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paigenoelchas-blog · 1 year

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Feels Like Home,

Part 30: Holding Tight

See the Author's Note at the end of the chapter...

Mahri's POV:

The roads had been cleared and I had, regretfully, returned home. Work was busy since we had missed so many days due to the storm. All the overtime was worth the five days we had in absolute bliss. All of the torture that has come from going back to normal life is worth it for those memories.

I pour coffee into my half of the "his" and "hers" mugs that Jake had bought me and drink it fast. I have to admit, I am not the coffee snob that Jake is. You see, I can, and often do, drink coffee from the gas station, from the pot at work that has been sitting there unattended since morning, and from my old coffee maker that I can program the night before. I save the robot, which I call Al and greet with a hello every morning, for when Jake is over because that machine is intimidating. He says I can reprogram it, but it feels weird to do so now that I have named it. So, I drank a cup of coffee that Jake would have thrown down the sink as he shook his head.

It is early to head into the office, but I hope to leave early as well. I have to pick up Jake's Christmas present, which I am so excited about, and put some last-minute touches on his gift. As much as I desire to be with him, I am glad I have a few more days to get everything ready.

I remember that I needed to text Dan. He would be the one to help me get Jake's gift.

MC: Dan, are you ready for the delivery tonight?

Dan: Not even a good morning for your old pal?

MC: Hey there, Danny Boy. How are you?

Dan: Much better now that I know you aren't just using me.

MC: Never, that is Jessy's job. ;)

Dan: Cute. Yes. I am ready. See you tonight?

MC: 5:30?

Dan: See you then.

MC: Hey, tell Jessy Good Morning for me. Thank you for bing who you are.

I put away my phone, more than a little jealous that Jessy and Dan get to wake up together. I miss Jake, even though I only came back to my apartment two days ago. Sleep has not been easy for me without him. I smile knowing that I will see him for a few hours tonight.

I hope that it won't be too long before I can wake up to him every morning, not too long before that cabin belongs to both of us. I am lost in my own thoughts when I hear that a message came through on my phone.

Jake: Open the door...

Without a thought, I fly across the room to open the door. Jake rushes through the door and places the coffee he brought me on the table. Then wraps his arm around me tightly, one on my back, the other in my hair and proceeds to kiss me soundly. My back is against the wall, he is flush against me. This kiss is fast and deep, a mix of desire and hunger for each other.

He pulls back, smiling and sighing deeply, "That is much better. I missed you."

I smile back, "Jake, it was only two days." I protest, but he knows I feel the same.

"Two long, lonely days," he pouts and lowers his voice as he meets my eyes. They are cerulean and calm. He is wearing a casual shirt and some dark jeans, his usual attire for work and casual for most, but to me, he is the finest-dressed man on the planet. I am stunned by all of him, his kiss, his appearance, his love.

His grip is loosening on my hips and I already hate it.

"What are you doing here? Not that it isn't a pleasant surprise..." I ask trying to keep him close for a bit longer.

"Two reasons. I missed not waking up to you this morning and I had to see you for a few minutes before work." He picks up the coffee cup off of the table hands it to me, and walks into the kitchen, eying my "hers" mug. Without a word, he takes it and dumps it down the drain. "I also had to save you from that horrible coffee that you are so fond of. I bought you a new machine so you wouldn't have to settle for such garbage." I break his words with a kiss. I knew he would react poorly to my choice of beverage.

Jake holds my face in his hands as a big smile creeps across his face. "Baby, you are so cute. You know that it is a machine and has no feelings, right?" He teases and kisses me on the forehead to let me know he means no offense.

"Yes, but it feels weird. I can't do it." I mock defiance. I know it is odd, but I am not going to admit that. Not now.

With one hand still on my cheek and a smirk gracing his lips, he mockingly responds, "We are going to have to process this more thoroughly tonight. I have some concerns about you and your relationship with the Rocket."

He should.

"Al," I corrrected.

"But," he continues, "Right now, I have to go to work and so do you." He places another firm kiss on my lips, one that promises more to come. "Have a good day, Love. See you at six." His voice is deep and low.

My eyes are glossed over and I am dazed. Man, he can kiss.

"Love you," I nod as he walks away. I can still hear him chuckling under his breath though I don't know if the chuckle was for my dazed appearance or for my relationship with Al.

I sip the coffee that he brought. I have to admit it is much better than what I made. I hope that he will always make the coffee. That man, that wonderful man has made me late. It may mean that I have to miss lunch, but seeing him was worth any amount of sacrifice. I grab my bag and slip on my yellow Rothys as I rush out the door.

Once there, I greet my colleagues, pour a terrible cup of coffee, and enter my office, shutting the door behind me. I have a deadline. The magazine has to go out despite the weather. Fortunately, I had worked some in the cabin and my article was almost done. I have been researching another local murder. I am a true crime reporter. It is my job to breathe new life into real stories of murder, or betrayal. Any crime will do, as long as it is harrowing and can create a good narrative. Someday, I will write my own tale, the story of a missing woman, a reporter who falls in love with a man in hiding, and the man who deceived all of his friends in a misguided effort to assuage his own guilt. I get lost in the thought of my own story and how unlikely it was that the two of us actually came together. We have and whether I can give credit to fate or to God or simply circumstance, I know that I will forever be grateful.

I put down my coffee and start to type when my phone shows another message...

Jake: What do you and AI want for dinner? Is he picky? Does he have any dietary restrictions?

I shake my head and respond. Another smile appears on my face.

MC: We are quite close, so if you want to be with me, you have to accept our relationship. I told Al the same thing.

Jake: I don't like the idea of sharing you, but I suppose arrangements can be made in this instance. ;).

Smiling, I silence my phone and buckle down. He doesn't know it, but I have plans across town and I don't want to miss the time that we have together.

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Jake's POV:

I can't help but tease her. She is too cute. Her brain works like no one I have ever met. She is a genius but can suspend reality to the point where she can find the compassion that extends to an espresso machine. I can't help but love her all the more for it.

I am having a hard time focusing at work because I have been holding on to a surprise for over a week now, one that Dan and I had been working on. I decided to wait until Christmas for the Dan surprise because of the storm, but now I had even more reason to be excited, I have a couple of more plans, big ones. If things go the way that I hope, this will be the best Christmas of her life and the best memory that I have. I used to think that I would never feel at home again after the loss of my mother and the loss of Nana. I thought that the last Christmas spent with my mother would surpass all of the rest, but Mahri has renewed my faith in tradition and love and the hope of future Christmases filled with family and laughter.

It is hard to focus when I can think only of her, but I must.

I shake my head and clear my mind trying to focus on the computer screen in front of me, hopefully, the 0s and the 1s will distract me for a bit...

----------------------

Mahri's POV:

I manage to finish my article and get Jake's present over to Dan's with just enough time to pick some dessert on the way.

Jake: Are you almost here?

MC: Yes, just pulling up the drive.

I see Jake walk out to greet me. He picks me up in his arms and spins me around. He cradles his nose in my hair, taking in a deep breath. "I couldn't seem to get you off of my mind today. I had to skip lunch because I was being so unproductive." He pouts.

"I am sorry, but I brought dessert," I answer, trying to lighten the mood.

He nibbles on my ear and in a husky voice, he whispers, "you are all the dessert that I need, well, unless you brought chocolate..." He smirks.

I feel my skin warm up as my arms wrap around his neck and his mouth meets mine. His hands make their journey down to my hips and land there as we continue to relish in the touch and taste of each other. People watching us would think that we had been separated for months.

His hands move to my hair. Without moving away from me, he leans back and meets my eyes. "Should we eat? Everything is ready." I nod and he takes my hand in his, grabs dessert in the other, which just so happens to be a chocolate cream pie, and leads me into the cabin.

Every time I enter the cabin, I am calmer and more grounded. I don't know the reasons. Maybe it is because Jake is here, maybe the fact that it is in the woods, surrounded by trees, maybe it has to do with the professions of love and the memories it holds. It is a wonderful respite from the world. I hope with all of my heart that soon, this will be the place that I return to every night and it will be here that I can live my life with my love.

There is soft music playing in the background. It is slow and sweet. I hope we get to dance later. It has been a while since he held me in his arms like that. The fireplace is roaring as usual, casting an orange glow to the room. In addition, candles are lit and placed around the entirety of the cottage. The smell of oregano and garlic fills the air, making my mouth water.

He walks hand in hand to the table and pulls out my chair for me, laying the napkin in my lap before pushing me in and giving me a quick kiss on the back of my hand. The middle of the table is filled with fresh bread, pasta, and salad. He pours us each a glass of lovely red wine. I am blown away by his ability to sweep me off of my feet. "Jake, this all looks incredible. But I would have been happy with some of your world-famous grilled cheese. I just want to be in this cabin with you."

"I wanted to make tonight special and I know that you had a long day," he responds, reaching for my plate to serve up the pasta. Our seats are next to each other so we can maintain contact. Once the food is ready to go, he picks up his glass for a toast. "To AI, my girlfriend's boyfriend. May they live long, happy lives." He smirks and I punch him in the arm. He places his hand on my thigh and leaves it there.

"Ok, Ok," He raises his glass again, "To Mahri, my love, for all that she is and for all of the love that we share."

"And to Jake and all of the things he has taught my heart." I say as our glasses clink. The silence surrounds us in the best possible way. It allows us to decompress from the day and be enveloped in the comfort of each other.

Dinner is almost finished when he breaks the silence. "How was your day, Baby?" His hand moves behind my back on the chair and he turns his body to face mine.

"It was long. That kiss from this morning did not help my focus. I had to skip lunch too, but I finished my article." I am a little proud.

"Love," He leaned in toward my ear and whispered, "You are amazing," Jake said, finishing his sentence with some kisses that landed on my collarbone.

Pretending to be unaffected, I followed up his question with my own, "How was your day?"

"Once I figured out how to get you off of my mind, it went fast. That was no easy task. You are quite enchanting and very difficult to forget." He responds.

"Enchanting?" I ask and grab the collar of his shirt, bringing his face close to mine and giving him a sweet kiss. The kiss begins to deepen, but I pull away. We are still at the table and these activities usually call for a more comfortable location, or at the very least they require a table devoid of food.

"We have dessert to eat," I sing-song as I quickly kiss him on the cheek. I begin to pick up the plates. He quickly stops me. "I don't want our time together to be spent on such mundane things as dishes. I will do them later." He insists and leads me to the kitchen. "I will, however, " he adds, "take some of that pie.

He heads to the espresso machine and begins our drinks while I serve us each a piece of pie, then put the rest in the refrigerator. I know that pie will not be wasted, not in this house.

He has something he wants to say. I am trying to wait for him to spill, but I can't wait any longer. "What is going on, Jake?" I look softly at him and wait for a response.

" was wondering, since you have been so accommodating tonight, I thought I might ask you something. Would you like to spend Christmas Eve here? Overnight? I would love to wake up with you in my arms on Christmas. I can't think of a better present." his voice sounds unsure, but the words carry confidence. He already knows the answer.

" I don't think that I could think of a better way to start any day, especially Christmas. I have a hard time sleeping without you after the storm." I hope he hears the depth of what I was trying to say. I want him to know that he is who I want to be with and that I am ready to be with him for all of the good and all of the bad. I believe we could fight anything as long as we are together.

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Jake's POV:

I understand what she is trying to say, that her heart matches mine, that it is the right time for us to be together, that we have a future and we don't want to wait for it anymore.

I am even more excited to give her the presents that I have for her.

Our coffee cups are empty and the pie is gone. Offering her my hand I ask, " May I have this dance?" She nods and moves to my side. I wrap my arm around her.

The music had been playing all night, but I hadn't paid much attention until now. I don't care what song is playing as long as she is the one that I am dancing with, but this song is romantic and swooping in both musically and lyrically.

There in the middle of the living room, with the fire blazing and the candles dancing, I wrap my arms around her waist, she returns the gesture and lays her head on my chest. My chin rests so perfectly on top of her head. I am reminded of how perfectly she fits in my arms, reminded of how many things had to work out for us to make it to this moment, reminded of the moment that we met, the first night we shared in this now sacred space.

Our bodies sway and move to the music and I am overwhelmed that this can be my life, our life. We stay in this moment lost in our own thoughts, breaking occasionally to meet each other's eyes or lean in for a few kisses.

I don't know what to do with this feeling that I have. I don't even know how to describe it. I only know that in the shadow of our love, I seem small. Nothing seems as powerful as what the two of us share.

Sometimes love is loud and bold, you want to scream from the tallest building of the love you share. It forces you to run and jump and make changes. In those moments, the world seems brighter and more alive. You feel electric and invincible. Mahri has made me feel that over and over again.

But sometimes love is soft and quiet, sweet and honest, like tonight has been. It is in these moments that I feel our souls intertwine like our fingers when we hold hands. It is those moments where we are so close that I can't find her end and my beginning because we are one. With her in my arms, I feel all of our love and all of our forevers.

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Later, after the candles have burned out and the coffee mugs have been emptied, I walk her to the car and give her a soft and loving kiss goodbye. I speak to her of my love and hope for the days when we won't have to leave each other, the nights when I don't have to watch her drive away. I can't help but think of her and of the future that we will share. I can not wait to ask her to share this cabin and our life together. As I watch as her taillights disappear and turn to return inside pondering all of the ways our lives are going to change, I can't help but smile. I miss her already and quickly reach for my phone and text her.

Jake: "I love you because I know no other way than this: So close that your hand on my chest is my hand -- so close that when you close your eyes, I fall asleep." **

Her response is quick.

Mahri: I love you for all of who you are and all that you show me to be. I will love you until my soul fades because you own it in every way.

I place the phone in my pocket awed that someone like her can love me. I am still amazed at her beauty, the incredible person that she is, of the fact that she is in my world. Months ago, she ran to me in the rain and bore her soul to me in the storm. She trusted me with her heart when logically, it made no sense. She made my heart grow in love for her with every moment we spent together and made it impossible to imagine a life without her in it. That day, she took the greatest risk anyone could take and I will be forever grateful to her, to the fates, to God, or to whoever I owe my happiness to.

I close the door behind me and hear it latch. It is the door to the place that has brought me the greatest joys and the greatest pain. It was here that I entered this world and had the best of all childhoods. It was in this cabin that I first learned what love was and where I learned the pain of heartbreak. In this place, I determined that my heart would never be able to handle that pain again and in this same home, I decided to lock myself off from any form of love.

But it is also in this cabin that I returned to love and remembered what it felt like to be treasured, protected, and cared for. Mahri has delivered me hope and given me the dream of a future that I had long given up on. She has shown me unconditional love, one that shares tears of joy and pain, one that will fight for me and with me. Our is a love that cats about our souls and not about our pasts. That is a true gift.

It is in this wonderful little cabin nestled safely in the background of a rather busy town that I intend to ask my love for a forever. It is in the cabin that I plan to share all of my future heartaches and joys. It is here, where I am determined to make her feel loved and treasured for the rest of her days, that I intend to call her my bride, dance in the rain, make love by the fire, raise my children, and grow old by her side.

With light steps, I head to the bedroom, and though I am alone and want her here, yet I am filled with a calm that I have been robbed of for so many years. I see the path before me and it is full of love, so much more love than I could have dreamt up, so much more love than I could ever deserve.

For once I am going to be confident in the depth and breadth of our love. I am going to capture it, hold on tight, and never let her or it go.

**Quote from Steve Oedekirk

Authors note: I have chosen to remove a few chapters of this story and end here. I will have epilogues so we can find out what their Christmas is like, and maybe see some times when they live out their lives together, but for the most part, this is it. I didn't want to leave this story incomplete and I wanted to give this the attention that it deserves, but I need the freedom to write other things without forsaking this story. Thank you to the few of you who kept reading and for the encouragement that you gave me through this process.

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