BMB: Version 4-2

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, and it was created solely by me as the author. Any similarities to characters, businesses, places, or things are all happenstance, though my appreciation to those who have inspired my works is immense.

Sidenote: An important comment first... to the anonymous comment about molar pregnancies in V3-3 (molar pregnancies occurred in both V2 & V3), I am so sorry that your wife endured such an extreme case with her molar pregnancy. I not only wrote from my own personal experience with such an event but did research to further understand why and how they occur. As you've stated (and I mentioned in the story), it truly has nothing to do with the mother's actions at all. Some are clearly much more traumatic than others, and again, I feel for you and for her. I write about them because I wish more people knew about them. Knowledge is power.

Author's Note: This entire series is based on the same characters, places, and general situations, but will be shared in the form of five different versions. I'm hoping you'll appreciate the various approaches as they are posted. And be aware: some versions go into certain details more than others, so remaining calm and awaiting the next installment may be necessary, but I assure you, it'll be worth it. Questions and comments are welcome. I hope everyone will be kind.

And this story will make little to no sense if you haven't read Version 4-1. For my avid readers, I've included a bonus recap. ENJOY!

Recap: "I think you should do it. Work up a visual. See what Dad says."

"Oh, I can't do that," Trin told him and laughed. She got up to stand with her back to the counter. "I don't have the artistic ability to draw it. Maybe I could explain it to Dougie tomorrow. He's always least busy on Fridays. I could maybe..." She had to stop talking. Tommy had walked over to her and kissed her suddenly. She hadn't expected it. He'd always waited for her to know it was coming.

When he pulled his lips from hers, he put his forehead down on hers. "You draw it out, Trin," he told her. "Write and draw out all your ideas. I want to see it. I know you have it in you. When you're done, all done, come show me. Take your time. I'm not going anywhere. Next week, next month, I'll be here. Show me," he encouraged with a whisper and then quickly kissed her forehead and left her standing there. She went to her office and had never worked so hard on a project in her life.

BMB: Version 4-2

"It happened again," Trin shared as she sat down on Saturday by Jeremy's bedside.

"Oh, yes! Bonus episode!" Jeremy exclaimed and turned to face her. "By the time you get here on Mondays, you've usually lost some of the excitement. Thursday again. But wait... there was no holiday this week."

"Yeah, so I've been thinking about it," Trin shared and closed her eyes. "I think I may have brought it on myself, but I didn't even mean to. We were eating dinner, and he asked if I wanted to get married again and then asked about kids, and then I turned it around to ask him. He mentioned thinking a lot about weddings and then shared about a sleigh ride after a winter wedding. I kinda went on a little tirade about how cool a motorized sleigh would be, and I then ended up building one up in my head as I explained it to him."

"Oh, Trin, you totally got him all worked up then," Jeremy told her and nodded. "Did you not see it coming?"

"Yeah, that's the thing," Trin answered. "I was so into what I was talking about that I didn't see it coming when he walked over suddenly and kissed me. It was the first time he'd ever done it where it wasn't mutual to begin with."

"Did you not like it?"

"Jeremy, is water wet?" Trin asked and shook her head. "Of course, I liked it. I loved it. It was all the things I love about all of them, but it was different. It was urgent, necessary."

"It was an emergency," Jeremy amended her statement.

"Ugh!" Trin groaned and put her head in her hands. "Jer? What am I doing?"

"OK, let's put this into perspective," Jeremy told her and reached over to bring her face up to look at him. "Think about it. If you could be in a relationship with him right now, would you be?"

"No, I said I needed to wait a year," Trin answered.

"And it sounds like he said the same, for whatever reason," Jeremy added. "And do you think he's seeing someone else?"

"I don't get that impression, no," Trin told him and put her fingers to the bridge of her nose. "And before you ask a silly question because there are no stupid questions, no, I'm not either. And if I heard he was seeing someone else, I'd be sick to my stomach. And I certainly don't want to be with anyone else."

"So," Jeremy deduced and shrugged, "considering you technically shouldn't be having anything with anyone, aren't these little, wait, what do the older generations call them? Trysts? Aren't these little kissing sessions kind of like bonuses? Spread out enough to keep you wanting more, obviously, but not too drastically? And you're playing it really cool, Trin. Unless you've left out any of the sessions, you've always waited for him to make the move. But you're clearly showing that you enjoy them because you haven't pushed him away or asked him to stop."

"If I didn't know you better, Jeremy Michael, I would think it was you who'd planned all this out from the beginning," Trin teased. "I know you're enjoying this."

"The only thing missing is popcorn," Jeremy admitted. "I love every detail. You're my connection to him, you know... he's not been to visit me since forever. Wait, pact check. You can't say anything, Trinity."

"No, I won't," Trin said quietly. "I've never told him that I come to visit you," she shared and closed her eyes. "At first, I just liked the fact that I knew something he didn't, but then it got to the point that it was too late. And if I did tell him, he probably would have come to visit you which means you'd be hearing it from both parties and get lost between who told you what. And what if he told you that he was only doing it to mess with my mind? Or that he was leading me on as a bet or something. I don't think you'd handle that well."

"Tommy wouldn't do that, Trin," Jeremy told her seriously. "No, in fact, I think it's much more serious than you think. Listen, I'm just going to give you my opinion because, well, I can, and we've agreed to speak the truth. Trinity, I think he's got it bad for you, and something is keeping him from being able to tell you why. I would bet money that it's his dad. Have you told anyone else about your feelings for him?"

"No! I can't do that. Who am I going to tell? Gram? Dougie? Tom? Sheesh, Jer," Trin said exasperatedly. "Besides, why would I tell someone else? You give me all the reaction I need. And today, you put me in my place. Thank you for that."

"Now, do you have the drawing of the sleigh done?" Jeremy asked and laughed when she smacked the bed. "Are you gonna give it to him?"

"Yeah, I'm taking my time," she answered. "I want to make sure it has all the details I want on it, and I want to make sure to include as much as possible so..."

"It'll impress him?" Jeremy asked. "Trin, hand him anything and he'll be impressed. Didn't you hear what he said? Unless I misheard what you said, he said, 'show me,' and whispered it at that. Trin, he's begging for more of you. Give him what you've got. Don't overdo it. Don't do it to impress him. Man, he has it so bad for you," Jeremy sighed.

"Hey," Trin requested, "is this bothering you? Truth pact," she added.

"Bothering me? I'm eating it up as quickly as you're telling me! I pray each night that one of you knuckleheads finally gives in and tells the other one that you're made for each other." He shook his head and smiled. "Trinity Irelyn, I really hope you aren't thinking that I'm jealous of him. When you came into this friendship not wearing stilettos, I knew you were the other sister I have always hoped for."

"Really?"

"Trin, you are the joy in my every week, but you exude love and friendship and care and concern and support and prayers and all the things I adore about you. I've gotten almost 23 years with my one sister. You're a different one, not a fill-in by any means, but a different one who drives me crazy with her decisions about love, for instance. You took that spot the moment you spoke to me on that first day. I love you, like so much, but as a sibling, Trin."

Trin tried. She tried so hard. She hadn't cried a single tear around Jeremy, but it hit her that day, in that moment, that their time was winding down. She didn't ever let herself think about it. She didn't want to think about it. She knew she'd have to face it, but she didn't want to. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and gave him a sorry little sad smile. "Dammit," she whispered and sat back.

"God, I'm gonna miss you, Trin," he told her and let his own emotions flow.

She sat forward and grabbed his hand and kissed it. "I love you too," she said quietly. "Though I've been telling you that for a couple months now. You're just usually asleep," she told him with a small laugh and put her head down on the bed. When she felt his hand on her head, she sighed.

"I shouldn't have taken this long to tell you this," Jeremy told her and ran his fingers down through her hair. "Dying isn't what's scaring me. Nothing is scaring me, really. It's the whole leaving my loved ones behind that makes me sad. My parents, my sister, Dougie, and you, Trin." Trin began to cry again. "I'm so honored that God felt that we needed to meet before I left this earth. And that you came with a whole storyline with Tommy? Bonus!" Trin laughed as she sobbed. It was a weird sensation.

"I've gotten so accustomed to having you in my life, twice, maybe three times a week," Trin told him as she sat up. "I don't know what I'm going to do when I have to find a new way to fill my days. I don't want to find something else. I'm stuck between wanting to beg for God to give you a miracle cure or being mad at Him for allowing you to be sick in the first place."

"Trin, I'm going to die," Jeremy told her and grabbed for her hand so she couldn't sit back again. "We all are," he told her and shrugged. "I just happen to know it's a lot sooner than most people in my life. But Trin, please know that I'm not mad that I got sick. I'm not praying for a miracle. I don't have to. I got one. I got to meet you. And I got to know you, and laugh with you, and talk to you, and enjoy so many hours with you.

"And after December rolls around, I'll either get to hear all about or maybe even witness from the beyond the actual relationship unfolding between you and Tommy. And oh, how I can't wait for that to come. I want you two to be happy and together and have that winter wedding with the sleigh bike you're designing. Personally (and I know you won't like to hear it, but...) I'm fine to be gone by then. I want the front row seat. I want to be able to see everything.

"So, when I go, my sweet Trinity girl, don't mourn for me. Don't be sad for me. I'll finally be free to be unbounded from this earth and all the human anchors which hold us back from our true potential. I know you'll be sad, and it'll be a process, but move on. Please, do it for me. Say your goodbyes at the wake and the funeral and go be the amazing woman I know you are and will be. Go be Tommy's girl. Go be the best hire Tom ever found. Go meet new people and show them how amazing you are."

Trin sobbed through most of his speech and had her head back down on the bed so he could run his fingers through her hair. It hit her like a ton of bricks, this sudden realization that he wasn't always going to be there. She'd known it. She did know that. But she'd just not been prepared to face that reality. His friendship was treasured, so treasured, and she'd always be thankful for it.

The Labor Day party got cancelled when an order of twin bikes had an issue which made them almost late for delivery. Tom was so frustrated with the whole situation that he cancelled the party and took only Tommy and Trin along for the delivery which he'd decided to make himself rather than having the whole team going as had been planned for the following weekend. The debut of the bikes as well as promotion for the company were taking place at the Expo the weekend of Sept 11-13. Rather than it being a three-night stay, they ended up having a six-night trip.

Trin and Tommy spent a lot of time talking on the way to the customer's place in Boston. She shared countless small details about her parents, brothers, and herself, and he did the same about his own family. When she told him her mom's favorite color, for instance, he shared his own mom's favorite color. Back and forth, whatever came to mind, they shared over the course of the four-hour trip.

When they got rooms, Tom and Tommy shared a room, and Trin got her own room. Their rooms were adjoining, but the locks remained bolted on both sides except at night in case there was an emergency. On those first two days, other than when they were getting ready for the next part of the visit, they were away from their rooms anyway. They could talk freely, they'd found, but Tom seemed to be watching them more than usual. Trin tried to ignore the sense that Tom was onto them, but she knew he didn't have any evidence, so she wasn't too worried. And as far as she knew, there was no rule about relationships between employees, so she had that going for her too.

On Monday evening, Trin had found a chance to text Jeremy to tell him they'd gotten to Boston safely, and while she didn't get a kiss that day, she had hope that the week would turn up some answers for them. She also made sure to let him know that she was going to miss their visits that week, but she'd be back for her Monday visit. She also hoped to be off Monday through Wednesday once they got home to recuperate.

Trin focused on her part of the trip by making sure her information was as accurate as possible. If the customer loved the bikes, BMB had potential to make more sales with the company as well as to add some other salable items which would promote both BMB as well as the customer's company.

When she wasn't talking with the owner about potential future purchases and promotions, she was preparing for her table. She'd be at the table eight of the ten hours from Thursday through Saturday, accompanied by either Tom or Tommy. She knew it was great for business, but she was going to be so tired. Tommy and she were technically doing the work which six people would have normally been doing.

"Tom, I'm going to need at least three days of paid time off after we get back," Trin told him as she made her way back to her room after Tuesday, their first full day. "Six days of this from sunrise to well past sunset? I'm exhausted."

"Tommy, go make sure your partner doesn't pass out getting ready for bed," Tom told his son and pointed at her. "I want to call my wife in peace, and I don't need you in there when I do."

"OK," Tommy said hesitantly and walked past his own room to join Trin at her door. "Do I knock when I'm ready, or..." Tommy asked as he walked towards Trin, but he didn't continue talking because Tom had already shut the door.

"Um, this is new," Tommy told her and walked into her room after she did. Trin didn't know what to do with the situation, so she decided to do what she usually did when Tommy was with her. She went with it.

"Do you want anything?" Trin asked him.

'Yep," he answered and sat on the bed as he tossed his wallet in the air and caught it again. "But as usual, can't do that," he told her and sighed. "So, what can we do?"

"Um, well, I brought the drawing and specs of the sleigh bike if you wanted to see it," Trin told him. "I finally finished it last night before I went to bed. I knew one more thing was missing, and then I figured it out yesterday when I was looking at the bikes which were already set up."

"Can I see it?" Tommy asked slowly.

Trin got up and walked over to her files. She pulled out the paper and held it to herself. "Please go easy on me," she pleaded and laughed as she handed it to him. She watched as he looked at the details she'd drawn up. He sat down on the chair and set the design on the table as he looked over the details of the sleigh as well as the trike she'd envisioned.

"Who else has seen this?" he asked and flipped over the paper with the additional view of the trike on it.

"No one," she answered and nodded when he made eye contact with her. "I did research and then asked Bill to look at one of the designs of the bikes he was working on to determine what I needed to focus on for details of the build. How'd I do?"

"Good," he said with surprise. "Really good, Trin," he told her nodded. "You really came up with this on your own? Like, what research? Have you seen this design on any other vehicle?"

"No, I drew the design first, actually," she told him and looked at it from where she'd sat down. "It was how I pictured it when I was talking about it that day. The snowflakes and whisps, the colors and the thin lines of the whisps, and the thicker accents of the snowflakes."

Tommy set the paper down and looked thoughtfully at the TV. It wasn't on, but she knew it wasn't the TV he was focused on. She got up and turned it on for noise. When she went to head back to her chair, Tommy took a step to stand in front of her.

"Are you seeing anyone?" Tommy asked her as he put his finger on her chin to bring her eyes to look at his.

"Only you, Tom," she told him honestly. "I only ever, um... are you?"

"Only you, Trin," he answered and cupped her cheek. "Three more months," he sighed and leaned down to kiss her.

"Tom," she whispered as he put his lips on hers. For the first time, she put her arms around his neck and leaned in as he put his hands on her back. He slowly deepened their kiss and only jumped when they heard a yell. Tom was getting excited over there. Tommy turned back to her and brought her back in for a kiss. A nice, long, slow kiss. When he finally pulled away from her lips, he continued to hold her.

"Think he'd let me stay?" Tommy asked as he let her step back from him. Trin laughed and shook her head. "Yeah, not likely," he agreed and laughed with her. As if on cue, Tom pounded on the wall.

"Lights out in ten," Tom declared, making both Trin and Tommy laugh.

"Good night, Trinity," he told her and to her surprise, took her hand and kissed her palm.

"Good night, Tom," she told him and put her other hand on his cheek. "Sleep well," she offered and winked when she let go of his face. He reached over and grabbed the design she'd made and winked back at her.

After he left, Trin texted Jeremy to tell him that she'd gotten her kiss and a few more answers too. She admitted it was the drawing of the trike that had brought on the kiss and added that he really seemed to like it. She couldn't wait to share it all with him the following Monday.

Trin sat and thumbed through her apps until she remembered she hadn't looked up the little figurine from Tommy's character set in a while. It was the one she'd noticed he had been missing to see if there had been any other posts about it recently. To her surprise, one was listed as a "Buy it Now" option, and it was cheaper than others she'd seen but hadn't been able to buy before someone else had scooped it up. She clicked on the button and won the sale and paid for it before she could change her mind. It was still expensive, but it was totally worth it. She fell asleep smiling as she thought about what Tommy's reaction would be when he saw it on his birthday.