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Lil Italy (no login)
Posted May 16, 2003 9:20 PM
Belle arrived home around midnight. Once she, Chloe, and Brady started talking, it was hard to stop. Belle felt a lot better about her situation after talking to her brother and friend. And she knew exactly what she was going to tell Shawn when he returned home the next evening.
Belle went to bed only moments after entering her apartment. She snuggled into her warm sheets and dreamt of her wedding and the birth of her two children.
When she woke the next morning, Belle felt refreshed and ready to start the day. Work was long, as was expected, but Belle blazed through her meetings, memos, and she even found a few moments during her lunch hour to break out a new pad of drawing paper and a new pencil, and she began to draw.
“Ah, I see the conclusion of the spring line designing hasn’t made my number one designer slack off. You know, your making all the other designers look bad,” John said, as he entered his daughter’s office and noticed her hard at work at her sketchpad.
“Oh no Dad, I’m just drawing,” Belle said as she put away her sketchpad.
“Oh, well what are you drawing?” John asked.
“Whatever comes into my head,” Belle explained. “Brady gave me the idea. It’s supposed to help with my stress.”
“Did the doctor say that you were too stressed?” John asked, now concerned about his daughter. She had always been a diligent worker, and was always ready and willing to take on new or tedious tasks.
“He just said that I should find some way to relax a bit more than I do,” Belle said casually, playing off her doctor’s instructions. This close to her wedding and the birth of her children, Belle didn’t need one more person in her business.
“Oh, Sweetheart, when does Shawn get home?” John asked.
Belle had tried to keep her mind of Shawn and the anticipation that she had. “He is supposed to be getting in this evening,” Belle informed her father.
“Supposed to be?” John asked, questioning his daughter’s sarcastic tone.
“Well he was supposed to be home three days ago, but he wanted to spend some more time with his friends,” Belle explained.
“You don’t like his friends?” John asked.
“No Dad, they are all really nice guys, but I want to see him too.” Belle hadn’t informed her parents, as Shawn had not informed his of his impeding travel plans, following the young couples honeymoon. Belle wanted to speak with Shawn about it first.
John said his good-byes a few moments later; he wanted to surprise Marlena at work for lunch.
Soon after John left, Belle put down her sketchpad and turned her attention to her work. She was busy collecting the figures of all Basic Black’s different markets, including the figures from Paris, Rome, London, Milan, Madrid, New York, California, as well as the local market. It seemed as if Basic Black was doing great, the new line was well perceived in all locations. Belle was thrilled and couldn’t wait to share the news with John and Brady.
But in all her work and excitement Belle didn’t hear a knock at her door or Shawn softly calling to her, his presence in her doorway surprised her.
“Shawn? What are you doing here?” Belle asked happily, as she flew into his arms.
“I caught an earlier flight, I missed you too much,” Shawn said, showering Belle’s cheeks and lips with kisses. “Look at you!” Shawn said, stepping back and taking a look at his fiancé.
“I know, I’m enormous,” Belle blushed.
“Are you kidding? I have never seen you look this beautiful!” Shawn’s eyes kept scanning Belle’s body; she was full with child, which made Shawn smile. Her eyes glowed, her cheeks were a bright rose red, and her smile seemed never fading. Shawn wanted to memorize her like this forever. “Are you counting down yet?”
“To what?” Belle asked, confused by Shawn’s question.
“To our wedding! By my count it is about fourteen days until May 16, the day I get to see you in veil and gown.”
Shawn seemed much more serious than before he had left; something had changed while he was gone. Belle had spoken to him on the phone almost every night, and he hadn’t mentioned anything, but something had defiantly happened.
“Are you all done here?”
“Sure, I’m sure no one would mind if I left. I’ve been working some long hours this week,” Belle said, packing her briefcase.
Shawn glanced around Belle’s office, she had several new-framed photographs scattered about.
“Those are from the show I Paris, our photographer just had them developed,” Belle explained. She picked up one from her desk, and handed it to Shawn. It was of the two of them on the stage at the show, announcing their engagement to the world. They both looked so happy and in love, Shawn noticed that Belle had tears in her eyes and how gorgeous she looked; he had to say that he was marrying the most beautiful woman in the world.
Belle and Shawn left the office, Shawn had taken a taxi from the airport, and he still carried his baggage. He tossed into the back of Belle’s JEEP, and they headed home.
“Are you alright?” Belle asked as Shawn appeared quiet and withdrawn during the ride home.
“Yeah, I’m fine . . . just tired.”
Despite his denial, Belle still suspected that something was wrong, but decided not to push him. It was probably just stress; after all it was two weeks till the big day.
After all the planning that Belle had to endure, all the parties she had to clear her schedule for, and then the thoughts of her honeymoon and going into labor. One relaxed her; the other scared her to death. Belle desperately wanted to talk to Shawn about his going back into active duty, but his current behavior made her put off their little talk.
The car had a deafening silence, and it scared Belle. Over the course of his visit Shawn had returned to his old shy ways that reminded Belle of when he had first stepped back into her life.
Belle parked her car, and helped Shawn with his baggage up to the penthouse. Once they were inside Shawn dropped his bags, pulled out a small package, and handed it to Belle. “Here, this is from Jessica.”
Belle opened the brown wrapped package, wondering what Jessica had sent her. Belle had spoken to Jessica and the other wives on the phone every once in awhile, and they were all attending the wedding, Belle was looking forward to seeing all of them.
“Oh my goodness!” Belle exclaimed, as she pulled out two enfant size marine uniforms, complete with matching hats and pretend badges.
“Jessi said that she saw them in a store and couldn’t resist,” Shawn said, smiling for the first time since he had returned to Salem.
“They are so cute. Can you imagine that in a short while, we will have two beautiful babies to dress in these? Oh my god Shawn, I am terrified” Belle conveyed.
“Why are you scared, you will be a great mother, it’s me that should be terrified” Shawn confessed. He sat down on the couch, and instantly looked pale and worried.
“What’s the matter?” Belle asked, “You’ve been acting weird ever since you got home.” Belle sat down closely next to Shawn, and placed a hand of reassurance on his fist.
“I’m just worried,” Shawn said quietly. He got up abruptly, and went into the kitchen for a beer.
“What are you worried about?” Belle asked, trying not to be offended by Shawn’s obvious annoyance by her company.
“I’m worried about everything Belle!” Shawn’s voice boomed.
It frightened Belle. He looked awful, as if he hadn’t slept in days, and when Belle had hugged him earlier, she smelled what she thought was alcohol on his breath and clothes.
Shawn opened the beer bottle and took a long swig.
“Shawn, you need to talk to me. How can I figure out how to help you, if you wont talk to me,” Belle said, trying to calm him down.
“Maybe you can’t fix it. You can’t fix me! Belle this is how I am, I am not going to change once you slip that silver noose around my neck, the one you call a wedding band!” There was fire in his eyes, but dark circles beneath them.
“Shawn, I don’t want to fix you or change you. You are perfect to me, that's why I said yes when you asked me to marry you. That is why I am having your children. And that is why I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You!” Belle tried to explain her feelings, but Shawn seemed uninterested in what she had to say.
“What about our kids?” Shawn asked.
“What about them?” Belle was confused by where he was taking the conversation.
“Will I be good enough for them? A blue collar Marine, who never went to college, and makes probably half what their mother makes. Will I be good enough for them? Or will I always be the loser that john Black’s daughter married because she pitied him!”
Belle stared at him. She didn’t know where any of this was coming from, but she had to set him straight. “Shawn I don’t know what you are talking about! You are not a loser, you are an intelligent man, and it doesn’t matter whether or not you went to college, that doesn’t matter to me or my father, and it wont matter to our children. I love you Shawn, because you are the kindest, gentlest, smartest man that I know. You are the best person that I know, and I don’t care how much money you make! You do something much more important. You are a Marine. You risk your life for the safety of a billion others. You are courageous and brave, and that is why I love you. You are a hero in so many people’s eyes.” Belle’s eyes began to tear as she spoke of her fiancé’s importance. “Think about it. Who do your brother’s think of as one of their heroes? Who is their role model? You. And just like your brothers, that is how our children will see you, as their daddy, their big, strong, brave daddy. They won’t care about your salary, they will care about you.”
Shawn stared at Belle from across the room as she spoke to him. She had locked eyes with him, and made him understand what was really important to their children.
“And you would rather have a life with me, in a cozy house, rather than a life with a rich CEO like Phillip in a huge mansion with dozens of servants? Is that really what you want Belle?” Now Shawn had to find out what was most important to his soon to be wife.
Belle got up from the couch, and crossed the room to meet Shawn. She took his hands in her own, and locked eyes with him once more.
“Yes Shawn, that is what I want. I want you, and I want a life with you, no one else.”
Sorry for the delay |
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