Crazy in Chicago (32 page)

“I hope you can forgive me. I—well, I couldn't believe what had fallen into my lap. It was all my dreams come true, the answer to all my professional hopes. And it was about you, which made it even better. I couldn't wait to write it all down, to see exactly what I had, what I needed, and decide what to do with it all. Especially I couldn't wait to show it to you. I was so excited. I don't think I've ever been so excited before.”

She paused, her eyes filling with worry. “You are okay, aren't you? Because I'd hate to think . . .”

Cody felt his face, stiff with tension, slowly relax. “Yes,” he said and, much to his own shock, he knew it was true. “It's going to take me a while to get used to the idea. Maybe I'll never get used to it. But I think I can live with it. Once I bring myself to believe it. Maybe I can even talk about it, write about it, sometime. But not yet. And not in the glare of publicity.”

“I know. I'm sorry. I should have understood that right away. But I'd never hurt you, not knowingly. You know that, don't you?”

Slowly Cody smiled. “I know that.”

Roberta smiled too, her cheeks glowing. “You know, I finally realized something else too. For years I've let Garnet and all the teasing about my work chip away at my confidence. But now I've got it back. I do know what I'm doing. I proved that my hunch, my intuition, was right, and that I could investigate and persevere with the best of them. But most of all I proved to the only people that matter than I'm not just some crazy chick.”

“What people?” Cody froze.

“You know.”

“No, I don't.” Cody's fingers tightened on the door frame.

“Yes, you do. You and me.”

“You and me?”

“Yes, me and you. But especially me.”

Roberta's smile widened until it seemed to consume her face. Her eyes glowed. “I love you, Cody Walker. I could never, ever hurt you. And I love that you've never thought I was crazy, not from the very start.”

Cody sat on the end of the bed, and looked at her face, full of love. The words Roberta spoke were not new; she'd said them as shortly ago as last night. But this time they touched him in a way they hadn't the first time. This time they filled him with hope, and wonder, and awe. And the conviction that together they could face anything.

Her foot, with its pink-painted toes, slipped out from under the sheet. He clasped it with both hands and caressed it. Still holding her foot, he looked into her eyes.

“That's not the only thing you proved,” he said.

“No?” Her brow creased. “What else?”

“You proved that I'm not going crazy, either. You don't know how important that is to me. It's going to take me a while to accept the idea that I was abducted by aliens, but at least I know I'm not losing my mind. Or turning into my father. I was really starting to worry.”

His words slowed. “You don't know how important to me it is that you cared enough to try to find the answers, even though I fought you and doubted you all the way.”

His grip tightened on her foot. He held her gaze. Tears pooled in her beautiful clear eyes, and her chin trembled.

“Now there's only one thing left to prove,” he whispered.

“There is?”
 

“Yes.” He dropped her foot and edged along the bed towards her.

“What's that?”

“We need to prove just how crazy we are about each other.”

He kicked off his shoes and rolled onto the bed beside her. Her smile filled his heart with a joy that made this homecoming unlike any other.

“And I think we should start right now.”

His lips closed over hers, drowning out her murmur of agreement.

 

Epilogue

 

As the baptismal water dripped onto Star's head, she reacted with a startled squall, one that echoed through the silence of the tiny chapel. Standing by Allie's side, Roberta looked up and caught Cody's eye. He smiled.

A lump rose in Roberta's throat. Without warning, her eyes filled with tears. How she loved him. She could hardly believe the events that had unfolded during the last few weeks. Or that the two of them were standing here now, godparents to two-month-old Star.

Blinking back the tears, she returned her attention to the christening ceremony. The priest dried the little girl's head, then anointed her with oil. Soothed by his action, as well as her mother's rocking, Star stopped crying. Erik's stern face cracked into a smile; no one could miss the look of pride and love that passed between him and Allie.

The ceremony ended, and the couple's friends and family members gathered around them. Allie's nephews, seven-year-old twins Jason and Randy, stood on tiptoe to see the baby, while the chapel filled with laughter and happy chatter.

Cody nodded to Roberta and they headed to the exit. In a half hour or so they'd be joining Allie and Erik at a small reception to celebrate Star's christening.

Outside on the steps of the church, Roberta blinked. The sun beat down through the hazy late August sky, bright and warm compared to the dim, cool interior of the chapel.

She glanced down at her hand. In the sunshine, the striking sapphire, surrounded by a cluster of tiny diamonds, shone as bright and true as her love for Cody.

Who would have believed even two short months ago that she would be engaged to the most wonderful man in the world? Or that she would have a new, part-time job with SSAU, investigating likely alien abductions and UFO sightings, and counseling abductees to help them understand what, if anything, had happened to them.

Even better, after she'd finally convinced Erik and Allie that their secret was safe with her, Erik had agreed to tell her everything he knew about his native planet and galaxy, and the scientific processes that allowed them to travel through the universe. So far the interviews had been spell-binding. She wasn't sure how she could use the information yet, but she'd started focusing on long ago disappearances, including the kidnap of Erik's grandmother. Perhaps, with time and work, she would be able to use the long-ago abduction cases as a way to broaden the question of alien visits to Earth. Cody had helped her put together a solid outline for a book, one she felt certain would have broad appeal both inside and outside the field of ufology.

The familiar excitement bubbled up inside. She had so much to be thankful for. Thankful that alien intervention had ultimately brought her two wonderful gifts: true love and acceptance of herself.

“What are you smiling about? You look like the cat who swallowed the canary.” Cody's warm hand closed over hers and he tugged her down the stairs. At the bottom he reached for her other hand and pulled her around to face him. “Spill it.”

His white teeth gleamed against his olive complexion, and the corners of his black eyes crinkled in the way she loved. She smiled again.

“Godparents—it's just hard to believe we're Star's godparents. I'm a godmother. You're a godfather.” She tilted her head. “How do you like the sound of that?”

“Not bad. But there are other names I like better.” His eyes twinkled.

“Yes? What?”

“Oh, you know. Friend.” He squeezed her hands. “Lover.” He raised her ring-clad hand to his lips and kissed it. “Husband.”

Her throat tightened. This time she couldn't control the tears pooling in her eyes.

She swallowed and tried to make light. “Um, uh, there's just one thing that bothers me.”

“Hmm?” Cody pulled her closer.

“Remember how Erik said the Zurans used subliminal mesages to change you? To make you loyal and tidy?”

Erik's brow furrowed. “Yes?”

“Well, I was just wondering, maybe they could take you back. Send a few more messages.”
 

He frowned. “For what?
 

“Oh, I don't know. Maybe change your taste in cars, your yen for milk and cookies,” she teased. “Make you my love slave forever.”

They rounded the corner of the church. Without warning Cody pressed her against the wall and kissed her until she was breathless.

Forehead pressed against hers, he whispered, “What, this isn't enough for you?”

His expression grew serious. “Because I'm telling you, I don't need any subliminal messages to tell me what's important. I may have been careless before, with things and with people. But never stupid.”

He drew back slightly, his black eyes burning. “No matter what, I would have recognized the best thing that ever happened to me. And that's you.”

He paused. “I hope you know that.”

Roberta's heart thundered in her chest. “I do. Oh, Cody, I do.”

 

– THE END –

Norah-Jean Perkin is a former newspaper reporter and magazine editor. She lives in southern Ontario.

 

 

Crazy in Chicago
is also available

in print from The Fiction Works,

as is its prequel,
Blue Dawn