Shaping a Future, Embracing the Past
The Trace Progressive jet was just as comfortable as it always was. Dan and Amber were snuggled together on the large, soft bed in the stateroom. They had opted to rest for most of the eight-hour flight to prepare for the transition from the Mediterranean to the high altitude of the Himalayas.
Dan stirred first. He tightened his hold around Amber for a moment before relaxing, as if he wanted to make sure it was really her beside him. He sighed and kissed her gently on the temple, whispering, "I've missed so much with you—with us. I am glad I am getting the chance to make memories with you now."
Amber let loose a languid sigh. "I am, too. Dan, I have loved you since the first day I saw you." She paused; the words, already difficult to say, caught behind a lump in her throat. "But I also knew you never truly loved me. As smart as everyone thinks I am, I still thought we would be together and you would eventually see value in me and fall in love. Instead, you resented me so much that you decided to love Jessica."
She raised her hand to calm him as he rose to protest. "Let me finish." She kissed him softly and smiled brilliantly—for a moment, he was dazzled and could not speak. "I actually don't begrudge you that. I saw how your parents pushed you into our marriage and then forced you to stay after Tiffany died."
She paused again. He squeezed her hand to show support and comfort her, even as his own heart twisted. "I should have released you from the start. I often wonder: if I had released you, would Tiffany still be here? All the stress I was under was not good for the pregnancy. I forced you into a marriage and then sacrificed our daughter to it. Which one of us is the bigger villain here?"
She stopped speaking, tears running down her face, as they both sat in contemplative silence. Dan recovered first.
"I have been a horrible husband. You have understood more about our marriage than I could have ever fathomed. The truth is, I was pushed into the marriage, but it was my decision to stay—you have seen me tell my parents 'no' before. I never gave you, or us, a chance, and that led to the downfall of our marriage. Even after Tiffany, when you showed me how strong you were, I rewarded you by staying, but I never actually engaged. I was never present in our marriage. I think we were both selfish, but I think I was the bigger villain."
He kissed the fingers of her right hand as they gazed into each other's eyes. "But it is time to change that and start a new arc."
He got up with a flourish and stood on the bed. Amber yelped in surprise then giggled as he stood with his hands up by his head as if he were flexing. "From now on, I am going to be Attentive Husband! I will never allow my wife to be sad, feel alone, or feel underappreciated. I am always ready with a surprise to show that I do not undervalue her or take her for granted. But most importantly, I will always be present in my marriage. Da-da-da-da-daaaaa! Attentive Husband!"
Amber fell into a fit of giggles. Dan came down on all fours on the bed and looked at her with feigned concern. "Too much?"
Amber smiled and put her hand on the side of his face. She looked seriously into his eyes. "No. Never. You are never too much." She sat back and looked reflective. "I was really hoping that you could leap over skyscrapers or deflect bullets, though. I mean…"
"Wow. I can never be good enough for you, can I?"
Dan dove on her and began to kiss her neck, her shoulders, and down her chest. She caught his face and brought him up to eye level with her. She looked deeply into his eyes. "You have always been exactly what I wanted."
They kissed and explored each other like it was the first time.
The pilot broke their reverie with an announcement that they would be landing in two hours. Dan kissed Amber's forehead. "Our alarm clock."
Amber pouted playfully. "You can't hit snooze?" She quickly smiled and jumped from his grip and out of bed. "Don't look so surprised. We both agreed to get a bit of work done on the flight." She stretched. "I will shower first—alone—and see to breakfast." She paused in thought and turned toward the bathroom. "Or lunch. I'm not sure of the time zones anymore."
Dan smiled and lay back down on the bed. His smile broadened as he thought about being with Amber. Her soft skin, her scent of cocoa butter and vanilla, and the soft hint of that French perfume she loved—he would need to order her another bottle. It always seemed to enhance her natural fragrance with notes of chocolate and citrus.
He reached for his phone to check his messages. Two from David—one saying Cristina said yes, and the second saying that the construction at the Villas at the Serene was ahead of schedule and could open two to three weeks early.
He nodded and sent replies. He didn't want the villas to open early; he was going to talk to Amber about adding something to them to raise them to another level of luxury.
He smiled again. Not only had he caught his wife, he had rediscovered her. No—he had finally discovered her. He had never truly understood who she was or what she was capable of.
In that moment, Dan William Trace finally understood love.