More Than A Memory-Ch13

Two weeks later I watched the game from the comfort of our bed wrapped up in the blankets that had his scent on them. They were losing by 3 in the last period and you could tell something wasn't clicking within the team. In the final five minutes of the game Sid got a high stick under his visor on his right temple. It looked like a nasty cut and he left the game before it was finished. I knew he would be mad when he got home. First of all they lost, second he got cut and the dumb referees didn't call it. I kept the TV on to watch the post game, but he wasn't on at all. I sighed and shut the TV off around 11:30 and tried to fall asleep.

I woke up to the sound of the garage door opening and closing. I listened to him come in the first door, shut it. Come in the second door, shut it. Go to the alarm, set the code, and turn it on. Grab a water out of the fridge and walk up the stairs. He walked into the room and shut the door; I wasn't facing him so I couldn't see his face. His actions seemed calm, but yet again say one wrong thing on a bad game day and you'll wish you didn't say anything at all. He turned on the dim side table light and I listened to him go in and out of the closet changing into a T-shirt and shorts. Soon enough he climbed into bed. "I know you're awake" he said quietly, annoyed. I swore under my breath and rolled over towards him. "Go ahead do your injury evaluation" he said after I winced looking at the cut on his temple, stitched together. "Does it hurt" I asked. "Not anymore" he said. I reached out to him and brushed his other cheek with my hand, feeling his jaw muscles tense beneath my fingertips. I sank back down into the sheets and rolled over. He shut the light off a minute later and lay down next to me.

*

The next morning I woke up before Sid’s alarm, which was to ring in 10 minutes. I was careful not to move the bed too much as I got up. I threw on a sweat shirt and made my way down to the kitchen. I decided to make us egg white omelets with low fat cheese and tomatoes. A few minutes later I heard him come downstairs. I slipped the perfect steaming omelets onto plates with two pieces of wheat toast and two glasses of orange juice. I put the meals onto the table and sat down at the seat across from him. He sat down and I folded my legs up onto the chair.

I began eating quickly, not saying a word to him. He ate slower and in complete silence. The eggs were scalding my throat on the way down, but I figured it was better than saying something wrong and having to take his wrath. I finished my eggs and looked up to see him staring at me. "Hungry much?" He asked. I watched his goofy grin appear and I smiled too. "Don't worry I'm in a better mood today. And its Saturday, I think we have somewhere to be" he said. He stood up and took my hand, leading me to the couch for our every-possible-weekend-morning-TV-time.

He grabbed a thick blanket off the back of the couch and laid down first. I laid on top of him, snuggling into his chest and threw the blanket over us. This was our favorite way to spend Saturdays when we could. "Sorry that I was pissed last night" he said after a few minutes. I turned to look at him. "You know you don't have to be superman all the time" I said. He looked away from me briefly and looked back. He sighed, he knew I was right. "You're right" he said. I smiled a little and traced patterns on his chest with my fingers. "Does your head hurt?" I asked. "A little." I looked around the cut. It was a little bruised and swollen. I put my head back on his chest and he rubbed my back.After a good 3 shows I looked back up at him. He looked down and me and smiled. I admired his more prominent cheek bones and jaw line before taking my gaze up to his. "What do you want to do today?" He asked. I thought for a moment then smiled. "I want to get our tree!" I almost squealed. He laughed. "I guess we could do that." I kissed him quickly and sprung up off the couch. "Come on let's go shower, then we can go" I said pulling his arm. He laughed as we ran up the stairs. "You're such a little kid" he said. I laughed and pushed him into the bathroom.

*

"How the hell are you going to decorate that?" He asked in pure annoyance. I'm not sure if he was annoyed because we had been walking around in the cold for the past 20 minutes, or because he knew he was going to have to carry the tree and put it up. "It's like 3 times as big as you are!" I stood next to the tree with my arms crossed like a small child. Sure it was around 7 feet tall and 3 feet wide, but it was perfect. Gorgeous even. "Well I assume we have a ladder in the house" I said. He rolled his eyes and sighed. After a few moments of gazing at the tree he gave up. "Is this the one you really want?" He asked. I smiled, "Yes." He cracked a smile and I leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Well go get the guy" he said. I sat in the car and watched as the tree man strapped it to the roof. Sidney paid the man, but got a discount because the man was his "biggest fan". I think I had him beat. Sid got back into the car and buckled his seat belt. "I cannot believe you talked me into buying a tree that is 7 feet tall" he said pulling out of the driveway. I smiled a huge smile. Maybe he was right; I am a little kid at heart. "Well I'll just need your help putting it up. I can decorate it when you’re on the road. It will give me something to do." "Don't remind me" he said. We had a discussion about how only 3 of his 11 games coming up were home. He ended up feeling bad because Christmas was coming and I had to do most of everything by myself. Of course I would want him home, but he would be useless around the house except for lifting, reaching high places, and going to get things. He didn't know a garland from a wreath. I laughed aloud at my own joke and he looked at me. "What's funny?" He asked. "Nothing" I replied. He laced his hand in mine and I watched the other cars drive by around us.

*

"A little to the left, little more. Back a bit, no the other way, a little more. Perfect!" I yelled. Sidney and Jordan were putting up the enormous tree after practice the next day. I was sitting on the couch with a cup of tea admiring the view I was getting of them both bent over swearing underneath the mass of branches. "So glad you can help babe" Sid called. I rolled my eyes at him, and I heard Jordan laugh. They were done a few minutes later, and Jordan had to go meet someone before the plane took off, so it was just me and Sid. I stood up and handed him one side of the string of plain white lights. I smiled at him as he rolled his eyes and walked around to the back of the tree. I sat on the floor and held the bottom in one place as he walked around in circles stringing the lights on the branches. He tucked the end close to the top and I turned them on. He took a step back and admired my choice. "Alright. It does look pretty awesome" he said. I stood up and went to his open arms. I kissed him sweetly for a minute before I pulled away and looked at the clock.

"You have to leave in a few minutes" I said slowly. He looked away and back to me quickly, and then kissed me again, harder this time. He pulled away and kissed down my neck and across my collar bone. "You’re only going to be gone for five days" I said into his hair. "I still don't want to leave" he mumbled bringing his lips back to mine. We stood there in an embrace for a few minutes before he pulled away. "I'll miss you" he said quietly. "I'll miss you too." I followed him to the door and watched as he pulled out his bag. I was frowning when he turned away from me, but I quickly smiled reassuringly as he turned to face me. He had concern in his eyes. "Don't worry I'll be fine" I said. He leaned forward and reached for me. I kissed him again and knew I was going to be totally lost without him. After a few moments I pulled away and pushed him backwards. "Go. You will be late." He ducked in to kiss me one more time and rushed out the door. I raced to the windows in the guestroom to watch him leave, like a small child watching their parent leave for work.