The soft rays of dusk filter through the curtain creating an intricate pattern across the cover, but do not disturb the sleeping figures in the bed. They are both breathing steadily, completely comfortable in each other’s arms. Well, until one of them floats to consciousness.
Sara stiffens, her surroundings unfamiliar. Slowly, her confusion turns into the sweet reality of being held by Grissom. Memories of the morning before dance across her mind: the romantic dinner Grissom cooked, the causal conversation made silently adding to the cocoon like feeling, for those brief moments in time only the two of them existed. Sara had never seen Grissom act the way he had that morning; it made her realize how much he really did want a relationship. Somehow the cocooned feeling had followed them as they changed for bed. It seemed like the most natural action on Earth for Sara to crawl into bed with Grissom.
However, Sara realizes that the romantic haze from that morning has faded. When Grissom wakes up the situation is going to be awkward. Sara considers her options: try to get of bed without waking Grissom or go back to sleep. The warm comforts of Grissom’s arms are winning when Grissom himself wakes up.
Grissom panics internally, but puts a smile on his face for Sara’s sake. This had seemed like such a good idea before, but Grissom has no idea what to do now. Sara distracts him by cupping his face with her hand; she beams a bright smile at him. Grissom pulls Sara closer and whispers, “go back to sleep,” in her ear. They could discuss this later; it just feels too damn good to stop now.
***
Sara wakes to the beeping of Grissom’s alarm clock, but no Grissom. She sighs; they weren’t going to talk about this. Grissom appears in the doorway. “Hey sleepyhead, do you plan on eating breakfast.”
Sara throws a pillow at him.
Grissom catches it, “I see how you appreciate my hard work.”
Sara rolls her eyes, but gets out of bed, “Let me guess, cereal?”
Grissom looks shocked, “No, omelets. Why would I feed you cereal?”
Sara smiles and laughs a little, “You snore,” she adds as she sits down at the kitchen table.
Grissom gives her a confused look: What does that have to do with breakfast? “No, I don’t.”
“Sure, and I just imagined the loud noise in my ear?”
Grissom takes a bite of his omelet. He knows Sara want to talk, but…her startled look at the door disrupts his thinking.
“Someone’s at the door.”
“Oh,” Grissom gives this a puzzled thought.
“Are you going to answer it?”
“I guess,” he really has no idea who would be visiting him. “Catherine,” he croaks a little too loudly when he opens the door.
“I wanted to see how you are,” Catherine says as she pushes her way into the room. Grissom looks confused, as he has no idea what she just said.
“Hi, Catherine,” Sara reluctantly announces herself from the kitchen table.
Catherine looks from Sara back to Grissom in their pajamas. Okay, so I’m just being nosey. Sue me!
Sara quickly signs to Grissom and he responds back. “Grissom says he’s fine and asks if there was anything else you wanted.”
The hint of hostility was probably more from Sara than Grissom, but Catherine still got the message that she had interrupted a moment.
“Call me if you need anything. I need to get Lindsey to the babysitters.”
Grissom nods after Sara interprets for him. She hastily makes her exit. That conflict would have to be dealt with later.
“I should go get dressed. You let me sleep too long.”
“Okay, we will talk about this.” Grissom adds sincerely.
“Good,” Sara responds with a smile.
***
Sara can hear Nick and Warrick laughing as she enters the locker room.
“Hey Sar, you want to join us for dinner after shift.”
“I have plans. Sorry guys.”
“What aren’t you telling us?” Nick asks in a teasing tone.
“Nothing, I just have other stuff to do,” Sara responds cryptically, but with a little too much smile for her to be believed.
“Come on man she’ll tell us when she’s ready,” Warrick ushers Nick out of the locker room.
She silently thanks Warrick and sinks down on the bench. She knows that sooner or later everyone is going to find out. She’s been living in a dream world where she could keep Grissom to herself. Catherine already knows and Nick and Warrick are just one step behind her.
***
Sara inspects the coffee pot in the break room. Someone had left it on too long yesterday and a layer of congealed mush was now stuck to the bottom. She debates about washing it out or just living with the caffeine that’s already flowing through her veins.
Nick walks in, “Hey Sar.”
“Hey Nick,” she replies still making faces at the coffee pot.
“What happened to the coffee pot?”
“Someone left it on again.”
“Whose turn is it to buy a new one?”
“I think it’s still salvageable.”
“Do you think we can save it, Warrick?”
Warrick looks confused, having just walked into the room, as he tries to figure out what they are talking about, “Oh the coffee pot-- maybe with some heavy duty solvent.”
“What are you guys all staring at?” Catherine asks, finally joining them with the assignment slips.
“The coffee pot-someone from days left it on again.”
“And we have to pay for a new one. Whose turn is it?” She asks obviously annoyed at this situation.
“I think its Grissom’s”
“Oh great, we have to wait a week and a half for another coffee pot.”
“I wonder if Greg keeps one stashed away.”
“Sara?”
Sara narrows her eyes at Catherine, “What? I bought the last one,” she doesn’t like where this is headed.
“Never mind,” Catherine realizes, for once, that this isn’t her secret to tell, “Let’s leave it for days-maybe they’ll get the message. Anyway-we need to get work.”
***
Sara returns to Grissom’s after work – it has become a habit now – one that she does not question.
She bypasses the boxes that litter the hallway. She gives a hesitant wave to the movers as she unlocks the door. She fleetingly wonders if Grissom even knows who his neighbor is (was).
Grissom is fast asleep in the arm chair – head back – drool escaping his open mouth. Sara can’t help, but smile at the picture he presents – no one would believe how adorable he looks in his sleep.
A compulsion comes over her – one that her mind knows is a bad idea, but the rest of her doesn’t listen.
She kisses him softly, waiting for him to wake up. His eyes pop open in a panic – the silence of the world still keeping him on edge. He relaxes when he realizes that it is her, assuring them both that this is okay.
They drift back, smiling at each other.
“How was work?”
Sara shrugs, sitting down on the sofa, “Greg accidentally dyed his face blue.”
Grissom merely raises his eyebrow – it doesn’t really surprise him.
“Catherine kept her mouth shut,” Sara bluntly states – the time for odd small talk had already passed in this relationship.
Grissom closes his eyes, wishing for a truce between these two women, “We have to tell them eventually.”
“Tell them what?” Sara challenges.
Grissom realizes that this is the moment of truth – Sara would walk if he couldn’t answer this question. He couldn’t think of anything, but cliques – nothing that remotely sounds like he would say it. “That you’re here.”
Sara groans—this is not what she wanted.
Grissom blinks as Sara get up to pace. The answer had sounded very profound in his head – it symbolized that he had come to terms with his apprehensions.
“What the hell does that mean?”
He nearly misses the question in her angry flailing.
He pulls her onto his lap – it isn’t an easy feat with her desire not to let him take the easy way out. He kisses her neck slowly – softly -- trying to distract her long enough to thhink.
“I don’t know what else you want me to say.” He whispers
in her ear, “
All I ever wanted was to be part of your heart,
And for us to be together, to never be apart.
No one else in the world can even compare,
You're perfect and so is this love that we share.
We have so much more than
I ever thought we would,
I love you more than I ever thought I could.
I promise to give you all I have to give,
I'll do anything for you as long as I live.
In your eyes I see
our present, our future and past,
By the way you look at me
I know we will last.
I hope that one day you'll come to realize,
How perfect you are when seen through my eyes.
I thought love was just a mirage of the mind,
It's an illusion, it's fake, impossible to find.
But the day I met you, I began to see,
That love is real, and exists in me..”
Sara starts to shake – Grissom panics – he can’t hear what sound she’s making.
She turns around in his lap – he can see the smile that reaches her eyes as she giggles.
She kisses him softly, “Your neighbors are moving out.”
“I hadn’t noticed.”
“My neighbors play rock music in the middle of the day.”
He gets it – the convenience – an easy way to explain everything to the outside world.
He kisses her forehead and holds her tightly.
The End
***
The end has finally come and so I wish to thank all of my loyal readers!!
The poem is by one love at http://library.lovingyou.com/poetry/229/229223.shtml.