Home Again

What else can be said of that night? It was simply fantastic.

You snuggle a long time on the couch. Felix eventually gathers his nerve and reappears when he was sure it was safe and you all enjoy a good laugh about what had happened. Felix, having gotten over the initial shock of walking in on you, now seemed overjoyed that you and Casey were getting so close.

Felix, sensing the pair of you wanted only to be alone right now, makes an excuse and disappears once more.

Casey lay on the couch, her head on your lap, and stares up at you.

"You may be teased. Bullied." She says softly. "Some people can be cruel when they see two men together."

You stroke her hair. "Bullying...I can handle. I don't care about any of that."

She smiles. "Okay."

Together you head to bed. Spooning together, with you as big spoon, you squeeze your naked bodies together on Casey's small bed. With the smell of her soft hair filling your nostrils you drift off to sleep, holding your girl...your woman...your man close to you.

In the morning you wake up together. Kiss, hug, and make love. You shower together and share breakfast with Felix. He chuckles and comments about how stupid in love the pair of you were. You and Casey only laugh and stare at each other more.

It was Saturday and you had nothing pressing to do today. You wanted so badly to stay, and you were very welcome to do so...but there was something you had to do.

It was time to go home.

You were running on your third day on this set of clothes, having spent one night at your aunts then last night here, but that wasn't the real reason you wanted to head back.

You and Casey stand at the door to her house and you smooch for a ridiculous amount of time. Finally you push away. "I've got to go."

"I know." She grins. "See you soon?"

"That's a promise."

"Jesse...you mean a lot to me. Thank you for staying last night."

"No, thank you. You're a special person Casey. I'm blessed to have met you." You both beam. You kiss those sweet lips one last time and head out the door. She stands on her stoop to wave goodbye and you wave back.

Life wasn't perfect, but by god you couldn't ever remember being happier. Your entire drive home all you could think about was Casey and when you'd get to see her again. Yeah, you had it bad.

You pull up to see only your mother's SUV in the driveway. Fiona wasn't home. You stride up to the house. Knowing your mother she'd be in her office working, she quite often worked Saturdays especially if she had the place to herself. You walk in and are surprised to see your mother fast asleep on the sofa. She wasn't laid out properly though, she sort of had fallen to her side with her legs still hanging off. She was still dressed. You could see by her puffy pinkened eyes that she had been crying.

A box of tissues was on the coffee table, along with countless crumple used ones strewn about in small piles. In the center of the table an old family photo album lay open, you see photos of you and your siblings as children and you see a picture had been removed. Your eyes scan across to see the picture, now bent and folded and curled at the corners and tear stained, in your sleeping mother's hand. She clutched it tightly to her breast.

Creeping up as quietly as you could you gently and carefully pull the picture from her hand.

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