“Yes.”
“For me, too. We’ll keep the phone line open.”
“Okay.”
“You can sleep now. I have you.”
Those were the words he used our first night together. They meant everything.
Soon, I was drifting to the sounds of his breaths. They’d slowed, like mine, until we both slept.
18
Dale
My first day back at work I had too many thoughts going through my mind to concentrate.
Luckily, my co-workers had returned all-too distracted as well. It took us time and concentration to get back into the routines we’d left behind and forge ahead into this new year.
Aspen’s emotions crowded the link between us. Apprehension and sadness were prominent. Like a heavy cloud hanging over my head. At the same time, his sparkling essence swam through me. It felt like he was sitting right next to me at my desk all day, looking over my shoulder, patting my back.
That night, we got on the phone in bed again.
“How was your day?” I asked.
“Distracting.”
“Me, too. But I felt you close to me. Do you feel that?”
“I do. It’s the only thing keeping me patient until Friday.”
“Tomorrow’s Wednesday. Then we only have to get through Thursday before we can meet and be together for three whole days.”
“I know.”
Our jobs often kept us late or we’d be having dinner together every night. We both discussed how this would go. Weekends together. And evenings, too, if we both got off work early enough. Being back from vacation meant overtime, so this first week was going to be our hardest.
Lunches were not feasible, either. We took them at different times, or skipped them altogether, eating at our desks, if we were too swamped.
Finally, Friday arrived.
“I’m leaving work by five no matter what,” Aspen stated in a text.
“Me, too.”
We agreed to meet at his condo. I’d packed for the weekend and stored everything in my trunk.
When I left work, I was practically running. Co-workers called out “Goodbye” and “Have a good weekend.” I barely responded.
I drove up Aspen’s short driveway, double-checking the GPS that I was at the right place. When I got out of my car and went to my trunk, his front door opened. He waved, grinning, then ran across a tiny lawn sparkling with frost and jumped into my open arms. His legs went around my waist. I had to brace one hand on my car to keep from falling over.
“Dale.” He threw his arms around my neck and kissed me.
I kissed him back, my mouth opening. It was like no time had passed. We were on vacation again. We were by each other’s side where we were supposed to be.
After about half a minute, he let his legs slide off me and stood facing me. “Let’s get you inside. I have pizza and wings.”
“I’m hungry for you,” I said, laughing.
