Sources

Chapter 32

Sara navigated the rental car down familiar streets, hoping her hunch had been correct. She parked in a side lot, then walked down the sidewalk, taking in the sights. There was Nektar, her favorite organic juice bar. That Indian restaurant with the amazing curry. The Birkenstock store that was always packed, even in winter.

She stopped in front of her destination, looking at the sign nervously. Would he be here? Had she come all this way for nothing? Gathering her courage, she pushed open the door.

"Hey, welcome to Berkeley Grounds," the hippie behind the counter cooed. "Can I interest you in our new chai blend?"

"Um." Sara paused, looking around the coffeehouse. Her heart sank when she didn't see him. "No thanks." She scanned the room again. He definitely wasn't there.

"What can I get you?" The woman's voice was gentle.

The menu hadn't changed in ten years, a comforting constant. "A big mug of BG House Blend," Sara said finally. "Extra cinnamon, dash of nutmeg." The woman nodded and set to work on her order.

There were only a few other patrons in the coffeehouse, and Sara was relieved to find that her favorite table was unoccupied. She sank into the overstuffed armchair and smiled, running her fingers over the tabletop. It was a tradition to etch names and designs into the thick wood, making the surface bumpy and uneven.

"We have tools up front, if you'd like to carve your name." She looked up to see the hippie holding out a steaming mug.

"Thanks," Sara said, accepting the coffee. "But I'm all set." With a wistful expression, she pointed to the corner of the table, where the initials "SS" were etched, right above the letters "GG." She smiled a little, remembering how much she'd wanted to scratch a heart into the space between them.

The woman disappeared into the kitchen as Sara sipped her coffee, her eyes closed. It tasted exactly the same.

They'd spent almost every night of the semester at Berkeley Grounds, Sara with her BG Blend and Grissom with his green tea. She always arrived first, to save their table and order a plate of snookies. He'd come in loaded down with forensics journals, and the debates would begin. A battle of the intellects, usually ending in a stalemate. Deep down, she suspected that he ended them that way on purpose, so that they could meet again the next night.

Tracing their initials with her fingers, she sighed. She'd fallen in love with him here, at this very table. She could even remember the moment. He'd been talking about having to lay carpet in his living room, and what a pain it would be. She'd told him to put a dead body in his apartment, let it decompose, and then ask the carpet beetles for help when they showed up. He'd pursed his lips in amusement and winked at her. Her heart had somersaulted.

"Sara?" The hippie was standing next to her, holding out a plate of snookies. "Compliments of the house."

The snookies - oatmeal ginger cookies with chocolate chips - were hot out of the oven, and the smell made her mouth water. Sara looked up suddenly as the woman started to walk away. "Hey! How did you know my name?"

Her cell phone rang, and she knew. Flipping it open, she demanded, "How did she know my name?"

"Beats me." His voice was low and smooth, and she felt her heart somersault as violently as it had ten years ago.

"Where are you?"

"Stand up and turn around."

She did at once, looking behind her. There was no one there. When she turned back, Grissom was sitting in the armchair across from her.

She fought to hide a smile of delight. "You think you're so clever."

He shrugged slightly, beaming at her. "I missed you."

"You were supposed to be resting," she scolded lightly, closing her cell phone and sliding back into her chair. "Not driving six hours with a concussion."

"I had a craving for snookies." He took a bite and grunted with satisfaction.

"She sure gave us enough," she commented, taking one off the stack. "I've never seen them piled so high."

Grissom took a sip of his tea. "Did you fly or drive?"

"Flew," she said, adding shyly, "I was hoping you'd be here."

"Where else did you look?"

"God, everywhere. The lab, the hockey rink."

He shook his head. "You had me long before that. What made you think of this place?"

"I went to Catherine's, and she said something about how you wouldn't be in California." Sara blushed slightly. "And then I remembered that this is where I fell in love with you."

Grissom looked down with regret. "That was ten years ago. We both felt it, and it took us this long to do something about it."

"I'm not sure it would have worked before now," she said slowly. "I mean. I got out of school, joined the San Francisco coroner's office, then became a CSI. Not just a CSI, but a workaholic CSI. And if I hadn't understood that mentality, I'm not sure whether I would have understood you. I might have felt like I was second best, behind your work."

"You'd be wrong," he said, his eyes intense.

Sara nodded, and they fell into a comfortable silence, both looking around the coffeehouse. "It's like this place is in a time warp," she said. "Nothing's changed."

She reached for the snookie on top of the pile, then blinked hard, looking down at the plate. There, nestled partially under the stack, was a jeweler's box.

She looked up at Grissom with wide eyes as he plucked the box from beneath the snookies and opened it, handing it to her. "I'm hoping some things will change," he said softly.

Tears filled her eyes as she gazed at the ring. The band was platinum, with tiny polished stones imbedded all the way around, coming up to encircle a large diamond.

He saw the question in her eyes. "I took the angel charm to a jeweler, and he was able to cut the stone into those little pieces. There's quite a bit left over, I was thinking they could go on our bands, too." Her tears spilled over. "It was just that you and I kept giving the charm to each other, always worried that the other needed protection. I liked the idea of sharing it forever."

"Sara,you're the love of my life," he said, his own eyes brimming with tears. "How does forever sound to you?"

She slipped the ring onto her finger and gave him a dazzling smile. "Perfect."

Grissom leaned across the table. She met him halfway for a long, sweet kiss. "Happy anniversary," he whispered.

Sara sighed happily, then leaped to her feet, running over to the counter. Grissom watched in confusion as she grabbed something and returned to the table.

She held the knife carefully, etching into the wooden table until her amended initials read "SSG."

Grissom grinned at her, taking the knife and carving a deep heart between "SSG" and "GG."

She grinned back, looking down at her ring. "Perfect."