The Look Of Love

Chapter 29: Awake

Awakening to the rays of the sun, slow and relaxed, the day came softly into focus. Bobby scanned the room and realized he had moved from one pleasant dream to another, better one. He was half-dressed in his sweetheart's bed. 

He noticed Mary must have changed during the night, because she now wore a pair of floral pajama shorts with a matching shirt. Her makeup was also gone and her hair was sprawled out over her pillow. She laid on her side, while he awoke on his back. That would not do, so he achingly rolled onto his side and became her big spoon.

"I heard you groan," she said with a sleepy voice. She reached for his hand and laced her tiny fingers with his bigger ones. "How do you feel?"

With his free hand, he moved her hair and placed a delicate kiss on her neck. "I ache, but it's nothing I can't handle. I've been in worse pain before," he professed to her. 

Mary rolled over facing him. "I realize we both have morning breath and look terrible, but if you want to tell me what happened you can."

His heart fluttered in his chest and he sent a sweet smile her way. He closed his eyes and launched into what happened. When he finished, he braced himself for the tongue lashing that never came. Instead he opened his eyes to see a few tears fall from hers. He wiped them away with his thumb. 

"Bobby I was so worried about you. I couldn't find you and I thought something terrible had happened," she said softly sniffing. 

Well that did it. He covered his eyes with his hands, willing her not to see the moisture behind them. Upset he thought about stupid, foolish Daniel. If it weren't for him he'd be 100% fine and so would his friends. If it weren't for him Johnny wouldn't have lost his new found sanity (after weeks of moping). If it weren't for him he wouldn't have had to make his sweetheart feel like crap. 

He thought about all the things he wanted to tell Mary. It was all overwhelming. On top of his other aches, now he could add the ache in his chest to the list. He felt her move to sit up. The next thing he knew she was sitting behind him with her legs on either side of his. She urged him to lean back into her tender embrace. He did while trying to catch his breath. She massaged his shoulders.

How did he get so lucky? How did he find the one girl who makes him smile like no one else has? How did he find the one girl who makes his heart calm and vision clear? How did he find the one girl who lifts him up, instead of tears him down? How is this possible? Things like this do not happen to Robert Brown. The opposite is usually true.

I'm sore. I'm achy. I'm confused and... I'm going to be late for practice. Sensei will make me do knuckle push-ups. Bathe me in Meemaw's healing oil if that happens...

He shot up, so hard it hurt. "I need to get up. I have practice in an hour," he explained. 

Mary hugged him from behind. "Bobby, get serious. You hurt just sitting up. You can't practice like this," she cautioned him.

Assuring her, he said, "I've practiced with cracked ribs before. This is nothing. I promise." He was glad she was behind him, because if he looked into her eyes he'd never leave. He heard her sigh.

"Fine. Go then, but at least let me get you some breakfast," she stated as she moved off the bed. 

He thought about her words. He couldn't resist teasing her. "Sunshine, I remember Dutch warning me not to eat your cooking."

Mary narrowed her eyes at him. Then she picked up a pillow and threw it at him. He caught it. "It's cereal. I can make cereal." She threw her hands up in the air and moseyed out  of the room.