Romantic Camelot Cove

Life is made of dreams and dreams Guinevere Cornwell had in spades. She’d grown up as an orphan and barely remembered her parents, who had died in a fire when she was three years old. Since then she’d skipped from one foster home to another, never feeling as though she belonged anywhere, always feeling as though there was nobody to turn to, nobody to rely on, nobody to comfort her when things became difficult. It was a lonely existence and to defeat her loneliness she had retreated into the world of dreams and fantasies.

She wrote in her diary every night and it remained one of her most prized posessions.

“One day I’ll meet him,” she wrote one night when she was sixteen and living in a particularly lonely place with no other youngsters and just a couple of old folks to look after her. “The man of my dreams, my knight in shining armor. He’ll take me away from this place… We’ll get married and have lots of children together and he’ll love me… Just like my father loved my mother.”

Of course she knew nothing of her parents’ relationship, but it didn’t matter. It was her fantasy and that fantasy was important to her. One day, she told herself continually, she’d fall in love and get married and have a family just like she’d always dreamed of. She’d have a family with lots of children to love and to love her. One day she’d make that dream a reality.

The last home was by far the best, and she stayed there for the longest — nearly two years. Her relationship with the foster parents was close and she’d even begun to feel a certain tingling in her stomach whenever she was around their son, Abhijeet. She never discussed her feelings for him, however, especially as he was a couple of years younger than she was. She talked with him and his parents about everything it seemed, but they never really discussed the day she would have to leave their home until it came.

“You can’t stay here anymore,” Barbara, the foster mother, said the day that Guin turned eighteen. “We just don’t make enough money to support you now that the government is unwilling to provide for your care anymore.” There was a sadness in the older woman’s voice that made Guin not want to meet her eyes, not see the shared tears there. Instead she looked at a place just past Barbara’s right ear, staring for a moment at the place where Abhijeet was looking through information about a training program for culinary arts.

There was silence for a moment. Guinevere didn’t want to talk about it and she knew that something was about to be said that was inevitable but painful nevertheless. “Your parents didn’t have a will, Guin,” Barbara told her after a moment. “But the house you lived in as a baby wasn’t sold. The title was set to transfer into your name today. You will have somewhere to live, honey, even if it isn’t here.”

And there was somewhere for her to live. The remains of the house that had burned down fifteen years ago were still there and Guinevere found that it contained most of the things she needed. She would have to go without lighting for awhile, but there was indoor plumbing and the fridge kept the food good. Barbara had purchased her a microwave for her birthday and with it’s addition to the house, there was just enough to get her by.

Only one problem remained. She no longer had any source of income. It had never occured to her that life as a ward of the state could be relatively comfortable. No one, however, had prepared her for life on her own. She had no skills, no special abilities and hadn’t done particularly well in school. It was just something that had never been important to her. After all, a high school diploma wouldn’t make her a better mother, would it? Now there was no money for college, and all of the jobs listed in the paper seemed to require her to have some kind of special skills. She wasn’t qualified for any of them, but she had to do something!

She phoned Barbara in tears. She hadn’t expected much advice but it came anyway. “Go to the recruiting office. You’re in great physical condition, Guin. I’m sure they will accept you!”

The young woman didn’t take the time to give it much thought. She needed a job and she needed one quickly. The military seemed like it was her only option. The next day she went to the recruiting office and enlisted herself. It would nearly two years before she would return to the remains of her childhood home, but she returned with some money in her pocket and that was something. It would allow her to begin building a real future for herself — a future that would hopefully involve children.

In the meantime, she had never quite been able to forget Abhijeet, the son of the foster parents who had taken such good care of her for the last two years of her childhood. There was something special about him, something unique that made her look forward to every letter he had sent her during her training and years away, something that had made her eager to hear his voice every time he called. Though she hadn’t seen him in such a very long time, she was sure that he had grown into a handsome young man. She was now twenty and he eighteen, and though she was two years his senior, she was sure that he had similar feelings for her.

One day after she had returned home from work and had showered and changed into her casual dress, she gave him a call, just to see how he was doing. They talked for a long time about various things but carefully avoided any talk of feelings for one another. “I’d love to see the house…” Abhijeet said when the conversation had stretched to nearly three hours. “Would you mind if I came by sometime?”

Guinevere blushed deeply, though he couldn’t see her embarassment. “It isn’t much of anything yet…” she admitted. “Most of it was damaged by the fire and I’m still working on rebuilding. I haven’t worried too much about it since it’s just me for now.”

It put him off for awhile, though they spoke on the phone every day for weeks after that. Though she wanted to, Guinevere just felt she didn’t have the money or the time to repair the damages to the house yet, and there was no one in her life to make it worth the effort — yet. But loneliness was beginning to affect the young woman and she began to realize that she couldn’t live her life by herself and realize her dreams. She would have to suck it up and swallow her pride.

She called Abhijeet. “Do you… Do you still want to see where I live?” she asked him, shyness taking over for a moment and invading her romantic thoughts. For a moment there was silence, and she stammered, trying to cover her tracks. “I mean, I need some help deciding what to do with the place and I thought you might have some ideas from a man’s point of view.”

It was the first time anyone had called Abhijeet a “man” and he liked the sound of it. Flushing a bit with pride on his end of the phone, he agreed to meet her the next afternoon when she was finished with work and before he had to go to work himself.

The next afternoon after she had showered and changed from her work clothes, Guinevere met the object of her affection at the road. Though she was worried about seeming over-eager, she wanted to feel him out before allowing him to enter what remained of the house and could now be considered little more than a shack.

Though it had been more than two years since they had last seen one another it felt as though it had been yesterday that they had most recently parted. Guin had lost weight during her training and Abhijeet had grown from a gangly teen into a handsome young man, but nevertheless, nothing seemed to have changed. Their embrace was genuine and caring and Guinevere immediately felt a rush of emotion come over her. They held onto one another for a long time before finally parting, and Guin knew from the flush of his cheeks that this was her moment.

“Abhijeet…” she said, her voice soft and cheeks flushed as deeply as his own. “I just want you to know that… That you’re very special to me and…” Though she’d practiced the words a hundred times in her own mind, she suddenly found herself at a loss. “I know… I know we’re like brother and sister, but I have… I have feelings for you,” she stammered, finally forcing out the last few words. She felt sick to her stomach. It wasn’t the way she’d intended for things to go from the start.

But his genuine smile put Guin almost immediately at ease. “I’m glad you said that,” he gushed. “I was afraid to say it myself, though I’ve talked to Mom and Dad about my feelings some.”

Guinevere blushed again. “And what are their thoughts?”

“We have their blessing.”

Somehow nothing could have made Guinevere Cornwell happier than to know that Barbara and Brandon Deppiesse had given their blessing for Abhijeet and her to have a life together.

Over the course of the next several weeks Guinevere and Abhijeet saw one another whenever neither of them was at work, always meeting at Guin’s house. They were so wrapped up in one another that neither of them had given much thought at all to renovating the place and they hadn’t discussed family at all yet. In fact, they were enjoying just having their time together and getting to know one another all over again and in a whole new way. More often than not they could be found playing silly games together or chasing one another around the yard just as they had done when they were children. Guinevere found that it was a great release of tension and Abhijeet liked the way that it was affecting their relationship. They were growing closer than they had ever been before.

Though Guinevere dreamed of marriage and children, she didn’t bring it up with Abhijeet. He seemed more concerned with his career and getting himself ahead in the culinary field than with anything to do with rings and pacifiers and she didn’t want to bother him with something which had begun to almost seem trifling. For now they were enjoying the time that they had together, and she didn’t need children getting in the way of that. No, now was their time. Children could come later.

Then one day after about a year the unexpected happened. Guin had begun to believe that Abhijeet would never pop the question she had so longed to hear, but then, most unexpectedly, he got down on one knee while they were outside in the fresh air, enjoying one of their usual long conversations. At first she was shocked. She had never quite expected him to take their relationship to the next level. In fact, she had begun to get the impression that he was somewhat afraid of commitment! But when he pulled that little black box from his pocket and presented it to her, opening it so that she could see that within glistened the most beautiful diamond ring she’d ever seen… Guin was sure — she would marry Abhijeet Depiesse!

After such a very long time, her dreams were going to begin coming true. She would marry Abhitjeet and they would have the family she’d always desired to have. She would tame him, make him want their commitment to one another and appreciate everything she loved: family and closeness. Finally she would have what had been lacking through so much of her own childhood. She would have what Abhijeet had grown up with — a loving family!

The next week found Guinevere toasting to the man who would, that very day, become her husband. Though she had little time to make friends of her own, her friend Marylena was present as well as their childhood friend Christy and a teenager from the neighborhood that Guinevere had never met but who Abhijeet had befriended. She wasn’t sure about his relationship with Meadow Thayer, but tried to put it to the back of her mind. Today was a day of joy, not one for the stress and sorrow of wondering what the nature of Abhijeet’s interest in the other women at the wedding party was. They were in love and that’s what mattered.

Everyone seemed to be having a blast, and that’s just how the young couple wanted it. To see their friends happy made both hearts glow with joy and it added something extra-special to an already special day. The champagne was flowing and the music was playing. Guests were dancing and toasting one another and the soon-to-be-married couple and it seemed as though nothing at all could ever go wrong. Their lives together would be perfect.

After several toasts it seemed that everyone was getting a little tipsy, especially Guin. Abhijeet held her hand as they led one another to the trellis, covered in roses, that had been situated in the garden. They had written their own vows as expressions of love for one another, and with their friends gathered, they read them aloud.

Guinevere began:

“Abhijeet, we have known one another for a long time now. When we met I was sixteen and you were just fourteen. We were much like brother and sister then, though I prefer to think of us as having been wonderful friends. Though I don’t know when, or where, or how, I fell in love with you and it was in that moment that I needed to spend my life with you and would devote my life to becoming yours. You asked me to be your wife and I can’t imagine anything would ever make me happier than building a life and a family with you. From this moment I devote my life to you and to our children and family. From this moment I make myself one with you. You are my knight in shining armor.”

For a moment a stricken look passed over Abhijeet’s handsome features. Though Guinevere didn’t notice the expression on his face, Marylena frowned softly, her eyes locked on the young man who had so captured her friend’s heart. She didn’t like the look of things, or the way she’d seen him flirting with Christy earlier during the party while Guinevere had been in the bathroom. But she knew it wasn’t her place to interfere with Guinevere’s wishes. They had the blessing of Abhijeet’s parents, who had been unable to attend the wedding because Brandon was ill, and that was all that mattered. She’d keep an eye on Abhijeet in the future, however… A very keen eye.

Finally Abhijeet seemed to swallow his nervousness and followed with vows of his own:

“Guinevere Cornwell, I have always thought of you as my princess. From the moment I laid eyes on you… On your beautiful blonde hair and green eyes, I’ve been smitten. As only a young boy can, I felt a love for you that was nothing like anything I’ve experienced before. I have wanted to make you happy from the beginning, and now I know that I can make you happy for the rest of our lives together. My promise to you is to do everything I can to make you the happiest woman alive.”

The kiss was electric and it sealed a bond that Guinevere hoped would last them through their entire lives together. She couldn’t wait to take the next step with Abhijeet and to begin their family. But first, he had a surprise for her!

Guinevere hadn’t expected a limo to pick them up so soon after their vows had been spoken. Abhijeet hadn’t told her about the planned honeymoon, and it came as a wonderful surprise. He swept her off and into the limo that would take them to a new life together, beginning with several nights of passion and love-making. It would be a week that they would never forget and one that would bring many new and exciting changes to their relationship.

When they returned from their ten days of passion in the islands near the Cove, Guinevere was sick. Very sick. She couldn’t imagine what was going on at first, but she was certain that it was serious. And it was interfering with her getting to work on time. Her income was supporting them while Abhijeet worked on advancing his career in the culinary field, and Guinevere knew that missing work could result in disaster. She just hoped for understanding and perhaps reprieve.

Three months later she got it, following a visit to her doctor. Dr. Portland confirmed for her what she had already begun to expect: She had fallen pregnant on their honeymoon. Finally, at long last, Guinevere’s dreams were about to come true! She rushed home to tell Abhijeet her news, but he was at work, struggling with his job as a drive-through clerk and hoping to get a promotion to the next level in the fast-food industry. It wasn’t what he’d dreampt of, but it was a start. Sighing, Guin knew she’d have to wait until later to tell him.

So she prepared a wonderful meal of pork chops and waited for him to arrive home. They were almost burnt when he came home, looking exhausted. He’d made a bad call and been stiffed by a rogue customer. It had cost him some of his day’s pay, and he was frustrated and tired from the events of the day. Though she considered waiting to tell him her news until later, Guin couldn’t wait another moment. “Abhijeet… I’m pregnant!” she finally blurted out towards the end of the meal. “We’re going to have a baby!”

For a moment Abhijeet just stared at Guin, a strange expression on his face. Then he sighed. “Great,” he muttered, and stood up from the table, quickly going to their new bedroom and laying down. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He wasn’t ready for children. After all, he was only nineteen years old. This hadn’t been something he’d planned, though he knew it was what Guinevere wanted. She hadn’t found out about his affair with Christy Stratton but he knew that with the hormones of pregnancy she was more than likely to begin to suspect something now. He’d have to break it off with the brunette before his wife became too wary of his actions when she was at work.

Guinevere was disappointed with her husband’s reactions, but she knew that it probably came down to his difficult day at work. Sighing as she cleaned up the plates from supper, she finally joined him in bed. He was asleep and snoring peacefully, but she found herself tossing and turning. Something was already going wrong in their relationship. What was it?

But the next day it seemed as though everything was better. He was in a far better mood after lunch, when he even felt her belly to see if he could feel the baby kicking. It seemed as though their relationship might go back to normal, and that made her feel good and satisfied again. They would be a happy family when the baby was born, even if Marylena had begun acting very suspicious of Abhijeet lately. She’d see, though, that once they were a family everything would be perfect — just the way Guin had always wanted it!

Months passed and Guin grew more and more heavily pregnant. Abhijeet continued to work hard and Guinevere continued to earn her weekly salary in spite of the fact that she’d been placed on maternity leave. It wasn’t a lot of money and certainly both were worried that they wouldn’t be able to afford the things that they needed for the baby, but they were getting by and would continue to make things work as best they could. They had been working on improving the house as their funds could allow for it and had in fact begun building a new foundation at the back of the lot with the intention of tearing down the shack when the time was right. Guin just couldn’t handle the latent memories that were attached with the house where her parents had died.

Then one day while Abhijeet studied one of his cook books, Guinevere went into labor in the new bedroom of the house that was under construction. She labored alone for several hours with Abhijeet busy with his own things before she finally called Dr. Portland. Though in her more pain-free and lucid moments Guinevere wondered why Abhijeet hadn’t arrived for his own child’s birth, she realized later that she probably didn’t miss him as much as she would have liked to think. Dr. Portland was wonderful and took her through the experience with support her husband probably wouldn’t have offered.

Finally, after twenty hours of labor Guinevere gave birth to a beautiful baby girl with the help of Dr. Portland. Abhijeet came almost immediately to see the little child his wife immediately named Morgaine for her biolocial grandmother. The little girl had her mother’s beautiful blonde hair and her father’s blue eyes. Both parents were immediately smitten and as they shared a warm family hug, even Abhijeet realized that perhaps fatherhood wouldn’t be so bad. As he looked into Morgaine’s eyes he realized that perhaps his little girl was even worth giving up his roving romances so that he could focus on his family.

Nobody knew what was going to happen next except that they would work together to bring Morgaine up in the world and make her the happiest child that had ever come to Camelot Cove.