Sticks and Stones and Rising Voices
fourteen
He sat at the kitchen table, his gaze slipping up and down her body as she stretched to reach the can of teabags on the top shelf. Her pink socks radiated color in the morning light and her silhouette peeked through the thin white shirt draped over her shoulders. She caught him looking and grinned.
"Like what you see?" she mused.
She hiked up the hem of the shirt, exposing the satin trim of her panties.
He rose to his full height and held a palm out to her. The bright morning sun shone through the window. Their fingers were tipped in gold and glowed orange. Their fingers laced at their chests and they spread their arms to close the gap and pressed together. They were cheek to cheek.
They reveled in each other. She stood on his toes.
"You're too good for me." he whispered.
"I know." she smiled.
A quiet laugh rose from his chest. They shuffled in a circle at the center of the kitchen, together. He began to hum a tune in her ear. Their song. Her grin grew and she laughed.
"I love you, Ewan." she meant it.
The humming stopped. His weight shifted forward and she stumbled backward into the table, her arms wrapped around his chest and under his arms and she leaned back to see his face. His body was crushing hers. She cupped his chin.
"Ewan.
Ewan.
Shit! Ewan!
Open your eyes.
Goddammit!
Ewan!
Ewan."
His eyes were unresponsive.
His jaw was lax.
"Like what you see?" she mused.
She hiked up the hem of the shirt, exposing the satin trim of her panties.
He rose to his full height and held a palm out to her. The bright morning sun shone through the window. Their fingers were tipped in gold and glowed orange. Their fingers laced at their chests and they spread their arms to close the gap and pressed together. They were cheek to cheek.
They reveled in each other. She stood on his toes.
"You're too good for me." he whispered.
"I know." she smiled.
A quiet laugh rose from his chest. They shuffled in a circle at the center of the kitchen, together. He began to hum a tune in her ear. Their song. Her grin grew and she laughed.
"I love you, Ewan." she meant it.
The humming stopped. His weight shifted forward and she stumbled backward into the table, her arms wrapped around his chest and under his arms and she leaned back to see his face. His body was crushing hers. She cupped his chin.
"Ewan.
Ewan.
Shit! Ewan!
Open your eyes.
Goddammit!
Ewan!
Ewan."
His eyes were unresponsive.
His jaw was lax.