Sharon's Journey - Part 9 - Con Te Partiro free porn video

Sharon's Journey Part IX - Con Te Partiro As Sharon sat in Julie's kitchen, gazing out the window, her attention was not on the park below but on the sky, a panorama of bright blue mostly shunted into the background by huge patches of thick clouds, the sides facing the sun fluffy and white while the mass away from it a brooding dark grey. Though November was not quite a week old, New York's November sky was apparent, bringing with it a brisk wind. "Wishing on a star?" Julie asked as she waddled over and sat down at the table with obvious relief. Her pregnancy, which had been much more difficult than she had expected, would soon be concluded. Sharon was alarmed at how much weight she had gained, and Julie herself had spoken of it more than once. "Only clouds," Sharon replied. Julie frowned, and Sharon added, "but interesting clouds, clouds with lots of character." "How's the novel coming?" Sharon smiled. She had been cramming her off days with writing because she was on a roll, now. Everything was falling into place. "It won't last," she said. "These bursts seem to come and go, so I try to take advantage of them when I can. I was up for three hours after I got home from work last night, and I'll do more later today and all day tomorrow." "I'm really glad," Julie said, placing her hand on Sharon's. Her smile was beatific for a moment, but then a shadow quickly flickered across her face. "Something wrong?" Sharon asked. "One of the things I can't wait for is to get my bladder control back." They both laughed, but the smile faded quickly from Julie's face. Sharon gazed at her quizzically, and Julie said, "But that usually only happens when I sneeze." She sighed heavily as she lifted herself out of the chair. It was Sharon who first saw the puddle of blood on the seat. She made herself take a deep breath before she said anything. "Sit down, Julie," she said, taking her hand. It was then that Julie saw the blood. She cried out but sat back down. Sharon reached for the phone and called 9-1-1. When the operator came on, she gave the address and apartment number. "My friend is in her ninth month of pregnancy and is bleeding," she said as if she were giving the score of a Yankee game. "We just noticed it...yes, rather heavy..." When she got off the phone, she hugged and kissed Julie and asked her if she had a bag packed. She did, and it was in the bedroom. "I'm going to go get it," Sharon said. "In the meantime, write down what I have to know about Megan." "Megan?" "Yes. I'm going to go with you to the hospital, but then I'll come back for when Megan gets home from school. Do I have to pick her up?" "She...yes, you do." "Write down the number I have to call and who I have to speak to." She walked to the bedroom and found a small, pink valise. By the time she came back out, Julie had written everything down. "I also wrote down Jack's phone number in case you need to talk to him," she said. "Great. So, I call the school, tell them that I am picking up Megan Mumford, who's in the first grade. Now, call Jack, and don't go to pieces on him because you're going to be fine and so is the baby." She didn't go to pieces, although she did cry a little. She smiled through the tears at something Jack said and then gave the phone over the Sharon. "He wants to talk to you." "Hi, Sharon. Listen, thanks so much for being there for Julie. She always says what a wonderful friend you are, and I agree. Can you please call Julie's doctor - Colletti, her name is, Julie has her card right on the 'fridge - and let her know what's up?" "Sure, Jack. I'll call you back as soon as I know anything." The buzzer rang. "Somebody call an ambulance?" the doorman asked. "Please send them right up," Sharon said. There were three technicians, and they got Julie lying down and an IV running almost immediately. They asked her questions about her pregnancy, and about when she had last eaten. "Who's her doctor?" "Dr. Suzanne Colletti. I'm waiting for a call back from her, but her office told me that if possible, Julie should be taken to NYU Medical Center." "That's where we're goin'," the technician replied. She turned to the others and said, "Let's go." Sharon grabbed the valise. The technician held up a hand. "No, not now. No room for it, and she won't have any need for it. In fact, I know you want to go with her, but it really is better if you stay here, talk to her doctor, let her husband know what's going on, that sort of thing." Sharon bent down over Julie, who was now clearly terrified. "The baby..." she sobbed through the oxygen mask they had placed on her face. "The baby will be fine, Jules. You'll be fine. I'm going to wait here for the doctor to call back, and Jack is already on his way to the hospital. He'll see you there." "The baby!" "The baby will be fine," the technician said. "We're going to get you right to the hospital and we're going to get the baby out." Sharon kissed Julie on the head and they were gone. She called Jack on her cell, keeping the house phone clear for the doctor. "You were right, Jack. It's NYU." "On my way. Did they tell you anything?" "They said they're going to get the baby out. I guess that means a C- Section. She packed a bag but they wouldn't let her take it with her. I'll bring it to the hospital later. In the meantime, don't worry about Megan. I'll pick her up at school, bring her home and give her dinner. I've got Julie's keys." "You're a doll!" First, she had to clean up the blood, which was easier than she had expected it to be. Then she inventoried the refrigerator to see what she could make for Megan. The phone rang, and it was the doctor. "Well, thank you," she said when Sharon had brought her up to date. "I'll get over to NYU to see her later. They won't wait for me to do the surgery." It was just before she was about to leave to pick up Megan that she got the call from Jack. "It's a boy," he said. "Seven pounds, four ounces and in fine shape. Julie's still in the recovery room, but they said that both she and the baby will be fine." "Are you going with Bryan as the name?" she asked. "Yes. Bryan Joseph." Megan came out of the school building wearing a pink jacket over the green plaid uniform skirt and white blouse. She was also wearing a deep frown. "Hi, Aunt Sharon," she said. "Is mommy okay?" "Mommy's fine," Sharon replied, kneeling down so she was eye to eye. "And you are now officially a big sister." Megan's eyes lit up. "Really?" "Yep. Your brother, Bryan, was born just a few hours ago." "When can I play with him?" Sharon hugged her and laughed. "Not for quite some time, I'm afraid. He's just a little baby, and he won't even be able to walk or talk for a while. Mommy's going to need your help to take care of him until he can do things for himself." "Boys can never do things for themselves," she said. They celebrated the holidays as best they could, and Rod and George did their best to make it a jolly time. For their sake, Sharon pretended to be jolly but she couldn't help but remember the previous two years, and the hurt of Jocelyn's infidelity came back to her as if she had just discovered it. Seeing Julie and her new baby helped a little, but not much. New Years Eve at the restaurant was special, particularly at midnight when all the lights went out and everybody kissed everybody. Sharon's biggest surprise was when she went to give Kimberly a kiss and found herself locking lips with her lovely coworker. Kimberly's lips parted and soon their tongues were swirling around one another. The lights came back on and several other couples were likewise engaged. Sharon was surprised that Kimberly was only blushing a little. One morning in April, Sharon sat at the computer, but the words wouldn't come. The font that had poured forth from her for so long had suddenly dried up. By now she was used to it, and she shifted to the kitchen to let her other creative impulse take over. George came into the apartment a little before five, having left the shop to his underlings. "I just had to take a break," he said. "I've been going nonstop for months." "The price of success." "Anyway, I'm glad I caught you. I have a teeny-tiny favor to ask." "Ask away. I owe you and Rod a raft of them." "Don't be silly. We love having you here and we'll miss you terribly whenever you leave, which I hope is never. But I need a favor, nonetheless. "In two weeks, there is going to be a gala event at Lincoln Center of epic proportions. All of the supporting foundations have pooled their resources for a cocktail party with some unusual attractions and not a few surprises. It should be the event of the spring season. "Anyway, my loyal friend and partner has been asked by a woman of some means to escort her to this sumptuous affair, and has accepted. So, I would be most humbly grateful if you would agree to go as my guest." "How is that doing you a favor?" "My dear, dear sweet lady," he said with a sigh. "You still don't get it, do you? Going anywhere with you is a delight, but going out with you when you are dressed to the nines is...indescribable. You have a grace and beauty that transcends mere sexuality, you are inherently sensuous." She smiled and blushed a little. "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you have a thing for me," she said. He put his hands on his hips in mock horror. "Well, look who just woke up! Welcome to the real world, Miss Boyle! How long have we known each other? We danced together under moonlit tropical skies, swam together in warm lagoons, boogied till dawn on board ship. I have gasped, oohed and aahhed over your gowns, your miniskirts and everything in between; I have drunk in your stilettos, your kitten heels; I've watched you paint your precious little toenails with the patience and perfection of Matisse; I've pronounced you fit to meet the world in ruby red, precious pink or devilishly dark lipsticks. "Of course I have a thing for you! Have done since you first sat down across from me. The beauty of my relationship with Rod is that we can each fantasize about whomever we want, and for the past two years, my fantasies have been about you. Oh, don't panic! They'll only ever be fantasies. That's what makes them such fun." He stood and grinned while she blushed anew. Then he added, "So? Yes?" Her smile faded. "Won't Jocelyn be there?" she asked. "I would think so. The Foundation has been very active in this. So, what? Are you going to hide from her forever?" She couldn't tell if he was teasing or not. "Look, precious," he said, serious now. "I wouldn't ask you if I thought it was going to be a bad time for you. The truth is that you move well in this circle, and I think a lot of people from this circle have missed you." She was thinking about it. "I have a lovely little frock for you at the shop," he said, enticing her. "You're incorrigible!" she said. "I'll take that as a 'yes', then." Kimberly quit the restaurant. It came as a shock to Carol Anne, who knew she'd been out on several auditions but didn't think she was close to landing anything. It was a bit part in an off-off-Broadway play, but she jumped at the chance. "People come and people go in this business," Carol Anne said once she'd recovered. "I saw your friend got traded the other day." "Actually, I think Renee signed with another team as a free agent. Tulsa! I wonder what she'll do for fun there." "Same things she did here, I'm sure." Sharon shrugged. "We actually were never great friends. Not like I thought we'd be." "Just two ships that passed in the night? Well, sometimes that's what you really need." Julie wasn't sure if she wanted to go to the cocktail party. "I gained 70 pounds!" she cried. "I look like a cow." "You look like a woman who just had a baby," Sharon assured her. "And like I still have five more to go. Face it, any dress I get will look like it should be covering Donald Trump's yacht. My ankles still haven't gone back to normal, so I can't wear heels." But Sharon's advice never wavered. Julie should buy whatever dress she thought would look good on her, and wear whatever shoes she found comfortable, and go. "How are you going to deal with seeing Jocelyn there?" "I'll be polite, say hello, and move to the next conversation as soon as possible," Sharon replied. "I think she realizes by now that things aren't going to change, and I also think George is right when he tells me I shouldn't cut myself off from the world of the arts because I'm no longer with her." They were walking through a frosty Gramercy Park, where the branches were encrusted with ice and the paths were still slick in some places from a recent late-season storm. Bryan was bundled up against the cold and had dozed off. They soon saw a familiar face coming the other way. "Hi, Amber," Sharon called. "What's the matter?" "I knew this would happen. KC decided, with her mother's urging, that she would go ahead and have the baby. So now, who gets all the phone calls asking questions?" "So, what are you going to do?" Julie asked. "How the hell do I know? At first I refused, said I wouldn't have a friggin' thing to do with this kid. But then Ryan went all to pieces on me, begged me to help his poor daughter and grandchild. I'm telling you, I wanted to puke." Julie gasped as Sharon laughed. "The truth is I could give two shits about his little bitch of a daughter, who hasn't learned a thing from this. But I feel for the baby. I mean, it's not his fault that he's going to have a complete bimbo for a mother." Sharon remembered Amber saying that if KC was going to be under her roof she had to obey her rules and wondered how that had worked out. "Pretty well, actually. The little bitch is afraid of me." "As well she should be," Sharon replied. "So, maybe that's the answer. Accept up front the burden that you're sure you're going to have anyway, and then it can at least be on your terms." Amber moaned. "You don't understand. I only said I knew it would end up on me. Someone else was supposed to prove to me I was wrong." Bryan woke up and started to fuss. Julie knelt down to attend to him. "You're right, though," Amber said. "It's the only way I'm likely to keep my sanity." Julie went with Amber down to George's shop, "Ladies of the Evening". He was glad to see them both, and when Julie complained that she was sure he wouldn't have anything that would make her look more feminine than a tarp-covered cement mixer, he turned to one of his veteran salesladies, a woman with short-cropped blonde hair named Evelyn, and said, "Please prove to our distraught guest, here, how wrong she is." Evelyn took Julie's measurements, making conversation as she went. "Just had a baby, huh? It shows. You have that motherhood glow. Bet you love being a mom. "One of the great things about being a new mom is that your boobs are nice and full, so we want something that can really show that off." She brought out three dresses, but it was obvious which one she thought was best, and it caught Sharon's eye immediately. It was a plum colored charmeuse satin A-line floor-length gown, with a very deep V neckline, a halter top and a metallic high waist. It had a lace-up corset in the back and came with a shawl. "I have it in copper and in lime, but I think the plum is perfect. It's an understated color that will actually make you look thinner, while accentuating your bust." She gave Julie a pair of black patent leather pumps with a one-inch chunk heel. She frowned. "Don't worry," Evelyn said with a laugh. "I have them in silver, which will be perfect for you. And because the gown is floor length, no one will really notice how high a heel you're wearing." Julie went off to the dressing room. Bryan fussed in the stroller a little, and Sharon gave him a pacifier, which quieted him down. "You're quite good at that," George said. "I like babies," Sharon said, smiling down at Bryan. "And this little guy is good as gold." When Julie emerged, she was beaming. "It really doesn't make me look fat," she said. Evelyn laughed. "And," Julie added, "the high waist is well away from my scar." "C-Section?" Evelyn asked. Julie nodded. "Too much information for me," George said, and Sharon kissed him on the cheek. "You're a dear," she said. When Evelyn turned to Sharon, she had already laid out three choices. As with Julie, the one she recommended was obvious without anyone having to say anything. And George's admonition, "I am not going to let you pick this one wrong" was completely unnecessary. No one could have gotten it wrong. In the nine months she had been working at the restaurant, Sharon had never missed a single day. So, Carol Anne was more than understanding when she needed to miss work for the cocktail party. "Just promise me you won't go running off with some rich bitch for a six month sex romp in Monaco or something," she said, and they both laughed. The afternoon of the event, she found herself getting excited about it. She took a warm bubble bath to relax in her favorite lilac scent. She'd had her hair done that morning, pulled up in the back with luscious curls cascading down, and she had plucked and tweezed until she felt she was as good as she could be. She was sitting in front of what had become her makeup table, wearing black lace bikini panties under pantyhose and a black half slip and a very trim black strapless bra. There were two sharp knocks at the door. "I'm not naked," she called out. George entered, wearing the trousers to his tuxedo but still in a tee shirt. "Usual bad luck," he sighed. He was carrying a small package. "I do have a little gift for you, something to round out your outfit nicely." She opened the box. There were two lovely diamond teardrop earrings set in white gold and a princess cut diamond pendant on a delicate white gold chain. Her eyes filled with tears. "You can't cry or you'll ruin your makeup!" he said, and she laughed in spite of herself. Then she turned serious. "George, you shouldn't have..." He knelt down and looked her in the eye. "Now, you listen to me. You are going to be the gasp of the evening, you hear me? Julie will be lovely enough that her hubby will forget for a while that she's still quite heavy, and he'll be proud to show her off and she'll love it. But you are the one that every man and woman in the place will turn and stare at and say, 'Oh, my God!' Bocelli will sing an aria for you." She was about to protest, but the mention of Bocelli stopped her. "Andrea Bocelli is going to be there?" she asked. He groaned. "There I go with my big mouth. I was sworn to secrecy. No one is supposed to know, although there have been rumors flying. The Philharmonic is going to provide the musical entertainment this evening, with super- secret surprise special guest star, Andrea Bocelli. And if you tell a single soul, including your friend Julie, you will be hunted down and forced to wear Dickie's work clothes for a month!" Now the tears were from laughter. She reached out and hugged him. "You really are the most wonderful friend," she said, and kissed him on the cheek. "Did you smear me with lipstick?!" "No," she said, still laughing. "Rats!" he said, and walked out. She finished her makeup and walked over to her closet, taking down the lovely confection that George had let her have at an obscene bargain, claiming it was an irregular although she was certain it was fine. As she spread it out on the bed, she remembered that it had a nude lining and so the half slip was superfluous, and she slipped it down from her hips. It was all black with spaghetti straps; it had a corset style bodice with ruching at the bust with crystals at the center and boning that created a lovely shape. The beadwork clusters and ruching effect at the waist added sparkle, and an illusion effect was created with the nude lining underneath. It had a flowing double layer chiffon skirt, cut slightly higher in front, with a faux sash effect at the hips. She put the earrings on and the diamond pendant, and noted that the diamonds and crystals in the dress worked well together, and the overall effect was breathtaking. The 3" spike heel black sandals were perfect, and she checked her makeup one last time, took her clutch purse and went out to meet George in the living room. "Oh, my God!" he gasped, and she could tell that he meant it. As George and Rod often did, they hired a limousine to take them to Lincoln Center, even though it was only ten blocks away. It would be there to pick them up as well. "It's a warm evening," she said as they arrived. "I think I'll leave my shawl here." "Excellent choice," he said. As they got out of the car, he momentarily placed his hand on her ass. "George," she chided him. "Oh, I'm just teasing you." They had exited the limo on Columbus Avenue, and they walked up the steps to the plaza where lights already played on the water spouting up from the fountain. They took a slow and leisurely walk all the way back to the Metropolitan Opera House, where the event was to be. As she walked, she could sense the heads turning to follow her. It was already crowded when they got to the Met. Older women, carefully coiffed and heavily bejeweled, waffled between hostility and appreciation in their appraisal of her while their husbands looked on with hunger in their eyes. Younger women, mostly trophy wives, glared at her with venom. "The highest compliment of all," George said. They were talking with a group of George's friends whom she had met before when she saw Julie and Jack come in. She was pleased to see that Julie looked as lovely as she had the day they'd gone shopping for dresses. They came right over and Jack kissed Sharon's hand after she and Julie exchanged air kisses. "Oh, Jack," Sharon said, "doesn't Julie look absolutely stunning tonight?" "She really does," he said with some feeling, and pulled his wife a little closer. She beamed in reply. "That," Julie said to Sharon, "is the most beautiful dress I've ever seen. It is perfect for you." Sharon thanked her, but noted with an inward chuckle that she had waited to say it until Jack was engaged in conversation elsewhere. "Megan seems to have taken to being a big sister," Sharon noted. "She was watching me change his diaper this morning, and all of a sudden noticed his thingie. It happened to be hard, and she asked me what it was and why it suddenly looked like that." "Uh oh," Sharon said with a smile. "That's just what Jack said." She took a glass of white wine, a light and crisp Pinot Grigio. Inside the opera house, the Philharmonic was setting up on stage. It would be a while before they all filed in to listen. She saw Jocelyn. She wore a somewhat plain but elegant gown of ivory satin with a matching bolero jacket. Sharon had already decided not to go over but to be civil if they were together. Sharon was just getting a second glass of wine when she came over and said hello. "You look beautiful," Jocelyn said. "Truly." "Thank you. You look lovely, too." "Not like you." There was an uncomfortable silence. "How's the restaurant doing?" "Very well, thanks. We've developed a nice clientele, and athletes from some of the pro teams are starting to come in. That's great because the fans usually follow." George turned and joined the conversation. "They had a wonderful event there on Halloween," he said. "So much fun. Everyone was in costume." "What did you go as?" Jocelyn asked, trying a smile. "Dorothy, from 'The Wizard of Oz'." "Only," George added, "Dorothy never looked like that! Not only did this little minx wear the shortest Dorothy dress you ever saw, but her ruby slippers were spike heels and then she had the nerve to wear these innocent little anklets." "I bet you turned a lot of heads," Jocelyn said. "I had fun. How's the job?" George slipped away. "Going well. The CFO finally announced his retirement, so we'll see what happens." A man in livery came through ringing chimes, reminding everyone that the short concert would be starting soon. "Well, good luck with it," Sharon said. "I know how much it means to you. I hope you get it." She turned and caught up with George, who took her arm. "Nicely done," he said. "Very classy. And no apparent damage." "No," she said with a smile. And she was glad of that. It had been a year since she had left Jocelyn, and she'd had a lover and a chance of a couple more. She was close to being able to move out on her own, she had friends. The aisles were crowded as they stepped inside, and an usher suggested that they might want to go up to the first ring. "Actually," she said to George, "This is fine." He shrugged and they took two seats at the end of the aisle in the last row. There were welcoming remarks, but Sharon didn't listen. She was too pleased with how her encounter with Jocelyn had gone. Only then did she realize how frightened of her own reactions she'd been. Not that she didn't still feel hurt - the sting of betrayal had faded, but it had been replaced by a dull ache of realization of all that had been lost. It had all seemed so perfect, and it had slipped away almost before she had realized what had happened. They had loved each other. How could someone throw away something like that? Even now, a year later, she still didn't understand. "Are you okay?" George asked. She was suddenly aware that the orchestra had played an introductory number - Bernstein's Overture to Candide - and the audience was applauding. "Yeah. Just a little lost in thought." The orchestra then moved into Copeland's Appalachian Spring, one of her favorites. The questions still echoed through her heart, but more softly. It wasn't meant to be - maybe Jocelyn just hadn't been capable of loving someone the way that Sharon knew she could. She thought back. Her affair with Renee had been fun, and her only mistake had been thinking it would be more than it could ever have been. On New Year's Eve, she now realized, Kimberly wanted her, and she should have taken her up on it. How many other opportunities had she had and let slip? The end of the piece brought rich, appreciative applause and she joined right in. Even now, men - and some women - were stealing glances at her. Maybe she'd let herself be taken... "And now," the conductor said, "it is my great pleasure to welcome to the stage a wonderful friend of the arts in New York and a marvelous tenor: Andrea Bocelli." The audience stood as one as Bocelli was guided out onto the stage. She had heard him once in concert while she and Jocelyn had still been together. He sang a short program, beginning with "A Te", then a medley of "Besame Mucho", "It's Impossible" and "Can't Help Falling in Love". The last had long been a favorite of Sharon's, because she swore that Bocelli was the only one who could sing it better than Elvis. He sang "Italia" accompanied by surprise guest Wynton Marsalis on trumpet, a song so soft and languorous that Sharon couldn't help but think of lovemaking. And then he did "Vivere." She felt her throat tightening and her eyes beginning to tear. She reached into her clutch purse for a tissue and dabbed at her eyes before her mascara and eye liner could run. She remembered the night in Jocelyn's car, that first night, when she had poured out her secrets and Jocelyn had taken her in. "Dare to live," the song urged her, and she had. She had lived through love and betrayal, through the loss of a friend and through the gaining of others. She prayed it was the last song. "And now," Bocelli said as the applause died down, "I hope you will join me in welcoming my very good friend, Sarah Brightman." Again the audience stood, and Sharon with them. These two together could only mean one thing. The introduction confirmed it, but as Sarah Brightman sang the first lines - Quando sono solo sogno all'orizzonte E mancan le parole - Sharon felt her shoulders starting to heave. When I'm alone I dream of the horizon and words fail me. "Con te partiro" - "Time to Say Goodbye." The words stabbed at her even before they were sung. "I have to go outside for a bit," she said in a hoarse whisper to George. "Please don't follow me or it will be conspicuous." Even in a whisper, he could hear her starting to cry, so he just nodded. She ducked out the door, not even noticing the few strange looks she got. The door closed softly behind her, but she could still hear the music. Time to say goodbye. Places that I've never seen or experienced with you. Now I shall, I'll sail with you upon ships across the seas, seas that exist no more, it's time to say goodbye. She ran as quickly as her spike heels would allow, getting to the door with the words, sung in Italian, cutting into her heart in English. The night sky had turned dark and lights were blazing all over the plaza. They shocked her and she stopped and wept. "What's wrong, Miss?" asked an usher who had followed her out. But she could only shake her head as she was wracked with sobs. "Please," he said, "come inside and let me get you something." "I can't..." she gasped. "I just can't..." She was turning, looking but not seeing, utterly disoriented, tears and makeup streaming down her face. "Sharon!" She knew the voice. She heard the urgency, the fear, the desperate caring. She felt the delicate arms around her shoulders, turning her and leading her off to the side, off to the little garden next to the opera house. She felt the arms envelop her and she held on tightly, desperately, as a child clings to her mother or as a long lost lover clings to one's true love. Jocelyn was crying, too. "I love you!" Jocelyn sobbed. "I do. I always have! I was so stupid and I'm so sorry! Oh, God, Sharon, I'm so sorry I hurt you!" Sharon couldn't speak. She was still crying too hard. Jocelyn kissed her on the mouth and that began to calm her. "You were right," Jocelyn said when the kiss had at last been broken. "I fired Kate before the holidays. She was a shameless user. I did what you said, I went back to trusting my instincts. "But I don't want any of it. Not without you. I need you, Sharon, maybe even a lot more than you need me..." "No," Sharon said at last. "Not more. The same. I never stopped loving you, not even for a second." They held each other and kissed, and kissed again. Sharon opened her mouth and felt comfort and delight in her lover's tongue. Suddenly, they stopped, aware that they were in a public place. Damrosch Park was deserted, though, and the only onlookers were George, Rod and Julie. Jack was there, too, but looking the other way. "Oh, my God," Sharon said suddenly, "I must be a sight!" "The most beautiful one I've ever seen," Jocelyn said, bordering on tears once again. With compacts and wipes, they cleaned up their terribly botched makeup. "Sharon, please come home," Jocelyn said. "Please." "Yes. Yes, I will." They hugged once again. Then they walked over to their friends. Julie hugged Sharon, then everyone hugged everyone else. "Are you two back together?" Julie asked. It was a plea. "Yes," they answered together. "Our driver will take you home now, if you like," Rod said. "I'd like that very much," Sharon said before looking to Jocelyn for approval. Jocelyn nodded quickly. "Just give us a call when you're ready to start moving your things out, love," George said, and Sharon hugged him. "Oh!" she said with a start. "I just realized, George, I have to give these back to you. I can't take them, now." She reached behind her neck to undo the pendant but George held up a hand. "I said they were a gift. But I never said they were from me." Sharon looked from his face to Rod's to Julie's. It was Julie who smiled and nodded toward Jocelyn. George shrugged and said, "You might as well know, she paid for the dress, too. I never ran your credit card." They held hands as the car took them downtown, but nothing more, and they both remained silent. Gramercy Park was ready to burst in spring blossoms and the night air was softly fragrant. As they entered the apartment, Sharon felt the same kind of apprehensive adventure that she'd felt that very first night over three years ago. And yet it was different: this was home. The regal old house was still the same, and she was pleased to see that her plants were alive and well. "I knew that if there was any chance you'd come back," Jocelyn said, "I had to take good care of them." They sat down on the sofa together. "I'm very sorry," Sharon said, holding up her hand to forestall Jocelyn's protest. "I never gave you a chance to apologize, to get things back to normal. It's probably because I was afraid of getting hurt again, but that's no excuse. When you love someone as much as I love you, it's only fair to give them a chance to say they're sorry." Jocelyn took her in her arms and held her. "You needed time." After a shower, Sharon availed herself of one of the many negligees she'd left behind, and Jocelyn held out her arms as she got into bed. But they simply cuddled one another, as they were both much too drained for making love. There would be ample time for that tomorrow. THE END Author's note: Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to read mu novella, "Sharon's Journey". Special thanks to those who offered comments and encouragement. Review comments are always welcome. Hugs, DreamWeaver.