She heard him come down the stairs the next morning. It was only 6:30, and
she didn't expect him to be up so early. She took a deep breath before he
rounded the corner. She was so unsure about everything. What did he want?
Did he expect her to just .to go back to the way things were? She couldn't
even remember the way things were supposed to be. Five years ago she had
still thought for him as her lover; then she'd discovered that he was
married. Now he was no longer married, but wanted to pick things up where
they'd left off? Or maybe just ..she wasn't sure at all. Five years ago
she'd gone through the worst experience of her life, and then she'd
escaped. She left, and given up on her life of deception, and pain. It
wasn't worth it anymore. But now he was here, and she was different. He was
different too.
He had smelled the coffee from inside his bedroom. He decided to stop procrastinating and just go downstairs. He slowly walked down stairs, making sure to make extra noise, so that she would hear him coming. He turned the corner and saw her sitting at the table. It was actually more of a breakfast nook. It was very cute. On one sire there was a large window with a bench, and on the other there were a few chairs. She was curled up in the corner of the window seat. A steaming cup of coffee held in her hand. She wore flannel pajamas that were too big, and her freshly wet hair was pulled back into a loose bun. He had always thought she looked the most beautiful when her hair was up but there were strands of hair fallen to frame her face. She was smiling at him. It was almost too much to take, but he had to keep composure. As he met her gaze, walking into the kitchen, he smiled. He couldn't remember smiling like that for a long time, but he did, and it felt good.
He was dressed in his suit, it was wrinkled; the one he wore yesterday. He smiled that smile when he saw her. It was the one she remembered, the one she loved. She had made herself forget it, but there it was, staring her in the face at six AM. She had made herself forget him, but part of her hadn't. Part of her had always wished he was there to hold her at night, to play with .. Ryan, to be the friend, and confidant he had once been. She forced herself to keep an open mind. It forget all the pain of the past, and just be here, in the moment.
"There's a coffee cup by the coffee maker, if you want some." She said closing the front page section of the newspaper.
"Thanks." He said, still smiling.
"Oh and if you're hungry I can make you something. Ryan and I just usually have a bagel or something."
"No I'm fine, I barely ever have time for coffee in the morning." He said as poured himself a cup. He then walked over and sat down at the table with her.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, I haven't slept that well in years." He said looking her directly in the eye, as if to say it was because of her. Not that it was her fault, but that being in the same house as her caused him to sleep that much better. She smiled at him. He thought to himself that is she didn't stop doing that his heart might burst. She began to gather up the paper and set it aside.
"You were talking in your sleep last night. I could hear it through the wall." He said sipping his coffee.
"I was. I mean .What did I say?" She looked surprised. She'd had a nightmare last night, not a bad one but it wasn't pleasant.
"Nothing I could discern. What were you dreaming about?" He knew this was a sensitive subject because of the memories she was dreaming about.
"I was dreaming about being in a hospital room. Slone was there, he was standing over me, but that's all I saw." She said looking down into her coffee.
"Do you have these dreams often?"
"On a good night I'll have a totally dreamless sleep, a bad night is when I wake screaming." She said trying to hide some of the pain she was feeling.
"I'm sorry Sydney, I wish there was something I could do to stop it."
"It's fine, I just deal with it. I just don't like it when I wake up Ryan because I've been screaming or crying in my sleep. It scares him a lot." She paused and got up. "So how about a bagel?" She said walking over to the refrigerator.
"No, thanks. When does Ryan have to be at school?"
She pulled the bagels from the bottom drawer. "Not until eight o'clock. Why?"
"I'm just curious." He stood up and walked toward her. She was toasting a bagel in the toaster oven, and he walked over to where the coffee pot was to refill his cup. As he did so he realized how close they were to each other, only a few inches. He hadn't been this close to her for, well five years. She apparently noticed their close proximity as well, because she turned toward him and leaned against the counter.
"What do you want to do today?" She said in a kind of awkward voice.
"I don't really care, but I would like to see what you're life is like. I would like to get to know you again." He said hopefully.
She stood as if deep in though for a moment and then looked up at him "That sounds really good Vaughn." She then turned and grabbed the hot bagel out of the toaster and began to smear it with cream cheese. Vaughn held back a joyful chuckle and settled for a deeply satisfying smile instead. He walked back over to the table and sat down gabbing the newspaper on his way. As soon as he sat down he heard the sound of footsteps down the stairs.
He had smelled the coffee from inside his bedroom. He decided to stop procrastinating and just go downstairs. He slowly walked down stairs, making sure to make extra noise, so that she would hear him coming. He turned the corner and saw her sitting at the table. It was actually more of a breakfast nook. It was very cute. On one sire there was a large window with a bench, and on the other there were a few chairs. She was curled up in the corner of the window seat. A steaming cup of coffee held in her hand. She wore flannel pajamas that were too big, and her freshly wet hair was pulled back into a loose bun. He had always thought she looked the most beautiful when her hair was up but there were strands of hair fallen to frame her face. She was smiling at him. It was almost too much to take, but he had to keep composure. As he met her gaze, walking into the kitchen, he smiled. He couldn't remember smiling like that for a long time, but he did, and it felt good.
He was dressed in his suit, it was wrinkled; the one he wore yesterday. He smiled that smile when he saw her. It was the one she remembered, the one she loved. She had made herself forget it, but there it was, staring her in the face at six AM. She had made herself forget him, but part of her hadn't. Part of her had always wished he was there to hold her at night, to play with .. Ryan, to be the friend, and confidant he had once been. She forced herself to keep an open mind. It forget all the pain of the past, and just be here, in the moment.
"There's a coffee cup by the coffee maker, if you want some." She said closing the front page section of the newspaper.
"Thanks." He said, still smiling.
"Oh and if you're hungry I can make you something. Ryan and I just usually have a bagel or something."
"No I'm fine, I barely ever have time for coffee in the morning." He said as poured himself a cup. He then walked over and sat down at the table with her.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, I haven't slept that well in years." He said looking her directly in the eye, as if to say it was because of her. Not that it was her fault, but that being in the same house as her caused him to sleep that much better. She smiled at him. He thought to himself that is she didn't stop doing that his heart might burst. She began to gather up the paper and set it aside.
"You were talking in your sleep last night. I could hear it through the wall." He said sipping his coffee.
"I was. I mean .What did I say?" She looked surprised. She'd had a nightmare last night, not a bad one but it wasn't pleasant.
"Nothing I could discern. What were you dreaming about?" He knew this was a sensitive subject because of the memories she was dreaming about.
"I was dreaming about being in a hospital room. Slone was there, he was standing over me, but that's all I saw." She said looking down into her coffee.
"Do you have these dreams often?"
"On a good night I'll have a totally dreamless sleep, a bad night is when I wake screaming." She said trying to hide some of the pain she was feeling.
"I'm sorry Sydney, I wish there was something I could do to stop it."
"It's fine, I just deal with it. I just don't like it when I wake up Ryan because I've been screaming or crying in my sleep. It scares him a lot." She paused and got up. "So how about a bagel?" She said walking over to the refrigerator.
"No, thanks. When does Ryan have to be at school?"
She pulled the bagels from the bottom drawer. "Not until eight o'clock. Why?"
"I'm just curious." He stood up and walked toward her. She was toasting a bagel in the toaster oven, and he walked over to where the coffee pot was to refill his cup. As he did so he realized how close they were to each other, only a few inches. He hadn't been this close to her for, well five years. She apparently noticed their close proximity as well, because she turned toward him and leaned against the counter.
"What do you want to do today?" She said in a kind of awkward voice.
"I don't really care, but I would like to see what you're life is like. I would like to get to know you again." He said hopefully.
She stood as if deep in though for a moment and then looked up at him "That sounds really good Vaughn." She then turned and grabbed the hot bagel out of the toaster and began to smear it with cream cheese. Vaughn held back a joyful chuckle and settled for a deeply satisfying smile instead. He walked back over to the table and sat down gabbing the newspaper on his way. As soon as he sat down he heard the sound of footsteps down the stairs.