Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Love Actually

He reaches for her as a moan escapes from between her clenched teeth. A whisper penetrates the darkness:
"What do you need?"
Lost in agony she grasps his hand beneath the covers:
"I don't know yet", she replies, body frozen in pain, locked in position with tears creating salty paths from beneath closed lids to hairline: wetting her pillow.




He slides out of their warm bed and makes his way to the window, sliding it shut. Reaching up she locks her arms around his strong neck and he lifts her into a reclining position. Screams stay imprisoned behind locked lips.
One skirmish won on this dark Tuesday morning.

Pain rules the moment, but insidious tendrils of something else, something stronger than the agony, filter through the red hot haze.

Her face is buried in his neck as her feet shuffle with his in a stumbling dance to the washroom. Strong hands, tender hands cradle her as she, unable to carry her own weight: leans heavily on his arms.

Love weaves it's way through and wraps itself around her heart. tears of gratitude mingle with tears of pain.  "I have what I need", she whispers as he falls back asleep beside her, hand stretched out to maintain connection as he steals a few more minutes before beginning his day. 

She waits for the meds to kick in. As the minutes pass she recalls the day she said: "I do."
 Her eyes drift closed as she realizes: This day was encompassed in that moment, like a forest is encased in a single seed. The words of the song: 'What is this thing called Love...' drift through her mind...along with the answer to the question: This is that thing called Love...this is Love Actually!
And she smiles.....and the pain gives an inch.

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