Chapter 18

For their first night together of this week long adventure, Sarah is wearing her pink pajamas with the long sleeve shirt. As they are discussing her homework and brushing her hair, Christopher starts to understand that it is not going to be so easy to leave all of this behind. In fact he is not sure he wants to.

Later that evening, as Sarah is once again lying on her tummy in front of the fire, at first taking notes for their book and then adding them to the book on her computer, Christopher is watching her as she glows so prettily.

Sarah looks over and notices him looking at her. He is always looking at her, but this time he has an almost sad look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Come here, babygirl," he says, patting his lap.

She comes over and sits on his left leg, but he moves her over to the right leg so she can lean against the armrest of the couch. "We need to talk about something."

"Okay," she says, looking a little unsure.

"When I first bought this house I didn't know about you, and originally I bought this house as an investment and I was going to live here a year, fix it up and sell it, and then move back to Hollywood."

Sarah's eyes fill with tears. "And now?" she says, sniffling.

"And now I don't want to leave."

"Really?"

Christopher's eyes fill with tears also. "Really!"

Sarah props herself up on her knees as she straddles him, and Christopher puts his left arm around her back with his hand on her left waist. With his right hands he strokes her hair. When he leans back Sarah just collapses into him. They are cuddling there for many minutes, and then all of a sudden Christopher takes her in a tight embrace and hugs the stuffing out of her. "I love you very much, Sarah."

She nods her head into his neck and says, "I love you too." The harder they grasp onto each other, the more torments that are laid aside.

As they wipe the tears away from each other's cheeks, Christopher puts both of his hands on her waist and clarifies, "I will have to go back to Hollywood to work on the movie, but I will come back as soon as it is done."

"How long will that be?"

"I don't know, sweetheart. I've never worked on a movie before."

"Oh yeah. Maybe I could come with you."

"Maybe, if it's summer break. Maybe both you and Nan can come out, and I can take you around Hollywood and California. Take you out to the Pacific Ocean."

"I've never seen an ocean."

"You've never been to the Atlantic Ocean? It can't be more than fifty or sixty miles from here."

"Until I came to live with Nana, my parents and I lived in southern Ohio."

"Oh, I see. Well, it looks like we are going to have to take a trip to the ocean as soon as it warms up a little more. Maybe during summer break."

"That sounds fun." She has her arms clasped behind his neck as he is still holding her by her waist. She kisses him and says, "Christopher," then she kisses him again. "Do you," she kisses him again, "Think we," again she kisses him, "Can work on," she kisses him three more times, "Our novel." she finishes, giving him the biggest kiss yet.

"Keep spoiling me like that and you can have anything your beautiful little heart desires." She giggles.

Then he moves forward, and all in the same motion of giving her a kiss he stands up taking her with him. He walks them over to her computer and sets her down. She lies down on her tummy in front of the fireplace and he lies down cuddling up beside her. Again Sarah is in her pink long sleeve pajamas, and Christopher is in his brown and cream pajama bottoms and dark blue tee shirt. "I say you do the typing this time."

"Okay." she says, with a divine smile.

Christopher leans over and kisses her hair. "Where were we?"

"Christopher just wandered off into the woods and is lost."

"Hmm, okay, how about this. Let's say he comes up to a deep crevice in the ground and he can't find a way across. How about if we introduce a new character that is a beaver and we can call her ... What do you think?"

"Beavers cut down trees, so the beaver can cut down a tree across the crevice and that way Christopher can get across. What if we name him Chewy?"

"Chewy because beavers chew on trees. I love it! So write this down. As Christopher is standing before the daunting deep crevice ... Let me know when you get caught up."

"Just one second. Okay now."

He quickly repeats what they just wrote and continues. "Watching as the sun makes its final descent." He waits for her to type it out. "He begins to notice that it is going to be a chilly night. If only I can get to the other side so I can sleep in that cave over there." He waits for her to catch up on the typing and then she looks to him for more. "Your turn."

"Just then," she begins. "He hears someone coming his way whistling a tune of merriment. Hello, he says."

"Hi, says the beaver smiling with his big teeth."

"I wonder, mister beaver, if you could cut down a tree for me so I can get to the other side?" Christopher rolls over onto his right side as he watches this special girl shine marvelously.

"What would you give me if I did, mister cat?" the beaver asks.

"Christopher replies, please call me Christopher."

"And you may call me Chewy. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Yes it is! I will give you my favorite piece of gold."

"Gold, wonderful, I love gold."

"Here you go, says the cat called Christopher." The real Christopher is bursting with pride as Sarah's beautiful heart is only matched by her beautiful mind as her fingers type away.

"Thank you, says Chewy. Stand back. After a while the tree falls just right.

"As Christopher the cat is halfway across the crevice he turns around and says thank you, that was perrrfectly marvelous. Have a wonderful life."

Sarah turns to Christopher to see if he has anything to add, but he is so overwhelmed by her wonder that all he can do is smile with moist eyes. He pushes her hair out of her face as she is looking his way, and he finally manages to say, "Marvelous."

As Sarah continues the story, Christopher rubs her back and shoulders. An hour later, Sarah feels as if they have done enough for this night. After she saves their new additions, Sarah lays her head on her hands while looking at Christopher and sighs in pleasure at the touch of her best friend. Christopher tilts his head a little and says, "Want to watch another movie?"

Her eyes flutter open and with a divine smile, she nods her pretty little head. Sarah gets up and goes and lies on the back of the couch. First Christopher puts the movie in, throws a couple more logs on the fire, and then turns all the lights out.