When I woke up this morning Lochlan was tracing flames across his fingertips, his pyrokinetic soul awake just before his physical form. Flat on his back, arms up, he plays with fire the way the most of us will unconsciously trace patterns onto any frosted window we encounter. With flair.
He turns his head. You're awake.
I nod. So sleepy. Yeah. What time is it?
Nine. Sorry if I woke you.
You didn't.
Last night he called me heaven in his hands, a rare openness that he doesn't show in case I think he's not going to be parental and judgemental and hard on me. He's not worried about spoiling me to cause favoritism, he's just the way he always is until he drops his guard and simply can't pick it up fast enough to keep himself from saying those things that he usually doesn't say. He's affectionate to beyond usual human levels but he's never generous with his words unless he's drunk or caught thoroughly by surprise, and he wasn't drunk last night.
Good, he says. He rubs his hands together and then rolls to his side to pull me in close. Morning breath and wild hair is all the rage these days, and we never have worried much about either. What do you want to do today?
Watch the skating on TV. Maybe get a pizza.
Sounds like heaven.
That's the second time you've used that word in a single day, Loch.
Because that's what life is these days and I wouldn't trade it for anything. There's only one thing I want still that I haven't really gotten.
For me to stay put?
Yeah. For you to stay put. He grins and licks my nose.
He turns his head. You're awake.
I nod. So sleepy. Yeah. What time is it?
Nine. Sorry if I woke you.
You didn't.
Last night he called me heaven in his hands, a rare openness that he doesn't show in case I think he's not going to be parental and judgemental and hard on me. He's not worried about spoiling me to cause favoritism, he's just the way he always is until he drops his guard and simply can't pick it up fast enough to keep himself from saying those things that he usually doesn't say. He's affectionate to beyond usual human levels but he's never generous with his words unless he's drunk or caught thoroughly by surprise, and he wasn't drunk last night.
Good, he says. He rubs his hands together and then rolls to his side to pull me in close. Morning breath and wild hair is all the rage these days, and we never have worried much about either. What do you want to do today?
Watch the skating on TV. Maybe get a pizza.
Sounds like heaven.
That's the second time you've used that word in a single day, Loch.
Because that's what life is these days and I wouldn't trade it for anything. There's only one thing I want still that I haven't really gotten.
For me to stay put?
Yeah. For you to stay put. He grins and licks my nose.