"Let's see, do you think we have everything?" Veronica asked as she looked over the suitcases and items around the room. "Besides the few things we'll need to pack at the last minute, of course."
"I should think so," Arthur replied. "It looks like we've packed half of our belongings."
"Well, we are going to be away for quite awhile. It's better to be prepared."
"I can't argue with that."
"How is the packing going?" Eileen asked as she walked into the room. "Do you need any help?"
"No, it's fine. We're almost done. We're almost ready for tomorrow."
"There was one other thing," Arthur said. "Before we go, I want to leave you some money for expenses and in case of emergency. We can send more if you need it, but I want to make sure you have whatever you need."
"Thanks, Daddy. Hopefully while you're away I'll find a job and be able to make some of my own money and keep myself busy too. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet, but I have a few ideas."
"And you're sure you're going to be ok here all on your own?" Arthur asked, eliciting a weary look from Eileen.
"She'll be fine, sweetheart," Veronica spoke up for her stepdaughter. "You've raised a very responsible, capable adult."
"I know. I know. I should stop being an overbearing, worrying father and relax, right? I know everything will be fine."
The applications forgotten and long since put aside, Lucy and Justin had abandoned all pretenses of doing any work and simply chatted.
"I think Eileen might have been right when she said I was moving too quickly with Craig. I'd just lost my father and I was so grateful to him for being there for me. I needed someone to be there for me so badly that I didn't think about everything I should have, maybe. By the time I started thinking any other way, I was already expecting Stuart."
"It sounds like you did what you had to do."
"Did I really have to? Part of me knew all along that he wasn't the best guy for me. I even told you as much, didn't I?"
"Yes, you did, but that was before the baby. Once you were expecting a child, it was the right thing to do."
"No. Proper, maybe, but not right . . . Don't you ever get tired of always doing what someone else thinks is the right thing to do and just do what feels right to you, what you feel is right in your heart?" Lucy said passionately as she leaned forward.
"Yes," Justin replied after a thoughtful pause. "Sometimes I do, especially when . . ." he trailed off, gazing into her eyes before suddenly pulling his stare away and shaking the thoughts from his mind. "But I couldn't, not when there's so much at stake."
"Like what?" Lucy asked breathily.
"My career, my professional reputation. What's right, or what's proper if you prefer, does matter to me."
"It used to matter to me too, but I'm finding it matters less and less. No matter what you do, how careful you are, those things can be taken away and then what are you left with? You've lost it all and all that's left are regrets."
Justin shook his head slowly and looked sadly at Lucy. "You still have so much. I would . . . I could almost give up everything, if I had to, for someone to love, for a family."
"Then why don't you?" Lucy asked with an eager glint in her eyes. When he looked away slightly, her gaze turned more sympathetic and she placed her hand over his. "You're so lonely, aren't you? We're just the same you and I. I think we need each other more than we want to admit."
He turned and looked into her eyes as she continued to speak.
"I am willing to give everything up for love, because when you feel this way, nothing else should matter. And you feel the same way as I do, don't you? Tell me that you do."
He closed his eyes and nodded at her, feeling the warm pressure of her hand over his. "I do, but-"
"No buts, no more almosts. Just yes or no," Lucy said, leaning closer to him. "Aren't you tired of being alone?"
"Yes, very much so."
"That's not going to change unless you do something about it."
Justin looked at Lucy, her face so close to his, her lips drawing him even closer. There was no way he could resist her. He didn't want to resist any longer. He pulled her closer and gave in.
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