“Oh.” She replied before she leaned her head onto his shoulder. Able to see his dilemma, she admitted to herself that she felt the same. Staring up at the stars and moon, Cherish sighed under her breath, “Do you want to be with me one day, Simon, or do you like the thought of being with someone?” she questioned looking at him.
Her deep, personal question which made him second guess himself momentarily. Thinking, he knew there were many people around he could be close to at his job, his friends, and even clients. They’d all shown their interests at one point in time and there were many chances he had since Emily’s passing to take. But, at the end of the day, he went home to Cherish, to their kids, and their family. She was the one he cared for.
His silence frightened her. Even though she kept her cool on the outside, inside Cherish’s mind ran rampant. Those brown eyes of hers searched the stars above them to take her mind from his answer, but it didn’t last long.
He wrapped an arm around her side and pulled her close before meeting her glance. She looked right into his face and was washed in a feeling she couldn’t explain. She knew that if given the chance, she would fall head first, arms wide open in a relationship with him. But, their situation was delicate, and she cared far too much about Simon and the others to go in blindly.
His answer was the only person he saw and the face that caught his adoration, “You…”
Cherish rubbed her lips together before she reached upward and stroked against his cheek, “Then, can you promise me something?” she asked in a soft whisper. Her touch made him feel at ease and calm. Her hand fell from his face all while she continued to stare into those blue hues, “When the time is right for us and this family. When we’ve healed and are willing to start a relationship, we’ll do it. I don’t want to rush, Simon. I don’t want to mess up with you too. I’ll wait for you, if you’re willing to wait for me…”
Trusting every ounce of her, he was keen to do anything. What she proposed was sensible and the idea that she’d wait for him made him feel comforted, “I’ll wait for you.” He promised.
From that moment, they both knew there was more than a friendly bond between them. At that decision, he leaned in and pressed his lips to the soft, flat space between her eyebrows.
Cherish shyly lowered her gaze. Her stomach fell as she felt his kiss press against her skin once again. Slowly, he pulled back to meet her gaze one last time before he glanced over the side and watched the snow fall across the mountains. She nodded slightly against his mouth before resting her head on his shoulder and took in the magnificent view ahead of them. As breathtaking as the mountains looked during the day, for Cherish, the nightscape was by far her favorite.
Peaceful.
Before long, they’d climbed out of the tub, much to Cherish’s chagrin, and returned inside. They quietly snuck upstairs and checked on the kids one last time. Parting ways to shower, Cherish looked back at Simon before she shut the bedroom door behind her. She pressed her back against the flat surface and released a deep breath. Her hands covered her chest while her head tilted back, “Oh wow.” She whispered to herself breaking into a grin. Knowing that she shouldn’t have fallen over the deep end, it was too late. Unable to stop smiling, she bit against her knuckles before she hurried to wash up.
Simon figured that asking to share a bed would be too risky, but again he was torn. He couldn’t sleep without her. Thinking about her expression when he promised her, it looked like she wanted to hear him say those words for a while. The happiness in her expression and the look in her eyes were etched in his memory.
Within an hour, she exited the bathroom for the last time and realized Simon had yet to make his debut. Tonight, was her turn it seemed. Keeping her nerves to a minimum, she paced across her bedroom and opened the door. Across the hall, she bit her bottom lip, knocked against the door, and waited.
Simon was midway through drying off his hair. His heart skipped a beat as he shot up and raced across the room. Cherish almost lost her resolve when the door opened, and she was met with him again. He braced himself to make the right decision, “Hey. Are you staying over?” he asked opening the door wider against his better judgement.
Deep down, he wanted her there.
Even though she felt extremely nervous and excited, she blew out. He was the same man she was around every day. The feelings she felt were the same and the only difference was that it was no longer a secret. This was Simon and he hadn't changed. Cherish blinked at him a couple of times as she stepped into his room, "Are you excited?" She asked.
Her question struck him. He didn’t know how to answer. Closing the door behind him, he tried to think of a way to tell her they couldn’t do anything sexual, because that was the opposite of what they spoke about; even though the anticipation within him was there. Though, when he turned and saw the look on her face, he swallowed his words and waited.
She sat down on her side of the bed and pulled her legs up, "For Christmas..." Pausing, she looked to the alarm clock and
