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Junie came to the neck of the hallway. “Willa? You okay with Barrett here now? Should I head out?”
He kissed the top of her head. She turned her face towards Junie. “Thank you, Junie. I love you.”
Junie stepped quickly toward them, leaned in, and kissed Willa’s cheek. “Love you, too.”
Then, turning to Barrett, Junie asked for reassurance, “Call me at any time if she needs me?”
He nodded solemnly. “I’ve got her, I promise, but I’ll text you if she needs you.”
Junie let herself out quietly.
Willa stayed planted in the hallway, her ear over his heart, his hand rubbing her head. After a few more moments she released a deep sigh and her body relaxed against his.
“Can I wash your hair, my Viking?”
Her voice was thin and reedy.
“Yes, angel.”
He held her to his side as he got the towels from the hall closet. They went to her ensuite. He noticed her eyeing the shower enclosure surreptitiously. He walked over to it and drew back the curtain, looking in.
“I can’t believe we fit in here together, angel.”
She watched him scan the bottom of the shower and relaxed her shoulders at his lack of concern. He turned the water on, quickly pulled his clothes off, then gently undressed her. Dropping gentle kisses on her shoulders, her hip, her belly. His penis remained flaccid.
This was not about that.
He stepped into the shower first and then handed her in. Kneeling at her feet, he rested his forehead between her breasts and breathed her in, wishing with everything in him that he could take away her pain.
She tunneled her fingers into his long hair, and moved them across his scalp, rubbing in tiny circles. The water from the shower hit the top of his head and ran down the sides of his face, disguising the tears he shed on her behalf.
He wrapped his arms firmly around her hips and prayed that she might have peace. He steadied her with his hands at her ribs when she leaned over him to grab the shampoo. He closed his eyes as she massaged the sweet scent he always associated with her into his hair. He attuned himself to the tiny hitches in her breath that she swallowed, evening her breath out once again.
She smoothed his hair back from his face and tipped his head back so that the water ran in rivulets carrying away the suds. With her thumbs she erased the lines on his forehead. He lifted his chin to study her face. Drawn and detached, focused on her hands on his face.
He rose to his feet and turned her, tucking her under the water. He lifted her heavy curls from her shoulders and gathered them to the back of her head under the spray. He massaged her special conditioner into her scalp, dragging it down the length of her hair enclosed in his loose fist. He held her close and stepped them both under the water, rinsing the last of the treatment from her hair.
Running his hands over her back, he felt the first tremors and moved quickly to turn off the water and hand her out. He wrapped her up in a towel and pulled her against his chest.
Her body heaved. She tipped her head back, elongating her neck, sucking in a breath. Her eyes swept frantically left and right, she gulped. “Oh, God, Barrett, it hurts so much!”
He tipped his forehead down to touch hers. He could not speak. She looked into his eyes, saw the wet in his, and pressed her quaking mouth to his.
“Thank you. Thank you for being here with me. I’m sorry if this brings up bad memories for you.” She hiccoughed.
He shook his head slightly. “These tears are for you, angel. Your pain is my pain.”
Willa
Thursday morning, we woke up naked and tangled up in each other.
He gently extricated himself and lumbered to the bathroom. My Lord the man was magnificent in the morning. Perhaps especially in the morning, all sleep-warm and sleepy-eyed, his hair a mess, his body laid out like a gift, his lazy eyes waking up as they took a tour of my face and body.
Yum.
I heard him brushing his teeth and smiled. I believed fun times were coming my way.
I hustled into the bathroom and kissed the back of his shoulder. I twinkled at him in the mirror, he smiled gently back.
