"I think we need a bigger bed," she said, early in the morning, and I took some time to understand exactly where that was coming from.
"What?" I mumbled, drowsy with sleep.
"A bed, Donald. We need a bigger bed!" She insisted, condescending. She only calls me Donald when she thinks she's being smarter than me. I only have her father to blame on that.
"May I ask why we need a bigger bed?" I returned with a smug smile. She opened a sly smile and swayed in my direction. I raised an eyebrow, as I already knew her strategy. She's used that since we met.
"Well, you know, why do couples madly in love need beds?"
"I know. And we've got a pretty good one. Why do we need a bigger one?"
She rolled her eyes, knowing that after 6 years it would be a bit harder to use the old Keen charm on me. Little did she know that inside I was ready to do whatever she wanted.
"Because, well..." She went inside her pretty head, trying to find a reason. There wasn't one, except that she wanted it. "I want one. This one is too small. I feel a bit cramped."
"Small, Liz? Really? It's not small. You feel cramped maybe because you are always rolling to my side. Besides, I don't think a bigger bed would fit our budget now, with the baby, and all."
"Exactly!" Her mind snapped, and I chuckled, as I knew I had just handed her a new argument. " the baby! We won't fit in that bed when it's four of us! We barely fit now with Agnes!"
"Well, we don't need a bigger bed for that, the baby will have his own bed, which I'm still paying for, by the way."
She grunted like a kid, and then pouted, and I knew she knew she had already got me. She threw her arms around me and looked deep inside my eyes with those mooneyes of hers, and in a matter of seconds, I caved. She hopped and then gave me a kiss.
"We can go shopping on the weekend, I saw some good options and I think we won't take long. I promise, it won't be a long search."
"You said the same when we went to buy a new tv." Oh yeah, that whole weekend jumping from store to store until we saw all tvs available in DC and area, just to go back and buy the first one we saw.
"There were so many options! I promise, Ress, short trip to the store, that's all. I already know what I want!" She smiled, that warm cute smile with dimples that always makes my heart skip a beat, and I'm wrapped around her finger. I couldn't resist it, and leaned to give her a kiss when her phone rang, and I was left kissing her cheek as she turned to pick the phone from her pocket and put it on her ear.
"Keen," she answered it, and I knew it was Red, so I got my revenge by squeezing her against me and kissing her neck, right where I know it tickles, and she had a hard time holding the giggles while her father spoke on the other end of the phone.
"Right, Red, we're about to leave, we'll be there soon," she finished the call, and then slapped my hand off her leg, trying to get off my arms, but laughing at the same time.
"Are we?" I teased, and she laughed out loud.
"Eh, the old man needs to learn how to wait. I waited for 4 years until he revealed anything about my past. I think it's only fair, right?" She joked, as she threw her phone on the bed and put her hands on my hair, massaging my head. Yeah, we're not going anywhere soon.
-/-
She said she knew what she wanted. Well, she didn't. And the hunt for a bed was a bit longer than promised. A few days later, the dreadful king sized thing arrived, and it took a few hours until we managed to fit it into our bedroom.
That morning, I simply had coffee and observed as the two women in my life jumped on the plastic-covered mattress. Their screams of joy and laughter filled my heart in a way I never thought it could be filled, being always the serious Mr. Robot of the law. As they got tired, and lay on the mattress, panting and laughing, I lay between them and both moved to rest on my chest. I put my arm around Agnes, and placed my other hand on Liz's belly. Right there and then, there was absolutely nothing else I could need in my life.
That night, after work, Liz prepared the bed neatly for our first night. She lit candles around the room and used potpourri to perfume it. By the bed, a bottle of expensive sparkled water replaced the champagne that she couldn't drink, and a soft ballad played on the dock. The moonlight lit where the candles couldn't, and she was wearing a long, silk night gown that was a bit tight around her 4-months bump. I loved her then as much as I loved her when she slept with my old, worn out t-shirts and sweatpants, but I have to admit it was exciting to get home to that.
"Agnes is sleeping, so I thought it was our turn to try out the new bed," she said, and smiled as she gently removed my tie and suit. She smelled of roses, and I took my time leaning down to kiss her as she opened my shirt and removed it from my shoulders. As soon as our lips touched, though, I was trapped. Paul McCartney began to play "always" and I could make each of his words mine, as we both laid down on the fresh mattress.
"Days may not be fair, always
That's when I'll be there, always
Not for just an hour
Not for just a day
Not for just a year
But always"
Later, as she spread on her side of the bed, showing all the perks of a king-size, I already missed our cozy little bed, and the fact that on it Liz would always roll to my side and snuggle on me. Her warmth kept me calm and I knew it was the reason I haven't had any more sleepless nights since we got together. I was beginning to worry that this bed would give me nightmares again, but no sooner after Liz blew out the candles and we went to sleep, I felt her hands around my waist and her head on my shoulder. I put my arm around her, taking her in as she snuggled closer in her sleep, and I felt her bump on my side. Finally, I relaxed and closed my eyes, not without taking a peek over her to see the enormous space left on her side. Perfect.