“Honey, that was such a good meal. You cooked. I’ll clean up and join you in the living room as soon as I’ve finished.”

“Are you sure?” Melissa asked. “I could help—”

“I’m sure. Scat,” Sully said.

“I’m scatting,” she said, and took herself out of the room as Sully went to work.

Melissa sat down in the living room, kicked off her shoes and curled her feet up beneath her, and wondered what kind of damage this thunderstorm would leave behind.

It was almost 8:00 p.m. as she turned on the television and found a program to watch, then glanced up at the painting they’d hung earlier. The Madonna-and-child feel of it tugged at her heart. Elliot Graham’s skill as an artist was evident in this portrait, but it was his skill as a psychic that floored her. She’d heard rumors about him, but never really believed them until now. This painting had changed her whole perception of his abilities. He was something special.

Then Sully walked up behind the sofa where she was sitting, kissed the back of her neck, then whispered in her ear.

“Hey, good looking, are you saving the seat beside you for anyone?”

“You know it’s for you,” she said, and patted the cushions.

When he climbed over the back and slid down into the seat beside her, she laughed.

“Shades of Johnny Raines. What made you pull that move out of your hat?” she said.

He grinned. “I didn’t think you would remember.”

Melissa shook her head. “I remember my mother nearly had a stroke when you did that at our house.”

He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

“She got over it, though, before I left,” Sully said.

Melissa sighed. “She liked you, that’s why. I wish she was still alive to see this…to see us. She would love it.”

“Do you ever think about what might have happened between us if you hadn’t moved?” Sully asked.

“I think we would have had babies. Now I’m too old.”

“The world is full of babies,” Sully said. “Before I came here, there was only one me and one you. Now there’s us. I can’t ask for anything more.”

Melissa turned in his arms, crawled into his lap, and started kissing him. One thing led to another, and by the time the clock struck the hour again, they were in the floor, making love behind the sofa.

Hours later, and long after the thunderstorm had moved out of the area, they were upstairs in bed, wrapped in each other’s arms. The house was at peace.

Then Sully woke abruptly, thinking he’d heard the sound of alarms and sirens. He glanced quickly at Melissa. She was still asleep, but something didn’t feel right. He reached for her, pulling her close into his arms, waiting for the thunder of his heartbeat to calm, until he finally felt safe enough to close his eyes.

* * *

He woke again to the sound of sirens, but it was daylight, and they were still screaming even as he was getting up to look out the window. He couldn’t see any sign of smoke in that direction and guessed it might be ambulance sirens instead.