Chapter 25

Sam looked at him curiously and began to follow him. He stopped walking when he noticed her following him and he glanced back at her. She looked around and noticed the area they were now in. They still had a lovely view of the lake and the mountain, but some dwarf trees and small shrubs partially shielded them from the breeze off the water. After another moment of gazing at her, Daniel turned and headed further back, almost in the direction of his car.

This time, Sam didn’t follow him. “Daniel?” she asked inquisitively. “Where are you going?”

“Stay right there,” Daniel answered simply. “Don’t worry, I’ll be right back.” With that, he turned and kept walking.

Sam looked at him bewilderingly before shrugging and sitting down in the soft brush. A shiver went down her spine as the somewhat course blades of grass tickled her bare legs. She wrapped her arms protectively around herself and hoped that Daniel wouldn’t take too long, wherever he had gone.

Minutes later, Daniel returned with a bundle of something in his arms. He nearly took Sam by surprise as he suddenly appeared at her side, sitting down next to her. Her eyes widened as he draped a light blanket across her and pulled her close to him.

“I thought I told you I wasn’t cold,” she insisted with an amused smile.

“Oh, so I take it that shivering was because you were … afraid of something?” Daniel asked teasingly.

“No,” Sam retorted playfully. “Besides, what is there to be afraid of out here?” she inquired, looking around.

Daniel’s gaze followed hers. “Well, the fact that we’re out here all alone, with the creepy, dark woods just beyond us,” he said impishly.

Sam rolled her eyes and snorted. “You should have saved that for when we were actually in the woods back there,” she replied. She put all kidding aside and gazed into his eyes. “As long as I’m with you, nothing can scare me,” she said softly.

Her admission caused Daniel to smile tenderly and he responded by giving her a soft kiss on the lips. “Still cold?” he asked her.

Sam smiled and shook her head. “No, I’m okay.”

Daniel nodded. “Good. Because I’m starting to feel chilly myself,” he remarked grimly as he began rubbing his hands together.

Sam grinned broadly as he took up some of the blanket and snuggled under it with her. She had to bite back an amused chuckle for he reminded her of a little boy with his security blanket wrapped around him. All that was missing was a teddy bear. She ended up laughing softly as he took hold of her and they both snuggled up together.

They’d grown serious again and were enjoying the view when a sound that closely resembled that of an airplane pierced the air. Sam directed her gaze up toward the sky in the vicinity of the mountain, and noticed something odd hovering in the air.

“What the heck is that?” she muttered, getting Daniel’s attention. He looked at her curiously and his eyes followed to wear she was pointing.

It appeared to be a round, silver object, with a blinking light or lights at the base. Daniel’s brow furrowed in confusion and his mouth dropped open slightly as he tried to guess what it was.

His curious expression soon melted and he shrugged. “It’s probably a weather balloon,” he said.

Sam’s eyebrows drew together. “Making a sound like that?” she asked dubiously.

Daniel looked back up at the object once again. “Airplane?” he offered again.

“In that shape?” she asked, pointing to it once more.

Daniel sighed, frustrated, as he too was interested in the object but, for the life of him, couldn’t figure out what it was. He waited until it drew closer to them and he could make out the word “Goodyear.” He sighed and shut his eyes, embarrassed for failing to recognize that it was only a blimp.

Sam snickered and blushed faintly. “I can’t believe that’s all it was,” she said.

“You sound almost disappointed,” Daniel said, looking into her eyes.

She gave a tiny shrug. “I thought it might be something we’ve never seen before, even something as out there as a UFO.” She blushed a bit more as she noticed Daniel regarding her curiously. She cleared her throat awkwardly and turned her gaze up toward the bright stars that had emerged in the clear sky.

“Do you ever wonder if we’re ever alone in the universe?” she pondered aloud. Daniel looked up at the sky as well, but failed to answer her. It prompted her to continue. “Do you believe that aliens exist, Daniel?” she questioned as she touched his arm.

He directed his gaze back to her, but still didn’t answer.

Unfazed, Sam continued, “I’ve wondered it since I was a little girl, when I used to watch shows like Star Trek.”

That comment prompted a laugh from Daniel – not a derisive laugh, but a teasing, playful one. “Are you a Trekkie, Sam?” he asked between chuckles.

Sam’s cheeks flamed. “No, no, I’m not,” she insisted, shaking her head forcefully. “My brother used to watch it a lot; I’d just catch it in passing. Then, when I was on the whole astronaut kick, and especially when I got into astrophysics, I really began wondering about it. It made me wonder if there were other planets out there that could support life and were teeming with it – if not in this galaxy, then in some far off, distant one.” She finished her statement thoughtfully.

Daniel had stopped laughing and regarded her more seriously as he listened to her. He looked at her for a moment, then looked down at his hands, and then finally back up at the sky. “I think anything is possible,” he said vaguely.

Sam regarded his answer oddly. She’d just remembered what he had told her months back about his former student’s theory – the one that dealt with the pyramids in Egypt being used as landing pads for a race of aliens. She remembered that he’d laughed it off, and that fact was now at odds with the statement he’d just given her. Perhaps Daniel didn’t think it was as far-fetched as he’d originally let on?

“I just don’t think that we should rule out anything,” he continued, having caught Sam’s look.

“Really?” she said, still not buying it. It did seem that he was holding something back.

Daniel simply nodded. She finally let it go when he pulled her even closer to him, cuddling under the blanket and giving her soft kisses.

For a while, neither of them said anything. They partook of the gorgeous view, of the happiness of being in each other’s company, and of the welcome solitude. Suddenly, an important realization came to Daniel and he straightened up slightly. He looked at Sam a bit worriedly.

“Sam, there’s something else,” he said earnestly. “Something else that I haven’t told you, but it’s very important.”

Sam removed her head from his shoulder and looked at him, concern reflected in her eyes.

Daniel looked nervously down at his hands before continuing. He wasn’t sure quite how to start, but he knew it was something that Sam really had to know about. He realized that he should have told her earlier and he was ashamed that he hadn’t done so. One way or another, he had to let her know now.

“I have to go to Egypt for two and a half weeks,” he blurted out.

Sam’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“One of my new students is studying a burial chamber near Giza. It’s a section that was only recently discovered and hasn’t been excavated very much,” he continued.

Sam was slightly intrigued by this and, for a moment, her eyes shone brightly. Her face fell though when she realized what Daniel was saying. He had just proposed to her and now they were going to be apart – for the longest amount of time that they’d ever been apart.

“From what little research has been done on this section, it seems that there is something there that may challenge what we’ve always known about burial rituals that took place near the end of the Old Kingdom,” he started enthusiastically, as if he couldn’t wait to begin his work.

His tone changed when he caught Sam’s melancholy expression. “I’m sorry, Sam. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” he said, his voice thick with regret as he held her.

“When are you going?” Sam asked quietly after a brief moment of silence.

He let go of her and looked into her eyes. “I’m leaving on Monday and I’ll be gone until the 20^th,” he replied softly.

Sam looked at him sadly and then averted her eyes. “Monday … so we have just over six days together,” she said emotionlessly.

Daniel nodded.

Sam returned her gaze to him. “Let’s make the most of them,” she pleaded gently.

A soft smile spread across Daniel’s face and he nodded once again. “We will,” he replied as he pulled her into an embrace.

Sam and Daniel did all they could to make the most of the days they had left together before his trip to Egypt. They started the very next afternoon, when Sam arrived at Daniel’s apartment to discuss the plans for the wedding. They both decided that they would have it done quickly, mostly due to the fact that they didn’t want it coinciding with the fall semester, which began on Monday, September 8th.

They decided that Sunday, August 31st, would be their wedding date. It was eleven days after Daniel returned from Egypt. Any planning they needed to do for the next semester would be taken care of beforehand when they weren’t dealing with anything related to the wedding. With that settled, they headed down to the county’s Clerk and Recorder Office to obtain a marriage license.

They researched wedding chapels in the area in the newspapers and on the internet and found one that suited their needs. It was located in the heart of the downtown area and, from the pictures they saw, afforded a lovely view of Pikes Peak. Furthermore, it would allow them to have up to thirty-five guests. Daniel had asked Sam if she’d be disappointed if they had a small wedding. When she was a child, she’d fantasized about having a huge, formal wedding, with lots of people. The circumstances were much different now, however. She admitted that she didn’t want a big bash. She only had family and friends in mind.

Daniel agreed with her. “I don’t really have much family,” he’d told her. “The only ones I’m aware of – if there is anyone else – are my parents … oh, and my grandfather, Nick.”

Sam looked at him thoughtfully.

“He’s my mom’s father,” Daniel clarified. “He was an archaeologist, too.”

“Wow, I can see it runs in the family,” Sam said cutely.

Daniel shrugged slightly and grinned. “I haven’t seen him in quite a long time,” he said softly. “To be honest, he wasn’t really a warm, open guy. He was away on digs most of the time. He spent a lot of time in Belize studying a crystal skull.”

Familiarity shone in Sam’s eyes. “Oh, I think I remember reading something about crystal skulls,” she muttered.

Daniel nodded and then looked at Sam warily, as if he was reluctant to continue. He did so anyway. “At some point, he was looking at the thing and he was suddenly transported somewhere else – to another dimension or something like that. At least that’s what he claimed. He kept saying there were, ah … aliens … there, but everyone pegged him for a fruitcake.” A faint blush appeared in his cheeks when he caught Sam looking at him intently.

She nodded thoughtfully and Daniel inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she didn’t find any of this weird. “So, I guess he won’t be coming to the wedding?” she asked.

Daniel shook his head. “He’s been in a mental institution in Oregon the last twenty-five years. I used to visit him, but … well … we aren’t really close.”

Sam looked away and nodded. She looked down at the rough draft of the guest list they’d made up. On it so far were her father, her brother Mark with his wife and two kids, her uncle Irving, Sara and Jack, Jill and Janet with their husbands, and several of her colleagues from the Earth and Space Sciences department. On Daniel’s side were his colleagues from Anthropology, namely Steven and Sarah, as well as a few others with whom Sam wasn’t very familiar.

“What about your parents?” she suddenly asked. She almost regretted asking the question. She knew that Daniel didn’t want her to get involved, but deep down she still thought it was important that they be there for something like this. “Where do they live?” she added, clearing her throat awkwardly.

“My parents?” Daniel asked, furrowing his brow. “For all I know, they’re still living in New York City. Why?”

Sam took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I … I just thought that … we should invite them,” she said, avoiding his gaze as she knew what his reaction would be.

“I don’t see why they would want to come,” he said flippantly, giving a tiny shrug.

Sam opened her mouth but before she could say anything, Daniel disappeared. Minutes later, he reemerged with an old scrapbook. He sat next to Sam and began turning the pages. She noticed that they contained mostly faded color photos of a young couple who greatly resembled the people she’d seen on the museum website several weeks earlier. They appeared to be in exotic places, working on digs. In nearly half of the pictures, a little boy was huddled next to them. Sam grinned as the large eyeglasses and the dark blonde, unruly hair confirmed his identity to her.

Daniel turned the page and a newspaper clipping from the New York Times was revealed. The date was September 12, 1973, and the headline read, “Miracle as Scientists Escape Near-Fatal Accident.” Accompanying the article were two pictures – one of Claire and Melburn Jackson, and one of a young Daniel appearing very shaken. Sam looked at the article curiously and then back up at Daniel.

“My parents weren’t too happy about it being attributed to a ‘miracle’ because they’re not very religious … as if that was ever important,” he said, rolling his eyes.

Sam furrowed her brow. “You’re kidding. They found something wrong with the headline?”

Daniel nodded grimly. “They tended to overreact to a lot of trivial things. The headline didn’t bother me at all. I was just relieved beyond words that they were okay,” he said quietly.

“Daniel, what happened?” Sam asked after a beat. She could have read the article herself, but she’d much rather hear the story from him.

Daniel sighed. “They were setting up an exhibit in the New York Museum of Art. The top portion of a stone column was dangerously swinging above their heads and the chain suddenly snapped. A worker pushed them both out of the way just in time before the cover stone came down. If he appeared two seconds later, it would have crushed them.” Daniel’s voice became agitated and he shuddered slightly.

Sam looked at him with pity in her eyes and waited for him to recover.

“Whether it was a stroke of luck or the Grace of God – or maybe both – they survived, and it made me realize how precious they were to me. I always had a very good relationship with them. I’d keep telling them how determined I was to follow them into archaeology and they were always pleased. When I became a professor and they found out that I would be teaching, things changed, and … I haven’t spoken to them since.” His tone was quiet and regretful.

Sam sighed heavily. “Daniel, I’m so sorry. It sounds like you used to get along really well with your parents and I can imagine how you felt after that … accident. Of course, I wasn’t so lucky with my Mom, but I learned soon after how precious my father was to me. I’m thankful for our good relationship. I’m so sorry that their unreasonable behavior is keeping you apart.” She blushed slightly, worried that she’d overstepped her bounds.

Daniel looked her in the eyes and nodded. “Thanks, Sam. I’d give anything to have them at our wedding, but as long as they refuse to accept what I’m doing and refuse to talk to me, it won’t happen.”

Sam looked at him intently as he closed the scrapbook, picked it up, and walked away with the intention of putting it back where he’d found it. She looked down at the list in front of her and sighed. She decided to count the list of guests they already had down and came up with twenty.

She picked up the pen and at the very bottom of the list, she wrote out, “Claire and Melburn Jackson” with a big question mark at the end. She then folded the piece of paper up and stuck it in her purse.

It was Wednesday evening when Sam received a call from her father. She and Daniel had spent part of the day at the Little White Flower wedding chapel, making arrangements. After they departed, Sam had gone into a party supply store to look for simple wedding invitations. She was really beginning to get excited about this and Jacob couldn’t have called at a better time. She couldn’t wait to break the news to him.

“He what?” Jacob asked very quietly, caught completely off-guard by what she’d just told him.

“Daniel proposed, Dad,” she repeated happily.

“You’re kidding,” he said seriously. “Are you pulling my leg, Sam?”

“No,” she insisted. “He came here on Monday night and asked if I’d take a ride with him. We ended up near Pikes Peak with a lovely view of the mountain and the lake and … he proposed.”

Sam blushed faintly and grinned as she heard her father’s whoops and cries of joy. She loved hearing him be so happy for her.

“Sammie, that’s great,” he said once he’d calmed down. “I’m so glad you’ve found such a wonderful young man.”

Sam grinned. “Technically, he found me, Dad.”

Jacob paused, remembering the details of how she and Daniel first met. “Ah, that’s right. Well, then, thank God he found you … that doesn’t sound right, does it?” he joked. They shared a good laugh.

Sam remembered that Daniel was going away and her euphoria diminished. “Daniel is leaving on Monday for Egypt,” she blurted out.

“What for?” Jacob asked curiously.

“One of his new students is studying a burial chamber or something like that. They’re doing an excavation. He won’t be back until the 20th.”

“Oh,” Jacob said quietly, picking up on Sam’s disappointed tone.

“I really wish you could be here,” she said somberly.

Jacob remained silent for a moment. “I might be able to arrange that,” he finally answered.

Sam’s eyebrows drew together upon hearing his cryptic remark. She then decided that he was just trying to make her feel better, as he usually did whenever she was unhappy about something. She chatted with him a few minutes longer and then ended the call, as she still had to make dinner.

Sam and Daniel spent the rest of the week they had left together doing things they’d both been meaning to do for quite a while. They went to see “Starship Troopers” again since they didn’t get to see very much of it the first time. They remembered Walter Harriman’s offer and visited the Museum of Space Exploration as well. Sam found the place to be more interesting than she’d remembered. Of course, having a few new exhibits didn’t hurt.

Walter was proud to give them a tour of one of these exhibits himself. They’d found him sitting at the front desk and he’d immediately recognized them. He even got them in at a discounted price. Daniel instantly felt bad and wanted to pay full admission, but Walter would have none of it. After Daniel had helped him change the tire at Pikes Peak, it was the least he could do.

“If you’ll step this way, I’ll give you the grand tour, beginning with the new exhibit that’s located in the ‘Hall of Chevrons,’” Walter announced in an all-important voice.

Daniel and Sam regarded him blankly, having no clue as to what he was talking about. Walter stepped up to the logo of the “Man on the Moon” Hall and pointed to the two uppercase M’s.

“I, uh, I’ve always liked that word – ever since I took a structural geology class,” he grinned. “Don’t those M’s look like chevrons?”

His guests blinked, still not getting it.

“You probably know what I’m talking about,” he said as he looked at Sam. “Chevron folding?”

Sam simply stared at him.

“Or, maybe you don’t,” he trailed off and coughed awkwardly.

“Sorry, I’m just not that familiar with structural geology,” she said apologetically.

Walter shrugged. After he showed them the new exhibit, he gave them a tour of the rest of the museum, which Daniel and Sam enjoyed thoroughly. Near the end, they made small talk and Daniel mentioned to him that he and Sam were now engaged. Walter offered congratulations and best wishes to a proudly beaming Sam and Daniel. As Daniel started telling him about their plans, Sam wondered if she had to add Walter and his fiancée to the guest list now.

Another one of Sam and Daniel’s activities included visiting the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. These were authentic cliff dwellings built more than 700 years earlier by a group of Indians known as the Anasazi – meaning Ancient Ones. Daniel was undoubtedly in his element, as visitors were free to touch everything and even go inside these dwellings. Apparently he had visited them before, but Sam would never have noticed; his awe and enthusiasm were unending.

As they stepped back to gaze upon the archaeological preserve, Sam noticed that Daniel’s expression had turned quite thoughtful. Concern was reflected in her eyes as she touched his arm.

Daniel was brought out of his contemplative state and glanced at Sam. “Oh, ah … I was just thinking … my Mom would have loved this place. I can just picture how fascinated she would be with all this,” he chuckled sentimentally.

Sam’s lips twitched upward in a faint smile. Deep down, she still felt bad that Daniel and his parents had grown apart because of something as petty as his career path. She instantly began thinking of the wedding, but stopped herself and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. He turned and smiled at her, deciding once and for all to stop bringing up his parents almost every chance he got.

It was the day before Daniel left for Egypt when Sam received another pleasant surprise. She and Daniel were sitting in her living room, discussing not only the wedding, but also related things such as living arrangements. They both decided that Daniel would move in with Sam once he got back from his excursion. They had planned on hunting for a bigger place to live eventually, but these plans would suit them well in the interim.

Their conversation was rudely interrupted by an earnestly ringing doorbell. Sam sighed angrily, thinking it was some kid playing a prank. She reluctantly left Daniel’s side and made her way to the door. When she pulled it open, her eyes widened.

Standing before her was her father wearing his dress blues and a smile a mile wide. “If it isn’t the blushing bride,” he said affectionately.

“D-Dad … what are you doing here?” she stammered as her lips formed a slight smile.

“I was out at a meeting at Peterson Air Force Base this weekend. After that wonderful news you gave me the other day, I sure as hell couldn’t go back to D.C. without paying you a visit.”

Emotion passed over Sam’s face as she stared at him and realized how happy he was. Before she could say anything else, he pulled her into a big hug.

“It’s wonderful news, Sammie. I can’t tell you how proud I am,” he said gently, his voice muffled by the top of her head.

Daniel watched them thoughtfully, happy to see Sam’s father and happy that he’d given his blessing for their marriage, but also a bit jealous of her close relationship with him. He wished with all his heart that he could picture himself with his parents this way. He knew that was impossible, though.

Jacob finally let go of Sam and fixed his eyes on Daniel. “Ah, and there’s the blushing groom-to-be,” he said in a light-hearted teasing way.

A kind smile spread across Daniel’s face as Jacob made his way up to him and gave him a hearty handshake, followed by a small hug.

“I know you’re going to make my little girl happy, Danny,” he said as he patted Daniel on the back. “And, that makes me happy. I’m so glad she’s met a kind, caring young man like you.”

Daniel swallowed to get rid of the small lump that had formed in his throat. “Thank you, Jacob,” he said solemnly. “I love your daughter very, very much, and I want nothing more than to make her happy.”

Jacob smiled at him and nodded. “I know,” he said softly. After a moment of awkward silence, a mischievous twinkle appeared in his eyes. “And, you’re going to be leaving her tomorrow. For God’s sake, Daniel, how could you do that?” he said teasingly.

Daniel looked at him for a moment before chuckling awkwardly. He had worked up the nerve to tell Sam about the excavation and now he had to explain it to her father – soon to be his father-in-law. Luckily, Jacob did him the courtesy of letting him off easy. He knew that Daniel was fully committed to Sam and not about to run off on her. He just liked to engage in light-hearted teasing – a fact that Sam knew all too well.

Jacob treated them to dinner at a quaint Italian restaurant, where they filled him in on the plans for the wedding. He seemed slightly surprised when they told him it was set for August 31st, just twenty-eight days away. They insisted that they wanted a small wedding and wanted to be married and off on their honeymoon before the bustle of the new semester settled in. Waiting just wasn’t an option for them, most likely because they were so deeply in love and wanted to make it official. Jacob grew sentimental when he remembered how he and his late wife also wanted to get married in a hurry. They were married in a Catholic church, however, so they ended up waiting about five months. Waiting that long seemed to kill them both, so he understood the urgency of her daughter and her fiancé.

He began feeling bad when he realized that they had planned a good deal of it already and he always felt that he would pay for his only daughter’s wedding. In a surprising gesture, he asked Daniel to give him the bills and receipts for everything they’ve already paid for, as he would reimburse them for it. Sam and Daniel were quite embarrassed and insisted that he didn’t have to do this, but Jacob didn’t budge an inch. Stubbornness was a part of his military persona – he never had it in him to give up without a fight. They begrudgingly accepted his offer and, when they returned home, Daniel and Sam presented him with all they had so far.

After chatting for several minutes more, Daniel realized how late it had become. He needed to get home and pack, as he was leaving quite early the next morning. Jacob lovingly looked on as the couple stood, silhouetted in the doorway and mired in a nearly unending kiss.

Sam reluctantly pulled away from Daniel and watched as he slowly traversed her front walk and got into his car. Once he’d driven out of sight, she turned back and blushed as she witnessed her father staring at her with an affectionate smile on his face.

“You’re really going to miss him, aren’t you?” he asked after a beat.

Sam’s eyes met his and he could see the sadness in them. She averted her eyes and nodded.

“Don’t worry about it, kiddo. Two and a half weeks will fly by and, before you know it, the big day will be upon you.”

Sam looked back up at him and her eyes stung with tears when she witnessed the warmth and understanding in her father’s eyes.

“I don’t think you need me to say it again, but I will anyway: this marriage has my blessing. All I want for you is a lifetime of happiness and I’m more than certain that Daniel can give that to you. I will definitely be there to walk you down the aisle, as proud of you as I could ever be,” he told her, his voice heavy with emotion.

Sam could no longer suppress her emotions as tears of joy streamed down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. “Thanks, Dad,” she said, her voice wavering. “I love you.”

Not long after their affectionate exchange, Jacob reluctantly had to leave. He had a late flight that night back to Washington. After he left, Sam sat on her couch, replaying the earlier events in her mind and shedding a few more tears of happiness.

Sam woke up with a start at five-thirty AM, rudely forced out of bed by loud, persistent knocking. She was intent on giving the intruder both barrels when she remembered that Daniel had an early flight that morning and was coming over for one last goodbye. Still, she didn’t think he was leaving that early.

She quickly threw her robe on and made her way into the bathroom in order to tidy her hair up just a bit. Then she hurried to the front door where she found Daniel waiting not so patiently. He was dressed in what appeared to be lightweight desert camouflage and had a large, olive green duffel bag at his feet. Emotion briefly flashed across Sam’s face when she reminded herself that he would be going away. She shrugged herself out of it and tried to put on a happy face.

“Hey,” she said, giving him a faint smile. “Come in for a few minutes.”

Daniel reluctantly shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t,” he said regretfully. “The flight to Cairo leaves at seven-thirty and I have to meet my students at the gate by six. I would have come here earlier, but I didn’t want to wake you too early.”

Sam gave him a faint, crooked, what-barely-passed-as-a-smile. It broadened when he gave her a shy smile back.

“I’m really going to miss you,” she said seriously.

“I know,” he said softly as his eyes pierced hers. “And I’m really going to miss you.”

They looked into each other’s eyes for a fleeting moment embracing in a fierce hug.

“But, I’ll only be gone for two and a half weeks,” Daniel said, trying to sound upbeat despite the fact that his voice was filled with emotion. “And I’ll be thinking about you the whole time.”

Sam sniffled as she pulled apart from him and looked into his eyes. “I hope I’ll be able to get along while you’re gone,” she said, half-jokingly.

Daniel chuckled affectionately. “Maybe this will help?” he asked. Before she could say anything else, he wrapped his arms around her and enveloped her in a long, lingering, tender kiss. She whimpered as she felt his tongue enter her mouth and felt his hands slip underneath her robe and the back of her pajama top. She enjoyed it, but knew it had to come to an end. She began twirling the strands of his hair between her fingers, as if she didn’t want to let go of him.

Reluctantly, he pulled out of their embrace and gazed deeply into her eyes.

“I think that might help,” she said with a crooked grin.

Daniel blushed a bit and then smiled tenderly at her. He looked into her eyes once more and gave her a soft kiss on the lips before he let her go and made his way back to his car.

After exchanging a final wave with him, Sam shut the door and slowly made her way back to her bedroom where she lazily got dressed. As she munched on her breakfast, she felt a lump form in her throat as she thought about Daniel. She hoped she wouldn’t let his absence bring her down too much. They’d never been apart for more than a week and even then they at least kept in contact by phone. She doubted such a thing would be possible this time with Daniel in the Egyptian desert.

She sighed as she entered her home office and turned the computer on. She removed some papers from one of her desk drawers and studied them curiously. Her father was right – two and a half weeks would fly by and she’d be with Daniel again. As she read what was on the printed papers, she realized she would have to get along without him. Right now, she had work to do.