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***
Chris and I stop dead at my open doorway. We can hear the laughter coming from inside. It’s like I’ve returned to a different house.
I throw my keys down on the table and see Aria and Clay laughing and joking over the PlayStation. They’ve got snacks out on the coffee table, and it looks like Aria’s beating him.
“You’re a cheat!” huffs Clay.
“Big baby.” Aria pulls the bag of chips out of his grasp and helps herself.
It’s so good to see this carefree scene. “He’s clearly got the knack with your woman.” Chris laughs and pushes past me, heading straight into the middle of Clay and Aria. He wrestles in between them and sits down, making Clay punch his arm. Aria looks over her shoulder towards me and smiles warmly.
“Are you okay?” she asks.
I nod and walk towards my nearest and dearest. If playing the PlayStation is going to relax us all then so be it. We used to play the Sega Mega Drive or Nintendo when we were kids. Aria and Clay were always the competitive ones. The battles would continue for hours until they beat each other, or my mom would pull the plug.
I sit down on the floor in front of Aria. She hooks her delicate fingers around my neck and caresses the hair at the back. I sink into her touch immediately. I’ve been craving this attention from this woman for hours. Now I have it, I’m never letting it go. Ever. It’s like her touch grounds me.
***
Clay and Chris returned to work about an hour ago and I’ve sat and checked my emails, sending out replies where needed, and organized my planner for the next few weeks. Aria sat across from me on the couch, writing in a journal that Clay gave her. It’s good to see her doing something her therapist asked her to do. I’ll be honest, I did think the therapy would be a waste of time, because Aria is stubborn. She always has been, and her abduction hasn’t changed that. Her opinion won’t be changed if she doesn’t want it to be altered. For therapy to work, you need to want it. I wasn’t convinced Aria was doing it for the right reasons, but she shocked me.
She looks up at that moment and our eyes lock on one another. I smile at that faraway look on her face.
“What is it? Did you say something?”
I shake my head. I get up and sit down on the coffee table in front of her. I place both of my hands on her knees and knead them softly.
“I was just watching you concentrating on the words you’re spilling into that book. I can remember when you used to journal when we were kids. I used to tease you about it. Can you remember?”
She smiles and closes the journal. “I believe your words were, ‘do you think you’ll forget what you’ve been up to overnight?’” I used to say the same thing repeatedly. “‘You never know what tomorrow brings. Always be prepared.’”
“What made you stop journaling? Clay said you haven’t done it in years.”
“Clay has a big mouth.” She laughs.
“I couldn’t agree more. My brother will always have a big mouth.”
She folds her arms over her chest and takes in a deep breath. “When I went on my very first aid mission, I was stuck in the middle of nowhere in Iraq. The conditions were poor, and the people were even poorer. I felt it was a waste of paper for me to write down my thoughts and feelings when they couldn’t even have toilet paper.”
I look down at my hands on her knees. “I guess your priorities change when you see such desolate conditions.”
“It was so sad over there, but that was their lives. That was normal for them. I think everyone should experience what third world countries experience, if only for one day. I think it would make people appreciate what they have more.” She shakes her head.
“It’s good to hear you talk about something you’re so very passionate about. I like listening to your stories. Same as I do with Clay, but his is coming from a different perspective.”
“Clay is a remarkable person, Caleb. What he would have gone through over there doesn’t bear thinking about. Is there any word on Shay?”
I tilt my head to the side and concentrate on the beautiful woman in front of me. “Clay told you about Shay?”
I have to fight with him to share details with me. I didn’t think he was opening up to anyone about Shay.
“Yes. He’s mentioned her several times. Why?”
I shrug my shoulders and stretch out my back. “Shay was the one person we thought he would have settled down with. When she went MIA, Clay shut us all out. He doesn’t talk about her very much. I think you came back to us at the right time, because you’ve kept him busy. I’m just glad that he’s talking to someone.”
“We both know what Clay is like. He’ll help anyone, but he always bottles up his own problems.”
I agree. “What is it with stubborn people in this family? Between you and Clay, you’ll drive me to insanity before I’m forty.” I slip across to sit beside her on the couch and she rests her head on my shoulder. “But I wouldn’t have you any other way.” I place a kiss on her head and snuggle in beside her.
