"No, I haven't seen them in two weeks."
Katie shrugged. "Well, if you change your mind ..."
"Where are Jim & Tim?" he asked.
She made a face. "You missed them. Our twins were in the first skit."
"I'm sorry."
She shrugged. "It's alright. Carmen was a little disappointed, though. She'll be glad you got to see the rest of it."
When the play was over, he left the children with Katie and Bill and went back stage. He found Carmen talking to the principle. Her head was tipped back so that she could see his face and her excitement was personified in the dancing of her pony tail. She looked so lovely in that garb that he simply stood and watched in silence.
The principle glanced up and saw him and Carmen followed his gaze. At first she looked surprised, and then her eyes lit up like two gems.
"Alex!" she exclaimed and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck. "Oh," she gasped. "I missed you SO much!"
He gripped her waist with his hands, preventing her from getting an inch closer or further away.
"You look beautiful," he said.
She smiled up at him sweetly, that tiny dimple playing at the corner of her mouth.
"How did you like the play?"
"You all did a good job," he said. "Are you ready to go home?"
Carmen turned and looked at the principle. "I need to help clean up."
The principle waived a hand. "Go on. You've done your part."
Carmen looked relieved. Every emotion she experienced used to be written on her face. Tonight was like that. It was a pleasant reminder of the innocent bride he once knew.
Carmen moved to his side and put an arm around his waist. Gazing up at him, she sighed.
"I was afraid you would miss it all, but I was glad to hear you decided to spend a little more time with your father."
He squeezed her shoulders with one arm. Let her think that was the reason for his delay. He was sworn to secrecy anyway.
"I'm starving. Why don't we stop and get pizza?"
She smiled. "I've got everything ready for supper. I just need to warm it. I'll get Natalie, Matthew and Destiny. Can you get Jonathan? I'll have supper on the table by the time you two get home."
It seemed an unlikely prospect, but on issues where the children were involved, she was generally correct. She had once told him that children were her greatest dream ... next to a husband, she had amended. Her expression confessed that the first statement was true, though. Once that fact had gnawed at him, but he had come to terms with it. She had the children now and she was still a devoted wife. They had been through a lot, and she had stood beside him. He was a lucky man - but not because he had a wife who wanted him to be in control, as Katie believed.