Love is Only Sleeping

Part 16

Mike and Tracey walked back to their friend's bbq, both feeling relieved, both a little sad, but they wanted to take advantage of the last night they would have together for awhile.

Micky started a fire pit in his backyard as the sun was setting. The set chairs and a bench around the fire. Mike and Tracey sat on the bench, as she was wearing his jean jacket from his car, and snuggled next to Mike.

"Oh, don't you two look cozy," Sam said, smiling at Tracey.

"Don't start," Tracey said, looking at her friend as if to say "Shut up!".

Mike put his arms around Tracey, holding her while watching the fire.

The rest of the night was filled with jokes, reminiscing about the good times they all had. It was bittersweet, and they knew this time of their youth was ending.

About a few hours later, Micky and Sam headed off to bed, leaving Mike and Tracey by themselves, slouching in each other's arms, by the dwindling fire. There was a full moon, and the stars were shining. It was the perfect night for romance.

Tracey felt comfortable in Mike's arms, it felt just like old times. She wanted to stay there forever. She became sleepy and closed her eyes.

Mike watched Tracey as she lay in his arms, the dwindling firelight flickering shadows on her face. 'She is so damn beautiful,' he thought.

"Hey, babe," Mike whispered as he kissed Tracey on top of her head.

"Yeah?" Tracey said, feeling groggy.

"Do you want to head upstairs?

Tracey sat up and looked at Mike, and gently put her hand through his hair.

"I don't want to, because then tomorrow will be here before you know it, and then I have to go home," Tracey said quietly. "I'm not ready to let you go yet."

"Baby, you don't ever have to let me go," Mike said, grabbing her face, looking deep in her eyes. The moonlight made Tracey's eyes sparkle. "And also, this is your home. LA will always be your home."

"No," Tracey said, tears welling up in sad blue-green eyes, "Home is whenever I'm with you."

Mike kissed Tracey passionately, desperately wanting her, and never wanting to let her go. He couldn't make her any promises, but the one promise he had given her was that he would always love her, and he meant that. He would mean that till the day he died.

They kissed in the dwindling firelight, both knowing this would be the last night to salvage any of the passion they had for one another.

They walked up to her room and made love all night. And they talked. And then made love again. It was about 5am, and the sky started to turn blue, the birds were chirping.

"Mike, are you still awake?" Tracey asked softly as they lay in each other's arms, both of their eyes closed.

"Yeah, I'm still up," Mike said, sleepily.

"Can we still talk when I'm back in Chicago?"

"Of course, stop talkin' crazy, babe," Mike said.

"But, what about Kathyrn?"

Mike sighed. He knew what she meant, but he didn't want to stop talking to Tracey.

"Well, I mean, I can call you if it's uncomfortable for you to call me," he said.

"You promise you'll call?"

"I will," Mike said.

They fell asleep for a few hours and woke up around 10am. Tracey's flight was at 2pm, and Mike and Tracey had a goodbye brunch with Micky and Sam, and Mike drove Tracey to the airport.

They were standing in almost the same terminal, from when she said goodbye almost a year before. This time, it was for a new adventure, a path Tracey has chosen, a path she needed to take.

Mike held her, and smelled her hair, and thought to when they said goodbye before. He still felt uncertain about his future, about a possible future with Tracey, but he knew that was far ahead in both their futures.

"You be good, ok?" Mike said, as he rubbed Tracey's back.

"You be good," Tracey said as she pulled away from him, looking up at him with a sarcastic smile.

"Keep focused, stay away from those frat's, and those frat boys, and definitely, do not, date a musician," Mike said, as he smiled and winked at her.

"I won't, I only have eyes for one complicated musician," she said.

They announced the final boarding for Chicago, and Tracey gave Mike one last big hug, and he grabbed the back of her head and kissed her, his one last passionate kiss, that they both wouldn't have for a long time.

"Stop, please," Tracey said, as she started crying. "You're making it hard for me to leave."

"I love you, I'll always love you, just remember that," Mike said, getting choked up.

"I'll always love you, too," Tracey said as she pulled away, holding his hand. "And, also, I want you to know, you are good enough for me. You always have been."

Tears started falling from Mike's eyes.

"You are just the best thing that has ever happened to me," Mike said.

Tracey started walking away, letting go of his hand.

"Goodbye, Mike," Tracey said, wiping tears from her red face.

"Goodbye, Tracey," Mike said.

Tracey walked to the entrance of the gate and handed the attendant her ticket.

"Hey Tracey!" she heard Mike yell.

She turned around and saw Mike holding up his jean jacket.

"Here, just in case you get cold!" Mike yelled across the terminal as he threw his jean jacket to Tracey.

She smiled and laughed.

"I can't believe you would let this go!"

"Don't worry, I'll be coming back for it soon!" he said, smiling.

She waved goodbye and blew him a kiss, and walked onto the plane, sniffing his jean jacket.

'It smells of firewood, California, Mike's car, and his sweat. The scent of our last night together in LA,' she thought.