Forever Yours

Zack and I walked into our apartment at six in the morning after getting home from the hospital. I plopped myself onto the couch and Zack sat next to me, putting his arms around me.
“How ya doing?” he asked me.
“Okay,” I said. “I just can’t believe that all this is actually happening. How about you?” I asked. I had forgotten that Jenna’s baby wasn’t just my niece or nephew, but Zack’s as well.
“Same,” he answered.
He tightened his hold on my just slightly—just enough so I could get really comfortable. We just sat for a moment, not saying anything. I guess we were both thinking and trying to process the turn of events.
“Hey, how about I make us some breakfast?” he asked.
“That would be a good idea if we had anything to make breakfast with,” I said. “Besides, I don’t eat big breakfasts anymore.”
“Oh, since when?” he asked.
“Since about a year after I moved up north,” I said. “I spent a year studying abroad in Paris. I guess I got used to the way they eat there and I never kicked the habit.”
“And how do they eat breakfast in Paris.”
“Well, it’s actually not just Paris. Almost everywhere you go in Europe, breakfast is a very small meal. They’ll have maybe a croissant or two with some coffee and that’s it.”
“What? That’s not very much.”
“It’s actually perfect. They usually eat lunch at around eleven and lunch is very big in Europe—almost as big as dinner.”
“Hmm, that’s weird.”
“That’s because you’re used to the American way. A big breakfast, a small lunch, and then a big dinner,” I said. “You know in Europe that they don’t consider eggs a breakfast item. Nope, it’s more of a lunch and dinner thing.” He looked at me like I just said the weirdest thing ever. “I thought it was weird at first, too. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Eggs are full of cholesterol and protein…so it’s a more hearty food. Since they don’t eat big breakfasts, they don’t consider the hearty egg to be a breakfast food.”
“Wow, I don’t even know what to say.”
I laughed. “I can tell. How about I go out and get us some croissants, coffee, and some other things and you stay here and be beautiful?”
He smiled. “I think I can do that.”
I reached up and kissed him. He kissed back softly. I got up and grabbed the keys.
“I’ll be back,” I said.
I left the apartment and did what I said I was gonna do. It took a bit of asking around, but I found a good bakery in the area and I also go coffee from the bakery as well. When I got back to the apartment, Zack was asleep on the couch.
I smiled at him and took everything to the kitchen. I took the lid off of his coffee and brought it to him, putting the coffee under his nose. He sniffled and woke up slowly.
“That smells good,” he said in a yawn.
“Breakfast is ready,” I said.
Zack got up and we walked to the kitchen. We sat at the counter. I got out a chocolate croissant and gave it to him. A chocolate croissant is a croissant drizzled with chocolate.
“Looks good,” he said. He took a bite.
I got out my croissant and started to eat and mix my coffee. Apparently, Zack drank black coffee. I took mine with a little bit of sugar and a touch of cream.
After we ate two croissants each and drank our coffee. We went back to our bedroom.
“We still haven’t made love yet,” he said, fingering the hem of my t-shirt.
“I know,” I said.
“If you’re not ready…”
“No…I’m ready,” I said. “Just…”
“What?” he asked.
“I’m really tired right now. Can you wait just a little longer?” I asked.
“I’ve waited so long for you, Rain.” He smiled. “A few more hours won’t hurt.”
We lay onto our bed—our bed—and we pulled the blankets to our chests. He put his hand on top of mine under the blankets. I looked at him and smiled, then I took his hand and rolled onto my side, wrapping his arm around me. We lay on our sides, fitting perfectly together. In no time, I was asleep.
When I woke up, Zack and I weren’t as close as when we fell asleep. Zack was on the other side of the bed and lying on his stomach. I rolled over and put my chin on his upper back by his shoulder blade. He started to shuffle under me.
“Hey you,” he said. “What time is it?”
I looked to the nightstand where the digital alarm clock was. “Eleven thirty,” I said.
“Maybe we should get up,” he said.
“Nope, I like lying here with you.”
“I do too, but we can’t just be bums all day. I need to get back in the swing of things. I go back to work next week.”
“Why,” I complained.
“Rain, we’re not teenagers anymore. We have to work. Have you called your agent? I’m sure you can get tons of auditions here in LA.”
“I know, I know,” I said. “But is it a crime that I want to spend my time with you.”
Zack sighed and turned over. I laid with my arm over his stomach and my head on his chest. He wrapped his arm around me tightly and kissed the top of my head.
“Well, how about we spend the rest of the day together and tomorrow you give your agent a call and ask about auditions here in LA.”
I sighed. “Okay, okay,” I said. “Why do you make me make these promises?”
“Because I love you and I don’t want us to go broke.”
“Us?”
He smiled. “Yeah, us…”
“I like the sound of that.”