Song: Only You Can Save Me

Without you I would fall apart
I'm safe when I am in your arms
And only you can set me free
And only you can save me

We stood outside on the driveway to say goodbye to Nana before she left to Wisconsin with Patty on Saturday morning.

"Have a good trip, Nana." I pulled her in for a hug. "Don't go too long. We're going to miss you a lot."

"Thank you, sweetie. I am going to miss you both too very much." Nana turned to Henry. "Henry, take care of yourself and Ally."

"I will, Nana." He stepped in front of Nana and hugged her into his large arms. "If you need anything, give me a call straightaway."

Nana smiled. "Absolutely."

Patty walked over to Nana's side. "Fran, are you ready?"

"Yes, I think it's time for me to leave." She turned to Henry and me one last time with a smile. "I'll see you guys soon, okay?"

We both nodded and waved back to her.

Patty's driver opened the door, and the two ladies stepped inside, Nana after Patty. When the car engine roared to life, the window rolled down, and we could see Nana waving to us until the car disappeared from the driveway gates.

Henry and I slipped our arms behind each other as we turned around toward the house.

"I'm going to miss her," I told him.

"I am as well. I'm positive Nana will be back in no time. It will be like she never left." He kissed the side of my forehead. We walked back toward the house and sat at the wooden bench on the lawn. "Have you thought about what we should plan for her when she returns?"

"Not yet. It has to be special, that I know. I'll think of something before she comes back home."

"I know you will." Henry smiled. "I don't have anything in my schedule today. What did you want us to do?"

"How about ... let's go visit my mom? I think she'll be happy to see you."

"I think that's a perfect idea. And then afterwards visit her, I have a place to take you."

"To where?"

"A dress shop downtown owned by a friend of mine."

"But I already have so many dresses already in the closet. I don't need another one."

"I know you don't like it when I buy you new things. You're not that kind of woman." Henry grinned. "But this one has to be special. Please. For me." He made a pouty face.

"If you say so." I smiled at him.

After I retrieved my purse upstairs, we both got in my red Porsche, me in the driver seat and Henry in the passenger. The drive to my mom's house was about forty minutes and traffic on the interstate wasn't that bad, for a Saturday morning. I remembered the directions to her house and found it quicker than the first time I visited her a few weeks ago.

I hoped she was home today, even if it was an impromptu visit. I guessed I should have called to check.

We knocked on the door, and after about ten seconds, there were footsteps coming close. The doorknob turned, and mom opened the door with a surprise but happy face.

"Ally, so good to see you!" Her lips turned into a big smile as she pulled me in for a hug.

"Hey, mom." I returned the smile. "Sorry, I didn't call you that we're coming. I wanted it to be a surprise."

"No, no, no. It's completely okay." Once she released me, her eyes landed on Henry next to me. "And is this your husband? He looks very much alike the gentleman in the magazine I've seen you photographed with."

I nodded. "Mom, this is Henry."

"It's a pleasure to finally have met you, Mrs. Winters." Henry smiled.

"So good to see you, dear. Let's not chit chat out here. Come in, you two," mom urged, and we followed her inside the trailer home.

It didn't look as nice on the outside, but on the inside, it was definitely very cozy to live in. There was a kitchen down on one end and a living room on the other with a sleeping bunk. I tried to imagine my mom living here secretly after all these years, keeping herself hidden in the shadows.

"Please sit down. You two wait here while I fix something for you to eat," my mom said as she opens the fridge.

"It's not necessary, Mrs. Winters," Henry replied, sitting down on the ottomon.

I walked over to her. "Mom, Henry and I already ate."

"Are you sure? I hate to not make you anything to eat."

This was where my sister Eve got her host personality. fThey both always wanted to make sure their guests were well attended to. "Mom, it's okay. Henry and I came out here to spend time with you."

Mom smiled. "Alright, dear."

I reached for her hand and led her to the living room. When we sat down on the couch, Henry stood up from the ottomon and knelt down in front of us.

Mom glanced at me in confusion.

"Henry, what are you doing?" I asked.

"Mrs. Winters, I want to apologize for everything I have done to your children because of my reckless behavior," Henry gently stated, his eyes on the floor.

"Henry, what are you talking about, dear?" my mom asked. "Please don't kneel before me. Get up."

He remained in the same position, and his gaze move to me for a mere second before landing on my mom. His expression appeared sincerely apologetic.

He took a deep breath, as if he was metaphorically pulling a band-aid off. "I wanted to apologize for all the things I have done to your children. I have caused them great pain and suffering because of my own misery and actions. I've hurt them in unimaginable and cruel ways, especially ..."

Henry's glossy eyes slowly moved to me, and I felt my own burning.

"Henry ..." I whispered.

"... Especially your youngest daughter. I didn't realize how much I love her and what she means to me. When I did, it was too late. I'm truly sorry. Please forgive me."

My mom nods with a genial smile. "Henry, you're forgiven. Come here." She waved her hand for him to move next to her. "I've also made mistakes as well. All of us have. It's because we're humans. Sometimes ... we have to make mistakes in order to figure out how to make things right. It may be painful, and we may even have regrets."

My mom reached for each of our hands and held them together in hers.

She continued. "But the important thing is what we do to fix them. That is what defines us. I'm not going to ask about what you did to Eve, Chris, or Ally because that would be living in the past. Let's live for the present and the future. How about that? Hmm?"

Henry nodded. "Thank you, Mrs. Winters."

"It's not Mrs. Winters. Call me mom." She smiled.

"Thank you, mom."

After Henry's confession, the conversation steered towards more lighter subjects, like Nancy, Nana, and our friends.

I didn't expect my husband to come here and tell my mom everything at the beginning of our visit. Although I wanted to give him time, he was well ahead of me.

We left my mom's place after two hours of talking with her and headed to the shop downtown Henry mentioned earlier. He drove the Porsche this time.

"Why am I getting a tailored dress?" I asked while we cruise down the interstate back to the city. The skyscrapers of downtown skyline loomed nearer.

"Well, the Sinclairs have a business banquet tomorrow evening and John and Annette personally invited me. They were good friends of my parents so my presence is appreciated. Could you come with me? I don't really want to go to this party alone."

"I'll go with you."

Henry's hand reached over to my side and he intertwined his fingers into mine. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. But what will my payment be, Mr. Executive?" I teased, hoping to find out what he'll give me in return.

"Anything you want. Just put a price on it."

"What I want doesn't have a price."

"Really," he interjected, playing along. "What could that possibly be then?"

"You'll find out."

Half an hour later, Henry pulled up to a dress shop in the Magnificent Mile. It looked very neat and elegant through the windows. There were mannequins wearing gowns and dresses for all party types.

We walked inside the store and were greeted immediately by a lady with long wavy brown hair wearing a purple fitted dress. She looked familiar. I thought I have seen her somewhere before. But when and where?

"Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Pearce," she greeted.

"Afternoon, Eleanor. Meet my wife, Alexandria." Henry's hand slipped behind my back and hooked onto the side of my hip.

"Hello, Alexandria. It's a pleasure to meet you finally."

I smiled confidently. "The pleasure is mine."

"So what occasion brings you in today?" Eleanor asked as we followed her towards the royal blue love seats lined at the back of the shop.

"There's a banquet tomorrow we have to attend," I responded while Henry took a seat on one of the couch, watching us.

"It must be an important event."

"Yes, it is. I do apologize on the short notice."

"That's not a problem. We will do our best to have the dress ready before the event. Did you have any designs and colors in mind for the dress?"

"I was thinking something like dark red and maybe off the shoulders. What do you know think?"

"That is a great idea. Could you stepped onto the platform so I can take your measurements? And then we'll go to the back to check out our fabric selections."

I stepped onto the platform, feeling like a princess being prepped for the ball. As Eleanor took the measurements she needed, I remembered where I had seen her before. 

She was the woman who I saw with Henry that time I sent flowers to his workplace long time ago. I thought she was in a relationship with my husband then. Although they did appeared to look like a couple die to the closeness, Henry confessed to me she was only a friend, nothing more.

The visit at the shop lasted half an hour.
Before we left, Eleanor advised my dress would be ready by tomorrow morning and additional adjustments could be made during that time.

I looked outside as Henry drove home, my hands out the window, feeling the wind slipped through the tips of my fingers. "Were you and Eleanor ever more than friends?"

I had never been blunt with my words, especially with Henry. It didn't matter to me how many women he'd been with, and throughout our time together, I never asked him about his past relationships. Besides Victoria, there had to be other women.

"We were just friends," he replied, nonchalantly. "Why do you asked, Ally?"

"I was just curious." I smiled at him as he glanced from the road to me. "The look she was giving you was ... hard to ignore. Any woman would feel the same way when another woman was looking at their man in that manner."

"Many women give me those looks, honey. You were one of them," he said, glimpsing over to me with a smirk.

I laughed. "I won't deny that part."

Henry pulled into the driveway and pressed the button for the garage door to open. After the garage door closed shut, he turned to me in the dim car and reached for my hands. "I never felt this way toward Eleanor, or Victoria, or any other women. My relationships with them was exclusively just friends, nothing more. Do you trust me?"

I nodded. "I do. You don't have to say anything more. I trust you, Henry."

"Let's go inside the house. I'll cook dinner tonight. Your favorite."

We stepped out of the car, and as Henry made his way to the door, I pulled him back by his hand. "Can we stay out here just for a few more minutes?"

Henry turned to face me, his expression intrigued.

I walked up to him, brushing my body against him until his back collided with the door. My hands smoothed up his chest and curled over his shoulders around his neck. "Since I'm coming with you to this event tomorrow, I'm going to need something in return," I teased him, cocking my head to the side coyly.

His hands rested over the curves of my ass sexily. "What's your wish then?"

"You."