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His jaw pulses once, twice before spasming into a tight pucker.
And then, his eyes water.
My cheeks are puffed out like a chipmunk, burning as if I’m covered in flames from the force of the laugh building in my chest. It wants to come out, but I hold it…
And hold it…
And…
The candy flies across the room as Roman doubles over, coughing and spluttering. His hands go to his throat in a dramatic show that’s fitting of Oli’s theatrics.
“Oh my God!” he shouts, frantically searching for something to drink. He snags his glass of milk from earlier. Something he’s used to wash down the flaming wings we ordered.
My hand flies between us in a poor effort to stop the accident that’s about to happen. But it’s too late.
His head tips back. He takes a big gulp and then…promptly spits it back in the glass with a disgusting gag that makes my own stomach twist.
“Fuck! Holy shit!” He chokes again, half-cough, half-gagging. “That tasted like rotten pickles and moldy sour cream.”
The laugh finally bursts free, so loud, so wild, that it echoes around the room. I have to clutch the bowl to my chest as I fall to my side, cackling like a madwoman.
“Fuck off,” he grumbles, rubbing his tongue on a napkin with a hiss.
A hideous snort slips out and my mouth snaps shut. Roman’s eyes dance with laughter, his face lighter than I’ve seen it since he showed up, before he also loses it.
I don’t know how long we laugh, but when we finally settle down, my sides are burning and my bladder is aching. He flips through the channels, looking for a movie as I happily munch on my popcorn, content to just be.
Is this the kind of life that would exist for me outside of Divinity Falls? One with laughter and midnight snacks? Trying new foods and experiencing the randomness that life has to offer?
My eyes roam over the comfortably familiar living room. The windows are open, letting in the night air that smells so much like home and my body settles even as my soul dies a little more.
At some point, my eyes start to drift, heavy from endless episodes of the show he pretended to hate but ended up loving and bowls full of carbs. Roman’s fingers smooth a relaxing path up and down my bare legs, lulling me deeper and deeper into a comfortable bliss that so rarely exists for me.
I know I should feel guilty—and I do.
I miss Isaac. I miss his smile and his hugs. I miss the solid reassurance and the stability our daily life offers. I miss his laugh, his calming voice, his familiarity.
I know our life is small, but to me, it’s comforting.
I love knowing he’ll be home every night and waiting for me every morning. I love knowing that with him, I never have to feel alone. With him, I’m safe. With him, I know without a shadow of a doubt, he’s not going anywhere.
And despite the monotony of it, I genuinely enjoy taking care of the house, having something to offer in return. It’s what Mama did for Daddy, for me, for Roman. And she was the best person I knew. Surely, she can’t have been wrong.
Roman’s fingers slide down my legs and wrap around my right foot. I quietly giggle and twitch without opening my eyes. “That tickles.”
“Shh,” he whispers. “This is the best part.”
I have no idea what he's watching and as he starts to knead the sole of my foot, I don’t care.
Smiling into my arm, I fall asleep with one thought on my mind.
The only thing that would make this entire night better, is if Isaac were here with us.
I’m not sure what exactly wakes me up or how long I’ve been asleep, but I’m too comfortable to move, so I don’t. I’m warm and cozy, my body cuddled up deeply against something hard yet comforting.
No. Someone.
Even with my eyes closed and my brain foggy from the deepest sleep I’ve had in what feels like forever, I know whose chest my face is nestled on. I know whose fingers are running through the long strands of my wild hair, smoothing out the chaos that was created in my sleep. And I know whose heart beats in a soothing cadence beneath my ear, lulling me back to sleep.
