Aster

Chapter Nine: Small Hands.

Jacob

     Within the two weeks Aster has been staying under the same roof, Jacob has moved all the work from his office to the kitchen table. Unfortunately the furniture hadn't seen much use until now, and it wasn't for sharing a nice meal. As nice as it has been having her around, his job served as a reminder that his life was very different from the way he had been imagining it lately. The four hours of doing paperwork felt more like twelve, the only reminder that it was still morning being the fact the digital clock placed on the counter hadn't gone off for lunch. Much like the emotionless setting of his apartment, his schedule and regiment had a similar feel.

     None of it really held personality, at least his own.

     Coming back home the last few weeks has helped Jacob realized that much of his life isn't really a life; it was just him going through the motions. He had never really had the time to develop his tastes outside of work and women. Now he was closing in on that age where hair turned gray, and doctor visits were no longer optional, there was a large gap of regret in the background of his youth. Jacob would never get that back.

     Sighing, he pulled the black-framed glasses from his face and rubbed his nose. Stress wasn't good, but there was plenty of it to go around. Checking his watch, he'd been sitting in the exact same place since six in the morning, and it was now ten. That was normally around the time Aster woke up - or came out of her room whether she had been asleep or not. Like clockwork, the gentle padding of feet echoed across the open space, a warm smile lighting up her features the moment their eyes met, "Good morning." She spoke gently, glancing to the mess of paperwork laying scattered around the kitchen table, eyeing the few pieces that had found their way to floor.

     Not that he knew it himself, but it had become apparent Jacob was rather messy when it came to his work space. Which might seem surprising considering how well put-together he was in general, "Good morning." He returned her greeting with a small smile of his own, the gesture causing her own to grow even wider as she came around the table and helped the papers off the floor. Her hair looked as if it had grown some from the time they first met, the strands curling lightly around a gold colored headband placed along the crown of her head. She wore small gold studs in her ears with a pleated, off-white dress that fell to her knees. With her arms exposed, her prosthetic was much more noticeable, but he happened to like that about her, "Did you sleep well?" He asked slowly while she stood back up, graciously taking the papers from her while eyes lingered on her rocking back and forth in ballet flats.

     "I did, but w-what about you? It looks like y-you haven't slept a-at all..." The quiet laugh Aster gave seemed to melt away any symptom of stress he previously felt, and he was unable to stop the low chuckle it earned from himself, "I'm alright, thank you."  When she didn't seem to understand what he said, he motioned his right hand in his left as if chopping into it while speaking again, "Alright." For confirmation, she nodded her head animatedly, running her slender fingers down the length of her skirt as she spun around towards the massive windows occupying the far side of the living space, "Lots of work to do?" She asked from in front of the glass, the light casting a dark silhouette across her outline. It seemed anything she did could take his breath away.