More Than Just Us

I sat on my porch feeling very much like a kid again. It was the 21 year anniversary of me and Daryl meeting and so much was the same. I was still on that porch tossing my lucky baseball into the air, waiting for something to happen. The bottle of jack next to me was nearly empty and I seriously considered making a run for some more but I was waiting for the pizza guy to show up. I checked my watch and realized that he was an hour late. I'm pretty sure at that point the pizza is free. About 5 minutes later I was explaining that to the very late and very sweaty pizza man when Daryl walked out. "Oh, I thought he was here for me," he said, looking flustered. Butterflies danced in my stomach when I saw him looking just as I'd always liked him. He wore old camo pants and no shirt so you could see his glorious body. I caught myself staring and scolded myself. "You're a 31 year old woman for Christ sakes," I mumbled. "What was that?," he asked. I looked at him again and said, "I said I'd be happy to share some with you until yours gets here. It's meat lovers, your favorite." I raked my hands through my long, dyed, black hair as he nodded his head and took a slice. I sat down on the porch and ate a slice while he looked at me. "You're making me self conscious D," I said. He smiled and laughed as though I'd just said the funniest thing in the world. "I didn't expect you to be out here celebrating our anniversary like we always did," he said uncertainly. I took a long drink of the whiskey and stated, "I thought you'd be way too far up Brandi Carlson's skirt to remember we even met." He looked at me like he wasn't sure what I was talking about. "I saw her comin' out of your house D. And from the breeze I could clearly see her lack of drawers and a nice little "property of a Dixon" tattoo. Didn't think you were into girly little skanks," I said angrily. He shook his head in disbelief and got up. Taking a swig from the whiskey bottle himself, he stared at me with the same glare I'd seen so many times on his face. "She's Merle's girl, not mine. And even if she was mine, it wouldn't be your damn business Skip. You bailed on me and it ain't my fault that you don't like what the results are! You've always been a spoiled little brat who just liked playing games with me. Tellin' me you loved me when you didn't mean it, now that's fucked Skip," he yelled. I got up and dusted off my jeans. I looked at his stupid smug little face and got angrier by the second. I did the only thing I knew how to do with D, which was punch him in the face and kiss him immediately afterwards. "Now you listen to me Dixon, I have always loved you and if you can't accept that then it's your issue. These past 12 years of not speaking was your fault. I tried with you but you were so convinced that I was gone for good that you didn't even try to let me explain that I still needed you. I wanted to be with you and I would've done anything it took to make this work so get off of your high horse," I said. He nodded his head as it all sunk in. Within seconds I was in his arms, kissing those familiar lips. When we pulled away I asked, "Do you love me D?" he nodded and said,"With all my heart Skippy." We laughed and kissed again. And that was when we heard the first scream.