A Parental Proposal

Changing dynamics

Eric woke up with a pain in his shoulder. Leah was still asleep on his shoulder and she looked too peaceful to disturb. Eric gently adjusted himself to a better position and Leah shifted in her sleep, pressing her nose to the crook of his neck. It was mildly ticklish, making Eric smile.

Leah was having that effect on him lately. It was easy just to be with her. Everything felt easier and better when he was with her and Eric realised this just now. Last night he had been troubled by the fact that his girls were away. A zillion thoughts ran in his head and he was so frustrated.

Until he sat with Leah.

She had understood his state and had offered company. God knows if she wanted to have that time for herself. But she was nice and accommodating regardless. Knowingly or unknowingly she had done him a huge favour.

Eric had spent so many such times all alone. Even with his ex wife, he had never felt that comfort to sit with her and talk to her when he felt unsettled about something. And after she was gone, he had had so many sleepless nights thinking about his girls' future.

And now this felt refreshing. For once, he wasn't alone. They might not have sat down conversing about his fears but she was there with him, distracting him and that was no less.

Leah moved slightly and Eric felt another tickle making him grin. He leaned his head back, still smiling. He tilted his head slightly to look at Leah's sleeping face.

On impulse, he brushed the tiny hairs off her face. He made sure to be gentle enough to not wake her. She was cute, he thought. Not in a conventional way. But she was cute in a very comfortable and casual way.

She didn't fuss a lot about being pretty. She didn't go out of her way to make herself look pretty. She was just herself. She was comfortable in her skin, which he'd noticed too many lacked. Even his ex had been way too conscious about her beauty. She would spend so much only to be so disappointed. Nothing ever satisfied her.

But Leah was always content with whatever she had or however she is, Eric observed. And she was so very oblivious of how cute she was. She was pretty in and out and had no idea.

The thought made Eric smile wider. And the more he thought about it, the more he wanted his kids to be the same way.

He wanted his kids to be like their mother. The mother that never bore them but loved them more than the one that did.

*****

Leah woke up slowly and gradually, sensing a hard moving object. As the sleep wore off, she realised it was Eric. She had slept leaning on Eric and suddenly she was fully awake.

"I'm sorry," she blurted but it came out sounding something like "M soi."

She moved a little, putting some space between them and let herself sober up. The previous night slowly came to her. They had watched a movie and then watched a couple of episodes of How I Met Your Mother and she must have fallen asleep somewhere along the way.

And she had slept the whole night this way.

This was the second time this was happening and Eric hadn't woken her up this time either. The poor man must've been so uncomfortable all night and bearing her weight for so long must've been terrible, she thought.

Guilt flooded her.

"I'm so sorry," she said again, this time sounding clearer than before.

"Ah, so that's what you said before. I was wondering what that was." He laughed.

He laughed!

This hasn't happened before. He has never joked around with Leah or laughed so brightly at her.

With the sunlight across a part of his face and with that bright smile that made his eyes twinkle, Leah's heart melted. It was a sight to die for. Eric had never looked more handsome and she just wanted to keep staring at him. Her lips tugged at her and when she no longer fight it, she smiled wide.

She had to force herself to lookaway. "I think I should stop doing this now."

"Stop doing what? Sleeping and smiling like that?"

She tsked and smiled. Somebody was in a good mood. And somebody was falling harder. You know what would do what.

"I should stop using you as my pillow."

"Glad to be of service, your highness."

She shook her, laughing.

"But I didn't mind. I don't know when I slept either."

"If at all this happens again," she hoped it would but also hoped it wouldn't (she was a total mess!), "please wake me up or push me aside."

Eric laughed and the sound was just...amazing. "That's okay. But just don't snore next time."

Leah's mouth fell open. "What? No. I don't snore. No, no. I don't snore."

Eric burst out laughing. "The fact that you're defending so hard is just proof enough."

Leah opened and closed her mouth for lack of words. Eric giggled for another minute. "Relax. You snorted but it was a soft snore. No humans were harmed during your snoring."

She picked up a cushion nearby and smacked him lightly. He laughed again.

Everything about this morning was foreign. Eric's laugh, his jokes and the fact that she just playfully hit him. Everything was new. Something had changed between last night and now and as drastic as it was, Leah loved it.

"You're funny this morning!" Leah said.

"What? I'm always funny!" He countered.

"Duh," she smirked. "You're always serious."

Eric shook his head.

"I'm going to give all the credits to my amazing sitcom. It loosened you up, I guess."

"LOL. Yours sitcom is good but not that good. I am a fun person. Maybe you just haven't seen that side of me."

Yeah. Leah hasn't even seen him smile this wide before, so yeah it could be true. Maybe he was a jolly person but since they weren't even friends before, he never showed that side. All this time they were only sharing a mere acquaintance relationship.

Does that mean they were friends now? Or maybe they were just friendly. Leah didn't want to name the relationship.

Whatever it was, she liked this, right here right now. It felt good.

Eric got up to get refreshed. Half way through, he stopped and turned to her.

"By the way, you're cute when you're sleeping," he said. "Even though you snore," he added.

He walked off, leaving Leah and her thudding heart alone.

*******
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