Pray For Me

California

Nearly a week later, they had made it safely to California. Timothy came from a wealthy background, and he had already lined up a few houses for them to look at. The drive was physically and mentally draining for the both of them, and when they got to a motel near Los Angeles, they slept for nearly 24 hours.

"Jude," Timothy mumbles, rubbing his eyes and reaching for his watch on the bedside table. He squints and sees it's nearly 10. "Jude, we have to meet the realtor at 1."

"Hmm?" She groans, pushing the hair from her face.

"We have to meet with the realtor soon, we have to get ready." Jude groans loudly and opens her eyes, yawning. She sits on the edge of the bed and stretches, shaking her head lightly before smiling at Timothy.

"Good morning," She smiles, standing and rummaging through her bag for something to wear. She chooses a simple dark blue dress that hugs her curves and ends just below her knees. Jude excuses herself to the bathroom, and Timothy hears the shower running. He turns on the radio and gets dressed, having showered last night just before he passed out. He pulls a book from one of his suitcases and reads while he waits for Jude to get ready.

Jude hums along to the music from the radio as she wraps herself in a towel and applies her usual makeup. She dries her hair with the towel to avoid it dripping down her back, and decides to let it air dry, since her curls form naturally.

"Are you ready?" Timothy asks, smiling at her as she steps into her shoes. Jude simply nods as she struggles with her bracelet. Timothy takes this opportunity to preform his daily hygienic tasks, such as combing his hair and brushing his teeth. When he comes back into the room, Jude is on the phone.

"Oh, that's great! I'm so happy to hear that. You'll all have to come out and visit once we get situated. I've gotta run, but I'll call you tomorrow." Jude hangs up the phone and giggles, smiling to herself.

"What's made you so happy, rare bird ?" Timothy asks, leaning against the door frame. She jumps slightly, having not heard him come out of the bathroom.

"That was Lana! She's going to send us a copy of her exposé. She's done with it, but I told her just to bring it when she comes to visit. She's having the baby in two months."

"That's wonderful, Jude," Timothy smiles, pulling her in for a quick hug before helping her into her coat. She nods, blushing slightly as his cold hands brush the sensitive skin of her neck. Timothy and Jude just stare at each other for a second, getting lost in the moment. Timothy's watch beeps, alerting them to the change of the hour. He looks away first, blushing heavily. He wanted to kiss her so badly, but knew that it was probably not a good time. Both of them were still reeling from the past two weeks, and knew that making their relationship physical would solidify it. Jude just clears her throat and waits with the doorknob in her hand, looking over her shoulder at Timothy. He chuckles and shakes his head, closing the door behind her.

"Wow," Jude whispers, resting her hand on the banister and gawking at the chandelier hanging in the entrance hall. Timothy smiles her, resting his hand on her lower back and leading her through to the kitchen. The realtor shows them around the downstairs area, which had a kitchen, a laundry room and a dining room. By the backdoor, there was a large space that led out to the screened in porch. There was a door by the back door that led to the first bathroom. Jude could see this area being the family room, where they could curl up on the couch and watch TV, and eventually have a ton of children's toys for their child. She knew immediately this was the house. Upstairs, they were shown four bedrooms. A master bedroom, with a jack-and-jill bathroom that led to another, smaller room. The other two rooms were very spacious, and the realtor informed them that the previous owners had used these two room as offices, because they had their own business. Jude knew Timothy would use one room as an office, and the other would be used as a guest room. The smaller bedroom on the other side of the bathroom would make a fine nursery. She felt herself falling deeper and deeper in love with the house as she let these fantasy scenes play out in her head. They went back downstairs and wandered into the back yard. Jude gasped at the size. There would be more than enough room for a table and a few chairs, and plenty of space for her to garden. She could see a hammock between the two large pepper trees, and she turned to Timothy, almost unable to contain her excitement. The second he saw the look in her eyes, he knew he had to buy this house.

"I love it," She says, bouncing excitedly like a child on Christmas morning. Timothy chuckles and pushes her hair behind her ear, letting his hand trail down to her jaw. She closes her eyes and sighs, locking her arms behind his neck. She took a step closer to him and he smiles down at her.

"Jude," Timothy says softly, searching her face.

"It's okay," She smiles, leaning up on her tip toes. He closes the distance between them, their lips connecting in pure bliss. Jude sighed against his lips, her knees going week. Timothy pulls away and chuckles, holding her up.

"I love you," Jude whispers, stroking his cheek with her thumb.

"I love you too, my rare bird." He kisses her forehead. "Let's go buy this house." Jude chuckles and nods, bouncing with excitement as they turn back to the house.