She didn’t snap out of auto-drive until she opened the front door, and even then she couldn’t remember ever taking out her keys. That’s because he jumped up to greet her the second he heard the car pull into the driveway. He knew about the horrible day she was having, of course he did. He was the first person she called as soon she she heard the news, her words barely comprehendible through the painful sobs he could still vividly hear.
He opened the door and she collapsed into his arms. A foot taller than her, he always managed to make her feel safe. He swiftly picked her up and carried her to bed where there was a tray table holding a few of her favorite things waiting for her: wine (malbec and cab), water, crackers with manchego and truffled goat cheese, Anthony’s Cookies, avgolemeno soup, a copy of the latest Us Weekly, and a bouquet of tulips. She slipped into one of his oversized sweaters and cried into her pillow.
He was twice her size, yet he felt so helpless. He didn’t know what to say. He knew no words could put her at ease. All he could do was occupy the empty space around her, since the void now in her heart could never be filled again. She cried herself to sleep almost immediately, her phone going off almost every five minutes. He dimmed the lights and went downstairs. Cleaned up, watched a little TV, talked to his best friend, talked to her best friend, then said a little prayer before returning to her side, “God, if there is any way I can take even just a little of her pain away, let me know”.
She
was still asleep, but he noticed a bitten cookie, and glass of wine poured although untouched. Her eyes slowly opened despite his attempt to sneak under the sheets next to her. She turned around and buried her face in the crook of his neck as he wrapped his arm around her. He could feel her bare thighs wrapped around his leg, and the blood rushing inappropriately. He closedhis eyes and tried to imagine the drunk, homeless naked man walking around after the club the other night. It worked. And they were both asleep by 9:45pm on a Friday night.
He woke up to the familiar feeling of his girlfriend’s hands rubbing him, his dick already fully erect.
To be continued …