Finding Carrie (15 page)

“I’m happy,” she whispered into his mouth. She leaned her head on his chin, waiting for her emotions to settle down.

“And I’m happy with you,” he whispered on her forehead. She smiled and looked up at him. They danced to the rest of the song. When the song was done, she looked up at him and searched his eyes.

“It is a beautiful song, but I don’t understand. How do you catch the deluge in a paper cup?” she asked. Isaac burst out laughing, and Carrie looked down, ashamed.

“Oh, I’m sorry, it’s just that you always say that when we dance to this song,” he said. She raised her head and tilted it. She grinned.

“I do?” she asked.

“Yes, you do. It is our song. We danced to it at our wedding,” Isaac said.

“It is? I can see why,” she said. The waitress came with the food, and Isaac took her back to the table.

They had a wonderful time, as always, with their friends. Carrie even laughed. She was relaxed with these people that to her she just met.

They got home after a few hours. “Anyone want to have movie night?” Isaac suggested. The girls started jumping, and Carrie turned around to smile at him.

“Yes,” the girls said at the same time.

“Can we watch the chocolate factory one?” Sabrina asked.

“Yeah, can we, Isaac?” Sierra asked.

“What do you think?” Isaac asked Carrie.

“Well, I don’t know what that is, but that sounds okay,” Carrie said, looking up to Isaac’s face.

“Okay, go get ready for bed, and I’ll make popcorn,” Isaac said.

“Yay popcorn,” Sabrina said, running to her bedroom.

“I love popcorn,” Sierra said, following her sister.

“Okay, then
you
go get ready too,” he said to Carrie. She looked at him with one eye half closed as she walked by. Isaac grabbed her hand and swung her into his arms. He leaned down to kiss her, a mere brushing of the lips. “I love you so much; I’m glad you are getting comfortable with me.”

“I was never afraid of you, Isaac…just afraid of myself,” she said, her hand stroking down his cheek. “I’m not sure what the feelings I have for you are, but I can tell you that I don’t want you to leave, and I will never leave you. I just hope that someday I will know or remember what we have between us. If I don’t remember anything about my life, I hope you are willing to make more memories that I can remember,” she said, her hand resting on his shoulder.

“Of course I am willing. I would do anything for you. You’re there, your true self, your emotions, and what you’re feeling, that is you. You just can’t remember our life or your life. I’m not going anywhere. Just as long as the world keeps turning, I’ll be here,” he said, taking the pins out of her hair and running his fingers through it.

“Well, good. I can’t imagine life without you. It’s only been a few days, but I have grown attached to you,” Carrie said.

“Good. I have always been attached to you. Now go change,” Isaac said, releasing her from his hold. She went toward the bedroom. She turned around to find him watching her, her hand up on the door fame. With her head half turned, she smiled at him. The smile was full of love. She may not know what their feelings were before, but she loved him. She loved him like no other, and that made Isaac happy. He smiled back at her, and she disappeared down the hall.

They watched the movie, and the girls fell asleep on the floor. Carrie fell asleep on the couch; her feet somehow made their way on to Isaac’s lap. He stretched and yawned. At first he was just going to leave them the way they were, but he thought again and decided to put them in their beds. He pulled Carrie’s feet off his lap and went to the girls’ room to turn down their beds. Then he went out to pick up Sabrina off the floor. She was heavy, but he managed to get her up and into her bed. He kissed her on her forehead and covered her up with the blanket. Then he went out to get Sierra and repeated the kiss on her forehead and covered her up as well.

He headed out to get Carrie. He pushed back her hair before picking her up. He picked her up and took her to the bedroom. He had already turned down her bed, so he placed her on the bed and kissed her. She stirred, turning on her side that didn’t have the bruise on it. She was facing inward on the bed. He covered her up with the blanket and walked around to his side of the bed. He stood there for a moment. She was comfortable with him, but would she want him to lay with her on the bed. He shrugged and went to grab the pillow so he could sleep on the couch. To his surprise, she grabbed his hand before he lifted up the pillow. She had lifted her head up off the pillow and looked up at him. Her hair was cascading like a veil down her back.

“Lie with me,” she said, still holding his hand.

“Are you sure?” he asked. She nodded her head and released his hand.

“Yes, I want you to lie with me, please,” she said.

“Okay,” he said as he slipped beneath the covers. He rolled over onto his side so he was facing her. She raised her hand and traced her finger down his jaw line.

“Hold me,” she whispered. He moved close to her and placed his arm around her. She winced from the weight of his arm on her bruise.

“I’m sorry,” he said. He lifted his arm off her.

“No, its okay,” she said, snuggling closer to him. She placed her arm straight down her body. “Hold me,” she whispered again. He placed his arm around her again, but with her arm shielding her side. This time his weight wasn’t a problem, and she nuzzled her face against his neck. He laid his chin on her head. He smiled but didn’t say anything. He closed his eyes, and savored the moment she was giving him, the closeness that he missed so much. He drifted off to sleep, only to dream of her.

Chapter 15

I
saac woke abruptly to a bang from the kitchen and a small scream of agony. He sat straight up and looked around. Carrie wasn’t there. He slipped his feet off the bed and walked down the hall with caution. He stopped just outside the bathroom door. He could smell shampoo, and there were clothes all over the floor. He started to walk again and noticed a white cloud coming from the kitchen. He stopped at the door and saw Carrie standing there with her back turned. She was holding her left hand to her chest and she was looking up to the ceiling. She was moaning softly to herself. She was already dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. She had her hair up in a high ponytail. Isaac cleared his throat and called out to her.

“Carrie.” She turned to look at him over her shoulder. She had tears running down her face, and her hand was all red as she held it. “What’s wrong?” She turned her whole body to face him straight on and took two steps toward him. She started to sob heavier.

“I wanted to surprise you and make breakfast, but I don’t remember how to do it. And not only do I have an arm that I can’t lift very high, but I burnt my hand,” she said, holding her hand up for him for to look at it, all the while trying to stop crying. He started to laugh, but when he saw the look on her face; he stopped and bit down on his lower lip. “You’re laughing at me?” she asked as new tears streamed down her face again.

“No. No, I’m not laughing. Well, maybe I was, but it is just the fact that you’re clumsy and that is nothing new. You’re always hurting yourself. It is one of those things that I love about you,” he said, trying to smooth things over all the while looking at her hand. It was burnt, but nothing too severe. She had done worse to herself, like the cut on her hand from their wedding day. “You hand is going to be fine. We will just put some cream on it. How did you burn yourself?” As he asked the question, he saw the pan laying on the floor and the puddle of steamy water.

“I was boiling water, and I realized that I didn’t need the water, so I went to pour it out, and the weight of the pan was too much for my side. It slipped out of my hand, hit the counter, and the splash of the water hit my hand. I was really trying to surprise you, but in truth, I don’t know what I’m doing. I thought about making pancakes like the box showed. Isaac, I don’t know what I’m doing,” she said as he led her to the table to sit down as he put cream on her burn. It stung a little, but the cream took some of that away.

“You did surprise me. You took your own shower and got yourself dressed. I can fix breakfast,” he said. He tucked a fallen hair behind her ear and traced her jaw line with his thumb. “How did you get yourself dressed without waking me?” He took a wet towel and cleaned off her tears then crouched down beside her with his hand on her knee.

“It wasn’t easy. I did scream out a little bit, but I put a towel in my mouth, so I wouldn’t wake anyone,” she said. He looked at her with his face worried.

“Please don’t put yourself into so much pain. I will help you. That is what I’m here for, remember,” he said and smiled. She smiled back at him when she realized he made a joke.

“No, I don’t remember,” she said, turning her head to the side. She looked down at him. He laughed again and so did she. He stood back up and went to clean up the mess.

“Well, I am,” he said, walking over to the broom closet. “Why don’t you go wake the girls, and I’ll clean things up,” he said, getting the broom from the cupboard. “And I’ll make breakfast.”

“Okay,” she said as she left the kitchen. Then she came back in. “Oh, Isaac,” she said and waited for him to look up at her. “What are we doing today? I heard you say something to Amy last night about picking me up at the theater?” she asked, standing in the doorway.

“Yes, I did,” he said, walking over to her with the broom in his hand. “Tonight is the opening night for the animal show. I’m taking you to the premiere luncheon. She is going to pick you up and take you dress shopping. You had it planned for weeks that you wanted to buy a new dress for tonight, so we are just going to keep the plan,” he said. She looked down and put her fingers on her lip where she had one of her cuts.

“I can’t go. I have bruises and cuts on my face. I don’t want anyone staring at me,” she said.

“I know,” he said, pulling her hand away from her face. “Everyone at the theater knows what happened, and Amy is going to do your makeup tonight. No one will ever know what happened unless you want them to. Please? For me? I really want you there,” he explained.

“All right, I’ll go,” she said, raising her chin. “For you I will.” He placed his hands around her face. He knew how hard this was going to be for her. It was one thing with a small group of people like their friends, but with a cast and crew of almost two hundred, that was frightening for her. And she didn’t know any of them. It amazed him that she would go. He leaned down and kissed her, a mere brush of the lips, but it took her breath away how appreciating he was. It was a partnership that they had. He had been taking such good care of her. She owed him this.

“Thank you,” he said as he lifted his head. She nodded. He released her face, and she went to her daughters’ bedroom to wake them up.

Sitting at the large table in the foyer of the theater, she was aware that all eyes were on her. Isaac told her that she knew everyone here, but she didn’t recognize anyone, so she sat there listening to everyone and held on to Isaac’s arm. He was her anchor at that moment. She was well aware of how her face looked, even under all the makeup she used to cover up the black and blue marks, but the cuts were still noticeable. She was trying to hide her face behind Isaac’s shoulder. He looked down at her face. His face was full of love for her. “There is no need to hide. Everyone here knows what happened, and they all love you. They are all just concerned for you,” Isaac said.

“They are all staring at me like I’m a….” She trailed off.

“Like you’re a work of art,” he finished her statement. She looked at him with the corner of her eye and half smiled.

“I was thinking more along the lines of a vampire,” she said, turning her whole face to him and leaning her head down on her hand that was propped up on the table. He looked around the room and back at her with worry on his face.

“Are you going to take my blood?” he asked. Then his face relaxed into a smile and he leaned toward her, exposing his throat. “Because if you are, I would let you,” he said. She leaned down and bit his neck, just a little nip. She pushed him in the side, and they both laughed.

“You are so funny,” she said then leaned in to whisper, “but really, they are looking at me like I’m a monster. I don’t even know anyone.”

“Well, they all know you,” he said, looking around to tell her someone’s name. “That is Maggie. She is the costume manager,” Isaac said, looking for someone else to name. “Um, that is the director. His name is Pete,” he said. “I guess there are too many people to name.”