Together is Where We are Meant to Be

Chapter 6

Sunday morning came and so did my sisters with fresh clothes and a warm car ride back to the apartment. They were awfully quiet this morning and for that, I was grateful. Sleeping next to Micah's rock hard body and the railing on the bed was supremely uncomfortable, however, I would never say that to Micah.

Aires made us all breakfast, delicious French toast, and Paris charged lunch to her Visa credit card. She only went as far as the Chinese joint on the corner to grab us crab rangoon and sweet and sour chicken. By suppertime, I gained control of my kitchen and made pasta. My sisters were gone not long after. I was happy because Paris was on my neck all day about what I should and should not let Micah do. I only got peace and quiet while I cooked because I forbid anyone to enter the kitchen while I cooked.

"Thank the lord they are gone! Did they annoy you as much as they did me?" he nodded. "Do you need more pain medication?" I asked as his face twisted in a weird way. He nodded again and so I got back up from the couch to get a couple of the white pills from the oddly orange bottle on the kitchen counter. "Here you go, I take it you won't want to watch TV now, will you?" he shook his head, but opened his arms toward me. I crawled into his open arms and nestled carefully into his side.

"Thank you for being here. I don't know what I would do without you, Syd. And not just today, but everyday. I love having you here with me on a regular basis." He slowly and quietly drawled out. I knew he was in pain and so I just kissed his cheeks before finally relaxing into his side for a long night of R & R.

The two weeks passed with little to report on. Micah still had headaches that would keep him off the ice for at least a few more days. We did grow closer, though. I took time off to help out a little more around the house, make sure everything was working correctly. We ended up having a lot of conversations about many things, including the future. Marriage was brought up, but in a metaphorical sense and not anything literal, just a future goal, not necessarily with each other although I knew it would only be Micah to meet me at the altar one day. We also concluded that I did need to start opening up to outside clients for photography. It wasn't so much a money factor, but a professional advancement. I could never get a better job unless I did a little more freelance. You can only take so many pictures of the same thing. But I never imagined being this close to anyone, but now that we have spent almost an entire two weeks together, I don't remember being any other way.

Mrs. Stevens has been bothering to visit us; each time she calls I try to persuade her not to worry. Each time she threatens to come and visit. Today, she just showed up. Micah was upset and annoyed that she felt the need to come down. He somehow correlated her visit to the thought that Mrs. Stevens did not think I could handle taking care of Micah while he is injured. I did not take it that way, but it continued to bother Micah anyways.

"Mrs. Stevens, I have a meal planned for dinner. You do not need to cook," I told her impatiently that evening as she started to raid my kitchen. It was perfectly clean, organized, and mine, yet she continued to dig her way through everything. It took every ounce of my being to not slam the cabinet doors on her fingers.

"Oh, dear, I can handle dinner. You could use a break since Micah is not helpful in the kitchen. I know that for a fact. Besides, you look exhausted."

"Mrs. Stevens, I don't need a break from cooking. I love to cook." I reassured her. She looked at me and it was like she was daring me to kick her out of my kitchen. "It's my mother's recipe and all the ingredients are about to expire. I would appreciate you letting me cook tonight." She continued to give me that look. I put my hands on my hips and she mirrored me.

"Mom!" Micah shouted and immediately he regretted it, I saw it in the way he scrunched his eyebrows together. "Let her cook, you cook everyday for Dad and Mia. Take your own break, it won't kill you," I felt bad that the two of us grown women were having a kitchen brawl over who got to cook dinner. If Micah hadn't stood up for me, I would have probably just let her cook because she's a pain in the ass otherwise when she doesn't get her way. For a woman of 50, she doesn't look her age. She still has her natural blonde hair in the short wavy bob that some of the older actresses do, she wears the minimal amount of makeup to make her look a little younger, and dresses like she should be her own mother.

Micah stood just on the edge of the kitchen, staring at his mother. She sighed in defeat and told me that I could cook if I wanted. Then she disappeared into my room, the room she claimed for herself during her stay in the apartment.

"Thank you, Micah, but you did not have to do that. I could have handled her." I told him as I flitted around the kitchen. I was busying my hand, but not my mind. Even still, I did not notice Micah sneaking up behind me until his arms encircled my waist, giving me a small fright.

"I had to, she has been here for less than ten hours and she is already driving me nuts. Besides, one of us is sentenced to the couch while she's here and I think she expects it to be you considering I am the injured one," he smiled his toothy smile that tied my stomach in knots.

"That's too bad; I think I'll share your bed with you. It is plenty big enough for two. Besides, she did not even ask before taking over my room. I know I am not her favorite Worth, but really? She does not have to be rude to me," I let out a big weight on my shoulders. Ever since Micah and I moved to Sewickley, she has had some bug up her butt about me and I have absolutely no clue as to why. And if Micah knows why, he isn't sharing, not that I expect him to. She just obviously dislikes me and I am curious as to why.

"I was hoping you would say that," he kissed my cheek and let go of me. "I'll leave you to dinner or else she'll be back to either cook or eat, and demand it right now. It would be whatever one floats her boat for that particular moment and we both know it." I smiled at him and realized that as much as he loved his mother, he would never be as close to her as his three other siblings and I do not know why that is either.