Chapter 6: Early Morning Chat
Eric rolled over to look at the clock as he heard the sliding glass door leading onto the back deck creak. He knew that it wasn't a break in because he was sure he had locked it before he headed off to bed only a few hours earlier. It was four thirty in the morning. Knowing that he would have a difficult time falling back to sleep he pulled off the covers just to see who it was that was up at this time in the morning. He smiled when looked through the glass door and Saw Calleigh standing on the back deck, facing the back yard. She was wearing pink and red striped pajama bottoms and a solid light pink long sleeve top. Her long blonde hair was tied back loosely in a ponytail. He slowly walked out onto the deck and stood silently next to Calleigh who was staring off into the distance deep in though. "What are you doing up? It's four thirty." He asked quietly. "Nothing" Calleigh replied, looking down at her hands. "Couldn't sleep. Sometimes when I'm home by myself and I have a lot on my mind I'll go outside and just think." "Thinking about anything in particular?" He asked. "Actually yes. Earlier when we arrived you mom said something that I can't stop thinking about." She says finally looking up at him. "What's that?" He asked, a small smile crept across his face. "When you introduced me to her she said that you talk about me all the time." She looked Eric square in the eyes. "I remember." Eric said quickly looking back out into the yard. "It's nothing really. I told her that I was bringing a friend from work with me for Thanksgiving. She asked if it was my partner, and I told her that it was. She asked me what you were like, and I told her that I have the best partner I guy could ever ask for." He said looking into her eyes. "That she's one of the smartest, bravest, most dedicated people I know, and that she is the one person who I can always turn to no matter what." "That's sweet." She whispered, a little surprised by how highly Eric spoke of her to his mother. "Well," Eric said rubbing his hand across his forehead, "We should try getting some sleep. Sweet Dreams" Eric leaned in and kissed Calleigh softly on the cheek before heading back inside the house. "You too." Calleigh whispered with a smile once Eric was inside the house.