Wow, it's been a hot minute since i updated this. Terribly sorry! This is the last chapter of this story, we'll see if anything else noteworthy gets written ant time soon! :P I hope the fact that this is ridiculously long makes up for the fact that i haven't updated in over a month! Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 2029
Elizabeth leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes for a brief moment of rest. Fearing she would fall asleep, though, she quickly opened her eyes and finished typing in the few final grades she had left. She stuffed unit exams into a folder and placed it neatly into her office drawer before closing her laptop and gathering her belongings.
She strode toward the elevator, waiting impatiently as she heard it rise slowly. It opened, and she wasted no time stepping inside. Once the bell dinged again, she stepped out, smiling politely at the theology department's secretary, weaving through the bustle of lingering professors and making her way toward her husband's office. She tapped gently on the frame of the door, mindful not to startle him, obviously still deep in his work.
"Hey." He looked up, meeting her eyes with a smile.
"Hey." She echoed quietly, fatigue coating her response. "Are you ready to go?" He slid his laptop into his bag, and shuffled a few files, moving them to the opposite side of the desk before nodding and grabbing his keys. His hand rested instinctively on the small of her back, leading her out of the office and shutting the door behind him.
The short drive home was quiet, Elizabeth fighting to keep her eyes open as she stared out the window. Every once in a while, Henry caught a glimpse of her tired countenance in the corner of his eyes. He took her hand in his, stroking small circles along the top. "We're almost home." His voice remained quiet, as gentle as his hand, while his eyes remained on the road. When they pulled into the drive slowly, he squeezed her hand, subtly alerting her they had returned.
They stepped through the threshold of their modest Charlottesville home, Elizabeth immediately dropping her bag in the corner, making Henry chuckle quietly. Even a decade removed from Washington couldn't kill her habit of decompressing at the door.
She kicked her shoes off her feet, carrying them down the hallway and back into the bedroom as Henry slipped into the kitchen to peruse the refrigerator for dinner ideas. "Babe," he called, "is baked chicken okay?"
"Yeah." Her voice was muffled by distance, but he heard, quickly gathering ingredients. She reemerged moments later feeling much more comfortable in a pair of lounge pants and a Georgetown crewneck.
Like most of her sweatshirts, it once was his. He had received it as a Christmas gift from Stevie, and thought he might actually get to keep it when he had worn it through the winter and into the spring without Elizabeth stealing it. Weeks later, though, she had taken custody of the cozy crewneck, convinced, now, that every fiber held his scent. "I hope we will be having more than that for our anniversary dinner." She quipped, stealing a kiss before sitting at the island.
He raised an eyebrow while rubbing the chicken with a mixture of spices. "Don't you worry, babe. You'll have plenty to eat."
She hummed, sending him a knowing smile. "Good. It would be a shame if I was still hungry."
He reflected her smile, placing the chicken in a pan, sliding it in the oven. He rinsed his hands, meeting her at the island in one stride. "You know I'll fill you…" he said, sliding a knee between her legs and wrapping his hands around her waist.
Her hands gravitated toward his chest, moving slowly, sliding around his neck with her toes pointing eagerly. "You always make sure I'm sated." She whispered, placing feathery kisses on his jaw before meeting his lips with passionate conviction.
…
Later that evening Elizabeth lay with her arm folded under her head, eyes lazily following Henry as he moved about the bedroom. Her soft voice stopped his movements as he turned to face her. "Come to bed already." He moved closer, bending to place a light kiss on her forehead.
"I'm almost done packing," he whispered against her forehead, "just a few more things." She sighed, letting her eyes remain closed as she felt the warmth of his breath disappear. He caught a glimpse of her exhausted, yet relaxed countenance as he placed his last sweater in his duffle bag, smiling gently as he closed both their bags and pushed them out of the way. "Okay," he announced. "I'm finished."
Her lips stretched into a smile as she turned to his side of the bed, feeling the mattress and blankets move beneath her as he climbed next to her. She kicked the comforter from beneath her, moving her legs under the covers as Henry pulled her closer into his embrace.
"Are you excited?" He asked, regarding the anniversary trip for which they would depart in the morning.
She hummed, moving her cold hands under his shirt in a futile attempt to warm them. "Of course." She moved closer. "I would be even more excited if you told me where we were going…"
He chuckled softly, kissing her forehead as he enveloped her other hand in his. "Sorry, you'll just have to wait until tomorrow…"
"Okay." Her willingness to trust him, to trust that he was taking her on a trip she would enjoy warmed his heart. Her response was simple and innocent, hinting the undying faith she had in him.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 1992
Elizabeth gasped, slamming the door in surprise when a pair of hands slipped around her waist. She squealed in excitement when she felt his warm lips press against the nape of her neck. She tightened her lips, trying, unsuccessfully, to conceal a giggle as she maneuvered her arm around his neck, eager hand grasping the back of his head.
"Happy anniversary, Henry." She whispered against his lips leaning heavily into his chest. He hummed against her jaw, allowing her to twist within his embrace.
"Happy anniversary, baby." One hand rested gently on the curvature of her hip, while the other gravitated toward her face, thumb stroking gently over her cheekbone. "I love you." He whispered, finally connecting with her soft lips.
Her smile wouldn't cease, as he nipped at her neck, as he embraced her body, as he stroked her cheek, her lips only stretched into a more recognizable grin. Her cheeks hurt, like the happiness she felt would cause them to crack. "I love you." She whispered back, tangling her fingers in the curls at the nape of his neck.
…
She watched as her husband scurried around the room, frantically trying to shove both their belongings into a duffle bag. She hid her smile behind a cupped palm, knowing she would undoubtedly repack her own clothes anyway, slipping a little nighttime surprise in there for her husband as well.
He pulled pants from the dresser and refolded them as she sauntered over to him, placing a soft kiss against his lips, lingering just a moment too long. He smiled, pressing his forehead to hers before kissing her quickly and moving to continue packing.
"You know," he looked over his shoulder at her. "If you keep stopping me to kiss me, we're going to be late…" She watched him zip the duffle bag, moving behind him as he stood. Her hands moved over his hips, sliding into his pockets as she placed her head between his shoulder blades.
"That's okay," She mumbled, placing a soft kiss on his back. "I wouldn't mind."
He turned abruptly, sweeping her off of her feet and spinning around and landing cockeyed at the foot of the bed. "Don't worry," he laughed, allowing her weight to press atop his chest and her feet to dangle over his knees. "We'll have time for so many activities once we check in tomorrow."
She swung her legs, resting each knee against his ribs, placing both hands upon his face. "Good." She responded simply, leaning forward to kiss him.
IN A PLANE – OCTOBER 2029
After the flight had taken off, she felt a chill run down her spine with a volt of excitement when Henry asked her if she wanted to know where they were headed. She was glad the flight was sparse with passengers and their seats were surrounded by vacancy, hiding her small moan and her eyes rolling back as he leaned over, sneaking his hand up her thigh.
Of course she wanted to know. He knew that, and she didn't have to reverberate such. "You know I do." She whispered anyway, intertwining her fingers in his that rested on her thigh.
"I'll give you a hint." He left his hand on her leg, his other maneuvering through the apps on his phone. She peered over his shoulder, trying to see what he was up to. Seconds later she felt a vibration radiate through her body as the screen of her phone lit up with a text from Henry.
Grabbing her phone and sliding it open with her free hand, she tightened her grip on his fingers, feeling her breath quicken. She rested the screen on her collarbone, already feeling her temperature rise. "Ohmygod." She breathed out in a single syllable, biting her lip as she stared out the window.
"Do you like that vintage photography?" his voice was dangerously low, husky in her ear as he bit intentionally behind the lobe. She could only nod, now moving her hips uncomfortably in the seat.
She untangled her fingers from his, raking her nails down his chest, sneaking them under the thin cotton of his tee shirt. She snuck another glance at the photo on her phone before dropping it back in her pocket and fisting the fabric pooling around his abs.
She exhaled heavily in lieu of a coherent response to his provocative question. "You're so goddamn handsome." She breathed crossing her legs tightly and leaning across the seat. Before she could make another move, though, he had abruptly left the seat, brushing a cold breeze across her neck. After waiting quite impatiently, she slid her hand into the pocket of her coat and headed toward the back of the plane.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 1992
Henry awoke some time later to find the room dark, and the mattress cold. A small lamp was all that illuminated a desk in the corner of the room, where he barely made out his wife's silhouette.
"Babe, what are you doing?" he closed his eyes again, his voice lined with the gravel of sleep.
"Go back to bed." She whispered quietly. "I'll be there in a second." He nodded, instinctively turning on his side, inching toward her pillow until he could smell the fain scent of her perfume lingering.
"Hurry," he mumbled into the cotton pillowcase. "it's getting cold tonight."
FALLS LAKE, NC – OCTOBER 2029
The pair walked hand-in-hand along a trail that led away from the cabin, through the trees, and toward the shore of the lake. A comfortable silence had fallen over them, as they felt their pulses mingle against embraced wrists and palms.
When they returned to the cabin, they made their way to the bench on a side deck that was positioned perfectly to overlook the property. Elizabeth rested her head on Henry's shoulder, closing her eyes as she listened to the muted sounds of birds, animals scurrying, and insects chirping.
"Do you remember our first anniversary?" her voice broke through the silence that had encapsulated them for the past hour.
"Of course," he moved his nose, resting his chin atop her head as he breathed in her presence. "We spent the weekend in the city."
She adjusted her gaze, moving to look into his eyes. She smiled longingly as she remembered the trip. "Yeah." Her head bobbed slowly. "The night before we left, that night, I wrote you a letter."
His jaw tightened as his eyes moved quickly across the landscape in front of him, not knowing exactly like a phrase like that was supposed to mean.
"Relax," she soothed, patting his chest. "I knew I wanted to give it to you on a future anniversary, but I was never quite sure when." She pulled an envelope from her pocket, handing it to him. "After everything we have been through together, number 40 seems perfect." She flashed him a bright smile before curling back into his side.
She listened intently, absorbing the sounds of rustling paper and Henry's breathing. She closed her eyes, feeling his warm fingers run through her hair. She rubbed his leg when she heard his breath become labored and hitched, catching a glance of her own writing when he pulled her closer.
"Elizabeth…" the whisper floated in the air, neither confirming or deny his exclamation. She heard a small sniffle, then a chuckle, before he spoke again. "You ended with a quote." His hand grazed her head, sliding down her arm. "Yet everything that touches us, me and you, / takes us together like a violin's bow, / which draws one voice out of two separate strings." Though it seemed perfect when she wrote the line 40 years ago, she had no idea how relevant it would become as they ventured through life together.
"I love you, Henry." The words felt inadequate falling from her lips. They had spent more years of their lives together than they had spent apart, and though she told him over and over again, she never felt that she could accurately convey the grip he held on her heart.
She ran her thumb across the palm of his hand, staring at it for a long moment before placing a gentle kiss on each line etched within his skin. As if he knew the internal struggle she faced, he closed his hand around hers, kissing her knuckles before meeting her eyes.
"If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more."
"Jane Austen." Her breath was heavy both with relief and emotion. He was no longer her "better half;" she supposed at this point there was no discretion in determining where he ended and she began. They were simply one.
He leaned toward her body, resting his forehead heavily against hers, feeling the heat radiate between them. Words, though appreciated, had become futile, and they now relied on demonstrating their love, pledging it permeate every corner of the lives they lived together.
END.