Mac’s
apartment
Georgetown
“Ouch, be careful.” Mac winced.
“If you’d stop trying to help this would be easier.”
“Ow, watch where you’re swinging that thing.”
“Sorry, I warned you to stay still. When was the last time anyone looked at this?”
“I guess Mic was the last person under there, unless you count the New Year’s eve my landlord had too much to drink and came to the wrong apartment.”
“Shift that way and give me some more room.” Harm nudged her hip with his own.
“Oh this is ridiculous. Besides, that thing’s too big anyway. You can bang on it from now till doomsday and it’s still not going to fit. I thought you were good at this sort of thing?”
“Mac. I’m not the one who told you to drop your Marine corps ring down the sink! These pipes are as old as my grandmother, probably older. I’m surprised I don’t need a blow torch to get that trap off.
“Okay, point taken. I’m sorry.”
“I know. I’ll get the ring out, just stop hovering over me.” Harm picked up the larger monkey wrench and continued working in the small space under the kitchen sink.
Mac paced nervously in the cramped kitchen. She had never really given any thought to how much her ring actually meant to her. Now that it was on the brink of being permanently gone, she found herself bordering on panicked desperation.
With a loud clunk, and a messier splash, the obstinate pipe burst free spewing the valued ring on the ground.
“Got it!” Re-tightening the pipes, Harm was barely out from under the cabinet, the ring tightly clenched in his fist, when Mac threw herself at him.
Taken aback by the power of her embrace, Harm stood frozen for a moment with his arms at his side before he gently returned the hug.
“I’m so glad you were here. I’d have been a basket case by the time my landlord would get around to coming up. He’s been a little leery ever since the previously mentioned New Year’s eve when I found him in the kitchen and practically drop kicked him out the door.”
“Yeah, well, I could see where that would discourage him from making house calls.” Harm chuckled, his arms still wrapped tightly around Mac.
Her composure regained, Mac tried to back out of his embrace when his arms tightened more firmly around her.
“Don’t go.” He whispered into her temple. “Just let me enjoy the thank you a minute longer.”
Sinking into the warmth of his voice, Mac felt all the cares of the world float away. There was only Harm and her, and a promise waiting to be filled. Suddenly, she knew. She almost laughed to herself. To think it took almost losing a ring, a treasured trinket, to show her how much she had to lose if she didn’t do something about the man in her arms. All the doubts, the fears, the concerns were instantly gone. It was time to do something about it, and now.
“Since you’re so good at repairs, I have a few other things around here that need fixing.” Mac smiled into his shoulder, a glint in her eye.
Chuckling to himself, Harm loosened his hold on her and looked down into her eyes. “And exactly how many more things do you expect me take apart tonight?”
“Actually, I was thinking more about making something new. You seemed to do really well maneuvering around under that sink. You did a really great job putting my plumbing back together. No one would know you’d ever been under there.” Mac smiled sweetly.
“And…”
“I’ve had a few other plumbing issues recently that require someone with excellent skills at working underneath things.” Mac raised an eyebrow at him.
Harm had no idea what she was talking about. His back was not up to crawling under her bathroom sink, but the look in her eyes told him this had nothing to do with the bathroom or the sink.
Drawing closer to him, Mac tipped her head up and gently kissed his lips, then leaned back and looked into his eyes.
“Mac?” Harm wasn’t sure if he was reading her right, but at this moment there was a fire igniting deep inside him that would need to be squelched fast if he was wrong.
Sliding her hand down his arm, she took his hand in hers and walked off towards her bedroom.
Harm’s heart had skipped several beats, he wasn’t even sure if he was breathing anymore. When Mac stopped at the foot of her bed, he was sure he would most likely die of heart failure long before he could take advantage of what appeared to be the threshold of a marvelous new relationship.
“You have done undercover work before?” Mac suggested playfully.
“Some.” Harm stumbled to find his voice. One by one Mac slowly undid the buttons on his shirt. “Mac, tell me if I’m misunderstanding this or not,” Harm took in a deep breath, “but, is this your subtle way of telling me you’re ready to move forward with trying for a baby?” Harm tried not to let his eyes fall shut at the feel of her fingers across his chest.
Looking up at him with a grin as wide as a carrier deck, “You’ve been underneath that sink all night, you ready to be on top?”
Unable to hide the grin that emerged from somewhere deep inside his heart, “We’ll take turns.”
Eagerly they fell into each other’s arms. Hopes and dreams came together in a single moment of time merging hearts and souls and creating a new life.
The End