Here With Her
Carter stretched his hand under the covers and grasped hers. He wasn't sure if she was awake or sleeping.
"You awake?"
"Yeah," he whispered, turning toward her. He let go of her hand and arched his body over hers. She murmured a smiling reply and sighed. He bent forward to kiss her neck. His lips barely touched her skin. Each kiss was filled with fire, as they always were.
Of the best flames.
"Mmm," she sighed. She outstretched her arms into the air and brought them back down around his body, hugging him closely. She smiled and kissed his cheek, bringing him back to her face.
"Morning," he said.
"Its," she began, looking over to the clock at her side, "five thirty in the morning."
He shrugged, working his way back down to her neck. "I couldn't sleep."
"Me either," she said, eyes closed as she fell back into familiar realms. His kisses followed up from her collarbone to her jawbone, from her jawbone to the corners of her eyes. She kissed him wherever she could. Still mesmerized by his fix, she gently pushed him to her side.
"Tired of me?"
She shook her head and brought her lips to his, slowly dancing on his.
--
He loved how her hand fit in his. They walked everywhere hand in hand. It was how they managed to stay so connected when they weren't making out in the lounge, or staying home together each night. At work things obviously had to be different.
Every now and then, his glance shifted to their pair of hands. Sometimes, they watched the two of them together. It was odd; the simplest thing was the most attractive thing to the pair.
So they made their way into the lounge, still holding hands. Carter, ahead of her, pushed the door open softly and led her inside. She giggled slightly as they pulled the door shut. He immediately brung her to the couch.
They sat and began to kiss. Short kisses. But refined kisses. Neither made noise as they did so. They broke apart rarely, and when they did, they only smiled with closed eyes. Each kiss was carefully, slowly concentrated on lips and nothing else.
--
"Give me your hand," he said quietly.
She smiled obliged. He took it and kissed it.
"That's all."
She giggled and cuddled up against his coat. He wrapped his arms around her, as he chuckled and sighed.
They looked out upon the constant flow of the river from their standing next to the rail. The night had long fallen above them, every star shining in their honor. The world had been good to them lately. Too good.
"I love you," he said in a quiet voice. He nuzzled his nose deep into her neck and kissed her. She murmured inaudible words into his skin and pulled away for a second. He looked at her.
"I love you, too," she laughed, starting back toward his lips.
His grin came widely and he hugged her again, swaying back and forth as they kissed again.
--
Carter lowered his head onto her stomach and pressed his ear to it.
"You can talk to him," she said, running her fingers through his hair, "but you aren't going to hear her talk back."
Carter laughed lightly against her. "I'm not trying to hear anything."
She just smiled in response and continued to play with his hair. She sighed and placed a warm hand on his neck.
He loved when he sat like this. It was nearly ten. He wanted to talk to the baby, with Abby's hand on his face. He had done this so many times before. He told his little baby about everything. About his job, Chicago, how much he loved Abby.
"Hey Babe," he began, like always.
--
"And that's supposed to be..."
"A bear," Carter laughed. "Don't you see it?"
"No," she laughed. "What's your thumb doing up there?"
"Hmm," he said, adjusting his fingers. "I don't know. An ear?"
Shadow puppets were always fun. It was only what they did when they were bored to death and the baby wouldn't kick.
"No," Abby giggled, swatting at his hand. "How about this?" She clasped her hands together and put them up against the light.
"Don't tell me that's your attempt for a bear."
"Its a deer."
"What?" he asked with a laugh. "That's not a deer. I didn't even know there was a position for a deer."
"There isn't," she reasoned matter-of-factly. "I made it up."
"Ha," he said climbing over to her to kiss her again.
--
"Now we really have to get to bed," he said. "Its eleven-thirty."
"Yeah, okay," she said, kissing him on the nose.
"Love you," he said turning the lamp off in the corner.
