ALMOST HEAVEN

Chapter 13

Back at the house, Clyde and Laurel began to unpack Laurel's boxes. They started in the library. Clyde had bought another book shelf for the her books. Laurel had wanted to use the book shelf that she had in her apartment but Clyde admitted that he wanted the shelf to match the other shelves in the library. The library had been the one room in the house that Clyde had decorated with care. From the reading lamps to the shelves to the wainscoting to the rug on the floor, everything tied together.

Putting Laurel's books up took longer than it should as they began talking about the books and which of them that Clyde had read. Clyde thumbed through those books he hadn't read, occasionally putting one on the small table by the armchair. "Just picking out some new reading material," he said.

After the library, they unpacked the boxes in the kitchen. Laurel had arranged her African violets along the windowsill above the sink earlier and Clyde stopped to look at them.

"They sure are pretty. They always have flowers?"

"They bloom on and off but it seems like one of them is always blooming," Laurel answered.

"I like the plants in the house. They give a nice feel to the place, Laurel. Makes a big difference in the living room. What's that big one by the window?"

"It's a fiddle leaf fig. I've had it for about three years now. It was small when I got it." Laurel looked around the house. The plants had made a difference. They had softened the living room and the dining room.

"We'll hang your ferns in the morning. You want them in the dining room, don't you? They'll look nice in front of the windows."

"You don't mind hanging them from the ceiling?" Laurel asked.

Clyde looked at her in surprise. "Why would I mind?"

"I thought you might not want holes in your ceiling."

"I don't mind. It's easily fixed if need be. You're not worried about hanging the pictures tomorrow, are you?"

Laurel shrugged a little. "Maybe," she admitted. "The only pictures you've hung are in your library. I was worried that maybe you didn't want holes in your walls. People can be funny like that."

Clyde laughed. "There's no pictures because I didn't have anything I wanted to hang up. But you've got some nice prints and art there," Clyde said as he gestured to the frames stacked up against the dining room walls. "I'm looking forward to hanging those." He looked around the dining room. "We're gonna need a dining room table and chairs soon, angel."

"Don't you dare start with me about furniture today, Clyde Logan." Laurel reached out and began to tickle him.

Clyde laughed and danced away from her. "Hey, I thought no tickling. Is it tickling season or something?" He reached out and grabbed her around the waist. "Who's gonna tickle who, huh?" He tickled her softly as Laurel laughed and tried to escape his arms. "Where do you think you're going? You're not going anywhere."

He was laughing as he picked her up and walked with her into the living room where he put her on the sofa and knelt down beside her to kiss her and tickle her. He pulled her shirt up over her stomach and gave her a raspberry on her stomach. Laurel was laughing and Clyde was delighted.

"I love to hear you laugh, Laurel Anne." He looked down tenderly at her.

"I know exactly what you mean, Clyde. I love hearing you laugh, too." Laurel sat up and put her arms around his neck. "I'm so glad to be living here with you."

"It's the start of the rest of our lives together, Laurel. Won't be long before we take the next step. You'll say yes when I ask you, won't you?" He looked into her eyes, searching for the answer.