Rocket's Red Glare

Perfect Life

Three Months Later

Joe walked into the house, smiling as he took in their foyer. Over the last few months, Holly has put all of her focus and energy into making their house look nice. She wanted to make sure our place was comfortable and welcoming. She made sure I felt as at home as she did.

"Joe?"

He looked up to see Holly walking toward him. She jumped into his arms and he spun them around.

"I missed you," she whispered as she tightened her arms around his neck.

"I missed you too, gorgeous," Joe smiled as he put her back down on her feet.

"I know you were only gone for two months," Holly said, slowly pulling out of their embrace, "but it felt longer."

"It felt too long."

He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. She moaned as she started kissing him back. They stumbled back until they hit the wall. Joe broke the kiss and reached up, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Something smells amazing."

Holly grabbed Joe's hand and led him into the kitchen. He sat at one of the bar stools as Holly went back to the stove.

"I went to the grocery store today and they had a sale on steaks. Figured I'd get some and we could have them tonight," she said.

"That's a great idea," he chuckled. He stood up and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He leaned his head on her chin as she finished cooking their steaks.

The couple ate their dinner and talked about the last two months. He talked about his job and she talked about what she did with the house while he was gone. After dinner, they started watching a movie but didn't finish it.

They got distracted.

* * * * *

Joe woke up to the feeling he's missed for two months. He looked down to see Holly asleep on his chest. He tightened his arms around her and started thinking about his life with Holly.

The first time he saw her, he wondered who she was. He never thought he'd be lucky enough to fall in love with her and have her fall in love with him. He never thought that he'd imagine spending the rest of his life with someone, let alone someone so perfect.

He stared at the ceiling and imagined his life with her. He tried to imagine what his life would be like if he'd never moved in next door to her. He thought about last Fourth of July when he broke down her door to help her.

He thought about that night a lot. He thought about how he didn't even think about the consequences of breaking down his neighbor's door. It was an instinct to help her. It was always an instinct to help her. It was almost always an instinct to protect her.

Joe thought about how much Holly has learned to depend on him, even before they officially started their relationship. He swore to himself that he would spend the rest of his life being the type of man she could depend on.

He looked down when he felt Holly roll to the other side, slightly pulling out of his arms. Joe quietly got out of bed, making sure he didn't wake her. He grabbed his boxers before turning back toward Holly. He grabbed the blanket, pulling it so it covered her body. He didn't want his girl to get cold.

He saw his suitcases tossed to the side and put them on their small couch at the end of the bed. He unzipped it and started unpacking. He put his clothes in the hamper and started putting his bathroom stuff away.

When Joe walked out of the bathroom, he saw Holly sit up and pull the blanket around her chest.

"Morning," he said, leaning against the bathroom doorway.