Hannah Nicoll
It had been two years since Ivy had moved. She had to repeat junior year due to the fact that her new school had higher standards. Currently she stood in the courtyard of her school picking up her books. She was heading to leave school when she got stung on the upper part of the middle of the back part of her leg.
She tried to check the wound when she heard someone say, “I can see your bloomers,” she whipped around to see who had spoken. She looked at the young man.
“And what would my dad say about that?” she joked, recognizing him as one of the interns at her father’s law firm. He was extremely tall; her eye line came just to the middle of his upper arm. He had just recently had all his long hair cut and re-dyed to a more natural color than the fire truck red he had shown up to the interview with. He was currently boarding in her and her father’s town house home. He had taken a year off before starting law school to play in a band and didn’t get any major income. He said that he couldn’t be gladder that he did take a year off, but it helped him realize that even though he loves music, he really wants to be a famous lawyer. Ivy constantly mocked him saying he was a conceited money grabber. He’d then call her a naive doe-eyed catholic schoolgirl.
“Why are you here?” she asked as they walked out of the courtyard.
“Daddy-o sent me to get you so you could say good bye before he left for the trial of the moment,” he replied taking her book bag as slinging it over his shoulder.
“Oh, right, forgot,” she said putting her hands in her pockets.
“Hey, Ivy,” someone said from behind her. She turned around as Tim walked through the entrance door way. A boy walked up, “I was wondering if you wanted to come to my place, you know,” he paused, “hang out or something,” he raised an eyebrow at her.
“Sorry, Jeph, Tim’s taking me to my house to say good-bye to my daddy,” she smiled.
“Oh, well see you tomorrow,” he said defeated. He had proposed that same question so many times. The only progress he had made is that she didn’t find him as annoying now, but only because they had hung out together, in a public place with lots of people.
“Who was that?” Tim asked he had stopped at the bottom of the stoop when he realized that she wasn’t walking next to him.
“Jeph, a friend, he keeps asking me to join him at his house for a night,” she told him as they entered the taxi.
They rode four blocks in silence before Tim coughed and said, “So, are you going to your prom?”
“What?” Ivy said snapping out of her daydream. She had been thinking about him again. He’s all she ever thought about. She’d like to ask Seager to the prom. She would love it if he showed up. She didn’t know how she’d take it. The classic image of her running across a field in a white shirt to him as he also ran at her, to leap into his arms and be spun around. She smiled at her daydreams, but like every other one she felt at the end that they where just that; daydreams.
She sat at the counter in the kitchen of her father's town house the essay that her teacher had assigned sitting in front of her. Technically it wasn't the essay since it was a blank piece of paper with a title and her name. Ivy checked the clock to see the time was almost an hour to midnight. Her father was probably already in California defending some big celebrity who wasn't able to avoid being arrested on their popularity alone, and had to fly out some big attorney to defend themselves.
He had offered for her to come out but she needed to stay home to catch up on her schoolwork. She was completely lost at what to write, and her temporary housemate wasn't any help. He was even letting his friends from up north spend the weekend. She was terrified for she had remembered why she recognized Tim.
He was the drummer to the band that Seager was in. She knew when he said his 'northern friends' he meant people from Maine. One of which Ivy herself had been infatuated with for the majority of the last school year she had spent at her old home. The same man who told her that he liked her back. She had been so excited by that. She didn't want him to go away on tour. But it did make it easier on her to move to New York shortly after all that had happened.
The doorbell rang and Tim stepped through the doorway that led to the sitting room where he had been practicing on a drum pad. "Who's there?" Ivy asked her mind racing to all the possibilities of who would come calling at eleven thirty at night in New York City.
"Probably my mates," he said going to unlock the front door. He opened it and in the door way stood a very small girl. "Hey," he greeted the new girl lifting her up in an embrace. Tim happened to be an extremely tall person where as this new arrival was extremely small. He had lifted her up so she could wrap her arms around his neck. As he supported her, her feet dangled next to his knees. "Where's your traveling partner?" he asked setting her down.
"Seagull? Oh, he ended up driving down by him self. He wanted to stop and see Sierra, and you know how I always get uncomfortable around her," she explained.
He escorted her over to the spot where he had previously been practicing. "Oh, Elise, this is Ivy, her old man's putting me up," he introduced the two girls.
Ivy just nodded before returning to her work. The other two returned to the living room to talk. She couldn't help but eavesdrop on their conversations.
"Yeah, Seagull's been spending a lot of time with Sierra," the girl stated.
"Well, I don't blame him for getting attached, you know,"
"I mean, it was wicked brutal how she just left like that she just up and left, and he had said that he had really cared about her. Then she leaves," "Has he told you about it?" Tim asked. "Bits and pieces, more recently. I donno, it's like since he's been hanging out with Sierra he has been more open." Elise said, as Ivy listened her face dropped. Who's Sierra? Are they talking about me? It sounds like it. She thought to her self.
"Man, I'm glad he's happy, but he told me he wished that he just forget about her and everything that had gone off. He would be better off if none of that shit happened. But hey, it's been a few years, and Sierra's in great health and is just what he needs, Seagull just needs to move on," by now Ivy was in tears, she couldn't believe it. She wished she hadn't moved that she had stayed back with her mom.
"Hey," she said trying to hide her tears, "I'm going out, I'll be back later," she called into the living room.
"Ivy," Tim said as she pulled on her shoes, "You ok?"
"Yeah I'm fine. I'm going to Jeph's place, everyone's over there," she said not facing him.
"Here, take a twenty, and flag a cab. Your dad would kill me if anything," he said holding out a bill.
"Thanks," she replied leaving. She did as she was told and waved down a cab and rode to her friend's house. Now, she had been lying, Jeph was probably by himself watching movies. He dropped hints, if you could call them that, all the time about liking her and how she should spend the night sometime. Right now, she couldn't think of anything better than to take him up on his offer. Seager no longer liked her, probably not even as his favorite student. He had Sierra, who from the sound of it, she was a prefect replacement.
Ivy stood at the gate that led to the courtyard of his apartment complex. She pressed the button that caused a buzz and then a voice said, "Yo," from the small plastic box.
"Hey, Jeph?" she asked for clarification.
"The one and only," the voice said back.
"It's Ivy," she paused, "Can I, uhm, come up?" she finally asked still nervous.
"Serious?" he asked back.
"You don't believe me?"
"Well, you always say no," he replied.
"Can you just let me up? It's cold out," she was slightly aggravated at his attitude.
"Yeah gimme a sec, the lock's broken," he said. She heard one of the doors inside the courtyard slam and someone running down five flights of stairs. Soon, he stood at the gate smiling at her. Jeph unlocked it and let her in placing his arm around her shoulders as he led Ivy up the stairs. "So what's up?"
"Nothing," she said stuffing her hands into her jean pockets.
"Then why are you here, and red eyed?" she could tell he was looking at her though her sneakers had become interesting.
"I over heard people talking," she said unsure of how much to let out. "They where some people from where I used to live, before I came here. I'm not friends with them directly but I sort of had eyes for one of them. Shortly before I moved he told me that he liked me too," she said looking up to meet his gaze but he was looking forward up the stairs. "And I listened to them talking and it turns out that the guy I like is with this girl named Sierra."
"So, you're hurt I take it?" he asked as they approached the forth floor.
"Yeah, I couldn't think of anywhere else to be," as she thought about what she had told him, it sounded like she was coming to him on the rebound.
"Did you really care about this guy?" He asked.
"Yeah, I did. But I don't know how much he cared about me," she stopped walking, "Jeph, it's not like I'm coming to you as a last resort, It's just I want to feel like someone cares about me, not a one night stand," she said as she forced him to look at her.
"I understand, and I do care about you," he replied leaning forward to kiss her on the lips. She kissed back this time. They continued on the way to his family's apartment.
The next morning Ivy woke up in Jeph's room, in his bed next to him. "Hey, sorry to be sudden but I gotta jet, I said I'd be back last night," she told the sleepy boy.
"Ok, I love you buh-bye," he mumbled rolling over. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before she got dressed and left. She used the change from her cab last night to get a new metro pass and took the subway back home. When she arrived at the town house that she lived in she saw their female houseguest was tiding up the counter after what looks like she had just made breakfast.
“Hey,” Ivy said sitting at the counter. She noticed a gift bag sitting on the table, “what’s that?” she asked pointing to it.
“Oh, our friend, Thurston stopped to visit some friends on the way down and they said it would be polite of him to give a gift, Tim said he should get something for you,” she explained as she wiped up the crumbs.
Ivy took hold of the gift and opened it to reveal a shirt that said ‘Northern’ in a grunge font. “What’s Northern?” she asked pulling it on to see it fit just right.
“It’s a band. Seager’s the bassist, and Tim used to be the drummer but he left to go to law school. I’m a bit of the road manager, I let them use my family’s trailer to get their junk around.”
“Cool,” ivy replied picking her books up from last night.
“So why where you in such a hurry to leave last night, if you don’t mind me asking,”
“I just wanted to hang out with my friend,” she said, “I’m going to take a shower,” she didn’t want to keep talking with her about that subject. Anyway she had more important things on her mind, Seager had arrived.
Ivy sat on her bed. She wasn’t really doing anything, just looking out the window. She had realized as long as she stayed in her room, then she wouldn’t have to worry about running into Seager. Though she would love to. A mental picture of him holding her flashed through her head. She closed her eyes contorting her face to a painful look forcing the image to disappear. She returned to gazing out the window. She watched the sunset and found herself wishing she could sit on the roof watching the sky burn with Seager’s arm around her.
Where she would normally let the daydream continue on, she forced it to stop and looked at the garbage in the back ally of the restaurant, who’s roof she had a perfect view from out of her window. Garbage was not romantic, and therefore no daydreams could spawn from looking at it. Ivy was unable to keep her mind from wondering to a bed containing two people, the same as always.
She sighed; she didn’t mind the daydreams, not at all. She just hated that they where daydreams. She flopped down on her bed; face first her arms out stretched so her hands hung over the edge. Ivy had never made a big mistake before, and just now, it was sinking in what she had done. She had pushed away someone who may have actually cared about her. She was extremely angry with herself.
The cell-phone on her bedside table started to vibrate. “Hello,” she said slightly monotone.
“What’s got you down?” the voice of Jeph asked.
“Oh, nothing,” she stated, “Just thinking about stuff.”
“Ok,” he paused, “Want to come to that Monroe dance at school with me?” he asked.
“I’m locked in my room,” she stated.
“I’m on the roof out side of your window,” the voice stated into her ear.
Curious she stood up and moved to the window. Sure enough, standing on the tar surface was a boy’s silhouette holding a phone to it’s ear.
Hung up her phone and opened the window and threw one leg out, stretching a bit but placing her foot firmly on the same roof as Jeph stood. She finished sliding out and stumbled a bit, him catching and helping Ivy right herself. “Hey,” she stated not totally enthusiastic.
“Hey,” he replied wrapping his arms around her and kissing her head.
This display of affection caused Ivy to start crying, because she didn’t want Jeph to be the one kissing her head.
“Hey, what’s wrong,” he said releasing her, as she buried her face in her hands. He held her at arm’s length trying to make eye contact, “Common, you can tell me,” he said.
She shook her head unable to verbalize her answer. Realizing this he pulled her close again and rubbed her back. She pushed him away, not wanting his caring hug.
“What?” he said, “What’s wrong, I swear I wont get mad,” he comforted moving a step close. He stopped for a second his face serious, “Did someone do something to you?”
She once again shook her head, then she lifted her head and said, “I realized that I love him, and,” she paused, “I want him,” she stated finally looking uncertain of Jeph’s reaction.
“The person you where telling me about?” he asked, she nodded while sniffling a little, still not looking up.
“Well, I guess that means, we shouldn’t be an item,” he scratched the back of his head.
“You’re not mad,” she finally looked up to see him gazing at her bedroom window.
“How can I be? I like you a lot, but I don’t love you, and if he might return your feelings, and I know I’m quoting a lifetime movie but, maybe you should do what you heart says.”
She smiled, happy that he had given her his blessing. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He hesitated but returned the hug. “So,” he started, “You still want to go dance?”
“I’d love to,” she said as they ran across the roof to their ride.
She stood at the window watching the car drive away and shortly after began stumbling up the staircase. Reaching the top step she tripped and fell forward, but someone caught her. She looked up but couldn’t tell whom it was. “Are you ok?” he asked holding her by the shoulders. She would recognize the voice in an instant. She jumped up in attempt to hug him but pushed him into the wall.
“I missed you,” she said cling on to him, as if for dear life. He returned her hug when he realized who it was.
“I thought you had locked your self in your bedroom,” he stated.
“I left to go party,” she giggled doing a small shimmy on the last word.
“Are you plastered?” He asked trying to look at her in the dark.
“Not on purpose,” she attempted at whispering.
“You should go to bed,” he said grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the bedroom door. Seager opened the door and set her in the room, “Now, go to bed,” he instructed.
“Only if you come with me,” she said grabbing him by his shirt. He tried to articulate his surprise but was cut short by her lips. You could say that they got caught up in the moment, but ivy had intended on them landing on her bed as she crossed the room backwards.
“Ivy,” he tried to say firmly but moaned a bit as she kissed his neck.
“Yes?” she questioned trying to give him a seductive look, but remember she was intoxicated.
“I, I can’t,” he sighed, “Not now,” he stood up leaving her lying on the bed.
“Why?” she asked.
“Because I want you more than you know,” he stood in the door, “try to get some sleep,” he finished closing the door.
“It’s because of Sierra, isn’t?” She tried to ask but was too late to get a response.
“Man, would I B.S. something like this?” He asked Tim as they lounged across the couch.
Elise folded a shirt then stuck it the suitcase, “Cous’, if you weren’t such a heavy sleeper then you would of heard her. There’s no way that she’s just sick,” she stated as she packed.
“But if she was going to go out and drink she would have told me, or at least when she comes back drunk she tells me out of guilt. Ok?” he stated.
“Seagull, the soup’s done, bring it up to her,” Elise said.
“Fine, fine, but I swear she was WAY off her rocker last night,” he declared as he stood and walked into the kitchen. Seager ladled out some of the soup into the bowl and started up the staircase. He walked up to the door and hesitated a second, he had realized last night that she was Ivy, his Ivy, who had disappeared out of thin air, convincing him that he had bad luck with women leaving. He knocked on the door twice and waited a second. She made no response. The more he though about it, it seemed that she had been avoiding him all that weekend. Maybe she just had a crush on him, and once things started getting serious, she ran. Maybe he had scared her. Maybe she didn’t like him and it was just a joke. Why should he even bother anymore?
Maybe her father put her on a guilt trip to move to New York when she wanted to stay with her mom. Maybe she couldn’t stand her mom. Maybe she hated living in the country; Ivy never seemed fond of that big house.
Seager couldn’t understand why she had suddenly popped back into his life. Though it wasn’t that sudden, he had thought a lot about her. He couldn’t face her after what she had done the night before.
He removed his had from the doorknob and set the tray on the ground. He knocked on the door and said, “Food’s ready,” before walking back down the stairs.
Ivy had been standing at the door. She was about to go to the bathroom when he knocked. She had peeked through the crack of the door and watched him stand there. She felt was so happy that he was there, but she couldn’t face him. Not with what she had done.
Ivy hated when she got drunk but she hadn’t realize that someone had spiked the punch. It was a simple school dance and once her friends realized what had happened they brought Ivy home. What happened after that was a bit hazy, but she did remember running into Seager on the way to her bedroom.
She had been intoxicated, and alcohol reduces morals. So, being that she knew what she wanted, Seager, and was just out side of her bedroom, with him, Ivy tried to get him to join her in her room. And succeeded, that is until he realized what was happening and left.
Even though she barely remembered it, what happened broke her heart. He had rejected her, maybe he had moved on, or maybe he thought she was someone else then he realized whom he was kissing. She really did fuck things up when she moved and it was all her fault.
She was furious, so much that she was trying with all her might to not take the chair on the table and throw it at something. This was not her fault yet she was being punished. They had said ‘stay after, get help, and get caught up.’ She had done just that. She had stayed after everyday for an entire week. Yet, they give her two detentions saying that she had not once been there.
She wanted to punch the teacher, they where the ones who should be sitting there, not her, they where the ones who had not stayed after. She rested her head on her arms, with her hood up, trying to block out the world. She was happy that the teacher did not tell her to do her work.
Ivy knew the rules about detention. She knew that she had to work individually, no talking, no napping. You get sent out after 3 warnings. You must ask permission to leave the room. You get a total of 10 minutes worth of breaks. Going to a printer to get something you printed off, visiting a teacher or anything along those lines counts as part of your break. You are giving 5 ‘no-man’s’ minutes before or after where you socialize for 5 minutes outside of the room or gather work. Detention lasted until 4:00. For two hours she had to sit and do work.
She had no intention of doing any of that. For, as stated before, she was extremely pissed off. Not only because of the teachers, but even though Elise had left on Sunday, Seager had stayed for one more day to visit some other friends, and was leaving at 4:10 that afternoon. And since Ivy’s home was a 20-minute walk from her school, she would arrive home at 4:20, and not get to say good-bye.
She lifted her head, suddenly happy. Why hadn’t she thought of it before? It was great, if you wanted; it was possible to take a 10-minute break. She would take her break at 3:45. Then after 10 minutes, since she had arrived on the dot of 2, she would get her 5 minutes. And once that’s all through, it’d be four. It was possible to leave 15 minutes early. She raised her head and looked around the room.
“Good morning,” the boy across from her said.
“Yes,” she absently responded.
“Are you ok?” He asked looking at her.
“Fabulous,” she said before standing up and going to the teacher, “May I use a computer?”
“Sure,” she responded before going back to helping another student.
Ivy mentally patted her self on the back for not speaking rudely and using correct grammar. She sat at the computer, changing the angle so that the teacher could not easily see the screen. Ivy was trusted because she did her work and got top grades, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. She turned on the computer and went on the Internet and played games.
She ran down the side walk; she had told the teacher she was going to the bathroom. The teacher tried to get her to leave her bag, but she said that she needed it. The teacher understood and let her leave. She inwardly smirked thinking that she had been given the permission to leave on a silver platter.
Ivy remembered what her friend Nate from back home always said, “Never trust a silver platter.” She was careful as she walked out of school, every teacher knew who had detention and if she got caught then she’d be back in that room for another half hour and the rest of the week. She thought about moving slowly down the hall being extra quite, and then she thought of moving as quickly as she could not caring about any noise. Finally she realized that walking nonchalantly would be the best guess, and once she hit the bottom of that dreaded place’s stoop, she’d book it 15 blocks to her home.
She stopped for a second in front of the big bank that was the halfway point. She looked at her watch; she had been running for five minutes. She was making fabulous time, but she didn’t know how much longer she continues running like that. She was already taking large gasping breaths.
“Are you ok?” a vendor asked as she used his hot dog stand for support.
She nodded still panting.
“Is someone chasing you?” he asked.
She shook her head and said, “I skipped,” pause for a breath, “detention early, and,” another breath, “need to get home,” once more, “and say good bye to him.” She finished her breath slowing down. “How much for a water?” she asked nodding at the small water bottle on display.
“Five dollars,” he said pulling one out, “but just two for you.”
“Oh, Thank you,” she said pulling out two dollars. They traded money and water and she drank it all in one gulp, throwing the empty bottle in the recycling bin. She pulled the uncomfortable shoes her school made her wear off her feet and threw them in her bag.
“Can I ask you, why in such a hurry to see the guy?” the vendor questioned.
“I love him,” she said before continuing on her way.
Ivy ran into the house not bothering to close the door behind her. It was 3:55, that means 15 minutes till he leaves, and detention wasn’t over yet. She could tell from one glance around the room that no one was down stairs. Tim was most likely still at the law firm, since he didn’t get out for another hour. She hurried up the stairs to his room, she opened the door and looked in.
He stood over the guest bed zipping up his suitcase. She stood in the doorway arriving just in time to say good-bye.
She wasn’t able to say anything, too nervous that he was disappointed to see her, or that he wanted to leave with out saying anything. She tried to say something but she just stood there unable to take her eyes away. She had just realized that she loved him, and now he was leaving.
A feeling of déjà vu washed over her. Last time, she had realized that she liked him, in more then a physical way, and he left. Now the feelings where stronger and the hate of the moment was so much more intense. She didn’t want him to leave; she felt like a goalie attending to the net, right now she’d do anything to keep him from passing. She wouldn’t let him.
She wouldn’t bare to let him, it might be the thing that would destroy her, having him leave like this.
She’d be a wreck if she knew that she had let him leave when she could have done something.
As he stood in front of her, she felt meek. Her feeling of determination disappeared only leaving the thought, ‘Why would he care about a high school girl, when he has, Sierra?’
“Ivy,” he said, suitcase in hand, “I love you.”
He leaned forward in attempt to kiss her. She moved away, “You have someone,” she mumbled.
“What?” he questioned dumbfounded by her statement. She looked back up at him.
“I over heard them,” she choked back tears, “They said that you had Sierra now, and that you loved her.”
He laughed in relief, “It’s true,” he shook his head nostalgically, “I love Sierra, she’s the love of my life.”
Ivy was heart broken, “But,” she tried to say. She had hoped that he said that Sierra was just someone, no one compared to her, not confirm that he did indeed truly loved her.
“Hey, listen,” he said looking into her eyes, “I love her, but I’m not in love with her like I am with you. And I’m glad that she left her behind, but I’d love to raise Sierra with Iverna,” he said sincerely.
Ivy grabbed him around the waist hugging him, “Don’t go,” she whined unintentionally; “I couldn’t stand it if you did.”
“Don’t worry,” he said one arm wrapped around her shoulders, “I have to, but in a month I’ll be back, we’re going on tour. Tim said he’d bring you to the show.”
“No,” she held him closer, “Stay here, with me forever.”
“Don’t worry,” he said kissing her on the head, “I have to go, the taxi’s here.”
She stood in the doorway after he left until Tim came home and convinced her to go down stairs and eat something.
Ivy laid in bed fast asleep, dreams dancing though her head.
“Ivy,” a voice called from the door way, “Come down to breakfast, I’ve got a surprise for you!”
She made a grumble noise and crawled out of bed pulling on an oversized t-shirt over her head coving her body. “Listen, Tim, when you get me a muffin for breakfast isn’t that much of a surprise anymore,” she announced entering the kitchen.
There leaning on the counter was her morning surprise, Seager. She couldn’t run over and hug him fast enough. Once her arms where wrapped around him securely, he retuned the embrace while whispering, into her ear: “You’re not wearing a bra,” his warm breath against her ear sending exciting chills down her spine.
Then her alarm went off, waking her up from the blissful slumber, these reoccurring dreams where getting annoying.
This dream was not a first. He invaded all her dreams, day and night. A month never moved so slowly. This morning was special, and she knew from the moment that she looked at the clock. 30 days had past since she had skipped detention (and gotten 2 more in return) to rush home to say good-bye to him. This night, Northern was performing.
The icing on the cake of this celebration was that night previous to this glorious morning was her graduation. She was freed from the torturous idea of high school.
She hurried down the stairs, feeling like a dream, because there leaning on the counter talking to Tim was none other than the Seagull she dreamed of. “Seager!” she almost screamed leaping on him hugging him. He hugged her back just as tight, if not more then.
He spun her around saying, “Ivy, I missed you so much!” while she argued that she longed for him over that passing month more.
Seager leaned into kiss her, the butterflies in her stomach awaking to full force, putting the dream ones to shame. Someone spoke but she didn’t focus on who had spoken, only on the slowly in closing lips.
She probably should have paid more attention, for the speaker caused the anticipated kiss to be redirected to her fore head. Her face dropped.
“Hey,” he said releasing Ivy from his grip, “Uh, Star, hey, yeah, uhm, this is Ivy. The girl who was, uh, like my student, well, she was my student, but she’s the only one who I’ve kept in some-what contact with since then. And Ivy, this is Star my good fri-,” he started to explain but was interrupted.
“Girl friend,” she said holding her hand out.
“What?” Ivy asked her face dropping more—if that was possible, “Wow, Seag, you never told me anything about a, uh, a girl friend,” she said looking up at him. “Would you all please excuse me, I want to go change,” she excused herself to her room.
“She seems cool,” Star said after Ivy had left the room before returning to the living room to talk to Elise.
Seager stood in the kitchen shifting his weight from foot to foot. “You better go fucking explain,” Tim scolded him.
“Well, I’m not-,”
“Not to me, idiot,” Tim interrupted his explanation.
“Right,” he mumbled before walking upstairs after Ivy.
Once she had entered her room, she had begun to change, he entered as she zipped up her jeans and began to look for a shirt. He wasn’t sure if she had not heard him, or was just ignoring his presence. He lightly touched the bare skin of her shoulder.
She shuddered like his hand was a cold breeze. “Ivy,” he said just above a whisper. She turned around slightly fresh tears streaking her cheeks. “Oh, Ivy,” he said his face dropping at her distraught appearance. He placed one hand gently on her cheek moving her head to face him. Seager placed his lips onto hers, kissing her.
She didn’t kiss back, she didn’t make any movements as if she where being fazed by his actions at all. When he pulled away to look in her eyes she dropped onto the bed a new wave of sobs hitting her in full force.
He sat next to her on the flowered comforter that draped over her bed, matching it to the girly décor of the room that he felt did not match her personality. He pulled her to him, stroking her dark hair. Ivy didn’t want his comfort though, and she pushed him away. Sniffling she accused him of lying, “I thought you said to wait. I thought that meant you, too not just me,” her eyes searching his for answers.
“I’m not going with her,” he said simply.
“Really is that so?” her reply was sarcastic and sharp.
“Yeah it is,” He returned raising his voice slightly, “Elise said I owed her for convincing me to come down to visit Tim,” He rose from the bed to stand in front of her, “Tim knew who you where, but him and Elise decided to surprise me, and you I guess,” he added the last part in a mumble.
“To repay Elise I went out on a double date with her boyfriend’s younger sister, and them. I told her to make it clear to Star that the date was nothing for I was in love with someone,” He sighed, “At the end of the night I gave her a kiss on the head because Elise kicked me when I just said good night. Apparently in the county, that’s a way of saying that you want to go steady with someone. Or maybe it was when Cam suggested that Star come on tour to handle merchandise, because he liked her and Elise told her ‘one of the band members want you to come on tour,’ and didn’t mention who because Cam is a pussy,” he looked Ivy in the eyes as he sat on the bed.
“You know how I am, I’m not a mean guy, and it would break her heart if I said, ‘No I don’t like you, I think you’re ugly and nothing compared to a Star…or Ivy,” His face was solemn as he spoke, his voice was more relaxed but a bit strained, “We’ve been trying as hard as we can, the entire band, to get her to think I’m a disgusting sewer rat, and that she should go for Cam, Ian even told her that I have syphilis!” he sighed, “It’s been really annoying just having her around all the time and Elise not doing anything about it,” he looked down at his hands, “That’s why I was hoping you’d join us for the last few venues. Your dad said it’d be ok, and he liked it because it’d be cheaper than flying you up to spend the summer with your mom,” He finished. His gaze bore into her radiating hopefulness to her.
She didn’t say anything but her response was to lean foreword to wrap her arms around her neck and kiss him. He immediately returned the sign of affection while wrapping an arm around her waist as she played with his hair. He soon deepened the kiss leaning backwards so that she was pulled on top of him as they laid across the bed.
He broke the kiss and whispered, “Is that a yes?” He response was again to lean in and kiss him.
“Are you going to go set up at the club or make babies,” A voice came from the door way, “And mind you, there is no way in hell that I’ll baby sit a mini Seager-Ivy,” Tim said, “Common, you need to get going,” he pointed at the man on bottom, “And you need a shower,” he pointed to the girl. He began to leave then turned around to quickly say, “Alone,” before leaving the room.
“There she goes,” she heard a soft voice say from a head, “there she goes again,” the voice continued to say. She stood up careful to step over the body in a bag lying near the door. “Racing through my brain,” She climbed over the empty coffee cups that where strewn across the floor. “And I just can't contain, the feelings that remain,” the person continued to sing as Ivy lowered her self in to the shotgun seat of the van.
She sat sideways, her back resting against the car door, “Morning,” she said leaning forward slightly to kiss the man driving—and singing—on the cheek. He moved his head slightly to kiss her back. They sat there, keeping each other company with their presence as he continued to sing.
“No one else could heal my pain,” he said, never raising his voice to loud. She was completely relaxed, the sound of his voice blended with that of the 18-wheelers passing by on the interstate. The only source of light being the one that radiated from the clock on the dash and the amber hue of the street lamps that they past ever so often providing enough light that when mixed with the head lamps allowed a traveler to see their path as they drove. “And I just can't contain, this feeling that remains,”
“Could we ever be together?” she asked the sound escaping from her mouth feared to be too loud and disrupt the peaceful feeling of the early morning.
“What?” he asked looking at her quickly before returning his eyes to the vaguely lit road.
“Could we ever be together,” she repeated barely any louder, “Like in a house together, sharing a bed, and a dresser and a kitchen and all those other things, could that happen to us?”
His eyes traveled back to her face staying there for a longer period “Of course, but we have to want it,” he replied looking forward again.
“I do,”
“I do, too,”
“Then, why don’t we have all that stuff together?”
“Because you where still in high school and I was your teacher,” Seager explained.
“Well, why can’t we now, why wont you move to New York and get an apartment with me while I go to college?”
“Your school doesn’t let you get an apartment until you’re a junior,” he stated.
She was slightly hurt by this, “Do you not think we would be able to have an apartment together?”
“No, I think we could, I mean we’d both be working double shifts, and you’d have classes to worry about homework and essays, but I think if we tried hard enough we could make it work,” he smiled at her.
“So my junior year you’ll move in with me?” she asked getting excited by the idea.
“No,”
“What?” she slouched, surprised by his response.
“I can’t promise that now,”
“Why not,”
“Well, stuff happens and-,”
“You don’t think we’ll be together still then?”
“No! Not at all, Ivy I love you, and I plan on loving you for a long time, it’s just, Sierra is going to spend the summer with me and if she enjoys it with me, she may continue to spend the rest of the year with me. Of course she’d keep visiting her fathers but she may eventually come to live with me. Ivy we would be able to make it, if it was just you and I, but a child is a lot of work and I don’t think we’d be able to live in New York with it being the three of us.” He explained, “You get what I’m saying?”
“Yeah I do,” she was still upset.
“But hey, there’s still a while till then, ask me next year and if I haven’t said yes then ask me again your junior year.
“Ok, I’m going back to sleep,” she stood up to walk back to the furthest away row of seats.
“Ivy,” he grabbed her elbow, “I love and I would never dream of hurting you intentionally,” he kissed her, it was a light peck, to say goodnight, but still that he cared deeply about her. I caused her to go to sleep smiling.
Ivy sat atop of a box of shirts that bore the image of a snowcapped mountain with a large flag on the peek that said ‘northern’. She was sitting at the table the band sold t-shirts and CDs. “Oo, look at that boy over there,” Star giggled from the folding chair next to Ivy’s stack of boxes.
“Eh, I don’t really like tight pants on a guy,” she shrugged in response. “Makes them look to feminine. It’s like they had to cut their balls off just to fit into the pants, and because of the body’s natural overdoes of testosterone when that happens and so the body ups the estrogen so they’re balanced,” she explained, “Like in fight club with Bob who has bitch tits.”
“I just think it’s hot. I wish Seaggy would wear tight pants more often.” Star said causing Ivy to twitch at the horrible nickname.
“It’s not his style, he’s not a skinny little twig, you know?”
“Hey how’s it going?” A sweaty Ian, the new drummer since Tim left, asked coming back from their finish set.
Both of the girls mumbled something along the lines of ‘fine’ before he walked off to go outside into the cool air.
“Ian might get away with wearing tight pants, he’s also a bit too built,” Ivy stated as two other band members walked by to join the previous one.
“Yeah but I’m not going out with Ian,” Star smirked at Ivy, though she wasn’t paying attention.
“Did he ever actually ask you out, or did you?”
“Well I mean, not technically with words, and well, he’s not exactly very affectionate, but,” she stopped talking.
“Speak of the devil,” Ivy said smirking at the dark haired man standing in front of the table, “What can we do for you, sir?” she joked.
“Uh gotta band-aid,” he asked a bit out of it as a stream of blood made it’s way steadily down his face from the hairline.
“Oh my gosh, what happened?” Star exclaimed hopping up.
“Star, you watch the booth. Common Seager let’s go out side where the first aid box is,” Ivy said hopping over the table to help him.
“I can do it why don’t you-,” the blond girl began to respond but was interrupted by a fan looking to purchase something. Ivy took the opportunity to escort him outside.
She lifted up the hair in his face and used a tissue to wipe away the blood. “It’s just a small scratch, what’d you do get hit in the head with a guitar head?” she asked cleaning the wound.
“Bass head actually,” he responded as she put an ointment before applying the bandage.
“How’d you manage that?” she laughed putting the final touches on.
“I’m not totally sure, to be honest,” he smiled down at her, “Thank you nurse,” he leaned forward and pecked her on the lips.
“No problem,” she retuned the kiss, “We should play doctor more often.”
“Oh, yeah I’d like that.”
“I know you would,”
“Stop acting like hormonal teenagers and help us pack up unless you don’t want to return to the county for another day,” Cam called from the trailer.
“Alright, be there in a sec,” Seager called before kissing her again and walking off to help the others.
She smiled to herself as he left only to look up and see Star standing on the stoop leading to the hall they had just closed up after all the audience had left. Ivy and Seager had hidden the fact that they where in love up until tonight. It was the last show on the tour and she didn’t expect to see Star after tonight.
“Hey, mom?” Ivy said into the cell phone. The band was on its way back up north to the different member’s home, “What? Oh, no it’s ok. No it is. Yeah it’s s’alright; no I can find somewhere to stay. Yeah, ok, love you, buh-bye,” Ivy hung up the cell phone and looked to the boy next to her in the van. She laid down stretching across his lap to put his cell phone away in his sweater that was strewn further down the bench length seat.
“So what did she say,” he asked petting her hair.
“I need somewhere to stay,” she said making her head comfortable.
“Ian! On ward to Oxford!” he called forward to his only band mate who had not been dropped off at their home.
“What, but wait, we need to stop at Emily’s house or something,” she sat up to look at him.
“You’re not going to come stay with me?” his face forming into one of a sad puppy.
“My mom—,” she began but was interrupted by Seager whispering in her ear.
“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” he smirked and kissed her earlobe.
She giggled by the tickling feeling of his lips, “I guess but,”
“Hey, no sex in the back seat while the vehicle is in motion,” a voice called out.
“Sorry,” she called back before curling up, her head resting in his lap, for the few more minutes before they arrived at Seager’s apartment.
They stood outside of a wood door with metal pieces spelling out ‘5a’. He inserted a key into the lock, jiggled the handle around the pushed the door open. “Welcome to my current place of residence,” Seager said sweeping his arm out to present the small apartment to Ivy.
“I’m amazed,” she said walking over to the couch that sat with it’s back against the wall.
“Really?” he asked looking happy as he set the bags on the floor next to the door.
“Yeah, it’s making the van look clean,” she said sitting down on the couch.
“Oh, common, I throw out my coffee cups,” he said walking towards her.
She threw here feet up onto the couch, “So only two rooms?”
“Hey, don’t go changing subject, and new clean policy no feet on couch,” he lifted her legs up to move them when she grabbed the collar of his shirt pulling him closer to kiss. He lost his balance and began to fall forward but caught himself on the armrest, his arms on either side of her head.
“Do I sense some sexual tension?” he asked as she began to kiss his neck. He laughed slightly which soon turned into a moan as she found his ‘hot spot’. “Oh man,” Ivy began to unbutton his shirt giggling at his reaction to the new hickey.
Seager straddled Ivy kissing her fiercely as one hand rested on her hip playing with the hem of her shirt. She kissed him back his tongue playing with hers as she pushed his shirt off. His hand rode up her stomach his thumb rubbing just below her bra.
That’s when the phone rang. He grumbled angrily before picking up the receiver that sat on the side table next to the couch, and saying “Thurston Seag’s living room, Young man with a hard-on speaking how may I help you. You know what fuck you Tim,” he handed the phone to Ivy before saying, “It’s for you, I’m going to the bathroom, I’ll be back in a few.”
“Hey,” she said to her dad’s intern, “How’s the city?”
“Brutal. What was Seager saying about a hard-on?”
“Nothing, nothing at all. How’s dad?”
“He’s fine, won that last suit so we’ve been celebrating,”
“Sounds fun, wish I could be there,”
“Yeah, well we both miss you dearly,” he said, “But I have to jet, later,”
“Alright, later,”
Ivy woke up lying on Seager’s bed. She didn’t find this odd at first, but after a moment of waking up she remembered that because of the heat last night, she had chosen to sleep in the other room on the twin size bed. She had gone to bed just wearing her underwear, and didn’t want to tempt anything since they where sweaty enough as they climbed into bed.
But here she woke up lying on the soft white sheets curled up by herself in Seager’s bed, still wearing what she fell asleep in. She sat up looking around the room for a hint to why. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Seager making eggs, the sheets pushed off the bed, everything seeming as it would be any other morning.
“Morning my veleno,” he said leaning over the foot of the bed to give her a morning kiss.
She held the pillow over her chest as she kissed him back.
“Morning, hey do you know why I’m in your bed, when I most definitely fell asleep in the other room,” she asked as he sighed stretching out and laying on his back across the bed.
“Man, I thought that since you didn’t wake up you wouldn’t realize what happened,” She laid on her side resting her head on his stomach making circles with her index finger on the revealed skin just above the waste band on his boxers and the hem of his old t-shirt. “Well, first let me state that rape is such an ugly word, and surprise sex sounds so much more fun,” he propped himself up on his elbows, “and if you don’t stop that ‘making-circles-with-your-finer’ thing right now, I don’t know what’s going to happen but I cannot be held responsible for it.”
She smirked leaning forward kissing him, not romantically like normal, but a bit more lustfully. He moved one hand on to her cheek pulling her closer, so she was leaning against him. Ivy reached down to the hem of his shirt pulling it up and over breaking the kiss.
As she leaned against Seager again his breath caught for just a second but she noticed. She pulled away sitting next to him, “Seager, honestly since she died, how many times have you had sex?”
“A few times,” she looked at him, “once or twice.”
“Really?”
“Well, it depends on how you define ‘sex’. I mean it definitely was a type of sex,”
“What kind?”
“Oral,”
“Oh my gosh, Seager you’re putting monks to shame,” she giggled at him.
“Ha, ha,” he returned sarcastically, before being surprised by her straddling him, kissing him.
“We gotta change that I say,” she said before kissing him with such force that his head hit the wall.
That didn’t stop the couple though, what did was Ian entering and saying, “Am I interrupting something?”
“Tell me again why I gave him a spare key,” Seager said sighing. Ivy laughed as she moved off of him pulling his shirt on herself. “And once again, I’ll be a minute,” he stated as he walked to the bathroom mumbling about always getting interrupted.
“So Ian, to what do we owe this lovely visit?” Ivy asked politely from the bed.
“So, you know how Star finally hooked up with Cam?” Ian said sitting Indian style on the foot of the fold out.
“No I didn’t know that, when did this happen?” she asked getting interested.
“Last Saturday, though it’s just to make ‘Seagy’ jealous,” he made air quotes, “I over heard her and Elise talking. So anyway, there’s like this open mike thing tonight at New Grounds, and she’s dragging Cam along saying the poem she was reading was about stuff from this summer. Cam is forcing me to come so I thought I’d force you guys, you know just for kicks of bugging you two, though I’m starting to think that just walking in was bad enough. He’s taking a while isn’t he?”
“Why do you think?”
“Oh,” he said realizing what was going on. “I’m surpize you guys are that, er you know, active. We where starting to think he was a dead beat. Last thing he did sexually with a girl was almost 3 years ago we forced him to get a blow job from a friend to help him calm down before a show, didn’t really help though the show sucked,”
“Ivy you caused this, you should be ending it,” Seager called from the bathroom, obviously eves dropping.
“But anyway I also though listening to her reading what she calls a poem would be good for some laughs too,” Ian continued to explain.
“Yeah it sounds like it’d be classic, especially seeing those two together, I mean it’s just so wrong,” Ivy joked.
“Ok, so I’ll come get you guys at five, later I got to go get milk for mom,” Ian said walking out of the apartment.
A second later Seager stepped out of the restroom and flopped onto the bed.
“I think the eggs are cold,” he said before rolling over to nap.
“Ready?” Seager asked standing at the door.
“Yeah,” Ivy replied monotone, as she pulled on her shoes.
“Hey what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she smiled at him, it was a forced smile though.
“Common,” he said leading her out the door. They stood in the elevator listening to the ding for every floor till they reached the ground. “Hey, I know you really don’t care to go hear Star read her poems, but it’ll only be five minutes,” he said hoping to cheer her up. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they walked out the front door to the open mic night.
“God, it’s been forever, I fear that I am looking forward to Star’s, because that will mean it’s over,” Ivy groaned as she rested her head on Seager’s shoulder.
“Aw, common cheer up, you know Ian said he’d take us out for drinks later,” he said placing his arm around her shoulder as he had before.
“I can’t drink,” she looked up at him with a ‘sad puppy’ face.
“I’m sorry, I forgot, you always seem so mature to me,” he kissed her forehead. “Maybe since you can’t have fun with the group, we could ditch them and head home for our own kind of fun,” he suggested his voice dropping to a slight whisper to avoid eves droppers.
“I think I’d like that,” she kissed him lightly on the lips while slipping her hand to his thigh.
“Wait for the apartment, Star’s about to start,” he said holding her hand with his free one.
“Fine,” she huffed crossing her arms over her chest.
“Hey, don’t be like that,” he whined kissing her jaw line.
“Why can’t we just leave?”
“We promised Ian, any way it’s almost over,”
“But,”
“Shh, be quite while they’re performing,”
“Gosh you sound like a teacher,”
“I was a teacher,”
“Well it doesn’t work for you,” she said returning to the crossed arms and looking in the opposite direction.
He held her chin and moved her head to face him. He planted a big loving kiss right on her lips, “I love you, Ivy,”
“I love you more,” she smiled broadly at him.
Meanwhile up on stage Star stood at the microphone watching before introducing her self, “Hello, My name is Star, and I’m going to read an original poem that I call tea,”
Ivy was extremely tempted to scoff loudly but remembered that Seager might get put out by her being rude and chose to sit quietly resting her forehead on his shoulder.
His arm had been slung over the back of the chair, but as she rested her head on him, he lifted his hand to pet her smooth hair.
Star cleared her throat and began, “Sitting in a shop, No, a parlor, No, in my backyard, No, I am nowhere in particular, because that’s not important, what is important?”
Ivy found herself thinking something along the lines, ‘you’re not important’.
While Seager thought, ‘I hope Ivy doesn’t do anything rude’ as he continued to stroke her hair.
Star carried on reading, “Is that my tea is cracking the cup, the heat was too strong, now my heart, or teacup is cracked, because the tea was haughty, and lied,”
Ivy almost groaned at realizing the fact that the poem was about Seager and Star’s obsession with him that pass summer.
“It didn’t tell me that it goes better with milk, I had put in honey, honey is sweet, honey is sticky, honey is loved. But the tea wanted milk, because milk cools the tea, makes it not hot, will not cracked the cup, but milk goes sour, unlike honey.”
‘Honey gives you fucking cavities, at least milk makes your bones strong,’
“I can’t get a new cup, but I can get a type of tea that likes honey, that enjoys the sweetness, that wants to be loved,” Star finished, “Thank you everyone for coming.”
“Thank god it’s over,” Ivy said as soon as she stopped talking.
“Common it wasn’t that bad,” he replied.
“Did you get what it was about?”
“Tea,” he said.
“Aren’t you a English teacher? The tea was a metaphor,” she said almost condescendingly.
“Really, I didn’t get that vibe from it,”
“Yeah, you where the tea, her; the honey, her heart; the cup, me or any other girl; the milk,” Ivy said as they walked out the door to the gallery to the street.
“I guess that makes sense, I guess. Now, let’s go back to the apartment,” he steered her towards the car.
“Ivy!” Someone called from behind them.
She turned around to come face to face with Star, “Hey I haven’t seen you in a while, how ya doing?”
“Fine, fine, and you?”
“Ok, you know, I’m with Cam now, but I guess you heard that. Did you like my poem?” she asked a bit bubbly.
“It was ok, but next time pick a topic people would give enough of a shit about to listen to it,”
“Ivy let’s get going,” Seager said putting his hand on her shoulder.
“No, she should probably hear this. You guys sugar coat stuff too much, you know? Instead of telling her that you didn’t remotely like her, even as an acquaintance, you lead her on letting her think that you returned her feelings. You should have flat out said, “Star I don’t like you and only went on that date because Elise made me, I don’t like you in fact, I have a girlfriend.’
“And Star, you should get some brains, and be able to tell when a guy doesn’t like you,” Ivy was fuming, “and realize that no one gives a shit about your little sob story, ok? Come out of your little bubble and take a look at the real world,” she turned on her heal and started towards the car.
“Ivy,” Star called out, “that was really mean.”
Ivy looked back at her and said in a fierce voice, “Fuck, fuck, fuck you. No one likes you, no one cares.”
That’s when Star snapped and placed her hands on Ivy’s shoulders and shoved. The entire occurrence of Ivy’s head connecting with pavement took up a split second; the ambulance took a minute, but everyone who had witnessed it was in shock until the doctor made the announcement on if she’ll be ok.
Seager stood in the crisp white room looking at the bed. The girl lay on the bed motionless wires coming from every limb of her body. He watched her looking so peaceful, he wandered if thoughts where still moving through her head or if it was just empty. If she had that dream about the muffin one more time. He wondered if she had experienced any pain or if it was in an instant, if she had heard the sirens coming.
It was his fault, if he had just gotten up and left when she wanted to, instead of staying. The poem wasn’t even worth staying for. He wished he had never met Star. He wished she didn’t have a short temper. He wished Ivy hadn’t said all that to Star. He wished Ivy was well and he could hold her.
He sat in the ugly maroon chair; it reminded him of the one in the shrink’s office that the school had students go see after his classmate killed her self. The physiatrist had been wearing a light yellow shirt and pinstriped pants. On her feet he could see the sores she had from her shoes. She had asked him if he was close to that girl, if he had spent anytime with her. He shook his head no. Seager was small for his age then, he sat in the plush chair his feet dangling above the ground.
He played with the ball-in-cup toy as she asked him questions. “Do you know why she did that?” she asked.
“No, I never talked to her,”
“But you saw her around, did she seem sad to you?”
“No, well sometimes, but sometimes she seemed happy. Isn’t it natural to be sad sometimes?”
“Yes, but some people are always sad and never happy. It’s called depression.”
“Did she have depression?”
“It’s possible, most people who commit suicide have untreated depression.”
“Do I have depression?”
“Do you think you have depression?”
“I get sad sometimes, but that’s natural, right?” She nodded, “and happiness is natural too, and so is death. It happens to everyone eventually, right?”
She thought for a moment, “Yeah I guess that’s true. I’m sorry to cut this short, Thurston—,”
“Seagull,”
“Seagull, I’m sorry to say good bye but I have to meet with your other classmates,”
“Ok, but I don’t want depression,”
“Then I don’t think you’ll get it,” She replied as he walked out the door.
He moved the chair closer to Ivy’s bed taking her hand, “I’ll always be happy as long as I have someone to make me happy,” he squeezed her hand gently.
And she squeezed back. He smiled and asked, “How are you?”
“Tired,”
“Then I’ll come back tomorrow, now please rest and get better, so I can hold you again,” he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.
“I will,” she said going back to sleep.
He carefully and quietly walked out of the white room that didn’t seem as harsh anymore.
--
Seager walked in the white room quickly, excited to see Ivy. She was sitting up in her bed watching the TV. She smiled as she watched him walking in. “Hey,” he returned her smile walking over and kissing her. “How are you?” becoming serious for a second as he sat in the ugly maroon chair.
“I’m a lot better, I had a monster headache this morning, but I’m fine now,” she was happy to see him, “Are you ok?” she said noticing the look on his face.
“Yeah, it’s just I’ve been thinking,” Ivy’s face dropped, “No, no, nothing bad,” he almost jump out of his seat when seeing her sad, “I’ve been thinking about Sierra, and, and she’s not my daughter,” he fiddled with his hands nervously, “She was Iverna’s daughter, not mine, and now she’s Kurt and Chuck’s daughter. They love her and I could never ever take her away from them.”
She didn’t know what to say to this or why he was telling her this.
“So, the house I’m working on we’ll be done by September and when we finish I’m going to sell my apartment and almost everything in it, and move to New York. So that way, I’ll be closer to you, and you can come over when ever you want, I’ll give you a key. And it’ll be great,” he smiled at her and she smiled back at him.
“So what I’m trying to say really is like, that It’s so weird hearing all the nurses call you Ivy Crane, because I always think of you as Ivy Seag.”
She didn’t say anything she couldn’t think of anything to say. She was happy, she’d never been happier.
“I’m sorry that sounds weird and I guess, well I don’t know,” he said resting his face in his hands.
“Seager,” he looked up at her through his fingers, “I love you, too.”
He jumped up and kissed her, “I got you this, it-it’s just a promise ring so you wont forget me when you leave to go to New York in a few days,” he pulled a small box out of his jacket pocket. She knew what it was and her face glowed as he opened it. “It’s just a simple ring, sterling silver no decorations and it says something on the inside if you look,” he pointed to the inside of the ring carefully so that his hand wouldn’t get in the way and she could read it.
“I love it, but not as much as I love you,” she smiled up and kissed him. He went to slip it on her right ring finger, but there was a heart monitor attached to that finger.
“Well here, I’ll set it in the box right here on the side table so you can look at it, and when the let you go it’ll be right here for you to put on,”
“Excuse me, sir,” a nurse said from the door, “Visiting hours is over.”
“Ok,” he said, still kneeling next to her bed.
“I love you,” she said kissing him.
“I love you,” he replied returning the kiss, “Now go back to sleep, you need to rest before you leave.”
“Ok,” she said laying down as he fluffed her pillow and pulled up her sheets, “I love you,”
“I love you, too,”
“But I really love you,”
“I know,”
“Sir, you really have to go,” the nurse said.
“Ok, I’ll be back tomorrow morning before you leave for your flight,”
“Ok,” he walked away to the door and she said again, “I love you,”
“I know, now go to sleep.”