Midlife // Joji

Twelve

For the second time I sat on my comfy couch beside Brandi while the grinch played quietly on the television, but this time I wasn't irritated by my similarities with the furry green man.

This time my head laid in George's lap and his calloused hands gingerly smooth my frizzy hair down.

He had apologized, gotten down on his knees and promised that he would never allow it to happen again.

And I chose to believe him.

I made it clear that this was the only time I would ever forgive him for behaving the way he did.

George said he would spend the rest of his life making it up to me.

And I once again chose to believe him.

For the first time in months it felt like I could breathe again. All I could smell was his usual scent, vanilla and cologne, it wrapped around me like a warm embrace.

I wonder if it's possible to be addicted to a smell. If it is, I'm addicted to his.

And after months I had just gotten my first fix.

He was so warm too, I had never realized that. George was like my own personal space heater.

And his voice, oh my god his voice. I think I missed his voice the most, how his raspy voice made my name sound so silky smooth.

"What are you thinking about, Ella?" He spoke up after a very long, comfortable, period of silence.

If I would've been standing up I'd be weak at the knees.

"How much I missed you."

A childish grin spread across his face, he gently lifted my head from his lap and positioned himself so that he was knelt on the ground beside where I laid on the couch, looming over me.

"You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that," he whispered softly. Slowly he inched his hand towards my face, sliding it to the back of my neck. Then pulled himself towards me until his luscious pink lips met mine, kissing me gently. 

When George pulled away, he stared down at me for a moment.

Both of us had been very quiet, which was unusual. Typically, at least one of us has something to ramble about.

He exhaled softly, "I've got something for you, El."

He stood up and went over to where his coat was hanging, pulling a small black box from the left pocket.

I adjusted so that I was sitting upright and watched him carefully, "Why? You didn't need to get me anything, George."

"I, uhm, I actually have no idea why I bought it, really," he mumbled sheepishly before he opened the little velvet box. "I just saw it, a couple weeks after you left, and it reminded me of you for some reason."

Inside the box was a necklace. A silver chain with the outline of a circle, almost the diameter of a dime, connected to it, encrusted with tiny opals, which happened to be my favorite gemstone.

"It's beautiful, Joj," I whispered, reaching out to lightly run my finger around the tiny ring of jewels.

It looked so fragile and delicate that I was afraid I may break it.

"It's been just sitting on my bedside cabinet for months now," he hummed, watching me carefully. "Sometimes I'd open it and stare at it, just thinking about you."

I shifted my gaze away from the necklace to George. His hair was messy and hanging down, hiding his eyes from me. I slowly slid my fingers through his dark silky hair, revealing his deep chocolatey eyes to me, "Will you put it on me, George?"