The Older Man (BoyxBoy)

Twentyeight

IAN

            Ollie wasn’t next to me. I don’t know how I knew. All I could tell was that I was sleeping and for some reason I couldn’t wake up. There was something wrong. Something didn’t feel right. The balance was tipping. The scale of my life and everything I wanted was off. I’m suffocating. What’s wrong with me? Ollie! Ollie! Where are you? I need you.

            Suddenly, I could breathe again. His gentle voice called my name softly, repeatedly, as familiar fingers stroked my cheek. Despite how frantic and drained I felt I was able to open my eyes slowly. Without a word, I took Ollie’s left hand and looked at his ring finger. The rings were there. I sighed deeply, relief washing over me, and relaxed back onto the bed. I could feel his confusion and his worry. I didn’t want him to hear my sigh but I couldn’t keep it in. Though I’m sure he figured it out because he hadn’t said or asked me anything.

            He gave me a couple minutes to calm myself and to my mind before taking my left hand in his. The simplest gestures from him were always so comforting. He always knew what to do. I looked at him. He offered me a small smile.

            “I dreamt that after you found out about Jessie and you left you never took me back when I found you. I woke up in another dream where I was dreaming that last night, our wedding…that umm…it wasn’t real. I thought my dream was real and that turned out to be a nightmare for me.”

            “I could tell—”

            “I’m sorry?”

            “You were calling me.”

            “I guess in the back of my head somewhere I’m more afraid that this is to good to be true than I realized.”

            Ollie smiled at me. His usual smile this time. Given the right timing that small could put me on my knees. In a certain way it did.

            “Good morning,” he said, simply. 

            “Good morning,” I responded. I felt so much lighter. “You have got to teach me how to do and say the right thing at the right time.”

            Ollie let off my hand and turned around, laughing. I watched his back. “You already know how to do that. You just don’t realize. Now, close your eyes.”

            Great, now he’s full of surprises. I closed my eyes. I got impatient even though it was only few seconds that passed by. As much as I was tempted to open my eyes to see what he was up to, I kept them closed because I wanted him to be happy more than I wanted to see what it was.

            “Baby, scoot over a bit?” he asked. I did. “Now, sit up so that your back is against the bedhead?”

            “And here I was thinking kinky sex stopped after marriage,” I commented as I did what he asked.

            Ollie laughed. “And here I was thinking I was the one with that sort of mouth. You can look now.”

            When I opened my eyes I didn’t see anything at first until Oliver smiled and pointed in his lap. Honestly, Ollie pointing in his lap had me thinking about other things than breakfast in bed. But that’s what it was. My husband brought me breakfast in bed…French toast, ham, sausages, plantains, scrambled eggs, and a cup of coffee.

            “Thank you.” He sat facing me so it was easy for me to place my right hand around his neck and pull him towards me to kiss him.