Monica slowly slid her fingers down his jawline, feeling the stubble there as she looked at his closed eyes. She'd always loved how they sloped down on the sides when they were closed.
She leaned in and kissed them. Then grinned as he stirred just a little.
She knew Chandler liked to watch her sleep, but Monica didn't know if he realized she did the same thing every chance she got.
Sometimes she just couldn't believe this remarkable man who loved her to the moon and back, who saw her eyes in the Oklahoma sky, was hers.
She'd been a little groggy, she'd been sleeping so soundly, as they drove back to his hotel after the magical sunset the night before.
Monica smiled as she remembered how quickly she woke up as soon as they made their way to his hotel room.
They hadn't even gotten their coats off before they'd landed on the bed, lips locked and hearts racing.
It seemed to take forever to take off the layers but once they had they'd made love with a fervor they hadn't in a long time.
Ovulation kits, making babies and even the Queen's plates never once crossed either of their minds as they came together again and again.
They were just two people deeply in love who were missing the connection of mind, body and soul that had been interrupted for so long.
After her restless Friday night Monica knew she had to wake up with him again as soon as possible.
And on this short visit to Tulsa she'd gotten her wish two times - once on the hood of a Ford and again just now.
Her fingers reached his lips and, to her surprise, he kissed them.
"Good morning, Beautiful," he murmured.
"It is a very good morning," she said softly as they smiled at each other.
"How'd you sleep?" she asked.
"Like a log," he said, stretching out a little. "You?"
"Better than I have in weeks," she said, running her hand along his bare chest. "So soundly…"
"I'm so glad you're here, Mon," he said quietly, running his hand down her arm that was over his chest.
The smile never left her face as she moved on top of him, feeling him against her, and her smile only grew wider.
"Ah…it's a very good morning indeed," she whispered.
He smirked and pushed her long hair away from her face as she leaned down to kiss him.
Lost in his kiss she almost didn't notice when he placed his hands on her hips and guided her onto him.
They both moaned at the contact as their kiss deepened, and they rocked back and forth as mind, body and soul became one once again.
###
"This is what it's like, isn't it?" he said, a hitch in his voice, as he sat on the bed and watched her repack the suitcase she'd just unpacked hours earlier.
She zipped up her bag and walked over to him. They'd just taken a shower together and gotten dressed, both very aware of the time. Her flight left at 11 a.m. Tulsa time. He was due back at the office at noon.
His sad eyes looked up at her as she cupped his cheek, not saying anything.
"When I leave this is how you feel."
She nodded, not sure she could speak without her voice cracking.
"Well, it sucks," he said, standing and pulling her to him. "It sucks a lot…"
"Yes, it does," she whispered, gripping the back of his blue sweater and blinking back tears.
He took a deep breath. The last 18 hours had been like an incredible dream and he didn't want to wake up.
And it broke his heart that, every week, he broke hers when he left.
"I am so sorry, Monica," he said, lifting her chin and looking into her watery eyes. "I so screwed up - how the hell I ever let us get into this mess…I could kick myself…"
"Stop," she said, quickly kissing him. "No more 'I'm sorrys,' OK?"
"But…" Chandler started.
"No," she said as she lifted her hands and ran them through his hair. "Enough. We're in this together. You're here and I'm there, but we're together. We're together where it counts, Chandler. The rest is just noise."
His emotions got the best of him as he ran his hands down from her arms to her hips - he let out a heavy sigh, tears pooling as he closed his eyes.
"This has been so hard," he whispered, pressing his forehead to hers. "I feel like I am letting you down every damn day…"
"No," she quickly said again as she pulled away to look him in the eye. "I never want you to feel that way, Chandler, never. I'm sorry if I…if I…"
"Hey," he said softly, wiping a tear from her cheek. "No more 'I'm sorrys,' right?"
Monica smiled through her tears as she choked out "right."
Then she cleared her throat.
"We're going to be OK, you and me, you know that," she said, her voice taking on a confident tone. He nodded. "We don't have a choice, you know. I can…I can live with you being gone a few days a week. I can live with it taking a little longer for us to have a baby. I can even live without the Queen's plates. But what I cannot do, Chandler…I…I can't live without you and your love to get me through each day. I just can't. I can't do that Chandler and I…I don't want any more tension between us and I don't…"
She'd started chattering fast, like a monkey, and he knew she meant ever word.
He silenced her with a kiss.
"You won't," he said quietly as he pulled away and she looked up, searching his face. "One thing you'll never, ever lose is my love and devotion to you, Monica. I…I can't promise I won't ever screw up again, but I can a thousand percent promise you that - no matter what happens in the future."
She smiled at her husband, looking into his shining, bright blue eyes.
"Last night was amazing," she whispered. "Thank you."
"Thanks for surprising me," he said, smiling. "And no shark porn or anything this time."
She burst out laughing.
"I know!" she said, still giggling. "Yes, it was much better this time."
"Much," he agreed, glancing at the clock.
"It's time," she nodded.
"Yeah..."
He turned and picked up her suitcase and his keys and they made their way out of the hotel room hand-in-hand.
###
Monica pulled on her chef's smock and smiled as she looked at the postcard of the Oklahoma sunset held up by a magnet inside her work locker.
She ran her fingers over the blue sky in the photo…
The airport security line was short, but they were still pushing it on time by Monica standards as she waited a little impatiently for Chandler to get back with their coffees.
She'd printed out her return ticket and was waiting on a small metal bench as he came into view, with two coffees and a flat, brown paper bag.
"Thanks," she said as he handed her the coffee and the bag. "What's this?"
"Just a little something," he said as he shrugged. She started to open the bag and he put his hand over hers.
"Just save it for the plane," he whined, with a smile. "Try to wait until you're at least taxing down the runway, please."
"Ugh," she said, with a little grin. "I'll try, but I can't make any promises."
"I know," he chuckled, pulling her to him once again. "I love you Monica Geller Bing."
"I love you Chandler Muriel Bing," she said, giggling when he winced at 'Muriel.' "That's for making me wait."
"Erghhh," he said. "Don't rush too much to make the restaurant tonight, OK? No one will starve without you."
"I know, but I should be OK," she said, glancing at the security line. "I gotta go."
"Oh, how well I know," he said, a sad smile coming to his lips. "Wish I could go back to the gate with you."
"Me, too," she said as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. "I love you. I'll call when I land and when I get home."
"Good…I love you, too."
She grabbed her rolling carry-on and got in line for security. He watched her through the line and all the way until she smiled and waved at him before turning down the terminal corridor.
He tipped his coffee to her and smiled back.
Then he turned and walked back toward the airport parking lot, already missing her but remarkably still smiling.
She'd taken her seat on the flight and buckled in, still holding tightly onto the small brown paper bag. She knew she'd never make it until the plane was taxing down the runway.
She opened it and smiled at the picture on the front of the postcard then she turned it over and her eyes filled with tears.
"Oh, Baby…" she whispered, putting her hand over her mouth, shaking her head and looking out the window back toward the airport.
Monica put the postcard back in the bag and held it close to her heart.
She was wiping the tears from her eyes as the plane taxied down the runway and started its ascent, heading east into the bright Oklahoma sky.
She pulled down the memento one more time and read the words he'd written on the back.
She'd read them so many times she'd lost count. She knew she'd hold them in her heart forever.
"Heaven's doors opened on a Saturday night in Tulsa. I'll love you into eternity, Mon. Yours always, Chandler."
She sighed again - once again fighting off tears.
Monica looked at the sunset another moment before hanging the postcard back up in her locker.
And she smiled, knowing that no matter what, she and Chandler were going to make it through this time in their lives. They would come out stronger than ever on the other side.
She turned toward the kitchen at JaVu and took a deep breath. She let it out slowly and started to walk toward her waiting staff.
Her eyes were bright and she felt like she was floating on clouds - their love sustaining her.
And a thousand miles away, as Chandler glanced at his employees working so diligently on the year-end numbers, he smiled too - feeling exactly the same way.
All they needed was a little reminder.
The End.
NOTE: Short but sweet, I hope. ;) I always thought Mumford & Sons "Reminder" was a perfect Tulsa-era Mondler song and it helped inspire this little story. Now, coincidently, I'm preparing for a big trip to the American west with the fam in real life. Hope to see a similar sunset! :)
A "thank you" as big as the Oklahoma sky to all of you for your reviews, and a special "thank you' to the Guest from Tulsa who left a review - you absolutely made my day - you're welcome and thank you! :)