Like Nobody's Business

The Family Skeleton

Nayeli Binns

"I'm sorry." My soft voice breaks the silence between Alexander and I. I have been laying in bed for the past thirty minutes unable to sleep and I know he can't too. Not too long ago my ear piercing screams woke him up, I hope I never get that nightmare again.

"What are you sorry for?" His body shift to get a better look at me, I pay close attention to the distance he keeps from me.

"Don't let me say it you know what I'm talking about." I sighed remembering what happened.

"You don't have to apologize." He assures me but it doesn't make me feel better.

He buries his brother today and I thought about going but only because I feel I will get satisfaction from watching the casket being lowered into the ground. We both laid in bed until the rays of the sun began illuminating the sky announcing the beginning of a new day. As usual my showers are long and hot, they've been this way since I developed my obsession of wanting to be clean.

"You look beautiful." Alexander compliments me as soon as I walked into his closet, he was finishing the buttons on his shirt that is tailored perfectly for him.

"Thank you," I ran my hands over the plain black dress as I let his compliment sink in. "You look good, I like your suit."

"This is actually the suit I wore the day we first met." His lips formed into a smile that I return without hesitating. It isn't a good memory for neither of us but it's good that we can reminisce and laugh about it.

"Would you like for David to take you to work or would you rather drive there yourself?"  He adjusts his jacket once more before facing me. "If you're not comfortable with wither I can take you."

I decided for him to take me himself, I'm not okay with being left alone with a complete stranger. Those type of things never bothered me before but my nightmare has heightened my sense of alertness and I don't want to be away from Alexander. He may trigger me occasionally but I know he will never hurt me intentionally and I found serenity in that.

"The service won't be very long, I should be back after you've had lunch." He says as I looked out the window at nothing in particular. "Or you could wait and we have lunch together."

He takes notice of my silence and cautiously reaches for my hand, it doesn't make me as uncomfortable as expected so I don't reject him. The rest of the journey he told me about his attempt to purchase another company but things didn't go as planned, he didn't bother to explain why the deal failed and I didn't ask him to.

"I'll walk you to your office," he exited the car to assist me in getting out. When we enter just like every other worker I have to do the routine of swiping my identification card, of course Alexander just walks right through. The elevator is occupied with him and myself, I feel much more comfortable with just him. As usual on our way to my office he is repeatedly greeted with many good mornings and hellos from his employees, he politely smiles and returns them all.

"Call me if anything happens and I mean anything." He watches as I drop my bag on my table.

"Yeah sure, I will." He takes a few more steps towards me and I could tell he's unsure of hugging me or not, I don't wait on him any longer so I pull him into a hug that makes me feel somewhat better. Sometimes I wonder if him leaving me hurts him more than it does me. I don't mind the alone time but I do like having him around. Thats when I'm not triggered.