A Year Away

Chapter 13

 They both hug me back. "Honestly," Liesel says, "you staying would be a pretty amazing gift in itself."

"So all Nicky has to do is call his parents and ask them to stay, right?" Erik asks.

Liesel and Peter stop hugging me, but Liesel leaves an arm wrapped around my shoulders. "And his school board, but yes."

Erik nods. "Okay then, should be easy."

"Yeah," I say, wishing I had his same level of confidence. "Should be easy. They have an event at church tonight, so I'll call them tomorrow."

"Which means tonight, we celebrate." Liesel starts to wonder around the kitchen.

"That's a little premature, Mama, don't you think?"

"Nonsense," Liesel says. "I have a good feeling about this.

*+*

"You don't deserve to stay in Germany!" My mom yells.

"Yes, I do." I say back 

"No, you don't!"

"We're your family." My father looks heartbroken. "Don't you want to try to fix this?"

"I have tried."

"No, you haven't."

"I have." Haven't I?

I wake up.

I look at my clock. 6:21am. And on a weekend; criminal.

I lay back down in bed for a few minutes, twisting and turning in attempts to get some more sleep, but after fifteen minutes I accept my defeat and stumble downstairs.

Liesel and Peter are still fast asleep in their room so I try to be as quiet as possible as I fumble around the kitchen trying to make a cup of coffee.

I rub a hand over my face as the coffee brews. Was I being too quick? Should I give my parents another chance, standing firm this time? Would they learn? Would they look at me the same way they used to?

A hand wraps around my naked torso and before I can flinch a chin has tucked itself over my shoulder and hair is tickling my ear.

"Why are you up so early?" Erik mumbles, sleepily.

"You scared the shit out of me." I whisper.

Erik laughs and it shakes my body too. "I know, I can feel your heart racing." One of his big hands is placed perfectly on my sternum, right above my heart.

I put my hand on top of his, then weave our fingers together. I've done this dance so many times before with so many girls, but it's never meant anything before. I've never done it because I wanted to. I've always done it because I was supposed to. This feel so different, so natural. I don't have t think. I don't have to plan. My body just knows what to do, what it wants, and I let it do it.

I take his hand off my heart and bring it up to my face, kissing his palm. "Morning."

He kisses my neck, just under my chin. "Morning."

I take a breath, enjoying it, wondering how I could ever think I could go my whole life without this. How I got so lucky to meet someone like Erik.

"Are you making coffee?"

"It's too early to be up right now."

"Then go back to sleep."

"Can't," I huff and he unwraps his arms from around me. "Nightmare."

"Ah," Erik rests his back on the counter next to me and hands me my coffee. "You want to talk about it?"

"Am I being too brash?" I look down at the dark pit of coffee in my hands. "Should I give my parents another chance?"