Hidden Sights - Chapter 15 - Softening

Papers littered the floor transforming the typically pristine office into a mine field. I stared at it all without seeing. Mesmerised my eyes following the tiny motes of dust as they swirled in the late afternoon rays of sun that crept through the sliding doors. How could one day of perfection require so much chaos? I shook my head and picked my way through the piles taking care not to disturb them with my passage. As I settled into one of the rare free spots my top caught the edge of a stack toppling and shattering it around.

"Fudge!" I swore, but quietly so as not to disturb my sleeping babies. Gingerly I began to reorganise the disaster wishing I had the courage to ask him if he would follow Moon's example and elope. Each piece of paper I placed showed the careful thought and attention to detail that had gone into this one day. By the time I had got everything back in it's place I knew I could not deny him this, it meant to much to him. Casting around I surveyed the result of my tidying and shook my head ruefully. Even I couldn't tell I had done anything to the hodgepodge before me. 

A tell-tale gurgling from the baby monitor near to door told me that little Miss Briar Rose was waking up. Knowing I had only minutes before she woke fully and began demanding food in a way that was sure to wake River and Rowan I made to go to her.

The slanting sun glinted off an envelope sending golden beams skittering through the room. I paused mid-step trying to remember the last time anything but a clean white envelope had come in the post. When I could not my stomach lurched, I had clearly forgotten something and with days to go every little thing matter.

Whatever the letter was it was thick and from the feel of the paper it had not been treated to gently on it's way to our door. I ran my finger under the seal and stop momentarily surprised when I felt that it had already been broken. Flipping it over to check who it was from my brows rose in surprise at the name.

It had been nearly a year since I had come to live here and in all that time the only place I has seen that name was on a couple gold records hanging in the main room. At the sight of the name a shiver crawled down my spine and worked it's way down my limbs to my fingertips. It was irrational, unexplainable and yet....

"Hey you." I jumped as he slipped his arms around my waist. Deftly he reached up and plucked the envelope from my shaking hands. "You look like you need a break from all this wedding planning."

I giggled nervously trying to push the niggling feeling in the put of my stomach to the back of your mind. "It is rather all consuming."

"And typical you, you don't do anything by half measures. We leave tomorrow and anything that isn't done now will have to wait until we get there at this point." He slide his hand down my side and gently gripped my fingers. With the slightest of tugs he moved to the door. "Follow me."

An all to familiar gleam in his eye told me he was up to something but just as I knew that look I knew it was useless to try and weasel his plan out of him. Reluctantly I let him lead me through the house. As we passed the kids room I paused causing him to pull harder. 

"They are fed, changed and sleeping. There is no using them as an excuse to get out of this."

I wrinkled my nose in irritation and started forwarded again. I didn't know if it was him I was irritated with though, or myself for being so transparent. If only I knew what he was up to maybe I could head him off properly. There was just so much to do before we left.

"Stop." His voice was quiet and close, the warmth of his cheek flowing into my own.

I blinked and realised that we were standing outside bathed in the warm glow of candle light. "I am stopped," I whispered.

"No," he said still speaking barely on the edge of hearing. He turned me towards him and gently brushed a finger across my forehead and down my temples before cupping my head in his hands. "Stop here."

I furrowed my brow in confusion but he continued before I could say a word. "You have been running yourself ragged for weeks. Even sleeping you don't relax. You need to take a break."

"But..."

"It can wait. All of it. The wedding, the kids, the future they will all be there when we're done. But for a moment, one small moment, just be here with me. In this one night let's make memories of peace that will last us a lifetime."

Taking a deep breath I closed my eyes and tried to force tense muscle to relax. With each inhalation I could sense more of the world around me, a world I realised I'd been neglecting. Finally I could feel a bit of the stress seep out. "Ok," I said smiling up at him.

Time froze around us and for once I let myself stay still. Had I known what was to come perhaps I would have resisted harder....perhaps.

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Authors Note:  This is a rather short update for so long in between and I hope you can forgive me. I wanted to do more but ran out of time and thought something small was better than nothing at all. I am considering keeping my updates shorter for a while to keep them more regular. After next weekend I should be around again so hopefully this lengthy pause won't be repeated. I know this might cause more questions than it answers but they will come in the next update.....or two.