La Fée

Moi aussi j'ai une fée chez moi

I have a fairy in my house too

Et sa traine est brulée

And her train is burned

Elle doit bien savoir qu'elle ne peut pas, ne pourra jamais plus voler

She must know that she can’t, that she won’t be able to fly anymore

D'autres ont essayés avant elle

Others have tried before her

Avant toi une autre était là

Before you someone else was there

je l'ai trouvé repliée sous ses ailes

I found her shutting herself away under her wings

Et j'ai cru qu'elle avait froid

And I thought she was cold

The door at the end of the hallway is shut and you hear your wife dragging her feet against the floor, the sound comes closer and soon she appears in your room, closing the door behind her.

Her favorite blanket, baby blue with little soccer balls printed on it, is wrapped tightly around her and you chuckle while putting your book down on your lap.

“What?” Tobin wonders as she delicately folds the blue fabric before joining you in bed.

“You’re literally a kid with her blanket. You’ve been dragging this thing everywhere for days.”

“Have not.”

“Yes you have. Look, you even burned the corner when you made pancakes this morning.” You lift the black corner of the blanket but Tobin quickly snaps it out of your hand.

“Hey, it keeps me warm okay.” Your wife retorts, bringing the folded blanket against her chest.

“Like you need help to stay warm Tobs. I’m not stupid you know… What’s up?” You gently ask, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

Tobin sinks deeper in bed, bringing the comforter up to her nose before mumbling something under her breath.

“I didn’t hear you. Babe, talk to me please.”

You roll on your side, your hands under your head, and wait for her to speak again.

After a moment of intense staring at the ceiling your wife finally mirrors your position, her sad puppy eyes finding your worried ones.

“It’s the blanket I usually take with me when I’m flying…” She whispers, eyes now adverting yours in shame.

It only takes on a second to understand what’s going on with her. With you index you softly pat her nose, silently asking her to look at you again.

“You miss travelling.” You simply state and after a second she nods.

“It’s going to sound silly, but having it makes me feel like I’m going on a plane.” She confesses sheepishly.

“It is not stupid baby. I get it. Your lifestyle has changed; you’re allowed to miss your old one.”

“It’s not really like that… I don’t miss flying all over the country. I love our lives, being settle and all. I guess it is the adventures that I miss.” Tobin sighs, shrugging.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?” Tobin furrows her eyebrows.

“I don’t know… I mean it’s kind of my fault that you’ve changed your life like that. That you’ve stopped going on adventures.”

“No no no, I’m trying to blame you for that. I did change for you and our family but don’t think I’m regretting this choice. Like I said, I love our lives. I wouldn’t trade what we have for anything in the world.” Tobin quickly reassures you, grabbing your waist to bring you closer to her.

“I wouldn’t trade it for anything either.” You peck her nose and she grins.

“You wanna know a secret?” She asks and presses her forehead against yours when you nod. “I do miss the adventures; discovering new countries, new languages, new cultures, new people. But if I had to choose my favorite adventure, there is one that I love more than any other adventures I’ve been on.”

“The World Cup?” You quickly guess.

“No.” She lets out a small laugh.

“It has to be link to soccer.”

“Well, in a certain way you could say that.” Your wife smirks.

“Tell me already.” You whine, tugging on her shirt and she chuckles at your impatience.

“It’s the one I’m on with you since we’ve starting dating.” Tobin simply says as if it is the most obvious answer and your heart swells at the love filling her eyes.

“Oh… I really like this one too.” You nod vigorously, still surprised by her words.

Raising yourself on your elbows you lean forward and kiss her lips lovingly, your hand finding the skin of her stomach under her shirt.

“You know, we’ll still be able to travel. It hasn’t stopped us before.” You say, your lips still close to hers.

She kisses you one more time before pulling you on her side. You nuzzle her neck, smirking when she lets a sigh of contentment escape her lips.

“Yeah I know… But we still have months, years even, before that. We’ve waited two years before bringing Mark to Paris.”

“Well there will be soccer camps to begin with. He’s came with us since the beginning. We'll take the both of them.”

“I don’t know if I’m excited or terrified to go back to the camp madness.” Tobin chuckles.

“First camp is going to be awful… Remember Kelley when she found out Marky was coming with us?”

“I’d rather not…” She sighs dramatically.

Your wife’s hand starts to go through your hair gently and you’re about to close your eyes to enjoy it when you notice the blue blanket still in her other hand.

“Where will we go?”

“Hm?” Tobin hums between two yawns.

“Where do you want to take our family for the first trip?” You reformulate, lifting your head just in time to catch the spark of excitement in her eyes.

“I’d love to go back to Brazil.”

“I like this idea. It would bring back so many memories.” You smile down at your wife and she winks.

“Where would you like to go?” Tobin returns the question.

“Well, Brazil would be great. Or maybe Italia, it’s so pretty there.”

You snuggle back on Tobin’s side and her fingers caress your back as she hums in agreement. Her other hand extends to switch off the light and soon darkness engulfs you.

“We still have time to think about it. But I’m already looking forward to it.” She whispers while shifting under the comforter, getting more comfortable.

“We have to take everything one step at a time though, and enjoy every moment.” You murmur back as your hand slides under her shirt again.

“True. Just two weeks baby… Two little weeks.” Her hot breath hits the shell of your ear and you smile in the darkness.

“Two weeks…” You repeat in disbelief. “I can’t believe it went this fast.”

“Well I can’t say that I’ll be upset when it’s over. I can’t wait to wear my usual shirts again.”

You laugh loudly because of course your wife would say something like that. Lifting your head you press a quick kiss on her cheek. You can feel the smile in her voice when she breaks the night’s silence.

“Goodnight Al’.”

“Goodnight baby. Tomorrow you’ll be one day closer to wear your shirts again.”

Sleep seems to come easily and in a matter of minutes you feel yourself drifting away. Unfortunately a loud coughing fit echoes from the end of the hallway and your eyes shot open.

“Tobs? Baby?” You gently shake your wife’s shoulder.

“Wut?” She groggily responds, half asleep.

“Did you give him his cough syrup tonight?”

“Shit, I knew I forgot something.”

You feel her starting to get up but you stop her.

“I get it don’t worry. Go back to sleep.”

Starting to raise on your feet you feel something being dropped on your shoulders. When your fingers caress the soft fabric you smile, knowing exactly what has been wrapped around you.

“Don’t want you to get a cold too.” Tobin rasps as you open the door to head to the kitchen.

The smile doesn’t leave your face until you enter your bedroom again after a few minutes. You slide back in bed with Tobin’s back facing you. Moving closer you wrap your arm around her and press your forehead against her neck.

“All good?” She murmurs, startling you as you thought she was sleeping.

“He’s already asleep.”

“Sound like someone that I know.”

You know she can feel your smile against her skin because she grabs your hand and gently kisses your knuckles.

“When I think about it again, there is another reason why I’m looking forward for it to be over.”

“What?” You ask, already drifting to sleep.

“I’ll get to be the big spoon again.”

“No way. You’ll have to fight for it.”

“It’s on Morgan.”

“It’s Morgan-Heath to you.”