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Leisurely, Eliza’s chestnut eyes opened upon a bright, warm morning- Unanticipated, sure, but, oh, so welcome.
Eliza was unable to contain a smile, as she stared out the large, cleared windows- She internally congratulated herself for not closing off the curtains the night before. She had wanted to have a look at the milky moon, displayed on top of a navy blue canvas, scattered with a thousands of miniature dots labeled as stars. What a lovely sight it was- And yet, only last night did she actually look out the window to take in the view.
Eliza had never payed mind to the dark before- She was tense at the mere mention of ‘darkness’ for most of her life, for the simple reason that, most of her nights were spent by herself, in a room plunged in a pitch black darkness. Even after all those years, the thought of staying alone in a dark room frightened the young woman. Alexander worked far too late into the night to accompany her to bed each night, and her sisters, during her childhood, slept in their own rooms, located far from her own, and into adulthood, both of them left to marry and start a family of their own- Eliza would sometimes wonder if her sisters’ husbands worked as late as her husband did, but probably not. If that wasn’t the case, Eliza was awfully jealous- but that night, she was by Alexander’s side. There was nothing to be worried and tense about anymore.
But today was a new day- The moon was gone, here came the sun into play. A second Act was about to take place.
Outside the windows, Eliza gazed up at the baby blue sky, semi covered by pale nebulous little angels, continuously playing around by endlessly trying to conceal the sun, but routinely failing to do so. The clouds, so high up in the sky, seemed so soft and delicate- Eliza would have enjoyed grazing their fuzzy edges with the tip of her fingers.
To see the golden rays of light effortlessly pierce the thick, technicolor branches, then surmount the glass windows- To see them bathe the marital bedroom in a soft, candid, warm radiance was such a pleasant sight.
Like an every flowing river, the sunlight swayed its way throughout the room, enveloping the ebony haired woman in a loving embrace- Mimicking her husband’s customary unpredictable, sluggish, but doting embraces from behind that he’d often offer his wife after awfully long and exhausting hours of confinement in his office, where he would spend most of his days working until he couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore.
The trees, enveloped in their glorious, verdant mane, danced in an indolent waltz- The leaves mimicked the trees’ movements. Just by looking at them, Eliza could guess the melody the wind was singing to them.
And the small, grayish birds, timidly hiding behind thick leaves, comfortably seated in their homely nests, surely sang along with the wind, chirping from above.
What a delightful sight this all was, and to be able to see it by her husband’s side made the event so much more pleasurable.
Glancing to the side, Eliza noticed a prominent bump, beneath the covers, steadily rising routinely. A few tufts of dark brown hair exceeding the edge of the bedsheets.
Eliza let out a soft chuckle- Wholly buried underneath the warm covers was none other than her dear husband, still asleep.
Gently, Eliza rested her hand on the covers, delicately pulling them away, to discover the secretary’s face.
Eyes shut closed, her husband was clearly still entranced in a dense slumber- A tranquil, peaceful one surely.
The bags under his eyes, much more prominent and profound the night before- Something that would send shivers down Eliza’s spine whenever her eyes would glance further down her husband’s warm, chocolate eyes, pained her heart and injected her with a sense of grief and pity. To see her husband’s precedent, bright, youthful eyes deteriorate into what they became today was a change Eliza never thought she would see coming- not so soon.
To see this particular feature worsen because of the amount of work the secretary devoted himself to every day was horrifying, and by the day, it somewhat seemed like his features worsened.
But on this hopeful and beaming morning, the bags under his eyes had subtlety vanished, much to Eliza’s contentement.
Rebellious dark brown strands of hair, clammy and humid, untidily framed his face- Cheeks, and forehead equally.
Between the thick healthy curls, Eliza noted the unsettling presence of a few grayish strands here and there- Most certainly due because of the stress weighing on the poor secretary.
Such a shame.
A dainty hand reached out for Alexander’s face, gingerly brushing the few strands away from his face, hoping to find, underneath it all, her husband’s familiar features.
Beneath the tip of her fingers, the secretary’s skin felt delightfully soft and warm- Such a change from last night. Eliza still remembered clearly spotting her husband, bathed in a glacial living room, with the windows in front of him, wide open, and curtains pushed to the side.
As soon as she had entered the room, the frigid cold didn’t waste time enveloping her in its cold embrace- How Alexander was able to bare the cold without a single objection or without bothering to close the windows was beyond her.
And the way Alexander’s hands felt back then, glacial to the touch, horrified her- Eliza was bewildered that he hadn’t caught a cold or anything in the like yet.
But now, Alexander’s cold skin had regained its homely temperature- Eliza was pleased, and the weighty concern she had carried the night before lifted itself off her frail shoulders.
Alexander’s mouth, slightly agape, quietly huffed- Like a subtle gust of wind grazing the back of Eliza’s hand, still set on her husband’s cheek.
Eliza continued to stare at her husband peacefully sleeping- She knew that, usually, Alexander was a light sleeper. He would wake up at the mere sound, no matter how light. It was almost comical to see. But this morning, Alexander did not budge an inch at Eliza’s touch or delicate caresses- Alexander was as immobile as a statue, a lukewarm statue, that is.
The ebony haired woman displayed a worrisome frown- Poor Alexander spent hours on end, without pause, seated at his desk, writing and reading, to the point off visible distress coming from his wife. More and more often, would Eliza step inside his office, pleading her somnolent husband to take a break- But no matter what she said, the answer remained the same.
So many all nighters Alexander pulled ever since he came back to Harlem, far too many. No wonder Alexander fell asleep as soon as he rested his head against a pillow, last night- He must have awaited so long for someone to simply stop him from delving further into fatigue- almost insanity.
The marital bedroom, plunged in silence made it very simple for Eliza to notice even the quietest of sounds.
From upstairs, Eliza was able to differentiate two contrasting individuals: rapid, raucous steps, and the high pitched, boyish tone of their son, Philip and the quieter and less audible steps which followed Philip’s, accompanied by the self-assured and deferential tone of Eliza’s older sister, thus Philip’s oldest aunt, Angelica.
The young woman discerned Angelica and Philip’s short muffled exchange- But with difficulty.
“Can I go see them now, auntie Angelica?” The young boy persisted, addressing his aunt.
“Not yet- Your parents are surely still sleeping,” Angelica said (that is what Eliza heard, at least), “They’ve been working very hard lately, Philip- Let them have a break,’ she explained to Philip in a demanding, yet ushered tone.
“But I wanna see them…” Philip retorted disappointedly- The young boy would have opted for pleading Angelica to let him see his parents, but Philip had learned over time, after Angelica’s numerous visits to Harlem, that it was difficult to make his aunt change her mind in his favour, unlike with his mother or father, for whom it was difficult to resist their son’s pleas and puppy eyes- Philip instead opted to remain quiet.
“You’ll get to see them later, Philip- Come now, let’s make you some breakfast,” Angelica recommended in a gentler tone to her young nephew.
Philip did not riposte, but followed Angelica to the kitchen so she could make him so breakfast- He was feeling quite hungry, after all, so maybe it was better to eat something first, and then go see his parents (he’ll try to convince his aunt again afterwards surely).
The volume of the rest of her family’s exchange diminished, as the two delved further into the opposite direction of the estate- Eliza was unable to hear the rest.
‘I should probably join them...’ Eliza thought to herself, ‘... I’m supposed to give Philip his French lesson at this hour...’
With unease, Eliza pushed herself upwards aiding herself off her frail arms, seating up on the bed.
Subtlety hunched over, the young woman let out a breathy sigh, pointlessly running her fingers through her ebony locks, in search of any tangles, only to find in the end, none.
Glancing back at her husband, Eliza leaned in to press a subtle peck on her husband’s nose- As a small goodbye for the day. After this, Eliza would probably only see Alexander again in the evening, or even later than that.
Like she had swore the night before, Eliza was going to be out all day with her son and older sister, so she could show her around Harlem- If the weather was nice enough, perhaps they will extend their stroll around town, and stay a little while longer so the three of them could have a picnic in the meadow nearby. It was one of Eliza and Philip’s favorite places to visit during the summer.
The meadow was a peaceful and tranquil location- Nice for picnics, especially.
And wide, so wide- It seemed infinite, without end. Tall grass as far as the eye could see, perfect for hide and seek, Philip would say.
He always loved running around in the meadow, roll around in the olive green grass, and hide himself against them, taking advantage of their tallness, impatiently awaiting for his dear mother to finish counting so she could beginning searching for him- Unfortunately, it was difficult to keep his mouth shut when his mother was around. Philip was never able to contain his laughter- His muffled giggles always gave him away. Always.
Or, sometimes, Philip would even do a game of catch with his mother, but as the years passed by, Eliza’s speed decreased, and it became difficult for her to keep up with her son- Luckily, Philip was a social butterfly and was quick to make friends to play catch with.
That’s alright. While her son would play in the meadow with his friends, Eliza would often indulge in a bit of reading, while also keeping an eye on Philip.
You could do so many different sort of activities (mostly games though) in the meadow- It was a shame Alexander rarely joined them. Eliza would have surely asked him if he wished to tag along today, but after asking him so many times, she had understood that Alexander would never say yes, but she understood. Her husband had much more important matters to focus on, than running around in a meadow.
Eliza slowly rose from her bed, earning a low creak from the mattress beneath her- But, before she could move any further, the young woman felt someone’s hand rest upon her own, slackly clutching it.
By her side, Eliza discerned the shuffling of the bedsheets and a short ‘humph’ sound coming from the side.
Turning her head to her left, Eliza’s gaze fell upon her husband, whose eyes were semi opened and hazy- His chocolate eyes looked up from his wife’s hand to her face- His lips crisped into a fin line, displaying a subtle frown. Even after a good night sleep, Alexander still felt a sense of fatigue weigh him down to his pillow.
After Alexander lightly tilted his head upwards, Eliza noticed rosy marks from the pillow’s crinkles, ingrained on the cheek he rested on- Eliza lightly smiled at the contraste between his right and left cheek. It was quite the amusing sight, especially for someone like Alexander- It was the first time in a long while when Eliza saw her husband wake up before her. Memories of her husband waking up in the wackiest of ways rushed back into Eliza- How nice it felt to refresh these memories, buried for so long beneath other ones.
“Eliza... Do you really have to go now?” Voice hoarse, Alexander was heavy eyed, and somnolent still, but his voice was still capable to convey soft edges, unusual for the sharp witted secretary, who displayed more brash comments than doting remarks (but Eliza did not know that. With her, Alexander never spoke the same way he would with his coworkers). The tone in his voice, interrogative also demonstrated a subtle plea? But that was a mere guess Eliza made- Perhaps, she was wrong.
Doe eyed, Alexander silently stared back at her, awaiting an answer- Alexander clutched his wife’s hand firmly barely a few seconds later, in case she had dozed off. As impatient for an answer as always.
Eliza lightly tilted her head to the side, ebony eyebrows furrowing in solace. Gaining the upper hand, Eliza rested her hand upon his own- Alexander did not try to reclaim his upper position.
“Well,” Eliza stood quiet for a moment, “I’m thinking of joining Angelica and Philip for breakfast,” she softly explained, stroking her husband’s knuckles.
“Now?” The pleading tone, present beforehand, had become more prominent- Caught up in his throat, Alexander was only able to convey it in a semi whisper.
“Yes.”
A far too blunt response for his taste.
“Can’t you stay a little while longer?” Alexander persisted, reaching for the soft fabric of Eliza’s white nightgown, the very same one she wore the night before, aimlessly playing around with the velvet blue strip of cloth, well tied around his wife’s waist- A seemingly meaningless gesture, but the subtle tugs were enough to get his message through to Eliza. Alexander was imploring for her to stay.
This was so odd for him- The night before, it had been Eliza who had begged for her husband to come back to sleep with her, but now- Now, Alexander was the one pleading for her to stay?
And with the simplest of sentences- No long arguments like the ones her husband usually offered. No- These were short, tender and earnest. Like the ones Eliza commonly gave.
Oh, how the tables turned- Eliza did not know what to say.
“We can have breakfast together later on,” He offered, from the top of his head, “If you’re that hungry.”
“That would be lovely, but...” Eliza trailed off, attempting to find an adequate answer- She bit her bottom lip, down casting her eyes to the mattress. A part of her wanted to give into the temptation her husband was putting on display- For once, Alexander was the one suggesting her to spend time with him. It was almost surreal. Eliza would be unable to quote the exact date when she began to wish of this, it seemed so long ago. This unexpected change in roles put her on the spot- She had not thought this type of role change could ever take place. Ever.
But still, today, of days, was one Eliza had planned in advance- She couldn’t just throw all the planning she had set up with her sister and son out the window like nothing. She simply couldn’t.
“... Oh, Alexander, I’m so sorry but I have to give Philip his French lesson before we leave the house with Angelica, and it cannot wait-“ Eliza hastily replied in the most delicate and polite manner possible, hoping her husband would understand- But Alexander was stubborn, and was not going to give up conquering his wife’s time (even if it was for a few minutes) any time soon.
“They’re probably not even awake- You can still stay here with me,” The secretary hopingly attempted.
“Alexander...” Eliza softly called out- Beneath the simple retort, Eliza was internally scolding Alexander for making this task more difficult- How to say no to this? How could she possibly turn down such an offer, such gorgeous and wide, dark chocolate eyes- Just by looking at them, Eliza found herself delving into their depths. It would be so simple to relent- To forget everything and stay.
Eliza was about to correct him- No, Angelica and their son were fully awake, and were having breakfast just as they were speaking. But Eliza had to remind herself that her husband was not awake when she heard them downstairs. Besides, Eliza did not desire to tell him that the others were awake- It would probably not help her situation. Alexander would be quick to dig up another excuse for his wife to stay.
“Just for a few minutes...” Alexander persisted- His voice, hoarse beforehand, now seemed coated in the sweetest of honeys, entrancing the listener, while his eyes set on hers without inconsistency.
With the mere tip of his fingers, Alexander ran his hand along his wife’s forearm- Shuffling closer to Eliza, he took ahold off her hand from beneath, tenderly fondling it, before placing a light peck on her knuckles.
“Just for a few more minutes...” Alexander lingered on, becoming more persistent by the minute- To make Eliza change her mind was more difficult than he thought it would be.
“I want to stay by your side for just a few more minutes. You’ll be gone with Philip and Angelica all day- I won’t see you at all today, so why not stay?” He was practically on his knees at this point, pleading her to a further extent then Eliza thought possible.
This trip in town with Angelica and Philip was supposed to become off good use for the secretary- He could use this time alone to thoroughly concentrate on his plan, his plan for Congress, without having a running child around the house. But now, it seemed as if Alexander perceived their leave as an inconvenience- As if getting in the way of his quality time with his wife.
What changed?
Alexander silently looked up at Eliza, but seeing as her mouth remained shut, and had no intention on opening, Alexander’s grip around his wife’s hand loosened- He was beginning to understand that perhaps it was of no use to try and change his wife’s mind any further. It would never work.
But still, a small part of him wanted her to stay.
“Please? I... I know I don’t truly deserve your time, Eliza- Not after all those nights in which I’ve left you alone for the sake of a few more hours of draining myself...” Alexander started, obvious shame and honesty injected in his tone of voice.
After a short gulp, Alexander continued, “... And... I feel ashamed to have only realized it last night. Only last night I’ve realized how precious our time together is, so please... Stay?”
The tone in his voice remained the same. Nor more demanding or harsh (like the tone Eliza had adopted the night before, when she was the one imploring her husband to take a break)- No, he kept the honey coated and indolent tone, submerging Eliza even deeper into her husband’s words- Far too deep for her to be able to reach the shore, so distant by now. All she could was stay- Alexander destroyed all other options.
But was that truly the only one of his features which was getting in the way? No. There was something else. His eyes, his wide, chocolate eyes. Profound, hinting to its mysterious depths, eager, ambitious but also doting and warm. They entranced Eliza and made her smile despite it all.
Oh, how to say no to him? How to say no to this? How could she possibly turn down his offer, such gorgeous, dark chocolate doe eyes, that voice- Eliza let out a breathy sigh, glancing downwards at the mattress beneath them both.
Finally, Eliza gave in- Gave into Alexander’s pleas, letting herself being guided by her husband’s tempting offer. Perhaps, for a few minutes, she could stay by his side.
“Alexander... I... Alright, fine. I will stay...” She murmured gingerly between long pauses- As if Eliza had to find the right words to express her husband’s achievement. For a few more minutes, Eliza was all his.
As she declared her final decision, Eliza fet content- It had been so long. So long, far too long since Eliza had spent some quality time with her husband, no matter how short. Eliza’s dream finally came true, and barely now she realized this- Finally, those endless times when she came by his office begging her husband to take a break bore fruit- Yes, Eliza was confident in her decision. Who knows when will be the next time when she’ll have this opportunity with Alexander.
For a few minutes, Alexander was all hers.
Alexander, at these words, could not have been any happier- His face lit up, spontaneously illuminated with the warmest of colors, replacing the dull gray.
Pushing himself upwards with the help of his arms, Alexander was able to reach Eliza’s face so he could plant a sluggish peck on the top of her nose, spontaneously resulting in his wife subtlety scrunching her nose in response, her signature smile on display as he did so- Oh, how Alexander loved to see it all. He had forgotten all these little attributs, rightfully hers.
Capturing Alexander’s face between her soft palms, before he could dive into his pillow again, Eliza stared at him straight in the eyes, subtle sparkles in their depths- She continued, “... But just for a few minutes, my love- I don’t wish to leave too late, and I know that you have a lot to do today...”
As she mentioned his work, Alexander couldn’t help but let out an annoyed sigh- She was right. He had so much to do today- So much, far too much. For a few minutes, Alexander had completely forgotten about it all- But as soon as she mentioned it, the secretary’s expression turned grim, and he felt his shoulders tense at the thought that, soon enough, Alexander was going to have to leave his wife and return to his office- Surely about to remain there for the rest of his days.
But it wasn’t too long before his face lit up again. For a few minutes, Alexander could forget his plan, forget Congress, and enjoy some quality time with his wife- Alexander never thought he would think these words, but saying them relieved a portion of the stress weighing upon his shoulders.
Eyes closed, Alexander took his time to assemble an adequate response to his wife’s conditions- But Eliza’s hands, warmer than his pillow could ever be ended up turning Alexander to mere putty.
Finally, Alexander attempted between soft sighs, “I know, I know... But just for a few minutes...” He trailed off- Volume in his tone decreasing.
Along with Eliza, Alexander dived back into the depths of the soft mattress- With a sluggish gesture, the secretary pulled the duvet covers over them.
Shuffling closer to his wife, he steadily wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face into the crook of her neck- Warm, soft breath invading Eliza’s shoulder, barely covered by the thin material of Eliza’s nightgown.
Against her shoulder, Alexander murmured, barely audible, “... I’ve got caught up wish so much work lately, that...” regaining his somnolence, it seemed like words came to him slower than a few minutes ago, “...that I’ve forgotten what I’ve been dreaming to do ever since I came back...”
Eliza, unsure if she had heard her husband correctly, hesitantly replied, “... And that is, my love?”
“To stay here by your side...
... Maybe that could be enough.”