Awakened
5
Harper attended every show Aaron was in. She usually sat backstage, wondering how she could be so lucky. To have a man in her life that exhibits such care and compassion for her, wanting her by his side through everything. He was not by any means clingy, but just felt the same. He wondered how the girl sitting backstage at every show, ready to hug him after the curtain closes, even helping with his costumes, steaming them and properly hanging them. She encouraged Aaron to be a better man, and he has even offered to help Harper take food around to all of the homeless in her neighborhood. It touched him to see the homeless interact with Harper, knowing her on a first name basis. He took pride just being associated with her.
He walked home from the theater after practicing with the rest of the cast. He missed his typical walking partner, but appreciated the time he had alone to contemplate. With each foot that hit the worn sidewalk, he grew eager to get home to Harper to hug her and see her smiling face.
Aaron walked up the stairs to her apartment, knocking twice before entering.
"Honey, I'm home!" Aaron said, with a goofy smile on his face. Harper was running around the apartment, fixing items around the rooms that did not look out of place, but that were in her mind. Aaron grabbed her arm when she ran by again. He knew it would frustrate her, but she was acting strange.
"My dad and step-mom are coming in and want to have dinner," Harper said, breaking Aaron's grip. Her strength took him by surprise, and he was unsure of why she was so panicked.
"When are they thinking of coming?" he said, slinging his backpack on the couch. Harper pouted and picked up his backpack, running back to her room to place it in the floor, coming back and spraying the spot his backpack touched the couch with a clean smelling fragrance. Aaron had never seen an OCD flare up this bad, especially in Harper.
"Today, tonight, around six," she said, sweeping the floor. Her small frame was a blur around the large kitchen, dining room, living room combination space. Aaron looked at the large clock, stating that it was three o'clock.
"How about you go shower and get dressed, and I'll clean up anything you need me to?" Aaron said, trying to coax her to relax and get ready. He walked up to her and placed a hand on each shoulder, bringing her in for a hug. She hugged him back and exhaled.
"I'll do that then...Thank you," she said, kissing Aaron on the cheek. She ran to her room to grab her outfit for the night, a disappeared into the bathroom. Aaron could hear the sound of the water hitting the bottom of the shower, and began to straighten up the dining room. He wanted to make Harper feel better, so he quickly set the table with Harper's fine dishes her grandparents had sent with her when she moved. Aaron noticed the small chandelier, not anything too fancy, had a light out. He dug through the cabinets and replaced the bulb, knowing that that small change would help ease Harper.
He continued to clean until Harper walked out of the hallway. Aaron turned, focusing his attention solely on the woman in the red dress who entered the room. Aaron smiled, as Harper walked closer to him. The dress accentuated each curve of her body, the delicate pearls in her ears made that much more elegant due to her hair placed in a perfect bun atop of her head. In that moment, Aaron knew he was in love. Not a selfish love, but a wholehearted love.
"You look beautiful Harper," Aaron said, hugging her. He went to get ready, unsure of what to wear. He was not sure what Harper's father's expectations would be of him. He decided on a pair of black dress pants and a button up, with a pair of dress shoes. He restyled his hair and walked out of Harper's room.
He caught her straightening the napkins, then they heard a knock on the door.
"Are you ready?" Aaron asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be," she said, walking to the door. She hesitated to open it, and Aaron held his breath standing a few steps behind her.
He was so unsure of what to expect.
He walked home from the theater after practicing with the rest of the cast. He missed his typical walking partner, but appreciated the time he had alone to contemplate. With each foot that hit the worn sidewalk, he grew eager to get home to Harper to hug her and see her smiling face.
Aaron walked up the stairs to her apartment, knocking twice before entering.
"Honey, I'm home!" Aaron said, with a goofy smile on his face. Harper was running around the apartment, fixing items around the rooms that did not look out of place, but that were in her mind. Aaron grabbed her arm when she ran by again. He knew it would frustrate her, but she was acting strange.
"My dad and step-mom are coming in and want to have dinner," Harper said, breaking Aaron's grip. Her strength took him by surprise, and he was unsure of why she was so panicked.
"When are they thinking of coming?" he said, slinging his backpack on the couch. Harper pouted and picked up his backpack, running back to her room to place it in the floor, coming back and spraying the spot his backpack touched the couch with a clean smelling fragrance. Aaron had never seen an OCD flare up this bad, especially in Harper.
"Today, tonight, around six," she said, sweeping the floor. Her small frame was a blur around the large kitchen, dining room, living room combination space. Aaron looked at the large clock, stating that it was three o'clock.
"How about you go shower and get dressed, and I'll clean up anything you need me to?" Aaron said, trying to coax her to relax and get ready. He walked up to her and placed a hand on each shoulder, bringing her in for a hug. She hugged him back and exhaled.
"I'll do that then...Thank you," she said, kissing Aaron on the cheek. She ran to her room to grab her outfit for the night, a disappeared into the bathroom. Aaron could hear the sound of the water hitting the bottom of the shower, and began to straighten up the dining room. He wanted to make Harper feel better, so he quickly set the table with Harper's fine dishes her grandparents had sent with her when she moved. Aaron noticed the small chandelier, not anything too fancy, had a light out. He dug through the cabinets and replaced the bulb, knowing that that small change would help ease Harper.
He continued to clean until Harper walked out of the hallway. Aaron turned, focusing his attention solely on the woman in the red dress who entered the room. Aaron smiled, as Harper walked closer to him. The dress accentuated each curve of her body, the delicate pearls in her ears made that much more elegant due to her hair placed in a perfect bun atop of her head. In that moment, Aaron knew he was in love. Not a selfish love, but a wholehearted love.
"You look beautiful Harper," Aaron said, hugging her. He went to get ready, unsure of what to wear. He was not sure what Harper's father's expectations would be of him. He decided on a pair of black dress pants and a button up, with a pair of dress shoes. He restyled his hair and walked out of Harper's room.
He caught her straightening the napkins, then they heard a knock on the door.
"Are you ready?" Aaron asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be," she said, walking to the door. She hesitated to open it, and Aaron held his breath standing a few steps behind her.
He was so unsure of what to expect.