by Amanda
She started to tear up again when she rounded the corner and saw that he had pushed the table and chairs closer to the bed and was laying out a makeshift bed near the heater. "Thank you." She said, choking down the tears that threatened to spill over.
He looked up and smiled as he dropped the blanket he was holding. "For?"
"For trading me shirts, so I would be more covered, and for going out of your way to make me feel comfortable. I’ll gladly sleep on the floor." She could feel herself starting to trust him, not completely, but more than she ever had any other man. In a matter of hours he was chiseling away the walls she had taken years to erect.
"You absolutely will not be sleeping on the floor. What kind of a husband would I be if I allowed that? Besides, my momma would have my hide if she ever found out I treated a lady like that." He gave her a broad smile.
"I promise I won’t tattle on you to your mother. Please, it’s your room; you shouldn’t have to sleep on the floor."
"It’s our room, and whether or not you tattle on me, I’ll know. You are not sleeping on the floor. I won’t hear of it. Now, get to bed, our flight leaves at nine."
She arched an eyebrow, "I thought your flight was at two?"
"It was, but while you were locked in the bathroom, I called to book another ticket and they said the flight was filled up, but that they had two available seats on an earlier flight, so I had to switch it." That was a relief, the sooner she was out of here, the better. Maybe luck was on her side after all.
"Okay, sounds good. Goodnight." She climbed into the bed and switched off the bedside lamp, thankful that she had left the bathroom light on, she may be starting to trust him, but it was best not to be in pitch darkness with him, he was still a stranger. "Goodnight, we’ll go shopping and get you some clothes after we land in Des Moines." "No, thanks, I’ll be fine with what I have. You’re already doing plenty for me." She couldn’t allow herself to get any further into debt with this man.
"You’re my wife. You need more than one outfit, you don’t even have anything to sleep in, we’ll go shopping." His tone told her it was closed for discussion, but she couldn’t help but push him.
"I’ll be fine, I can wash them every couple of days, and maybe you’ll let me keep using these? But, if not, that’s okay too." She added quickly.
"That’s just crazy. We’ll go shopping and get you some more clothes, and some pajamas that fit you, those are about to fall off. Besides, you’re going to need warmer clothes anyway, it may snow well into April, you never know."
She sighed heavily, "Fine, a couple of outfits, but just enough to get me by, we aren’t going crazy. No pajamas, I like these." She tried to sound authoritative, but wasn’t sure if she succeeded.
"Fine, we’ll get you a pair of your own, a few sizes smaller-in green. Now go to sleep, the alarm is set for five thirty." She didn’t add anything; she rolled to the farthest edge of the bed, putting as much distance between them as she could. She was exhausted from the long day, but couldn’t allow herself to sleep. Not with him in the room, he seemed benign, but she well knew that looks could be deceiving.
3
Brian shut the alarm off right before it was set to go off. He’d heard Aria tossing and turning most of the night, she had just finally fallen asleep, he decided it would be best to order room service instead of going out for breakfast, that way she could get a little more sleep. He could tell it was difficult for her to be in the same room with him, he knew she didn’t trust him. He would do anything to make her trust him; they couldn’t make a marriage work if they didn’t have trust. He was certain his dad would say that trust was one of the keys to marriage.
James Harris was forever telling his children what the "keys to marriage" were, there seemed to be an infinite number of them. His lips turned up at the thought, that’s what he wanted; a marriage like his parents had. They were deeply in love, it emanated from them, it was obvious how much they adored each other. He knew he couldn’t have that kind of a love with Aria, yet, but he prayed they one day could, someday.
Room service knocked on the door and he saw Aria jump up immediately at the sound. He had been tiptoeing around the room while getting dressed, careful not to wake her. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights, he watched as her eyes darted all around the room, searching for danger.
"I ordered us breakfast." She swallowed hard and nodded. He placed the tray on top of the small refrigerator just inside the door and tipped the young man that delivered it. When he turned around, he saw that Aria had moved from the bed to the far side of the small table. He carried the tray of food over and sat it down.
"I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I stuck to the basics-scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, sausage, hash browns, I made some coffee, and I have orange juice in the fridge. I can order something else if you’d prefer." She shook her head and after studying the tray for a moment, turned her chocolate gaze on him, her eyes were shining with appreciation, similar to the look she had given him last night when she thanked him, but not quite as vivid.
"It’s perfect, thank you." She stood and made her way to the coffee pot, all the while making a point to keep him in her sights, he pretended not to notice as he dished up his plate, but his heart broke at the knowledge that someone had hurt her so deeply that she was constantly on alert.
"Would you like some coffee?" She broke his contemplation.
"No thanks, I’ve already had two cups. Better stick to orange juice for now." He gave her a smile, trying to hide his earlier grief, as she made her way back to the table.
He bowed his head and prayed a silent prayer for his marriage, his wife, their journey home, his family, and tagged on a prayer of thanksgiving, and asked the blessing on the food at the end, as he almost forgot the reason for this particular prayer. When he looked up, deep brown eyes were boring into his.
"You can pray out loud, if you want to, it’s fine. I won’t be offended or anything." Her statement made him hopeful, even if she didn’t share his faith, she was at least open to and accepting of him having it. He felt his lips pull up into a warm smile.
"Good to know, I will next time. I’m realizing we really don’t know much about each other. I don’t want to push you, or make you uncomfortable in anyway." She smiled a shy smile and assured him he’d be the first to know if he did. They ate in amicable silence for several moments, before Brian’s curiosity got the better of him.
"Are you…a Christian?" He was hopeful, but something in his gut told him he wasn’t going to like her answer, or maybe it was the immediate blush, downward glance, and bead of sweat that formed on her forehead.
"I haven’t been for a long time." She mumbled, her words barely decipherable as she continued to stare at her lap. He felt a stab to his heart, and immediately knew that whatever made her so fearful of him also separated her from God. He felt the added responsibility of her faith life land on his shoulders.
For some reason, he was less concerned with the state of her faith life before he knew that she had had one at some point in her life. At that moment, he knew that even more so than before, every action, every word mattered even more. Not only did he need to show her that he could be her husband, and grow to love her, he needed to show her that God loved her too.
"Aria, please look at me." She hesitatingly raised her head and barely met his gaze under her lashes.
"It’s okay. I was just curious. That doesn’t change anything between us. I understand that not everyone shares my beliefs." He gave her his best smile, and saw her face soften, and a bit of the hesitation fade away.
"Thanks, I was kind of afraid that might be a deal breaker…I can tell how important it is to you." He chuckled, "Honey, in this odd marriage that we have, nothing is a deal breaker." Her laugh was light and musical, with only a hint of uncertainty. They finished their breakfast in relative silence, occasionally asking a question, or talking about the journey home. Aria changed and they made their way to the airport, getting checked in and
settled in the lounge area in plenty of time. Aria radiated nervousness; it came off her in nearly tangible waves.
"First flight?" He asked.
"That obvious? I’ve never gone, well, anywhere." She shrugged, bouncing both legs nervously, glancing all around the room, and out the large windows as the planes took off and landed.
He laughed, "A little bit, yeah. It’ll be fine; I’ve flown plenty of times. It’s just a three hour flight, it’ll be no big deal, just relax." He wanted to reach over and squeeze her shoulder, or hold her hand for reassurance, his fingers itched to offer comfort, but he knew that would only add to her tension. He tucked his hands under his legs instead, and said a silent prayer for traveling mercies.
Brian watched Aria sleeping peacefully, he was partially relieved that she was finally getting some sleep, but also disappointed that she found it easier to sleep on a crowded airplane, surrounded by two crying toddlers, and three giggling teenaged girls than in the same room with him.
She had continued to radiate nervous energy throughout takeoff, and until the seatbelt sign was turned off, she gradually relaxed after that, and was now sleeping soundly. He knew they’d be landing soon, and he hated to have to wake her, she looked at peace for the first time since they’d met.
He took one more lingering look at his beautiful new bride; her chestnut locks fanned out around her face and across her shoulders, her full lips were slightly parted with her deep, steady breathing. He noticed one lone, attractive freckle on the left side of her face, directly in between her bottom lip and chin. He took in the rest of her, she was unnaturally thin, he hadn’t noticed before just how skinny she really was, he knew she was small, but for the first time he noticed just how tiny she really was, she looked almost ill. His stomach turned at the thought of her ever going hungry, or worse; making herself this way. He said a prayer for her health, and her future, and continued examining her. She was truly a beautiful woman, a beautiful, broken woman. He would do everything in his power to help fix her.
*~*~*
She heard her name whispered gently near her ear, her eyes fluttered open to see a man leaning close to her, telling her it was time to wake up. She sat bolt upright, it took her several long moments to recall where she was and why. The man was Brian, and she was on an airplane headed to her new home, it wasn’t Jack, she was safe. She struggled to get her breathing under control, everything was okay.
"You alright? I didn’t mean to scare you, but we’re about ready to land." His eyes were full of concern, his face showed nothing but kindness. She was afraid she had dreamt everything, her escape, Brian, the airplane, his kindness and generosity, but she hadn’t. He was real, she was on a plane landing in Iowa, far from the monsters and nightmares of Las Vegas.
"Yeah, fine, just took me a minute to get my bearings. A lot has happened in the last day, it’s a lot to take in, you know?"
"I do, but we’ll get there. It’ll just take time and commitment." He offered her a reassuring smile.
"Here, you’d better put this on, looks like we got more snow, I know it’s too big, we’ll get you one of your own as soon as we get out of here." He said, handing her his coat as they got off the plane. She slipped it on as they walked.
"What about you?" He just shrugged. "I’ll be fine, how hungry are you? Do you want to eat first, or hit the mall first? It’s only a little after ten here, but we had a pretty early breakfast, it’s up to you." He asked as they headed to collect his bag. At the mention of food her stomach growled, she didn’t realize how hungry she was until he had asked.
"I’m pretty hungry, let’s eat first. How far—whoa that’s a lot of snow!" He let out a low chuckle as they made their way to the parking garage; he raised one shoulder and let it fall as he continued to lead the way.
"Not really, I’ve seen a lot more. This time of year, it falls heavy and melts quickly. You’ll get used to it." She wasn’t sure she wanted to get used to all the snow and the cold, maybe when she was better equipped for it. Her thin tennis shoes, jeans, and lightweight shirt weren’t exactly what you’d call ‘winter gear’ she tightened Brian’s coat around her shoulders; he seemed perfectly comfortable in just his khakis and sweater. She looked around at the others walking to and from their vehicles in the garage, many of them were dressed like Brian, sweaters but no coats. A few of them had on thin jackets, one woman even had on a skirt with no nylons or socks.
"How are they not freezing?" She wondered aloud, silently chiding herself for again speaking whatever came to mind, she hadn’t talked out of turn this much with a man since her dad. Brian didn’t seem to notice, or care.
"We’re used to it, people bundle up for the first few weeks of winter, but by the end of December we’re used to the cold, and days like today are considered heat waves."
"But, it’s only forty degrees!"
"It’s been a cold winter; the day I left it was ten below. We’re almost there." Ten below! Why couldn’t she have married someone from a warmer clime? It looked like she had better get used to it, this was home now.
She thought about what kind of a car he would drive, he was a bachelor and a lawyer, and in her experience, they tended to drive sports cars, the flashier, the better. He was also very down to earth and modest; she could also see him in a sedan, maybe even a pick up truck. She was completely surprised when he pointed his key fob at a deep blue SUV. It looked like something a soccer mom would drive, she had to stifle a laugh as he opened the back hatch to put his bags in.
"Go ahead and get in." She did as he said and slid into the passenger seat, she looked around, it was really nice with plush leather seating, and a large computer screen type control above the heat controls. She noticed a small silver cross and a miniature football with a green and white "G" on it hanging from the rearview mirror. The door opened and Brian climbed into the driver’s seat.
"Is this your favorite team or something?" She asked, pointing the football.
"Yeah, the Packers, I’m a big fan, my whole family is. Do you like football?" He pulled out of the spot and started winding through the garage. The heat kicked in and it felt good on her chilled skin.
"I’ve never seen it, are the Packers an Iowa team? I don’t really know how all of that works." He must find her chatter amusing rather than infuriating, because he laughed again.
"No, Iowa doesn’t have an NFL team. They’re the Wisconsin team."
"Oh, I see. I’m a little surprised you drive an SUV, I pegged you for more of a sedan or a sports car kind of guy, maybe even a pick up truck, but definitely not an SUV guy." Yet again, speaking her thoughts as they came to her, Jack would have slapped her already for her incessant questioning, but Brian seemed to enjoy their conversation.
He flashed her a smile; "Truck’s at home, and I traded in the sports car and bought both the truck and the Durango when I moved back. I like this, it gets decent gas mileage, has plenty of room for hauling things, enough seats for passengers, and it’s a Dodge."
"You prefer Dodges?"
"Yup, you can blame my grand-dad for that one. What kind of food are you in the mood for?"
"Waffles? Is that okay?" She hadn’t had them since she was a little girl, and nothing sounded more delicious at that moment, though he’d asked the question, she was still afraid he may not like her answer.
He had been nice since she met him…too nice, no one had ever done that much, given that much and not expected anything in return from her. She kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for her to do or say something out of line, and for him to lose his control. She knew that in some men that took next to nothing. She’d have to keep her guard up, but for some reason that was hard to do around Brian.
"Of course, why wouldn’t that be okay? I love Waffles. There’s a diner up here on the corner."
After an amicable and filling breakfast of fresh fruit and the most delicious waffles she had ever tasted they headed toward the mall.
"Oh, you know what? We need to make a stop before we ge
t to the mall, you need a cell phone." A phone? Why on earth did she need a phone? Who did she have to call?
"No, thanks, I don’t need one, you’ve already done so much for me, I couldn’t ask for—" He cut her off with a stern look and a tone that was more serious than she had heard him use yet, a tone that said he wasn’t to be argued with.
"Enough of that, I’m your husband, it’s my job to provide for you, I’m doing it because I want to. Please let me do things for you, it makes me feel useful. Besides, I have a couple of errands to run while we’re at the mall, so I’m going to leave you to do some shopping on your own, we’ll need to be able to get in touch with each other." He had a point, she would use it just to get in touch with him, and she wouldn’t feel so bad about it-it was for his benefit. She sighed and nodded.
Half an hour later they were headed back in the direction of the mall. He had insisted she get a smart phone, she had no idea how to use it, she’d never had a cell phone of her own, she’d never had any real possessions at all.
"I know you’re going to want to fight me on this, so while you were sleeping this morning I made a list of the things you’ll need to get. I tried to think of everything, but I’m sure I missed something; this isn’t all you can buy, of course, get whatever else you want; this is just the minimum that you need to get. No arguments, please. I want you to be comfortable, and if you think of anything else you need or want, please don’t hesitate to get it." He handed her a folded piece of paper, she opened it cautiously, her eyes popped open at the length of his list, he was right, she would fight him on this. She took a deep breath and read the list.