Finding my angel, facing my demon

Lake house

The rest of the drive was a bit more relaxed. Alison wasn't desperate to fill the silence and I wasn't compelled to answer. Out of nowhere, Alison pulled out a camera, pulled me close to her and snapped a picture. She smiled and sat back in her seat so she could check the photo on the digital camera screen. She suddenly busted out laughing.

"Look at this." Alison said, handing me the camera. I looked down at the screen and saw that the picture she had just taken was exactly like the one she had framed at the house. I couldn't stop the smile that crept onto my face. I was happy that Alison was enjoying herself, like she had so long ago.

"Can't you ever get one where I'm smiling?" I asked as I slid my glasses down a bit so I could look at her. She aimed the camera at me and took a picture. I rolled my eyes and focused on the road.

"I like pictures when you don't smile. They feel so real and not so fake like most people's pictures. I like making you smile in real life better, it makes me that much happier." Alison yawned and settled back into her chair, tossing her camera back into her purse. She rested onto my shoulder and told me she was going to take a nap. She fell asleep almost immediately and within moments she was shivering.

"Great." I mumbled to myself. I looked around the car, as best I could while driving, but I couldn't find the jacket she had mentioned. I assumed she had put it in the trunk. I closed the top of the car but she didn't stop shaking, the air wasn't even on and if I rolled the windows up I would suffocate.

I wasn't even wearing anything that I could give her. She deserved to be cold since she had wanted to dress like she was heading to the beach. But I wasn't angry with her, in some weird way she had done it for me. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and rubbed her arm to warm it up. She moaned in her sleep and I took that as a thank-you. I drove for two hours like that, with one hand on her arm and one hand on the wheel. It wasn't bad though. I enjoyed touching her, I always had, and the fact that it made her comfortable made it that much better. When we were nearing the town, I pulled into a gas station. I filled the tank and went in to pay. I was surprised when the attendant told me that they did sell blankets when I asked him. I bought a plain black fleece blanket and paid for the gas. When I returned to the car I opened it and put it on her. I pulled back out onto the road and we were in our tiny town right on schedule. I pulled into a drive through place and order Alison and I some food. I got directions to the lake house from the fast food worker and I was there within ten minutes.

"Alison , wake up." I said as I gently shook her. "We're here. Wake up."

"Come on, Em. Let me sleep." Alison groaned then rolled over in the chair. I laughed but decided to unpack before bothering her again. The lake house was everything I had imagined it to be. It looked like something out of a magazine. A long secluded driveway, not another house in sight. The property came with acres of land and it truly was gorgeous. I popped the trunk and was surprised by how small the two bag were that Alison had backed. They were simple duffle bags, not really enough for a week for two WOMEN. But I shrugged it off and took them inside. I dropped them by the front door and took the food to the kitchen before returning to the car for Alison.

"Alison, you have to get up. You can sleep inside if you want." I tried to shake her once again but she shifted in the chair and brushed off my comments. I leaned in and simply picked Alison up out of the car and took her inside the house. I was amazed at how the woman could nap. I silently thanked God for my work outs, and although Alison wasn't fat at all she still weighed as much as I did. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and cuddled into my neck. She had already been sleeping for two hours but she still didn't want to move. I took her to the master bedroom and slipped her into the bed.

What are you doing?" she asked sleepily as I tucked her in.

"I'm putting you to bed." I told her. I brushed some hair out of her face and looked at her lovely eyes staring back at me. Brilliantly blue and I was amazed at how much I loved her. Yes, just by looking into her eyes I was overcome by love.

"But, we need to go grocery shopping." she muttered as she forced herself to sit.

"I have fast food. We can eat that then go out later. I think I need a nap anyway. More than 5 hours on the road isn't exactly fun. Especially when you fell asleep."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep for so long. But after you put your arm around me I got so comfortable and it felt so good... I didn't sleep well last night." she didn't have to tell my why she didn't sleep well. I knew, it was the same reason I had slept restlessly. I couldn't sleep without her in my arms and she couldn't sleep without being in my arms.

"I know. Let's eat then we can go to bed... comfortably." We both knew what 'comfortably' meant. It meant I would hold her.

I kissed her head again then went to get the food. Maybe we would have a better time than I had thought. I returned to the bedroom with our food and sat on the bed across from Alison. I handed her the chicken sandwich, I knew was her favorite and I took my burger. I emptied our fries onto to the bag, since I knew she was a fry hog, then handed her her coke. We ate silently for a moment before she laughed randomly.

"You have some ketchup... right there..."Alison giggled in a childish way that made me smile. I wiped randomly at my face trying to locate the hilarious spot of ketchup that marked my face.

"Did I get it?" I asked arbitrarily. I was almost sure I hadn't gotten it.