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As the sleek private jet soared smoothly through the sky, Rivvi looked down at Buddy's sleeping head where it lay in her lap. For what seemed like the thousandth time, she smoothed back the blond hair that fell across his forehead. She watched the relaxed planes of his face and wondered if their son would have looked like this. Inhaling sharply from the remembered pain, she found her hand stilled. Looking up, she met the worry in Buddy's eyes.
"You, okay?" Buddy felt a brief moment of guilt for letting the soft motion of the plane lull him to sleep, then he shook it off. The weekend had been stressful and he knew Rivvi understood.
"Yes, I am all right." She paused then continued, "I was just thinking." She moved to push Buddy's upper body off her lap, but he resisted her. "Buddy," the warning was sharp in her voice.
"Rivka, you have to talk about it." He shifted his weight so he was sitting beside her, and took her hand in his. "He was as much my son as he was yours... You don't have to be so strong..." Her interruption caught him by surprise.
"Stop it! I should have been more careful." Rivvi attempted to get up and found her movements stilled as Buddy engulfed her. Against her cheek she could feel his voice vibrate with each word he spoke.
"Would've, could've and should've will get us nothing more than ten more years of loneliness. Rivvi, we have to stop kicking ourselves. Nothing would've kept him alive." Pausing Buddy thought about his relief in the airport and he realized just how much he'd missed her -- how much he'd missed the sanctuary she'd provided for those three short months in Germany.
Rivvi shifted deeper into his arms, now they were lying on the couch. Looking up from her position on his chest, she smiled. Maybe it was time -- time to forgive and move on. "I do not hate you." She placed her hand lightly over his mouth. "I did hate myself, but then my Oma made me stop. She made me see that life does go on, but by that time we were only friends and I was... afraid."
Buddy couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped him. Of all the things he could imagine, Rivvi being afraid was not one of those things. She was too stubborn, too independent, but most of all she was too... Rivvi. Yeah, that was the right word... too Rivvi.
"I did not want to lose you, but because I had, I became what you wanted... your friend."
Taking a chance, Buddy asked her, "What do you want?"
Rivvi paused and gazed into his blue eyes. Her brown ones darkened with worry -- worry that he would not want the same thing. "You," she stated simply. Sending up a small prayer, she waited for his response.
Buddy had been listening, but even then he'd almost missed it. Realization and his shout of triumph coincided with the plane's initial descent, rolling them both onto the floor of the craft. Buddy started to get up, then stopped, deciding the safest place for them during touch down was on the floor.
As they taxied to the gate, he helped Rivvi up and into a more comfortable position, collected their luggage, what little there was. Leaning forward, he asked, "Mind telling me where all your bags are?"
"At your parents' home. Kitty invited me to stay and I decided that it was time." They left the plane and she stopped in the ramp hallway, facing Buddy. Placing her hand over his heart, she continued, "Remember this, Anthony Capatosa, no matter who you are. You will always be my hero." Then she whispered in his ear, "I should mention also, best friend and lover, Ja?"
"Yeah, but does that mean you'll marry me?" Before he could get his answer, they were overwhelmed by their homecoming. A homecoming that included three brothers, a mom and a dad.