As they sat around the dinner table that night enjoying a substantial and tasty meal, all laughing and joking and chatting happily, Logan was finally able to relax. The tenseness he had felt for the last several weeks was finally gone.

When he had begun his trip from Yukon back to New York he had been plagued by doubt over whether Marie would still feel the same way for him, of course they had talked frequently, and she had been open and honest about missing him but that little niggling doubt about her age, the possibility that she may suddenly realise just how much better she might have it with a boy her own age, now that she had had a chance to get to know some, had been there all the same. On his return his worries had been added to as he had briefly considered the possibility that she may only be sticking with him because of the predicament she found herself in now, being pregnant by him, but she had done her best to squarely nip that in the bud.

Now his final worry, how to successfully integrate what little he had of a past, with what was soon to be his future, appeared to be a success. Marie was happy and content, and Helen and Peter were enamoured with her. As the tables other occupants chatted about babies, and birthing options, regular visits, and lots of photos, Logan found an odd feeling settle over him as he watched the scene as if he was an outsider. After a moment he excused himself from the table, and wandered out to the front porch. Taking a seat on the steps, he watched the sky change colour through the sunset, as he tried to sort through what exactly he was feeling.

--

Marie watched Logan leave the table, a quiet murmur that he needed some air was all he said, as he softly placed a kiss on top of her head and left the room. Helen called out for him not to be too long, reminding him she still had dessert to serve and it was his favourite, before the conversation resumed. She couldn't help but worry, she had never seen that look on Logan's face before, and it wasn't like him to just walk out without warning but Helen kept her distracted for a time.

Babies interrupted her next, roughly demanding a change of position, and Peter suggested she might be more comfortable in the living room. He and Helen shooed her into the other room as they quickly cleared the table, and Marie wandered around the room until she felt comfortable enough to sit again. She found her attention drawn to a collection of family photos on one wall, and took in the photos of the couple, when they were younger, photos of their two children, Sarah and her younger brother Andrew, as they grew up. Her attention was particularly drawn to a photo of Sarah and Logan, among a collection of others.

Peter came into the room a few minutes later and joined Marie, smiling at the memories the photo's brought forth.

"They look so happy," Marie said after a while, smiling sadly at the thought of what Logan must be feeling being surrounded by so many memories of the dead woman.

"They were," Peter replied, "Very happy, I will never be able to express my gratitude enough to Logan for how happy he made Sarah, even at the end, everything he did, he did for her. But that was a different life, Sarah has moved on, now, finally, so has Logan, and I know the two of you will make each other just as happy, even more so perhaps," he suggested, as he moved to his old armchair in the corner by the fire and made himself comfortable.

--

Logan had only been gone for about thirty minutes when he heard the door gently open and close behind him, he smiled to himself as he picked up Helen approaching him.

"Give me a hand there young man," she announced herself, as she moved to sit down beside him. "These old joints aren’t as flexible as they once were," she added, as Logan helped her settle herself on the step beside him.

They sat in companionable silence for a few moments before Logan said softly, "It's okay to let her go, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes Logan it is, you were never under any obligation to hold onto her, she would want you to be happy, and from what I've seen today, Marie makes you so very happy, and you make her happy also, wherever Sarah is she is happy for you, as am I," Helen told him, tears shimmering in her eyes as she smiled up into the clear dark sky as the first stars began to twinkle.

Logan sighed as he felt the last ripple of guilt ebb away. When he had thought about Sarah without the usual stab of grief but instead with a remembered fondness he had thought it cruel and heartless of him, like he had replaced her, but try as he might he couldn't make the familiar pain of grief come back, at the same time he didn't want it back. Sarah was gone, she was never coming back. Marie was here, she was now, her and the boys were the future.

He smiled to himself before turning to Helen. "So, you approve of Marie then?" he asked, keen to hear her honest opinion, Helen had never been a woman to hold back the truth, harsh as it may be at times.

"I whole heartedly approve," she confirmed, "She's young but she’s got a good head on her shoulders, she'll make a fine wife, whenever you finally get around to that part, and an amazing mother, and you, will make a wonderful father," she added.

Logan chuckled at the thought of him being any good as a father, hell he was going to do his best but he had a feeling Marie, and her sweetness and light, were going to have to be compensating overtime for his bad attitude and bad habits if the kids were going to have a decent chance.

The front door opened again a little while later, Logan picking up Marie by her scent, Helen knowing who it was by pure feminine intuition. "Well, I'll leave you to it, dessert will be served in fifteen minutes and not a minute later," Helen said, as Logan helped her to her feet. She smiled warmly at him, and hugged Marie on her way inside, before Logan pulled Marie down to sit on the steps between his legs, her back resting against his front.

"You doing okay?" she asked, after a few minutes of quiet, loathe to break the silence.

"I am," Logan replied, as he rested his chin on her head. "A part of me felt guilty, like I was replacing Sarah, but when Helen and Peter... I didn't realise how much I needed that, how much I needed them to accept you, my future, I haven't replaced Sarah, I've just moved on, and there's nothing wrong with that. I love you Marie, you'll always have a place in my heart, and I hope in my arms too, for a long, long time," Logan commented, drawing a smile from both of them.

"I'll be here for as long as I can possibly be," Marie replied. "It's warm here, and you're comfy," she added, as she felt Logan begin to relax around her. He chuckled as he hugged her tight and they sat for a time just holding each other, until they heard Helen summoning her guests for more food.

--

Over the next few days Logan and Marie explored the quiet town, visited local sights, spent a day at the beach, and enjoyed good food and even better company. Andy, Helen and Peter's son, stopped by for dinner one night, and Marie was surprised by the warmth of affection he greeted Logan with. He had later admitted that Logan had been the best 'big brother' a teenage boy could have asked for, though he wouldn’t elaborate on just why that was with his parents in the room. Logan just glared at him with a cocked browed, though his smothered grin belied his own amusement at whatever mischief had been referred to.

On the Friday morning, Helen made a huge breakfast to see them off, and presented them with a picnic basket full of snacks for the trip. She had acquired Marie's cell phone number and they each promised to keep in touch, Helen had been a great help with advice about the impending new arrivals, and the older couple promised to come and visit whenever they were in New York. They had crowned themselves honorary grandparents, and insisted that if they couldn't make the birth they would be down as soon as they could manage to meet, and spoil the boys.

By the time they got back to the mansion late on Friday night Marie was asleep, so Logan carried her upstairs to their new suite, settling her into bed before he went back to retrieve their bags. Marie stirred when he came back to the room, and reached for him as he shrugged off his jacket. He kicked off his boots as he shed his shirt, and kicked off his jeans to join Marie in bed. She had obviously woken while he was gone as she had stripped off completely, and he fell asleep with an armful of contented naked woman.
You must login (register) to review.