Greener

Chapter 6 Greenest

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I could feel the prickle of soft grass beneath my cheek as I slept. My body was outstretched like a starfish.  The sun began to peek from behind the horizon. Soon, I could feel beads of sprinkling water covering me like heavy rains in spring, and it would linger there for a moment only to retract backward once again. I opened my eyes to see that I was laying down on a bed of sod, and it was the most beautiful lush, green grass I had ever seen. The sprinkler was rotating in front of my eyes, hitting me and then moving on to its next patch of grass. There were familiar red bricks with a tan door nestled into the front porch, and I had never felt so relieved.

"Pete!"I exclaimed as I ran toward the house and pushed the front door open. 

I ran my hands over the furniture, observing the orange stain on the couch. There was an imprint where Pete had been sitting, and it lingered inside of me with endearment.  I could hear the low hum of Pete's c-pap machine from our bedroom. Greta's head perked up at me from her resting place at the foot of our bed, bu Pete was still sound asleep with his mask secure on his face.

"Hi girl," I whispered, and she laid her head back down.

I tip-toed into our bathroom, careful not to wake him. I let out a heavy sigh of relief as I turned on the water to the faucet. It was just a dream. I thought. I splashed the cold water on my face and blotted it dry with a towel. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I let out aloud, blood-curdling scream. Then, I heard Pete's machine shut off.

"Babe? Is that you?"

The wrenching pain of anxiety tightened in my chest as I turned to lock the bathroom door. How would I explain to him what had happened? I could hear the sound of the bed frame screeching as he got up. His fist beat against the door. I pressed my back up against the other side of it and slid down to my bottom.

"Not now Pete. I'm just freshening up," I lied.

I buried my head down in my knees as I cried. The shadows of his footsteps beneath the crack of the door began to shuffle back and forth. This time when he knocked, I could feel his determination rattling through my bones.

"Ash,I was worried sick about you! Where did you go last night?" 

He called me Ash. My heart was beating to the rhythm of my regret. His endearment was challenging me to face him.

"I was just out," I mustered. 

"Out?Out where? Come on babe. Open the door."

"I can't!" I cried as I continued to press my back against the door. I could hear the rattling doorknob behind me, as Pete's steps outside became more frantic.

"Ashley!Open the door! Whatever it is, we can talk about it. I'm sorry I'm such a dim wit. Okay? I'm going to stop taking you for granted. I was worried about you. Baby?" 

The warmth in his voice melted my heart, and it almost sounded sincere.

"I promise things will be different. Come on Ash!" he said.

"Say it again Pete!" I pleaded.

"Things will be different," he said as he rattled the doorknob.

"No! The part where you called me Ash," I cried. 

 The rattling stopped and he paused.  Suddenly, I regretted asking him to say it again.  What if he thought it was stupid?

"Come on, Ash."

 I relaxed into my melting heart, feeling a stillness in the silence of that moment when he stopped trying to intrude the bathroom. It was as if in his surrender I could feel the strength of his love for me. Maybe that big old oaf was just the happily ever after I had wanted after all. He may not have been what other women saw as a prize,but he was my prize. With that, I rose to my feet and turned the lock on the door. I could see the knob rattling and turning to open.

"Ashley?" he said as he looked me in the eyes.

I hung my head, feeling the shame of defeat as his eyes clasped on me. I could feel the burn of his stare, knowing now that he felt the sting of my secret. I hadn't just been out last night. It hadn't just been a dream. I was the victim of some strange kind of experiment, but Pete approached me with the embrace of his loving arms. I could feel his hands wrapping around my waist with tenderness. Had he not really seen me?

"Pete?"

"What babe?" he asked.

"Didn't you notice that I'm green?"

"I don't care if your green, purple, or blue. You're my Ash and I love you," he said. I could feel the trickle of moist teardrops on my bare shoulder as he hugged me.

"So,you noticed?" I asked. He extended out his arms as he placed them on both of my shoulders to get a good look at me.

"Yep."

"And...you don't care?" 

"Nope."

"And...you don't want an explanation?" 

 He pulled me back in fora hug and kissed my neck.

"I do, but only if you wanna tell me."

 Pete and I settled into the rocking chairs on our front porch as we watched the sprinklers water our grass. My heart melted feeling the grasp of his hand in mine as he sun came up in a beautiful array of blush-colored sky. Across the street, I could see that Susan's lawn had some patches of yellow grass plaguing her otherwise perfect yard. There was a sign staked down in the soil. It read: For Sale. Just as well. I thought. As we enjoyed the peaceful serenity of our front porch that morning, it was apparent that all my dreams had come true. Was the grass really greener? It was on my side. It really was.

 – The End