Love Is Won

Part Eighteen

His eyelids fluttered occasionally against the glare of the lamp that he had left on at his side. He lay on his back, one leg outstretched, the other bent at the knee with a towel around his waist and a book resting open on his bare chest. Danny visibly relaxed as his face was shielded from the harshness of the light by Jessica's slender figure as she bent to give him a gentle kiss on his parted lips. This was an act she knew she would never tire of performing. She straightened up and flicked off the lamp, the light from the bathroom was sufficient enough for her to undress for her shower.

Jessica re-entered the room a mere ten minutes later with tiny droplets of water dripping onto her bare shoulders. She removed her towel from around her body and bent to roughly dry her hair with it before rolling deodorant under her arms and slipping into her nightgown. As she looked at the space around her, she did so with an air of sadness; their shared suitcase lay open on the floor at the end of the bed, filled with the majority of their possessions. Their packed shoes no longer littered the floor and various articles of clothing had been removed from the back of the dresser chair. They really were going home.

Just as her heart dropped into her stomach and her eyes began to fill, the rustle of bedsheets and a stifled yawn snapped her out of her melancholy for a second. Danny squinted up at her, so fresh from his sleep that he was unaware of how much time had passed since he had reluctantly allowed his eyes to drift shut.

"Did I disturb you?" Jessica asked apologetically.   

"No," he croaked before clearing his throat. "I was trying to stay awake for you anyway."

"I know, I'm sorry. We just lost track of time."

Danny smiled and nodded, he knew how much time spent with her granddaughters meant to Jessica, especially as their schedules were usually so busy it was becoming a rarity to be treasured. He lay and watched her for a while, stood in the centre of the bedroom in her white, almost translucent silk nightgown. Her face bare and her hair ruffled back, saying nothing, with eyes big and lost.

"Why are you standing all the way over there?" he finally queried.

"I don't know," she whispered.

Danny frowned and sat up, he discarded his book, secured his towel and stood to approach her. He placed his hands gently on her shoulders and caused her to jump slightly at his touch.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing... I just can't believe we have to leave tomorrow."

"I know..."

"I've loved the time we've had here, and I know it's only been a few days, but I don't feel like we'll ever have this again. Just the four of us."

Danny silently pulled her into a tight hug.

"I don't know how you're going to feel about this, so I suppose that's the reason I haven't told you," Jessica continued. "But while we've been here, the four of us, there have been times when I've pretended they're ours...because I know we'll never have that, you know...you and me."

He closed his eyes and took a breath.

"Is that something you'd want if it were possible?"

"Yeah," Jessica's tone quivered with a grief she didn't even feel she was entitled to.

Danny's grip became tighter as he tried to find the words to provide some ease for the deep-rooted pain he knew she had harboured for years.

"Can I tell you something?" he eventually spoke up.

"Mhmm," Jessica's voice was muffled as she pressed her face further into his body.

"At times, I've done the same. Like when we're all sat around having a meal together, or huddled in front of the fire watching a movie... We might not be in that stage of our lives anymore, but there's nothing wrong with a bit of make-believe."