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Just home from work, Jackie comes in the front door of her house and manages to catch herself just before she playfully calls out honey, I’m home! The overhead light in the living room has been turned off in favor of a couple of their smaller lamps, and Susan is lying fast asleep on the couch. An open book has been left abandoned upside down on her stomach, and her reading glasses are still perched on her nose. A pumpkin-colored candle burns merrily on the coffee table nearby, filling the room with the combined scents of cinnamon, clove, and vanilla.
Smiling to herself, Jackie quietly moves toward the small table tucked into the corner of the room and carefully piles her coat and handbag on top of it, then continues toward the couch. She knows her girlfriend well enough to know that where there’s an unfinished book there’s also a silly decorative bookmark close by, and she quickly locates it half-hidden under Susan’s hip. This particular bookmark doesn’t disappoint – it’s the outline of an old-fashioned plague doctor holding an apple set into soft leather – and Jackie tucks it between the open pages before setting the closed book on the coffee table a safe distance from the candle. Next come Susan’s glasses, which she gently removes and closes at the hinges for safekeeping, then places them on top of the book. That done, she pulls the afghan off the back of the couch and drapes it over top of her, making extra sure that her feet are as tucked in as the rest of her.
Deciding to head off to bed, Jackie presses a kiss to Susan’s forehead and then goes to pull away, only for her girlfriend’s hand to gently close around her wrist. Her eyes flutter open as she smiles sleepily.
“Hey, you.”
Jackie grins and leans back into her, this time burying her nose down into the curve of Susan’s neck and nipping at the soft skin there before she peppers a few kisses along her collarbone. Susan lets out a contented sigh as Jackie pulls away again and fixes her with a knowing look.
“Tried to wait up again, did you?”
“Nah,” Susan lies with a smile of her own, “Jane just puts me right out.”
“Mmmm-hmmm,” Jackie hums skeptically, gesturing to the book. “That thing is so beat up that you must have read it a hundred times by now. Plus, isn’t she a giant busybody? That’s gotta be entertaining enough to keep you awake.”
Susan shrugs. “She has her moments, but her intentions are good. Stay for a minute?”
Jackie chuckles. “Honey, there is a big comfy bed in that other room just calling out our names. Can’t you hear it? It’s lonely.”
“But I’m lonely too,” Susan says, pulling an exaggerated sad face, “and I missed you.”
“Rough day?”
“Nothing a little snuggling can’t fix.”
Unable to resist, Jackie rolls her eyes at her affectionately. “There’s no way we’re both gonna fit on this couch very well. Move over a little at least.”
Susan obediently shifts toward the edge of the cushions and then looks up at her expectantly. Jackie grumbles a bit as she gingerly drops to her knees between her girlfriend’s legs and then manages to fit herself sideways against the back of the couch.
“I don’t know how we’re going to get up from here without us accidentally hurtin’ each other,” she says, rearranging the blanket to cover them both, “is this okay?”
Susan tries to move a little further away to give her a bit more room. “Yeah, I guess I don’t really need my spleen.”
Jackie goes to shift position again, but Susan takes a playful swipe at her shoulder. “I’m kidding, you’re good.”
Snuggling back down under the blanket, Jackie throws an arm across Susan’s waist and lays her head against her chest. The steady beat of her girlfriend’s heart is soothing, and she sighs happily. “This is nice.”
“I told you so,” Susan replies triumphantly.
“Yeah, yeah. You were right. So, do you want to talk about why your day wasn’t very good?”
“Not particularly.”
Jackie feels Susan’s fingers begin to comb lazily through her hair, and she yawns, completely and totally relaxed.
“Okay. Then tell me more about your book?”
An affectionate chuckle rumbles in Susan’s chest. “You sure?”
“Mmmm-hmmm. She’s bossy, right? But she’s nice about it. Keep goin’, there’s gotta be a good reason why you love it so much.”
There’s a beat of silence before Susan obliges her, clearing her throat for good measure.
“Emma Woodhouse,” she recites, still sounding a bit amused, “handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition….”