6 months later
Fred
Alexis fell off of my abdomen and brushed her hair away from her face, looking over at me. "Wow."
I rested my hands on my abdomen, my eyes still closed. "Wow's right."
She pulled the covers up over her, resting her face against my arm. I looked down at her and she wrapped her arm around me.
"How are you?" I asked, rubbing her shoulder gently.
She nodded, looking up at me. "I'm good."
I smiled.
She pressed a kiss to my chest, her fingernails gliding up and down my torso soothingly.
"How's money?" I softly asked.
She froze, her eyebrows going into a furrow. She sat upright and turned away from me. "Fine."
"No, it's not," I answered, sitting up.
"Fred-"
She cut herself off with a sigh. She stood up and stepped into her underwear and a t-shirt of mine. "I'm fine."
She walked out of my bedroom, raking her hand through her hair. I followed her out after slipping into a pair of sweatpants. "I can help you."
She leaned against the counter, her bottom lip between her teeth. "I know you can."
"So why don't you let me?" I asked, gently grabbing her hand. I pulled her into me and she flattened her palms against my chest.
"Because I don't want you to," she said, "I want to get myself out of a bind."
"It's a check, Alexis," I said, my hands resting in the curve of her back.
She shook her head. "I can't take your money."
"Let me at least cover your air fare here."
"Fred King."
Before she could say no, I wrote out the check.
"I'm not taking that," she said, shaking her head.
"I already wrote it," I said, holding it out to her.
She looked up at me. She looked annoyed, but I could see how thankful she was in her eyes.
I opened her hand and placed the check in her palm. "Take it."
"I wish you wouldn't have," she softly said, looking down at it.
"I wish you wouldn't be so stubborn," I deadpanned, opening my fridge.
She wrapped her arms around me from behind, her chin resting on my shoulder. "I really appreciate it."
I looked back at her. "I know you do."
She rubbed my bicep and pulled away from me. I grabbed a bottle of water and leaned against the fridge after I closed it.
"You know I'm waiting on you to give me the okay."
She nodded, her eyes closed. "I know you are, Fred."
When Alexis gave me permission to give her the world, I would. I'd made that promise to her before she left the first time she visited. I told her I'd cut off everything, and be about her. I'd proven I could be before.
I pushed myself off of the fridge and walked over to her, gently grabbing her chin. I rubbed her cheek and she looked up at me, her eyes soft, gentle, loving.
