Page 76 of Capacity
“Fuck,” I groaned, dragging the word out.
Those three words were on the tip of my tongue begging to leap off. I held them back though. I couldn’t tell her that. Not yet. I still had so much to work through.
Every vein in my body pulsed with love for her though. It was more than a declaration now. It was a fact. My body knew it. My mind wouldn’t let go of Hazel.
“Oh my god,” Lumi bit her bottom lip and looked at me in the mirror like I was a stranger. “Maybe I should go to Texas more often. You just laid down devil dick. I don’t know how I’m supposed to stand up to make breakfast.”
“Don’t.” I kissed the side of her head and smoothed her ponytail since I fucked it up. “I’ll make breakfast for us.” I had to hurry into the bathroom because watching her pull up those pants and do that little wiggle to get her ass in was killing me. I’d be talking my dick down if I watched her.
When I got downstairs to the kitchen, Zachary was at the table with a bowl of cereal scrolling through his phone. His eyes met mine and he nodded at me. “Principal Cunningham,” he said in his most buttoned-up voice.
I chuckled and said, “Zachary, you don’t have to call me that right now. We’re not in school.”
“It’s kind of weird.”
“I know. Sorry about that.” I pushed a rogue lock of hair from my forehead and walked over to the fridge to take out eggs and bacon. “Hey, you want breakfast? I know that cereal isn’t filling you up.”
“Yeah, thank you. I don’t eat meat though.” He cast a wary eye at the pack of bacon and I froze.
“Oh, shit. Sorry.” I put it back and turned to see his stunned expression. “What’s up, Zachary? You okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just crazy seeing you outside of school like…”
“A normal guy?” I laughed.
“Exactly. It’s gonna take some getting used to.”
“I can understand that. I won’t make it weird if you don’t. Deal?” We shook on it and he nodded before putting his empty bowl in the sink.
Things mellowed out between us and conversation flowed easily until Lumi came in. She was like a breeze in the middle of August. I paused mid-sentence to watch her. I’d just seen her minutes ago and I was just inside of her but her beauty still caught me off guard.
“Hey guys,” she offered us a bright smile then rubbed Zachary’s back. “I didn’t know you were already downstairs. I didn’t even hear you get up.”
“I came down here to get away from all thenoise.” He shot me and Lumi a look that was parental as hell. Made me feel like we were the teenagers.
“Uh, sorry about that, Zachary,” I muttered.
“You can call me Zach. It’s cool, grown people do what they do, right?”
“Exactly,” Lumi nodded, brushing by the awkward topic. “Pretend you didn’t hear anything. I still have a halo and you have earmuffs.”
“Yeah, okay,” Zach chuckled. She pushed him playfully and I watched as he laughed. I’d never seen that kid laugh before today. He was a totally different person around Lumi. Hell, I was too. I understood perfectly. Something about being around a woman like her changed you for the better.
…
Mrs. Wells was in the middle of a harsh coughing fit when I arrived. A home aid nurse was at her bedside handing her a small plastic cup with a few pills inside. I tried to smile once the room fell quiet and the nurse went into the kitchen. I didn’t know if it translated to my face.
“Hey, good morning, Mrs. Wells.” I nodded at her and set up my tripod.
“Hi, Knight. I’m sorry for all the coughing. Hopefully, the pills will stop it. How are you?”
“I’m fine. How are you?”
“Well, other than the coughing fit and the whole end of life thing…I’m good.” Her smile was kind but I saw glints of uncertainty flicker in her gray eyes.
“Yeah, I can’t imagine.” My Adam’s apple bobbed.
“Hello, Knight. I’m glad you made it,” Mr. Wells shook my hand and sat in the chair beside his wife’s bed.
