Daphne POV
"So you'll pick him up at 2 and keep him busy until the party, right?" I ask Scott.
I listen to him tell me his side of the plan for Chris's birthday. After pulling the car into the garage I close the garage door behind me.
I'd spent the morning shopping with Charlotte. Our school had a permanent job opening in Kindergarten and had offered it to her. I'm thrilled we'll get to work together more.
Scott continues telling me about his own surprise for Chris. Another five minutes pass. I look up to see the door into the house open, revealing the love of my life. But, something is very different with him as he is sporting a clean cut jawline. Inhaling deeply from this surprise that has set my heart racing, "I gotta go Scott. I'll text you later."
"Hello gorgeous," I say climbing out of my car as I take in the impressive man that is leaning against the door frame. I wonder if I have any glass that needs to be cut because good gracious his jaw could take care of it for me.
"That's my line," he says with a quirk of his brow. He steps away from the door frame, closing the kitchen door behind him. I think that seems strange but figure he must want to keep Dodger out of the garage.
I reach into the back seat and pull out the couple of shopping bags from my excursion, also in an effort to gather my composure. Chris steps closer to me as I close the car door. He reaches for my hand, removing the bags from my grasp and places them on his work bench off to the side. I expect him to make small talk, ask about the shopping trip or at least inquire if Charlotte has told me anything more about her relationship with Hayden. But for now he doesn't say anything.
He turns back to me as I lift my hand, touching his now bare cheek.
"Do you remember this face now?" He asks me, holding onto my hips, reminding me of his recent realization that we met June of last year.
"Hmmm...not sure. May need the ball cap...backwards," I say with a smirk and a tug on my lower lip.
Chris matches my smirk, walking towards me, moving me backwards closer to my car. "I wasn't wearing the cap backwards," he reminds me.
"Potato, potatoe, same thing," I tell him as I feel the back of my thighs hit the hood of the car.
Chris has officially caged me in. His stance just wide enough for him to lean over me, his hands resting on the hood of the car, on either side of me. I breathe him in. The lingering smell of shaving cream topped with a woodsy aftershave. Instinctively my eyes close and a sigh escapes through my lips. "What are you up to Christopher?" I open my eyes to see his own ocean blue eyes concentrated on my lips. His hand moves from the hood of the car, and gently caresses my neck before it finds its way into my hair. I gasp as he crushes his lips onto mine, using his hand to guide and deepen the kiss, eliciting a quiet moan from me.
In an effort not to lose my balance I grasp onto his biceps as I give him full control. He takes note and leans further into me until my back is completely flat on the hood of the car. It isn't until he pulls my leg around his hip that I realize this will be much more than just a hot and heavy make out session.
'This will be a very juicy story for our next girls night,' I think to myself as Chris's hand finds the button to my shorts.
~~~~~
Chris POV
"Happy birthday, baby," I hear whispered against my ear, slowly pulling me from a deep sleep. My body is telling me I need more sleep as it feels like I just laid down. It takes another moment for me to realize my bride is kissing along my unclothed upper back as she hums the birthday song.
I lift my head ever so slightly while cocking one eye open. The clock reads 12:01 am. "Babe... it's the middle of the night. I just laid down at 11:15," I tell her with a groan.
"But it's your birthday," Daphne whines back at me.
"And it'll still be my birthday in seven hours too," I say returning to my position and grasp my pillow tighter.
The tender kisses stop and I feel a shift in the bed. Unfortunately I'm too tired to put a whole lot of care into it and drift back to sleep.
Several snores and hours later I'm woken up again by a wet, cold nose nudging my arm. I reach over to the other side of the bed, reaching for Daphne, but come up empty. "Daph?" I call out. "Can you let Dodge out?" My eyes are still heavy and are closing all on their own accord. Another moment later and I'm nudged again by the whining dog. "Daphne!" No answer. Rolling completely on to my back I rub the heaviness out of my eyes. "Where's mama, Dodge?"
Groggily I walk to the back door and slide it open to let Dodger out. A quick glance at the back porch shows no Daphne. A walk through the kitchen proves to be empty, as well as the front porch. "Babe?" I call out once again. I retrace my steps looking for a possible note she may have left. Again I come up empty. I check the garage and see that her car is gone. Sprinting back to our bedroom I grab my cell phone, relieved to see that I have a message. I unlock it only to see it's a message from Scott wishing me a happy birthday and telling me he's picking me up at 2. I shoot back a simple 'okay' before I realize it's already 10:30 am.
I fall back onto the bed as I call Daphne. It rings five times before her voicemail starts. I hadn't realized she's changed her message to include 'Daphne Evans,' it brings a smile to my lips. "Hey baby, it's me. I just wanted to check on you. Normally you leave a note but I've not found one yet. Let me know you're alright, please. Love you." I press end and toss the phone towards the pillows. It's then that I see the small chocolate cupcake sitting on the bedside table on Daphne's side. It holds a single candle. With a closer look I see the candle had been lit at one point, but not long enough to melt much of the wax. I roll over to that side of the bed and pick up the cupcake, realizing that it's sat there long enough to turn stale and hard.
I think back to the moment in the night when she woke me up. I remember I was exhausted. But I didn't give her the time of day and yet all she wanted was to give me this small cupcake. "Idiot," I call myself just as my cell dings again. I sit up and grab it.
Daphne- I'm fine. I'll see you later.
Chris- Scott is suppose to be here at 2 but I can cancel.
Daphne- No. You should spend time with him. I'll see you later.
Chris- Daphne.
Daphne- I love you. I'll see you later.
Chris- Babe, I'm sorry.
Daphne- I love you. I'll see you later.
Chris- love you more.
With a sigh of defeat I put my phone on the nightstand again. To say I screwed up would be an understatement. This is not how I expected the day to go.
After feeding Dodger and taking a quick shower I jump in the truck to head to my in-laws home. A tan colored envelope catches my eye as it rests on my dashboard. 'Christopher' it says in the handwriting I've come to recognize so easily. Tearing open the envelope I'm met with a handmade card.
Seeing the simple words 'I choose you' reminds me again of my stupidity last night. There is truly no excuse for me choosing sleep over a few sweet moments with my wife. Opening the card I pull out a small metal rectangle that has been engraved, a tiny heart has been cut out at the corner.
Setting the item down next to me, I crank the truck and barrel down our dirt road in an effort to find Daphne and mend this rift I've caused.
Arriving at the Jeffries home I see that Daphne's car isn't in the driveway so I drive on by. I pass by both James and Oliver's home but still come up empty.
There's only one other place she might be. I turn down Mulligan Street, driving towards Daphne's house. I can still see For Sale sign still sitting in the front yard and off to the side is Daphne's car.
I pull the truck off onto the side of the road. A battle arguing within my brain. She obviously wants to be left alone. But I 'wanted to be left alone' last night and look where we are now. I decide to bite the bullet and walk up to the house. I knock before turning my key, in order to not scare her.
Upon opening the door I'm taken aback. There in the middle of the empty living room floor is an air mattress covered in blankets and a pillow with my sweet Daphne asleep in the middle of the makeshift bed.
I crouch down next to the mattress, careful not to startle her awake. Tenderly I kiss her cheek, and rub my hand across it. She releases a soft sigh as a small smile plays upon her lips. But it's short lived as her brow furrows into a scowl and her eyes snap open at an alarming rate.
"It's just me," I assure her, sitting down completely next to the bed now.
"What are you doing here? I told you I'd see you later," she tells me, sitting up.
"Because I'm stupid, sweetheart," I admit. "Incredibly stupid...with two o's."
"It's fine. I shouldn't have woke you up," Daphne says with a sniffle. It's now that I realize her eyes are red rimmed.
I shake my head. "I want you to wake me up, whenever and for whatever," I confess. "I just wasn't thinking clearly." I hold her hand in mine, hoping she doesn't pull away. "How long have you been here?" I ask.
"Since about four," she says, chewing along the corner of her cheek. "I couldn't sleep and didn't want to disrupt you again."
As kind hearted as my wife is I sometimes forget that she is also very tender hearted. My simple want of sleep last night has completely shattered her and lead her to believe that I rejected her.
"I'm so sorry, Daphne," I say again.
"I should've known better after the shift you had yesterday," she says, again thinking of other people rather than herself.
I pull her closer to me, attempting to hold her gaze with mine. "No matter how crappy my shift is, no matter how exhausted I am, when I get home I should always make you a priority. I'm sorry I didn't."
She lets me hold her against my chest, feeling her relax against me. "I'm gonna cancel with Scott and spend the day with you."
"No, you're not. I'm okay now, I promise," she assures me. "I will however go home and crawl into our bed and try to get some decent sleep."
I help her pack up the blankets and air mattress, loading them into her car. " it's a shame that cupcake went to waste last night," Daphne says. "It was your favorite from that bakery in Miami you like so much."
I hang my head. "I thought it looked familiar. Guess I deserve that."
Daphne reaches up to place a sweet kiss on my cheek. "Guess it's a good thing there's a dozen in the microwave."
" I love you so much, crazy woman," I say squeezing her tight.