~~~~Part 12~~~~
1431 est
Mac's apartment
Georgetown
(Harm's POV)
It takes two trips to get all the groceries up to Mac's place. Once everything's inside, I start to help her put things away, and she says, "Harm, just leave them; go do something with AJ."
"He's using the bathroom," I say.
"Again? That child uses the bathroom more times in one day than I do in a week!"
"Yeah, tell me about it."
"Unca Harm, Aunt Mac, I'm done! I'm hungry!"
"You just ate," I answer him.
"Well, I'm hungry."
"Well, it seems you've picked up at least one thing from Mac: an insatiable appetite." I grin at her innocently.
"It's not my fault I have a fast metabolism." She just smiles sarcastically.
AJ pats Mac's hip to get her attention, "Aunt Mac, what are we gonna have for snack?"
"What do you want, Kiddo?"
"Uhm...peanut-butter and jelly!"
She laughs and says, "Okay, one PB and J coming right up!" Then she turns to me and says, "Harm, could you put some more of this stuff away while I make his sandwich, please?"
"Of course."
After everything is put away and AJ has his sandwich, Mac and I sit down on the couch to relax for a bit. About a minute later, AJ says, "Aunt Mac, I'm thirsty."
"Okay, you want apple juice or fruit punch?"
"Fruit punch, please."
"Okay," she says.
"Oh...must get up...too tired..."
"Mac, why don't you relax; I'll get his juice." I get up and push her gently back down on the couch.
"I could definitely get used to this." "Thanks, Harm."
I head to the kitchen and get his juice. On my way out, I grab an extra napkin. He's a messy one, and I don't think one will suffice. I put the cup down on a coaster on the table and put the napkin next to his plate, then sit back down next to Mac.
"Can we watch TV?" AJ asks.
"Sure, do you want to watch Disney channel?"
"Yeah."
She turns on the television and switches the channel to Disney. We all three sit and watch for about an hour, then Mac says,
"Okay, little man, I think it's time to get you cleaned up."
"Okay," he says, jumping up from where he was sitting on the floor. As he does this, he knocks the table, accidentally spilling the still half-full cup of fruit punch all over the table and the beige carpet. He gasps and covers his mouth with his sticky hands. None of us says anything as Mac quickly picks up the now empty cup and grabs the unused napkins and puts them on the spill on the carpet.
"Harm, could you bring these into the kitchen and grab the carpet cleaner from under the sink, please?" She hands me the plate and cup, and I immediately jump to do what she asks.
I come back out, and AJ is still standing there with his hands covering his mouth. His eyes are starting to tear, and he says, "Aunt Mac, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I did it on accident, I'll be careful next time-"
"Oh, honey, I know it wasn't your fault. Everyone makes mistakes, nobody is blaming you. Why don't you go with Harm and get cleaned up, and by the time you're finished, this red spot should be almost all gone!"
He sniffs and a few of the tears drip down his face, and he nods his head and says, "Okay."
I take him into the bathroom, set him on the counter, and get a washcloth from under the sink and start to clean off the peanut-butter and jelly from his face, hands, and (though I'm not quite sure how it got here) his hair. We walk back out into the living room and Mac isn't there, so I tell AJ to just have a seat on one of the chairs, and I go into the kitchen. She's in there putting away the cleaner and getting ready to wash the plate and cup.
"Mac, let me get that. You go back in the living room and sit down. You've had a really long week."
"So have you. Besides, it's just a plate and a cup."
"Alright. If you need me to do anything..."
"I know where to find you."
I nod and turn and walk out of the kitchen and sit back down on the couch. She follows a couple minutes later and sits on the opposite end, leaning back against the arm and bringing her legs up and resting them on the middle cushion. Without so much as a second thought, I grab her ankles and bring them over to rest on my lap.
"Umm...okay. What is he doing?"
I pull off her socks, "Wha-" and start to massage her feet. "Ahh, okay, that...feels really good." Out loud, she lets out a soft sigh.
I watch her lean her head back and close her eyes. I keep this up until she falls asleep about ten minutes later. I carefully stand up and place her feet back on the cushion where I was just sitting. I look over at our godson, and see that he's also asleep.
I pick him up and bring him into the guest bedroom, placing him carefully on the bed and tucking him in. Then I go back out into the living room and bring Mac into her bedroom. Once she's tucked in (and I've taken a few minutes to just admire her sleeping form) I head back out into the living room and contemplate what to do. I sit down and watch TV for a little while, not thinking of anything I could do to clean that wouldn't make too much noise. Finally, around 1630, I decide to start making dinner.
Half an hour later, Mac comes out of her bedroom, her hair slightly touseled and looking absolutely gorgeous.
"Mm...what smells good?"
"Dinner," I answer.
"Okay, what are you making for dinner?" She tries to peek into the pot on the stove, but I catch her wrist and she looks at me seductively and flutters her eyelashes. I lean in, just mere inches from her face, our noses almost touching, and I can feel her holding her breath.
"Oh, God, what is he doing?" I smile mischievously and lick my lips, then say in a low, husky voice,
"You'll find out when it's ready." She lets her breath out in a slow hiss as I release her arm and back away, grinning in victory.
"Damn, just when I think I've got him figured out, he goes and does something like that." "How long until it'll be ready, do you think?" she asks casually, failing to keep down the blush that's creeping up her face.
I let out a short laugh. "It shouldn't be more than forty-five minutes."
She nods her head, still trying to calm her breathing. "Is there anything I can help with?"
"Not in here; you can sit down on the couch and relax, though."
She rolls her eyes and leaves the kitchen. She plops herself down on the couch and turns on the TV to the news. After about fifteen minutes, she gets back up and comes into the kitchen again.
"Harm, please let me help with something. The news is just depressing, and I don't have anything else to do but watch it or help in here." She's pleading with me. I love it when she begs.
She pauses and sniffs the air and then smiles. "Veggie lasagna," she says knowingly. "My favorite."
I smile and say, "That's your favorite, right?" She just nods her head and licks her lips. Oh, no she doesn't...she's not allowed to steal my move...although...I really think it looks better when she does it.
"Do you think AJ will like it?" I ask.
"Harm, if I like it, then I know he will." I think about that for a moment. She has a point. I nod my head in agreement. "Okay, so what do you want me to do?" she asks.
"Oh, uhm..."
I really don't have anything that I need help with, but I want to keep her in the kitchen with me. I crave her company.
"Oh, you can make the salad if you want to," I quickly say.
"Okay, sounds good."
She gets all the ingredients out of the fridge and starts to chop up the vegetables on the cutting board and throwing them together into a big salad bowl. I sneak up behind her and steal a cucumber slice from the bowl, and she says,
"Harm, don't take my veggies, you're ruining the perfect arrangement of the salad." Right at the moment she says this, she carelessly throws in some diced tomatoes.
"Perfect arrangement, Mac?" I say, as I take another cucumber slice.
"Commander, if you like your fingers the way they are, then I highly advise you to keep them out of my salad."
I'm feeling bold, so I lean in right next to her left ear and say, "Oh, really...well, Colonel, what do you propose I do with them?" I trail one index finger lightly from behind her right ear all the way down her back, stopping just above the waistband of her jeans.
"God, Harm, just kiss me already!" I can feel her shiver beneath my touch, and I'm suddenly overcome by the urge to kiss her. I mean, if that's really what she wants, then who's to argue?
She turns her face towards mine, and I lean in.
"Unca Harm, Aunt Mac! I'm awake!"
"Aaaarrrrrgh! Why?" Yeah, my thoughts exactly.
"We're in here, AJ," calls Mac. I drop my hand from where it found itself on her hip and reach into the bowl and grab one more cucumber. AJ comes running into the kitchen.
"I'm hungry."
"Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. Why don't you just go watch TV until then, okay?"
"Okay." He runs back out of the kitchen and jumps on the couch, grabbing the remote and turning to the Disney channel. Mac and I look at each other and laugh, then go back to our separate tasks of getting dinner ready. It's done in ten minutes, as promised, and I tell Mac to go sit down at the table and I would bring it out.
We're done eating about half an hour later, and I clear away the dishes (with objections from Mac the whole time) while they sit and wait for me to bring out dessert.
"Unca Harm, what are we having for dessert?"
"Well, Mac got some of that ice cream that you tried at the store today. Is that okay?"
"Yeah!" he exclaims enthusiastically.
I chuckle as I put all the dishes into the sink and grab bowls and spoons for the ice cream from the cabinets. I bring out the dessert and Mac and I listen as AJ tells us about this wild dream he has about green- and orange- striped elephants and purple monkeys, or something like that. It was all very entertaining.
By the time we were all finished eating, it was almost time for Bud and Harriet to come pick him up. I took him into the bathroom again to get cleaned up, then went out and closed the door so he could take care of business. Five minutes later, there's a knock at the front door, and I open it to Harriet.
"Hi, how was he?" she asks.
"He was very well-behaved. It was fun having him with us today," Mac answered.
"Mommy!"
"Hey, sweetie, Daddy and I missed you. Did you have fun with your godparents?"
"Yeah, we went to the clothes place and then went to the park and ate ice cream and then we went to here, and then we went to the pizza place, and then we went to the grocery place and then we went back here, and then we watched Disney channel, and then I had peanut-butter and jelly and then I took a nap and then I woke up and then we ate dinner and then we ate ice cream," he takes a huge breath, "and then you came."
"Wow, did you hear that, Harm? That had to be a record for longest time talking without taking a single breath! That's remarkable!"
Harriet, Mac, and I laugh at this, and then AJ joins in, even though I suspect he hasn't the slightest clue what we're laughing about. After we're done laughing, Harriet says,
"Well, thank you both again for watching him, but Bud's in the car waiting, so we'd better head on out."
"Alright, guys, take care," Mac says.
"Bye, you two," I call to them. They both wave to us as the elevator doors close.
Mac shuts the door and turns to me, "So, what do you want to do now?"
Oh, I can think of a few things I'd like to do. The look on my face must correspond with my thoughts, because she quickly adds,
"Not that." She tries to look stern, but her thoughts betray her. "Oh, you think it's a joke. You just wait until I actually act on my feelings, we'll just see how much you laugh then." Oh, I am so looking forward to that day.
I just answer, "Well, how about I help you clean up and then we can decide what next, okay?"
"Harm, you don't have to help-"
"I know, I don't have to help. I want to help. Now, let's get started on those dishes, huh?"
I head to the kitchen and start to fill the sink with dish soap and water.
She walks into the kitchen, and I say, "You wash, I'll rinse and dry."
"Harm, you don't need to dry, just rinse. I'll put them away later."
I look at her and she stares me down. "I dare you to try and contradict me."
"Okay," I agree.
So, she starts washing, and I rinse the dishes she puts in the sink. I watch her as she rolls her head around on her neck and reaches back with a soapy, wet hand and massages the back of her neck.
"Mac, go lie down on the couch and I'll finish up in here. There are only a few dishes left." At her look of protest, I quickly add, "Please, humor me."
She nods and walks out of the kitchen, handing me the dish rag and wiping her hands off on a dry towel. I finish up with the dishes in a few minutes and walk out into the living room. Mac is lying on the couch, like I asked her to do, and is still rubbing the back of her neck.
I look down at her and say, "Turn over onto your stomach."
"Why?" "Why?"
"Trust me, just do it, please?"
She eyes me warily, but complies. I kneel down on the floor beside the couch and start to knead her shoulders, upper back, and neck. She tenses up at first, but relaxes almost immediately to my touch.
"Jesus, Mac, why are your muscles so tense?"
"I don't know, they weren't like that until I woke up from my nap."
"Maybe I laid you wrong or something." She pushes herself up and gives me a funny look.
"Laid?" I laugh as I realize the possible connotation.
"I mean, maybe I put you to bed wrong...I mean...damn..."
"Keep digging, maybe you'll strike oil."
"Well, you know what I mean," I finish lamely.
"Yeah, I know," she says.
I go back to what I was doing.
"Mm...lower." I move my hands down to the middle of her back and find another knot, which I take on at once. Eventually, following her mind's instructions and my own exploring, I work out all the knots, and she has fallen asleep.
Once again, I pick her up gently and tuck her into her bed, making sure to position her so that she would not end up sore in the morning.
"Mac, I'm going home now, okay?" I whisper.
"Stay, please." Oh, Sarah, don't tempt me. She says, "Okay, bye. Thank you for helping with AJ today and for running all my errands with me. I really appreciate it."
"We're not done yet. I still have to help you wash and wax your car tomorrow. What time should I come over?"
"1100 is fine, unless you want to come later than that."
"Nope, that works for me. You go to sleep now, Marine. I'll see you tomorrow at 1100."
"Okay," she answers sleepily. I lean over and kiss her forehead, then pull back and look at her face. She smiles softly.
"Tell him, MacKenzie." Tell him what?
I pause to listen for anything else in her mind, but nothing else comes, so I say, "Is there anything else, Mac?"
"No, you go home and get some rest."
"Okay. Goodnight," I say.
"Goodnight," she answers drowsily.
I lock the door to her apartment behind me and head home.
1431 est
Mac's apartment
Georgetown
(Harm's POV)
It takes two trips to get all the groceries up to Mac's place. Once everything's inside, I start to help her put things away, and she says, "Harm, just leave them; go do something with AJ."
"He's using the bathroom," I say.
"Again? That child uses the bathroom more times in one day than I do in a week!"
"Yeah, tell me about it."
"Unca Harm, Aunt Mac, I'm done! I'm hungry!"
"You just ate," I answer him.
"Well, I'm hungry."
"Well, it seems you've picked up at least one thing from Mac: an insatiable appetite." I grin at her innocently.
"It's not my fault I have a fast metabolism." She just smiles sarcastically.
AJ pats Mac's hip to get her attention, "Aunt Mac, what are we gonna have for snack?"
"What do you want, Kiddo?"
"Uhm...peanut-butter and jelly!"
She laughs and says, "Okay, one PB and J coming right up!" Then she turns to me and says, "Harm, could you put some more of this stuff away while I make his sandwich, please?"
"Of course."
After everything is put away and AJ has his sandwich, Mac and I sit down on the couch to relax for a bit. About a minute later, AJ says, "Aunt Mac, I'm thirsty."
"Okay, you want apple juice or fruit punch?"
"Fruit punch, please."
"Okay," she says.
"Oh...must get up...too tired..."
"Mac, why don't you relax; I'll get his juice." I get up and push her gently back down on the couch.
"I could definitely get used to this." "Thanks, Harm."
I head to the kitchen and get his juice. On my way out, I grab an extra napkin. He's a messy one, and I don't think one will suffice. I put the cup down on a coaster on the table and put the napkin next to his plate, then sit back down next to Mac.
"Can we watch TV?" AJ asks.
"Sure, do you want to watch Disney channel?"
"Yeah."
She turns on the television and switches the channel to Disney. We all three sit and watch for about an hour, then Mac says,
"Okay, little man, I think it's time to get you cleaned up."
"Okay," he says, jumping up from where he was sitting on the floor. As he does this, he knocks the table, accidentally spilling the still half-full cup of fruit punch all over the table and the beige carpet. He gasps and covers his mouth with his sticky hands. None of us says anything as Mac quickly picks up the now empty cup and grabs the unused napkins and puts them on the spill on the carpet.
"Harm, could you bring these into the kitchen and grab the carpet cleaner from under the sink, please?" She hands me the plate and cup, and I immediately jump to do what she asks.
I come back out, and AJ is still standing there with his hands covering his mouth. His eyes are starting to tear, and he says, "Aunt Mac, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I did it on accident, I'll be careful next time-"
"Oh, honey, I know it wasn't your fault. Everyone makes mistakes, nobody is blaming you. Why don't you go with Harm and get cleaned up, and by the time you're finished, this red spot should be almost all gone!"
He sniffs and a few of the tears drip down his face, and he nods his head and says, "Okay."
I take him into the bathroom, set him on the counter, and get a washcloth from under the sink and start to clean off the peanut-butter and jelly from his face, hands, and (though I'm not quite sure how it got here) his hair. We walk back out into the living room and Mac isn't there, so I tell AJ to just have a seat on one of the chairs, and I go into the kitchen. She's in there putting away the cleaner and getting ready to wash the plate and cup.
"Mac, let me get that. You go back in the living room and sit down. You've had a really long week."
"So have you. Besides, it's just a plate and a cup."
"Alright. If you need me to do anything..."
"I know where to find you."
I nod and turn and walk out of the kitchen and sit back down on the couch. She follows a couple minutes later and sits on the opposite end, leaning back against the arm and bringing her legs up and resting them on the middle cushion. Without so much as a second thought, I grab her ankles and bring them over to rest on my lap.
"Umm...okay. What is he doing?"
I pull off her socks, "Wha-" and start to massage her feet. "Ahh, okay, that...feels really good." Out loud, she lets out a soft sigh.
I watch her lean her head back and close her eyes. I keep this up until she falls asleep about ten minutes later. I carefully stand up and place her feet back on the cushion where I was just sitting. I look over at our godson, and see that he's also asleep.
I pick him up and bring him into the guest bedroom, placing him carefully on the bed and tucking him in. Then I go back out into the living room and bring Mac into her bedroom. Once she's tucked in (and I've taken a few minutes to just admire her sleeping form) I head back out into the living room and contemplate what to do. I sit down and watch TV for a little while, not thinking of anything I could do to clean that wouldn't make too much noise. Finally, around 1630, I decide to start making dinner.
Half an hour later, Mac comes out of her bedroom, her hair slightly touseled and looking absolutely gorgeous.
"Mm...what smells good?"
"Dinner," I answer.
"Okay, what are you making for dinner?" She tries to peek into the pot on the stove, but I catch her wrist and she looks at me seductively and flutters her eyelashes. I lean in, just mere inches from her face, our noses almost touching, and I can feel her holding her breath.
"Oh, God, what is he doing?" I smile mischievously and lick my lips, then say in a low, husky voice,
"You'll find out when it's ready." She lets her breath out in a slow hiss as I release her arm and back away, grinning in victory.
"Damn, just when I think I've got him figured out, he goes and does something like that." "How long until it'll be ready, do you think?" she asks casually, failing to keep down the blush that's creeping up her face.
I let out a short laugh. "It shouldn't be more than forty-five minutes."
She nods her head, still trying to calm her breathing. "Is there anything I can help with?"
"Not in here; you can sit down on the couch and relax, though."
She rolls her eyes and leaves the kitchen. She plops herself down on the couch and turns on the TV to the news. After about fifteen minutes, she gets back up and comes into the kitchen again.
"Harm, please let me help with something. The news is just depressing, and I don't have anything else to do but watch it or help in here." She's pleading with me. I love it when she begs.
She pauses and sniffs the air and then smiles. "Veggie lasagna," she says knowingly. "My favorite."
I smile and say, "That's your favorite, right?" She just nods her head and licks her lips. Oh, no she doesn't...she's not allowed to steal my move...although...I really think it looks better when she does it.
"Do you think AJ will like it?" I ask.
"Harm, if I like it, then I know he will." I think about that for a moment. She has a point. I nod my head in agreement. "Okay, so what do you want me to do?" she asks.
"Oh, uhm..."
I really don't have anything that I need help with, but I want to keep her in the kitchen with me. I crave her company.
"Oh, you can make the salad if you want to," I quickly say.
"Okay, sounds good."
She gets all the ingredients out of the fridge and starts to chop up the vegetables on the cutting board and throwing them together into a big salad bowl. I sneak up behind her and steal a cucumber slice from the bowl, and she says,
"Harm, don't take my veggies, you're ruining the perfect arrangement of the salad." Right at the moment she says this, she carelessly throws in some diced tomatoes.
"Perfect arrangement, Mac?" I say, as I take another cucumber slice.
"Commander, if you like your fingers the way they are, then I highly advise you to keep them out of my salad."
I'm feeling bold, so I lean in right next to her left ear and say, "Oh, really...well, Colonel, what do you propose I do with them?" I trail one index finger lightly from behind her right ear all the way down her back, stopping just above the waistband of her jeans.
"God, Harm, just kiss me already!" I can feel her shiver beneath my touch, and I'm suddenly overcome by the urge to kiss her. I mean, if that's really what she wants, then who's to argue?
She turns her face towards mine, and I lean in.
"Unca Harm, Aunt Mac! I'm awake!"
"Aaaarrrrrgh! Why?" Yeah, my thoughts exactly.
"We're in here, AJ," calls Mac. I drop my hand from where it found itself on her hip and reach into the bowl and grab one more cucumber. AJ comes running into the kitchen.
"I'm hungry."
"Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. Why don't you just go watch TV until then, okay?"
"Okay." He runs back out of the kitchen and jumps on the couch, grabbing the remote and turning to the Disney channel. Mac and I look at each other and laugh, then go back to our separate tasks of getting dinner ready. It's done in ten minutes, as promised, and I tell Mac to go sit down at the table and I would bring it out.
We're done eating about half an hour later, and I clear away the dishes (with objections from Mac the whole time) while they sit and wait for me to bring out dessert.
"Unca Harm, what are we having for dessert?"
"Well, Mac got some of that ice cream that you tried at the store today. Is that okay?"
"Yeah!" he exclaims enthusiastically.
I chuckle as I put all the dishes into the sink and grab bowls and spoons for the ice cream from the cabinets. I bring out the dessert and Mac and I listen as AJ tells us about this wild dream he has about green- and orange- striped elephants and purple monkeys, or something like that. It was all very entertaining.
By the time we were all finished eating, it was almost time for Bud and Harriet to come pick him up. I took him into the bathroom again to get cleaned up, then went out and closed the door so he could take care of business. Five minutes later, there's a knock at the front door, and I open it to Harriet.
"Hi, how was he?" she asks.
"He was very well-behaved. It was fun having him with us today," Mac answered.
"Mommy!"
"Hey, sweetie, Daddy and I missed you. Did you have fun with your godparents?"
"Yeah, we went to the clothes place and then went to the park and ate ice cream and then we went to here, and then we went to the pizza place, and then we went to the grocery place and then we went back here, and then we watched Disney channel, and then I had peanut-butter and jelly and then I took a nap and then I woke up and then we ate dinner and then we ate ice cream," he takes a huge breath, "and then you came."
"Wow, did you hear that, Harm? That had to be a record for longest time talking without taking a single breath! That's remarkable!"
Harriet, Mac, and I laugh at this, and then AJ joins in, even though I suspect he hasn't the slightest clue what we're laughing about. After we're done laughing, Harriet says,
"Well, thank you both again for watching him, but Bud's in the car waiting, so we'd better head on out."
"Alright, guys, take care," Mac says.
"Bye, you two," I call to them. They both wave to us as the elevator doors close.
Mac shuts the door and turns to me, "So, what do you want to do now?"
Oh, I can think of a few things I'd like to do. The look on my face must correspond with my thoughts, because she quickly adds,
"Not that." She tries to look stern, but her thoughts betray her. "Oh, you think it's a joke. You just wait until I actually act on my feelings, we'll just see how much you laugh then." Oh, I am so looking forward to that day.
I just answer, "Well, how about I help you clean up and then we can decide what next, okay?"
"Harm, you don't have to help-"
"I know, I don't have to help. I want to help. Now, let's get started on those dishes, huh?"
I head to the kitchen and start to fill the sink with dish soap and water.
She walks into the kitchen, and I say, "You wash, I'll rinse and dry."
"Harm, you don't need to dry, just rinse. I'll put them away later."
I look at her and she stares me down. "I dare you to try and contradict me."
"Okay," I agree.
So, she starts washing, and I rinse the dishes she puts in the sink. I watch her as she rolls her head around on her neck and reaches back with a soapy, wet hand and massages the back of her neck.
"Mac, go lie down on the couch and I'll finish up in here. There are only a few dishes left." At her look of protest, I quickly add, "Please, humor me."
She nods and walks out of the kitchen, handing me the dish rag and wiping her hands off on a dry towel. I finish up with the dishes in a few minutes and walk out into the living room. Mac is lying on the couch, like I asked her to do, and is still rubbing the back of her neck.
I look down at her and say, "Turn over onto your stomach."
"Why?" "Why?"
"Trust me, just do it, please?"
She eyes me warily, but complies. I kneel down on the floor beside the couch and start to knead her shoulders, upper back, and neck. She tenses up at first, but relaxes almost immediately to my touch.
"Jesus, Mac, why are your muscles so tense?"
"I don't know, they weren't like that until I woke up from my nap."
"Maybe I laid you wrong or something." She pushes herself up and gives me a funny look.
"Laid?" I laugh as I realize the possible connotation.
"I mean, maybe I put you to bed wrong...I mean...damn..."
"Keep digging, maybe you'll strike oil."
"Well, you know what I mean," I finish lamely.
"Yeah, I know," she says.
I go back to what I was doing.
"Mm...lower." I move my hands down to the middle of her back and find another knot, which I take on at once. Eventually, following her mind's instructions and my own exploring, I work out all the knots, and she has fallen asleep.
Once again, I pick her up gently and tuck her into her bed, making sure to position her so that she would not end up sore in the morning.
"Mac, I'm going home now, okay?" I whisper.
"Stay, please." Oh, Sarah, don't tempt me. She says, "Okay, bye. Thank you for helping with AJ today and for running all my errands with me. I really appreciate it."
"We're not done yet. I still have to help you wash and wax your car tomorrow. What time should I come over?"
"1100 is fine, unless you want to come later than that."
"Nope, that works for me. You go to sleep now, Marine. I'll see you tomorrow at 1100."
"Okay," she answers sleepily. I lean over and kiss her forehead, then pull back and look at her face. She smiles softly.
"Tell him, MacKenzie." Tell him what?
I pause to listen for anything else in her mind, but nothing else comes, so I say, "Is there anything else, Mac?"
"No, you go home and get some rest."
"Okay. Goodnight," I say.
"Goodnight," she answers drowsily.
I lock the door to her apartment behind me and head home.