I hadn’t slept with anyone since Daphne. After her death, I had been so focused on Noah that sex hadn’t even been a thought in my mind. Now, I realized how much I missed it. It felt good to feel like a man again. I had been Noah’s father for so long that I’d almost forgotten the other parts of me that had been buried since Daphne’s funeral.
Kristen was naked underneath the sheets, and I longed to slide in next to her and enter her again, but something stopped me. Maybe it was the thought that Noah would be awake soon. Maybe it was the guilt of knowing I had slept with someone other than my wife. Maybe it was a combination of the two, but I pulled on my boxers and sat up in bed.
Disturbed by my movement, Kristen sighed in her sleep and opened her eyes. She looked a little confused for a second and then she darted upright.
“Oh my God,” she gasped. “What time is it?”
“Don’t worry,” I said quickly. “There’s time before work.”
“Oh,” she said, her hair all in disarray.
I couldn’t help but lean in and push the stray strands of hair from her face. She seemed to like the gesture. She leaned in and kissed me on the lips, and I returned the kiss willingly. Those little gestures of intimacy sent a thrill through my body. It made me aware of how much I had given up in the last few years.
I thought of last night and was forced to admit that Daphne’s death had crippled me—emotionally, at least. I had pent up all my grief and anger, and it had taken Kristen to unlock it all. I remembered how patient and kind she had been to me the night before. She could have just walked away, but she had chosen to stay and put me back together again.
Last night had also taught me one very important thing: I needed to move on. Daphne was my past now, and if I allowed her to dominate my life, I would never be able to let go of my grief or my frustration.
“I should head out,” Kristen said as she looked around for her clothes.
“You can stay for breakfast,” I said.
“Uh… I haven’t bought a change of clothes for work, and I don’t want to go in today wearing the same clothes as yesterday.”
“Right,” I nodded.
I could tell she was self-conscious about dressing in front of me. She was blushing slightly as she pulled on her underwear and her bra. I didn’t understand why she was so shy.
“You are aware that I’ve seen everything, right?” I asked.
She laughed nervously. “That was at night,” she said. “There was less light.”
“You have a beautiful body,” I told her honestly.
“Thank you,” she said, flushing scarlet.
“I should be thanking you,” I said. “You made me feel a whole lot better last night.”
She pulled her on her blouse and came to sit next to me on the bed. “I liked that you opened up to me,” she said. “It made it a lot easier for me.”
“What do you mean?”
“I just mean… I could never quite understand you before. You were this brooding enigma, and I was scared of saying anything because I was never sure what would set you off. Now that I know a little more about you, you don’t scare me quite as much.”
“I scared you?” I asked in surprise.
“A little bit,” Kristen nodded.
“I’m sorry I made you feel that way.”
“I wouldn’t have cared quite so much if…”
She trailed off, and I saw another blush blossom on her cheeks. Instantly, my curiosity increased tenfold. “If?” I pressed.
“If I hadn’t liked you so much,” she admitted.
“You liked me?”
“I did.”