Page 4 of Joker
Turning to face him, I cup his cheek.
“It was always you,” I assure him, placing a soft kiss on his lips.
Lying back in his arms, we fall asleep wrapped around each other.
The next morning, the sun rising over the top of the trees is what makes me stir. Taking a moment to adjust my eyes and gather where I am, I’m lying in the back of Jason’s truck, tucked safely in his arms.
Trying not to wake him, I slowly move out of his embrace, wrapping the blanket around my shoulders. I move to sit on the tailgate and watch the sunrise. It truly is a beautiful morning in more ways than one.
Taking a moment to process everything that had happened in the last several hours. I thought I would feel different. Maybe more grown-up, more like an adult. I’m sore, but otherwise, I don’t feel different.
What I do feel different about is my feelings toward Jason. He made last night feel so special and made me feel so loved. It was the best birthday I ever had, and it will be one I’d never forget.
Feeling arms wrap around me, his voice all husky with sleep.
“Morning, beautiful.”
Looking over my shoulder into his blue eyes, I whisper, “Morning,” with a slight smile on my face.
“You, okay?” nervousness is noticeable in his voice. I love that he was as nervous as me.
“Perfect,” I reassure him, stroking his forearms lightly with my fingertips.
We both sit in silence for a while, wrapped in each other’s arms, just enjoying the peace and the sunrise, feeling content just to be with each other in silence.
With a sigh and a rumble of my stomach, I finally turn to face him.
“I need to go check on Johnny,” I whisper, trying not to disturb the peacefulness of the clearing.
He nods his head in acknowledgment. Moving to climb out of the truck, Jason helps me down laughing as I nearly fall. Picking our clothes up, we hunt to find where they were thrown in our rush. Clipping my bra into place, I catch Jason watching. A blush creeps onto my cheeks as I remember his hands on the breasts I just covered up. I shyly look away. Picking up my dress, I slide in on. Once we’re both dressed and standing a little awkwardly at the back of the truck, he wraps his arms around me.
“Come on, babydoll, we best get back,” with a kiss to my head, we jump in the truck. Soon we’re on our way back home.
Arriving home, Jason says he’s got some errands to run for his dad, and he’d come see me tonight. Jumping out of the truck, I head for Mrs. Clark’s to see Johnny. Rounding the house, I can see him kicking a soccer ball around the garden. That boy loves soccer. He supports a British team called Liverpool. Spotting me, he comes running over and hugs me.
“Hey, you have fun with Mrs. Clark?” Nodding, he tells me excitedly that they’d watched TV and she made pasta.
Mrs. Clark’s pasta is the best. Mrs. Clark is standing in the doorway smiling.
“We had fun,” she confirms.
“I have some fresh lemonade,” she says as I make my way into the house.
We sit in her slightly outdated, but homely and welcoming kitchen, sipping on delicious lemonade while I catch her up on my birthday.
“He’s a good one, that young man of yours,” she observes smiling. “You can see from the way that boy looks at you, you’re his love. He would do anything for Johnny and you. Even my old eyes can see that,” she says, making me giggle.
“You’re not old Mrs. Clark.”
She really isn’t that old, maybe late 60’s, early 70’s and fit as anything.
Her face turns serious. “Child, that boy is your future and your ride to a better life for both you and Johnny. Hold onto that.” She now looks sad and as if she’s deep in thought.
“You okay, Mrs. Clark?” I say as gently as possible as I don’t want to upset her more. Turning to look at me with a small smile, she replies
“Yes, dear, just remembering my time with Mr. Clark, he’s been gone many years now, but I still miss him.”
My heart hurts for her. It must be devastating to love someone so much and lose them before your life together had really gotten started. Getting up from my chair, I go over and hug Mrs. Clark.
