Chapter 8
(Aubrey & Emily)
With Emily working, her contact with Aubrey had to be rearranged. They texted before work and on lunch breaks, and had a long call each evening to stay up to date with each other.
It was two more weeks before they could arrange to hang out again. They were starting to feel the strain of the distance, but neither had a solution yet, so it went unspoken entirely. When Emily got to Aubrey’s Friday evening, her partner had a candlelight dinner prepared and waiting.
Emily looked around the kitchen table in the dim room. “Bree, this is incredibly sweet.” She sat down as Aubrey poured her a glass of wine.
“I wanted to do something special, since it’s been a couple weeks.” She gave Emily a shy smile as she sat, hoping she really did like the set up.
Emily reached for her hand. “It’s romantic and I love it,” she said earnestly when Aubrey laced their fingers.
“I love you,” Aubrey replied sincerely.
After dinner, Aubrey sent Emily to the living room with a refilled glass while she started the dishwasher. The brunette wandered the room idly, looking at the photos on display and the collections of books and movies. Judging by her casual inspection, they shared tastes in many ways, which made her smile. As if she needed more signs that they were made for each other.
Aubrey came in with her own glass. “Was there anything specific you wanted to do?” she asked, moving to stand next to her by the window that looked out on the front yard in the dim light of dusk.
Emily smiled as she turned to her partner. “Anything with you is good for me. But that’s vague and unhelpful, so why don’t we find something on TV?” They moved to the couch, Emily lying behind Aubrey, one arm wrapped tight around her waist. They found a singing competition and wordlessly agreed on it, cuddling closer and settling in. They had fun critiquing the performances and picking favorites.
“We’ll have to watch together on the phone when I’m not here,” Emily said during a commercial. “Could be a fun thing to share.”
“Sounds good to me,” Aubrey agreed, deciding not to say she’d rather be able to watch it in the same room each week. She knew how she felt about Emily, but she also knew it was too soon to live together. Things were moving fast but she didn’t want to jump the rails hurrying things along that would come in their own time.
Emily held Aubrey a bit tighter. She was actively looking for things they could share from a distance. She had no doubt they would eventually move in together, but she didn’t want to wait that long to have new things in common. “Hey, babe, I had an idea.”
Aubrey muted the TV. “What’s up, love?”
“I was thinking we could choose one evening a week to video call during dinner. So it’ll be like actually sharing a meal. We can even coordinate take out.”
Aubrey chuckled. She saw what Emily was doing, and she appreciated it. “That’s genius, Em. If we make it Friday, we can have dinner, then watch the show together. A weekly date night of sorts.”
“Perfect.” Emily kissed the back of her shoulder. “I want to share as much of me as I can. My time, my energy, everything.”
Aubrey rested her arm over Emily’s. “So do I, babe. I want you to know everything, good and bad. And I…” she hesitated.
“You what? It’s okay, Bree.”
“I never want to lose you.”
Emily kissed the back of her neck and murmured, “I’m not going anywhere, Bree. I love you too much. I don’t want to lose you either.”
Aubrey rolled over in Emily’s arm for a soft, lingering kiss. Closing her eyes, she rested her forehead against her partner’s. “Everything else seems unimportant when I’m with you,” she whispered.
“I know what you mean, love,” Emily replied before kissing her forehead and hugging her a bit tighter. Even writing didn’t feel as good as Aubrey in her arms. They laid there quietly, basking in each other’s nearness, Aubrey’s hand resting over Emily’s heart. Rather than get up, Aubrey pulled down the blanket that hung on the back of the couch so they could sleep.
Emily was first awake, Aubrey still snuggled against her on the couch. She was vaguely surprised they hadn’t fallen off in the middle of the night. Aubrey soon started waking up, and Emily kissed her forehead. “We didn’t fall.”
Aubrey gave her a sleepy smile. “That would have sucked. I’m really comfy.” Emily chuckled, and they laid there several minutes before Aubrey covered a yawn and said, “Okay, I need caffeine.”
“Yes, please! I have to get a latte machine; it’s so much easier than going out to get the strong stuff.” Emily released her grip so Aubrey could stand, then followed her into the kitchen. She sat at the table and watched as her partner prepared lattes for both of them. God, she loved Aubrey Posen! She felt like the luckiest person alive.
Aubrey soon brought their drinks over, sitting in Emily’s lap instead of a chair. Emily smiled and kissed her cheek, winding her free arm around her. Aubrey grinned and claimed a soft kiss from her before turning to her coffee. “How does waffles sound?” she asked.
The brunette chuckled. “I haven’t had waffles in ages. Yes, that sounds great, babe.” Aubrey nodded, and when she was halfway through her drink, she stood to make breakfast. She only ever cooked breakfast when Emily visited, but she enjoyed the change and the chance to treat her partner extra well while they had time together.
Emily watched Aubrey cook with a soft smile until she was presented with a plate of waffles and dug in. Aubrey soon joined her and they ate in companionable silence. When they were done, Emily insisted on loading the dishwasher while Aubrey brewed fresh lattes. “You know I’ll let you handle things most of the time, but I’m also gonna help out sometimes. Is that gonna be okay?”
Aubrey stepped close for a quick kiss. “It’s fine, babe. I’m not opposed to some help, I just want to be my responsibility in general.” They finished their tasks and took their drinks in the living room. “Anything you want to do today?”
Emily wrapped an arm around her. “Any place around here for a nice walk? Somewhere off the street?”
The blonde considered for a moment. “There’s a park. Not far, but enough we’ll want to drive. It has hiking trails that go into the woods, but we can turn back whenever.”
Emily grinned. “Sounds perfect. One last nice walk before it gets cold.”
“Speaking of the cold, have you gotten any winter clothes for the season? If not, we could go shopping. Your Georgia wardrove won’t be enough up here.”
Emily tilted her head. “I hadn’t thought of that. I can wear whatever I want to work, but I’ll need a coat and boots that can handle snow and ice.”
“And gloves to protect those hands. No worries, we’ll run out tomorrow morning and get you set up.” Aubrey twined fingers with her. “Did you have any holiday plans?”
“I hadn’t even thought about it yet. So, no I don’t have plans.” She squeezed her hand. “Did you have something in mind?”
“I was thinking about asking Chloe to split them with me. Thanksgiving one place, Christmas the other. I was hoping you’d be there, too.” Her eyes were locked on their joined hands.
“I would love to. Wherever it is, if you’re there, I want to be, too.” She lifted Aubrey’s face to meet her hazel eyes. “With you is where I want to be, where I should be. And sharing our first holidays together will make for lifelong memories.” She reached up to brush some hair from Aubrey’s face. “Do you want to call Chloe and see what she says?”
Aubrey nodded, even as she felt herself getting lost in those expressive eyes. “I… yeah. Then we’ll know what we’re doing.” She reached for her phone.
“Include me and Beca in the planning. Even if you handle the cooking, there’s stuff we can help with.”
Predictably, Chloe was in love with the idea. They agreed on Thanksgiving at Chloe and Beca’s and Christmas at Aubrey’s, since Aubrey had more room for a tree. Emily offered her place for New Year’s Eve, which they all heartily agreed to. They promised to nail down details soon. “I don’t want to use up your time. We can talk during the week,” Chloe assured her best friend.
Aubrey leaned against Emily after setting the phone down. Emily wrapped her arms around her and held her close. “Feel better with that decided?”
“Much, thanks. Sometimes I get so caught up in my head that I can’t focus on what’s happening now.”
Emily kissed her forehead. “How about some music to focus on for a bit?” At Aubrey’s nod, Emily stood to retrieve her guitar, sitting on the couch to play this time. By the third some, Aubrey realized she was only playing love songs, and she smiled at her. Trust Emily to serenade her. Only she could snap Aubrey out of a mood just by being herself.
Emily was so intent on what she was doing, she played way longer than she should have, not realizing until her hands began cramping painfully mid-song. She stopped playing as she flinched.
“Em? What’s wrong?”
Emily set the instrument aside, looking down at her hands as she tried to stretch them. “I played too long without a break.” She sighed. “It’ll pass, but probably no more guitar this weekend.”
Aubrey leaned forward and took one of Emily’s hands in both of hers. She worked on it carefully, feeling the angry muscles relax under her fingers. She switched hands, and Emily flexed the first one experimentally. “Wow. I’ve never had a way to get rid of these cramps. They should be better much sooner now.”
The blonde smiled as she finished the second hand. “Glad to help, babe.” She glanced at the clock. “Did you still want to walk?”
Emily nodded, and they headed to the bedroom to change. Twenty minutes later, they had parked and were heading for the entrance to a trail. It didn’t seem as busy as some of the others, and Emily would rather they have as much privacy as they could in public.
They walked casually, taking the time to observe their surroundings since they had nowhere to be. Aubrey, who had moved to the area several years ago, pointed out her favorite late-season plants, as well as the ones she looked for come spring and summer. “Part of me loves living out among all this, but I hate being so far from the city.”
“Do you think you’d ever move into the city?” Emily asked quietly. She may as well get an idea of what Aubrey wanted to do.
“For the right reasons, under the right circumstances, yes,” was all she said, and Emily let it drop as they continued down the trail. She could wait to find out what those reasons were until Aubrey felt like discussing it.
They walked quietly a bit, listening to the birds and squirrels in the trees around them. There was an unexpected rumble of thunder above them. “Aw, shit,” Aubrey swore with irritation. “Better turn around. We’re already likely to get wet.” Sure enough, five minutes back towards the car, the sky opened and they were soon soaked through.
Emily started laughing, hard enough that she had to stop walking. For some reason, getting caught in the downpour had struck her funny bone and she stood there laughing for a few moments before Aubrey joined in. Still chuckling, they made their way to the car.
Back at Aubrey’s, they showered and changed out of their soaked clothes and into more comfortable pajamas. The blonde got it all in the dryer, then found Emily in the bedroom brushing out her long, soft hair. Aubrey approached and held out her hand for the brush. “May I?” Emily handed it to her, and Aubrey began running it through her partner’s hair.
“That was super romantic,” Emily asserted when Aubrey sat next to her on the bed.
“Getting caught in the rain, or the brushing?”
“Both,” Emily replied with a smile.
Aubrey chuckled, then checked the time. “Come on, time for dinner.”
***
Emily was first awake Sunday morning, Aubrey’s back pressed close against her. Not ready to move yet, she stayed where she was, slightly tightening her grip around the blonde. She wished they could wake up together every morning.
She gave a small sigh. She was getting ahead of herself, but she couldn’t help it. She did some quick calculations, trying to figure out how soon she could afford a bigger apartment. It would be a little while, yet, but since she was working as both a songwriter and a backup musician, she’d get there a little faster. She didn’t know for sure what Aubrey’s ideal place would be like, but she knew they’d need more space.
Aubrey’s breathing changed, and Emily knew she was waking up. She pressed a kiss to the back of her neck, putting thoughts of moving and money out of her mind for the moment. The older woman yawned before rolling over for a kiss. “Can we just stay in bed till you have to go? It’s so comfy here with you.”
Emily grinned. “I like that idea, babe.” Kissing her forehead, she held Aubrey tighter. “I always prefer to be close to you.” They lay quietly a while, giving Aubrey a chance to fully wake up. “Can I ask you something that you totally don’t have to answer?”
“Absolutely. What’s up, love?”
“What would be the right reasons and circumstances for you to move to the city.”
Aubrey raised a hand to rest over Emily’s heart. “Right now, or in general?”
“Let’s say right now.”
“Well, I wouldn’t move by myself. I would have to be living with you. And I would want to know I could leave the retreat for good rather soon. The apartment has to have a second bedroom, and be a reasonable commute to the studio for you. Otherwise I’m pretty flexible.” She kept her eyes down as she explained, not wanting to reveal the hope that had sprung up over the conversation.
Emily knew she was looking away for a reason. “Bree, I should tell you, I have every intention of making that happen for us. It’s just gonna take some time to save and find a place.”
Aubrey looked up in surprise. “You mean… you’re asking because…”
“Because I want you to come live with me, Bree. I know it’s still fast, but…”
Aubrey interrupted her with a kiss. “I’ve never wanted anything more, Em. And… we can afford it together if I sell the house. We could buy an apartment and not worry about renting.” They spent a long time discussing options and timelines, basic needs and luxuries, requirements and wishful thinking. By noon, they had a good notion of what they wanted and needed, as well as a possible game plan. They couldn’t do much right away, but Aubrey would get her house listed and start packing. Whenever she could get to the city, they would go look at places together.
It was almost time for Emily to head out, but she covered the hand on her chest with her own to ask earnestly, “You’re sure, Bree? I’m not pushing this on you too soon?”
Aubrey kissed her softly. “I don’t think there is a too soon for us. I think the sooner we live together, the happier we’ll both be.”
Emily gathered her in her arms. “I hate that I have to leave.”
“I know, love, but now we have a plan. Soon, neither of us will need to leave.”