The soft warm morning sun showered us in its glow, making bed so damn comfortable, enveloped in golden goodness of the morning sunshine coupled with an occasional gentle warm breeze floating in made for a lovely morning to lay with this, my sexy guy. I lazily ran my finger along his outstretched arm draped across my chest, as he often does, occasionally - subconsciously - Ben's finger would rub my nipple. It was-kinda, well, very cute -- ok, a bit of a turn on too.
All the while his sleepy face remained buried in pillows, only the back of his head and one side of his face visible. I could tell by the subtle change in his breathing that he was in that semi-conscious state, you know, when you're almost awake, but still somewhat asleep.
Back and forth, my fingers gently caressed, feeling every curve of his muscle and bone along his arm, my mind wandering, my breath slowing as images of our lives together from all those years back at the truck crash, buying our home, becoming parents, the countless times that I pranked him. All played on my mind's big screen. A contented, low moan escaped from me that, at first, I didn't even realise it was me, as it was the only slight echo breaking the quietness of our home. "Hmm, it must be early still - so quiet- the kids are still asleep," I said nearly out aloud to myself, I guess.
Here was my soulmate, my partner, my best friend, husband and lover. 'Jamie, you are blessed!' My eyes drifted across our bed: the top sheet was draped across our bodies, like one of those craft things, detailing every outline, you know, like those 3D pin arts. Anyways, I was admiring the line where the sheet crossed Bens back just above his butt, the brown tan of his body against the light-colored sheet, was just... fuck, sexy as.
Wish I had my cell within reach to take a pic: it looked that good - not dirty or anything more erotically subtle, and a nice piece of art on our bedroom wall. Ben had a friend that was a part time photographer. He worked with various news outlets snapping some memorable images. I was lucky enough to fall into his lens by total fluke-luck when I was deployed to the fires in Cali two years back. He snapped me as I was coming out of a farm outbuilding covered in soot, sweat and a grim look of determination on my face after getting a young family to safety. The little girl in my arms was looking up at me wonderstruck or something, maybe?
When I first saw the picture, I was not even sure it was me at first. Ty and Dave messaged almost at the same time. It appeared on one of those Firefighter International pages. They were going crazy. Then, pretty much, it spread throughout the friends and family networks, other services I'd worked for stateside, even back home - well, not home now, I guess - back in Australia I mean.
I was amazed at what picture said and how it was framed. Damn, Jordan was super talented! That pic was in loads of media: it ended up on one of the service mags with the tag line, "Firefighters answered the prayers of many, coming from far and wide. Even down under to help!" which was funny really as I'd been with the USFS for a couple of years. But hey - don't let the details get in the way of a good by-line, right?
There was a follow-up shot where I was caught in the moment of it all: the look of relief, mixed with anguish clearly written on my face. I remember what I was thinking at the time: it was somewhat frightening, maybe, that my thoughts were so transparent - a sense of failure that we had not been able to save all the homes and farms around us. But a lot were spared. I was all the emotions -- exhausted, angry, sad, happy, eager to get back in the fight.
Jordan, realising that it was me in the second picture with my emotions so raw, didn't make that one public. Instead, for my birthday that year, he had them both framed and signed.
Ben loved them, as did my family and friends. They were always at me to put them up in the main part of the house. I thought it was just to... maybe, self-indulgent. But, one day I came home, and they were hanging in the family room. My mom asked for copies. And Ben, being the super son-in-law he is, got them reproduced and framed for her, delivered to the front door with flowers and all... such a kiss ass! Mom loves him so much, haha.
We'd covered the wall from the entry of the house to the family meals area in pictures of our families, friends and places that were special to us. It was like a gallery walk of our lives. At the very start were pictures of Ben's and my grandparents, parents and our siblings. Flowing along, there was even a picture of Ben and me kissing - that kiss in the apartment in Austin not long after the accident. We were going swimming that day. I was in my shorts. Fuck, I looked like I'd been starved! No wonder mom was going crazy trying to feed Lucas and me. Yeah, anyways, Jordan set them all out. It just looked amazing - made our house a home, the melting pot of the Spence and Rush families coming together.
..o0o..
Ben's voice drew me back to the here and now.
"Hmm... that feels nice Jamie."
"Oh... right! Hey you. Sorry, I was a million miles away."
I didn't even realize Ben was awake.
"I didn't mean to wake you."
I took hold of his hand, drawing it to my lips gently kissing it.
"Aww, love you, Skip. How's your head, huh? You and boy wonder had a few last night."
"Feels like there's a herd of cattle thumping around in there," I responded, rubbing my face for a moment. Damn Lucas - aka boy wonder - still loves to party.
"Oh, kids are quiet, Even Grammy's still asleep." Ben's voice was a little muffled by the bedding. I was watching his ear move when he spoke. I never noticed how cute his ears are. Damn! I'm so loved up! I couldn't think of any part of him that I didn't love. I know, right - how mushy is that...
"Damn I'm feeling a little hungover and a lotta loved up, ha-ha. So... guess our kids had a late night playing with Harper, Zoe, Jet, and Daisy. The latter two seemed so big now, Ben. God, it only feels like a year or so since I flew them out to Disneyland while I was working at LACoFD, but now they are in grade school and growing up fast."
"Before we know it, Skip, Asher and Ava will be in Pre-K, then they will be dating, and ..." With that little heart stopping line, he rolled onto his side, those eyes looking so sleepy-sexy resting on me.
I moved in a little closer. "That line has suddenly made me feel a little overwhelmed with the thought of our kids growing up. Ok, love, waking up next to you, Benjamin Rush Spence ... I'll never grow old of this, but relax on making our kids grow too soon, please? Love you."
Ben just smiled, not with his mouth, but with his eyes - he has this look. Leaning in, he placed a gentile kiss on my lips, feather light. "So, husband, seeing we got interrupted yesterday..." I slid my hand along his arm, shoulder, neck, then along his jawline, gently tracing over his lips, gentle enough that it made them twitch. My hand renewed its journey around Ben, finally coming to rest just behind his ear, gently playing with his hair.
