A Love Beyond Compare by Sandra Bondelier

A Love Beyond Compare ch 19
Written by Sandra H. Bondelier

The mid afternoon sun shone down upon the trees surrounding the small mountain lake, casting soft hazy shadows over the water, and the sunlight reflecting off the tops of the small waves sparkled like diamonds. It was as peaceful a setting as Marlena ever remembered, and her heart was filled with mirth, just to be alive and looking toward the water's edge, to gaze upon the man she loved and their beautiful set of blond haired, blue eyed twins.

Roman was teaching Sami and Eric to fish, leaning down to help Eric bait his hook, giving gentle instruction in the ways of setting the hook and reeling in the catch. She watched him bend down slightly, ensuring he was making good eye contact with his small son and daughter. In that simple gesture, she saw so much of who he had become in the years she was gone from their lives. It was the essence of parenthood, being on their level, listening, looking, paying close attention. Roman was a wonderful father; he knew his children intimately, and he gave them all of himself. He knew that Sami was very tender and sensitive, that if he gave her so much as a stern look for some misbehavior, it could send her into a round of tears, while his boy sometimes needed a firmer brand of discipline. Roman also realized that Sami was the more impulsive one of the two, that she reacted quickly and often voiced her opinion immediately, while Eric was somewhat more reserved and less likely to express his feelings about the events in his life. Roman didn't verbalize this understanding of his children, but he obviously sensed the differences intuitively and responded to each child in the way they needed, to teach, to motivate, and guide them on the right path.

In observing his interaction with the children, Marlena could see how much he had changed, the ways in which he had grown in the years she was gone from his life. Roman wasn't trying to control or cajole the children into doing things his way, as he had done with his younger brother Bo on so many occasions when she first met him. At the time, he seemed to want to impart his wisdom from the lofty position as older brother, and it never worked, many interactions ending with harsh angry words being exchanged. But, this was different; Roman was simply loving Sami and Eric as they were, in the way they each needed to be loved, and they responded well to that approach.

Although she enjoyed watching the three of them, acknowledging the close bond that had developed in her absence made her feel the loss of time more acutely. She had missed so many of these simple moments of all their lives. Marlena wasn't there to share the joys of parenting with her husband, or for their children when they learned to walk, and then to run, or when they started to talk, when their two year molars came in and when they were old enough to put a tooth under their pillows, hoping the tooth fairy would come in the night. She missed their first day of school... snuggling up together by a fire on a snowy winter's night... days they spent learning to ride a bike, fun filled summer afternoons at the park or the beach.. just like this one... So many moments missed because of some elaborate design for evil she and Roman had yet to uncover. If she allowed herself to dwell on it too long or too deeply, she felt very angry about what had been stolen from her, and from her husband and children as well. Marlena felt robbed and she had been... robbed of five years; five years of sharing her life with the people she loved, and she wasn't about to waste any more time. This was *her* family and she was going to get it back, come hell or high water. She didn't like the fact that Isabella was going to be hurt, but she couldn't let her feelings of sorrow for the other woman deter her on her quest to reclaim her life and those from whom she'd been unwillingly separated for so long.

Sensing he was being watched, Roman looked up and her eyes met his brilliant blue orbs, the mere sight of which could nearly make her swoon. She smiled at him and communicated soundlessly.. all that she had been thinking about his skills as a father to their children. He saw in those glistening hazel eyes, such admiration and respect and a depth of love that he could only have imagined. Roman found himself blushing slightly with nervousness as she began to walk slowly down the gentle slope of the hill toward the water's edge, her alluring gaze never wandering from his.

When she arrived, he held out his free arm and drew her in close to his body, saying, "Having fun yet, Doc?" with a warm inviting expression on his handsome and slightly sunburned face.

She sighed contentedly, "Mmm hmm.. I was just watching you with the kids," she said glancing over at them. They were a few yards away, thoroughly entranced with fishing. Satisfied to be in his arms, she said after a pause, "You know... I haven't really had a chance to tell you, but you're wonderful with them, Roman. You're a terrific father."

Roman smiled gratefully and blushed a little at the compliment, saying, "Thank you, Marlena.. that means a lot coming from you. I've done my best."

"Well, I admire you... you've done a great job with them. They're so.. beautiful and sweet, so..kind, loving, and considerate."

His expression embodied the same love and respect he saw in hers, and he said while glancing admiringly at the twins, "Well, if that's true, it's not all my doing. They've got a lot of you in them, Doc... I could use all those words and more to describe their mother." Returning his gaze to the woman nestled comfortably in his arms, he added with great sincerity, "We've missed you, Marlena... you can never really know how much. There were so many times I wished I could talk to you.. to ask you for your advice on how to handle them, what to say or do in certain circumstances. You always knew, Doc."

Marlena felt her heart swell and her cheeks flush a flattering shade of pink, to hear him say such loving words about her. "Oh.. Roman.." she sighed, feeling loved and valued. Shaking her head to disagree, she said, "No..not always.. and it's good to know I was missed, but you really do need to take some credit. You've done a tremendous job of raising them by yourself. Just say thank you, Roman," she said, only half teasing.

"Thank you Roman," he replied with the old familiar twinkle in his eye, winking at the same time as he reached out with the knuckles of his right hand, brushing her cheek lightly as a sign of affection.

"Oh.. you.." she said, as she punched him playfully on the arm.

The way she was smiling took him back in time and his heart filled with love and desire for his wife. The kids were well occupied and it was the perfect opportunity. Without any warning whatsoever, he followed his impulse, dropped the fishing pole and swept her into his arms, capturing her mouth in a tender yet fiery kiss. The fervent movements of his tongue inside her mouth and the deft touch of his fingers in her hair and on her face and neck aroused her swiftly and she moaned with rising desire. Roman's right hand made its way down from her slender shoulders to her lower back and beyond, while the left continued to cradle her face, holding it in place as he deepened the kiss, his own internal fire burning several degrees hotter within a matter of seconds.

As their bodies began to recall a legacy of lovemaking, their hearts beating rapidly, their breathing quickened... the spell was broken by the gleeful sounds of two young voices shouting, "Daddy.. daddy, I got one!"

"Daddy, come quick, Eric caught a fish!"

" I caught a fish, Daddy Come see..come see!!" Eric shouted excitedly, when his father didn't arrive instantly.

When the intimate contact ended, Roman and Marlena were breathless, and so exchanged another unspoken message of love with their eyes. Things were changing fast and they both knew it, even if the words had not been said. Roman was surprised and unnerved by the speed at which his heart seemed to be turning toward Marlena, but she wasn't. These passionate moments were all she'd dreamed of since the instant she'd awakened from her five year rest. Her sigh was filled with delight and a heightened sense of confidance in a future with the man she loved. She knew it even if Roman couldn't yet acknowledge it. Day by day, moment by tiny moment... they were growing closer and their love, which had lain dormant throughout the long cold winter, was now blossoming in the warmth of the summer sun.

As Roman allowed his heart and soul to open up and let the memories return, she was beginning to fill the empty spaces left by the sudden, gutwrenching loss of her loving presence in his life. It was that simple and that complex. Marlena Evans filled a void no one else could fill. He loved Isabella and had his wife not returned, he could have gone on to live a long and happy life with her, but what he felt for Marlena was deeper and more complete, more intense and more ultimately satisfying than what he experienced with the other woman. Though it was difficult for him to admit and accept, he was beginning to recognize that basic truth about himself and the woman to whom he had first fully surrendered his heart and soul. That was what Marlena felt in the kiss he had just so deliciously planted on her unsuspecting, but welcoming lips. Her warmhearted assuring countenace told him she understood the reality he wasn't quite prepared to face, and also that she would wait until he was ready.

Nevertheless, he couldn't express any of that out loud, and neither could she. It wasn't the right time or the right place. Roman smiled hesitantly and shyly averted his gaze, still uncertain of what the future held in store, or how to express what was in his heart and mind just before he embraced her so passionately, or during the kiss for that matter. All he managed to say was, "I uh...I better.. help him with the fish," as he took a quick step toward the twins.

She nodded and smiled at his apprehension, but didn't say anything at first. Marlena spoke to him with her eyes again, telling him that they could talk about the kiss later on, when the kids were in bed. Finally, she said with enthusiasm, "Yes.. by all means.. go help our son reel in the big catch."

As Marlena looked on, Roman grasped the fishing rod, helping his son crank the reel and bring in his catch. When the task was accomplished, the young boy held the fish up in the air, saying proudly, "Look Mom! Look at my fish! It's huge!"

It was glorious to see her child be so pleased with his efforts. "Oh... sweety, I'm so proud of you... You did a great job, honey.. Daddy taught you so well," she added, her voice touched with adoration.

Sami, who was feeling left out, had to make a comment too, "Yea... Daddy teaches us everything.. he's the best Daddy in the whole wide world!"

Marlena beamed as she slipped up next to Roman again, placed her arm around his waist and gazed tenderly into his shining eyes. Then she nodded her head and said intently, "Yes...he really is.. isn't he?"

Eric, who was thrilled to have caught a fairly large bass, grinned and agreed wholeheartedly, as he raised his right hand for a high five, "Yea... he's the best! Thanks, Dad!"

"You're welcome, Eric," Roman said quietly, after extending his right hand for the exchange of high fives. Then to Marlena he whispered... "Thank you, Doc... hearing you say those things about me means more than I can tell you. I... love you."

She whispered the same in return, glad to hear him say it again, "And l love you... now and forever." In response, he grinned and put his arms out, collecting them all into a group hug and the four of them suddenly felt like a family again. For the first time since Marlena's return, they truly felt comfortable as a gathering of four. Unconsciously, they all recognized that they couldn't recapture the past but they could stake their claim on a happy future. The Brady family was going to spend some special time together at this picturesque lakeside retreat, and at the very least it was to be the beginning of many new adventures. Of that much they were certain.