Enchanted by freckles - short stories

Story 35 - Pain

Septimus' point of view (4 years after Caelie was dropped off at Marlee's):

"Happy 63rd birthday!" shouted Marlee cheerfully as I stood at her door on the evening of 8 June.

I took her in my arms and hugged her tightly. Caelie was already in bed, so I came in and ate the little cake she had baked for me with her. "You're getting better all the time.", I said proudly and smiled at her, "But my birthday isn't something I should celebrate anymore. At least it's not fun anymore. I'm an old fart."

"Oh bullshit, you look like you're 62 at best too," she replied giggling. "Hey, that was mean." "No, just true." "Only because you're a young pup." "I'm 42." "I'm telling you! Young pup!"

It was a relaxed evening, and we had some more wine on the sofa at Marlee's after I charmed Caelie's door so we could hear if she woke up, but she couldn't hear us, so we couldn't accidentally wake her with our chatter.

"You're doing great," I said approvingly, looking straight into her big brown eyes. "What do you mean?" "About Caelie. And I have a sense that you're feeling a little better." "Yes. Yes, I feel that way. You're helping me a lot. I'd never be able to do this without you," she said, leaning against me.

I put my head against hers and pulled her arm up my thigh to pet him better. "That's not true, Marlee. You're a fantastic woman. And a fantastic mother. I just nudged you gently in one direction. You mastered the rest yourself," I whispered.

I saw and felt her goosebumps, "Do you like it when I whisper at you?", I continued to ask in a whisper.

"Stop it, it's making me nervous," she laughed in embarrassment, turning bright red. I put my hand on her cheek and pushed her beautiful brown hair to the side so that I reached her ear directly. "But maybe I'm trying to make you nervous," I whispered more softly before laughing, seeing her bright red face, and leaning back again.

"Why are you doing that?" she continued to laugh, embarrassed. "I think it's cute how embarrassed you are," I replied, grinning at her. She really was a wonderful woman.

Iseult had been dead for over 20 years now, and Marlee was the first woman to make my stomach tingle. But I said nothing.

"Septimus, I have something to tell you. But you have to promise me you won't hate me, okay?" "I swear to you, my dear." "I've fallen in love with you." she said so softly I could barely understand her.

"Excuse me?" "I said I have fallen in love with you." she repeated it, a little louder and blushing even more.

"I already heard it the first time. I just wanted you to say it again.", I said, grinning broadly at her for a moment, "You're the first woman I've fallen in love with since Iseult, Marlee. But I'm scared." "Of what?" "That you'll have to go through the pain again."

"What do you mean?" "Because I'll most likely die before you do," I said, feeling my expression grow more tense, "I know how much you've suffered since Todd died. I can't do that to you a second time. When I realized how I felt about you, I wanted to distance myself. I didn't want you to return my feelings so you wouldn't get hurt. I didn't want you to spend your life with an old man like me, but I realized we needed each other. I couldn't stay away from you. I love you too much for that," I said, looking depressed at the floor.

But Marlee just smiled, and snuggled back against me. "But it's too late to stop it now." "I know, and I hate myself a bit for that too. I don't want to be responsible for you being in pain, but I'm 21 years older than you, so it's not going to stop unless we put distance between us." "I don't want distance." "Neither do I."