Littleton Blues

Grounded

I watched Avery intently.

His hands were still attached to the soil in the wall and it seemed as though he wasn't breathing. He was completely motionless.

My body tensed and I was still on full alert for whatever could have been upstairs. The commotion we'd heard just moments before was gone, but I was on edge waiting for Avery to come back to me.

I didn't know what to think of my husband anymore. I wasn't sure what to believe either. My intuition was telling me that he was being honest, but right now, I could barely believe what was happening right in front of my eyes.

I'd always known Avery was special. We were childhood friends up until middle school. Then one day, he was just gone. His family had moved overnight and I never got a chance to say goodbye. It wasn't until we bumped into each other years later that we were able to reconnect.

The boy I knew had grown into a handsome man. His cinnamon brown skin was tanned from working outside. He kept his sandy brown hair neatly braided with fresh designs. He full lips were deliciously soft and his brown eyes had a hint of mischievousness that I loved. After a few months of dating, I knew he was the one I wanted to spend forever with.

We'd been married two years before the military contacted Avery about his current position. He'd just been awarded a grant to buy twenty acres of farmland and we were making changes to have our own homestead.

I nervously bit my nails, still waiting for Avery to make a move.

"48 hours..."

Avery mumbled, startling me from my thoughts.

"What was that babe?" I asked softly. I was afraid to startle him from whatever trance he was in.

Silence.

Avery's eyes flew open and he gasped frantically.

"I have a plan, but we have to move quickly and quietly."

The roots were gone and Avery was looking like himself again. But, I could tell he was hiding something else.

"What about the agents?" I asked, trying to gauge if we were still alone.

"It's looking like we have about 48 hours before they get here and whatever the fuck that's in those woods close in on them. I can't say for sure where we're going, but there is a path we can travel safely. It'll bring us to the entrance of a cave. There will be fresh water and we can set up camp there. Right now, I can only go off what the trees are telling me. My reach to certain plants can extend to me no matter where we go."

Avery sat down and drank a bottle of water. I didn't have anything else to ask in the moment, I just needed to be close to him.

I sat in his lap, facing toward him. I placed gentle kisses on his cheeks and forehead as he breathed in. My husband was handsome. He really could've been a model. His long, 6'6 frame was built with nice broad shoulders, a toned core, and strong thick legs. He had the stature of an athlete.

Caressing his back, I tried to ease the both of us. Whatever else that plagued his mind would eventually come out. Right now, we just needed to get grounded.

He pulled me in closer to him. His arms wrapped around my waist and I relaxed into his body.

Allowing his quiet strength envelope me, I felt an odd sense of peace. If I was going to be safe anywhere, it was with him. My body warmed with love and I blushed at the thought of how much I wanted him. Avery could make me swoon like no other could.

I'd run to the end of the world with him.
And in 48 hours, I would be.