Marcie and Leo Ch. 117

We talked so much about Marcie and me. We have discussed our time together as we both grieved for our late spouses, and how our romance had grown since. It's not to say we never think of them anymore. We do. We still celebrate their birthdays, our anniversaries, and other important events by visiting their plots at the cemetery where they are buried. There have been many moments where we have reflected on them either by ourselves or with our friends and relatives. Still, there are moments they pop into our minds.

The reader may ask about what we do when that happens. The simple answer is that we allow ourselves the chance to process. There have been times when I dreamt about Missy and wake up either upset or angry or whatever. Marcie holds me tightly. She whispers in my ear how it was just a dream. It's a comfort. Thankfully, we had become each other's support system through the process. Even as we think about our relatives and friends during the holiday season, we still remember them because they brought us to where we are now.

I enjoyed celebrating Thanksgiving with Marcie's family. They had welcomed me into the brood with open arms, casting aside the judgements because of the age difference and all. Being called Uncle Leo is one of the most affectionate things I have ever been called.

Aubrey was the one I was most afraid of. Wherein I lost my wife and life partner, she lost her best friend. She was there for every landmark of our relationship from courtship to breaking up to making up to our wedding and so forth. The decision to be separate in our grieving was a good one because she needed to handle her grief in the best way she could. When she met Marcie for the first time, it was after we dated for a little bit while I was working from home. It was when Marcie showed up on one of my first days back when I was ambushed by a few employees that they had a chance to meet each other. It was the way Marcie made me feel and the effects while doing what I was doing that impressed her.

Still, even after a few years together we have those moments. The latest one happened more recently. It was a quiet night overall. There wasn't much going on. We both fell asleep quickly. That was why it felt weird that the moonlight shone through our window into our bedroom. I started to open my eyes when I heard Marcie beside me.

"No," she said in a defensive manner.

I stayed where I was. I was unsure what was going on. That's when it happened.

"Mitchell!!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

She sat straight up in bed. By the time she realized it was a dream, I already had my arms around her. She pressed her face onto my shoulder. All I could do was allow her to cry. All I could do was wait. I knew just being there was seventy-five percent of the solution. As I held her, I could feel her crying start to subside before she looked at me. Her eyes were glassy. The frown on her face was the hardest part to see.

"I saw him," she whispered.

I looked her in the face. I knew in my mind the best move was to let her process.

"I saw him, Leo."

"I know, Baby."

"He was angry."

"Why was he angry?"

"He said I betrayed him."

"But you didn't."

She stopped.

"I didn't?"

"You were faithful until the end. You were there by his side the whole time."

"So why was he mad?"

"I don't know, Sweetheart."

My arms held her tightly against me. It was too technical a problem to figure out at that moment.

"Is it because I seduced you?"

"He told you himself that he didn't want you to be alone forever."

"Yeah, he did," she agreed.

"Baby?"

"Yes, Leo?"

"Can we hold each other under the covers? It's a bit chilly in here."

She quickly laid back down while I pulled the covers over us. I still held her tightly. We just lay there under the covers. It was quiet for a bit. I tried my best not to fall asleep in case she felt like talking. That was until I heard that cute snore coming from her mouth. I smiled. I then leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. I thought I saw her mouth form a smile after that.

In the morning, we woke up next to each other. Her chest was pressed against mine. It was when her eyes opened that she leaned in to kiss me. It was deep. It was powerful. She then whispered two words.

"My hero."

I smiled. It felt like to me the crisis was averted.