Water Signs: A Story of Love and Renewal - Page 135/169

* * *

"All set Mom?" Madeline asked as she opened the front door of her

condo and wheeled out the last of the luggage. It was 9 a.m. on Sunday

morning, and they were about to hop on the Florida turnpike on their way

to four days of fun in Disneyworld. They'd each gotten a good night's

sleep and were excited about hanging out with Mickey, Minnie and the

rest of the enchanting cast of characters.

"I'm ready, hon!" Monica Rose replied, with a final check around the

kitchen to ensure she'd picked up all of her medications. Though she and

Maddy had taken Louis to Disney just five years prior, she was looking

forward to experiencing some of the new attractions Maddy had told her

so much about. And she always enjoyed visiting Epcot's World Showcase,

where various pavilions and attractions offered a glimpse into the customs

and culinary traditions of various countries including Japan, Italy,

Norway-and of course, the USA.

Maddy locked the door behind them as they made their way to her

silver Honda, all tuned up and ready to safely transport them the 180

miles or so to Orlando. She'd loaded the car with some of her favorite

CD's and motivational tapes to keep them entertained along the way.

Blessed with sunny, comfortable weather, the trek north was sure to be a

delightful one.

After confirming they'd loaded all of the bags with one last look

around the car, Maddy backed out of her reserved space and lead the

vehicle out to Dixie Highway, intending to access I-95 from Yamato

Road, and then pick up the turnpike in Jupiter. It would be her last hurrah

for a while, as her new corporate position was set to begin in another

week; she looked forward to spending this quality time with her mother.

* * *

Ken felt his heart pound in his chest as he listened to the familiar ring

tone and eagerly anticipated hearing the sounds of her sweet voice again.

A few moments later he did, though it was via voicemail, and not the live

version: Hi, this is Madeline Rose. I can't take your call right now, but it is really

important to me. Please leave me a message and I promise to return your call just as

soon as I can. Talk to you soon and have a great day!As her outgoing message played, he felt for the first time in over

fifteen years the welcome bolt of electricity igniting his soul and coursing

through his body; suddenly, it was 1992 again, and he and Maddy were

making out on his waterbed, while the moonlight filtered through the

skylight above them.

His hands caressed her face as he gazed into her expressive amber

eyes. Nestled beneath his body, he could feel her heart beating fast while

he placed his lips tenderly on hers, and then eventually tasted the

sweetness of her mouth with his soft, subtle tongue. Maddy sighed,

returning his advances with equal amounts of passion and fervor. In the

background, the sensual sounds of their favorite music amplified their

desires, steadily leading them on a mesmerizing path of fulfillment for

body, mind and soul.

"Kenny?" Her voice was a mere whisper as he nibbled at her ear. He

brought his face close to hers.

"Yes?" Her fingers traced the waves of his blond hair as she made her

request.

"I want you to make love to me."

Happily stunned, but wanting to confirm the words he'd been longing

to hear ever since meeting her, he studied her face for a moment before

asking, "You sure, sweetheart? 'Cause you know I'd like nothing better

than to make passionate love to you all night. I just need to know it's what

you really want, too. Otherwise, it won't-"

Madeline answered him with a kiss that left him breathless as he

proceeded to slowly unbutton her blouse to reveal her delicate, porcelain

skin and the black lace of her bra. He began to trace kisses down her

neck, working his way down to the curve of her breasts as he gently

moved his hands over her. In the next moment, he carefully slid the

garment off of her body and shifted her on top of him as he moved onto

his back in one smooth move.

With her auburn hair cascading past her shoulders and her fair skin

gleaming in the soft light, she far exceeded any vision of beauty he'd

previously held in mind, both as an adolescent and a young man sailing

around the world. He reached around her back to unhook the last trace of

clothing from her chest, barely able to contain his excitement as delicious

thoughts of finally seeing and experiencing every inch of her petite, curvy

body conflicted with genuine concern for this being her very first time,

and his desire to make it as beautiful for her as possible.

Back in the present, an intrusive beep interrupted Ken's fantasy.

Though they'd never gotten nearly that far back in the day, his virtual

interlude had felt so real to him that-for one brief second, he couldn't

distinguish between reality and imagination. He hoped that very soon,

he'd no longer have to. Caught off guard, his message kind of rambled on,

in spite of his best efforts.

Madeline, hey it's Kenny. My Mom said she got a letter addressed from Royal

Palm Way. I haven't read it yet, but…uh-I didn't say anything to her-but I

assume that would be a Boca Bayou residence, and that would mean that you wrote me

a letter. Uh, I guess it's a birthday... thing since you and I share the same birthday.

Like I said, I haven't read it yet, 'cause I haven't been able to get over there, I've been

so swamped with work.

So…uh, hope you're having a wonderful March, and that's about it. Thanks for

the card. I haven't had the time to get over there, I've been so busy. But I will grab it,

appreciate it, and hopefully…well, the reason I called is to make sure…uh…that you

didn't need to talk to me. 'Cause I'm not sure what's going on with you, what's

happenin', but I hope everything's ok. It was such a pleasant surprise and I'm gonna

try to get over there this afternoon. So, um…thanks again…oh, and if you want to

reach me, my cell number is (954) 555-1870. It's a business line, but you can call it

anytime. Ok, talk to you later!