“In your dreams,” she scoffs and I chuckle.
If only she knew what happens in my dreams.
“Oh I wish I could do everything I do to you in my dreams. But don’t worry we have a whole life ahead of us.”
She looks at me and I know a sassy retort is sitting on her tongue.
“How are you so sure we have so much time ahead of us? Together?”
“Merijaan, if there’s one thing I have been sure of in my entire life, it’s us.”
She narrows her eyes. “Where do you get such lines in your mind?”
“All of that happens naturally when I am with you.”
She chuckles but doesn’t say anything which is all good because just as we are about to reach our home, I would hope that I make her lose her ability to talk.
* * *
“Home, sweet home,” I say as I park our car in our driveway. She makes a move to get out of the car and I stop her.
“Stop. I will carry you.”
“No,” she swats my hand away as if caught on fire. “What if our mothers are still awake? Plus, I can walk now, I think.”
I give her a look. Is she always so inherently stubborn or she does this to annoy me?
“It is 2 am in the morning. Why do you think they will be awake? Plus you’re not going to walk. We already put enough stress on your foot. We will have to change the dressing before everything else.”
Her cheeks turn pink but I didn’t mean to insinuate that we are going to have sex. I am not opposed to the idea of that, of course. But the only time we will get intimate like that is when she wants me to.
When she confesses her love for me again. When she forgives me for hurting her more than anyone else.
I get out of the car when she doesn’t protests anymore and she keeps looking at me as if she is seeing a new person completely. Truth be told, I do feel like I have become someone I was not for a long time. Funny how you do so much for one person. The old me, the one who was stubborn as hell and couldn’t care about anyone’s feelings would be shocked seeing me this down bad for someone.
But that old me also never knew what real happiness, real peace looked like so he can shut his mouth.
“Come,” I say, as I lift her in my arms and she might think I am doing this for her but partially I am doing it for myself. I love the feeling of having her in my arms.
“At least your time spent in the gym instead of with me is paying off,” she says and I chuckle.
“Even if I wasn’t working out, I would still carry you everywhere if you would let me.”
She rolls her eyes but I know she is just teasing.
Once we are inside our bedroom, I make her sit carefully on the bed. She looks up at me with her big, doe eyes and I find my heart melting under her gaze.
If I could stop the time at current moment, I would. I would want her to continue looking at me for the rest of our lives like this.
“I will get you a towel and the first aid kit,” I tell her, even though my heart doesn’t want me to leave her even for a second. “Then you can change.”
She nods and I give her hand a tight squeeze before going into our bathroom to get everything.
I take a look at myself in the mirror and even a stranger could see the noticeable change on my face. The under eyes are gone, my face is much clearer now though I have grown a stubble. My eyes look gentler, much more alive and I happen to look a lot younger than I am.
All thanks to my wife.
When I come back, I find her sitting with her chin resting on her knees, herlehengalifted slightly up.
