Strangers

by A. L. Parks

  Making her way down the short hallway to the large open area that contained the kitchen and family room, she stopped before turning the corner. He was singing to himself quietly, but loud enough for it to drift to where she stood. Quietly, she edged into the kitchen. His back was to her as he stood at the kitchen sink; the softness of the Christmas carol he was singing cocooned her in happiness. He was still in his pajama pants and a white tshirt, washing out a bowl, completely oblivious to his audience.

  A memory flashed through Abby's mind from the night before. A gentle kiss. Their first kiss. It had calmed her, made her feel safe, gave her confidence - even now - in their budding relationship. Moving behind him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his back. With one hand, he caressed her arm before she laced his fingers through hers and raised it to his lips. Turning to her, he pulled her into an embrace as his lips lightly grazed along her cheek and jaw, settling next to her ear. Her eyes closed and her breath caught, as somewhere deep within her, a feeling that had been buried for too many years, resurfaced.

  "Merry Christmas, baby," he whispered.

  Her free hand grasped at the back of his shirt, as the heat of his breath lingered close to her, and sent sparks that ignited longforgotten areas of her body. "Merry Christmas," she managed to get out through the now heavy breathes of excitement, and the wide grin on her face.

  His gray eyes met hers, mesmerizing her momentarily. "How are you feeling?" he asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

  "Good," she replied, taking in a deep breath, and trying to compose herself. "Best I have felt in a while. Some of the fog seems to have cleared out. I finally feel like I am getting back to normal." A small laugh escaped, "you know - normal for me, anyway. Coffee will help," she half joked, half begged.

  "Fresh pot waiting for you," Bryce informed her, placing a quick kiss on her forehead before releasing her. Abby made her way to the opposite side of the kitchen, pulled a mug from the

  cabinet, and filled it to the rim, taking a slow sip.

  "Think you can manage socializing today?" Bryce asked as he leaned against the counter and gazed at her questioningly.

  "Yeah, why?" she looked at him tentatively as she continued to take small sips of the hot coffee.

  "Your mom invited us to Christmas dinner this afternoon. I told her I would see how you were doing this morning, and let her know."

  "Oh, right. It's Christmas. How strange..." her voice trailed off. Her mind tried to grapple with the reality that she had slept her way nearly through the entire month. Her life was put on hold, but the world went on without her. And now it was Christmas. But to her, it should still be a couple of weeks away.

  Bryce moved over to her, placed his hand on her chin, lifted it so that their eyes meet, and pulled her back to reality. "So?" he inquired.

  Shaking her head slightly, she sighed, "I should be fine, as long as we don't stay too long. I feel really bad, though. I didn't come close to finishing my Christmas shopping. I have gifts for only some of the kids, but not all of them, and I don't think I got anything for my parents."

  "They understand, Abby," he assured her. "Besides, I found your list for the nieces and nephews next to your laptop, and managed to finish what you had already started. So, the kids, at least, are taken care of." Abby stared at him in total disbelief. This man, who she had kicked out of her life without any explanation, who had rushed to save her when she was hurt, who had been with her since she woke in the hospital and nursed her back to health, had the most enormous, loving, giving heart of anyone she had ever known. She melted, and the warmth traveled throughout her body.

  "Wow," she remarked under her breath, "thanks." It was the only thing she was able to get out without choking up and crying. Bryce smiled at her, his eyes gleaming.

  "Okay," he broke free of her gaze, and attempted to reel in the intense emotional atmosphere in the room. "Breakfast is just about ready. I made the cranberry muffins you like - with some help from Ms. Betty Crocker." He held up the box of muffin mix, making Abby giggle.

  After breakfast, they cleaned the dishes, and Bryce headed into the family room, and plopped down onto the couch.

  "Be right back," Abby called to him, as she stole away to the bedroom. Opening the cedar chest below the window, she uncovered the box wrapped in shiny red paper, with a large silver bow adorning the top. She had been so excited when she bought it over a month earlier, that she had wrapped it as soon as she got it home.

  Returning to the family room, box safely stowed behind her back and out of view, she sat next to Bryce on the couch. In his hand was an envelope.

  "Okay, so I did manage to get you a gift. I've had it for a while," she said. Excitement poured from her body. She pulled the box from behind her back, and presented it to him.

  "Open it now?" he asked, already pulling the silver ribbon releasing the bow.

  "Yes," Abby squealed in delight. Tearing the paper from the box, Bryce stared at the package - a Nikon D600. He had spent half an hour playing with all the features one Saturday as they wandered through some stores. When they finally left, he told her he was going to get a camera like that one day. She went back the following week, and put it on a payment plan, picking it up from the shop prior to the Thanksgiving dinner at her parents.

  "Oh my God, Abby," he exclaimed under his breath, his eyes never leaving the box.

  "That's the one you wanted, right?" she fumbled with the words, as her eyes searched for confirmation. "The one you looked at in the shop that day?" He had not moved since he pulled the remnants of the paper from the gift. Laying the box on the coffee table, he pulled her into a tight embrace against his chest. The unexpectedness, along with the force of the action, caught Abby by surprise. She pulled her head back slightly, pulling air into her lungs.

  "It’s perfect," he answered, his voice muffled as his lips pressed firmly onto her head.

  Finally releasing her from his bear hug, she smiled up into his sparkling dancing eyes. "My turn." His voice took on Abby's excitement. Handing her the envelope he had placed in his lap, she focused on her name scrawled across the front. "Not wrapped quite as pretty. Sorry."

  "It’s in a red envelope. Its wrapped perfectly for me," she ran her finger under the seam, peering at Bryce questioningly. "It’s very curious," she said, watching his expression, as excitement built within them both. Pulling out another envelope, Abby recognized it immediately.

  She gasped. Airline tickets to Ireland. Her mind went back to the poster that adorned her bedroom wall as a child. The map of Ireland with the red pins, denoting all the places she wanted to visit one day. It had been a dream for most of her life; now shifted into reality with the documents she held in her hands.

  "You said you've always wanted to go," Bryce explained. "It’s two round trip tickets. You can go at any time, as long as it's within the year. And you can take anyone you like with you."

  Abby's breathing intensified as she stared at the gift. Slowly, she turned her gaze on Bryce, "You're coming with me. Why would I take anyone else on this trip but you?"

  She did not wait for an answer, just leaned over and kissed him. His hands reached up and nestled either side of her face, holding her in place. Their lips moved gently in a slow introductory dance. Bryce tilted his head, deepening the kiss at Abby's invitation, as she parted her lips, allowing his tongue access. Abby was a mass of emotion, reveling in the softness of his lips on hers, wanting to stay in this exact moment for as long as possible, but wanting to take it farther. She placed her hand at the back of his head, and ran her fingers through his hair. Their tongues moved slowly around each other, sliding and feeling, and discovering each other. It felt so good, so right, and so sensual.

  Bryce’s cell buzzed, shattering the solitude and intimacy of the moment. Reaching for it, Bryce checked the caller ID and sighed. "Merry Christmas, Charlotte," he greeted the caller, smiling at Abby. Abby rolled her eyes, unhappy with her mother's interruption of their first rea
l intimate kiss.

  "Yes, we'll be there...she's doing much better. She seems to have a lot more energy today...Yeah, I will keep my eye on her. If she gets too tired, we'll come home...of course...Yep, we'll see you soon...okay, bye, Charlotte."

  "My mother is calling you, to ask about how I'm feeling, and if I'm coming to Christmas dinner?" Abby tried to sound offended, but Bryce just laughed.

  "You don't return her calls, baby."

  ***

  The ride to her parent’s home was quiet. Abby shifted in her seat, turning so she faced Bryce as he drove. Her head leaned

  against the headrest, her eyes fixed on his face. His features where chiseled from this angle, and gave him a more rugged appearance. As his face turned towards her, the features softened into the handsome face she had fallen in love with over the many months since they had met. He smiled at her, reached his hand across, and wrapped it around hers. It lay in her lap, as she closed her eyes. She was happy, and knew she was blessed to have this man in her life.

  Christmas carols were playing in the living room as Bryce opened the front door, and they stepped into the foyer. Nieces and nephews rushed over to give Abby hugs and kisses. Bryce gingerly took her elbow, and guided her onto the couch in the living room. Leaning over, he whispered into her ear, "Stay put. Do you want something to drink?" She nodded her head vigorously; hoping a glass of wine would take the edge off of being the center of attention with her family.

  "Non-alcoholic," Bryce clarified, as her eyes narrowed at him.

  "Not fair," she mouthed.

  Chuckling, he grasped her chin, "You're still medicating, baby," and placed a kiss on her lips.

  All the activity in the room came to a halt. Every eye was locked onto the couple. Abby raised her eyebrows at Bryce. "Well, that cat's out of the bag."

  "I'll just go get your tea," he whispered, releasing her chin as Abby grinned after him.

  Curled into the couch, sipping her tea, Abby watched the flurry of activity around her. Her father sat down next to her, and they laughed as the children began locating all the gifts bearing their names under the elaborately decorated tree. Abby's father tapped her arm and pointed towards Bryce, talking to James and Davis by the bar.

  "That's quite a fella you've got there, Abby." She nodded, surprised by her father's remark. They typically didn't talk about such personal things. Her father usually inquired about her job, and whether she was still putting money into mutual funds.

  "You know," he continued, "he never left your side. The entire time you were in the hospital - unconscious, he stayed right there with you. They tried to throw him out, told him you needed your rest. He leaned over and whispered in your ear that he was leaving and would be back the next day, and all hell broke loose. Your breathing went all crazy, and your heart rate jumped up, and the alarm on the machine that monitored your breathing started going off. The nurses were frantic, calling the doctor to the room, telling Bryce to back away. He just leaned back in and told you not to worry, that he was not leaving after all. The alarm stopped, your breathing slowed down, and your heart rate went back to normal." Bill took a breath, and shook his head, as a smile crossed his face.

  "Well, that just set the nurse off, and she told him that if he didn’t leave, she would call security and have him removed from the building. So, Bryce apologized to you, and told you they were making him leave. You had another panic attack, setting the alarms off again. The nurse looked at Bryce, who threw his arms up in the air. She told him that she would give you a tranquilizer to calm you down. Bryce told her it was crazy to give you drugs you didn't need when all that was required was for him to stay with you. I guess the doctor came in, and when Bryce told him what was going on, the nurse was overruled, and Bryce stayed." Her father chuckled at the conclusion of his story.

  "I had no idea," Abby remarked under her breath as she continued to gaze at Bryce. It shouldn’t have been surprising; it was exactly something Bryce would do. But he never failed to amaze her, and this just solidified her feelings for him.

  "Yep," her father patted her leg as he stood up. "He's a good man."

  ***

  "Cab's here, Abby," Bryce called to her as he fixed his cuff links. It had been a long day of negotiating with her regarding going to the New Year's Eve party. She begged, pleaded, argued, and then took the required nap before he acquiesced.

  "I'm ready," she glided into the kitchen, but stopped as she caught sight of the look on Bryce's face. "What?" she asked quickly, looking down at her satiny red halter dress that swept along the floor. "What's wrong?"

  "Nothing," his eyes followed every curve of her body. "You look amazing, baby."

  Abby smiled, and walked towards him. "You don't look so bad yourself, handsome," she whispered in his ear as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He grasped her hips, and pulled her to him.

  "I'm glad you talked me into going, but I am going to be very busy tonight." Abby looked at him, and wrinkled her eyebrows. "Beating men off you with a stick," he offered to her unspoken question. She giggled, as he released her and helped her with her coat.

  The ballroom sparkled with glittering golden hues, as the couple searched for familiar faces. Making their way through a maze of round tables, all covered with shimmering bronze table clothes, adorned with tall silver candlesticks in the center, Abby's heart raced a little faster, excited about what the night, and the new year would bring for her and Bryce.

  The tables were arranged around a large dance floor, which would open after dinner was served. Giddy with anticipation, Abby could not stop grinning madly as she looked at all the people milling around the party, excited to usher in a new year. This was the first time in almost a month that she had even been awake after nine o’clock at night, let alone out socializing. In fact, the last time she had been at a party was Rob and Becca's Christmas party that had begun and ended disastrously.

  Bryce placed his hand on the small of her back, and guided her through the crowd. Jim's arm shot up in the air a few tables from them, waving them over. The group exchanged hugs and handshakes before the ladies sat down at the table. Courtney, Clara, and Abby started chattering about the decorations, the dresses, and who was in attendance. Bryce kissed Abby on the head before joining Jim and Davis on their trek to the bar. Within a few minutes, the men returned, drinks in hand. Bryce placed a glass of white wine in front of Abby, who smiled, and mouthed, "thank you."

  "Look who I found," Bryce pointed over his shoulder. Abby caught sight of a tall, good-looking black man with a short, spunky blond on his arm. Jumping from her seat as Becca pushed past Rob, Abby threw her arms around her best friend.

  "You look spectacular!" Becca crooned. "I am so sorry we haven't stopped by to see you since you got out of the hospital. It's been so crazy with Christmas, and the kids, and all," Becca apologized, looking a bit sheepish.

  "No worries," Abby reassured her. "I haven't been great company. The meds make me drowsy, so I fall asleep - A LOT - and at random times. Ask Bryce...I fall asleep on him in the middle of a conversation daily!" she giggled.

  "Are you still on medication?" Becca's eyes traveled to the wine glass in Abby's hand. Becca was a nurse, and was always on duty when it came to her family and friends.

  "No, I finished them two days ago," Abby relayed. "Clean bill of health from the doctor."

  "Good! We can have fun, fun, fun tonight!" Becca squealed in delight.

  "That is the plan," Abby confirmed, taking a sip of her wine.

  "So, how are things with Bryce?" Becca's voice lowered as a sly smile crossed her face. Abby's smile widened into a silly grin, sending them both into school girl giggles.

  The DJ opened the dance floor as the waiters cleared the dessert dishes from the tables, and filled the crystal flutes with champagne. The girls quickly staked out a spot on the dance floor and danced to song after song in their small circle. After three songs, Courtney and Abby left Clara and Becca bumping and grinding to some techno song, and made
their way back to the table. Bryce leaned in to Abby as she downed half of her glass of ice water. "Don't wear yourself out. You owe me a dance."

  Abby glanced at him as she finished the water. "Do I now?" and playfully raised her eyebrows at him.

  "Yes, the most important one - at midnight. You’re not ringing in the new year with anyone but me."

  "Just you and me, Babe," she agreed, giving him a chaste kiss.

  As the countdown to the new year commenced, the DJ announced the last song of the year. Bryce and Abby made their way onto the dance floor, finding the rest of their group already there. Surrounded by family and friends, the couple eventually lost themselves in the soft sway of their bodies in time with the music. Bryce held Abby's gaze mercilessly, as he caressed her cheek with his hand.

  The voices around them elevated as the seconds ticked away, culminating in a loud cry. "Happy New Year!" Abby no longer heard the noises around her. Her eyes closed as soon as Bryce placed his lips on hers. Unaware of anyone else around them, their lips moved together. Bryce’s tongue slid into Abby’s mouth. Tingles flowed from the tip of his tongue throughout her entire body. Her hand grasped at his back. She ran her tongue along his, exploring its length. Pulling back, her gave her a lingering kiss on her lips. He leaned his forehead against hers, and drew in a deep breath, whispering, "Happy New Year, baby."

  "Happy New Year, Bryce," she replied as his lips found hers again.

  Chatter swirled around her head. She heard Jim's voice, "It’s about damn time," which was met with laughter and agreement. A smile spread across Abby's face. She was happy. The sparkle in Bryce's eyes evidenced his happiness. And the laughter of her friends and family indicated they shared in it, also.

  Returning to the table, Bryce whispered, "How much longer do you want to stay?"