My eyes were trained on Kerrick the whole time he was typing on his laptop, his calm expression leaving me in wonder. I was sitting adjacent to him, studying his every movement carefully just hoping he'd reveal something to me.When his eyes caught my staring ones, I averted my gaze quickly and pretended I was looking at something else."You've been staring at me for a while." He finally said after an extended moment of silence."It's nothing." Heat flushed over my face, and I stared at my hands."Oh.""I um," I started. "I was thinking about last night."He closed his laptop and stared at me deeply and my face nearly melted from the amount of heat coloring it just because of his eyes. The atmosphere around us becoming a little awkward."What exactly?" He questioned."It was different."He didn't look too surprised by my answer and oddly it was as if he knew I was going to say that.I was so afraid, but somehow the way his fingers grazed my skin ignited my body. He was gentle with me
"Kerrick, please," I begged. "Come to bed."He looked straight at me and turned back to his work, obviously trying to lock me out. When I said I was going to be there for him, I meant for support in his work not what he was doing to himself.For the past few days he rarely slept and he seldom rested or took a break. I knew what he was doing was important to him but I couldn't support him self-destructing like this."Delancy, I have a lot of work to do. I can't stop now." He said without meeting my eyes.I knew his hands must've been cramping and his neck was probably stiff, along with the fact that it was after one in the morning and he was working since daylight the day before."I know it's important but what about your health?" I reasoned. It hurt watching him work like that and it almost remained me of when my father used to stay up late, trying to sort out things for the store."I'll worry about that after I've done all my work.""And when is that?""You should get some sleep." He
"Kerrick?""Hmm." Our eyes met as they cut from his work to me, curiosity marking his features."You said your father gave you a break so why are you working?" I inquired."Well," he closed his laptop and put it on the coffee table in front of him. "I was just finishing a project, it's nothing big.""Oh," I exhaled, relieved. "That's good to know."Kerrick was working tremendously hard but not as excessively as before. His father seemed to have noticed his effort because he gave him a break, which he rightfully earned.He rubbed the back of his head and looked at his work with a shrug. "I'm glad most of my paperwork is done.""Me too."He slouched back on the couch and I stared at him before noticing something and rising to my feet."Kerrick, your button is loose.""What?"
There was a soft sound of raindrops pelting against the window, still late into the night when I woke up. I turned to Kerrick and wiped my eyes, looking back to the window again briefly before sitting up stiffly and letting the sound soak in before I looked down at him again.He looked so calm and peaceful asleep, nothing at all like the distant, cold person I knew. A cord strung in my chest, remembering what he said only hours before about hating him.I leaned over and looked at him more closely, he wasn't scary or intimidating, and he didn't seem bitter or harsh. It was as if I was looking at a totally different person, he looked as though nothing had ever bothered him before.I brushed my hand through his creosote hair, the texture wonderful against my fingers. I brushed his hair away from his face and smiled at his sleeping image, when I first met him he seemed only relatively handsome but now looking at him, closer up, he was surprisingly very beautiful.He was sleeping without a
Kerrick was still swamped with work for most of the week but he came to bed whenever it got too late and he'd hold me before he fell asleep, this small act making up for the time we lost together since he wasn't around much. I was just glad whenever he was near me because it never felt enough. We were only in our first few months of marriage but we'd already been through a lifetime of things.It was an odd feeling being in love, it wasn't like what I saw in movies or what my friends told me. Kissing, hugging and holding weren't the only things that mattered, it was more about the burning sensation I had whenever I saw him, the way I'd blush when I caught him watching me from the corner of his eyes and the wordless heart to heart communication that passed between us. I knew Kerrick wasn't the passionate type but I was okay with that. He wouldn't bring me a thousand roses and shout how much he loved me to the world for no reason but that's what I liked. He would come home and bring me a
I turned comfortably on the mattress of our bed and peeled the thick sheets off my body. I stretched, feeling for Kerrick before sitting up when I realized he wasn't there. I rubbed my eyes and scanned the room for him but he wasn't there either so I brought myself to my feet and decided to look for him.I searched the hall, the kitchen and the living room but he wasn't there, a crushing pain filled my chest when I realized he'd taken off again without telling me.He was acting strangely for the past few days, stranger than usual and he avoided talking about it whenever I asked. At first I thought it was his past getting to him again but I eventually realized that wasn't it.I decided to go back to the room and sleep a little more when I looked out the window and saw that his car was still in the driveway.I furrowed my brows together, puzzled and confused until I realized where he must've been. I went back up stairs and went to the bathroom, listening to water running continuously fr
Everything worked out perfectly for Kerrick after Stephen lost his job and his father finally started appreciating him and was ready to hand over the company to him."Kerrick, are you excited about tonight?" I asked while leaning closer to him."I'm not sure if excited is the right word but yes." He looked at me and brushed a few strands of hair out of my face. "Are you excited?""Yeah, this is your big night Kerrick, you're going to head your father's company.""Well," he scratched his head. "I practically already do, this party tonight is just for show.""Speaking of the party, you'll have to take me out this evening. I need to find a new dress." I sat up and ran my hands down my clothes, a smile glinting on my face."You don't have to.""What?" Kerrick got to his feet and sauntered across the room towards the closet before pulling out a shopping bag and handing it to me. I opened it and the beautiful pink dress I fell in love with was there, joy not even a comparison to how I felt.
Kerrick kept his promise, I was able to see my father a few times in the following weeks and he even bought me another cellphone so we could keep in touch. I apologized to Samantha and Victoria for cutting them off and becoming distant but they were more than happy to see me again.I was currently with them, waiting for the Independence Day fireworks and watching the celebrations unfold back home. The streets were streaming with life and I was bubbling with excitement but I wished Kerrick had come with me."Daniel, aren't the celebrations exciting!? This year must be the best I've seen in a while!" I looked over at Daniel and smiled but his eyes were fixated on the night sky."Yeah.""I'm glad I came to celebrate Independence with you guys."He smiled and rubbed the back of his head, bringing nostalgia to my heart."I wonder where Sam and Tori are. They said they were going to buy snacks and be back in a moment but it's been half an hour."We we're standing by a building, out of the w
"It's ready!" Charlotte, Eric's wife cat Eric's househimed as she pulled a cake tin out of her oven and beamed at me. Kerrick, Kaleb and I were spending the evening at Eric's house with after he invited us. Earlier I decided to give his wife a hand in the kitchen while Kerrick and Eric were sitting out front talking and the boys were playing in the living room."My Eric and Nathan love chocolate," She laughed while putting the freshly baked cake on a cooling rack.Charlotte was petite and had pale blonde hair unlike her dark haired well built husband and son, but she had a radiant smile and bubbly personality that made her very likeable. "How about Kerrick and Kaleb? What flavor cake do they like?" She asked while looking over at our boys playing."Um well," I said smiling at her eager curiosity. "Kerrick doesn't eat cake, he's Diabetic and Kaleb isn't very fond of sweets.""Oh!," Charlotte exclaimed before blushing with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I didn't know." "It's okay," I laug
"You're home early," I commented as Kerrick put his car keys in the top drawer of the table in the living room. "Oh, and you're wearing your glasses.""I couldn't read the prompt during my meeting." He sighed in resignation. "I guess I'll have to get used to them.""So how did it go, did they like your ideas?" I inquired as he sat down on the couch."Yea, they did." He murmured as I sat beside him and put his head in my lap."That's good. What are your plans moving forward?" I said running my fingers through his hair.A soft smile traced across his lips as he tilted his head up to look at me. "I'm glad you're taking an interest in what's happening."I smiled back at him and nodded."E&E's sell canned goods as you know so with the new canning machine we have at the factory we can easily output at least ten thousand cans a week." He smiled."Wow, that's great!" I remarked."We also found a manufacturer who can deliver all the raw materials we need at reduced cost and high quality so our
As I put the finishing touches on tonight's meal, I couldn't help but watch in awe as steam slowly billowed out of the pot on the stove. The tantalizing aroma wafted through the air, making my mouth water in anticipation of the delicious meal ahead. I was in the middle of turning off the stove when I heard Kerrick's car pull into our driveway so I quickly headed to the door to greet him. As soon as he walked in, I noticed a glimmer in his eyes that seemed to suggest that he was filled with excitement. "You look happy, what happened at work?" I asked curiously. Instead of replying he picked me up bridal style and spun me around and I clung to him and burst out laughing at his unusual behavior until he put me down. "I did it, Delancy," He said hugging me. "I got a client!" "What!?" I mumbled out shocked but as I locked eyes with him he nodded with confirmation. I hugged him in elation and began jumping around while holding him. "This is amazing news! I'm so proud of you!" "It's, tru
"Do you have everything packed?" I asked Kaleb as he was getting ready to go off to school."Yes Mom," He answered as he threw his backpack on and headed towards the door."Don't forget this," I said handing him his lunchbox as he thanked me. Just then Kerrick came down the stairs and called him."Kaleb," He said going up to him and hugging him. "I love you.""Um, thanks Dad," Kaleb responded bewildered. He seemed caught off guard by his unusual actions but said nothing as he bid us goodbye before heading off to school."Is everything okay?" I asked."Yes, It's just that my dad never told me he loved me so I wanted to make sure I never forget to tell Kaleb." He said looking out the window at our son heading up the road."Wait are you serious?" I asked in disbelief.He paused and turned to me silently. "You were the first person to ever tell me that you loved me."My heart nearly broke when Kerrick confessed this and I instinctively reached for him."It's okay. I don't care about that
A few days had passed after meeting Charles and although Kerrick gave him no answer he was still pushing the idea of a merger. As of right now, I decided to visit my dad while Kerrick was at work and Kaleb was at school so I could get my mind off the situation. As I approached my dad's store and my old home, pleasant memories flooded my mind and a smile broke out on my face when I saw my best friends standing right outside the doors. When they noticed me they ran and hugged me and I burst out laughing. Samantha and Victoria always knew how to lighten my mood and I was so lucky to have them as my friends. "You caught us on our way out!" Victoria said between giggles."Oh, I should've come sooner." I apologized. "It's fine, we'll call later," Samantha added as she hurried up to her car."Where are you guys going ?" I inquired as I watched them."I have to pick up my daughter from daycare," Samantha said unlocking her door. "And I'm meeting up with my boyfriend!" Victoria added with
Kerrick was carrying Kaleb on his shoulders when we came home from the football match. Kaleb was still riled up from his win even hours after and couldn't stop talking about it. Kerrick and I were very proud of him and we laughed as we watched our son could bask in his victory."Kaleb, weren't you nervous when you were about to score?" I asked as I helped him down from Kerrick's shoulders."No, I knew I could make it," He smiled and ran around the living room, still full of energy.I smiled as I watched him beam with happiness but I couldn't take my mind off Kerrick's words."My business deal fell through"Kerrick didn't say anything else about it the entire evening but I knew he must've been crushed after all the efforts he put in. At dinner, he listened to Kaleb's recount of the earlier segments of the match that he'd missed and apologized for not being there but all was forgiven as happiness was the only thing on our son's face."Kaleb, go get some sleep, you must be tired," I said
"Where are you going so early?" I asked my son while clearing the table after breakfast. Kaleb had changed out of his pajamas into a blue jumper paired with a white T-shirt and was currently tying his shoelaces. "I'm going to meet my friends, remember I told you." He said jumping to his feet. "I do but it's still early," I said looking over at the wall clock and sighing. "Okay but remember to come home for lunch," I followed him to the door and watched as he hopped on his bicycle before riding off. "Bye, mom!" He called back to me as he went up the road. "Keep out of the road and watch out for cars!" I responded as he rode away and he paused momentarily to nod before continuing on his way. I turned to go back into the house so I could help Kerrick get ready but not before glancing up the street at my son's retreating figure. Once inside I got Kerrick's things together and put them on the table just as I heard him coming down the stairs. "Where's Kaleb?" Kerrick asked while fixing
Sunlight filtered through the curtains by the window as a cool gust of wind blew in and the sky was still overcast from recent rain. The sound of children laughing and running by putting a smile on my face as I waited patiently. I looked over at Kerrick who was quietly working at the table with a mug near his face, wafts of steam warming his lips but not taking the concentration from his eyes as he reviewed his papers. I turned back to the window which looked up the street that all the children were coming down and searched until finally, I saw Kaleb coming my way, his smile warming my heart as he ran along the street. He was walking between two friends, but he was unmistakable from his dark hair protruding from under his yellow raincoat, his obsidian eyes, and his quick stride. I watched him wave goodbye to them and cross the street before running up to the house and I left the window to greet him at the door. "Mom!" He said surprised to see me already waiting for him. I gave him a b
I ran the tips of my fingers over the soft delicate petals of the roses I carried as I followed my father's footsteps. Slowly he stopped and kneeled on the ground as we made it to our destination, my mother's grave."She was so pretty, your mother." He spoke without meeting my eyes, taking the flowers I was carrying and the ones he also had, he placed them in matching ceramic vases opposite each other by her gravestone. "She was so young and I don't think I'll ever stop loving and missing her.""I'm sorry," I looked at my father sadly but with a tinge of happiness that we were finally able to come here together after so long. "I guess I'll never truly understand the pain you went through when you lost her but that just goes to show how much she meant to you and me."My father tucked the last rose firmly in the vase next to him and touched her gravestone again, closing his eyes for a moment when he did so. "You know, I still feel her with me, regardless of the time that's passed, I ca