The next morning, Jeff and Valerie were awakened by the screaming of their alarm. Jeff reached over and cuddled Valerie in his arms and held her close to his chest.

“Good morning, Ginger Snap.” Jeff smiled.

“Don’t look at me. I still don’t have any makeup on, and my hair is a rat’s nest.”

Jeff knew there would be no convincing Valerie, so he tried for a compromise.

“Baby, how about if I put the coffee on and bring you your cup? How does that sound?”

“Good, don’t look at me.” Valerie was firm.

The coffee pot’s little beep announced the beginning of their first cup of courage. Jeff poured the aromatic brew into their cups and took Valerie’s down the hall. When he got to the bathroom door he knocked gently.

“Baby, your coffee is on the nightstand by the door. Be careful, it’s fresh out of the pot.”

He set the cup down and started getting dressed. In a way, he was all right about going back to work, but in a larger respect, he wanted to be with Valerie. He finished dressing and was putting on his shoes when his phone buzzed.

“Hello, this is Jeff.”

“Hey Jeff, it’s Andy. I know you don’t want to come in today, but I know you are. Good news. Over the weekend, Percy and Ray came to terms. From my understanding, Percy is going to invest some cash into the company and become Ray’s right-hand man.

Ray is going to hire someone to take Percy’s place. This is great. Thirty men will still be employed, and a new man will have a job. We are having a meeting at ten-thirty in the hall for the announcement. I wanted to give you a heads-up. Give my sincere thanks to Valerie for her part.”

“That’s just amazing, Andy. Thank you. I will tell Valerie.” They ended their conversation.

Valerie came out of the bathroom and asked Jeff, “They can’t wait another forty-five minutes for you to be on the clock, so they call you at home. Gosh!”

“Valerie, that was Andy. Over the weekend your uncle and Ray came to an agreement. Andy called to thank you for asking your uncle to talk to Ray. So, he wasn’t calling me, he was calling you and I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you, Sweetheart.” They kissed and started out the door to go to work.

When Jeff got there, Andy was waiting for him, smiling.

“Nice to see you up and around,” Andy teased.

“We did have a wonderful time, thanks. And thank you for the good news. I’m sure the guys will be happy. Are you still having a meeting about the job ending?” Jeff wanted to know so he could plan their real honeymoon at the cabin.

“Jeff, the way I see it, the job should be completed by December tenth. That is almost two and a half months early. The guys kicked ass. So, I’m going to have them come in the following two days just to tie up any loose ends. That way, I can confidently say the job is completed and guarantee their bonus pay. Then on the fifteenth, I will call everyone in to give them their bonus and Christmas bonus. They should be happy.” Andy had pride in his voice.

The meeting with the plumbers was a rousing success, as was the full company meeting. Everyone went back to work with a smile on their face. Jeff pulled out his phone and called Valerie. Jeff could almost see her jumping up and down.

The rest of the week went off without a problem. Everyone seemed to be trying to get everything done sooner. Not a bad deal, even though Jeff would have to stay until he was sure everything was done.

Jeff got home just a little after Valerie. She was all smiles and jumped in his arms as soon as he closed the door. She was ready to sit down and have a beer with Jeff. She was telling him about her first day back. She said Crystal and Susie teased her all day long. Crystal even went out and bought a cushion for her chair and helped her sit down. The office went into hysteria.

At lunch break, they brought out a small wedding cake with a miniature bride and groom on the top. The manager let them have a little longer lunch to celebrate with Valerie. Then she showed them the statue they gave her. It was a man and woman hugging. The inscription on the base said “FOREVER”. Jeff loved it.

“Oh, Jeff! I have never been so happy. Every day I am grateful that we bumped into each other after court. What a goofy way to meet your future spouse.”

“Just think, Valerie, our new life has just started. Now, that everything is settled with the job, we can start planning for our cabin honeymoon.”

A knock came to the door. Jeff went to answer. It was Liz and Ted armed with a bottle of champagne. And a small package. Liz was the first in the door.

“Are you two dressed?” She joked.

“You’ve already seen her naked, but I don’t know that – “

“Jeffery. God Mom, what am I gonna do with him?”

“It seems like your love him is doing a very good job. Now get the glasses.”

Liz and Ted congratulated them again and gave them a toast. Then Liz wanted to hear about the weekend. Valerie began telling them everything, well, almost everything. When she got to the part about the little shop, Liz looked at her with a strange look.

“Mom, I don’t even know if there was a sign on the shop. It was almost a replica of the cabin and the surroundings. The waterfall is almost perfect. But what’s even crazier, when Jeff and I are intimate, a little light glimmers through the water.”

No one could understand the phenomenon, so the conversation went on to other parts of their weekend. The conversation turned to the construction job. Ted said there were rumors about Ray closing just after the job was done. When the final word came down, Percy could walk on water.

Liz and Ted left, and Valerie and Jeff hugged each other. They were happy Ted and Liz hit it off so well. Especially Valerie. She remembers how lonely her Mom was after her Dad died. She did join a church group, but nothing is better than having someone to share your life with.

“Ginger Snap, I don’t know about you, but I think everything that we experienced the past few days has caught up with me. I’m very tired. I mean very tired. How about you?”

“Yes, it hit me just before they left. I love Mom and I think Ted is great, but I was glad to see them go. My eyelids wanted to slam shut. I’m ready for bed too.”

As always, Valerie went into the bathroom first and got ready for bed. She came out wearing her knee-length tee shirt with a sleeping puppy on it. When Jeff came out of the bathroom, Valerie was snuggled down in the bedclothes.

She looked up at Jeff and her little hand peeked out from under the blankets and motioned to Jeff. He grabbed her little finger and kissed it, and then he kissed her cheek. He got in bed behind her, and she scooted her butt against him. Jeff reached over and caressed her breast. Sleep rapidly overcame them.