Page 63 of Guarding Glenda

Looking off to the yard, I said, “No.”

Silence dragged for some time.

“Glenda, I want you to feel like this is your home. Because it is now.”

Looking back at his handsome face, I melted. “I think deep down, no matter how hard I tried to lie to myself, I knew that wasn’t real. Wasn’t forever. I just really wanted to think my future was planned. We never had our own place. I never really have, I guess.”

“I can’t say exactly what the future holds for us,” he said. “But I do know we’ll be doing it together. And your place is here with me.”

“Jesus Christ,” I said with a giggle. My face got hot.

“What? What did I say?”

“Leigh, why do you keep saying these things? I can’t take it. It’s too perfect, it's almost cringe.”

“I’m gonna keep being cringe when it comes to you. Eventually there will be a day you get used to being loved right, Glenda.”

“Oh my God! You did it again!” I covered my face.

He tickled my sides and my hands went to his, trying to pull them away.

“Leigh!” I squealed as I squirmed in his lap.

Bruce started barking, going side to side.

Leigh stopped tickling me but wrapped me up and peppered kisses over my neck and cheek. “Alright. Enough for now. Let’s have coffee. Then you can show me where to carry the boxes so you can unpack them, since this is our home now.”

***

After breakfast, I called and scheduled an appointment with Dr. Stanley. She said I could still attend group, but was glad I took the step to contact her. I was, too. A little bit of weight had been lifted. Then I got to work.

It only took me a couple of hours to unpack everything and that was only because I wasn’t sure where to put it all. It was sad how little I actually owned. Leigh made space in the closet and his chest of drawers for me. Again, not an array of clothes, but enough. Since it was cooling off, though, I left most of the shorts, tanks, and sandals packed away.

But I scattered a few things around the place. I’d collected mugs and shot glasses at different places I’d been. My unit encountered very little combat, but I did spend some time in the Middle East when I was in the military. I had a few small things like incense and jewelry, but I never took them out of the packaging because it was so pretty. I also had a few small pieces of gold in keepsake boxes. Again, tiny, but so pretty.

There was only a small pile of pictures, not even enough for an album. Most were times I didn’t care to reminisce on, but I didn’t want to toss them just yet, either. I tucked those away with the summer clothes.

“I talked to Bama. They’ll be here after they pick Sofie up,” Leigh said, poking his head into the bedroom.

Pushing my sleeves up, I blew out a heavy breath. “Sounds good.”

He came inside, then wrapped his arms around me from behind. “Get it all unpacked?”

“I kept summer stuff packed and shoved it in there, but everything else is unpacked, boxes broken down, and on the front porch.”

“I thought you’d have more stuff.”

I turned in his arms. “I travel light.”

He pecked my lips. “Well, no traveling anymore. You can do what you want with the house. I don’t know shit about decorating.”

“I can decorate?” I asked. I was so used to the hotel room, I’d never even thought about decorating a house.

“Yeah. Whatever you like. Just don’t toss my recliner. A man needs his chair.”

“I would never.”

“Why you biting your lip?” he asked.