Ok, to be fair, I am basking in front of the TV on Holly’s couch, wearing nothing but boy-shorts, wool socks, and her Maple Leafs jersey, still wrapped in the duvet from her bed. Watching endless episodes of Myth Busters has been giving me the much needed time and space to relax by myself and think. I was just starting to doze off again, when I heard the front door click open. Smiling to myself, I listen to Holly going through her home coming ritual, the rustle of her outer layers being removed and hung, the jingle of keys landing on their hook by the door, the scuffle of shoes, kicked carelessly onto their matt, and the click of a deadbolt sliding shut. I don’t move, pretending to be asleep, enjoying expectation of what comes next. I can almost see her smile as I hear her sigh and walk quietly on bare feet in my direction. She leans over the back of the couch and brushes the hair from my face with gentle fingers. I open my eyes to catch her biting her lower lip and smiling that fucking adorable, goofy, love sick, smile she sometimes does. I tilt my face up for a kiss hello.

”Hey beautiful!” She sighs into my mouth, ”I was hoping you would still be here!”

Her eyes are almost dark amber in the late afternoon light, liquid, and warm. I reach up to take her hand, ”Come sit with me.” I ask with a languid stretch, and smile. ”You’re early. What are you doing home?”

She makes her way around the couch, not letting go of my hand. I pull back the duvet and invite her in.

”What’s this?” She plucks at the neckline of her jersey I’m wearing. ”I didn’t think you liked hockey. Did you pull that out of my laundry?”

I grin and blush, ducking my head under a corner of the quilt. It smells like her. She knows that I am wearing it because it’s just so, her, but she can’t resist teasing.

”It’s the middle of the afternoon, you’re home. Is everything ok?” I ask, sitting up straighter.

”Your friend Christopher ended up in my lab this morning, so I took the rest of the day off to see if you were ok.” Holly said quietly. ”You could have said something…”