𝐷𝑂𝑁𝑇 𝐹𝑂𝐿𝐿𝑂𝑊 𝑀𝐸

𝓵𝓪𝔀𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮

I set the coffee machine to heat, resting in an armchair while reading one of my wife's manuscripts,
my favourite of hers, while she walked through the halls of our comfortable home.
She was anxious, as she usually was when she got home, though it was nothing in comparison to when we first met.

The machine thrummed, a dull comforting sound as the ring of Sojourner's phone sounded, stunning her. The phone call she'd been waiting for since her sister texted, stressing as opposed to waiting.

I poured a mug, mixing it with milk and sugar, and a little vanilla, the smell welcoming itself with a sigh. I bought the cup to her, taking her hand gently while I put it, kissing her temple as she spoke.

"Hi Jan..yes I've been well... how's Greg, the kids, well?"

I smiled in the silences, hearing Janelle's spunky and excited voice echoing from the phone. I'd only ever seen her in pictures, but she sounded to be absolutely nothing like my wife. It was funny to say the least.

She had been dreading this call all day, but was doing so well on it when she finally received it. But I know the dread was partly because of the context, a invitation to what stemmed her dreads, her trauma.

She had tried so hard to escape it, and now she was being invited right back into it's arms. I know that has to be terrifying, like a monster, her dearest encapsulated in its scaly palm. I'm sure she'd used that allegory in a book somewhere, and people who read it were under the impression that she was simply a great writer, which she was, but it was partly because of how she grew up.

Losing someone so close to her, how should she have been?

I brushed the melancholy off as I heard the mention of a get-together, one that seemed to deepen her melancholy in turn. Her lips parted in slight suprise, over her breath passing the words "birthday", "suprise", and what I believed was her other younger brother Jerome.

It was a suprise for his birthday which was a easy assumption but I chose not to say anything until I was told it, feeling slightly bad for eavesdropping.

What surprised me most though, was that after a moment I heard her sigh, and simply say

"Okay, we'll come."

"Oh?"

She looked away from me, but I continued to look at her as she hung up, a soft smile on her face.

"The..the therapist said to take more chances."

My heart warmed at that, and I rested a hand on her lap when she sat down beside me.

"You're doing wonderful baby,
so so wonderful."

I kissed her on her forehead and she laughs a bit, bringing the seemingly full and ignored cup of warm coffee to her lips and taking a long sip.

"Do you mind if I read to you Soso?"

"I've already read it.."

She chuckles, eyeing me with an expression of confusion.

"I knoww..it always reads better when I do though."

"If you want too, do what you'd like."

She nestled up to me, and I rested my head on her shoulder.

Silence wasn't in bulk though I quietly read the script, embellishing the characters with voices and timely quips when my wife's hand taps my thigh.

"Yes love?"

"..Janelle invited us for a family get-together of sorts..for my brother's birthday."

"Do you want to go?"

"I was going to ask you.."

"If you're ready to go, we'll go darling."

I kiss her forehead, as she nodded grimly, my heart filling with warmth to see her growth. When we met she was so scared to even mention home, that's why I'd never truly met her family. But now she's brave enough to go back, with me at that.

"We'll pack tomorrow then dear. When is it happening?"

"This coming Saturday.."

"Good.."

I smile at her and take a deep breath, continuing the book as she relaxes back into my arms, losing her tenseness the moment I utter a sound.