In the Middle

When Robert came home from work, he loosened his tie and set his briefcase down beside the door. He smiled as he breathed in the sweet aroma a freshly cooked meal. He silently closed the door behind him, slipped off his shoes and tip-toed into the kitchen. There she was, standing before the stove, a few beads of sweat upon her brow and strands of hair, falling from her loosely tied bun. She wore his favorite dress, a pale blue flowered-print that fell just above her knees. She protected it with a little plaid apron that reminded him of the 1950’s. He tried not to make a noise as he snuck up behind her, slipping his arms around her waist and softly kissing her neck.

“You really shouldn’t sneak up on a girl when she’s got a frying pan in her hand,” she said softly, a hint of humor in her voice. “You scared me half to death.”

“I’m sorry, Hunt,” he whispered as he continued to trail kisses up and down her neck. Her scent was intoxicating and he buried his face in her hair, getting lost in it. “How long until dinner’s ready?”

“Not long at all. Plenty of time for you to get changed out of that suit and relax a bit,” she responded, slightly stirring the contents of the pot in front of her. “Maybe ten to fifteen minutes or so.”

He placed another kiss tenderly on her cheek before walking off to the bedroom. Once changed into some jeans and a casual button up, he stepped back into the kitchen, looking Hunter’s body up and down with a contented smile. He twirled her around and pulled her body close to his, kissing her sweetly. “I’ll be right back,” he mumbled softly against her lips. “I just forgot to pick something up on the way home. I won’t be long, promise.”

She nodded, unable to find the words needed to respond. She smiled as he walked out the door, but that smile faltered. She still couldn’t get the memories of the morning out of her head. She had known their relationship was far from ideal, but the whole morning was like something out of a bad dream. She had never been afraid of him in the seven years that they had been together. And that’s when it hit her. They had been together seven years.

“What am I doing?” she whispered softly to herself as she leaned against the counter. Seven years was a long time to be together, and they hadn’t even spoken of marriage. Not once had the topic ever come up. Especially with him distancing himself more and more with work.

She quickly finished preparations on dinner and set the table. Just as she was untying the apron from behind her back the door opened up. There stood Robert with a big, beautiful bouquet of spring blossoms in hand. A smile broke out on her face as he pulled her into his arms and twirled her about in circles.

After they were through with dinner, which was spent in an awkward silence, Robert dragged her to her feet and out the door, only giving them enough time to slip on shoes. He had never done something like this before, but it seemed that today was meant for lots of firsts. She winced at the memory of him slapping her, lightly reaching her free hand to her cheek. Her other was firmly held in his grasp as he led her down the street. The same street she had walked along yesterday in search of adventure.

The flowers were another first. Sure, he had gotten her roses on Valentine’s Day and on their anniversary, but never had he gotten her a bouquet of flowers for no reason. She wondered if that was another silent apology for what had happened earlier, but she couldn’t be sure. They were beautiful though, she had to give him that much.

Soon she realized why he had dragged her out of the apartment so quickly. They were walking along the riverfront now, the sun hanging low in the sky. He led her to a bench overlooking the slow moving water and pulled her into his lap.

“Just in time,” he whispered into her ear as the sun dropped lower and lower to meet the horizon. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and she leaned back into his body. “I love you, Hunter. You know that, right?”

She nodded, though she questioned if she really did. At this point, maybe he just loved the security of her. They had been together for as long as she could remember, even before they became a couple. They say that best friends make the best lovers, but somewhere along the line the love had started to diminish. She yearned to feel that love again. And when she curled up in his arms, with his lips pressed to hers, she hoped that she would find that love again rekindled in her best friend.

The sun had set on yet another day and they walked slowly back to their shared apartment, hand in hand. This time, they took their time. As they laid in bed, Robert’s arms wrapped tightly around her, she wondered if maybe, just maybe, this could be just what they needed to get their relationship back on track.

Jameson turned the key in the lock and stepped inside the dimly lit house. He heard faint the faint whispering of a hushed conversation at the end of the hallway and smiled. There was no screaming or thrashing about. It was calm. He didn’t know how Dakota managed to keep her so calm, but he was so thankful to have her around.

Opening the door to the small back bedroom he peeked his head cautiously. Mother was laying back, eyes closed and a small trace of a smile formed on her lips. Dakota had stopped speaking as she looked up at Jameson. His mother’s eyes slowly opened to see why she had stopped and spotted him in the doorway. She raised a hand slowly and beckoned him over. He sat by her side and took her fragile hand in his.

“Jameson,” she spoke quietly, as if every word were forced. “Dakota told me about what happened this morning, and I’m sorry son. You don’t deserve this life.”

Jameson let out a shaky breath, realizing he had been holding it in the whole time she spoke. He squeezed her hand lightly, feeling tears spring to his eyes. He knew that he didn’t deserve it, but there was nothing that could be done. This was his life, whether he liked it or not. He loved his mother and he would go to the ends of the earth to keep her safe.

“You are the one that doesn’t deserve this life,” he finally whispered. “You deserve to be happy, to be able to move on. I love you, Momma, and I will continue to do everything I can to help you. But, please, you have to help yourself too. You have to stop drinking like this.”

Tears began to silently pour from her eyes as she shook her head. Whether it was out of denial or disappointment, he was unsure. He loosened his grip on her hand and stood. It pained him to see his her like this, but it hurt worse knowing that she refused to do anything about it. This just made him more determined to close the gap on how much he needed to get her help.

He sat silently on the sofa in the den, his head in his hands. He felt bad, for the whole day he didn’t think of her or Dakota. Normally they were all he could think about while at work. But not today. No, today he though of Hunter and no one else. Her chestnut hair that fell in straight sheets and framed those eyes that reminded him so of autumn leaves just as they begin to change color. The way her hand fit in his was what he had loved the most.

He felt another hand on his shoulder as the cushion beside him sunk in with the weight of another. He didn’t have to look over to know that it was Dakota. He wrapped his arms around her and hid his face in her shoulder. She stroked his hair softly, waiting for him to speak what was on his mind.

“What am I doing wrong, Kota?” he asked meekly. “I can’t get her to see what she’s doing to herself and it’s killing me, just as it’s killing her.”

“You’re not doing anything wrong,” she spoke soothingly.

“Then why is it that you are able to keep her calm when you’re here, but when I’m here she flies off the handle? I’ve tried; I’m trying. I just… I don’t know what more I can do to help her!”

“You’re doing all you can, and that’s what matters. I better get going though, it’s getting quite late.” She pulled away slowly, kissing his cheek and ruffling his hair gently. “You’ll be okay, and so will she. Give it time, and it will all be okay. I love you, Jamie.” And maybe she was right. Maybe, just maybe.

He got up and hugged her tightly one last time before she could leave. “I love you too, Kota. You’re the best sister a guy could ever hope for.”