“Must be a pretty special guy, then,” he says, nuzzling my shoulder.
I smirk, finally allowing myself to fully relax in his embrace, and we drift off to sleep.
I wake up a couple of hours later still wrapped up in Charlie’s arms. Sunlight is streaming in through the curtains and for a moment, I just stare at him. Drink him in. Memorize every single line and crevice of his face. I reach out, gently stroking my fingertips along his cheek and jawline, feeling the stubble that has appeared overnight.
Is this a taste of what I have deprived myself of for years? Of this very moment and so many others of domestic bliss?
The last touch is one too many; Charlie stirs and starts to turn over. Except he can’t, because I’m entangled in his arms.
He wakes up slowly and blinks a few times as I come into focus. He looks at me like he can’t believe this is real.
“Morning,” I whisper.
“Good morning.”
His right hand is resting on my hip. My shirt has ridden up during the night so he’s touching my bare skin. He starts rubbing small circles on the skin beneath his fingertips.
I offer a soft smile as I look at him.
“What?” I ask.
“Just making sure this is real,” he says.
“Making sure what is real?”
“You, here. In my bed.”
I lean forward a smidge and gently kiss his lips, letting him know that yes, this is very real.
“I didn’t keep you awake with my snoring?” I ask.
Charlie roars with laughter, reaching up to rub his eyes. “No,” he says as he returns his hand to my skin. “But as much as I would like to stay here and continue this,” he adds, squeezing my hip, “we need to go.”
“I know.” It comes out as a sigh. I don’t know when we’ll get a moment like this again, but Thea needs me. What’s a few more hours or days when Charlie and I have been pining for decades?
“I know,” he echoes quietly and I know we’re on the same page. He looks at me like I’m the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen, and I suddenly don’t care about morning breath or sleep in my eyes. There’s a different, tender kind of love behind his eyes, the kind that’snotreserved for your best friend.
“Hey,” he says softly. “I just…I know you’ve got a lot going on with Thea right now, but I just want you to know that I’m here for whatever. However you need me. Friend or…something more.”
I smile. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
We eventually untangle ourselves and get up to get on with the day. He drops me off at Regiano’s to pick up my car from the night before and I run home to freshen up. I change out of his pajamas and into some jeans and another T-shirt before brushing my teeth and combing my hair. I feel like a new human after I’m done.
What a difference a change of clothes and brushed teeth can make for a person.
I’m back at the hospital right around eight, just when visiting hours are set to begin. I’m directed upstairs to Thea’s new room and I ride the elevator up a few floors.
She’s more awake now but I can tell she’s still out of it. She keeps asking what happened. I’ve been informed that this is normal and she’ll continue to ask as her memory gets better.
After an hour or so, she’s finally discharged. A nurse comes in to unhook her from the monitors and IV. I help her as she slides back into her clothes from the night before.
“Are you okay?” I ask her when she’s dressed.
She nods. She takes a few cautious steps away from the bed and seems to relax a bit.
“Just take me home, Aunt Beth,” she says as we walk out of her room.
Now that, I can do.
