Habitude, page 8
He returns to Faith upstairs. “What do you want to do?”
“Well, a shower and a change of clothes sound heavenly right now. I’m not sure about standing in the shower for that long.”
“I can help you.”
“You can?” She says as she tries to keep herself from laughing.
“Of course I can. I’d absolutely love to help you.” He smiles and continues with his plan. “I’ll bring my stuff over to your place, and we can shower together. If you want, I’ll even come to your parents’ with you.”
“Are you inviting yourself?”
“Well, I said if you want, but I also kind of figured it would be a good time to meet your parents.”
“OK. I’ll let them know I’ll be bringing a guest.”
Jonathan smiles a really big smile. He quickly packs a bag of clothes and shower supplies. He’s very happy to help in any way she needs and he can’t wait to show her how well he can take care of her. Next, he helps Faith to the bathroom. When she’s finished, he helps her to sit on the side of the bed and then assists her with getting dressed in the clothes she had on before.
“Thank you, handsome. You’re so sweet.”
“I try. You deserve it, beautiful.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
“Don’t you?”
“I know so. Just…not everyone does.”
“Well I do.”
“I appreciate that more than you know.”
Jonathan leans down to kiss her forehead. She smiles back at him feeling flattered and so grateful for this man standing in front of her.
“Now, how are we going to get me down these stairs?”
“I’ll carry you.”
“You don’t have to do that. I can walk; I need to keep most of my weight off my left foot.”
“I understand I don’t have to, but I don’t want to take any chances, so I’ll carry you.”
She wants to protest more, but she also knows that he’s probably right. Instead she asks, “Are you going to carry me everywhere? That could get quite heavy.”
“You’re not too heavy, and I will if I have to.”
“Come to think of it, there may be a pair of crutches at my parent’s house from the time my mom sprained her ankle. I can probably use those, if they still have them.”
“So then I’ll carry you until you can get the crutches.”
“If you must.”
“I insist.” Jonathan bends down, placing his arm under her legs and around her back. Faith puts her arms around him as he effortlessly lifts her from the bed.
“If I’m too heavy, I can walk.”
“Did it seem like I struggled to lift you?”
“No.”
“You’re not too heavy. You’re perfect. And besides, I carried you up here last night. Don’t you remember?” As the question leaves his mouth he realizes how out of it she must have been last night.
“Thank you.” She furrows her brow trying to remember at which point she stopped being able to recollect things from last night. “I don’t recall that, no. The last thing I can remember was you putting pressure on it and having to grab a second towel. After that things are pretty fuzzy.”
“It makes sense. You did seem pretty out of it.” In an attempt to lighten the mood he says, “If anything goes awry as we descend these stairs, I suggest you tuck and roll.”
They both laugh.
“You better not drop me! I think I’ve endured enough pain.”
“I would never and you most definitely have. I wish I could have spoken sooner and kept you from getting hurt.”
“It’s OK. I’ll be fine. It’ll heal and be back to normal before we know it.”
“At least it makes for one hell of a story.”
“Yeah, when we tell the grandkids about the first time we had sex, we’ll have to include it.” Faith smiles at him laughing at her own joke and the image it painted in her mind.
“Yes.” Jonathan laughs, “I’m sure they would love to hear all about it.” He rolls his eyes at the thought of the two of them sitting in their rocking chairs near a lit fireplace with ten or more grandchildren sitting on the carpet at their feet attentively listening to the story.
They reach the bottom of the stairs, both laughing. Jonathan places Faith down gently on the couch. He gathers her shoes and purse, then hands them to her. Lifting her once again, they go to his car, then head to Faith’s house.
“How is your foot feeling?”
“It’s OK. It hurts a bit.”
“I think you should take some more ibuprofen before we get in the shower. It will help with the pain.”
“I will.”
They pull up to her house, and Faith tells Jonathan to pull into her driveway. Jonathan rushes around to her side to open her door and help her up and out of the car. He carries her to the door. She unlocks it, and he carries her through, taking her right into her bedroom. He sets her down on her bed.
“Tell me what to take out for you.” He looks from her closet to her dresser.
“What do you mean?”
“What would you like to wear? I’ll get it out now so I can help you get dressed after the shower.”
Faith suddenly feels quite self-conscious about her drawers. Not that they’re messy or there’s anything to hide. It’s weird having someone go through them.
She snaps out of it and answers him, “Jeans and a sweatshirt will work. Bottom drawer on the right for the jeans; sweatshirts are in my closet. I’ll need clean underwear as well. Those are in the top left drawer.”
“OK.” Jonathan proceeds to follow Faith’s directions and picks out Faith’s outfit for the day.
“Can I just say that this feels a bit strange?”
“You can say that, and I agree. I didn’t think I’d be going through your underwear drawer this soon.”
“Yeah, I thought we would have been living together by the time that happened.”
“At the earliest, Yes. But things happen, and I’m glad I can help.”
Jonathan walks over to her closet and picks out a sweatshirt. Faith attempts to stand up by only putting weight on her heel, but pain shoots through her foot and up into her shin. She immediately sits back down. Jonathan gives her a look as if to say ‘what were you thinking?’ as he rushes over to try to help her.
“Are you OK?” Jonathan puts his arm around her.
She smiles sheepishly, unsure of why she even tried. “I thought I would try it. I have a hard time being helpless.”
“I get it. I’d be going crazy right now too if I were you. Not that you’re crazy.” He covers his face with his free hand. “That came out wrong.”
Faith giggles a little. “I know what you meant.” She places her hand on his shoulder trying to reassure him.
“I really don’t think you’re crazy. If I thought you were, I wouldn’t say it to your face.” He laughs, thinking there might be some truth to that. She laughs, thinking that she loves his sense of humor.
Chapter 14
Rectitude
Noun; moral integrity, righteousness, being correct in judgment or procedure
Steam fills the bathroom after their shower. Jonathan helps Faith step over the ledge to the floor. He had held her up the entire shower, and she put nearly all her weight on her good foot, which allowed Faith to wash her body and her hair. Knowing that she was struggling and in pain, Jonathan didn’t try to initiate anything. Faith appreciated the level of restraint and respect he showed.
Jonathan asks, “Where are your first aid supplies so I can re-bandage your foot?”
“They’re in the closet, on the middle shelf.” She points to the linen closet behind the bathroom door. “Thank you so much for helping me with all of this. I honestly don’t know what I’d do.”
“You’re welcome, Faith. It has been my pleasure.” He begins rewrapping her foot.
“Maybe next time we shower together, it will be more pleasurable for us both.”
“I would like that very much.”
“I kind of figured.” She giggles softly.
“I’m pretty sure I’ve got the sight of you naked engrained in my mind forever now.” He taps his temple.
“So you used your time in the shower with me wisely, I see.”
“I most definitely did. Best use of my time ever.” He finishes wrapping her foot by placing a large waterproof bandage over the gauze.
They both laugh. Jonathan is really enjoying their banter. She is so forthcoming and upfront. It’s quite different than what he’s found in most other women.
Faith sits on her bed to put the clothes on that Jonathan chose, slipping the sweatshirt on last.
“We’ve got a couple of hours before we have to be at my parents. Do you want to help me to the couch and we can watch a movie?”
“Absolutely.”
By the middle of the movie, Jonathan is quietly snoring while Faith uses him as a pillow. She doesn’t wake him until the movie has ended and it’s almost time to go to her parents’ house.
“I’m sorry I fell asleep. I must have been really tired.”
“Did you sleep alright last night?”
“Not really.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“No, it wasn’t you. Well, I guess it was mostly because I was worried about you. I kept checking on you. God, that sounds creepier than it should have.” Jonathan places his face in his hands once again, feeling like words are failing him today.
“That is really sweet.” Faith puts her finger under his chin, gently pulling his face up so that he’s looking at her. He runs his fingers through his hair as he lifts his head.
She leans in to kiss him. Their lips touch, and the memory of this morning floods Jonathan’s mind. He feels himself getting a little too worked up and pulls back.
“I would love nothing more than to pick you up” He points towards her room “lay you in that bed, and repeat this morning, but then we’d be late to your parents’ house, and I don’t like making bad first impressions.”
“Oh, you want to repeat this morning?” Faith glances down to see exactly how excited their kiss made him. A sassy satisfaction washes over her, and she smiles to herself.
“Of course I do. An entire day in bed with you wouldn’t be enough. Hell, a lifetime wouldn’t be enough.”
“I completely agree.”
“So, we should go into your room then?”
They both laugh, and Jonathan carefully slides Faith’s shoes on her feet.
“Are you ready for this? Typically meeting the parents is something guys avoid. Why are you so eager?”
Jonathan picks her up into his arms and carries her to his car. “There is no better time than the present. The opportunity presented itself, so I’m running with it. Plus, it helps you see how serious I am about you, about us. That’s a win win.”
“I never doubted how serious you are. You’ve pursued me practically from the moment we met.”
“It was from the moment I first saw you. I simply knew you were an amazing woman, and I had to have you in my life.”
“I appreciate you seeing that from the start.”
“It was never hard to see.” Jonathan smiles at Faith.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He stands placing both arms up on the roof of his Mercedes and leans down towards her.
Faith wants to press more. She asks, “What was it that made you think that?”
“It was the way you carried yourself. You were out on the dancefloor with Jackie, you looked so carefree and confident, so self-assured. Then when we started talking I saw it even more so. There’s just an air about you.”
Feeling her face flush, she smiles. “That’s very sweet.”
Jonathan, it seems, is more attentive than most. He notices details and things within others that they sometimes don’t even see in themselves. Then again, Faith has never watched herself dance. She thinks back to that night, trying to see things from Jonathan’s perspective. She doesn’t recall feeling overly confident, but she wasn’t on the dancefloor feeling self-conscious either. Knowing he thinks so highly of her is both lovely and daunting. She wonders if she will always be atop the pedestal he’s constructed for her.
Chapter 15
Plentitude
Noun; the quality or state of being full, completeness
Jonathan gets into the driver’s seat, starts the car and shifts into drive. He says, “Now, where am I going?”
Faith proceeds to give him directions. Luna shores isn’t very large at all, but there are some quite confusing roads. Luckily, both of them have grown up here, so navigation is easy. A few moments later, Jonathan pulls up to her parents’ house, a modest light blue nineteen-fifty’s rambler. He notices there is another car parked right in front of them. It’s a bright blue Honda Civic Type R.
“That’s my sister Hope’s car. It’s surprising that she beat us here. She’s typically late and she actually lives closer.”
Jonathan laughs, then climbs out of the car, coming over to the passenger side to open Faith’s door and help her get out.
“Do they know you hurt your foot?”
“Yeah. When I texted them saying I’d be bringing a guest, I mentioned it and asked my dad to get the crutches out if they still had them.”
“OK, that’s good. Otherwise, it might seem a bit weird that I’m carrying you into their house.” He bends down and picks her up carefully and carries her up the walkway. Her dad must have seen them pull up because he is already standing by the door and holding it open for them to walk through.
As they enter, Faith’s mom is standing in the entry. In the living room, Hope is sitting on the couch.
Interrupting the introductions, Hope says, “What the hell happened to you, Doubt?”
Jonathan sets Faith down on the couch right next to Hope. “Well, Despair, I dropped a wine glass and sliced my foot open. Thank you for your concern.”
Jonathan is wearing a look of confusion until Faith’s mom says, “I really hate those nick-names.” She shakes her head. “Honestly, when will you give them up?” She turns to Jonathan, who is standing beside Faith at the end of the couch, outstretches her hand, and continues, “Excuse me, where are my manners? It’s great to meet you, Jonathan. My name is Diane, and that is Frank.”
They shake hands. Then she points to her husband, who’s closing the door. Frank’s hand quickly follows.
Jonathan shakes his hand and says, “It’s so nice to meet both of you.” He looks to Hope to see if she’s trying to introduce herself as well, but she’s still just sitting there. “It’s nice to meet you too, Hope.”
She takes a drink of her beer and says, “It sure is.”
Faith smacks her sister’s arm, “Don’t be rude!”
“I’m not. He came in here all knight-in-shining-armor carrying his damsel in distress.” She gestures to Faith.
“I am not a damsel in distress!”
“No, but does he know that?” She gives Jonathan a sideways glance.
“I most definitely do know that. She does, however have a very hurt foot that she shouldn’t put any weight on.”
“What was the name of the doctor that told her that?”
“Well, we didn’t go to the doctor.” As soon as Jonathan finishes the sentence, he feels ashamed. Faith gives him a look of sympathy. Hope has always been hard on guys Faith brought around. Hope may be the younger sister, but she is almost more over-protective. Especially when it comes to men.
Hope feels that since she’s had horrible luck with them, she is an expert. Therefore, in her expert opinion, there isn’t a single good one out there. Faith probably should have warned Jonathan. The more he tries, the worse she will be.
Diane interjects, “Dinner is almost finished. How about we go into the dining room?”
“That’s a splendid idea, darling.” Frank holds his hand up to stop Jonathan from picking Faith up and grabs the crutches leaning against the wall near the door and hands them to Faith.
“Thank you, Daddy.”
“You’re welcome, angel.”
Faith uses the crutches to help her stand and maneuver into the dining room. She sits motioning for Jonathan to sit down next to her. Her mother and father sit on either ends of the table. Hope takes the seat across the table from Faith.
Jonathan comments, “I’m really looking forward to dinner. The food at the café is so delicious, I can imagine dinner will be as well.”
Frank smiles. “Yes, Diane’s recipes are known far and wide. We’re so lucky to have her. I think sometimes we take advantage of her cooking.”
Diane is noticeably blushing. She places her hand over her heart and says, “Thank you, my love. That is quite kind of you to say.”
“It’s entirely true and well-earned, my darling.”
They smile at one another like teenagers in love. Jonathan wonders if his own parents would still be very much in love if they were still alive. He misses them most in times like these. Wishing that he could take Faith to meet them and have dinner, instead of having to visit their graves in a cemetery.
Diane gets up and starts to head into the kitchen. She asks, “Hope, can you give me a hand?”
“Sure, Mummy, I’ll be right there.” She sneers at Faith. In a hushed voice she says, “That’s supposed to be your job.”
“Yeah, yeah. Go help her.”
Frank looks at Jonathan. “So what is it that you do for work, Jonathan?”
“Currently, I’m a general manager at Kansen Corp.”
“Is that so? General Manager? What a very nice position for someone your age.”
“I’m a few years older than Faith, so I’m not too young. I’ve been working my way up and plan to become CEO within the next few years.”
