Susan put their mugs in the sink and went back to the lounge. Mark was kneeling on the floor tidying Suzie's blocks.
Susan ran her hand down his back and sat cross-legged beside him.
"Here, let me." She took two blocks at a time and quickly built a wobbly tower as tall as the coffee table.
"Very nice." He grinned, "But I think we need to find you some friends outside of your play group."
Susan smiled. "No, this is therapy." She swiped her hand at the middle of the tower in Suzie-style. "It's very therapeutic."
Mark laughed. There was so much to say and neither of them knew where to start.
"How about this." He built a pyramid but there weren't enough blocks for the top stone.
"You win." She yawned. "Sorry, it's not you. I'm just tired."
"Go have a nap if you want. I'm not going anywhere."
"How long can you stay?"
"I haven't really finalised things. And I haven't even organised a place to stay but I saw a hotel down the block from the hospital."
"Don't be ridiculous. Stay here." She stood up and pulled him up after her.
"I don't know if that's a good idea." He forced himself to say. He WANTED to stay there. But what about Chloe and Suzie. And anything more intimate than playing with building blocks and he'd be absolutely lost – they'd only just started this relationship. Well, that wasn't true – he'd seen her virtually every day for several years. But he didn't know what she wanted from him. He didn't want to push his luck.
"Mark, how ever long you're staying is not nearly long enough and I want to see as much of you as I can. Plus, if you like you can sleep on the couch, there's no pressure for…" awkward territory. They were good at the friends stuff – they'd had years to perfect it. This was all new.
He smiled goofily. "It's not that I don't want to. I just want to get this right."
She smiled softly and took his hand. "Don't look so embarrassed then. That's a good thing."
"You are so beautiful." He cupped her face with one hand.
She smiled, "You're not so bad yourself." She took his hand from her face and lifted them both to her lips. "And in the interest of getting this right, I'm going to go have that nap." She turned and went into her room. He followed and stopped outside the door. She was sitting on her bed taking her shoes off. She pulled the ribbon out of her hair. And lay back, her feet still on the floor. She looked at Mark upside down and grinned.
"Goodnight sleepy." He turned to walk away.
"Sing me to sleep." She called him back.
He walked nervously back into her room while she got under the covers. He took off his shoes and sat cross-legged on the bed beside her. "Any requests?" he whispered
She turned on her side and looked at him. "Go for the sappy and romantic."
She knew she was moving very fast. He was dearer every moment. She didn't want to let her heart go to a man who lived a day's journey away. But her resolve was weakening.
"Ain't no sunshine when she's gone. It's not warm when she's away. Ain't no sunshine when she's gone and she's always gone too long every time she goes away. I wonder this time where she's gone, wonder if she's gone to stay. Ain't no sunshine when she's gone and this house just ain't a home anytime she goes away."
Her eyes were shut and she was smiling but she wasn't asleep yet.
"I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know… I ought to leave the young thing alone, but there ain't no sunshine when she's gone." He lifted her fringe off where it had fallen across her eyes. She smiled but kept her eyes shut, savouring his touch. He lowered himself so he was lying beside her, resting this head on one arm.
"We should be right here, get through all these fears. One of these days. Cause when it comes around, we should be right here, one of these days… this could be heaven… maybe we can start a life today …this could be heaven… love is that I've thrown it all away, this could be heaven… who ever thought we would get this far, tried for all these years. The thought that we would fade away is more than I could bear. I would do anything if you would stay, if you'd stay… we should be right here get through all these fears, one of these days…" he was getting sleepy.
"This could be heaven." She whispered, "If you'd stay." And then drifted off to sleep happier than she'd been in a long time. Mark watched her a little longer then slept too.
Susan ran her hand down his back and sat cross-legged beside him.
"Here, let me." She took two blocks at a time and quickly built a wobbly tower as tall as the coffee table.
"Very nice." He grinned, "But I think we need to find you some friends outside of your play group."
Susan smiled. "No, this is therapy." She swiped her hand at the middle of the tower in Suzie-style. "It's very therapeutic."
Mark laughed. There was so much to say and neither of them knew where to start.
"How about this." He built a pyramid but there weren't enough blocks for the top stone.
"You win." She yawned. "Sorry, it's not you. I'm just tired."
"Go have a nap if you want. I'm not going anywhere."
"How long can you stay?"
"I haven't really finalised things. And I haven't even organised a place to stay but I saw a hotel down the block from the hospital."
"Don't be ridiculous. Stay here." She stood up and pulled him up after her.
"I don't know if that's a good idea." He forced himself to say. He WANTED to stay there. But what about Chloe and Suzie. And anything more intimate than playing with building blocks and he'd be absolutely lost – they'd only just started this relationship. Well, that wasn't true – he'd seen her virtually every day for several years. But he didn't know what she wanted from him. He didn't want to push his luck.
"Mark, how ever long you're staying is not nearly long enough and I want to see as much of you as I can. Plus, if you like you can sleep on the couch, there's no pressure for…" awkward territory. They were good at the friends stuff – they'd had years to perfect it. This was all new.
He smiled goofily. "It's not that I don't want to. I just want to get this right."
She smiled softly and took his hand. "Don't look so embarrassed then. That's a good thing."
"You are so beautiful." He cupped her face with one hand.
She smiled, "You're not so bad yourself." She took his hand from her face and lifted them both to her lips. "And in the interest of getting this right, I'm going to go have that nap." She turned and went into her room. He followed and stopped outside the door. She was sitting on her bed taking her shoes off. She pulled the ribbon out of her hair. And lay back, her feet still on the floor. She looked at Mark upside down and grinned.
"Goodnight sleepy." He turned to walk away.
"Sing me to sleep." She called him back.
He walked nervously back into her room while she got under the covers. He took off his shoes and sat cross-legged on the bed beside her. "Any requests?" he whispered
She turned on her side and looked at him. "Go for the sappy and romantic."
She knew she was moving very fast. He was dearer every moment. She didn't want to let her heart go to a man who lived a day's journey away. But her resolve was weakening.
"Ain't no sunshine when she's gone. It's not warm when she's away. Ain't no sunshine when she's gone and she's always gone too long every time she goes away. I wonder this time where she's gone, wonder if she's gone to stay. Ain't no sunshine when she's gone and this house just ain't a home anytime she goes away."
Her eyes were shut and she was smiling but she wasn't asleep yet.
"I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know… I ought to leave the young thing alone, but there ain't no sunshine when she's gone." He lifted her fringe off where it had fallen across her eyes. She smiled but kept her eyes shut, savouring his touch. He lowered himself so he was lying beside her, resting this head on one arm.
"We should be right here, get through all these fears. One of these days. Cause when it comes around, we should be right here, one of these days… this could be heaven… maybe we can start a life today …this could be heaven… love is that I've thrown it all away, this could be heaven… who ever thought we would get this far, tried for all these years. The thought that we would fade away is more than I could bear. I would do anything if you would stay, if you'd stay… we should be right here get through all these fears, one of these days…" he was getting sleepy.
"This could be heaven." She whispered, "If you'd stay." And then drifted off to sleep happier than she'd been in a long time. Mark watched her a little longer then slept too.