A Hope and a Chance(63)
Author: Jennifer Foor

When he finally stirred, gently kissing my forehead, I slid my mouth up to his. I missed his lips, more than I wanted to admit. It made me seem pathetic.

“Good morning, baby,” Chance whispered.

“It is good,” I replied.

“What time do we need to check out?” Chance asked.

I shrugged. “Ten.”

“Want to get a shower before we go?”

“I really don’t want to go. I don’t want to have to pretend that you mean nothing to me. I waited too long for you to come home.” I was sick of all of it. Once and for all my dad needed to be told the truth. He couldn’t keep us apart.

Chance sat up and cupped my face into his hands. “You think I want that? Hope, I have counted down every single day until I could see your beautiful face in person. All the pictures and video chatting was great, but this is what kept me going; knowing that one day I could come home to you. I promise you that if I have to climb into your bedroom window tonight, I will. Nothing is going to keep me away from you today, baby. Do you understand?”

I nodded my head and let the tears fall on Chance’s hands that were still holding my face. He pressed his lips into mine again. “How about that shower?”

The hot water felt so nice and being this close to my fabulously handsome boyfriend was even more satisfying. Chance took his time washing my hair while feeding my neck and back with soft kisses. He grasped the bar of soap and began washing my neck, then slowly made his way across my entire back. His slippery hands wrapped around me, gently massaging the soap onto each of my breasts. He wasn’t being sexual, per se. He just wanted to be with me.

When he finished washing me, I did the same for him, concentrating on his sculpted chest first. His arms seemed bigger since he left for the new job, and I admired how strong they felt when they wrapped around me. I couldn’t help but smile when my soap-covered hands made their way to his backside and maneuvered around. Chance was perfect and he was everything that I could want. I must have cried a million times when he had to leave, but now that he was here, I felt the need to celebrate.

Just like old times, Chance climbed out of the shower and wrapped a towel around me before getting one for himself. He kissed the top of my forehead as we both began brushing our teeth. It was normal everyday things like this that made me enjoy being around him.

When we checked out of the hotel room Chance took me to breakfast. We both got pancakes and coffee. We sat there for a while after finishing up, talking. It was funny that we still had things to discuss. Our late night phone calls lasted so long that we knew everything about one another. My father may have distanced Chance and I, but he’d only helped us get to know each other better. If I thought that I loved him before he left, albeit it had only intensified now.

I tried to pay for breakfast, but Chance insisted. When we got back into the car he had a big smile on his face.

“What?” I asked.

“I have something for you,” he said.

“Is it a kiss?” I asked, as I leaned in for one.

He moved forward and brushed his lips over mine. “Nope, it is something else.”

I was getting more excited by the second. “Tell me what it is.”

Chance reached in his bag and pulled out a small pouch. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it did have a pretty blue ribbon. “I stole the ribbon from your bedroom one day. You were wearing it the day we first met. I kept it with me the whole time I was gone, in my wallet.”

I pulled the ribbon that I now recognized, feeling a hint of redness rush through my cheeks knowing he had something with him that was mine. When I removed the ribbon he took it and put it in his pocket. “This is special to me, so don’t mind me taking it back.” He winked.

Chance’s face got bigger as I dug inside of the velvet sack. I pulled out the chain and gasped at what I saw hanging from it. There were two hearts that were separate pieces, one said Hope and the other said Chance. They were small hearts made of plain white gold that hung over top of one another to appear like it was just one charm. When I didn’t understand it, Chance explained.

“I wanted you to have something special so I had these made. You can wear them every day and your father will never see my name, because it will be hiding under yours.” He took the necklace and showed me.

“I love it. Thank you so much. I’ll never take it off,” I exclaimed. I’d personally gotten jewelry as a gift before, but nothing so sentimental.

“That’s what I was going for when I got it.” He laughed.

Putting that necklace around Hope’s neck made me feel content. I’d bought that for her with my first paycheck, and couldn’t wait to give it to her. I pulled it out every night as we talked on the phone and traced her name with my thumb. It was probably so ridiculous, but I clung to whatever I could; being alone sucked so badly. While my co-workers were hitting the town going to strip clubs, I resorted to staying a hermit in my motel room, knowing my girl was at home waiting for me to return. I wasn’t taking this second chance at life for granted.

While she drove she played with the necklace. I could tell it meant so much to her, which in turn meant a lot to me. As soon as I spotted that charm that hid a secret one behind it, I knew it was perfect. Unless she shook it, nobody would ever see my name.

Hope drove the slowest I’d ever seen her drive on our way back to the house. I wondered if she was going to hang a left and drive us out of state, so that we didn’t have to pretend anymore. I missed my sister, but being without Hope was unbearable. After the night we’d just shared, I couldn’t imagine looking in the opposite direction when she entered the room. I was in awe of her, and desperately needed to make up for lost time.

When we pulled into the long driveway I heard Hope sigh. She dreaded this part of my visit and I could feel her pain. I squeezed her hand. “Baby, I promise we’ll be together tonight.”

“I know. I just don’t want to wait, and I don’t like sharing you,” she pouted.

“Trust me, Hope, I plan on going to bed early tonight. Don’t you?” I winked so she’d catch on.

“Hell yeah. I feel tired already,” She said sarcastically.

I brought her hand to my lips. “I fucking love you, and I’m home now. Nothing is going to keep me from holding you in my arms tonight.”

“Then let’s get this show on the road.”

Hope left her bag in the car and walked with me toward the house. Buffy came running out and hugged me immediately. “If he asks, I called Hope this morning to grab you from the airport,” she whispered.