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Neither of them had mentioned it, but today was the anniversary of their first marriage. Six years had passed since and there had been a divorce in the meantime. This was the first anniversary they'd spent together since Sara had left the Las Vegas crime lab.
The next day they were going to the northern part of Costa Rica for research and on the way they would pass by the location where their wedding had taken place. The trip would be too long to do in one day, so Grissom had suggested that they sail part of the journey today so as to have less sea to cover the next day. It seemed like a good idea to Sara.
In the late afternoon they arrived at the little harbor of the town that had seen them happily married for the first time. Next to the harbor was a small restaurant on the beach, where they decided to have dinner. It had changed a little since the last time they had been there, but although it looked more modern, it had kept its simple, homey character.
Sara had some work she wanted to finish and told Grissom to go ahead and reserve them a table. So he had set out.
He called Sara after a few minutes, there was room at the restaurant. She was already getting ready and would be able to meet him in 10.
He waited for her, absorbed in his thoughts, with his chin on one hand and his elbow resting on the balustrade of the terrace in front of the restaurant. The ocean, immense before his eyes, was darkening and the sun almost disappearing behind the horizon. Sara came up behind him, he recognized her voice and turned around.
No one had mentioned that that day was their wedding anniversary, but...Sara was wearing the dress she’d worn on their wedding day. A dark cream colored dress, not overly elegant, simple and soft.
Grissom recognized it immediately and was ecstatic. "Where have you been keeping that?"
The last ray of sunlight was just in time to illuminate Sara's embarrassed and happy face. She hunched her shoulders.
"Honestly, it's kind of annoying how great you look," Grissom almost protested.
Sara's face grew thoughtful. That phrase had reminded her of someone.
"You're not the first one to tell me that," she confessed with understated pride. She walked over to the banister and propped her elbows up, at Grissom's side.
She told him about Doug Wilson. Doug had said the same sentence to her while saying goodbye before leaving Las Vegas. He worked for the NTSB, and they had worked together on a plane crash case years before. For the investigation, he had even rebuilt half a plane for her in the lab. And he knew her well, because...they’d had a relationship in the past, before Vegas. An intimate relationship.
"And he also built you half a plane," Grissom complained, feeling outdone by his rival.
"He also wanted to invite you and me out to dinner, actually."
Grissom was surprised. "I don't recall you ever mentioning that invitation to me," he observed with a vaguely accusatory tone.
Sara bowed her head and actually looked a little guilty. But not for the reason Grissom thought.
"Let's just say that…our communication wasn't the best back then," she recalled.
Grissom felt a nagging nervousness growing inside him, and Sara confirmed his fears.
"It happened not long before the divorce phone call."
All the while, while listening to Sara, Grissom had been leaning against the balustrade with only an elbow. At that news, he had to turn and lean on both elbows. He barely swayed.
The divorce and one of Sara's exes were not the memories he wanted to bring back that night.
He kept his gaze down and spoke in a nervous tone. "So, you're telling me...that on that occasion you and this what's his name ..." He wanted to finish the sentence, but just thinking about it made the blood rush to his brain and his throat close up.
"Gil."
Though dazed by bad memories, Grissom sensed a lot of sweetness in Sara's voice. He waited a couple of seconds, undecided, but finally turned to look at her.
"...will you marry me?" she asked. Her eyes were both sincere and intimidated, her voice barely wavering, her intertwined fingers completely static.
Grissom's heart filled with love, but the bad memories had already contaminated his touchy soul too deeply. He turned his gaze back to the view.
"Is that a way to not answer my question?" he asked.
Sara was cheerfully scandalized by his insinuation. "No!" she exclaimed laughingly, hitting him on the arm. “Nothing happened with the NTSB guy.”
He shook his head thoughtfully. Sara's proposal was the proposal he had planned to make to her that very night. The fact that it was Sara who had uttered it hurt him a little. But, as they say, once for each doesn't hurt anyone. Since he had proposed the first time, he thought it was only fair that she did it the second time. Maybe it would bring them better luck.
"So, what do you say...?" Sara encouraged him.
Grissom straightened and adjusted the back of his blue shirt. "You know, you used to ask less obvious questions," he said still watching the sea
Sara didn't understand.
He turned to her. "I'll marry you. Now and..." he shrugged, "always."