Tristen poured himself a glass of red wine and stood by the window looking out over the city lights of Chicago. Suddenly there was a loud thunderclap and the lighting flashed. Tristen shivered and lit his fireplace. He stood by the window again and watched the rain come down in sheets. "Why?" Tristen whispered glancing at a picture of Briana. The day he had taken that picture had been a happy one. They had packed a picnic and went to Central Park. It had been a day of sunshine and laughter. But of course that was before their fight. Now he had come to Chicago over their spring break to get his mind off of her, but she was all he could think about. A candle slowly burnt out beside Briana’s picture.

The train’s horn rang as it pulled into the station. A dark haired girl stepped off the train and looked at this strange city she was in. The thunder clapped loud enough to shake the lights. And then after the lighting flashed the lights went out. A few people screamed, some walked on and little children clung to their mothers. Briana shivered and wished Tristen were there to hold her in his arms and tell her everything would be all right. But that was the reason she had come all the way from New York to Chicago. She wanted to be held in his strong arms again, when in his arms she felt totally safe. Briana had finally found out where he was after a week of searching and now ran into the cold pouring rain to find him.

The doorbell rang. Tristen looked away from the window wondering who it could be. On his way to the door he sat his glass of wine down. "Hel…" Tristen started opening the door. Briana collapsed into his arms. She was exhausted, wet, cold, and shivering. "Briana!" Tristen exclaimed. He carried her to the couch and laid her down.

"Tri…st…en," Briana said through chattering teeth.

"Shhh…" Tristen quieted her as he rapped her in a blanket and went to fix some hot tea. After an hour Briana was warm and happy. She was in Tristen’s arms; nothing could go wrong now. "I’m sorry I was yelling at Eric but he just made me so mad the way he was talking about you," Tristen said.

"No Tristen, I just took what little bit I heard and yelled. I didn’t wait to hear what the rest of what you were going to say was until a couple of days later. Then I realized you were going to say my mind. I’m so sorry. Tristen I came all this way to tell you something," Briana explained.

"And what would that be?" Tristen asked stroking her hair.

"I love you," Briana whispered with a smile. They gave in then to everything that had been building since the moment they met. She sank into him, feeling the warmth of his body, and he released her hand. Then, slowly wrapping both arms around her, he drew her against him and kissed her softly on the lips. After pulling back slightly to look at her, he gently kissed her again. She kissed him back, feeling his hand run up along her back and settle into her hair, burying his fingers in it.

They sat with their arms around each other, kissing on the couch as the lighting flashed for a long time, neither of them caring if anyone could see them. They had both waited too long for this moment, and when they finally pulled back, they stared at each other. Then, taking his hand again, Briana slowly led him back to the only room that had the door open.

It seemed like a dream as they moved down the hallway. She picked up two candles from the table as they passed and led him to the bedroom. She put the candles on his dresser, and he pulled matches from his drawer, lighting them as she walked to the windows and began to close the curtains. Tristen kissed her again immediately after closing the door, more passionately this time, and Briana felt her body tremble with anticipation.

Standing close again, she ran her hands over his chest, feeling the tight muscles beneath his shirt, giving in to her own sensuality. Looking in his eyes, she untucked his shirt and slowly began to pull it up over his torso. Raising his arms, she slipped it over his head and leaned into him, listening as it dropped to the floor. She kissed his chest, then his neck, shivering as his hands moved to the front of her blouse. Giving him room, she leaned back as he slowly worked his way downward, unbuttoning each button carefully.

When her blouse fell open, he slid his arms around her back and pulled her to him, feeling the heat of her skin against his. He kissed her neck and nibbled on her earlobe as his hands traced the outline of her spine. She parted her lips, feeling the tenderness of his touch. His fingers stopped at her bra, and he unfastened it with a twist, making her breath catch. Then, continuing to kiss her, he pulled the straps over her shoulders, freeing her breasts. He bent down and kissed them tenderly, one at a time, and she leaned her head back, feeling his heated breath and the moisture from his mouth wherever it touched her.

She was short of breath as she reached for the snap on his jeans. Meeting his eyes again, she unsnapped them, then slowly slid the zipper down. Still watching him, she ran her finger across his waist, skimming her nail softly against his navel before tugging on the waist of his pants. They loosened slightly and he stepped back for a moment, removing them. Then, stepping in to kiss her again, he lifted her in his arms and gently carried her across the room, putting her on the bed.

Lying beside him, she ran her hands over his chest again, now damp with perspiration, and felt his hands gently move on to her jeans. He unsnapped them, and lifting her bottom slightly, she took them off, one leg at a time, while his hands continued to explore her body. She caressed his back and bit softly on his neck, listening as his breathing quickened. He began to take off his boxer shorts while she slipped off her own panties, and when they were finally naked, their bodies pressed together.

She was beautiful in the candlelight. He ran his tongue between her breasts, down her belly, and past her navel and up again. Her hair caught the light, making it sparkle and her skin was soft and inviting as they clung to each other. He felt her hands on his back, pulling him closer.

Instead he continued to kiss her body, not rushing the moment. He put the side of his face to her belly and rubbed gently. The stubble on his chin felt erotic against her skin, and she lay back on the bed, her hands in his hair. He went on until she couldn’t take it anymore, then he moved up and did the same thing to her breasts.

She pulled him back to her, arching her back as he slowly moved atop her. He kissed her fingertips one at a time, and as they finally joined as one, she closed her eyes with a sigh. Kissing softly, they made love with a passion kept stifled for the last few months since they met.

Their bodies moved as one, each of them fully aware of the other’s needs, each trying to please the other. Tristen kissed her almost continually, the moistness of his mouth lingering wherever it touched, and she felt her body began to tingle with the growing urgency of something wonderful. When it finally happened, she pressed her fingers hard into his back, but the moment it ended another one started to build again and she began to climax in log sequences, one right after the next. When they finished making love, Briana was exhausted, and she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. She relaxed by his side, his hands still gently tracing her skin, and she watched as the candles slowly burned toward their base, reliving the moment they had just shared together.

They lay together for most of the night, making love again and again, holding each other tightly afterward. Briana fell asleep in his arms, feeling wonderful, and Tristen watched as she slept beside him. Just before he fell asleep, he gently brushed her hair from her face, trying hard to remember everything. The next morning Tristen woke up and didn’t want to open his eyes. "Oh please! If God does exist let last night be for real!" He thought and then slowly opened his eyes. God did love him! Briana was beside him still asleep. A small ray of sunlight slipped through the curtains above the bed and fell on her face making her look angelic. Slowly she stirred and opened her eyes under his watchful gaze.

"What a wonderful way to wake up," She smiled.

"I agree, last night was wonderful," Tristen replied. Briana hummed and closed her eyes again a smile on her lips. It was about noon when they finally got up and went into another room of the apartment. After that night they spent the rest of the week together. They went to the park, out to eat and spent each night in the other’s arms. Tristen and Briana both hated that they had to go back to school but they went. They lived in her mother’s house and decided to get married a month after graduating. Tristen got a part time job and went to college to become an editor/publisher while Briana stayed home taking her classes over the Internet and writing for a popular newspaper advice column out of New York. Their marriage was a happy one for the first ten years or so but slowly Briana realized that they were drifting apart. Tristen was constantly at work or going out of town, he never had time to do those special things she loved most. He was still the same guy she’d fallen in love with when they were alone but lately she left as if he was hiding something from her. Briana glanced at the calendar on the wall and saw that the next day was Valentine’s Day. She was happy that Tristen had the day off and that they could spend the whole day together. But her plans of staying in bed all day and a romantic dinner that night were soon cancelled when Tristen walked in, went into their bedroom and came back out a few minutes later with his overnight bag in hand.

"Tristen? Where are you going?" Briana questioned standing.

"I’m leaving tonight to meet with a possibly new client. If I can convince him to publish his book through us we can get a new apartment who knows maybe even a house. Bye love I’ll be back late tomorrow night," Tristen explained and kissed her. He was just about to walk out the door when Briana spoke up.

"You forgot didn’t you?" She whispered keeping her eyes to the floor so he wouldn’t see her tears.

"Hmmm? Forgot what?" Tristen asked surprised.

"Our plans for tomorrow. It’s Valentine’s Day, you were taking off and we were going to spend the whole day together then go out for a romantic dinner tomorrow night," Briana replied still not looking at him. Tristen thought for a moment and then sighed.

"Briana I’m sorry I did forget but when I sign this client and get my raise I promise to take you somewhere really special. Briana…that’s a promise. I love you and I’ll see you tomorrow night," Tristen said and then he was gone. Briana sat on the couch heavily hers tears falling, she couldn’t hold them in any longer.

"I don’t care about your stupid raise, a new apartment or house…I just wanted you here with me," Briana thought. She fell asleep crying and when she woke up it was past midnight, it was Valentine’s Day. Picking up the home she dialed Tristen’s hotel which he had left for her and asked for his room.

"Hello?" A woman’s voice asked. Briana was to shocked to speak. "Hello?" Again the woman’s voice asked. When Briana didn’t say anything still the woman hung up and slowly so did Briana letting this all sink in.

"No…no God please no…" She begged silently, she recognized the woman’s voice it was Tonya Tristen’s secretary. Tristen came in the next night to find Briana sitting on the couch in the dark. "Hey my lady. Why are you sitting in the dark? Were you asleep?" Tristen asked sitting his bag down.

"When were you going to tell me?" Briana questioned coldly.

"What? What are you talking about?" Tristen asked confused. Briana sighed and dropped her head.

"I called your hotel room last night. I heard her," Briana whispered looking at him with teary eyes.

"What? You called? You don’t understand, it was just Tonya. She came over to revise the contract signing," Tristen told her.

"Since when do you need help signing a client? You didn’t even tell me she was going!" Briana said standing.

"I’m sorry, it was a last minute thing. Nothing happened! I promise!" Tristen assured her.

"I can’t stay here…not with you!" Briana yelled and ran out of the apartment crying.

"Wait! Briana!" Tristen screamed after her. She disappeared down the hall and Tristen didn’t run after her. He slammed the door and pounded his fist on the bar. "Damnit," Tristen muttered under his breath. He threw open the door and ran after Briana. The snow on the ground made it slippery but Tristen knew he had to find her. "This is just like my dream…" Tristen whispered as a light snow fell. He had to find her, explain everything. As he rounded a corner Tristen saw her. Briana was trying to catch their elderly neighbor’s cat, Seasons. The cat ran from Briana into the middle of the road. Briana walked after her and picked her up. Finally everything would be all right. Tristen would apologize and Briana would forgive him. Then they would go back to the apartment and really make up. But then the flash of headlights caught his attention. A speeding car was heading right for Briana. He had woken up right after that. Blinking Tristen saw the corner and he ran around it to see Briana and the car. "No! Briana!" Tristen screamed. Briana glanced at him and then saw the car. She screamed and dropped Seasons who ran. Tristen broke out in a run and knocked her out of the way.

"Tristen!" Briana yelled. But he was frozen in his spot then the car hit and his world went black.

Briana stood by Tristen’s hospital bed holding his hand. "Tristen you can’t leave me, not like this. Why did you push me out of the way?" She asked tears running down her cheeks. Tristen didn’t reply, the doctor had said he was in a coma and would probably never wake up but Briana prayed. Oh with all her heart she prayed even with what he had done. "Tristen you can’t leave me. Not now… Tristen not now when I’m 6 weeks pregnant with our baby. Our baby Tristen," Briana pleaded. She clasped his hand harder then and the heart monitor rang out with his last beat.