MagicAnimalClub: Happenings

22:Relief

Joes POV

Our night ended by the table. After the kids had gone to bed David, Nicole, Beth and I sat with glasses of wine and bottles of beer.
We were, I admit, quite drunk. But we were happy. That's what matters most, isn't it.
"Here's to all of us!" Nicole said, "especially you two gentlemen!"
David and I tipped our glasses, he sat opposite me. I bit my lip, as did he. We were still in so much shock.
As we talked I tried with all my might not to cry. But I could feel that David was trying not to as well. The way he widened his eyes and was constantly blinking.
I was thinking of the five other people who should have been here today.
But they had died.
My sister and a few of my best friends.
I felt my eyes water. I was thinking about it too much.
But it was too late to change my thoughts, a tear had reached the surface and was slowly gliding down my face.
I quickly covered it up with my hand. However my glasses were starting to steam up.
I stood up, "excuse me a second." I said,
I turned away to the bathroom. Trying to see through my steamed up glasses. I felt them all staring at me.
As soon as I closed the door I took my glasses off and fell to the floor, leaning my back against the door. After a few seconds I stood up and leaned against the sink, breathing heavily. Tears rushing down my face.
I splashed myself with water until there was a knock on the door.
"Joe?" Beth whispered, soothingly.
I turned to face the door, there she stood on the threshold. When she saw my face she ran towards me and hugged me.
"Hey, it's all over now. Sshh.." She put her arms around me. I panicked, my breathing was loud, tears streamed down my bright puffy face. She put her hands on my cheeks.
"Joe?" "Joe!" She caught my attention. I looked into her beautiful bright blue eyes again.
Then she kissed me.
After what seemed like ten seconds but was probably 2 I started to struggle to breathe, so I broke it apart.
"Breathe, Joe.. Breathe.." I sat down on the edge of the bath and wiped the sweat from my brow.
"They'd all be so proud of you. Getting this far." She kissed me again, "don't dwell upon what happened." She put her hand under my chin, "look forward to what is about to happen." She smiled, emotionally, "I'm proud of you." This time I kissed her. I leaned her against the bathroom wall and slowly started to roll up her shirt. But Beth put her hand over my mouth.
"Save it for tonight. We've got guests." She smiled, rolling back down her shirt and undoing my top three buttons.
I felt myself tense, I rubbed the remaining tears away from my eyes. Beth wrapped her arms around my stomach and leaned her face into my chest, before walking away she said, "come back when your ready." She smiled, I looked back at her as she left the room.

After everyone had went to bed I sat in mine.
Beth lay at her usual side. I looked around the room. Home. My home. At last..
I looked at the wardrobe, everything seemed like nothing had changed. Like I went to bed here last night. Nothing wrong had happened. Nothing bad at all.
Beth rolled over and faced me. I tried so hard to smile and not to cry.
She kissed my lips and rolled on top of me, looking into my eyes.
"What did you do when I was away?" I asked her, leaning on top of her. She opened her mouth slightly before closing it again. I bent my head in concern.
"I was afraid Joe. I was so.. I.. I didn't do anything I stayed in the house, miserable. There was nothing I could do but wait, just wait till something happened!"
I hushed her, wrapping her in my arms. "Shh, hey... " I wanted to make her smile, "Sqaishey." I said. Her eyes glistened.  "Things.. Things like this.. They're just.." I looked into her eyes, and together we spoke, "happenings."
We kissed, through our many kisses I found my way inside her. Ripping off our pyjamas we tried to make ourselves feel comfortable, yet, uncomfortable at the same time.
Sweat fell from my face, the warm bed just kept becoming hotter and hotter.
After about an hour we were both sound asleep.

Well. Beth was.

I lay in bed until I heard a shrieking from the other room. David and Nicoles room was next to ours.
I lay, silent, listening to what was happening.
"Hey, James." I heard David whisper, "what happened?"
I leaned my ear to the wall,
"I had a bad dream." I heard James cry,
"Shh, shh they're sleeping." I heard the bed creak. "Will we have a little chat?"
I dozed off for a bit until I heard James whisper, "do you have bad dreams?"
"Oh yes. All the time."
"Do they ever come true?" I felt Davids heart beating.
"The thing about dreams is, Its just your mind showing off to you how creative you really are and that you could do anything, scary or not scary, dreams could come true, but if they do, you'll know what happens in the end."
I didn't hear much after that, I guess I may have fallen asleep. It felt weird to sleep in a comfortable bed again.

It was going to be fine now. Just fine. There wasn't going to be any more horrible deaths in the next ten, twenty years or so.
David and Nicole were moving here. Their children would grow up with us and we'd grow old and maybe have our own kids. Maybe I'd even marry Beth, when David chose the right time to give me the ring.
But I need not worry about the proposal now. Now I just needed to sleep so I would wake up early in the morning to play with the children.
James and David were still whispering, and I managed to pick out the few words..

"I love you."

"Dad."