The Velvet Touch by Kathy Marvel

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About the Author Kathy Marvel lives in Colorado with her husband and two sons. She is a first grade teacher and has taught for the past twenty years. She spends her free time writing, running, camping, and watching the many sporting events that her sons are involved in. She is hopeful that her passion for writing is contagious and is passed on to her own kids as well as every child that comes through her classroom doors.

Luke and Allie are a young, newly-married couple living in the suburbs of Colorado, about to start a family together and with what most would describe as a perfect life. They are so much in love with each other and this new life they have begun, that they are clearly under the impression that nothing can tarnish this wonderful world they live in.

Unbeknownst to Luke and Allie, an intruder is about to make their perfect little world come crashing down around them.

Not only does evil touch them but in fact, it infiltrates their lives.

This evil comes in the form of Velvet - a young woman who is desperate to gain access to Luke and his life - without the burden of Allie.

Even as Luke and Allie begin to realize what is happening, they rationalize and create explanations for unexplainable occurrences simply because they cannot believe what is in fact true - someone has been in their house. Not only has someone been in their house, but that someone, has spent hour upon hour rummaging through each and every drawer, closet, cupboard, and room. Who is this person and what does she want? When will she stop? Or will she?

“Kathy Marvel completely captured the emotions and feelings of Luke and Allie and the purely psychotic thinking of Velvet. I felt every emotion and fear that encompassed them throughout their ordeal and was actually rooting for the antagonist’s death in the end.�

Elizabeth J. Salaz

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Prologue

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A brisk day, typical of January in this small suburban town just east of the Rocky Mountains, surrounded Allie Thompson. Arvada, Colorado in the winter, was usually a day much like today. The sun was brightly shining yet the chill in the air was evident. Growing up in Arvada, Allie was a bit spoiled by such beauty although at the time she didn’t know it. To live in such a place was a blessing where the majority of her days were filled with sunshine, where such immense colors filled her eyes each fall, where twenty minutes east she would find herself in the midst of downtown Denver with the hustle and bustle among the tallest of buildings, yet twenty minutes west would find her in the midst of those glorious snow capped peaks of the mountains she grew up with.

When Allie drove home from a day of teaching first graders and a bit too long of a staff meeting, she was distracted by her thoughts and had but one thing on her mind. A brief stop at the grocery store and two miles to go, she found her heart racing and her hands slightly shaking. As Allie drove along her street, it was filled with the barren trees of winter, snow glistening on the lawns and homes – all custom built – with families all settling in for the evening. With the garage door opening and the pine green Ford Escort pulling into her side of the garage, the anxiety within Allie was heightened. Her husband Luke would be home already and as she noticed his truck, Allie wished that she could have just ten minutes to herself – solely due to the fact that she was unnerved at the moment. The engine turned off with the turn of a key and Allie took a deep breath as she made her way through the garage to the door with only a faint bit of light shining through from the street light across the street. The garage door screeched closed behind her.

As Allie turned the doorknob leading into the house, the door burst open and there to greet her was Luke. His Purchase this book through Amazon at http://bookbzz.com/velvet-touch-kathy-marvel/

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arms wrapped around her at the waist as hers slipped around his neck. They spun around the room and their mouths joined in a series of quick fun loving kisses. Their marriage was young, just seven months old, but the love between them was that “fairytale” love you find in books – the kind where anything is possible and you can get through anything as long as you are together. The excitement they felt to see one another at the end of a day was the same now as it was two and half years ago on their first date. When Allie’s petite 5’1’’ figure was gently set upon the ground, they made their way to the couch, a daily ritual, to chat about the day. Allie fit snuggly in the crook of Luke’s arm as she leaned on his shoulder and they began.

“Hi baby,” Luke said. “How was your day?” With Luke’s eyes eager for the conversation to begin, Allie tried desperately to come up with some reason as to why she needed to head upstairs for a few minutes to have those ten minutes of solitude that she longed for and the time to determine if indeed there was a need for all the pent up angst she’d been feeling for the past two hours. Her heart was pounding so hard, she knew that Luke must be able to feel it as well. She didn’t want to rush their precious time, yet knew that she must. Her chest felt as if it would burst open and she needed to get away for just a few minutes and thus, she rose to her feet and with an excuse of needing to use the bathroom desperately, Allie headed up the stairs as quickly as she could, bags in hand. Allie shut the bathroom door and locked it, falling back against it as she took a deep breath and dropped her bags.

She reached for the small box she’d bought at the grocery store on the way home, and tore open the box as quickly as she could. As Allie pulled out the white stick and began the process of determining pregnancy or not, she began to pace furiously back and forth along the tile floor of the bathroom. All the time, she was thinking of two weeks prior when she and Luke had gone to their favorite Italian restaurant, Valente’s, and the discussion of when they might be ready to begin their family together arose. Over a bottle of red wine and baked rigatoni, they Purchase this book through Amazon at http://bookbzz.com/velvet-touch-kathy-marvel/

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had discussed their desire for a family but wondered when the best time might be. Allie had just graduated from Regis University with her master’s degree. They had only been married seven months, lived in their new house together a mere four months, and yet they felt ready to move on to that next step. Even so, their decision moved a bit toward waiting a while when they discussed how much they enjoyed each other, their time alone together, and the fact that they would not get that time back for quite a while after having children. Allie brought up the fact that if they waited until late summer, assuming that they got pregnant right away, the timing would be great as far as her career went. Being a teacher meant that a March baby would add the summer to her maternity leave. This made perfect sense to Luke as well. As the evening drew to a close, the decision had been made to wait for summer to start trying and whatever happened after that, happened.

Now, just two weeks later, her period was late which was atypical for Allie and her well planned out, highly organized life. “A place for everything and everything has its place,” was her motto. Allie was one who always knew exactly where everything was and rarely forgot a thing.

She was also “a list” person, and that was solely to make sure that she indeed did not forget anything. This was NOT well planned out!

Her thoughts fell back to the fact that a baby right now was not in the plan! They had just decided. This was not the time, although the feeling Allie felt at the moment was not, “What if I am pregnant?” but “Wow, I might be having a baby.” She liked the sound of the word “baby” as it crossed her lips and suddenly became anxious once again.

What if Luke really wasn’t ready? Would he be happy?

Scared? Ready? There was no time like the present to find out. Allie leaned down toward the counter - eyes closed, and took a deep breath before she opened her eyes to see a plus sign on the little white wand. She couldn’t help but smile but within seconds, the tears came sliding down her face and her body was shaking ever so slightly.

Allie yelled down for Luke to come up the stairs. He was nervous and took the stairs two at a time and was Purchase this book through Amazon at http://bookbzz.com/velvet-touch-kathy-marvel/

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beside her in no time wondering what in the world she might be crying about. He grabbed her clammy, shaking hands and brought them up toward his chest. His deep blue eyes stood out on the chiseled features of his face and with them looking right into her big, brown eyes, Allie fell into him as his arms wrapped her up in his broad chest.

When she looked up at him again, she could not resist touching the scruff on his face from two days without a razor.

He whispered, “Why are you crying?” Allie motioned toward the countertop and Luke glanced down seeing nothing much at first and then jerked his head back quickly for a closer look. He looked at the white stick, then at Allie, back at the white stick and back to Allie once more. Luke asked, “Does this mean…?” but before he could finish, Allie nodded her head up and down as the tears came streaming down her face once again. Luke scooped her up and swung her around and around and when he finally stopped, he gently set her down and looked back into those damp eyes again. He was grinning from ear to ear and she knew without a doubt that this was the right time indeed! They would soon be the mommy and the daddy to the little baby growing inside her belly. No two people in the entire world could have been happier!

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The Velvet Touch

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Part One

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Allie

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It was 5:00 a.m. when Allie walked down the stairs to the kitchen to start the coffee for that – oh so needed morning jolt of caffeine. Luke was already at work – gone since 4:15 a.m. He worked for the local fire department and was the director of their warehouse, which included the ordering of supplies, deliveries, and uniforms. He was much more of a morning person and enjoyed the quiet hours of the early morning. Most often he went to work early to get a workout in before his hectic day began. As Allie reached toward the coffee pot she was reminded of the tiny baby growing inside her. Her hands roamed down toward her belly and rested for a moment while she was fascinated with thoughts that a baby was really in there. And her day began – ordinary to everyone but her. Allie’s life had changed immeasurably since yesterday at this time and now the day was starting, but today – no coffee!

As Allie drove the few miles to school, her thoughts were bursting with visions of pregnancy – a precious little baby soon to be joining her and Luke as a family. Would it be a boy or a girl? What will their baby look like? When will it be here? Allie wasn’t worried that she would be a good mother – she had been waiting her whole life to be a mother. She loved children, and knew a lot about them. Of course, she was not naïve enough to believe that it would be easy, but she knew that she was up for the challenge.

She knew that this would be the most important job that she would ever undertake and from this moment on, this baby would be her number one priority.

At 7:50 a.m. the school bell rang and Allie was inundated with 26 first graders and all of the energy that they brought in the door with them. There was chatter and movement in the room yet, certain calmness exuded 11

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throughout the classroom. The children were happy to be there and Allie Thompson was happy to have them there.

Today though, Allie could not wait until 9:45 a.m. when all 26 children would be on their way to a quick tenminute recess which would leave Allie free to make that much anticipated phone call to schedule her first doctor appointment.

As Allie dialed the phone number, she felt nervous. The phone rang several times and when the nurse answered, Allie told her about her pregnancy. The appointment was scheduled, and a tentative due date was given. Allie hung up the phone, deep in thought. Now suddenly, the fact that she was pregnant seemed much more real to her. She thought about the date the nurse had given her. October 7th, her own mother’s birthday. What a gift that would be; to have the baby on the date that her own mother was born. But what were the chances? Really – slim to none.

Her thoughts drifted away from the due date and back to the tiny baby growing inside her. A warm smile started to cross her lips and contentment was evident in the expression on her face.

Allie was jolted back to reality as 26 first graders came rushing back into the room, the children shuffling about while coats came off and were hung in a frenzy and eager eyes were once again upon her.

The coming days seemed to slow to a snail's pace as the news of Allie’s pregnancy spread among friends and family and they all rejoiced in happy thoughts of a new baby.

Everyone was oblivious to the fact that Luke and Allie had just one thing on their minds. How would they possibly get through the next three weeks waiting for that first doctor appointment? This would be no small feat – especially for Allie who was very much a person that needed immediate gratification. This was not due to the fact that she was impatient. Allie was very patient – she 12

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was perhaps even overly patient at times. Her mind simply did not rest when there were questions to be answered, things to be done, or plans to be made. She filled the days with constant talk of the baby and writing out “to do lists� with task upon task. Luke became so overwhelmed by the enormity of the lists that Allie was compiling that he finally had to stop looking at them. He understood that those lists helped to organize Allie and that right now, she needed them so that she was not overwhelmed but he was beginning to feel like those lists were in excess of what might actually be typical for a new mom. He knew that Allie was just filling time while trying to be patient in waiting for that doctor appointment but she was quickly headed toward the extreme. He had also heard that pregnant women could be a little quirky and thought that perhaps he should just ignore the lists. Allie had always been organized and even as he first met her on that softball field almost three years ago, he knew that she was a planner when Allie made the plans for the team schedules, made plans for who would bring snacks and drinks, and yes – she even made the plans for their first date! ***

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Three dreadfully long weeks later, the day of the first doctor appointment was finally near with just one hour to go and jittery nerves had taken over. Allie rushed home from school where Luke was waiting anxiously for her to arrive so that they could be on time. With a quick hug and kiss hello, they were on their way with a rapid chatter overcoming them. The ten minute drive seemed longer than usual and when they arrived, they walked to the front of the three-story, brick building and gave one last glance at each other before entering and walking toward the 13

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office. Allie quickly signed in and when the nurse called her back they were both a bit startled and neither one was quite sure what to do. Should she go by herself? Should Luke go with her now or later? What happens now? As Allie stood up, the nurse motioned for Luke as well and they both breathed a sigh of relief as they began together in their journey as parents. The baby was eight weeks old now, although technically it was not yet a baby but an embryo. The due date was still determined to be October 7th and as for the all-important question – “How much weight had Allie gained?” Three pounds. Through ultrasound, they saw the baby – well - a lima bean shape that they were told was in fact the baby. Allie cried when they saw the little heartbeat – beating so, so fast. Their baby – Wow! The entire baby was only about one inch long and looked like, well – a lima bean but it was their lima bean and no one could dispute the love already apparent in the eyes of two parents toward their unborn child. ***

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In the six weeks that followed Luke and Allie tried to organize their lives and begin the process of readying themselves for the addition of their newest family member.

It was apparent that spring had sprung - early. The leaves were blooming and flowers were blossoming at each turn of the eye. This mid-March day the sun was shining brightly but with the slight breeze, it was still a bit chilly and the need for a light sweater was evident.

Luke and Allie had decided that the need for a new vehicle would be necessary as soon as the baby was born and were visiting car lots. As Luke and Allie walked

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around the car lot in the hopes of finding the perfect family vehicle, all seemed right in the world.

Baby Thompson’s grandparents on both sides had been told of the upcoming arrival and the enthusiasm was great.

Happiness engulfed Allie. Co-workers were beginning to notice a tiny bulge in her belly. She was three and a half months pregnant and with her usually petite and fit body expanding, it was becoming more and more obvious that she was pregnant. Allie was still working and plugging along, very much wanting a much-needed nap around 2:00 p.m. each day. However, with those first graders anxiously awaiting their next adventure in learning, it wasn’t likely that she’d get that nap anytime in the next few months except for Spring Break, which was just around the corner and constantly on Allie’s mind. Two days to go and the need for some rest was overwhelming Allie – so much so that several times she had forgone the teacher’s lounge at lunch in order to stay in her classroom and just lay down on her couch for a few minutes. She was desperate for Spring Break and a week of relaxation.

Luke and Allie began the search for a new family vehicle and after test-driving numerous used vehicles and finding nothing, they felt defeated and as though today would not be the day. Finally, Kurt the salesman said, “I’ve got one more out back. Just look at this one – one more, and if it is not the right fit for you, we’ll call it a day. It’s in cherry condition, has low miles, and is a great family vehicle.”

He was right. Allie loved it! Luke loved it! Both Luke and Allie wondered why they had wasted so much time walking around and looking at the other vehicles when Kurt had known that such a treasure existed in the back.

Frustrated, yet elated at their amazing find, they were sold

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and thus, left Luke’s first love – his old, black, Chevy S10 pick-up truck and drove away with a new forest green Ford Explorer XLT. ***

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The following Monday, Luke drove the Explorer to work so that he could stop by the insurance company and get the insurance transferred over to the new vehicle as well as the local Motor Vehicle to begin the process of obtaining license plates. When he left work and unlocked the driver side door, he was shocked as he glanced down and saw the three, long, edgy lines along the front panel of the vehicle leading all the way back toward the gas cap. He could not believe his eyes. The Explorer had been keyed!

When Luke went home and told Allie, the emotions within her welled up and she could not help but cry. Allie was not usually one to cry much about things but that changed with her current condition. Those tears just seemed to come at the drop of a hat, with no warning, and with no rhyme or reason. They were not just a few tears, but streams of water flowing from those brown eyes Luke loved so much. Allie was past the point that simply crying would give her relief. Great sobs were coming forth. Luke couldn’t bear to see her crying and hugged her with all of the gentle strength he could give her.

“We’ll get it fixed honey. Don’t you worry. I’ll call the shop right now and Jamie will get it taken care of it baby.

Don’t cry,” Luke pleaded.

With a chain of quick kisses and a squeeze of her hands, Luke was on the phone and making plans for the car to be dropped off in the morning and done by Thursday at noon. Jamie was a close family friend and Luke and Allie knew they could count on him to get it done as quickly and inexpensively as possible. With the 16

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new baby on their mind constantly, finances were being looked at a bit more closely than usual. They were not worried about making it financially, simply making sure that they did not have any money worries upon the arrival of the baby. ***

Thursday evening, Allie drove Luke to pick up their newly repainted Explorer and with a smile, Allie again, felt as though the world was right.

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Velvet

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“The baby, the baby – that’s all he ever talks about,” Velvet muttered under her breath.

Velvet was a young woman who worked with Luke for the fire department in Arvada. Her medium sized build, long, straight, sometimes straggly, mousey brown hair, and a face pale with blemished spots here and there, made her look as though she were 35 rather than her young 26 years. Her appearance was evidence of the hard life she’d had thus far. Her parents divorced when she was just three years old. Her mother was constantly struggling to make ends meet which left little time if any for the nurturing of Velvet. She practically raised herself and had to grow up much too fast for any child. Velvet barely graduated high school and could not afford college had she wanted to attend. She did not know what she wanted out of life but definitely felt that she was owed something – something big! She had just last month gotten married to someone whom she thought was Mr. Right but was turning out to be more like Mr. Right Now. She had two kids from previous relationships – each was a different version of that Mr. Right Now. Her son Jacob was seven and daughter Anna was five.

Velvet worked nights – from nine p.m. to five a.m. cleaning the administration building of the local fire department. Luke infrequently saw her as their schedules overlapped by a mere half of an hour. Each day Velvet saw him walk in at 4:30 a.m. and travel swiftly down to the basement and toward the workout facility. He seemed to be such a nice guy and would wave to Velvet when he walked past her. Sometimes he would say hello or ask how she was doing. Luke never stopped long enough to actually have a conversation, just talked as he walked. Velvet thought he was very attractive. His defined facial features, his broad 18

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shoulders, and muscular physique was at times distracting to Velvet and she often found herself staring in his direction or waiting for him to come through those doors each morning.

This morning, Luke walked in as he so often did lately – with a big smile on his face. He had announced a few months ago that his wife, Allie was pregnant and due in October. It was nice to see his smile so often but Velvet was already getting sick and tired of hearing him talk with others in the gym each morning about Allie and “the baby.”

Today, she thought, “If I hear one more thing about that baby, I am going to scream! The baby, the baby – agghh.”

She’d seen Allie twice before. Once when she had picked up an extra daytime shift, Allie had stopped in to bring Luke lunch and another time when she had dropped him off at work while the old Chevy had been in the shop.

Of course, Luke had Allie’s pictures all over his desk – Velvet often went into his office before Luke arrived for work, just to see his things, sit in his chair, and touch the things that he had touched. Velvet thought Allie was cute but at the same time she was a bit agitated over this perfect little life she must have. She’s got Luke, a great teaching job, a new house, and now a baby on the way.

Little Miss Perfect.

“Why does she get to have everything she wants?” thought Velvet. Life just did not seem fair to her in any aspect what so ever.

At 5:00 a.m. Velvet’s shift was over. She had heard Luke stop to talk to one of the local firefighters on the way into the gym that morning and mention that he and Allie had just gotten a new Ford Explorer. She strained to hear the conversation and get details about this new purchase that they had made.

“Now she has a new car, too!” muttered Velvet angrily.

As she made her way out to her car on this crisp 19

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March morning, she couldn’t help but smile when she noticed that Luke’s new Explorer was right next to hers – just as his old black pick-up had been each day previously.

There was no question it was his. First of all, there were few cars at the administration building at 5:00 in the morning. Only those that were working out before the workday were there which today, was three not counting herself. Second of all, there was only one Explorer in the lot today. Walking slowly past the shiny, new, green, family Explorer toward her little rust colored 1982 Dodge Omni was almost more than she could take. Just one more reason to hate her! She gets everything! Velvet’s body became encased with heat and the anger towards Allie became more intense as each moment passed.

“That should be my new car, not hers,” Velvet shrieked as her teeth began grinding together with extreme pressure.

As Velvet walked further around the vehicle, she couldn’t help but grasp the keys in her hands with a great force. She eyed the driver side door panel and could not resist the urge to drag those keys across the panel as hard as she could. She glanced down briefly, only to admire her handiwork. It was only then that her body began to cool off and the anger seemed to dissipate somewhat. Velvet very quickly unlocked her driver side door and slid in hurriedly. As she drove out of the parking lot toward her own home some three miles away, Velvet finally began to relax and gain a feeling of contentment.

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Allie

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Not only had spring flown right by, so in fact had most of the summer. Allie was thoroughly enjoying her pregnancy.

Although she was often tired and could scarcely drink even water without feeling the effects of heartburn and acid reflux, she was perfectly content in the role of being “the mommy.” She was pleased that she had had nine weeks off to relax, get the baby’s room ready, and savor the time alone with Luke as much as possible since they both knew that it would not be much longer before “alone time” would be in short supply. Allie was seven months pregnant and definitely looked the part. Her usually diminutive figure was stretched beyond belief and although she had merely gained twenty-three pounds thus far, she was reminded that there were still nine weeks to go. Allie was greatly swollen with the pregnancy enveloping her body – perhaps due to the summer heat. Her ankles were now “cankles” which is a mix between calf and ankle – hard to tell where one ends and the other starts. She could no longer wear her wedding ring, which broke her heart and was the cause of yet another emotional episode due to hormones. Finally, Luke went out and bought her a cubic zirconium ring that looked similar to her own wedding ring, which was no small feat. He went to four different department stores to find one that looked nearly identical to Allie’s original. The smile on Allie’s face at Luke’s thoughtfulness was worth his time and effort and even if it had been a real diamond would have been worth every penny in Luke’s eyes. Yes, Allie’s pregnancy was taking its toll on her body but she was thoroughly taking pleasure in every single aspect of this pregnancy and her happiness was evident in everything she did. *** 21

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Allie was putting together the final touches of the nursery in her last days off before the new school year began and she felt the need to be finished before that first day back to work arose. With just six days to go, she was anxiously trying to complete everything on her list; while at the same time trying to savor what was left of her summer vacation, as well as begin to look ahead at the list awaiting her when she returned to school. Not only does the new school year start with the typical room set up, staff meetings, and planning; but this year she needed to find a long-term substitute teacher as well. She hated the fact that she would be gone, as it is hard to let go once a classroom community has been built and she knew that it would be tough for anyone to be good enough in her eyes to fill her shoes while she was gone. She was planning on taking off from the day the baby came until the new semester started in January, a total of twelve weeks – it seemed like a long time now, but Allie was sure that once she was at home and engrossed in being a new mom, she would all too soon forget about school and her heart would be in tatters when it was time to return in January. But, right now, she was thinking of the leaving part in October, not the returning part in January.

Allie’s principal had called several weeks ago with an opportunity for a woman named Dana Gilbert from Colorado Christian University to join her classroom for the beginning of the school year to complete a practicum.

The thought was that if things worked out, Dana would then know the expectations, routines, and kids well enough that she would be able to take over the class as a substitute as soon as Allie had the baby. The transition would then be smooth and the adjustment would not be so hard on the children. Allie had a meeting at the school with both her principal and the practicum student at 2:00 22

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and Allie hoped that all would go well and that she will have found her substitute by the time she arrived back home that afternoon.

When Allie walked into the office at school she saw Dana already chatting with her principal and was delighted to see the rapport already apparent between the two. Allie joined them and within moments was absolutely pleased to have met Dana and knew that without a doubt she had found her replacement for the twelve weeks she would be gone. Dana was a mother of two boys and was finishing her education now that they were both in school.

She had a calm demeanor about her and seemed very knowledgeable about education as a whole. A sense of relief overcame Allie as she drove home knowing that she did not have to worry anymore about being gone during her maternity leave and she was confident that the students would be in good hands.

When Allie got home that afternoon she was talking non-stop to Luke about how comfortable she felt leaving her class in Dana’s hands in the coming months. Luke was relieved as well because he knew how Allie worried and couldn’t put things out of her mind until they were taken care of or finished. He was glad that she could “mark that off of her list.” Allie could now enjoy more thoroughly the last five days of her summer vacation. ***

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Those next five days, seemed to drift by like a balloon taken away through the sky on a windy day. Wow! She couldn’t believe that it was already the first day back to work. It was time again to rise early in the morning, no time to read the morning paper, just listen to the news as she got ready for each new day, but Allie was excited. It was always fun to get back with colleagues and hear about 23

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their adventures and escapades from the summer break!

The teachers always had a few days of meetings and time to prepare for the new school year before the actual first day of school with the kids. Allie was very ready to begin the new year because it meant that she could now begin to work on her school “to do list.” Thoughts came into her head throughout her time off each summer regarding things she mustn’t forget to do once back at school and each time it is added to the ongoing “school list” not to be forgotten at the start of the new year. Toward the end of the break and coming upon that first day back, Allie constantly felt a bit of anxiety in getting that list started.

Being back at work, she could finally begin. With three days of a sort of relaxed push to get everything in order before the children arrived, Allie was busily working, taking breaks every so often to grab a quick snack and some conversation among her teammates. ***

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Wednesday night was Back to School Night, which was a time for the children to drop off their school supplies and meet their new teacher for the coming year. Allie finished the last touches to her classroom and quickly made sure that everything was organized before she drove home for a quick dinner with Luke prior to returning to school for the big event. She was thankful to see Luke as she walked through the door. Her time with him was growing ever so precious and she knew that although they would adore their new life together as a family, they still had a few months to treasure their alone time. Luke already had some chicken marinating and ready to be put on the grill.

Allie bent down to grab some veggies from the refrigerator to be cut up and steamed as Luke reached over her for an ice-cold Coors for him and ice-cold lemonade for her. Oh, 24

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how Allie longed for a sip of that beer rather than the lemonade. The smell on Luke’s lips as she leaned in for a quick kiss was so appealing – not because she loved beer, but because she couldn’t have it. You always want what you can’t have. Luke and Allie continued to work around each other in the kitchen with ease and the conversation was not lacking. Allie was never at a loss for words.

“Allie always has stuff in her head,” Luke said. “She never stops thinking!” He would say over and over again.

There was a slight rush this evening in readying dinner as Allie had to return to school in just an hour and a half.

As Luke and Allie moved out onto the back patio to enjoy their daily chat outdoors while Luke grilled their dinner, Allie glanced down at the outdoor table and noticed her gardening sheers she’d left out from the weekend. Allie reached forward to pick them up and as her eyes moved in the direction of her garden, she saw something rather shocking. All of her daisies had been cut off at the tops. She motioned for Luke to look as well and his mouth dropped at the sight of the daisies. What had happened? After what seemed like an everlasting conversation between the two of them as to what could have possibly happened, they mutually decided that some of the middle school or high school kids from the neighborhood must have been walking by, bored not having started school as of yet. Allie and Luke had no fence to surround the yard – it was an open spacious yard and with no pets or children yet they’d found no need to put one up. Allie and Luke determined that boredom or peer pressure must have been the cause and that indeed some kids must have been lurking around the backyard and found the sheers on the table. They were quite sure that the kids must have thought it to be a funny joke. Ha, ha! Allie was not happy. Although she thought it partly her fault for leaving out the sheers, it really was private 25

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property and she shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not she’d left them out or not. Allie loved her garden and was saddened by the destruction created by these kids but unfortunately there was not a thing she could do about it at this point. As Allie moved to sit down at one of the patio chairs in an effort to relax a bit, she noted what seemed like an indention in the middle of the chair. When she pointed this out to Luke, he passed it off as a neighborhood cat must have taken an afternoon snooze on the chair and left her imprint on the cushion. Allie, again was satisfied with Luke’s reasoning.

While she and Luke finished their dinner outside on the patio, Allie could not help but be angry that someone had ruined her garden! And now she had to go back to school and put on a happy face, forgetting for the time being, the strange situation at home. She knew in her heart that it was truly not as big of a deal as it felt right now, but with her raging hormones lately; she just couldn’t let it go. In an effort to distract her, Luke reached for Allie’s hands and tenderly pulled them up to his lips kissing each fingertip before moving on to Allie’s lips. He so enjoyed tantalizing Allie, especially knowing that she had to leave in just a few moments. Their passion was even stronger now with Allie’s pregnancy. Luke knew that once they got started, Allie would not want to quit and that pleased him immensely. She got flustered so easily and she was so darn cute when she got mad. He loved her the most when she was in that vulnerable state, which did not happen very often. He had to stifle a laugh as she broke away from him swiftly knowing full well that he was provoking her on purpose. She grabbed her plate and headed into the kitchen and on her way out the door yelled, “I’ll be home by 8:00.” Luke promptly jumped up and caught up with her as she was pulling the door closed.

“Come on, baby. Don’t be mad. We’ll finish later – I 26

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promise” Luke appealed to Allie. He bent down to kiss her in an effort to appease her and of course, it worked. Allie couldn’t help but kiss him back. As she broke away, she left him with a sweet smile and a quick, “I love you.” Luke walked into the house with a somewhat boyish grin on that handsome face. God, he loved that woman.

Allie pulled into the parking lot of the school and took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm her mood a bit before she went inside to mingle, greet, and meet a new set of children to begin the new year. With one last sigh, she was out of the car and across the parking lot, joined by fellow teachers readying themselves for their own evening with new students. It was usually an exciting time for Allie – to begin a new journey with new kids for the new year.

This time, she was distracted but soon rose above this discontented feeling as she was made her way through the building and to her classroom. The hustle and bustle from that point on, allowed no time for such distractions and within moments she was whisked here and there throughout the classroom, meeting children and their parents, answering questions, and sorting through supplies.

It always amazed Allie how within moments of meeting children (and their parents) you could tell what the year would entail. You knew right away who would be a little bit of a stinker, who would be an academic achiever, who would be a helper, who would be high maintenance or whose parents would be high maintenance, or perhaps even who would be the class clown.

The night was quickly over and again Allie was on her way home to the comforting arms of Luke. Her mind was once again full of thoughts and the need for communication was heightened. Allie had more “stuff” in her head at one time than Luke could ever imagine having in his head in a week’s time and it was at these times that he knew exactly what she needed. When she arrived home, 27

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Allie dropped to the couch and snuggled in towards Luke, as he geared up for another round of Allie sharing each and every part of the event at school as well as characteristics of each and every new child in her classroom – and their parents. It happened this way every year and Luke knew what to expect. Allie would have so much she would want and need to say before being able to settle down for the night. He knew his job and that was to listen – not provide any feedback or advice – just listen.

Added to the night’s events at school, Allie was still quite focused on the event during the day. She was upset about the fact that not only had someone been in her backyard earlier that day but that they had actually taken her gardening sheers and cut down her daisies. The feeling of violation was overpowering.

By the time Allie had given a full rendition of the happenings of the evening, she was growing sleepy and in fact after a few long yawning episodes; fell asleep effortlessly within the crook of Luke’s strong arms.

So much for the promise he made to Allie. Luke was not one to renege on a promise though. It would just have to wait until tomorrow. Allie looked so peaceful, as much as he wanted her at that very moment, he couldn’t bear to wake her.

Luke sat there watching her for well over an hour before he too, began to feel exhausted from the day. Even when his arm was fast asleep and he could barely feel his fingers, he sat there just five more minutes. It was hard to look away. She was so beautiful to him – so much more now than the day he met her. It seemed that each and every day she looked better and better to him. With the pregnancy, it only heightened his appreciation for her. The fact that she was carrying his baby, and with such poise,

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never once complaining, though he could see that just breathing got harder for her each day as the baby grew bigger and took over more and more space within her body, was so astonishing to him. His love for her was overflowing.

Luke gently kissed Allie on the tip of her nose, and effortlessly picked her up to carry her to bed. Her arms wrapped around his neck and as she sleepily allowed her head to fall to his shoulder, the mere scent of Luke was enough to arouse her. After her little catnap, Allie felt rejuvenated and a second wind coming on. Her lips softly brushed past the skin on his neck and Luke stopped just long enough for Allie to find his lips and once again that passion was ignited. Allie could not get enough of Luke. As he made his way to the bedroom and delicately placed Allie on the bed, she pulled him to her in an effort to get even closer. As clothes became an obstacle, Luke swiftly moved to rid himself of his and then back to Allie as he tenderly began to undress her. He took his time with Allie.

His big hands caressed her lazily. He was so enthralled by her body that he never rushed this part. If was like a gift – the greatest gift he could imagine. His fascination over what her body was capable of and how beautiful she was while she was performing such a miracle from within was so immense. His admiration for her was unmistakable.

Luke once again, lowered his body to meet hers. Their kisses were even more fervent with longing. The love Luke and Allie shared was beyond compare. He entered her softness with such vigilance, but knew immediately, without a doubt, she was ready to encompass all of him.

Their lovemaking was intense with a sense of urgency about it though neither of them quite understood why.

Both body and soul drew them to each other. Allie’s needs

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came first; then and only then would Luke allow himself fulfillment. His caressing and tormenting motions found her near the edge. She curled her fingers over his shoulders and began to move with him as he began to move faster and at a steady pace. Her whole body tensed as Luke continued to maneuver in and out and around her, burying himself inside her. The end was nearing for both of them and Allie’s release from the depths of within exploded with such vehemence that Luke followed immediately. They both lay so contented. Relaxed. Spent. Sleep came easily for both Luke and Allie as their intertwined bodies were proof of their powerful bond and devoted affection.

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Velvet

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Velvet had heard Luke mention to another co-worker earlier in morning that Allie was starting back at school today.

“Perfect,” thought Velvet. It was 5:00 am when her shift was finished for the night and she set off toward her Omni in the parking lot with thoughts flying wildly through her head. She pulled out of the lot, and where she generally turned left and drove toward her own home at this early hour, Velvet could not resist the urge to turn right. The week prior, with an excuse of updating her own mailing address, she had rifled through the employee contact information and found Luke’s address quite easily. She had told herself that she just wanted to see where he lived, what his house looked like, and see what kind of neighborhood he lived in. There was no harm in that. Just a quick drive by was all she intended. But that was not where it ended. Velvet had driven by Luke’s house daily since last week and driven out of her way just to do so.

And now with the news of Allie returning to work after the summer break; it was not going to be enough to just drive by.

Velvet drove to Luke’s house as if she’d done so a million times before. She knew the way without hesitation.

This morning though, her adventure would be different. As she pulled onto Luke and Allie’s street, she slowed down several houses before their house and stopped. The ignition was turned off and Velvet slumped down into the seat as not to draw much attention to herself and there she waited. It was a fairly long wait but she wasn’t quite sure what time Allie left for school in the mornings and did not want to risk being seen. Finally, at 7:05 a.m. Allie’s garage door opened and the brand new, shiny, green Explorer backed out of the driveway and proceeded to 31

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travel up the street right past Velvet. Allie was oblivious to everything.

Velvet started the car up and pulled down the street just past their house and parked in front of the corner garden of their lot, almost to the end of their property line. She’d had it all planned out. She got out of her car and went to the trunk, opened it and got out a medium sized cardboard box with some cleaning supplies in it. If anyone noticed her, they would think she was the cleaning lady. If anyone stopped and talked to her for any reason, they would easily buy her cover. Having noticed on her previous drive bys that in fact there was no gate on the property, Velvet had felt confident in walking around to the back of the house under the masquerade of being “the cleaning lady.” Velvet’s heart was racing as she walked through the freshly cut grass, around the house to the backyard. She set her supply box down on the table and breathed a sigh of relief. She had made it. Their backyard was perfect. Not only was the lawn the greenest of greens, but the gardens were beautiful and lined the entire back fence and around the house as well. Off to the side of the patio, there was a garden full of strawberries and a stream of daisies lining the backside of the patio. A huge evergreen tree gave Velvet a bit of a mountainous feeling, as she looked its way. An apple tree blocked the view to the street, which to Velvet was perfect in offering her anonymity. The grass looked like golf course greens and Velvet wasn’t surprised. Luke took pride in everything he did.

Then Velvet saw the porch swing and she immediately imagined Luke and Allie snuggling up on summer nights, with a glass of wine for her and a cold beer for him.

Again, the feelings of resentment came upon her as she started thinking of the perfect little life they must have.

Her body became hot with intensity once again. With a 32

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deep breath she relaxed just a bit and then thought, “I made it this far, I might as well take a little peek inside – just to see what the inside of their house looks like.” With that, she slid a patio chair toward what she thought to be the kitchen window and climbed up to sneak a quick look.

She was right and did indeed see the kitchen, which was spacious and open with hardwood floors, wood cabinetry, and granite countertops as far as she could tell. She could also see that towards the left just a bit was the dining room, which was casual but nice. There were pictures of Allie and Luke throughout these rooms, which made Velvet’s anger return.

As Velvet turned to step down from the patio chair she was now standing upon, she noticed that the kitchen window was open just a few inches. Her thoughts were racing as she got down from the patio chair and placed it back near the table. She wondered what the rest of the house was like. Curiosity was overcoming her. A wall blocked the view past the kitchen area and she was definitely not satisfied by the measly part of the house she had seen. She had to get in there to see the rest of the house – but not today. She was feeling rushed and a bit nervous that someone might see her and needed a bit more time to figure out exactly what her plan would be.

Looking around the backyard once more, she was envious of the beauty and became aware of the fact that she was still all alone. The lot behind the house was empty and filled with enormous trees. Luke and Allie had a corner lot. The only thing to the south was a back view of the neighbor’s garage, and the only thing to the north was a tall fence that broke the line of sight into their backyard.

Their backyard was a safe haven and even with the open yard and no fence to block views from the front of the house, the position of the house in relation to the patio 33

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gave a feeling of seclusion and offered much appreciated privacy. This would be ideal for what she had begun to plan. But for now, she would go.

On her way down the two steps toward the grass, Velvet looked back just one more time and noticed a pair of gardening sheers left on the glass patio table. Allie must have left them out after gardening this past weekend.

Velvet went back toward the table and reached down to pick them up and that rage inside her was present once again.

“She has everything!” muttered Velvet. “She’s got Luke, this house, a new car, a baby on the way – and I’ve got nothing!”

Glancing one last time at those beautiful daisies, Velvet thought, “Not everything!”

She could not control the urge that took her legs over toward that garden and without hesitance, Velvet cut down each and every daisy with the sheers she clutched. Only then, did her anger dissolve and she could again breathe with ease at the idea of taking something so beautiful away from Allie.

As Velvet gathered up the daisies and began to place them into her cardboard box filled with cleaning supplies, she could not help but think of her next venture and the plans she must make. She quickly walked back around the house toward the front yard and to her car. The front yard looked just as nice as the back with a Blue Spruce right in the middle of the yard – it looked just like a Christmas tree. There was a stunning triangular garden near her car on the corner of their lot, which was plum full of what looked like wild flowers. It was beautiful. Again, daisies protruded throughout.

“It’s just too bad about those beautiful daisies in the

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backyard,” mumbled Velvet as she threw the box in the trunk and spewed daisy tops throughout her trunk. Velvet was happy with her accomplishment and was thinking about the next time she would come. The excitement began to build as she thought of entering their house and exploring their perfect little life. As she got into her Omni and pulled away from the curb, she took once last glance at Luke and Allie’s safe haven and thought, “Not for long.”

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Allie

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It was another hectic day at school, trying to get to know the kids and at the same time, trying to get ready to leave them in just six weeks. Dana, Allie’s practicum student, had been in the classroom with Allie a great deal since the beginning of the year attempting to understand expectations, routines, and curriculum. She, like Allie, was hoping that the transition went smoothly when Allie had the baby, due to both of their efforts at the beginning of this year.

Allie rushed home with a little apprehension because she and Luke had their first Childbirth Preparation class that night. Not only would they probably go into some unforeseen and uncomfortable territory as far as Luke was concerned (at least in front of other people), but the beginning of this class meant that delivery was all that much closer. The baby was due in just six weeks and no matter how much Luke and Allie read about pregnancy, labor, and delivery; there was really no way to know what would happen or what to expect and that made them both a little bit nervous.

Allie had put together a stew in the crock-pot before school that morning in an effort to make dinner hassle free and quick so that the evening would begin without any stress. With a quick bite to eat and dishes put in the dishwasher, Luke and Allie were ready to go. Luke asked Allie if she had the directions. They knew the general vicinity of the class but not the specific building or room number. Allie went toward the kitchen phone and began searching everywhere for the paper she had just seen that morning.

“I got it out this morning and put it right here so that we would be ready for tonight,” Allie said in a frustrated tone pointing toward the shelf by the phone.

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She knew she had had it in her hands that morning and had purposely put it on that shelf so that she would not have to search for it tonight when she would be in a rush.

Where was it?

Allie was frantically rummaging around looking for the directions when Luke came in and said, “Honey, let’s just go. We’ll just drive there and look for a pregnant couple carrying a pillow. We’ll know that they’re going the same place we are and we can just follow them.”

With one last peek in the drawer beneath the phone, Allie agreed. With pillow in hand, Luke and Allie were on their way.

Luke and Allie sat chatting quietly waiting in the parking lot for some sign that a class for soon to be parents was going on somewhere near and were just about to give up and skip the first class, when just as Luke had predicted, they saw another couple – with a pillow, making their way into the building that they had parked near.

Luke and Allie quickly got out of the Explorer and followed the couple into the building and to the correct room for their class.

“See honey, it all worked out,” Luke whispered.

“Yes, but we looked like criminals lurking about waiting for our next victim,” Allie replied. They both laughed at this thought and continued toward the front of the room to the sign in sheet.

The instructor was very friendly and made Luke feel at ease right away. Luke was nervous as to the content of these classes and probably still had good reason to be, however, with the demeanor of the instructor, and his and Allie’s little laughing spell, he felt quite calm. The evening passed without any real eye-openers as far as labor and delivery went. Allie reminded Luke that this was just the first class, and that perhaps the intent was to keep the husbands around for the remainder of the course and thus, they may have gone a bit easy on the men tonight in order 37

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to get them to attend the next session. Luke half laughed at this thought and then thought for a minute that Allie might just be right.

When Luke and Allie arrived home Allie headed upstairs to get ready for bed and Luke said he would join her after he checked the doors and lights. Allie was taking her diamond earrings off that Luke had given her as a graduation present last year when she had graduated from Regis University with her master’s degree. She reached to put them in her trinket box she’d gotten from her sister who had visited Germany a few years back. Allie always kept two pair of earrings in the small box, the pearl earrings she had worn for their wedding and the diamond earrings Luke had given her. When Allie looked into the box, she saw that her pearl earrings were not there. She thought back to the last time she had worn them and if she’d forgotten to put them back but knew that could not be the case. She had put them away as usual after she and Luke had gotten home from dinner with her sister and brother-in-law last weekend. A place for everything and everything has its place. When Luke came in, he saw the troubled look upon Allie’s face.

“What’s the matter, baby?” Luke asked.

Allie told Luke that her earrings were gone and that she distinctly remembered putting them in her trinket box after she’d worn them to dinner last week.

Luke asked, “Are you sure? Maybe you just misplaced them. Did you let your sister or someone borrow them?”

“No. I know I put them in here,” Allie was adamant in this fact.

“Well honey, no one has stolen them. They have to be somewhere. We’ll find them I am sure of it. We couldn’t find the directions to the Childbirth Preparation class either. I’m sure your earrings will turn up just like the directions will,” Luke tried to convince Allie but she was not relenting.

At that moment, added to the fact that her earrings 38

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have all of the sudden disappeared, Allie was sure she must be losing her mind. She never lost anything and always knew exactly where everything was. “What is the matter with me?” she thought.

As she snuggled in toward Luke in their king-size sleigh bed, her mind was a jumble and she could not fall asleep.

Luke felt her toss and turn and tried to calm her with his touch. Luke rose up on his elbow and leaned down slowly and their lips met slightly with the softest of kisses.

Luke whispered, “We’ll find your earrings, sweetheart, I promise.”

And with that, words were no longer what was on Luke or Allie’s mind. The closeness between them seemed to be even stronger with the pregnancy and the baby’s arrival nearing with each passing day. Their kisses became more passionate as their bodies melded together. The need for closeness right now seemed to be what both of them needed. As there legs intertwined and their bodies rushed to meet each other, they became overcome with the passion. All that had been on their minds was gone. The only important thing in the entire world right now was the two of them and the incredible bond they had between them. Their sense of urgency was apparent and as they thrust to meet each other, their rhythm became slower, yet just as powerful as it had started. Their eyes were locked and their mind, body, and souls were without a doubt – together as one. When they could take no more and their lovemaking ended, aftershocks bombarded them and Allie’s eager lips met Luke’s gentle kisses. She loved him more than she thought humanly possible.

Luke looked into Allie’s eyes, and pure adoration was evident when he whispered, “I love you, baby.”

The wear and tear of the day had caught up with Allie and she was asleep on Luke’s chest within moments, a smile on her face as she, too whispered, “I love you.”

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Velvet

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Velvet was anxious for her shift to end this morning. She could not stop thinking about her plans to visit Luke and Allie’s house again. She’d seen Luke come in this morning, dragging a bit, but still with a friendly smile. She had come to look forward to the moment he walked in each morning, making sure that she was in the vicinity of the front doors when he arrived, just so that she could catch a glimpse of him.

Now that she knew what time Allie left in the mornings, she could drive home and get her kids ready for school and drop them off at before school day care. She would be done just in time to be at Luke and Allie’s house by 7:00 a.m. That way she would be able to make sure that she in fact saw Allie leave the house before she made her way into it for the first time.

Velvet did not have to wait long this morning. Just as Velvet had turned off her ignition, Allie started backing out of the driveway.

“That was too close. I’ll have to get here earlier the next time,” Velvet said as her fingers tightening her grip around the steering wheel in aggravation. She would have to be more timely the next time.

Velvet pulled forward once again toward the garden at the end of the property line and went around to the trunk of her car, and as she had done the last time, took out the cardboard box filled with cleaning supplies and began to walk toward the back of the house. She was slightly nervous yet at the same time, she was energized by the fact that within minutes, she would be inside Luke’s house.

Velvet had hoped with the heat of the days being so intense lately, that the kitchen window would be opened as it was the other day when she’d been here. As she rounded the corner of the house into the backyard and made her 40

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way to the patio once again, she was elated to see that indeed, Allie had opened the window that morning, just for her!

Velvet slid over a patio chair again, climbed onto it, and reached up toward the window. She jerked on the screen and it easily came off. She set it down against the siding of the house and reached to slide the window open further.

Velvet stretched to reach in through the window and around to unlock the dead bolt of the back door and within seconds she was back down on the ground and turning the doorknob, which led her directly into his house.

As Velvet stepped into the house, she closed the door behind her and was thrilled to feel so close to Luke. Her heart was pounding as if it would burst right through her chest with the exhilaration that she felt. She wandered from room to room, just looking around and taking it all in. Her fingers slithered over everything that she passed and Velvet was in awe of the fact that she was actually here – in Luke’s house. The pictures of Luke and Allie seemed to cover the walls. Velvet could scarcely stand to see them all.

“That should be me!” Velvet sneered.

As she made her way up the stairs towards their bedroom, her heart began to race. She wondered what their bedroom would be like. When she found their room, she saw the tousled sheets from the night before and became enraged with jealousy. Velvet walked around to Luke’s side of the bed and took his pillow to her face to breathe in his scent. She had a smile across her lips as she gently returned the pillow to the bed, until she saw the picture of Allie at his bedside table. Immediately the anger was back, not at Luke but at Allie because she had what Velvet so desperately wanted. Velvet grabbed the picture and put it facedown on the nightstand as she moved past 41

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Velvet walked back around to Allie’s side of the bed and glanced at all that she had on her side bureau. Her perfumes were all lined up neatly, her jewelry all neatly situated in her jewelry box, a candle and a picture of Luke sat neatly toward one corner. There was a tiny box near the middle of the dresser and Velvet wondered what was in it. She quickly picked up the lid and saw a pair of pearl earrings in it. The urge to reach in, take them out, and try them on was irresistible. Within moments, Velvet had the earrings on and was looking in the mirror to see just how beautiful they were. They must be special to Allie since they are separate from the rest of her jewelry and in the little box. Velvet replaced the lid and began to amble through the rest of the house but the earrings were staying on. They should be hers anyway, Velvet thought. She went through the nursery, set up so perfectly and her annoyance at Allie resurfaced once again. Of course it would be perfect. Everything about Allie was perfect. All of the little outfits were hung perfectly in the closet. The clothes were folded neatly in the drawers. The books on the bookshelf were organized without fault. She even had baby CD’s arranged in between two zoo animal bookends. Velvet pushed “play” on the CD player and began at once to hear Celtic Lullabies project through the nursery like soft billowy clouds through a bright blue summer sky. As dreamy as the melody was, it enraged Velvet that once again, Allie’s life was so perfect. She slammed the “stop” button with great force and ejected the CD in fury. She would take that as well.

Velvet walked back through the house; she appeared to stare at everything, wanting so much to remember each and every aspect of the house. After quite some time, Velvet decided she had better not hang around any longer.

With one last glance around the kitchen Velvet made her 42

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way toward the back patio door once again. She noticed a paper on the shelf, right next to the phone and couldn’t help but stop to see what it was. Her curiosity got the best of her and after skimming the sheet, she determined that it was directions to a Childbirth Preparation class that Luke and Allie had signed up for and it started tonight.

“We’ll see about that. If they don’t have directions, they can’t go, can they?” Velvet thought.

Without delay Velvet thrust the paper down deep into her jean pocket, opened the back door, and walked out.

She quickly reached back in through the kitchen window to lock the dead bolt again, put the screen back on, shoved the chair back toward the table, grabbed her cardboard box from the patio table, shoved her newly acquired treasures into it, and made her way back toward her car.

As she settled into the driver’s seat Velvet thought of her successful adventure and she couldn’t help but smile.

Not only had she been inside Luke’s house, now she had Allie’s special earrings, one of her “new baby” CD’s, and the directions to Luke and Allie’s evening class. What more could she ask for at that very moment? They won’t be able to attend their class without directions, or at least it will be a bit more challenging to find it. Maybe I’ll drive there myself tonight just to see if they make it or not. Velvet’s mind was in a flurry. All of the sudden, she had a new plan and the anticipation got her heart racing again. ***

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At 5:45 that evening Velvet found herself parked outside the building where Luke and Allie’s class was to be. The temptation was too overbearing. She had been thinking about it all day and had made the excuse to her family of doing some birthday shopping for her youngest child Anna’s, upcoming birthday, which was not an out and out 43

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lie Velvet told herself. She would in fact do some birthday shopping, however first she would watch to see if Luke and Allie made it to their class or not.

Within moments of her arrival, she saw their Explorer pull into the parking lot and park – not two car lengths away from her own car. Velvet slumped down just a bit; she was careful not to be seen. She waited breathlessly to no avail. What were they doing – just sitting there? Why weren’t they going in? As she continued to watch, she noticed several other couples – all pregnant and carrying pillows - walking toward the building. They always had pillows for these classes. Finally, she spotted Luke and Allie as they began walking toward the same building with their own pillow, hand in hand.

“Damn it!” thought Velvet as she struck the steering wheel once again.

“Another perfect night for them, I suppose. Well, not for long.” Velvet muttered under her breath. “Not for long!!!”

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