Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Running away certainly wasn’t Ed’s plan for Thanksgiving weekend.  

Sure, he had planned to spend the few days with Lorraine and her family. Beyond that, his plans are limited.  

When he arrives at her house, he’s more than surprised when to find her sitting on the lawn with a look on her face that screams upset.  

Wandering over, he reaches out for her, watching as she looks up at him, almost bewildered. There’s a distinct realisation of who it is behind her eyes, and she forces a small smile as he slowly sits beside her.  

“Sorry, I was... I wasn’t...” she trails off.  

“What’s wrong?” he asks, lightly massaging her shoulder as she leans against him.  

“I need to get out of here...” she whispers, a shakiness in her voice.  

They’ve been together for just over a year, and Ed has never seen her so distraught. 

He’s been by her side during a vision, he’s protected from the world when she’s had a panic attack, and he’s shielded her from the nights of depression, overwhelmed by the cruel taunts of her classmates and family.  

He rests his arm over her shoulder, leaning down to lay a gentle kiss on the top of her head.  

“Do you wanna go and pack a bag? The car’s just over there, I'll wait there,” he offers, though the pain in her eyes makes him question everything for the split second before she answers,  

“I can’t do it alone...”  

He nods and slowly stands up, brushing the dirt from his trousers before holding his hand out to her, helping her stand up.  

Smiling, she stands up and squeezes his hand, pulling him into a tight hug.  

“Lorraine Rita Moran, what on Earth do you think you’re doing?!” a voice yells, and Lorraine flinches, but Ed doesn’t let her writhe away to run.  

He knows that’s what she wants to do.  

He won’t let her though.  

He’ll face this with her.  

He'll weather every single storm that they face by her side. 

Lorraine’s mother storms out of the house towards them. Ed rubs her shoulders gently.  

“Edward, I think you would be best going home. Lorraine is grounded,” she says and reaches out to grip Lorraine’s arm.  

“Do not touch her,” Ed responds as sobs wrack Lorraine's entire body.  

Georgiana looks surprised to hear the authority in Ed’s tone.  

She’s always known his love for Lorraine is strong, but she never expected him to be so protective. Regardless, Lorraine must be punished for how she has behaved.  

“Edward. Don’t make me call your father,” she responds.  

“Do it. He's passed out in his own piss,” Ed shrugs and glances down at Lorraine, lightly stroking some hairs back to see Lorraine’s tear-filled eyes.  

“It’s okay darling... I’m here,” he murmurs and lightly kisses her forehead. Lorraine buries her head into his chest again as more sobs wrack her body.  

“What’s going on...?” he asks quietly.  

“Lorraine had a bad attitude without reason,” Georgiana responds.  

“I was not asking you,” Ed growls.

He takes a deep breath to calm himself before he shouts, he really doesn’t want to upset Lorraine further than her parents already have.  

“I want to hear it from Lorraine...” he says.  

“You’ll only hear a view that’s tainted, a lie,” Georgiana says.  

“Fuck off.”  

Ed doesn’t intend to shout. He doesn’t want to, but he’s so angry about how they’re treating Lorraine that it just happens.  

Georgiana looks shocked to hear it, as though she hadn’t expected him to respond how he did.

"What happened darling?" Ed whispers. 

Lorraine lets out a shaky breath, clumsily wiping at her eyes for a moment, "I had a vision... and I caused a scene... that's what mom said anyway..." 

Ed glares over at Georgiana and shakes his head before bringing his attention back to Lorraine, "hey... let's go get a bag... we can go away for a few days..." 

Lorraine squeezes his hand and nods, letting out another shaky breath.

Ed smiles and brushes his thumb along her cheek, muttering his love for her over and over.

Lorraine squeezes Ed's hand as she leads him into the house with more confidence than when she left the house. 

Chapter Text

They’ve been on the road for two hours at this point. Lorraine is still quiet, though one small win is that the tears on her cheeks have dried.  

“Hey uh... sorry for back there... I didn’t want to have to yell, and I know you don’t like it... I just...” he trails off, taking his hands from the wheel for a moment to brush his hair back, “it drives me insane that your parents are just as bad as everybody else in that shitty town.”  

Lorraine glances over, as though she can't quite believe what she’s heard, “did you... did you just apologise?”  

Ed takes his eyes from the road, grateful for the empty road. With most families at home, he doesn’t feel so worried as he glances over and nods, “yeah... I yelled, and you said that it scares you when people are people yelling” he shrugs, lightly squeezing her hand as he brings his attention back to the road.  

“Nobody apologises... not to me...” she whispers, looking down.  

“I did,” Ed shrugs, “and if I ever upset you, just tell me. I’ll change.”  

A tear streams down her cheek as she hears his words. He rubs her thigh gently, his eyes landing on the garage ahead – there's a diner too, plenty of time to stop for lunch and a refuel. He’s pulled out of his thoughts when Lorraine entwines their fingers and smiles over at him.  

He wants to ask her if she’s okay, he wants to ask what happened before I arrived? He has so many questions, but instead, he squeezes her hand, promising “it’ll be okay.”  

They crossed the state border into Maine several hours after they left Bridgeport. Lorraine is curled up with Ed’s coat around her shoulders as she sleeps. He’s parked up in a library, contemplating where to go from here.  

With careful movements, Ed reaches over and opens the glovebox, pulling out the envelope.  

$600  

He was going to buy Lorraine an engagement ring, something for Christmas too maybe. Today has changed things though.  

His eyes land on the motel across the street. It’s seedy, and Lorraine deserves much better – but he has a plan, and they won’t be staying there beyond sleeping. He decides that he’ll stay here, for now, letting Lorraine curl closer to him.  

He reaches over and decides to organise the glovebox, pulling out random slips of paper, shopping lists too. He puts them in his lap, ready to take them over to the nearest trashcan when Lorraine wakes.  

His hands hit a small box though, one he hasn’t seen in quite a long time. He thought his father had sold it.  

And here it is.  

His mother’s ring.  

He swore to himself that he would hold it for his first true love.  

Lorraine.  

There's a light grumble, and Ed closes the glovebox, stuffing the box into his pocket.  

“Hey there, sleeping beauty,” he murmurs as she turns over to face him, a sleepy smile on her face.  

“Where are we...?” she asks.  

Ed chuckles and looks around, “currently, we’re in the parking lot of a library in Maine, I figured we could spend the weekend here.”  

Lorraine nods and smiles, “you didn’t have to do this for me...” she murmurs.  

Ed smiles and squeezes her hand, “I wanted to. It’s probably our last Thanksgiving before I’m drafted... Your family weren’t helping anything.”  

“Shall we go and get some lunch?” Ed suggests. He pulls his wallet from the back seat and stuffs it into his pocket, glancing over to Lorraine with a small smile. 

“Is anywhere open?” Lorraine responds, looking around. Most buildings have CLOSED signs up, but there is a small diner that has a few customers across the street.  

“Yeah...” Ed responds and squeezes Lorraine’s hand before unbuckling both seatbelts.  

He climbs out of the car and waits for Lorraine, who joins him a few moments later. He squeezes her hand as they make their way across the street.  

They’re seated in a booth, far in the corner away from any prying eyes. Lorraine immediately makes a dash to the bathroom, needing to freshen up after everything that’s happened since she first showered this morning. 

Ed brings his attention back to the box in his pocket.  

He’s never been so overwhelmed with an urge.  

But he wants nothing more than to put this ring on her finger and then kiss her until they’re both delirious.  

“Hey handsome, what’s on your mind?” Lorraine’s voice puts any fears to rest, as she slides into the booth beside him. Ed smiles and winds an arm around her shoulders, letting out a happy sigh.  

“Just... we’ve run away, you know. I know it’s more complex than just running away, but we have...” he muses.  

Lorraine nods and squeezes his hand slightly, “that we did... but I don’t regret it... do you?”  

Ed frowns slightly as he ponders over an answer. If anybody had told him that he would be spending his last thanksgiving before being drafted to the war, by running away to Maine with Lorraine for the weekend, he would have laughed.  

But here he is.  

And, all things considered, he’s happy.  

Lorraine being happy only makes Ed even happier too. 

“I don’t...” he leans over and kisses Lorraine’s cheek as a waiter walks over and hands them both a food menu.  

“Can I get you guys started with any drinks?”  

They both order a lemonade, something simple.  

Ed still hasn’t told Lorraine that there’s over $500 in his car, he has a plan though.  

There’s a rather fancy-looking hotel just down the road, it looks just as expensive.  

But he found the hotel on the map that’s stuffed into his glovebox, and he found the costs, correct as of a year ago. He could easily afford several nights, so two nights and a nice meal should be within his budget, with money to spare, he hopes. 

“What are you thinkin’ of having?” Lorraine asks as she flicks through the menu.  

Ed shrugs and quickly glances at the menu, he hasn’t exactly been thinking about the food – his mind focussed on how he can make this weekend the best time of Lorraine’s life before he’s ripped away from her.  

“Burger, the bacon cheeseburger looks quite nice...” he ponders.  

Though, he would absolutely give Lorraine the onion rings. He's never understood why people like onions, and frying them in batter doesn’t make them any more enjoyable to him.  

“That does sound nice... though the pasta does too,” Lorraine ponders, “But the pasta is almost twice as much as the burger...”  

“Don’t worry about the money,” he promises, lightly squeezing her hip.  

Lorraine almost gawps at him, so used to people not letting her get something that’s slightly more expensive. Ed doesn’t seem to care though.  

“Are you sure?” she asks.  

Ed nods and smiles, lightly kissing her neck as he flicks over to the desert's page.  

“I was thinkin’ chocolate fudge cake for after?”  

Chapter Text

Ed emerges from the bathroom in their hotel room, finding Lorraine standing in front of the window. He wanders over and winds his arms around her waist, lightly kissing her neck as he pulls her against his chest.   

Lorraine rests her head back against his shoulder as he lightly sways with her, muttering “how are you feeling?”   

Ed lightly squeezes her hand, “I should be asking you that...”   

“I’m fine... My parents have always been bad. I thought I'd gotten used to it...” she murmurs.   

Ed frowns and shakes his head, “you shouldn’t have to... they should treat you better. I don’t... I know it’s hard to know what you’re going through, I can’t say that I know what you see in the visions, but I don’t need to know. I just need to make sure that you’re okay.”   

Lorraine slowly turns in his arms, burying her face against his shoulder. Ed strokes his hands down her back and kisses her forehead.   

There are so many things that he wants to say, so many things that he wants to do.   

And none of them will ever be enough.   

“It’s getting late... do you want to get some sleep?” Ed suggests, lightly stroking her shoulders. Lorraine smiles slightly and pulls him along to the bed.   

“You never told me how much this place costs...” she trails off, nudging him to lay back on the bed. He watches as she kneels above him, leaning down to kiss him gently. Ed melts into the kiss and brushes his hand over her cheek.   

As she slowly sits back and straddles his hips, Ed smiles and strokes his hands along her thighs, “I’m not telling.”  

He flashes a cheeky smile, squeezing her thigh as she frowns, “please?”   

Ed shakes his head, “don’t worry about anything over the next few days. I got it...” he promises.   

Lorraine nods and curls up at his side, though after a moment she sits up, “I’m gonna get changed...”  

Ed nods and smiles, relaxing back against the bed. He watches as she wanders over to her suitcase, before wandering over to the bathroom with some pyjamas in her hand. Ed smiles slightly and watches her, relaxing against the bed.   

He slowly unbuttons his shirt and tosses it towards his own case, not having the energy to pull out his sweatpants. Instead, he wriggles out of his jeans and nudges them off the edge of the bed, before sliding beneath the duvet. He rests one hand behind his head, the other settles on his chest.   

Lorraine emerges from the bathroom and a small smile graces her face when she sees him. She saunters over and slides into the bed beside him. She curls up against his chest, intertwining their legs. She winds her arm over his waist and rests her head on his shoulder.   

“How are you feeling?” Ed doesn’t know what to ask, he doesn’t know what to say. Lorraine slowly curls closer to him and sighs, shrugging.   

“I don’t know. I thought getting away would help but it’s all in my head. I thought they were starting to understand it all...” she admits, letting out a quiet sigh. Ed slowly strokes his hands through her hair, kissing her forehead.  

“I know it’s difficult to understand... but when I have a vision, I just... I don’t know...” she sighs. Ed lightly rubs her shoulders and strokes his thumbs along her cheeks.  

“I understand... I can’t always know what you’ve seen, but I know that it often scares you. I know that you need to be grounded to Earth, not to lose yourself in the vision, I know that much...” his voice is soft.  

“I don’t need to know anything else...” he adds and kisses the top of her head. Lorraine smiles fondly, curling closer to him as sleep looms.  

“Get some sleep hon... we’ve got all weekend together, I’m not goin’ anywhere,” Ed squeezes her hip and pulls the duvet closer.  

Lorraine smiles and curls against him. Ed’s hands rest on her waist as she slowly relaxes in his embrace, and soon enough, her soft snores fill the room.  

Ed smiles and gently kisses the top of her head again, “I love you so... so much....”  

The ring that’s in his car pops into his mind.  

The overwhelming urge to ask her to marry him overcomes him again.  

He’ll be gone soon.  

The letter is in his bedroom.  

His draft date is March – six months after he turns eighteen.  

He doesn’t know if he’ll come home.  

And the thought kills him.  

He should let her go, he shouldn’t tie her down when he’s inevitably going to die at war.  

He glances down at Lorraine again, she has a small smile on her face, even while she sleeps.  

And he decides that actually, no.  

He is going to ask her to marry him.  

He’s going to marry her.  

And if he dies at war, he’ll know that he had happiness for that short time in his life.    

Chapter Text

The light hits Ed’s eyelids as he rouses from his sleep.

Lorraine is still snoozing by his side, he doesn’t want to think about moving, even for a moment.

 It’s a rare moment in Lorraine’s life of peace and quiet, and she deserves the rest.

Her parents don’t help the situation at all.

Lorraine gets little let-up – between the visions, the bullying at school, and the way she's treated at home, her mental health is shot.

Ed tries to help; he does everything in his power to ensure she’s okay.

Sometimes though, he can’t help but feel useless.

He tries to help her but knows it’ll never be enough.

He’ll never be able to take the whole burden.

There’s a soft sniffle from Lorraine, pulling Ed from his thoughts. He glances down at her again, she pulls him closer as she settles again.

It’s not like they have any reason to move from the bed yet.

It’s noon when they leave the hotel for the day. They wander into town, hand in hand. They occasionally get a strange look, Ed has no doubt people are surprised at their age.

He doesn’t care though.

This weekend is about Lorraine.

Nobody else.

“What do you want for lunch?” he asks, as they stop in front of a posh-looking restaurant.

Lorraine looks at him with a raised eyebrow, “are you sure you can afford it?”

Ed nods and smiles, pulling her into a lazy kiss. Her hands wind around his waist, pulling him closer by the belt loops on his jeans.

“What did I ever do to deserve you?” she murmurs.

Ed responds by kissing her again.

Wandering inside the restaurant, the server guides them to a booth in the corner, leaving them both with the drinks menu.

"Ed, have you seen the prices? It's $10 for a soda! We should leave, there was a diner over the road," Lorraine says, gesturing to the menu.

"It's fine. Honestly, I got it. We're staying," he lightly squeezes her hand, "you deserve nothing less than the best."

Lorraine can't hide the fond smile on her face as opens his own menu.

"Are you sure?" her doubt still rings clear.

"Lorraine, honestly, it's fine. I want to do this, I want to give you the nice memories... in case..." he doesn't want to talk about the inevitable war draft. Lorraine knows about it just as much as he does.

They both avoid it.

And Lorraine nods in understanding.

She does understand.

He doesn't need to say it to know that the thought of dying before he could give her such lavishness hurts him.

"Okay," she responds, squeezing his hand.

Ed smiles and brings his attention back to the menu. 

Ed sneakily avoids letting Lorraine see the bill.

After they leave the restaurant, they continue their wandering around town. Lorraine sees a dress that she likes and Ed buys it.

Their journies continue around town for a few more hours, hand in hand.

Like this, they could take on the world.

Nobody can stop them.

The moon stands high as they walk along the beach. The waves lap at their feet, the only noise in the night. Hand in hand, they’re content in this moment.

The ring is still in Ed’s pocket. He’s not sure if he’ll find a more perfect time to be alone with her than this weekend. Her family don’t help the situation at all.

“Today has been perfect Ed, thank you so much…” Lorraine says softly, squeezing his hand.

Ed stops on the spot as he decides that now is the right time.

Lorraine frowns as she turns to face him, “Ed?”

He slowly drops to one knee in front of her, biting his lip as he lets go of her hand.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the ring.

“Lorraine... will you marry me?”

Ed has never been so nervous.

He can feel his heart racing.

He’s terrified.

Lorraine is standing in front of him.

He can’t read her expression.

Maybe it was the wrong time.

They’re both young.

Maybe she doesn't feel the same.

Maybe he did the wrong thing by dragging her away for the weekend.

He barely hears her mutter his name, but he doesn’t need to.

He sees the small smile on her face, the tears that well in her eyes too.

She nods as a hand comes up to cup her mouth, hiding the sobs threatening to escape. Ed smiles widely and jumps up, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Cheers can be heard from a short distance away, but that’s not what Ed cares about. He lifts Lorraine into a tight hug, already feeling the ache in his cheeks from the smile.

He can’t stop smiling though.

Lorraine holds her hand out shakily and Ed slides the ring onto her finger.

It’s a perfect fit.

“I love you so much…” his voice is low, but Lorraine hears him.

She tightens her grip on his shoulders, barely trusting her voice as she responds, “I love you too… I love you too Ed.”

Chapter Text

The hotel room door is barely closed before Lorraine is pulling Ed into a deep kiss, her hands scrambling over his body as she pulls him closer.  There’s some a baser urge under Ed’s skin, he can feel arousal thrumming through his veins.   

Lorraine has surely noticed it.   

Lorraine has knotted her fingers through his hair as they stumble back to the bed, pulling him every step of the way. Ed lifts Lorraine and winds her legs around his waist.  

They need to stop.   

Ed knows they do.   

This isn’t right.   

They need to wait for marriage.   

But there’s something about the way Lorraine’s tugging his hair that leaves him hard in his jeans, groaning into her mouth.   

He lays Lorraine on the bed and kneels above her, his chest heaving as he mouths along her neck. Lorraine lets out a soft gasp, her head falling back against the pillow. She reaches up and knots her fingers through his hair, biting her lip.  

“Lorraine, we shouldn’t...” Ed murmurs, though that stirring in his jeans isn’t easing.  

Lorraine slowly nods and reaches up to brush her thumb along his cheek, “I love you...”  

Ed smiles and kisses her again, before slowly moving to sit beside her. He shifts gingerly, the ache between his legs only building, “I love you too...”  

Ed slowly stands from the bed and bites his lip.  

“I’m gonna hop in the shower,” he chuckles. Lorraine smiles and drags her eyes along the length of his body, biting her lip.  

“Have fun...” her voice is sultry. Ed groans and slowly wanders towards the bathroom, thinking unsexy thoughts.  

He emerges from the bathroom with a towel around his waist, steam billowing around his shoulders. Lorraine is sitting on the bed in her pyjamas. Ed smiles fondly as he reaches over and pulls his pyjama pants from where he left them in his bag.  

He can feel Lorraine’s eyes on him as he lets the towel fall to the floor before pulling the pants up. Lorraine quickly averts her eyes when Ed turns to face her, though she knows that he caught her. He wanders over and slides into the bed.  

He curls up at her side, winding an arm over her waist, “what are ya reading?”  

“Just something my mom recommended. It’s kinda boring but it passes the time,” she muses. Ed smiles and kisses her neck.  

“When do you want to go home?” Ed asks, lightly massaging her hip.  

Lorraine shrugs and sighs, biting her lip.  

“Never?” it’s hopeful but Ed smiles and shrugs.  

“If we could I would. One day, we’ll have our own place. We won’t be stuck with them and can do whatever we want...”  

Lorraine smiles and pulls him closer, hugging him tightly. Ed shifts until he can cuddle closer, tangling their legs.  

“Where would you want to live?” Lorraine asks, settling in Ed’s warmth.  

He shrugs and kisses her chest, “anywhere that you are.”  

Lorraine can feel her heart fill with love at that. She tangles their legs together and kisses the top of his head.  

“Somewhere not out of town, but not close to our families. Somewhere like... Monroe, or Norwalk... or... I don’t know, Monroe sounds pretty nice. I had an aunt who lived there... I used to love it...” Ed murmurs.  

Lorraine nods and smiles, “Monroe would be a great place to live together... me, you, a dog too?”  

Ed’s smile is all that Lorraine needs.  

She puts her book down and curls closer to Ed, pulling the duvet around their shoulders. Ed’s warmth is heating Lorraine more than the duvet could, as sleep overtakes them both. 

It might be early but spending the time together, asleep, is more than enough. 

They might go home tomorrow, they might not. 

That's a tomorrow thing to think about. 

Chapter Text

Ed glances over at Lorraine as he parks his car outside of her house. She’s still asleep, her head resting on his shoulder. Leaning down, he presses a gentle kiss to her hair, hoping that it conveys all the love that he feels for her, and so much more.  

“Hon... we’re home,” he says softly. He doesn’t want to disturb her, she’s finally peaceful. But they can’t delay facing her family anymore. They’ve been away for more than three days at this point.  

Lorraine grumbles and curls closer to him.  

A small smile covers Ed’s face as he kisses her forehead again.  

“Darling...” he hums.  

It takes several moments for Lorraine to rouse, still groggy as their eyes meet.  

“We’re home,” he says softly. Lorraine nods and lightly rubs her eyes, sitting upright.  

Ed lightly squeezes her thigh, “are you gonna be okay?”  

Lorraine shrugs and looks down at their feet. 

“I’ll be with you every step of the way, forever and always” Ed interlaces their fingers, bringing Lorraine’s hand up to press a gentle kiss to her knuckles. Lorraine smiles fondly and squeezes Ed’s hand.  

“I love you...” she whispers.  

Ed smiles and leans over to kiss her gently. He glances over at the house and then back to Lorraine.  

“I’m ready...” she doesn’t sound it. But she unbuckles her seatbelt and adjusts herself before opening the door. Ed smiles and climbs out of the car. He wanders around to the trunk and lifts her bags with ease, locking his car before returning to Lorraine’s side.  

He holds her hand as they walk up to the house. Lorraine lets out a shaky breath and knocks on the door, unsure of what to do. She’s never run away for three days before.  

She looks over at Ed and sighs, “I’ve had so much fun this weekend...”  

Ed smiles and kisses her gently, “I love you...”  

The door opens, and they come face to face with Lorraine’s parents.  

Ed feels surprisingly confident as he follows Lorraine inside, prepared to face all of the questions that her parents have, and more than ready to protect Lorraine if they get irate again.  

*** 

December 26 th , 1977  

Ed wanders down the stairs with a yawn. Lorraine is still asleep, though that’s not surprising. It’s the early hours of the morning, and their bodies are still halfway between England and the States.  

That dream... 

It was so... real. 

It was real. They lived through those nights.  

He reaches up and plucks a glass from the cabinet, and he’s about to turn towards the sink to get some water when arms wind around his waist.  

“Did you have a bad dream?” Lorraine asks softly. Ed smiles and reaches down to squeeze her hand, turning to face her.  

“No... it was a good dream...” he murmurs, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head. 

“Oh yeah... care to share?” Lorraine asks, resting her head against his chest to listen to the beating of his heart.  

“Thanksgiving in ‘45,” he says softly, “just turned 18, you were 17. It was us against the world...” he chuckles fondly.  

Lorraine smiles softly and drags her hand up his chest, “My parents never quite understood things... but I don’t blame them...”  

Ed presses a gentle kiss to her forehead, looking down at the ring on her finger, the one that hasn’t moved in over thirty years.  

“I love you,” Ed murmurs. Lorraine smiles and hugs him tighter.  

“Are you coming back to bed?” she asks quietly.  

Ed smiles and nods, “I am... just getting a drink...” 

Lorraine smiles and kisses him again, before wandering over to the doorframe. Ed watches her for several moments, before filling the glass, and following Lorraine up to bed.  

She lays back on the bed and watches as Ed sits on the edge of the bed and drinks the entire glass in one go, before lying back beside her. Lorraine slowly slides up beside him, winding an arm over his waist as she rests her head on his chest.  

Ed lazily drags his hand along her spine for several minutes. 

“Can we run away again?” Lorraine asks.  

Ed chuckles lightly, not stopping the ministrations of his hand, “we have a daughter, hon’... she needs us.”  

Lorraine nods and smiles.  

A few days ago, she thought she wouldn’t get a moment like this again. Facing down Ed on the window-ledge, Lorraine’s mortality hit her like a train.  

She couldn’t shake the thought that Ed would die in London, that Lorraine would have to face Judy on Christmas day and tell her that Ed would never be coming home.  

The vision briefly flickers through her mind again, barely a second, and then it’s gone again and never to return.  

“I love you,” Lorraine says softly.  

Ed smiles and leans down to kiss her for several long minutes, before responding, “I love you too...”