Last Fall

Lose Myself

She walked into the living room with me as her tagalong. Her parents sat together on one couch with Angela, Daneantha on another with Gabe. She sat down on the ottoman to be in the center of their combined attention and I sat beside her. "I called you here today to make an important announcement."

"Are you getting married? I expected you two to coordinate proposals!" She looked at her boyfriend angrily who looked at my girlfriend for help. "I want a double wedding!"

"We're not engaged." I assured and he relaxed, but she crossed her arms and huffed.

"Yet." Lex rested her hand on my leg. "Anyway. Wonderful family, who have put up with me for twenty six years, I'm finally moving out."

"Since you're moving out here, does that mean you're moving in with Lynn?" Angela beamed and we both nodded.

"I'm selling my current apartment sized house because, well, a construction company's been wanting to tear it down and make use of the lot and I'd like to see it get torn apart." I admitted.

"Demolition day is next week for any who want to cheer on a tractor. I'm packing tonight and the boys are meeting us tomorrow to start loading up boxes." Alexa explained.

"I can't believe my first baby is leaving me!" Her mom stood up to throw her arms around her.

"I'm not going far mom. My studio basement setup is still here, so we found a loft close by." Lex hugged her mom back. "Dane needs someone to do his laundry and buckle his seatbelt and Sam needs her test subject. We'll visit so much you'll have to tell us to leave."

-

"Oh would you just leave already?"

"You're going to let me starve?"

"You're so dramatic. Go, shoo, you have your own kitchen at your own house."

"We have no food yet."

"Then go to the grocery store! Ya know, that wonderland of buyable food?"

"But there's food here and it's free."

She rolled her eyes and pointed her knife at me. "Touch my fruit salad and see what happens."

"Aren't you making more as we speak?" I raised my eyebrows at her and opened the fridge door.

"Don't test me child. I brought you into this world and I can take you out." She waved her miniature sword as I grabbed one of Angela's lunchables and a handful of mixed, cut, apparently offlimits produce.

"Love you too mom." I turned and ran.

"Alexa Gabrielle!" She shouted and I laughed.

I was upside down, watching reruns of the bachelor when I heard the familiar jingle of a key in the lock followed by a click, the screech of wood on metal as the door caved into the room, the sound of a jacket being dropped or rather thrown and then boots on the concrete floor. I smiled at my tired love. "Hey baby."

She flopped down beside me, setting her legs up against the back of the chair and letting her head hang off the edge of the cushion with mine.

"How was your day?" I asked and she groaned, turning so she was on her side with her face pressed into my neck and her leg draped over my waist.

"That bad?"

"I want meetings to die."

"This was the last one right? Got release dates finalized and all that jazz?"