Day Seventeen - Blush

I happen to be up late tonight, a rare moment where I’m curled up on the couch in the sitting room, book and steaming hot tea in hand. Our new house cat is also curled up at my feet, sound asleep.

We’ve named her Lavender after the lavender in the garden. Everyone in the house voted on a name, it was between Rosemary and Lavender. Ultimately, we chose Lavender because Mary insisted there couldn’t be two Mary’s in the house at the same time. And as for how we know she’s a she? Mrs Thompson and her nosey self lifted the poor cat up into the air and took a look herself.

There’s the creaking of floorboards just behind me and I turn around to see Teddy standing there in his pajama pants and t-shirt.

“There you are,” he says and approaches me, “Do you mind if I light a fire?”

“I don’t mind.” I say and watch as he goes to start one.

Crouched in front of the fireplace and busy with arranging the logs, he doesn’t look at me while he speaks, “Are there any books you really enjoy? Or books that you’d like to keep in your bookshelf?”

“Anything really. I often read romances but I’d like to have a collection of everything. Something for anyone’s tastes.”

Teddy doesn’t say anything and lights a match, setting the logs aflame.

“Is there a book you can recommend to me?” he asks.

I don’t have the first idea about what kind of book Teddy might read, so I ask him.

“What do you like?” I ask.

He looks right at me, a warm smile on his face.

“Well, I like you” he says.

I feel myself blushing completely all over my face and I can’t help but raise my book up to hide myself. I curl my knees up to my chest under the blanket. Lavender quietly murmurs in protest that I’ve shifted my feet.

“I like you too,” I whisper into the pages of my book. “But I was asking what you like to read.”

I pull the book down from my eyes to see Teddy, his face also a bright shade of red, and his hand is ruffling the back of head.

“Ahh, I’m open to anything! Something with adventure could be fun.” He says quietly, suddenly only looking at his feet.

I stand up and pull a book from my stacks for him. I hope he’ll enjoy it.

I pass the book to him and our hands touch. A warm, comforting sensation runs through me.

I sit back down on the couch where I was, and Lavender has now chosen to take up as much space as possible on the other couch. She leaves very little room for someone else to share the space with her.

Teddy palms the book in his hand. Carefully reading the back of it.

“May I sit with you?” he asks.

I nod with a smile and pat the seat beside me.

He sits down and I drape the blanket I had over my legs over his too. I continue to read but every once and a while I’ll catch Teddy glancing at me from his book and I can’t help but giggle.

We continue to read together, side by side, as the fire crackles and Lavender dozes away the evening.

At some point, I find myself nestled up against Teddy’s arm and we continue to read. My whole being feels warm and comforted by him.

And when the fire finally dies down, we put away our books and say goodnight for the evening.

I try to ignore the fact that I catch a glimpse of Mrs Thompson standing in the doorway before she vanishes when I look at her.