The Lives That I Have Lived

A Faint Light

"Robbie, it's just about sunrise. You said you wanted to get up so you could surprise my dad for his birthday." Elizabeth mumbled in her early morning voice, still half asleep and with her hair half hiding her face. I groaned out an okay and got out of bed, leaving room for the little girl still sleeping to move and take up the rest of the bed. I put my work clothes on, tip-toed down the staircase and into the kitchen. I slowly opened the fridge, to take out the triple layered chocolate cake that I had made the night before after everyone went to bed. The cake had strawberry icing on the outside and inside with cut pieces of strawberries in between the cake layers. "He better love this or I'm going to kick his ass." I joked under my breath as I gently put it on the kitchen counter and stuck candles in the top. I was interrupted by the heavy footsteps of Father Domascus coming down the stairs and almost threw the lighter across the room. Before I could collect myself, he snuck up behind me and gave me a long hug. It was his favorite thing to do when we were alone, he was never the type of man to show compassion towards anyone besides Maria when company was around, even family. It was his way of saying hello, goodnight, and I love you. It always had a certain way of melting my cold heart.

When he realized the massive cake sitting on the table, he grinned like a child and immediately dragged his finger across the top and licked the icing off his coarse finger. Giggling like two idiots we hugged each other for a while, a father embracing his son, before I finally wished him a happy birthday. "You know I never ask you for anything son, thank you." He said softly. "What good is it if I can't surprise you every now and then pops?" I said with a smirk.
It had been three years since I came into the Domascus family. It felt like a lifetime ago that I was out in the cold, unwanted, and unwelcome. Elizabeth and I had started a relationship, which was terrifying for me at first. Partly because I was Father Domascus' worker, and partly because underneath all that shy, sweet, beautiful girl, was a monster the likes I wished to never anger.
After a few minutes of small talk over our massive cups of coffee, I went back upstairs to enjoy my day off. As quietly as I could, I slipped back into bed and carefully positioned myself back under Elizabeth. She, of course, woke up from the movement, and gave me a groggy smile. I kissed her forehead and told her I loved her. Her response was to throw me down on the bed and lay back on top of me. "You know Rob, with all those muscles, I can still throw you around." She said playfully. "Only because if I throw you onto the bed we will start waking up the rest of the family my love." I whispered in her ear teasingly. With a bratty whine she laid back down on the bed and curled up into me. "You know... I've got off today Lizzy."
"Oh I didn't know." She said teasingly.
"Mmmmhmm. Now what I want to know is how ready are you?"
"Ready for what? Breakfast?"
"Well come here and I'll show you silly girl."

With just a few words, she melted in my arms, just as we were about to start, there was a soft knock on the door. "Shit it's my mom!" Elizabeth groaned as she covered herself with my shirt that she had taken off. Maria walk in after a few seconds and immediately covered her eyes, she was never comfortable with seeing my scars. "I'm sorry I didn't know you two were busy. I just wanted to say thank you to Robbie for the cake that he made for Father." Maria said almost as to try and absolve her sight of what she had just walked into. "I figured it would be cheaper than buying a cake, and it's how he likes it" I said with a smile as I put on a flannel that I had laying on the floor.
"Well if you two are hungry I can have breakfast ready in about an hour-" she paused to eye up Elizabeth and I, "but I'm assuming you two will both be full by the time food is done." She laughed, as she left the room and closed the door behind her. Elizabeth and I chuckled, then I climbed back into bed.
"So what where you getting at before we got interrupted?" Elizabeth said while tracing the scar on my chest.
"Oh what, you thought I was going to run my hand through your hair, grab the top of your neck, pull you close, and make you mine over and over..." I said firmly, as I did exactly as I said. A playful glint shown in her eyes as I went through with my example, stopping after going to kiss her, then teasingly pulling away. "You meant do something like that right Lizzy?" I knew how to get her to react the way I wanted her to, and her the same for me. After all that teasing, she pulled me close, kissing me passionately, like it was the first time all over again. And for the next three hours, the only noise coming out of our bedroom was muffled groaning, moaning, and gasping.