On the Edge of Tomorrow

Chapter 38

Sleep eluded me. My mind was busy, and my hands wanted to follow. I pulled out the spools of wire from my bag. Twisting the wire into pendants calmed me. I absently bent, weaved, and snipped for an hour before I realized I had finished a tree of life. The clock read 1 am, and sleep was no closer than when I started. I twisted a sun and another tree into reality before sleep pulled me to bed. When my alarm blared at 9 am, I regretted my late-night distractions. I packed my supplies, slipped the topaz pendant off my necklace, and strung on the tree of life before beginning my day.

The lack of sleep paid off, and I slept through my first flight. Before I knew it, I was calling Billy.

"I'm in Chicago," I immediately started when he answered the phone. "And I remembered to call your cell."

"Pete isn't that scary."

"Yeah, I just can't believe I didn't recognize it wasn't you."

"We sound the same. Even my mom gets confused when we call." He soothed, but there was a tight inflection.

"You just lied to me," I laughed.

"Ok, yeah, my mom never confuses us, but she's our mom. Trust me, everyone else does."

"I shouldn't; at least I shouldn't mistake your tone. You're..." I stopped myself as the flush of embarrassment warmed my face. I dropped it as though Billy could see me.

"What?" His tone let me know a playful smile filled his face.

"You're sweeter, gentler than the other voice." I closed my eyes and pictured the smile I expected to be on his face, the toothy one with both dimples on display. "Moving on," I prodded.

"I'll see you in two hours."

"You sure will." It was my turn now, "Billy..."

"Yeah," his voice was heavy with expectancy.

"I love you."

There was a rush as his breath blew across the phone. "I love you too."

The flight went quickly, but the lack of sleep weighed on me as I pulled myself from my seat. A lovely gentleman helped me pull my carry-on down from the overhead bin. Otherwise, I'd have injured myself and probably some innocent person near me. My body sagged as I rode the escalator to the baggage claim. But Billy was there, casually leaning against a pole. In his jeans and black leather coat, no one paid him any attention. His lips slightly moved as he read from a book curled in one of his paw-like hands. Seeing him, feeling myself near him, was like a jolt of lightning blasted through me.

"I think you're my driver," I stood before him.

"Yes, ma'am." His hand circled to the small of my back and pulled me to him as he placed a kiss on my forehead. "And my mom sent you a snack." He procured a plastic bag holding two crumbling cookies. "She sent three, but I got hungry." Dimples.

"This is the cutest thing ever. I love your mom already." I broke off a piece of cookie and popped it into my mouth. It was the best cookie I had ever tasted. "This is so good."

"Scottish shortbread with rosemary." Billy broke off a piece and popped it into his mouth.

"I never want to eat anything else." I put another chunk in my mouth.

"Oh, this is nothing. Wait until you have her sauce. She's been cooking since she found out you were coming. It's almost offensive. I had boxed mac and cheese for lunch because..." he paused. "Well, because I'm not you."

"It's difficult being me. I'm very loveable."

Billy held the door open to the beat-up van. "You missed her, didn't you?" He teased as he tapped the door.

"I did," I admitted as he helped me up to the seat. The rusty van held a summer of memories, the good and the bad.

"I missed it too. There is something simple about a few people in a couple of vans."

We drove in silence as I watched the city pass the van window.

"Tired?" His voice was low and rough.

"I didn't sleep last night; too excited," I admitted. I looked over to catch a flash of a smile.

"Well," he said as he pulled into the driveway, "a bed is near."

It was a tiny blue matchbox house with a soft glow from a front window that welcomed us. "It's not much, but it's home." He shuffled a bit before pulling my bags from the back and slinging them over his shoulder. Before turning to the house, he reached out a hand to me. We entered a living room that led to a small dining room and an equally tiny kitchen. Billy looked even more prominent in the little space. I followed him to the basement.

"So, your room is here." He flicked on the light to a room barely larger than the double bed.

"My room?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'll be out there on the couch." He hooked a thumb towards the couch we had just passed.

"You can't fit on a couch. We've already had this argument."

"Lil, I have to sleep on the couch. The only thing worse than my mom catching me sleeping in this bed with you would be her catching you sleeping on the couch while I slept in the bed."

"Then I'll sleep on the floor," I stubbornly said.

"Explain that logic?"

"I'm not sleeping in the bed, and it sounds like the couch is taken. So, the floor it is. And I'll explain why to your mom."

"Lil, please, you're tired. Sleep in the bed."

I crossed my arms in response.

"I may have miscalculated introducing the two women in my life. This is going be a very long weekend."

"Bed. I'll see you in the morning." I pushed him towards the bed, but he caught my hand and pulled me to him.

"I'm glad you're here." He dipped his face to give me a heart-pounding kiss before ricocheting off me into the bedroom.

By the time I changed into pajamas, my eyelids were heavy with sleep. Even if it wasn't, the couch was like heaven as I drifted off into dreams.