Convalescence

Sunset

“I’m surprised you’re still awake,” she murmurs, sliding her hands up his arms as she settles on his good knee and leans against his heat. It’s summer in California, there’s no reason she craves heat but his is a different sort - the kind that brought calm and the kind that is addictive. “All the travelling you’ve been doing, I thought for sure you’d be asleep.”

“Nah, Princess.” he locks an arm around her waist and lets the other come to rest on her knee. “I’m alright.”

“You sure?” the pitch changes, a hitch, as if she doesn’t quite believe him.

“I’m okay, sweetheart.” he lifts his hand from her hip to her hair, absently ruffling the soft brown curls before slipping his hand under the hem of her tank top. “It’s good to be home, though.”

“It’s good to have you home, we’ve missed you.” Teri nuzzles her face into his neck, resting her head on his shoulder. “Sitting out here, watching the sunset isn’t quite the same without you.”

“I know - I’m sorry for being gone so much.” Dean apologizes softly, rubbing her back. “I get so restless and I don’t know how to deal with it so I travel. I work. I should.”

“Dean,” Teri lifts her head, laughter tugging at her mouth. “If you stopped working, you’d go insane.”

“Yeah but…” Dean interrupts her with a tired sigh.

“Look, I know. We had that fight when you left.” she’s willing to acknowledge the direction, he’s going, while gently steering him in a different one. “And, yes, I know what I said, but while you were gone, I did some thinking.”

“Should I be afraid?” he teases her gently; voice so soft, she can barely hear it. A breathy rasp of a noise, barely discernible as anything but something incoherent.

“No.” she shakes her head, leaning forward to pepper his face with kisses. “You need work. You do. I understand that. You need to be busy and it can be hard for me to deal with that because I’m not that way. I accepted my acting career ending when I finished Housewives. But,” she pauses for a moment to finish gathering her thoughts. “But, yours is not over. You have a million things you want to do and no - I don’t want to do all of them with you, but I don’t want you to ever think I don’t support you in all of them.”

“There was never any question about that, baby.” Dean breathes, watching her face change in the soft evening air.

“But, I want you to do what you love doing without worrying that I’m going to pick a fight every time you get on a plane.” Teri sighs.

“Teri, I think I need to make something clear. You think I don’t know you support me? I do. A thousand percent. I always know that. But,” Dean hugs her closer, tightens his hold on her. “But, baby, when you picked that fight, it didn’t give me doubt - it gave me a question. Is it time to slow my career down? Is it time to stop trying to do a million things at once and just jump headlong into one project at a time?”

“Do you want to?” she poses the question when it’s clear he’s done.

“Yes.” Dean nods, clear and concise in his decision.  “I absolutely want to slow down. My life is good where it’s at. I have Masters of Illusion. I have projects to produce, I can always write but the travel - that’s got to be kept to a minimum. We’re both exhausted of it, and I don’t like it when my wife calls me upset because I’m leaving.”

“I just need you around.” Teri finally confesses softly, tipping her head to one side. “You’re my sunset.”

“Oh?” Dean can’t help but grin at that one. “How’s that?”

“You bring me peace.”

“Well, you’re my sunrise, then.” his intention is to tease but his voice is soft and earnest. “You make each day feel new and different and without you, I might still be lost.”

Teri can’t help but giggle at his words and leans forward to kiss him. Behind them the sun sinks beneath the horizon, flaming red muted by the darkness of nightfall creeping in.

For the first time in a very long time.

Both Dean and Teri are at peace.