 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Chapter 9
The first thing Julia heard from Mason in the morning was a long groan.
Smiling she brought in a tray. Mason was sitting on the sofa running his fingers through his hair.
"Hungover," she stated.
Another groan.
She handed him a glass. "Here."
Without asking what it was he drank. "Thank you Julia." He gave the glass back and then faced her. "So you
got another chance to see me wallowing in self-pity, eh?"
"You said you didn't want Matt to see you like this."
"Right. Neither did I want YOU to see me like this. Don't know why I crawled back here, after--"
"I'm glad you came," she interrupted.
Mason looked at her skeptically, and then he smiled, his smile lighting up his features. "Are you?"
"Yes," she said simply.
"Julia-"
"Mason," she interrupted again. "I - I wrote you a letter."
"Did you."
"I listed all the reasons why I - why we cannot get married."
She analyzed too much; just like him, Mason suddenly thought.
She handed him the folded paper. Mason put it in his jacket's inner pocket. "I'll read it - when my head aches
less, I promise. And now - come here."
He opened his arms and brought Julia close to him. He was so warm and strong; Julia yielded to him with
abandonment.
They stood like this for a while, holding each other tight, Mason smelling her beautiful hair, Julia resting her
head on his shoulder. Both felt at home; both wanted to belong together.
"You've been crying," Mason pointed out gently. "I hurt you?"
"No, no," she protested.
"I did not mean to."
"I know. I think I hurt y o u."
"You did. The rejection was - unexpected."
"I'm sorry. I wrote--"
"Hush. I'll read what you wrote, and think it over. Don't cry any more, it's not good for our baby."
Julia smiled. "Okay, daddy."
"Julia," Mason said softly. "We - haven't ruined it, have we?"
"No," Julia said, after some consideration. It surprised her, for it disagreed with all her previous experience, but
it was true: this misunderstanding had not ruined what they shared. She was so relieved it was so. "Somehow
we haven't."
"I must confess--"
"What?"
"I don't remember what I said or did when I got back to you, drunk. Before you say - I need to apologize,
anyway."
Julia stepped back, raising her forefinger. "Let me see. You threw away my flowers and broke my favorite
vase."
"Oh no. I am sorry."
"Then you told me why you thought I rejected you, and I said that you were wrong. Then you said you wished I
loved you," she turned away, "and I said I do."
Mason came closer and kissed her fingers. "Julia--"
The telephone rang. "Excuse me." She picked it up. "Hallo. Yes. Yes, he's here."
"About Matt?" Mason said hastily taking the receiver; Julia shook her head. "Mason Capwell. Yes." He
grimaced. "Yes. I spent the night here, indeed. No, you're not mistaken, it's Julia Wainwright's. Get used to it,
Dad."
Julia gave him an alarmed look, but Mason just winked at her. "Matt? Oh Dad. All he did while I was away was
sleeping. It's not like what YOU used to-- ah, I see. You prefer not to--"
Obviously CC was not giving Mason a chance to properly retort. Julia squeezed Mason's arm as a sign of
support, and he nodded gratefully.
"What?" he said then. "No - I mean when?" His face changed. "I'm sure - it must be-"
CC must have slammed the receiver down. Mason hung up slowly. "Can't believe it," he said.
"What? What's up?"
"Nothng - it's Mother, I mean it must be her. I must find her - I'm sorry Julia."
Mason drew her to him and kissed her briefly. "I'm sorry. I just need to do it quick, before it's too late."
"I see. Take care," she said.
He nodded and hurried out.
The first thing Julia heard from Mason in the morning was a long groan.
Smiling she brought in a tray. Mason was sitting on the sofa running his fingers through his hair.
"Hungover," she stated.
Another groan.
She handed him a glass. "Here."
Without asking what it was he drank. "Thank you Julia." He gave the glass back and then faced her. "So you
got another chance to see me wallowing in self-pity, eh?"
"You said you didn't want Matt to see you like this."
"Right. Neither did I want YOU to see me like this. Don't know why I crawled back here, after--"
"I'm glad you came," she interrupted.
Mason looked at her skeptically, and then he smiled, his smile lighting up his features. "Are you?"
"Yes," she said simply.
"Julia-"
"Mason," she interrupted again. "I - I wrote you a letter."
"Did you."
"I listed all the reasons why I - why we cannot get married."
She analyzed too much; just like him, Mason suddenly thought.
She handed him the folded paper. Mason put it in his jacket's inner pocket. "I'll read it - when my head aches
less, I promise. And now - come here."
He opened his arms and brought Julia close to him. He was so warm and strong; Julia yielded to him with
abandonment.
They stood like this for a while, holding each other tight, Mason smelling her beautiful hair, Julia resting her
head on his shoulder. Both felt at home; both wanted to belong together.
"You've been crying," Mason pointed out gently. "I hurt you?"
"No, no," she protested.
"I did not mean to."
"I know. I think I hurt y o u."
"You did. The rejection was - unexpected."
"I'm sorry. I wrote--"
"Hush. I'll read what you wrote, and think it over. Don't cry any more, it's not good for our baby."
Julia smiled. "Okay, daddy."
"Julia," Mason said softly. "We - haven't ruined it, have we?"
"No," Julia said, after some consideration. It surprised her, for it disagreed with all her previous experience, but
it was true: this misunderstanding had not ruined what they shared. She was so relieved it was so. "Somehow
we haven't."
"I must confess--"
"What?"
"I don't remember what I said or did when I got back to you, drunk. Before you say - I need to apologize,
anyway."
Julia stepped back, raising her forefinger. "Let me see. You threw away my flowers and broke my favorite
vase."
"Oh no. I am sorry."
"Then you told me why you thought I rejected you, and I said that you were wrong. Then you said you wished I
loved you," she turned away, "and I said I do."
Mason came closer and kissed her fingers. "Julia--"
The telephone rang. "Excuse me." She picked it up. "Hallo. Yes. Yes, he's here."
"About Matt?" Mason said hastily taking the receiver; Julia shook her head. "Mason Capwell. Yes." He
grimaced. "Yes. I spent the night here, indeed. No, you're not mistaken, it's Julia Wainwright's. Get used to it,
Dad."
Julia gave him an alarmed look, but Mason just winked at her. "Matt? Oh Dad. All he did while I was away was
sleeping. It's not like what YOU used to-- ah, I see. You prefer not to--"
Obviously CC was not giving Mason a chance to properly retort. Julia squeezed Mason's arm as a sign of
support, and he nodded gratefully.
"What?" he said then. "No - I mean when?" His face changed. "I'm sure - it must be-"
CC must have slammed the receiver down. Mason hung up slowly. "Can't believe it," he said.
"What? What's up?"
"Nothng - it's Mother, I mean it must be her. I must find her - I'm sorry Julia."
Mason drew her to him and kissed her briefly. "I'm sorry. I just need to do it quick, before it's too late."
"I see. Take care," she said.
He nodded and hurried out.