Short chapter I know. But I hope you guys like it. I'm trying to work in a few surprises for the next couple of chapters and it might take a while. Anyway, let me now what you think and give me any prompts if you have ideas. I love all my readers and hope you guys are still loving this story! Enjoy - MJ123 :)
As the morning sun crept through the curtains in the guest room, Alex's eyes flickered open. He gently rolled on his side, watching Norma sleep. She was incredibly beautiful at rest. There were no signs of anger or anxiety on her face, she was completely tranquil. He reached out and ran his fingers along her arm. He observed as her blues crept open, immediately setting upon him. She smiled and scooted towards him, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck.
"How did you sleep last night?" she asked, her voice thick and groggy from just waking up.
Alex grinned, clearing a few strands of hair away from her face. "I slept pretty great. What about you? Did you get enough rest?" he questioned.
She nodded, sitting up, and slipping into her robe. Norma looked to the alarm clock near the bed and then back at Alex. "It's 10:30. Do you think we should go downstairs and see if they are up yet?".
He rubbed his eyes and groaned as he rose off the mattress. He walked to her, taking her face in his hands, and kissing her lips. Reaching for her hand, he piped up, "Let's go".
Laura was just cracking the last egg in the frying pan when Alex and Norma walked down the stairs. "Good morning. How did you both sleep?" she asked, mixing the egg batter around on high heat.
They both looked at each other and answered simultaneously. "Good".
"Happy to hear. There's fresh fruit on the table along with some toast, and if you give me two seconds I'll be finished with the eggs" she exclaimed, taking the food of the stove and scraping it into a glass bowl. "I'm sorry Patrick couldn't join us this morning. He's uh...he's at the funeral home, preparing for later".
The couple waved her off and said it was fine, they understood. Norma watched Laura move around the kitchen with the utmost sympathy in her heart. She could never be able to imagine what it would be like if she lost Norman or Dylan. They were the only family she could count on after all. She opened her mouth and caught Laura's attention. "I'm so, so sorry for your loss" she said, her voice gentle and empathetic.
Laura sniffled and put the breakfast dishes in the counter. "Thank you, dear".
Alex loved seeing Norma so caring towards his family. His hand fell to her lower back and pulled her closer to him as she sat. "What time is the service today?" he questioned popping a piece of cantaloupe into his mouth.
She cleared her throat, pouring a quick cup of coffee, and joining them at the kitchen table. "It's at 3 pm. It's only about an hour long". Alex nodded and picked at the eggs in front of him, glancing up briefly. "Will Judith be at the ceremony?".
Norma gave a confused look when he asked, wondering who Judith was. Laura rolled her watery eyes at the name, giving an obvious look of distaste. "No, thankfully. You want to know the reason she claimed she couldn't be there? She said her and Chris were about to file for divorce and she wouldn't feel right about attending. She felt like it would be awkward," she scoffed, sipping her coffee "Can you believe her?".
"Well, I mean it's not like any of us liked her anyway. She was always very cold and distant" he agreed. Norma looked at both of them while chewing. "Who's Judith?" she asked, with an eyebrow raised.
Alex turned her way and took a deep breath. "She was married to Chris. None of us really liked her, she was a pretty big complainer and she always had something rude to say about someone. I can remember Chris's bachelor party...I asked him if he was positive that she was the right one for him and he just shrugged me off, telling me that no one really understood her like he did, and that we all had the wrong interpretation of her".
Laura nodded from across the way. "I felt the same way. I would always tell Chris that she wasn't the right person for him. I knew from the minute he brought her home for Patrick and I to meet. She was just very stiff and hard to get along with. She could also be very materialistic. I remember when he proposed to her and she said that if he got her a bigger engagement ring, she would marry him. To be completely honest...I wish Chris never met her" she sighed, getting up to put dirty dishes in the sink, rinsing them.
Norma shot a weird look Alex's way. "She sounds like quite a piece of work". He looked at her with a nod, standing up from the breakfast table. "Well, I'm gonna go get ready for the day. Norma will you help me get my clothes ready?" he asked, desperately. She stood up with a tiny smile, adoring that even at his age he still needed help picking out his outfits.
Alex started walking back up the stairs to their room, before Norma followed she turned back to Laura. "Thank you so much for making breakfast, I really appreciate you letting up stay here. If you need help with anything at all, let me know" she said sweetly, watching her elbows move as she scrubbed the dishes.
She shut the running water off and turned to her with a minimum but grateful smile. "It's not a problem, my dear. To be completely honest Patrick and I are incredibly happy to have both of you here," she paused to sniffle, wanting to hold it together and seem strong for the rest of the day "You're both welcome here for however long you need".
"Thank you" Norma cooed, walking out of the kitchen quietly. She trotted up the stairs, slipping into the guest room to find Alex on the bed, holding two different suit ties on his laps. "Honey...which one do you like better?" he questioned.
Norma took both ties from him and held them up to his shoulders. "You should wear this one" she said, choosing the small one with light brown pinstripes. "I feel like it brings out your eyes more". He took it from her and placed the article on his suit. He took it from her and placed the article on his suit.
"Okay" he said, rising from the bed, and taking her hips in his hands. "I'm going to take a shower while you put your ensemble together" he began, swaying her to each side "Just make sure you don't look too good, I wouldn't want people looking at you like your single" he smiled.
She gave a small laugh and grasped his hand, pulling him closer to her. "You don't have to worry about anything...I'm all yours" Norma cooed, kissing his cheek.
Alex rose an eyebrow, lifting her up off the ground, and wrapping her legs around his waist. "You're all mine, huh?" he asked seductively.
He pushed her against the wall behind them softly for support. Alex leaned forward to kiss her lips softly, stroking her bare thigh with his fingertips. The smell of his aftershave filled her nostrils and she felt herself grow more and more aroused. He ran his lips along her neck, whispering sweet words of praise into her skin.
Norma let her fingers scratch around his upper back. "All yours" she murmured, allowing her head to hit the back of the wall. Alex pulled back to observe her angelic features.
"I'm so damn lucky to have you, Norma" he exclaimed, letting her feet drop back down to the floor as he enveloped her in a tight hug, never wanting to let her go. He smelt the warm vanilla scent that clung to her skin and felt the comforting heat of her body. "I just...I hope you understand how much I love you".
She latched to him harder, loving the feel of his body pressing against her own. "Of course I do, Alex. And you know I love you as well" she cooed, holding his face in her hands. "Now, you have to go get ready".
He wordlessly gave her a short and sweet peck on the lips and moved into the bathroom.
Soon after, Alex and Norma were both dressed, ready to head to the funeral service. Laura had left a little after breakfast, wanting to help prepare for her deceased son's memorial. They were standing at the front door, when Norma looked down at her outfit. "Do I look okay? Not too...slutty is it?" she asked, her dress was a tad shorter than that of what she typically preferred but Arizona was steaming hot on that particular day.
"You look gorgeous. Don't worry about looking slutty," he laughed, dropping his hands to her sides, "It's about 90 degrees outside, so I think everyone in attendance will have shorter clothing one...at least the women".
She placed a gentle hand on his cheek. "Are you ready to go?" she asked with empathy coating her delicate voice.
Alex simply nodded, taking her hand and heading to the car.
When they arrived at the church, Norma could barely find a parking spot, as the event was flooded with people. She silently took note that it was the same church Sam's funeral was held at, the last time she had been there, everyone was looking at her, silently mourning for the "poor widow" who lost her "wonderful" husband. She shook her mind of the reverie as she found an empty spot right in front of the church.
Alex stepped out of the car, observing the large crowd of people. Some he actually recognized and others seemed to be casual friends of Chris who he'd never met in his life. He was almost intimidated by the crowd of people, so he clutched Norma's hand in his own and walked into the church.
They took a spot in the back. The rest of the pew was empty except for them, they preferred it that way. Neither of them wanted to sit next to blubbering participants who couldn't keep their emotions in check.
Norma moved closer to Alex and re-hooked hands. "This was a really great turn out" she whispered, re scanning the crowd with curious eyes.
He nodded and placed a mouth near her ear. "Yeah...to be honest, I never knew this many people were close to Chris. I mean he was a great guy but when it came down to it, he could be pretty shy, I never would've imagined he could connect with so many".
They both stopped talking once the pastor came out, giving the cliche introduction about Chris, his early life, and his untimely death. The next few minutes after that were spent singing "Amazing Grace" and a few eulogies were given by people who weren't too torn up to go and say things about Chris.
Once the service was over with, Alex and Norma opted not to stay for the reception. There were just too many people and crowds that were too large to dodge, so they headed back to her car. Norma got in and started the engine, but Alex stayed put on the gravel. She rolled her window down with a confused look. "Are you not going back to the house?".
"No, my uncle wants me to say hello to a few distant relatives who wanted to see me...but you head back. I'll be there soon enough" he said, giving her a brief smile.
She returned the smile, with nothing but sweetness on her face. "Okay".
Let me know what you think. Let me know if your still reading. Let me know if you like the Normero antics. Just...let me know ;) Leave me a review if enjoyed.
