Written for swmbo's birthday and fondly dedicated to her.
Two Rocking Chairs
The wind is
blowing outside, so hard that the snow seems to fall sideways at times,
and the lake effect is in full bloom. But inside it is warm, and Dawn
is very glad that her husband insisted on these renovations last
summer. Glad, also, that he eventually saw reason and hired a
contractor instead of doing the work himself. Thirty years ago, when
they first got the house, he did all of it by himself, and she had fun
helping as she could. Today, at his age, it wouldn’t be so wise anymore
to climb on the roof and play with power tools. Of course, she knows
he’ll never stop the latter.
Right now, she can hear him, in the garage transformed into a workshop,
playing with his grown up toys. In thirty years, he never stopped.
Ornate bookshelves and desk for her office, table and chairs for their
dining room, cabinets for the kitchen and bathroom, wooden toys for the
kids and now grandkids. And of course, always, stakes. He is the
official stakes supplier of the Cleveland Slayers, and he makes a point
of having for each of them as well as their Watchers a stake engraved
with their name. Dawn still has hers on her desk; she doesn’t patrol
anymore with the Slayers she trains, but it is a souvenir she is fond
of.
The buzzing stops, and for a while all is quiet save for the soft noise
of her aging fingers stroking the keyboard. She will have to ask Willow
for some of that soothing cream again for her hands. And invite her for
dinner. It has been too long since their old friend visited.
There is noise in the living room, but she tries to ignore it and
concentrate on her report. When he comes to her however, grinning like
a kid and almost giddy, she can do nothing but leave her work and
follow him, lacing her fingers to his as he leads her to the living
room. There, side-by-side next to the chimney, are two lovely matching
rocking chairs, one engraved with her initials, the other with his.
It’s a wordless but bright declaration and reminder of everything they
have gone through as they got old together. Of everything still ahead
of them, and that they will live together. Moved to tears, she can only
thank Xander with a kiss.
Home ~ Cleveland-verse
The characters and names used in these stories do not belong to me. All copyrights remain with Fox and Mutant Enemy. No profit is made from this fanfiction.
