Before - Champagne Challenge 154 (PG) 1/30/14
Posted: Thu Jan 30, 2014 11:51 pm
Here is another offering to challenge 154, 'New Year, New Life'. This is a companion piece to 'After', each of which is a conversation between Lilah and the two men she loved. As always, I don't own the characters, but I love playing with them.
Enjoy!!
Before
“Mick, there’s something I need to ask you.”
“What is it, sugar?”
“Do you love me?
“Of course I do. Why would you even ask me that?”
“It’s just… I hate keeping our relationship secret.”
“I do, too, but if folks find out, they’ll think ….
“I know, I know. They’ll think we’re dishonoring Ray’s memory, but we’re not. Ray’s gone and nothing’s ever going to change that. Besides, it’s been nearly a year since I was widowed and I can’t see why falling in love again is anything to be ashamed of.”
“Lilah, honey, be patient. When the anniversary of Ray’s death has passed, I’ll court you properly. We can get married then, if that’s what you want.”
“Of course I want to marry you, but I want to marry you now.”
“What’s the rush? You know I’ll do right by you, don’t you?”
“There’s. …there’s no rush, it’s just that I want to be able to walk down the street with you and not be worried about what other people … oh, for heaven’s sake. Someone’s at the door at this hour? Stay here, I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Lilah? I heard the door close five minutes ago, but you didn’t come back. Lilah? Are you alright?”
“Mick…it can’t be…I don’t believe it…”
“Don’t believe what?”
“Here, read this..”
“Another telegram? Ah hell, now what? ‘Mrs. Raymond Fordham…. this is to notify you…administrative error….severely wounded….will be transported….' I’ll be damned. Ray’s still alive.”
“And he’s coming home soon.”
“To his loving wife.”
“Yes, to his wife. Mick, what do we do?”
“What we have to. I make myself scarce. You take care of Ray.”
“What about us? How can you just leave like that?”
“Because I have to. Lilah, don’t you see? I can’t stay here. Not with Ray coming home. I can’t let him know I betrayed him.”
“You didn’t betray him. Neither of us did.”
“Maybe not, but he’s badly wounded. He’ll need you more than ever.”
“I know, but I need you, too.”
“This isn’t easy for me, Lilah. I love you, and I wanted to have a life with you. But Ray’s alive and still your husband. He’s still my friend. Trust me, even if you could leave him, the guilt we’d both feel would kill any chance of us having a life together.”
“So what do I tell him, about us, I mean?”
“Nothing. Ray’s been through enough already.”
“So that’s it. You leave, I stay and pick up with my husband as though my time with you never happened.”
“I don’t like it either, but that’s the way it has to be.”
“He’ll ask about you, you know. Then what?”
“Tell him I did what he asked. Tell him I looked in on you from time to time. Right now, I’ve got to make sure there’s nothing left behind that says I was ever here.”
“Mick, promise me you’ll come back one day to see us all.”
“I promise. Someday.”
Enjoy!!
Before
“Mick, there’s something I need to ask you.”
“What is it, sugar?”
“Do you love me?
“Of course I do. Why would you even ask me that?”
“It’s just… I hate keeping our relationship secret.”
“I do, too, but if folks find out, they’ll think ….
“I know, I know. They’ll think we’re dishonoring Ray’s memory, but we’re not. Ray’s gone and nothing’s ever going to change that. Besides, it’s been nearly a year since I was widowed and I can’t see why falling in love again is anything to be ashamed of.”
“Lilah, honey, be patient. When the anniversary of Ray’s death has passed, I’ll court you properly. We can get married then, if that’s what you want.”
“Of course I want to marry you, but I want to marry you now.”
“What’s the rush? You know I’ll do right by you, don’t you?”
“There’s. …there’s no rush, it’s just that I want to be able to walk down the street with you and not be worried about what other people … oh, for heaven’s sake. Someone’s at the door at this hour? Stay here, I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Lilah? I heard the door close five minutes ago, but you didn’t come back. Lilah? Are you alright?”
“Mick…it can’t be…I don’t believe it…”
“Don’t believe what?”
“Here, read this..”
“Another telegram? Ah hell, now what? ‘Mrs. Raymond Fordham…. this is to notify you…administrative error….severely wounded….will be transported….' I’ll be damned. Ray’s still alive.”
“And he’s coming home soon.”
“To his loving wife.”
“Yes, to his wife. Mick, what do we do?”
“What we have to. I make myself scarce. You take care of Ray.”
“What about us? How can you just leave like that?”
“Because I have to. Lilah, don’t you see? I can’t stay here. Not with Ray coming home. I can’t let him know I betrayed him.”
“You didn’t betray him. Neither of us did.”
“Maybe not, but he’s badly wounded. He’ll need you more than ever.”
“I know, but I need you, too.”
“This isn’t easy for me, Lilah. I love you, and I wanted to have a life with you. But Ray’s alive and still your husband. He’s still my friend. Trust me, even if you could leave him, the guilt we’d both feel would kill any chance of us having a life together.”
“So what do I tell him, about us, I mean?”
“Nothing. Ray’s been through enough already.”
“So that’s it. You leave, I stay and pick up with my husband as though my time with you never happened.”
“I don’t like it either, but that’s the way it has to be.”
“He’ll ask about you, you know. Then what?”
“Tell him I did what he asked. Tell him I looked in on you from time to time. Right now, I’ve got to make sure there’s nothing left behind that says I was ever here.”
“Mick, promise me you’ll come back one day to see us all.”
“I promise. Someday.”