by Eva Morian
Simon was halfway through taking off his boot when he stopped and slid it back on. He grabbed a couple of bags and hauled them out to the van with his dad. Miriam smiled at them before she crossed her arms loosely, “Did you kids have fun?” she asked as Cherish shut the closet door.
Nodding, she glanced over at Simon for a moment and followed Miriam, “Yeah, it was short and sweet. We even brought you all some chocolate.” She whispered in response as they disappeared into the house.
A good while later of playing Tetris in the snow with their luggage, the sun had already begun to descend, and they gathered for their final meal. Getting the plates out, Cherish seemingly had the same idea as Simon with the glasses. They both tried to pass one another but stepped the same way each time. Pausing, Simon stepped to the side with an awkward smile before he turned and motioned with his arm to let her through. Not before he caught a small smile on her features while she passed.
Sitting down for dinner, everyone reminisced over their time together, “What did everyone like best? What was the most fun?” Simon Sr. asked.
Cherish’s mouth slowly chewed as she looked between them. Jasmine slapped a handful of mashed potatoes together and sucked her fingers. She kissed against her daughter’s messy face while Margaret leaned her head back, “Well, if I’m going to be honest. My favorite part was when you…”
“…OKAY! Moving on! Jack, dear?” Miriam interjected quickly to save the sanctity of the discussion.
Jack cleared his throat while he rolled the half-chewed food into his cheek and pointed his fork at Margaret, “I want to hear what she has to say.” He replied much to Miriam’s chagrin.
Cherish giggled under her breath as Margaret went into detail about how Simon Sr. had walked both babies in the middle of the night downstairs and turned on the tree for them to see a few days after Christmas. She propped her head up by her cheek and sighed as she stared at her husband with adoration, “It almost made me wish we’d kept trying to have another child.”
Cherish’s eyes widened at Simon while Miriam sighed out, “You had me up until the very end.” She muttered.
Margaret rolled her eyes towards the blonde with a grin, “And what of you?” She asked.
Miriam sighed to herself with a smile, “Hanukkah. That was wonderful.” She stated before gripping Margaret’s hand.
Simon Sr. smirked at his wife, “I must second Miriam’s memory. It’s the most memorable aside from the ski lift.” He said.
Miriam pressed her fingertips to her forehead and sighed before she decidedly ignored everything she’d heard. Inside and outside of the cabin.
Simon sighed and thought of what really stuck with him and what his favorite part of the trip was. Stealing a look at Cherish, he entertained his parents with a single word, “Mistletoe.”
Cherish sucked her cheeks in at Simon’s answer as all eyes fell onto them. Her brown eyes widened before she lightly kicked him in the shin and cleared her throat.
Although his answer wasn’t the whole truth, the most memorable moment for him was the hot tub. That and New Year’s, but he didn’t want anyone else to know those details.
Immediately, Simon Sr. perked up along with Jack who chuckled, “I’m not surprised.” He commented.
Jack didn’t make the situation better and so Cherish clasped her hands together, “Playing in the snow with the babies was amazing. Especially how shocked Jr. got when he ate the snow.” She answered.
Miriam smiled to herself and nodded as though to agree, “Yes, that was an adorable memory, wasn’t it?” she asked.
Continuing their discussion through dinner, the group knew they had to wake up and leave early in the morning. This prompted them all to say their goodnights and head to bed prematurely. Unfortunately for Simon, his answer backfired. The cogs in Margaret’s head already began to turn. Mistletoe? So, her plan had worked and now, she was on to phase two. She couldn’t help but watch how they both interacted with each other for the rest of dinner as she pieced together what was to come next.
Once he’d showered up for the night, Simon took a risk and knocked on Cherish’s door. Drying off her face, she was dressed in a t-shirt and underwear. He hadn’t gone to her room in a couple of days and felt a flit in her stomach as he opened the door, “May I stay?” he asked.
She knew, by now, that he wanted to sleep next to her again because, with her, is when he slept best. Smiling to herself warmly, she looked at him through her hair and nodded, “Of course you can.” She answered as he shut the door.
Within moments they were laying side by side with him curled up against her as usual. Exhausted, Simon was asleep before he could say goodnight. Cherish repeated each memory in her head that led up to them in that moment. She’d experienced so many firsts with the family that, she couldn’t think of a life before them.
Jasmine and Jr. were growing to be both respectively beautiful and handsome. Neither wasn’t lacking in the love of a parent they’d lost because Simon took on the role of father and she a mother. Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Years were all wonderful and amazing experiences. To be honest, she didn’t want the good times to end. She wanted time to freeze so she could stay there, in that moment, in the arms of the most important man in her life; forever.
Unable to sleep, she noticed small, white flakes falling outside of the moonlit window. She pushed Simon’s arm away from her body and crossed the bedroom. She wanted to see the view one last time before it’d be no more.
Waking up in the middle of the night, Simon furrowed his brow and reached around the empty space in front of him. Patting his hands against the mattress, he sat up and rubbed his face with a groan, “Cherish?” he asked in a husky voice. Seeing that the bathroom light was off, he got out of bed and sleepily pushed his glasses onto his face before he went to look for her.
Downstairs, she leaned against the back of the small sofa with her arms crossed. Her eyes swept over the vast expanse of the white washed mountains and sighed to herself. Everything was so beautiful and complicated all at the same time. Lost in thought, she hadn’t realized Simon had found her; staring out of her favorite spot in the entire house.
He wandered across the room where he saw the puff silhouette of her hair illuminated by moonlight. Approaching closer, he was concerned for a moment because she was sitting in the dark alone. His gruff voice cut through the silence and echoed behind her, “Are you okay? It’s late.”
Startled, Cherish’s head snapped in his direction only to visibly relax a second later. She nodded before turning her body to face him and tugging on the end of a curl, “I’m fine. I just couldn’t fall asleep. I wanted to see the view one last time before we go and die in a fiery ball of hell.” She answered.
Walking around the couch, he groaned and leaned his head back once he sat on the cushion. Looking out the window and watching the view, he sighed and rolled his gaze to her.
Staring at his face, she leaned over without thinking and rubbed a palm along his head and the side of his face, “What are you doing up? You’re driving us in the morning. You should get your sleep.” She whispered.
His eyes were half lidded as a goofy smile appeared on his features beneath her caress. He rubbed his eyes of sleep before he cleared his throat, “Mm, I was asleep until I found someone important was missing. I came looking and…ta-da.” He said while motioning at her. He had no reason to be up and they both knew it. Waving her closer, he held out his arms, “Indulge me for a bit.” He whispered as he made space for her.
The end of Cherish’s tongue flicked along her lips. Going against her better judgement, she wanted to be held by him and it’d seemed like the only time they’d get without the parents, babies, or during sleep. Scooting closer, she pressed her torso against his side and rested her head on his chest. Enveloped in the warmth of his embrace, her bare legs tucked beneath her body and against the cushions.
Simon sighed against her hair as an arm wrapped her in, “I just realized that I have so much wor
k to catch up on when I get home. So, right now I’m trying to savor every second of this.” He whispered tightening his grip.
She smiled to herself as she realized that the day after tomorrow everything would go back to normal. Their lives would return to what once was, and this whirlwind, swept up emotion she felt around him would settle. Life would keep going and so would they. He wanted her to indulge him, to which she obliged, but now she wanted the same from him.
These thoughts had always nagged her in the back of her mind and the curiosity became far too much. Tilting her head back, she stared up at him silently while her hand rested against his chest beneath his, “Simon. Can I ask you something?” she questioned.
His hand settled around her narrow waist and back while the other felt the ends of her hair, “…Yes of course.” He answered.
Falling silent momentarily, she stared at his throat before her gaze drifted to his face, “You said that you felt this way about me for a while, right?” She asked. Her fingers danced against his before she gripped them and swallowed, “I just want to know, when…”
Wetting his lips, Simon tried to find the best way to answer her as accurately as possible, “I think things changed a bit after the funeral and when I went back to work. I’ve always found you attractive and I’ve been attracted to you for a long time, but I suppressed it because I knew it was wrong. I really started to recognize how important you are to me when the babies started to grow and how Jr. looked at you. I get jealous when I try to imagine you with another man who would be Jasmine’s father. The idea of you leaving worked me up and I knew then that I had feelings for you. I just ignored them.” He answered truthfully.
She released a nervous laugh under her breath, “O-oh. I…wow…”
Silence.
Simon couldn’t tell if she was awkward about his answer or if she understood. He knew it was wrong, but it was his truth. As his fingertips swirled circles on her side, he gave in and spoke, “And you?”
Cherish’s jaw tightened before she quietly answered him back, “The day of the funeral, when I was talking to Emily and you came to look for me. Seeing you there and knowing how wonderful you’d treated me in the wake of her death. I think I knew then I was in trouble. I’ve kept it from my mind and my heart because I can’t keep bouncing from man to man but…” He could sense the strain in her as she admitted her real feelings for him and how early they’d started. She nodded softly staring into his gaze, “…I’ve said sorry to her so many times because of how I felt. I encroached on her and you when it wasn’t right.” She whispered hoarsely.
When she back pedaled because of his late wife, a woman who was unfortunately no longer in the world, he couldn’t stand it, “Don’t ever apologize for it…” He cut off whatever contradictions she had with a kiss; whole and strong. Each time the constant stream of kisses broke, he spoke breathlessly against her lips, “You’re not wrong.” He whispered.
Cherish was swept up in the emotion of it all. The way he showered his affection on her was far from what she was accustomed to. Her body shuddered, and she sighed with every press of his lips.
Catching his breath, he pulled her hair away from her ear and kissed along her jaw. His breath was hot against her skin as he stroked down her back, “It’s okay to love. You deserve it.” He murmured kissing into her neck. The grip of her fist tightened on his night shirt while she exhaled weakly beneath him. Her palm fanned out across his chest and down his ribcage as she nibbled on her bottom lip and nodded. They weren’t wrong, it was okay, they deserved it all.
Sitting up, he pulled against her waist into his side and studied her face. Her features in the moonlight captivated him before he melted in kissing her again. Highly addicted to the way she made him feel, he could tell she felt the same. falling into another kiss of his, the sound of the smacks between them only amplified in the silence.
Cherish maneuvered herself onto her knees before she leaned over his body and pushed him against the armrest. Simon had a surge of arousal and excitement thrill his core, but it ended as quickly as it started.
Figuratively and literally, a switch flicked in the hallway of the parents’ bedrooms. Cherish silently broke away from him and rushed across the living room floor on her hands and knees. Jack squinted as he shuffled and stood in the middle of the archway. He glanced around before his gaze settled on Simon, “Hey. Are you alright? I heard crying.” He said, mistakenly identifying the sounds he truly heard.
Sitting up, he turned away from the hallway and thought of an excuse, but his heart was still racing. That and all the blood had rushed from his head to a well-developed, desperate erection. He wasn’t doing well thinking on the fly and it showed, “Uh…yeah. Sorry, I’ll be quieter.” He mumbled while faking a sniff and shaking his head, “I’ll, I’ll go back…back to bed. Just give me a minute.” He replied.
From Jack’s perspective, Simon looked as though he was truly upset. He took a step in his direction but didn’t feel as though he was emotionally capable of handling sadness. He debated with himself before deciding to speak with genuine concern, “Do you need company or something?”
“N-no! No, it’s okay. I’ll be okay. Thank you dad, really.” Simon said to convince him. He prayed and hoped that Jack wouldn’t turn on the light, especially because he didn’t know where Cherish went.
Hearing how adamant he was, Jack nodded silently and debated on if he should tell Simon’s parents when they woke up, “Alright then. Get some sleep when you can. I uh…I love you son. Goodnight.” He muttered before turning his back and leaving.
With a twinge of guilt, Simon carefully got up and sighed out before he made his way up the stairs. Approaching Cherish’s bedroom door, he tested the handle and found that it was locked. He couldn’t blame her. Still, he pressed his head to the door, “Goodnight.” He whispered.
Cherish had the fabric of her shirt gripped in her fist as she panted out loud. Her back was pressed against the door. She felt completely and utterly overwhelmed with a heated, emotional sensation. That was never good for her because when she was emotional, she was sexual. It wasn’t what they agreed on and she couldn’t take advantage of the situation. She wasn’t ready and deep down she knew that he wasn’t either. A few tears slipped from her eyes streaking her cheeks. She tilted her head to the side as she sighed out for him to hear, “Goodnight.”
A few moments passed when he finally released a heavy breath. His forehead didn’t move as he shut his eyes and admitted what he’d avoided in a soft, fleeting murmur, “I love you…”
Cherish’s jaw clenched as she stared upwards at the ceiling and softly knocked her head against the door. Her fingers were spaced across her lips before she wet them and shut her eyes. She waited until she heard his bedroom door shut and lowered her head in defeat, “I…love you too.” She whispered in response.
A week passed.
Cherish was back at home with the kids and Simon was at work once again. Standing in the elevator, he thought back to what that transpired in Colorado and how everything changed within him in those few days. From the moment they said goodbye to Emily’s parents and shut the door to their own home, life went back to normal. If it could be called that.
Cherish acted as though nothing changed and it bothered him, but their busy lives and the responsibility that weighed on their shoulders helped them settle. There was so much said that couldn’t be taken back, they both knew, and now Simon had to hold up his end of the bargain.
He had to wait.
Stepping out of the elevator, he smiled at his secretary, “Good morning, Imani. It’s good to see you.” He said.
Imani perked up as he strolled down the carpeted pathway towards her desk, “Oh, good morning Mr. Gabot, I wasn’t expecting you to come in today! I was just about to fax over the paperwork to your home office, but now that you’re here, I’ll have it ready when you leave. How were your holidays? Better yet, how are the babies and Miss Cherish?” She asked with a smile.
&nb
sp; Simon still looked extremely relaxed; more than usual, “They are fantastic. I don’t think Cherish is a fan of the snow, but the babies enjoyed the cold more than she did. How about here? Did things run smoothly?” he asked taking a careful look around. A part of him was always concerned of what he’d missed and what went on when he wasn’t there for prolonged periods of time.
Imani wet her lips, “We survived without you.” She replied with a hint of sarcasm. The phone began to ring which prompted her to sit once again, “You have a board meeting in half an hour. I’ll send everyone to the conference room.” She expressed before answering the phone and getting back to work.
Leaving for his office, he saw the files over the vacation which accrued in his absence in slight disarray. Still, the smell was familiar, and, in a sense, he felt relieved to be back; even for a day. Sitting in his chair, he stretched his arms over his head with a deep groan. Once he straightened up, he began to clean off his desk before he popped his briefcase open and pulled out a new polaroid.
Imani sat behind her desk as the lawyers from other floors entered the building. She greeted them as per usual, handed them each files of documentation that would be discussed, and sent them on their way towards the conference room. Everything was going according to plan and smoothly until the elevator doors opened and Susan stepped into view.
Dressed impeccably in white, cream, and black, her hair was curled and set just for the meeting. She hadn’t seen Simon in four weeks, which was far too long in her opinion. She’d even gone out of her way to visit his personal home during the holidays and found he wasn’t there. Now, she was far too eager to see his handsome face again and move forward with him in the new year. His wife was left in the past and he needed comforting from a true friend.
Imani’s smile fell slightly as she held the folder with Susan’s name on it. Susan’s well-manicured fingers gripped the paperwork firmly as Imani pointed to the right, “They’re waiting in C.” she said.
Susan glanced down in the direction of Simon’s office and was met with Imani’s lifted eyebrow once she finally paid the lowly woman attention, “Hm? I’m sorry, can you tell me if Simon is in his office?” she asked.
