In the Still of the Night

I trudged up the small flight of stairs that led to the small,run down apartment I shared with my girlfriend, Kitty. As I came to the small landing in front of the door, my converse clad feet started to drag,and gradually became harder to pick up, to the point where it felt like they had been replaced with cinder blocks. I wanted nothing more than to eat some chocolate cake, sip an ice cold beer, take a shower, and collapse into bed, only to sleep like a rock. I reached into the pocket of my jeans, blindly searching for my door key, realizing that I had left it and my work shirt back at the gas station where I currently slaved away from 8-10 on weekdays.
"damn it", I groaned,leaning my head against the green door. Just as I was about to give and sleep outside, I remembered Kitty had left an extra key under the welcome mat in case of emergencies. "ha, clever girl." I whispered to myself, picking up a corner of the mat, grabbing the key, and opening the door. "Honey! I'm home!" I yelled, throwing the key and the day's Mail on the small table in the entry hallway. All the lights were off, except the one in the kitchen."Babe?" I called again, stepping further into the apartment. I made my way into the kitchen, spying two slices of chocolate cake. Walking closer, I saw a note from Kitty placed beside the plate. '

Steve,
Long day at work, went to bed early. Beer and REAL food in the fridge.
Love, kitty' 

It read, a little cat comic she had doodled at the bottom right corner of the page. I smiled, she must've read my mind. Placing the note down, I turned to the fridge, grabbed a beer and took my unhealthy dinner in front of the TV in the adjoined living room.

[One hour later]

Waking with a start I realized I had fallen asleep. Slowly I rose,placing my plate in the sink and bottle in the bin. I crept down the hall towards the bathroom, turning off the hallway lights as I went. Kitty's clothes lay in a pile under the towel rack, instead of the laundry basket next to the shower. I smiled, she must have really had a long day. I could still smell the scent of her lavender body wash, the scent making me relax and almost fall asleep standing. Turning towards the bathroom mirror, I noticed she had drawn a heart in lipstick with our Initials inside. I smiled, that gal was always leaving little hearts, notes, or comics and drawings for me to find. It was one of the many things that made me love her. I stripped down and climbed into the shower, letting the cold water wash the day's events out of my hair. 

           Five minutes later, clad in boxers and a shirt, I trudged zombie like to our room, my eye lids dropping with every step. Opening the door I heard Kitty's soft breathing as she slept, everything but her head swallowed up by the black comforter on our bed. The orange street light casting a sort of spotlight on my side of the bed, as if to say, "Come to me Steve. We'll keep each other warm." Creeping closer to the bed, the "spotlight" shone on kitty, illuminating the soft unique features of her face. Her high cheek bones, her full red lips, and her cute button nose. Her black hair shone like a night sky littered with stars. Never had I met someone so equally beautiful and kind. So full of life. I remembered how she was always saying how I was her night in shining armor, how I had saved her from the beast that was going to consume her had I not walked into her life. It was then I realized she had saved mine as well. I wanted nothing more than to freeze this moment in time, just the two of us. Here we could be ourselves. No stupid facades to put up. No masks to cover our flaws. No lies to tell and keep up. No society to judge. Just me,Steven O'malley and Katherine Fitzgerald. Two souls working as one.

When it was just us two I could forget everything. My dead mother, my deadbeat father who wants nothing to do with me, who pushes me away then reels me back again only to push away twice as hard. How society viewed me and my friends and anyone else who lived across the tracks that couldn't afford nice cars or houses as trash and wastes of space. But I sighed, knowing I couldn't freeze time, I'd just have to grin and bear it like everyone else. Slipping into my side of the bed, I fluffed my pillow and lied down, my arm wrapping around Kitty's waist and pulling her closer to me. "Steve?"
"It's me babe, go back to sleep." "Okay. I love you."
"Love you too" I said, kissing the back of her head as she fell back to sleep. I lay awake for only a few moments more, finally succumbing to the slumber that was now my master.
I finally settled in the land of dreams, dreaming for a better life I could give the girl I held dearest to my heart. Maybe I couldn't freeze this moment, but I could enjoy it for the mean time.
Here in the still if the night.