Begin Again

Chapter 17

Clark woke up slowly, a warm weight pressing on his chest. Leah's scent was all around him and he smiled when he opened his eyes and saw the top of her head. She was lying half on top of him, her leg tangled between his, her arm thrown over his stomach, and her face pressed into his chest.

He stroked her hair, pushing it away from her face. He gently stroked her cheeks, her forehead, and eyebrows, until she started to stir.

"Good morning, wifey," Clark said softly, caressing her lips with his thumb.

Leah rolled off of him and onto her back, stretching her arms over head.

"Gising na, Wifey. We're in Tahoe. There's a lot we can do today. We can go ice skating, snowboarding, make snowmen..."

Leah groaned and pressed her face into her pillow. "Gusto kong matulog..."

Clark laughed. "Come on, do you want to waste the day in bed?"

She didn't answer and Clark thought she might have gone back to sleep.

"Leah..."

Clark sat up on the bed and looked down at the tangled mess of hair that was all he could see of his wife.

"Okay, sige. Alam ko kailangan mong bumawi ng tulog." He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her head. "Just sleep, baby."

He moved to get out of bed but Leah groaned and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Saan ka pupunta?"

"I'm going to make breakfast."

Leah moaned and held him tighter.

"Dito ka lang, hubby." She pressed her face into his side.

Clark smiled and slid back down on the bed, wrapping Leah up in his embrace. She buried her nose in his neck and went back to sleep. Clark closed his eyes. He supposed that he could use some catching up on sleep as well.

When Clark woke up again, it was to an empty bed. He looked around, searching for Leah.

The bedroom door opened and Leah came in carrying a tray. She smiled brightly when she saw that Clark was awake.

"Good morning mahal ko!" She set the tray on the bed and leaned in for a kiss.

"Ako dapat ang magluluto ng breakfast," he protested.

"Ako ang bumabawi kaya ako ang nagluto. Saka tanghali na, kaya brunch na 'to. Kain na."

Clark looked down at the plate of pancakes with bacon and scrambled eggs. He was hungry so he dug right in.

He held up a bite of pancake for Leah but she was staring off into space.

"Wifey..."

"Ha?" She started and then ate the pancake off his fork.

"Ano iniisip mo?"

"Wala."

Clarked looked at her. She blushed and looked down.

"Sige. Iniisip ko yung last time na nandito tayo, sa kama na 'to."

"When we almost...?"

Leah nodded, still not looking at him. Clark laughed and wrapped his arms around her.

"Why are you embarrassed? After all the times we've done it now?"

"Ano ba..." She pressed her face into his chest.

Clark sobered up. He supposed this was the opportunity to ask something he's been wanting to know.

"Honestly, Leah, if we hadn't been interrupted, would we have...would you have let me...?"