Making Memories Of Us
Chapter Eleven: Remember
"Psst…Annie darling…" Auggie's voice was quiet as he whispered to his wife in the early morning.
"Hmmm," she grumbled, throwing a hand over her eyes.
"Annie…psst," he pestered her once more, placing his finger on one of her ribs and pressing lightly enough to get her attention.
She grumbled something slightly incoherent, but Auggie's excellent hearing deduced it to 'leave me alone'.
"Babe, I'm not leaving you alone – not today." He started, and he was going to continue, but Annie responded by throwing a pillow onto his face and protested some more. "Nuh uh, no behaving like a five year old," he said as he tugged on the pillow that Annie had placed over her own face.
After a minute or two of struggling with Annie, he finally managed to yank all the pillows away from her. "Baby, please?" Auggie pleaded with her, using what she called his "pouty voice".
He heard her sigh and he knew he was starting to warm her up. "I know it's early and it's our so-called vacation–"
"But?" Annie said, now much more awake, stretching her arms upward and yawning.
"It's moooooving day!" He practically screeched, suddenly shaking Annie excitedly. She wouldn't admit it to him past her bed-head and angry aura, but she was happy to see him so excited. Her? Well, she was stressed beyond belief.
She groaned again and was tempted to crawl under the covers and never come out until everything was settled and clean and actually looking like a home. But then again, what kind of wife would she be if she did that?
Answer? Not a very good one. With a huff, she threw the covers off of the bed and pulled on the jeans she had set aside. Everything else was already packed neatly in boxes – except for a few items here and there. Like some spare clothing and their bed.
"Babe," Auggie whined slightly as she moved around the room, packing their final box. "I'm feeling neglected over here."
"Well, Aug, I love you so damn much…but the movers get here in thirty minutes. We're allowed to leave stuff around, but what can fit in boxes has to be in boxes. They're called movers, not packers," she explained as she rushed and folded and crammed.
"…Fine," he agreed, and he grabbed some items too and handed them to Annie so she could put them in their appropriate box.
"Thank you…and I'll be sure you get a lovely reward for being so cooperative," she smirked, thinking of the last "reward" she'd given him. She'd been sore for an entire two days after that experience.
"It's moving day!" He proclaimed once more. He was clearly excited for this.
After their wedding, they'd spent two weeks on their honeymoon on the small Caribbean island of Santa Lucia and the last two weeks living in their mostly emptied out apartment. Luckily for Annie, she hadn't been the one to do most of the packing – Aaron, Kate, and Andrew had "volunteered" for packing duty (although later Kate admitted that she'd blackmailed Andrew into helping and made a "deal" with Aaron, which sounded very much like Annie's "rewards" for Auggie).
"You keep saying it's moving day," Annie said as ran a brush through her hair and prepared to throw most of their essential toiletries into a small duffel bag.
"Well, I've been up since six, making sure that everything is in tip top shape for the movers," Auggie explained. "So hurry up and finish getting ready, because it's–"
"Moving day," Annie interrupted, as she tied her hair back. It was longer than ever – she'd wanted it in a pretty up-do for their wedding, but now she was starting to get annoyed. Maybe it was time to chop it all off? Although Dani would probably kill her…
"Why aren't you excited for this?" Auggie suddenly asked, lingering in the doorway to the bathroom.
"I am…but I'm also stressed. All the furniture luckily made it in one piece to the house, and most of the rooms have been painted by the brigade." She explained as she groaned – there was a knot in-between her shoulder blades that was starting to annoy her.
"Aren't you glad that Aaron and Kate live in D.C. now?" He smiled at Annie's nickname for the two. They had moved into a bigger home in preparation for the big family that Aaron wanted. Although Kate always jokingly said that her limit was two kids, Annie knew both of them well enough – Aaron always got his way and three mini-Andersons were his purported minimum.
"I am, but there's still so much to do, and we have to go back to work soon, and I'm terrified that we won't be settled in enough and that'll work will start rolling in…"
"Hey, hey, no negativity," Auggie urged as he placed his hands on Annie's shoulders and started rubbing at them. Annie sighed as the pain started melting away. "We'll get through this. Just like we've gotten through everything else. How, love?"
"Together," Annie smiled at her answer. If she'd ever had any doubts before the wedding, which she did have, now that they had officially tied the knot, all that particular worry had dissipated. But with that relief came new worries.
"I love you," Annie suddenly blurted as she relaxed into Auggie's warm fingers.
"You sure you aren't saying that because of my awesome masseuse skills?" He said with a smirk playing on his lips. Annie laughed, and amidst her laughter, she heard his reply. "Love you too, babe."
His fingers ran down her back, pushing forcefully into the soreness and stress she'd been carrying since the end of their honeymoon. It was a lot to deal with, Auggie would admit, but even then, he couldn't help but remember how happy Annie had been when they had found their house.
"It's perfect," Annie had said those several weeks ago. And he was willing to trust her – she was his wife. His everything. And he would follow her anywhere and everywhere.
Although he wouldn't be able to see the glorious house that Annie had practically chosen by herself, walking around it, he felt the wide open spaces – if Annie loved it, he was sure to love it too.
Suddenly, Annie felt Auggie's fingers roam upwards, skirmishing the sides of her breasts, and it was then that she squirmed out of his loving grasp.
"Auggie!" She exclaimed, her face beet red and her hormones flaring at her husband. "Not the time or the place…although saying farewell like that would be memorable," she murmured as she thought about it a little more besides her initial reluctance.
"See?" He chuckled, embracing her again and kissing her passionately and deeply. His kisses always made her stomach flutter and her heart race and…now was not the time for this, she had to remind herself, despite her body and her heart being traitors.
"Honey, I'd love nothing more than to shag you senseless…but the movers are practically here…so how about," Annie continued, her voice dropping low. "We finish this little christening at our home? Our new home?"
The sheer idea was good enough for Auggie, and it got his mind wandering to all the lovely places that he was sure to discover now.
"Well, come on then, let's hurry up," he was now insistent.
In a flash, he had everything that was left pushed into boxes, and the rest ready to be loaded into the car. Nothing like promises of what was to come to make him eager to help and get him moving. It was Annie's secret weapon, and she knew it worked effectively, every single time.
Even when he "claimed" he "wasn't" in "the mood"…which had never actually happened, Annie realized as she thought about it. Men.
Annie stretched her arms upwards one more time and groaned. The bedroom was empty now. Their bedroom. So many memories had been made here, of all places. Annie could feel the grin creeping up on her face. When he had proposed, they had truly celebrated in the bed that was now packed up and away.
When they had had their first real fight as a couple, this was where they managed to talk through and discuss things out. When Dani had moved away, this was where she had cried her heart out to him, asking him what she would do without her sister.
He had laughed, she had glared, and he went on to explain that she was only moving – not really leaving. She had realized how silly she was being, and now the two resolved to speak to each other at least once a week.
Annie walked out of their bedroom and into the bathroom to make sure nothing had been left behind. This was where she'd spent many a morning shower pressed against the cold tile, Auggie working his magic on her body. On those mornings she'd always pressured that they were going to be late, but they never were. A sly smile appeared this time, remembering those wonderful recollections.
She turned round and walked out to the rest of the apartment. The living room. When they were barely starting to date, they had spent several nights on the couch, resting and talking, exploring each other and getting to know one another in the things that were unknown. It was also the very beginning of their first truly sexual encounter, and Annie would always remember that very vividly. The look on Auggie's face, his eyes, though unresponsive, dilated, and his happy sighs – they could fill Annie's days, with or without marriage and she'd know she'd always be content.
Annie suddenly realized how empty the apartment felt. It was like they were closing a chapter on their lives and beginning a new one with their new home. As much as she loved the house she'd mostly chosen for both of them, she was terrified that the memories formed there would press back the delightful memories of this home.
However, Annie decided that today was supposed to be a happy day, and even if she had to pretend a little, she would be happy for Auggie, considering how happy and excited he was. Any doubts that he wouldn't like their new house were dismissed this morning, and especially by how he dashed here and there, throwing items in boxes (that didn't necessarily belong in, but Annie would deal with that later). She was incredibly happy, her worries pushed aside, at how happy Auggie himself was.
Sometimes, though she wouldn't dare admit it to Auggie, she wondered how he could be so happy. He made the best of his blindness (never a disability, Annie had learned early on, only a setback), and he was her light. He reminded her to be happy and to feel blessed with the people she had in her life.
Suddenly, Auggie reappeared at the door. "Babe?" He asked, his face filled with earnest confusion. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Annie tried to reassure, but she knew she was a terrible liar when it came to him. "Just…remembering…" she answered as honest as she could.
"I'll miss this place too," Auggie said after a slight beat of silence. He had just admitted what Annie wasn't entirely sure she wanted to divulge. "Just let it be." He continued.
"I'm…just…someone else will eventually live here, and those memories–"
"Will be kept with us. I love you, and I love this place, but it's time." Annie nodded with his words. She knew. The movers had to be here by now.
"All right. Let's go," Annie nodded and wrapped her arm around Auggie's waist as he slunk his arm around her shoulders.
With one last glance, Annie resolved to close the door – they were leaving this place behind, but the memories would never be forgotten.
A/N: Okay, so I lied, this isn't up before the new year - but you can't blame me (sort of, kinda), because work took over my life for the last week. Anybody who works retail understands, I'm sure...
Either way, late or early, the update is here! Please, let me know what you think! It'd be lovely to hear from any of you!
-Audrey
P.S. I've made it a so-called resolution to be better about responding to reviews...so I intend to start now! Hopefully it lasts, right? Wish me luck! :)