Dancing with Shadows

Three

      She woke up under the window in the living room with the early morning rays blinding her eyes. Jasmine squinted against the offensive sun, and turned over trying to get away from the light. She looked around herself confused to why she wasn't in her bed, then she remembered him. She remembered feeling him hold her as she calmed down from her crying fit.

      With a smile playing on her lips, Jasmine stood up and made her way to her room for a bath. "Derick? I'm taking a shower." She rushed up the stairs the way she used to. Usually, Derick would tear from his office to chase her, typically catching her just inside the bedroom. They would undress together and slip into the steaming water together. Jasmine knew that if he was in the house, as she now suspected, he would be in the room when she began undressing.

      He was not in his office when she called to him. He heard her breathing change when she finally relaxed enough to drift off to sleep. He held her well into the night, until she started to adjust and try to get more comfortable. That was when he lay her gently to the floor and sat on the couch to wait for her to wake up. He was still watching as she stirred and got up. He was only two steps behind her up the stairs and through the door to their room. He watched her slip out of her soiled clothes and move to the bathroom.

      Jasmine stepped under the stream of water and began her bathing. The whole while, her eyes were closed and her lips were curled up in a sly smile. She knew that he was watching her, so she took longer than usual to lather up her breasts.

      Derick was content to watch her take her shower from the other end of the tub, but when she lingered on her breasts, he wanted so badly to wipe away those white bubbles. He watched through lowered lids as she touched herself in such a teasing way. Her shower was over far too soon for his pleasure, but he still enjoyed watching her towel off.

      "I wish you would have helped me with my shower," Jasmine said to the empty room. She knew that Derick wouldn't answer, but knowing that he was there helped ease the ache in her heart. She felt a little more like her old self being able to speak to him aloud, even if he didn't respond.

* * * * *

      Jasmine was rinsing her breakfast dishes when the phone on the wall rang. She wasn't used to getting calls on the house phone, so the chime startled her.

      Jasmine lifted the phone from the cradle and pressed it to her ear. "Hello?" she asked.

      "Can you hear me?"

      Jasmine's fingers tightened around the handle of the phone, squeezing so hard her knuckles turned white. "Derick?" she squeaked out.

        He let out a sigh of relief. He couldn't believe he didn't think of it before. He stood next to the wall that held the phone as he watched Jasmine press the reciever to her ear. The blood drained from her face at the sound of his voice, but rushed back to tinge her cheeks an adorable pink. "It wasn't very nice of you to tease me like that in the shower," he scolded.

      He was filled with bliss as he watched the sparkle return to her eyes after so many months of them being void of all but sorrow.

      "It wouldn't have been a tease if you would have joined in," she pointed out. Jasmine felt so light being able to talk to Derick. To hear his voice. To imagine him back with her.

      The two tossed playful banter at each other for another ten minutes over the phone. "I wish I could see you again," Jasmine whined.

      Derick watched that light in her eyes slip a little with her confession. "I know, love, but I haven't quite figured that one out yet."