When You're Not Here

 

She lay on her side in bed under the warmth of the comforter, her face tucked in the crook of her arm that was under her head as she listened to the rain fall.

The lightning flashed once, twice, across her face as the tears rolled down her cheeks then again they were hidden in the darkness, her sobs drowned out by the sound of thunder.

 

She felt the weight of him move gently onto the bed behind her.  The heat of his body warming her as he slipped under the blanket scooting in against her, he laid an arm around her head that still rested in the crook of her own arm. His fingers lightly combed through her long bangs combing them back, letting them fall against her cheeks then he'd comb them back up, to again let them fall.  His other arm wrapped around her middle, his hand resting on her stomach as he moved his thumb slowly back and forth. The light sensations of his fingers through her hair and against her stomach traveled down her body, slowly relaxing her.

Moving his arm slowly up her side he moved her curls over against the pillow softly kissing her shoulder and up the back of her neck.  He could feel her body slowly melt in against his, the last of her tension gone. Pulling her closer, the rain pouring outside the window he laced  their fingers together and rested their hands against her stomach, tucking his face against hers with a kiss to her cheek he could feel the barely dry tear stains against her skin. She dared not to move, afraid to break the warmth between them, afraid to face him, like if she did he would suddenly disappear.

The rain poured against the ground to a calm steady rhythm, lightening flashing, lighting them for only moments at a time quickly followed by the low rumbles of thunder. Her eyes closed with no more tears to come, her body calm and relaxed against his as she felt his warm breaths float against her shoulder from behind, she drifted into sleep.

 

The morning was quiet, the smell of damp air floated in through the open window. Barely awake she rolled over to find he wasn't there. No warm body to roll into, no arms holding her and no gentle kiss to greet her. He wasn't there. He never had been; there were no creases in the sheets where his body had been next to her. She had turned to face him and he had disappeared. A figment in her mind to pull her through the night, his comfort only what her heart had longed for.