I'll Find You

Perfect

Well, I found a woman stronger than anyone I know
She shares my dreams, I hope that someday I'll share her home
I found a love to carry more than just my secrets
To carry love, to carry children of our own
We are still kids, but we're so in love
----Perfect, Ed Sheeran

December 17, 2017

Grayson willed the clock to move faster. Cait was on a plane, flying toward him, but time was crawling. She'd finished third in Super G that morning and then headed to the airport. He'd told her to try to sleep on the flight, but he knew she was planning to try to finish the last work on her independent study course.

It hadn't actually been that long since he'd seen her in Portland, only a few weeks. But this time was so hard, for some reason. Maybe because she'd been so far away. Maybe because he'd had to watch her ski and worry about her. Or maybe because he'd had time on his hands, time to think about her, about them.

He couldn't help but reflect back to a year ago. So much had changed and all of it for the better. He'd been in love with her then, but had no idea if she would ever feel the same way. He'd been so stressed and exhausted. And injured, mentally and physically. And they'd gotten into an argument in the middle of the gym, he remembered with a wry smile.

Everything had started to change that night that she'd forced her way into his room and put her hand on his, telling him he could get through it all, because of the people around him.  And that she would help him. She'd been right, he could get through anything. As long as he had her. She'd stayed there with him that night, the worst night of his life, made him vent his frustrations and his fears. And she'd held him, let him sleep with his arms around her and his head in her lap.

That night had been the low point, but it was also the beginning. The beginning of them in a way, but more importantly, the beginning of straightening himself out. Of growing up, growing into the man he was supposed to be.  It had been a struggle, still was some days. But he felt like he was making real progress. Cait had supported him through that process, had understood it. And he was anxious for her to arrive back in Durham.  To come back to him.

Right now he had practice. And he was planning to stay at the gym for awhile, in an effort to make the next few hours less painful.
*****
Grayson went to her house, before he went to the airport.  He turned on the Christmas lights, made sure everything else was ready.  He'd gotten take out from one of her favorite restaurants for dinner and he had a bottle of wine chilling.  He wasn't much of a fan, but he wanted the setting to be perfect.  He knew she'd be tired, but he wanted a romantic evening, just the two of them.  That meant that he'd had to threaten the freshies that if he saw any sign of them before Monday, they'd be running until every one of them had puked.  Twice.  Javin and Antonio had taken pity on him and assumed babysitting duties for the night.
*****
She looked tired, but she managed to run to him and throw herself into his arms. Grayson just held her close, buried his face in her hair. "Missed you," she sniffled into his shoulder.

"God, missed you too," he breathed. "But we've got some time now. Not gonna let you out of my sight."

That made her laugh.  "Might be tough.  I doubt Coach is gonna let you bring me to practice."  She looked up at him now, her hand moving to the back of his neck, tugging him down to press their lips together.

The kiss was sweet, but ended too soon.  Cait turned to collect her bags.  Her ski equipment was staying with the plane but she had a couple of bags and Grayson took them from her hands.  She bid the pilot farewell and told him she'd text him about their departure for Detroit.
*****
Cait was surprised when they pulled up to her house and there were Christmas lights and a tree with more lights in the window. She turned to Grayson. "You did all this?"