STAR LIGHT, STAR BRIGHT
AN: I'm having a hard time working on my other WIP right now. The muse has temporarily left the building. This was kicking around in my head instead. So consider it a peace offering?
"Is this okay? Do you like it?"
Paige looked into Walter's nervous face and smiled. "It's perfect. A sunset picnic on the beach is the definition of amazing. Thank you." And it was perfect. Maybe a touch too perfect, but she would refrain from telling him that.
He chewed the inside of his cheek and she knew him well enough to know he was preventing himself from correcting her statement about the literal definition of amazing. "So… So it's, uh, considered a romantic atmosphere then?" He asked instead. Was he trying to check all the boxes again?
She leaned toward him and rubbed his shoulder reassuringly. "Yes, Walter. It's lovely."
When she straightened back up, she watched as he visibly calmed down a bit. "Okay. That-that's good then," he muttered to himself.
Paige took a minute to kick off her sandals and Walter fiddled a little with the placement of the blanket, the arrangement of the dishes and the little flickering LED lights as if he was channeling Sylvester on his worst OCD day. Then he rotated the bottle of wine a few degrees presumably so it would cool evenly in a kitchy sand pail he'd filled with ice. Next, he held out his hand and helped her settle down before joining her. Finally, he politely served up supper, divvying up the portions equally between the two of them.
He observed closely as she took a bite and hummed in approval.
Afterwards, they ate in relative silence, both focusing on the out-going tide. The wine was excellent. The food was delicious and just right for a warm, summer evening. He'd really done his research. But she could tell he was stiff and uncomfortable sitting beside her and he only picked at his plate full of summer delicacies, all of them her particular favorites of the season.
Paige noticed he barely suppressed a grimace as he took a tiny sip of the wine, so she had to comment. "Walter, you don't drink alcohol. Wouldn't you like something else? Don't you normally prefer water?"
He smiled benignly back. "Oh, um, I'm open to experiencing new things. This is… it's fine."
Paige let the subject drop.
They stared at one another for a moment and he blinked a few times looking self-conscious and like he was struggling to find something else to talk about. Or more likely keeping words he didn't want said at bay.
Glancing down and away, he began to clean and gather up the leavings from their meal. When she automatically started to help, he assured her he had things under control. He told her he wanted her to relax and let him pamper her. Paige couldn't remember one time in the whole four years she'd known Walter he'd ever used a word even resembling 'pamper'. She also wondered how he thought she could relax when he was so obviously uptight.
As the silence was starting to become strained, he suddenly cleared his throat, startling her out of her thoughts. His hands working busily, he began asking her a string of overly cheerful questions about Ralph like: 'Is he glad to be out of school for the summer?' 'Is he hanging out with any of his school friends during the break?' 'Does he have any new crushes?' Paige recognized right away he was being a little too careful about avoiding anything relating to science or his personal common interests with her son.
By the time the genius had everything packed up efficiently, the sun had sunk below the horizon and the stars began to appear here and there, scattered across the indigo part of the dome of sky.
Leaning her head back, Paige closed her eyes and took a deep breath enjoying the fresh, salty smell of warm sand and ocean. When she looked up again, she breathed, "Oh, Walter. Look at that star. It's so bright. Let's make a wish."
Her gaze met his and he immediately looked away, shaking his head and biting his lip.
"Spoil sport," she teased, "I know you don't believe in wishes coming true. But indulge me just this once."
"I, um, brought you a jacket in case you get chilled. Would you like to w-walk a little?"
He stood and held out a hand to help her up.
As he draped the jacket around her shoulders, Paige grinned at him flirtatiously, "I'll walk with you, but not until we make those wishes…"
"You can do what you want of course…and if you insist, I guess I'll do it too." Walter looked skyward and closed his eyes for a few seconds, murmuring a few indistinguishable words before sighing.
He took her hand, allowing her to walk on the surf's side so she could stroll barefoot in the inch or two of cool water and lacy foam left by the gentle waves.
"Hey," Paige bumped Walter's shoulder with hers.
"Hmm?" He answered, eyebrows raised in inquiry.
"So, what was your wish?"
"I thought it wouldn't come true if I said it out loud. Isn't that the myth?" He flashed her a rueful smile before letting his focus drop to his feet.
Paige tilted her head and looked at him sidelong. "If it's just a myth, it doesn't matter. C'mon. Tell me," she coaxed.
"I'm here with you. What more could I wish for?" He shrugged, giving her a weak attempt at a smile in return.
She could plainly see he didn't want to tell her. And it bothered her. In fact, the whole date bothered her. Because he was so clearly unhappy.
"That's really sweet. But it's kind of a copout. I'll go first, okay?" Without waiting for his permission, she continued, "I wished you would feel comfortable with me again. In that song you wrote for me, you said I was calm and rest for you. I can tell I'm not anymore. I wish we would get there again. You're so quiet. I can sense you're censoring everything you say and you're fighting to be agreeable about everything. If we're going to make this work, it can't all be one sided. It can't be all about me. We have to meet in the middle."
Walter turned worried, dark eyes toward her face. "But… you didn't, uh, that is… you said you don't like when I lecture about science facts or-or make comments about things I don't like at restaurants. Or ways to improve processes. I can't help thinking the way I do. I'm simply trying my best not to irritate or bore or wear you out with it. I want you to be happy with me this time. I want you to see I still have the potential to improve."
Her heart broke a little with his words. Paige tugged at his hand bringing them both to a halt. "Oh, Walter." Shaking her head not knowing where to start, she asked, "How long do you think you can keep this up? We can't be happy together if you're miserable around me."
He frowned in patent concern. "I can keep it up indefinitely. I'll do better, I promise. All I know is I'm more miserable without you…"
Her fingers traced his jaw before she rested her palm against his cheek. "Me too. That's why we both agreed to try this again, remember?"
Walter leaned into the contact and nodded.
"Now, you listen to me. You aren't the only one who needs to work on some things. You weren't the only one at fault in this whole mess. I encouraged you to be dishonest. I said cruel things to you when I was feeling angry and hurt. Hell, I even attacked your livelihood. I've apologized, I know, but you seem to be under the impression I don't know exactly where I went wrong here. Walter, I think the line blurred a little too much between my job of helping you improve your EQ and being your girlfriend who is supposed to love you regardless. I fell in love with you a long time ago. Long before you made all these strides in your development. I like the person you are. I like the way your brain works. It's one the things about you I've always found attractive. It's a big part of who you are. If I get impatient with how you express yourself sometimes, that's on me. If I ever want you to change the essence of who and what you are, then I'm the one who's wrong. Got it? I've had a romantic cheater. I've had an attentive deserter. I want you. I love you, Walter. Quirks and all. I'm sorry I made you doubt that."
The corners of his mouth curved up in his first genuine smile of the whole evening. "In that case, I'm ready to tell you what I wished for."
She grinned back. "Let's have it."
"I wished I could tell you it was actually Mercury you were wishing on. You technically made us wish on a planet."
Her smile widened and she chuckled. "See? Wishes really do come true."