The Trials of Loving Her

The morning After Chapter 26

After I took her into the room, I spent the hour rubbing her back as she vomited everything she ate and drank into the toilet bowl. There were a few times I wanted to join her but I somehow managed to hold it in. After she was done puking, she brushed her teeth and then we took a quick shower together. She spent the night hugging me, not taking her hands off of me for even a moment. I couldn’t stop thinking the whole time, how some people go through life without finding someone to love. I knew how blessed I was to have everything I wanted lying right next to me. When I awoke the morning after, she was right next to me with eyes brightly lit. She was just staring at me as I yawned and rubbed my eyes. She smiled at me as she rubbed off the stained drool from the left side of my lips.

   “Hey love,” she whispered. “How’d you sleep?”

   “Like an angel was sleeping next to me,” I answered. “How long were you awake?” I asked.

   “Long enough to have made you breakfast,” she told me. “I came back to watch you sleep.”

   “Yesterday you were Sera Serenity Davis,” I said, passing my hands near her cheek. “Now, you are Mrs. Harrison.”

  “I spent my whole life hating my last name,” she admitted. “Now I kinda miss it.” 

   “Then don’t change it,” I told her. “Add my last name next to yours, or don’t. I’ll love you all the same.”

   “God, I’ve made the right decision,” she said before leaning in, kissing me as I kept my mouth close.

   “I have stinky breath,” I replied, pulling away from her.

   “I don’t care,” she said before continuing to kiss my lips.

  We spent the hours of the morning in our room being wrapped up in each other’s loving embrace. We talked about having lots of children, which we agreed to not rush, but to wait for the right time to present itself. When it happens, it happens, she told me. We began opening all the gifts we had received, which took up half of our room. I was surprised we got anything since everything was last minute. We got a toaster, which was the first gift we had gotten. The next one we opened was a small oven with five shelves. Sera fell in love with it the moment she laid her eyes on it. She kept talking about all the baking she would do and all the muffins she would make. I didn’t care about anything until I saw two brown matching leather jackets, along with two black beanie hats, one each in our size. We read the piece of paper that sat next to it which said, from Helen and Lucy. Sera and I were both delighted for all the support we had gotten. When we had gotten down to her parents’ gift to us, it was a check of twenty-five thousand dollars along with a letter talking about all the ways to not disappoint their daughter. Sera couldn’t stop herself from laughing as she read her parent’s words. I found my mom’s gift with no writing at all. It was an old tea set that was passed down from her grandmother, then to her mom, then her and now us. It was the only gift Sera and I loved the most. The last two gifts we opened were from Jesse and matt. The first one we opened was a large gift basket filled with pairs of mugs, perfumes, wine, alarm clocks, chocolates, a pack of Budweiser, blueberry muffins, a box of condoms, and a photo album. The other gift came in a square, medium sized box with a note attached from Jessie, for Sera. It said on the note, you’ll need to wear this every day for as long as you live. When she removed the cover, she pulled out fitted blue jeans.

   “This is funny,” she said, hugging me. “You don’t have a problem with it do you?” she asked.

   “Of course not,” I replied. “I can take a joke.”

   “No, I meant me wearing the pants in the relationship,” she responded with a smile upon her face.

   “You think that’s hilarious?” I said, smiling at her as I began tickling the sides of belly. She laughed as she fell to the floor, rolling as I got on top of her. “Say you’re sorry.”

   “Never,” she said, laughing and screaming. “Get away from me.” She kept on laughing until she couldn’t catch her breath.

   “Okay, I’m done, I promise,” I swore while she looked at me smiling, still trying to catch her breath. “You saved me, you know that,” I admitted while she took her time breathing. “I was hollow for so long, then you came along filling me up with purpose.”

   “You’re amazing,” she said to me. “I feel sorry for every other girl who doesn’t get to have someone like you in their lives. I’m one of the lucky ones.” She began kissing me, removing my clothes as I helped get rid of hers. Each second I spent with her, I never wanted it to end.

  When it came near lunch, we left our rooms and we proceeded down the steps. As we entered into the living room, we saw Helen and Lucy all dressed up as they were watching some over the top soap opera that made no sense. As they saw us, they turned the TV off and they greeted us with a hug.

   “You two look mesmerising together,” Helen told us, smiling. “We were gonna leave earlier but we heard all the excitement and we didn’t want to disturb you both.”

   “You guys don’t have to leave,” said Sera. “You can both stay as long as you’d like.”

   “We can’t stay,” Lucy replied. “Dad’s funeral is tomorrow.”

   “I would’ve come with, but right now I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life,” I admitted. “I don’t want to be sad nor pretend to be.”

   “We get it,” Helen responded. “Your dad treasured life, not death. Be happy and give us a call so we know what you’re up to.”

   “Will do,” I told her.

   “I hope we can be siblings,” Lucy said with her voice almost breaking. “Jessie told me that you’re her only sibling.”

   “I’m sorry,” I said, giving her a quick hug. “You’re always gonna have me from this point on. I don’t care what Jessie says, you’re my sister just as much as she’s mine.”

   “Thank you,” Helen said as they headed toward the front door.

   “Goodbye Jason,” said Lucy as she walked out. She began waving at us both as if she didn’t wanna leave.

   “Do you wanna watch a movie with me?” Sera asked as I closed the door shut.

   “Not if it’s one of your romantic ones with another bitter ending, I’m in no mood to cry.”

   “Then you’re gonna love A Walk to Remember,” she said convincingly as she dragged me along toward the couch. 

  I sat with her for an hour and forty two minutes. By the end of the movie, she was crying while I stared at her angrily, as I too cried. “I hate you,” I whispered to her while she began laughing. She gave me a hug and she began apologising for the small lie she told and for the pain it brought. As hurt as I was for the protagonist, as he lost the love of his life, I was much more appreciative of Sera being my wife. I swore to myself that day, to never do anything to hurt her in anyway.