Notes 11
I just took what I think is going to be my favorite photo of Daria for a long time.
I just got home after my last guitar student, and found her fast asleep at the kitchen table, head on a book, laptop in front of her. There was something about the light, and I couldn't help but to just stare at her for awhile. She had taken her glasses off for what she probably intended to be a short rest for her eyes. Her head was resting on her curved arm and the book she was reading, and her glasses were folded, still lightly held in her fingers.
She's such a subtle beauty. I mean, she's pretty and all that, but there's way more than that. I could see that she was a cute girl the day I met her. But she had a way of hiding in plain sight; she had kind of honed that to perfection. It was a bunch of little things, like her careful way of speaking when she chose to, her expressionless face, and her silence, which was most of the time, at least around me. She used to avoid eye contact with me at first, and when she did look at me, she would blush.
After awhile, I started to appreciate her more and more. Her wit, her sense of humor, that intellect. And that smile. For the longest time, it was a subtle half-smile, the kind Janey described as a La Gioconda smile. A full Daria smile was a rare thing back then, like a total solar eclipse.
Right now, there's something going on in her head that's making her smile in her sleep.
I look around, and there's Janey over on the sofa, stretched out with a book on her face. She's got all the lights on, and there are books open to illustrations on the floor. Asleep, as well. Her camera's on the floor, so I pick it up. She's got lots of space on this memory card, so I borrow it to sneak a photo.
Years from now, our kids will look at that picture and see that their mom was a rare beauty even back then.
Looking around, seeing how hard these two are working at their studies, I have to smile. This place is really pretty small for the three of us, but we're getting by. Giving them the ability to focus is reward enough.
I make sure that Daria isn't working on something that isn't due tonight or in the morning- she rarely puts things off to the last minute but I check anyway. She's so tired I carry her to the bed, and unlace her boots. I manage to get her jeans off without getting an elbow in the eye, and manage to get her top and her bra off without getting too distracted. I pull her favorite sleep shirt on over that wonderful hair, and tuck her under the covers.
I put her glasses on her nightstand, where she knows they'll be.
I have to study her face before I turn off the light. She is so beautiful. I lean in to smell her hair, and her eyes flutter open.
"Go away, you pervert," she says with a little smile. I kiss her on her forehead and move to get up; she pulls me back down. "If you get up before I do, wake me up. Be creative." She kisses me again, this time full on the lips, and then she rolls over.
The next morning, she gets up before I do.
She's very creative, and I'm really awake now.
An hour later we make it to the kitchen for coffee. Janey's put a post-it on the coffeemaker:
Jeez, you guys are noisy. I was inspired to go wake Matt up. Trent, bring your guitar and something like meat to burn to the park, we'll meet you there at around noon. We'll bring Matt's grille and whatever we can find in his fridge. Remember to stay off the table, I still eat there.
It was the most pleasant day off that I can remember.
A/N: okay, okay, pointless fluff. Forgot where I was going with this and just decided to throw it in anyway...