A Cute Little Moment: Chapter III: The Runaway Storyline:):D:D:D:D

 

The Runaway storyline😊 (Four weeks after Lexi and Thaddeus got married😊)

When I wake up, I look over to the other side of the bed to see if Thaddeus is there and he isn’t. I start to wonder if he even slept at all last night. I know what day it is. I mean, sure we’ve been married for exactly a month today, but March 16^th also means something else for Thaddeus and his family. I look over to the clock on my nightstand. 7:46 AM, it read. I got up from my side of the bed and slid into my slippers and pulled on a lavender bathrobe and stepped into the living room/kitchen where I saw Thaddeus sitting at the counter, drinking a mug of hot chocolate.

“Good morning,” I whisper tentatively, walking over to him. I could see his facial features soften as he saw me.

“Good morning, Lex,” he whispers back, passing me a mug. I give him a small smile as I take the mug and sit down next to him. I run my hand across his shoulder and slip my arm around him.

“How are you doing?” I ask him. Thaddeus’s eyes look downcast as we start hearing raindrops pounding on the window and he sighs. “Is there anything I can do?”

Thaddeus chuckles as two tears break free from his beautiful sea green eyes where I just know he was holding them back. Thaddeus cups my cheek in his right hand, which was warm from holding the hot chocolate.

“Just be here,” he says softly. I nod.

“Always,” I reply just as we hear the big BOOM of thunder go on outside. I could feel Thaddeus start tensing right next to me and I quickly grab his hand. “Everything’s okay, Thaddeus,” I tell him gently.

“I was hoping it wouldn’t rain today,” Thaddeus mutters as he pulls me close to him until I’m practically in his lap. I nod again as press my lips against his forehead.

“I know, but I’m right here with you. You don’t have hide your feelings from me,” I tell him reassuringly as he caresses my face.

“Will you come with me to take flowers to their graves?” Thaddeus asks, sounding hollow. I try and give Thaddeus a convincing smile as I remember how much he loved his parents. I only ever met my in-laws when I was a kid when they came and picked Thaddeus up from my house and all I would have to do was glance at them to see how much love they had for their son. Also, whenever they saw me, his mom would embrace me and give me that lovely smile that Thaddeus had clearly inherited and then wink at Thaddeus, making him turn the most adorable shade of pink. His dad would always ask me how I was doing and playfully tease me about whatever shirt I was wearing that day. When they left, I always heard them say to Thaddeus, “Oh, she’s a lovely little lady!” and “You have good taste!” and hearing Thaddeus cringe, but secretly being pleased. Only now, they were gone from this world and I knew this day would bring some painful memories to my husband’s already troubled mind.

“Of course, I will,” I tell him, running my hand through his soft, brown hair. “I would come with you even if you didn’t ask,”

“You’re cute when you’re stubborn,” Thaddeus tells me, making me laugh.

“Stop!” I exclaim jokingly. “You’re making me blush,”

“You make me blush all of the time. It’s only fair,” Thaddeus replies, brushing my hair back from my face and kissing my temple.

“Okay! I need to go get ready,” I say, my voice dropping to a whisper. Thaddeus gives me a nod and tells me to take my time.

 It was only when I had buttoned the last button on my pink shirt, (I’d been told that Thaddeus’s mom’s favorite color,) when I start to hear Thaddeus singing.

“I may not be wise, and I won’t save the day. But look in my eyes and know I’ll always stay and I won’t run away, I won’t run away,”

I started to walk to our bedroom door as he started on the second verse of the song.

“Some years went by, they had a child, he was funny, strange, and mild, their love for him ran deep. Some nights his dreams would drive him wild, so into bed she piled, to help him fall asleep. One night he couldn’t get to bed, so she kneeled on both knees and this is what she said: I may not be wise and I won’t save the day, but look in my eyes and know I’ll always stay, and I won’t run away, I won’t run away,”

I open the door, brushing tears off my cheeks as I approach the piano bench. “Hey,” I say from behind him. Thaddeus jumps.

“Yes?”

“What was that song you were playing?” I ask him. Thaddeus gives me a sad smile.

“Oh, I play it every year. I didn’t write it, but I relate to it,” he explains.

“It was beautiful,” I say, kissing his cheek, which I could almost instantly feel heat up. “Does it have any more?”

Thaddeus smiles as he starts pressing on the keys again. “But I hope now you can see what my mom and dad showed me. I’m not going anywhere. I love you more and more each day, to love is not to leave, so hear me when I say: I may not be wise and I won’t save the day. But look in my eyes, and know I’ll always stay, and I won’t run away,” he finished. I could feel his hand start caressing my face and his lips touching mine. “What I said in the song was true, you know. I would never run away from you,”

“I wouldn’t run away from you, either,” I reply, kissing him once more.

“Are you ready to go?” Thaddeus asks me. I nod.

“Yes, but the question is, are you ready?”

“Yes.” He speaks quietly. I stand up and offer my hand to him, which he holds on to like a lifeline, and we walk out to the car.

When we get to the cemetery, I find that Hailey, her husband, James, and her two-year-old son, Daniel, are already there, laying pink roses down next to their mom’s grave, and lilies next to their dad’s. Hailey comes up next to Thaddeus, wrapping her arms around him.

“Hi,” she says in a hushed voice. Thaddeus gives her a little, closed-lipped smile.

“Hey,” he says as he bro hugs James and then gets down on little Daniel’s level. “Hey, little dude. What’s up, buddy?” he says softly as he holds his hand out for a fist bump which Daniel instantly pounds and then throws himself into Thaddeus’s arms. I can’t help grinning at the sight of my true love with our little nephew. One of the things I’ve always found so attractive about Thaddeus is how good he is with kids.

“Hello, Lexi,” Hailey says as she embraces me, too.

“Hi, Hailey,” I say gently as we see another car pull into the parking lot and see Austin and his fiancé step out and then another car with Thaddeus’s aunt and uncle and thirteen-year-old Hadley and Lucy, step out, baring big bouquets of pink roses and lilies. Once they’ve all come, we’re met with embraces and start a little ceremony almost. First, Aunt Emma gets down and says all of her past year’s accomplishments and starts weeping about how much she misses her little sister until Uncle Daniel needs to pull her up and hold her in his arms. Hailey, tears slipping down her face, and her husband and her son (who was named after her father,) get down and share all that happened with them in the past year and saying they wish that they were here. Austin and Lucy share all that they did in the past year as well and Hadley, with tears in her eyes, barely managed to say what she had done before she broke down sobbing. Thaddeus came down next to her and pulled her little limp body close to his.  

“Hey, everything’s okay,” he whispers gently as he rubs her back. “I love you so much. I know Mom and Dad would be so proud of you,”

Hadley nodded and sniffled as she stood back up where she was embraced by Hailey. Then Thaddeus and I get down, my hand on his shoulder.

“Well, I did it, Mom and Dad. I went on a service trip, came home, and married the girl of my dreams. I love you guys so much and I miss you,” he says, as though he was just having a conversation with people that were just sitting there beside him. I didn’t realize I had started weeping until the tears were falling off my cheeks and Thaddeus and I were holding each other.

“May I say something?” I ask Thaddeus and he nods and smiles, wiping his eyes. I take a deep breath and begin what I was going to say.

“Well, I only ever met you a few times, but you both were always so kind to me that so much of an impression was made. I wish I could continue to get to know the people who raised three, such wonderful, children, but since I can’t, I’ll always be the best I can be for your son. It was great getting to talk to you again.”

Now, I’m crying more than ever and Thaddeus is taking my hand and helping me stand up. After that, we all lay roses and lilies next to their graves. Then we all gave everyone one final squeeze and go home.

Later as Thaddeus and I lie down next to each other in our bed, I give Thaddeus a playful grin. “You know what?” I ask.

“What?” Thaddeus replies.

“With this day being over, we’re that much closer to the day I realized I was in love with you,” I whisper, stroking my thumb on his cheek. Thaddeus gives me a soft, teasing smile.

“Took you long enough,” he teases, brushing his hand across my face and kissing me.

“Shut up,” I tease back, shoving him in the shoulder as Thaddeus pulls me to him and I fall asleep in his arms.