Hearts On Fire

Saturday Night Sprite

Imagine Person A hugging Person B from behind and kissing the top of their head.

"I bet this isn't how you imagined your Saturday night would pan out."

"Mmm?" Danny lifted his head to look up at the back of Jessica's figure, her cuffed jeans, tartan shirt, bare feet.

"This," she gestured to the space around her.

She continued to hand wash the large casserole dish without turning for his answer.

They were in the small, rustic kitchen of her Minnesota cabin. The early evening darkness of the winter months had set around them and it was more than a bit chilly. A fire blazed in the living area and radiated its heat throughout the space, creating the warm glow of rosy cheeks for each inhabitant. Pots hung from the ceiling and the open flame of the stove gently warmed a pan of milk, while two small mugs stood poised on the counter top. The pine floors were covered sparingly with rugs and the walls were decorated with framed pictures of happy babies, grinning children and bounding dogs. The furniture was all wooden, save the large family sized couch in the living room; the dining chairs each possessed a soft, flowery pillow for comfort. Wind chimes and dream catchers hung in the windows, drawings on the fridge and a calendar packed with birthdays and family functions was pinned to a small space on the wall. The owner had taken a great amount of time to create a real family home.

"There's nothing wrong with any of it," Danny said simply, returning to the newspaper on the table in front of him.

"Come on," she said. "You must be bored by now. I'm hardly giving you that dirty weekend away I promised."

"Family comes first babe, and I love seeing you like this," Danny replied, standing and crossing the kitchen.

She jumped slightly as he coiled his arms around her waist, resting each palm flat against her stomach. He pulled her body back towards his, making her drop the cloth she was working with and hang her soapy hands loosely over the sink. He kissed her firmly on the crown of her head and she closed her eyes as she relaxed into his hold. They swayed slightly while he gently pressed kisses behind her right ear and squeezed sections of her stomach.

"Get off my fat!" she squealed, struggling against his playful hands.

"There's not one inch of fat on you, woman," Danny spun her round and laughed at her flushed complexion.

She held her lathered hands up between their bodies as not to dampen his t-shirt.

"It's all my baby fat," she said, pouting and looking down at their feet.

"Hey," Danny lifted her chin with his pointer finger and rested his thumb on her lips. "You are an unbelievably beautiful woman, Jessica, who has made some unbelievably beautiful babies."

He nodded at a small, framed photograph residing on the kitchen window sill behind her. The ornate, silver frame held the image of a younger Jessica sat upright in bed, surrounded by white, feathery pillows and holding a freshly birthed baby. Her face shone with happiness as she looked down at her two older children curiously inspecting their new sibling.

Jessica glanced back at the picture and smiled. She leaned forward onto Danny, immersing her face into his broad chest.

"That one's my absolute favourite. I was so happy," she said after a pause. "I mean, I'm happy now, it's just..."

"I know," he finished. "Nothing compares to those moments. That time, those feelings."

She looked up at him and their lips met tenderly. Jessica dismissed her wet hands and buried them in the back pockets of his jeans, squeezing his behind longingly. He moaned into their embrace and slipped his tongue into her mouth.

Gentle slaps of bare feet hurriedly making their way downstairs broke their union and Danny stepped back to a respectful distance as a blonde haired, ocean blue eyed nine year old entered the kitchen. She was dressed haphazardly in a purple pixie costume, which she had grown too tall for years earlier.

"Mem, she's awake," Ilse breathed.

"Okay sweetheart," Jessica said lovingly, sweeping Danny aside with her palm so she had access to the stove.

She filled the two mugs three quarters of the way with the pan's contents and topped them up with cold milk from the fridge, stirring with a tea spoon.

"We'll go up and check her fever and give her a nice warm drink of milk," Jessica said soothingly.

"Can I stay down here and have mine with Danny?" Ilse asked, reaching up to take the mug from her grandmother's hand.

Danny's head shot up in surprise at her request and Jessica smiled lovingly at his reaction.

"I don't see why not," she said, cupping the girl's cheek and briefly squeezing Danny's hip as she passed on her way to tend to her eldest granddaughter.

Ilse took a large gulp of her milk and walked over to the table, dragging her chosen chair closer to Danny's.

"Come on," she instructed, causing Danny to move from his position of leaning on the kitchen counter to join her at the table.

Ilse knelt high, securing the cushion underneath her and rested her elbows on the table in a business-like manner.

"I'm sorry me and Adah have ruined your weekend Danny," she said sincerely.

Danny gaped at her.

"You haven't ruined my weekend at all darling, I love spending time with you and your sister," he touched her shoulder briefly. "And your parents can't take you to work with them."

"But you're sleeping on the couch," she said.

"Well, Adah's sick so she might need your grandma to help her in the night. And I'm fine on the couch, don't worry sweetheart," he said, touched by her concern.

"You could sleep in our bed with me?" Ilse offered.

"Thank you so much Ilse, but I am really fine on the couch," Danny smiled at the expression on her delicate face as she diligently tried to think of a more preferable solution to his sleeping arrangements.

"And besides, someone needs to keep an eye on this guy," he gestured to the black Standard Poodle who was spread-eagled under the table, beginning to snore harshly.

Ilse giggled and finished the remainder of her milk in a thoughtful silence. She quietly read the paper over Danny's shoulder for a while, occasionally resting her tired head against his. She eventually placed her empty mug in the full sink and gave Jack a good night ruffle of the ears. She stood tall and softly pecked Danny on the cheek before she made her way up to bed.

"Thank you for making our Mem so happy," she whispered.