father standing there. She lets him in and they have words. She tells him to leave and Catherine wakes up from the door slamming. Parker calms her daughter down and she falls asleep beside her mother. Parker watching her daughter sleep. Her beautiful long eyes lashes closed tight and her fingers curled tight around Parker’s finger. Then, she slips in the other room. She says to herself, ‘What a day?’ She goes into the kitchen and pours herself a drink. She promised Jarod that she wouldn’t smoke but tonight she has to have a cigarette. She sets on the couch and turns the radio on. She listens to an old but good music station. She kicks back and “The Flame” by Cheap Trick begins to play...

Another night slowly closes in and it feels so lonely touching heat, freezing on my skin I pretend you still hold me I’m goin’ crazy, I’m losin’ sleep...I can’t believe you’re gone...Wherever you go I’ll be with you...I wanna run to you...

She sits there listening to the words and thinks about Jarod. She wonders when he will be home again. She hasn’t heard from him in several days and hopes he doing well. Then she falls asleep on the couch, tears on her face.

**********

The next day she enters her office. Sydney follows her in.

“Rough night, Parker.” he replies seeing her red rimmed eyes.

“What” she answers.

“You look like you had a rough night.” Sydney says again.

“Oh, yeah. I did. Catherine cried most of the night and my father came over. We tied into a fight.” she replied to Syd.

“Are you okay?” Sydney asked.

“Yes, I will be fine. I don’t know why I let him get to me like that.” Parker responded back.

“May I ask, what the fight was about?” he asked Parker concerned.

“The same ol thing, Syd.” she responded.

“Oh, I see.” he said. “I’ll leave you alone.”

“No stay. I need someone to talk to.” Parker replied to her friend.

**********

She goes home after another hard day at work to a lonely house. She spends time with her daughter. When its time for bed, Catherine cries for her daddy. Parker sits in the rocking chair trying to calm her when she starts to cry for him too. Catherine cries herself to sleep. Parker holds her little hand in hers and watches her sleep. She looks so peaceful. She lays her down in her bed. Parker hears something at the back door, hoping it was Jarod she runs to the door and finds no one there. She goes back into Catherine’s room. She bends over to touch her and gives her a kiss. Jarod walks in behind her. He reaches over and puts his arms around his wife. She stands still hoping it is really him. Then she turns around to hold him. He looks over her shoulder and sees his daughter sleeping. He wants to hold her so bad but figures his wife needs him worse. They walk into the other room and radio is playing. She looks up at him and says, “I missed you.”

He looks into her blue eyes and responded back, “I missed you too.”

Then a song by Bad Company begins to play...

Baby when I think about you, I think about love darling I don’t live without you and your love if I had those golden dreams of my yesterday I would wrap you in their heaven feel it dying on the way feeling like makin’ love...and if I had the sun and moon and they were shining I would give you both night and day love satisfying feel like makin’ love...

The chorus fades into the background. Jarod reaches over and touches her face. She kisses his hand. Then they meet with a kiss. He picks her up and carries her into the bedroom. He sets her down on the bed. She runs her tongue up his neck and into his mouth. She rips his white T-shirt off and her fingers slowly move down his chest. His 501’s are slowly unbuttoned and her fingers reach down into his Levi’s. He pushes her away and smiles. His hands slowly move up her gown. As he slowly lays his body onto hers he kissed her stomach and runs his tongue up to her soft breast. Then she grabs his head and pulls him toward her closer. His tongue slowly enters her mouth to tease her before starting a kiss. She runs her fingers through his short brown hair. She doesn’t want to let him go. She begs him to stay for a while. He whispers into her ear he loves her and he will stay as long as he can because he doesn’t want to let go either. After she wears him out from not seeing her very often, he falls asleep in her arms. She lays awake, listening to the radio. An old familiar Heart song begins to play and she holds him tighter as the words begin...

I laying beside you just thinking about us it’s hard to go to sleep I’m to much in love I know I’m crazy but I can’t close my eyes I’m scared you won’t be there in the morning when I arise will you be there now who do you dream about when your alone in your sleep who do you reach out oh let it be me now baby you’re my obsession, my addiction, my drug don’t want to be without you when I wake up Oh, no will you be there when I want you will you be there when I wake up I need you to be there in the morning will you be there now your so close to me but I feel so alone the more I touch you the more I want to know what to do about me loving you but I pray to God that you feel it too Now baby your my obsession, my addiction, my drug so let the candle grow into a great power of love Oh yeah, will you be there in the morning will you be there when I want you will you be there when I wake up I need you to be there when I wake up I need you to be there in the morning Oh yeah, I want you to love me forever, don’t want a love that is now or never can’t you see you got me down on the floor I want more, more will you be there in the morning will you be there when I want you will you be there when I wake up will you be there in the morning will you be there when I want you will you be there when I wake up will you be there in the morning

She is scared to fall asleep not knowing whether he will be there or not.

**********

Sometime in the middle of the night Jarod wakes to Catherine’s crying. He slowly slips out of Parker’s arms and rushes to his daughter’s side. He picks her up and talks to her. She missed her father. She looks into his brown eyes and smiles. His heart melts. He hasn’t held her in so long. Catherine rubbed her eyes but is scared to fall asleep. Jarod lays her on his chest and holds her hoping to calm her down. Her big blue eyes slowly fall asleep and his do too. Parker wakes up to find Jarod gone. Scared it was all a dream, she goes to check on Catherine. There she finds her asleep on her daddy’s chest. She walks over and gives them both a kiss. Jarod wakes up and grabs her hand as she turns to walk away. Parker lays down on the bed beside her husband and watches her daughter sleep.

**********

The next morning the sunlight hits Parker in the face. She raises up and see Jarod laying Catherine in her bed. He turns to his wife and says, “Are you going to tell me what happened?”

Parker looks him in the eyes and says, “What are you talking about?”

Jarod responded, “When I came in last night you looked upset.”

“Oh, it was nothing.” she replied.

“Come on, I know you better than that. Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to ask Sydney?” he replied back.

“Fine. My father and I got into a fight the other night. It was nothing. It is done and over with. Now can we let it go?” she said as she ran her fingers through his hair and gave him a kiss. She was hoping this would change the subject.

“It may be over for now but it will happen again. Let me deal with him.” Jarod responded as his wife was trying to get his mind off of the conversion.

“No, I will handle it.” she replied. “I am going to take a shower. Do you want to join me?” she asked as she pulled him out of Catherine’s room.

“I believe I will.” he responded while holding her hand.

While in the shower, the warm water ran down her body. She reached over to her husband and kissed his chest. Jarod grabbed her closer and kissed her on the neck.

Parker replied, “We better take our shower.”

Jarod responded with a smile, “Oh, I guess you were teasing me.”

“Teasing you. I will show you teasing.” Parker replied. She grabbed Jarod and ran her tongue over his nipple and began to kiss it. Then she ran her fingers through his hair. He began to kiss her breast. Parker wrapped her arms around his neck while he nibble on her ear and whispered “I love you.” Then gave her a kiss with the warm water running over their body.

After they finally got soaped up, Jarod heard something. “I’ll be back.” he said as he gave her a kiss.

Jarod walked into Catherine’s room and she stood on the side of the bed holding her arms out to him saying, “Dada.” Jarod reached down and picked her up. ‘How could he resist that?’ he thought to himself.

He held her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. Parker came out of the bathroom with her robe on. She find Jarod holding Catherine. She stood back and watched him talk to her. Jarod turned around and find his wife standing there. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“Watching you with her.” she replied.

“Are you jealous?” he responded back.

“A little.” she replied back with a smile.

Jarod said, “You know she is content here playing by herself and you really look good wearing that robe. The way your hair is dripping down your back.”

“Oh she is. Is she?” Parker replied back as Jarod gave her a kiss.

“Yes, she is.” Jarod said as he sat Catherine in her play pen and reached for his wife. “You know I have really, really missed you.” he responded. Then he whispered a poem in her ear by Josephine Slocum Hunt...

You kissed me! My head drooped low on your breast
With a feeling of shelter and infinite rest,
While the holy emotions my tongue dared not speak,
Flashed up as in flame, from my heart to my cheek;
Your arms held me fast; of! your arms were so bold-
Heart beat against heart in their passionate fold.
Your glances seemed drawing my soul through mine eyes,
As the sun draws the mist from the sea to the skies.
Your lips clung to mine till I prayed in the bliss
They might never unclasp from the rapturous kiss.

You kissed me! My heart, my breath and my will
In delirious joy for a moment stood still.
Life had for me then no temptations, no charms,
No visions of rapture outside of your arms;
And were I this instant an angel possessed
Of the peace and the joy that belong to the blest,
I would fling my white robes unrepiningly down,
I would tear from my forehead its beautiful crown,
To nestle once more in that haven of rest-
Your lips upon mine, my head on your breast.

You kissed me! My soul in a bliss so divine
Reeled and swooned like a drunkard when foolish with
wine
And I thought ‘twere delicious to die there, if death
Would but come while my lips were yet moist with your
breath;
While your arms clasped me round in that blissful
embrace,
While your eyes melt in mine could e’en death e’er
efface-
Oh, these are the questions I ask day and night:
Must my lips taste no more such exquisite delight?
Would you wish that your breast were my shelter as then?
And if you were here, would you kiss me again?

“Not as much as I have.” she responded back with a kiss. Then she pulls the towel off of Jarod and pushes back against the wall. He picks her up and they land in the floor. She sits down on him and whispered in his ear, “I love you.” He grabs her face and gives her another kiss. He pushes her over and slowly moves on top of her.

She replies, “I like that poem. Where did you hear it?” while she kisses his neck.

“It just came to me while I was kissing you.” he responded.

“Oh” she said. “Do you know any more?” she asked with her tongue slowly touching his lips.

“As a matter of fact I do. Tell me what you think of this one...

I love you lips when they’re wet with wine
And red with a wild desire;
I love your eyes when the lovelight lies
Lit with a passionate fire.
I love your arms when the warm white flesh I love your hair when the strands enmesh
Your kisses against my face.

Not for me the cold, clam kiss
Of a virgin’s bloodless love;
Not for me the saint’s white bliss,
Nor the heart of a spotless dove.
But give me the love that so freely gives
And laughs at the whole world’s blame,
With your body so young and warm in my arms,
It sets my poor heart aflame.

So kiss me sweet with your warm wet mouth,
Still fragrant with ruby wine,
And say with a fervor born of the South
That your body and soul are mine.
Clasp me close in your warm young arms,
While the pale stars shine above,
And we’ll live our whole young lives away
In the joys of a living love.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

“Well, I like that one too.” she said with a smile. While they were kisses each other, you could hear these words playing on the radio...

...To tell you how I feel don’t put up no fight you just turn off the lights walk over here to me and lay your body down on me down on me tonight, oh yeah oh, let your tears fall down on me down on me tonight, oh yeah...So for tonight, just turn off the lights and let those real feeling show there’s no wrong or right but until you try you’re never gonna know and lay your body down on me down on me tonight, oh yeah oh, let your tears fall down on me down on me tonight, ...before you was mine I was so lonely ain’t it a shame how much you’ve got to pay before you get back on your feet again...so let’s draw the blinds forget wasted time and let them old demons die take my hand...lay your body down on me down on me tonight, oh yeah oh, let your tears fall down on me down on me tonight...

“Listen to this song.” she whispers.

“Well, I waiting.” he replied softly.

“What?” she answered.

“For you to lay your body down on mine.” he responded with a kiss.

“I can do that.” she whispered. She gave him a smile. Then she grabbed him and rolled over on him. They spent the rest of the night holding each other tight when they weren’t busy with Catherine.

“You know, I hate to leave you and Catherine.” Jarod said while looking into her eyes.

“I know. I hate it when you leave.” she responded hoping he was going to say when it was time to go.

“Monday” he said softly.

“What about Monday?” she asked.

“Is when I have to leave. I will be back before the week is up. I promise.” he replied back.

“I hope so.” she replied. “Catherine cries for you everynight.”

“What about you?” Jarod asked sweetly.

“Me too.” she said. Then she gave him a kiss. “We still have the rest of the weekend. So, let’s make the best of it.” she responded as she gave him a kiss.

“That is fine with me.” he said as he turns the lights off for the night.

**********

The next morning Parker and Jarod headed out before daylight. They left Catherine behind with Sydney. they drove off on a Harley Davidson motorcycle for a quiet place.

“Where are we going?” Parker asked Jarod.

“It’s a surprise.” he told her.

They drive up to a nice big shad tree by the river. He takes his wife by the hand and walks to the tree. Jarod spreads out a blanket and Parker sits down. He looks into her eyes and says, “You know Mareus Aurlius once said, ‘Accept the things to which fate binds you and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart’.”

Then Parker looks at Jarod in his brown eyes and says, “I heard a saying by Mae West that went...’The best way to hold a man is in your arms’.” Then she smiled at him. She said, “I heard a poem you might like...

I want you when the shades of eve are falling
And purpling shadows drift across the land;
When sleepy birds to loving mates are calling-
I want the soothing softness of your hand.

I want you when the stars whine up above me,
And Heaven’s flooded with the bright moonlight;
I want you with your arms and lips to love me
Throughout the wonder watches of the night.

I want you when in dreams I still remember
The ling’ring of your kiss-for old times’ sake-
With all your gentle ways, so sweetly tender,
I want you in the morning when I wake.
I want you when the day is at its noontime,
Sun-steeped and quiet, or drenched with sheets
of rain;
I want you when the roses bloom in June-time;
I want you when the violets come again.

I want you when my soul is thrilled with passion;
I want you when I’m weary and depressed;
I want you when in lazy, slumbrous fashion
My senses need the haven of your breast.

I want you when through field and wood I’m roaming;
I want you when I’m standing on the shore;
I want you when the summer birds are homing-
And when they’ve flown-I want you more and more.
I want you, dear, through every changing season;
I want you with a tear or with a smile;
I want you more than any rhyme or reason-

Arthur L. Gillom

As you can see I just want you.” she replied.

“Yeah, I can see that. I want you too. Let me show you how much.” he replied with a kiss.

She moved on him slowly. The buttons slowly came unbuttoned and were delivered with a kiss. Jarod just laid there letting his wife take advantage of him. He sat up and kissed her on the neck. Then helped her out of her clothes. He rolled the blanket around them and their hands and lips couldn’t stay off of each other. The lips wondered from one place to another as they rolled around under the tree. She dug her fingertips into his back as he slowly moves back and forth on her. Each kiss was delivered with love.

After a hot passionate morning, they got dressed. She turned toward him and said, “I need a cigarette.”

“I thought you quit.” he responded with a look.

“I did but I am craving one after what you put me through.” she responded while buttoning Jarod’s shirt.

He took his wife’s hand and replied, “Let’s take a walk. It is so beautiful out here.” She quickly forgot the cigarette.

They walked in the water and watched the clouds move from one place to another. The sun went down behind the trees and Jarod looked at Parker and said, “I love you.’

She repeated the words back to him. They got back on the motorcycle and drove home. They thanked Sydney for watching Catherine and spent the rest of the night playing with their daughter. Jarod wanted to spend his last night with the women in his life. Parker slept on one side of Jarod and Catherine slept in his arms. He laid awake all night hoping to stop time. He didn’t want to leave them behind again.

**********

Before long Monday came and he was gone before daylight. Parker went to work as she did everyday. When she came home that evening, she finds a note from Jarod that reads...

Absence diminishes small love and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and blows up the bonfire.
---Francois Rouchefoucauld

After reading his note, she couldn’t wait for his next visit. Then, she was putting away some of his clothes. An En Vogue song popped into her head about that time...

She got Catherine ready for bed and carried on with her normal everyday routine hoping to hear from him soon. A familiar Reo Speedwagon song came on the radio...

...You can’t take these words to bed with you and hold onto them at night They can’t erase the emptiness and make everything alright But your laughter and your tenderness will never disappear No matter where you are tonight a part of you is here with me Here with me, I don’t know where you are, all I know is I need you to be Here with me, I know it’s not to late, to turn around and get it straight It’s not fate to have you here with me

I can hear your voice promising your love will never die I can feel your golden skin on mine beneath the desert sky So how can it be true, how can you just turn and let me go Let the story of your life with mine forever go untold I can’t take these words to bed with me and hold onto them at night They can’t erase the emptiness and make everything alright Cause your laughter and your tenderness will never disappear No matter where you are tonight a part of you is here with me

She slips into one of Jarod’s shirts and falls asleep holding it tight. Jarod, far away from home hears the same song and wishes he could be there with her holding her tight as he looks at a photograph of his family.

The End!