Another Day in Love
06/13/2024
***Disclaimer: This story was inspired by a prompt provided by Reedsy.com. Prompt is provided below. Visit their site https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/ to learn more.***
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***I removed the song lyrics that were in the original, but I was also inspired by the Sasha Alex Sloan song “Dancing With Your Ghost” when writing this story***
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Prompt: Write a story about someone finding acceptance
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Emma stirs to the sound of her alarm at dawn. With a lazy slap of her hand, she hits the off button before rolling over, squinting her eyes against the golden glow that seeps through the sheer curtains.
“Morning, love,” she says as she reaches out.
“Morning,” Ian mumbles as he drapes Emma’s hand over his chest.
She hugs him tight and lets out a groan.
“Can’t we just stay in bed all day?” she protests in the dim light, wiggling her toes against Ian’s feet under the sheets.
“I’d love to,” he says before kissing her hand, “but you know we can’t.”
As Emma flounces onto her back, Ian rolls over, propping his head on his hand and looking down at her. “It seems you’ve got the whole day planned for us.”
Emma rises to meet his lips with hers before she lets her head fall back onto the pillow.
“Whose dumb idea was that?” she grumbles as she throws the covers back with a dramatic flourish. Before Ian can chime in, she holds up her palm.
“Don’t answer that,” she warns, rising from the bed and padding to the bathroom.
She turns the shower on, and despite herself she begins to hum as she steps in and pulls the curtain closed. Ian enters a moment later, closing the door behind him. He leans against the counter, staring into the mirror as he listens to Emma sing softly. He smiles to himself before joining her.
“So what’s on the agenda today?” he asks as he swaps places with Emma under the shower stream to wet his hair. Emma lathers her brown locks, eyes closed as she rambles off the schedule.
“We have four showings today with Stacey, then dinner with the parents,” she says. “The day is pretty much booked.”
“Oh boy,” Ian laughs as he rinses off, “a full day with Stacey.”
“What’s wrong with Stacey?” Emma asks as she wrings out her hair, trying to hide her grin.
“Oh, nothing,” he says. “It’s just ‘oh my’ this and ‘how exciting’ that, and all the talk, talk, talk, talk, talk …” With each repetition of the last word, he kisses Emma, all over her face. She laughs as she tries to pull away.
“Okay, okay, I get the point,” she says, catching her breath. “But she means well. And we’re going to find the one today. I can feel it.”
“I believe you,” he says, tucking a wet strand of hair behind Emma’s ear before grabbing her face in his hands. “But it doesn’t matter if we live in a box or a mansion. Home is where you are.”
Ian kisses her slow and soft. Emma leans into him as she wraps her arms around his neck. He can feel her smiling against his lips.
“What about a box mansion?” she asks before kissing him again.
“Whatever you want,” he murmurs, giving her a final peck and a squeeze.
“Love you,” he says against her temple.
“Love you too,” she says, eyes closed as she breathes him in.
Ian had always been Emma’s safe space, her best friend. He knew her through and through, from the way she smiled slightly when she was lying about being upset, or the way she stuck her tongue out when she was concentrating. But more so than anything else, he was no stranger to her silliest of sides. Only he could cause that pure happiness to emanate from her, and that fierce loyalty and love for her favorite person in the world.
Wrapped in towels, they brush their teeth in front of the foggy mirror and try to make each other laugh.
“I had the craziest dream last night,” Ian mumbles around his electric toothbrush. “I was in a banana costume and I was on a professional hockey team. We were all dressed as different fruits, and everyone kept slipping and falling around trying to chase the puck. I was so confused because I’ve never played hockey in my life. Needless to say it was wild.”
Emma spews her mouthwash across the mirror. She clutches her stomach as she leans over the sink and streams of the clear mint solution run down the glass.
“That’s so stupid,” she chokes out as she belts out another laugh. “This is exactly why I told you to stop eating spicy food before bed. You always have crazy dreams when you do.”
“But where’s the fun in that?” he asks, grinning.
“I guess you’re right,” she says, smiling back.
As she wipes off the mirror, Ian gets the feeling that this is exactly how things are supposed to be. Emma was one of the only people that truly knew him inside and out, who could make him laugh until he cried, and who could talk to him about anything on the planet. Only she could make him feel safe to be himself, down to the corniest of jokes and the darkest of days. It was an unusual day if they weren’t making light of things, and today isn’t the exception.
It’s just another day in love.
—
By the time Emma is finished getting ready, Ian is already in the kitchen making breakfast. The smell of coffee and sausage fills the air as she walks up and wraps her arms around him. Standing on the tips of her toes, she kisses his cheek.
“Smells delicious,” she says, sighing happily.
Ian winks in response, sliding Emma’s favorite mug across the counter into her outstretched hand. He brings her a plate of pancakes and sausage to the table as she settles in and takes her first sip of coffee.
“Thanks, love,” she says sweetly.
He smiles before setting his own favored cup and plate on the table across from her on his way to open the patio door.
Ian breathes in deeply and exhales.
“It’s a beautiful morning,” he says as he turns to Emma. “Why don’t we have breakfast outside?”
As the day breaks over the horizon, they enjoy their breakfast in the warmth of the morning, sharing in a peaceful silence as the birds sing and the light breeze blows through their small apartment balcony.
“So what do you want to do after dinner with your folks?” Ian asks before taking a sip of coffee.
Emma lowers her mug and shrugs.
“I don’t know. Maybe we can open that bottle of wine we’ve been saving and finally celebrate, seeing as we’re going to find our dream box mansion today and all.” She smiles at him, the corner of her mouth turning up behind her coffee cup as she leans in for another sip.
Ian just smiles and nods.
“Sounds great.”
Emma leans back in her chair, looking through the opened patio door at the clock on the stove.
“Well, it’s about that time. You ready to go?”
“Ready,” Ian says, rising to gather the dirty dishes. Dropping them in the sink, he meets Emma at the door with the keys and locks up behind them.
—
“Any questions? Concerns? Anything at all?” asks Stacey, the realtor, her eyes flitting back and forth between Ian and Emma as she talks a mile a minute. “Or do you two need a minute to decide?”
“No,” Ian cuts in, smiling wide as he meets Emma’s gaze. “This is the one.”
Before Emma can audibly agree, Stacey lets out a squeal of delight and claps her hands together.
“Oh, how exciting!” she exclaims. “Well congratulations, you two. Of course we still have lots of paperwork to do and credit checks and … oh, I’m getting ahead of myself aren’t I? I’m sorry, I’m just so thrilled for you both!”
As Stacey rattles off in the background and rushes off to make a phone call, Ian and Emma walk around what will be their living area.
“We can put the couch there,” Emma says as they pass through the center of the empty room. “Oh, and the computer there and—”
Ian interrupts her before she can get carried away with move-in plans.
“Hey, come here.” He takes her hand, pulling her into a hug and planting a kiss on top of her head. “Just take it in. We finally found the one.”
Emma lets out a sigh as she beams up at him.
“You’re right. I can’t believe it’s ours.” She squeals and claps her hands in a Stacey-like way, just as Stacey rounds the corner. Emma shoots Ian a sheepish look, her mouth in an o-shape. She quickly smiles and turns to face the realtor, who doesn’t seem to be aware that she was being impersonated. Ian tries to hide his amusement behind her, clearing his throat to cover up a laugh.
“Well, it’s official,” Stacey says with a bright smile. “The house is off the market! We’re all set to meet next week to talk details. Do you guys have anything else for me? Or should we call it a day?”
“We’re all good,” Ian says as Emma nods. They follow an ecstatic Stacey out the door.
The clouds are dark and the rain is pouring down as they say goodbye outside. Running to the car, Emma is about to reach for the door handle when Ian grabs it first. She steps back with a small smile as he opens it for her. He shuts the door and sprints to the driver’s side, quickly sliding in. They both shake the rain off their coats and wipe the droplets from their glasses.
“Should we call the folks or just head over?” he asks as he starts the car and backs out of their future driveway.
“Let’s just head over,” Emma says, clicking her seatbelt into place. “I want to see the looks on their faces when we tell them the good news.”
“Alright, let’s do it,” he says as he merges onto the highway, grinning from ear to ear.
Emma steals a sideways glance at him, a smile of her own creeping to her lips.
“What?” she asks.
“Nothing,” he says as he reaches for her hand. “It’s just a great day.”
—
Emma stirs to the faint sound of beeping machines. Shielding her face with her hand, she squints her eyes against the blinding fluorescent light. She can feel the slight pricking sensation of an IV in her arm, and an oxygen tube rests on her face, sending a small wave of air through her nostrils. Turning to her side, she sees her mother and father sitting there.
“Oh, sweetie,” her mother whispers as she sits on the bed next to her, “you’re alright.” She grabs her daughter’s hand and gives it a fierce but gentle squeeze, choking back tears as she kisses her forehead and smooths her hair. “I was so worried …”
Emma’s father stands behind her, brow furrowed in relief and concern.
“Mom,” Emma croaks, mouth dry as she tries to sit up. She winces as she feels a sharp pain in her side. “Where am I? What happened?”
“You’re at the hospital,” her mother says carefully. “There was … an accident …”
All Emma hears is a loud ringing in her ears as her mother speaks. She stares blankly as the words seem far away.
“N … No …,” Emma stammers. “We just got the house … we were on our way to dinner …”
Suddenly a series of overwhelming images flashes across her mind.
Ian braking at a stop light.
Hydroplaning into the four way intersection.
A semitruck colliding with the driver’s side.
Then darkness.
Emma sits up again, ignoring the pain as she yanks at her tubes.
“Where is he?” she demands, voice wavering. “I have to see him…”
“Sweetheart,” her mother chokes, tears spilling down her face as she tightens her grip on her shoulders. “It was instant…they tried to…but it was too late…”
“He’s gone, Emma,” her father says, voice cracking as he covers his face with his hand.
The breath is ripped from Emma’s lungs as she goes numb all over. She doesn’t understand. Just this morning they were laughing and talking about their future.
And now he was just … gone?
“No … no,” Emma stutters. “I don’t believe you … I don’t believe you!”
She thrashes and fights against her mother’s grasp as she sobs. She falls back against the pillow, wracked with a deep and unknown pain as her shoulders heave.
“Nooo!” she wails, gripping her chest as she cries. “I love him,” she says, voice cracking. “I love him so much.”
She cries for hours until exhaustion finally claims her. All she sees is rain beneath her fluttering and restless eyelids, and all she can hear is the squealing of tires in her ears, and Ian’s words repeating over and over.
It’s just a great day…
—
The first night back from the hospital, Emma sits on the living room couch in the darkness, numbly skimming through all the get well soon messages and condolences she received, opening them all just to mark them as unread. When she reaches Ian’s and her text history, she throws her phone across the couch and curls up into a ball. Feeling exhausted but too restless to sleep, there’s nowhere for her to go and nothing for her to do, even if she wanted to. She knew the last place she wanted to be was in her bed, where he was just a week before. She knew she couldn’t bear the scent of him on the sheets, the crease in his pillow where his head laid next to hers every night for eight years.
The apartment feels quiet. Dead. Through the sounds of the drippy kitchen faucet and the hum of the fridge, all Emma hears and feels is the complete and aching weight of silence. There’s no laughter, no trace of his ever being there, though she knows the two sets of dirty dishes in the sink will remind her of his existence in the morning. And at that moment the thought is too much for her to bear. As the haunted walls close in on her, she curls back up, dreading the funeral.
After the funeral, she’ll cry every night for six months, and she’ll never set foot in her room.
—
For the first time since that day, Emma finds herself standing at the threshold of her room, staring at her bed. A shiver runs down her spine as she hugs her elbows. She takes a step back and is turning away when she hears a voice in the darkness.
“Are you coming to bed?” the familiar voice asks.
Emma stands there, uncertain if she’s awake or asleep. Tears run down her face and her lip trembles as she takes a step forward and tries to see through her blurry eyes. And as sure as she can be, there he is, in the pale moonlight pouring in through the window, gesturing for her to join him.
Not trusting herself to speak for fear of losing the illusion, she slowly walks into the room to her side of the bed and slowly sinks down on the edge. Chancing a look over her shoulder, she sees him still there, laying on his side, arm tucked under his head as he waits. She lays down, mirroring his position, letting out a shaky breath of disbelief as she looks into his eyes.
“Is it really you?” she whispers, afraid to move, afraid to touch.
“Well, I wouldn’t say in the flesh,” he jokes halfheartedly. “I’m not entirely sure. I think I’m here because of you.”
Emma smiles through her tears.
“Oh, Ian, I’ve missed you so much. You have no idea how much.”
“I’ve missed you too,” he whispers back. “It’s good to see you.”
She swipes at another tear that escapes her eyes.
“It’s good to see you too,” she breathes. “I’m sorry … I haven’t been able to come in here. Not since …”
“I know,” he says softly. “I’ve been waiting for you. For when you were ready.” He makes an attempt at reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, but Emma feels nothing.
“It’s been really hard without you. Family and friends are worried about me, but I just still can’t believe that you’re gone. And I never got to say goodbye.” Her eyes well up as her breath catches in her throat.
“I know,” he says solemnly, “but I’m here now.
She nods silently in the darkness, reaching for a hand that she knows she can’t hold.
“Somehow I’ve still felt you here … but I’ve been so scared that if I came into this room that I’d realize it was a lie … that you’re really gone. And I just wasn’t ready for that reality.”
“I understand,” Ian says with a sad smile. “I didn’t mind waiting. But now that you’re here, there’s something I need to ask you.”
“Anything,” she whispers.
He stares into her eyes, his expression wistful but sincere.
“If I promise to stay as long as I can, will you promise me that you’ll get back to your life? Go out with your friends, see your family. You know that I still want you to be happy, right? Even if I can’t be the one to give you that.”
Emma shuts her eyes tight and shakes her head.
“Ian, I can’t …”
“I love you Emma,” he says firmly, “and I always will. But it kills me to see you this way. No one deserves to be miserable and alone forever. So please, don’t waste your life away here in the dark. Live while you can. For me.”
At this, Emma begins to sob, but she finds herself nodding in consent.
“I promise,” she says, leaning her head forward. As Ian does the same, Emma can almost feel his familiar touch as he kisses her forehead.
“Will you still be here tomorrow?” she asks, voice pleading.
“I’ll be here as long as you’ll have me,” he says. Now get some rest.”
Emma smiles.
“Then I’ll see you in the morning.”
She drapes her hand over the pillow where his chest would be. Ian puts his hand on hers and they both close their eyes.
—
Emma stirs to the sound of birds singing outside. With a yawn, she stretches, squinting her eyes against the glow of sunrise filling the room through the sheer curtains.
“Morning, love,” she says, touching the pillow next to her. “Can’t we just stay in bed all day?” She wiggles her toes under the sheets.
Rolling onto her back, Emma lets out a sigh. As she stares at the rays of light on the ceiling, she feels a kind of restfulness she hasn’t felt in a long time. Smiling to herself, she throws the covers back and gets up, making her way into the kitchen. The sweet aroma of coffee is welcoming as it brews on a timer, and for the first time in months, she looks forward to enjoying a cup as the sun rises. Two mugs in hand, she lets herself out onto the patio, where she sets one in front of her and holds the other with both hands as she sits and pulls a leg up to her chest. She breathes in deep and lets out a long exhale.
“So what’s on the agenda today?” she asks aloud as she sips her coffee. She looks at the empty seat across from her with a smile before she closes her eyes and tilts her head up toward the sky, letting the warmth wash over her. The sun didn’t have the same shine as it used to, and yet it was shining even more brilliantly than she remembered. She took this as a sign to believe in the promise of better days, that no matter what Ian would always be with her.
And so she called her family and she went out with friends again. They would continue to lecture her about being alone and unhappy for the rest of her life, but she knew she was neither of those things. They would judge her for never cleaning out Ian’s things, for never taking off her wedding ring, and for moving into that house they bought together, where she kept a room just for his belongings. But for the first time since the accident, Emma knew she was right where she was supposed to be, and she knew that if you truly loved someone that it was never really goodbye.
—
Emma sits on the patio and watches the sunset, lost in thought as she sips her wine. The faint sound of music travels through the house and out into the backyard. It’s one of those perfect ends to one of those perfect days, and it’s a beautiful evening, now fading into darkness. The sounds of nightlife fill the cool air and the stars shine bright in the sky as Emma wishes Ian was here to enjoy it with her. Today would have been their second wedding anniversary, a date that was now shared with the day of the accident.
Losing herself in a bittersweet reverie, Emma recalls the day that would have been great if she hadn’t lost the love of her life. Tears fill her eyes as she traces the rim of her wine glass and a familiar song begins to play. She turns her head, and despite herself, she smiles. With a longing sigh, she stands and gazes up at the moon. Hugging her elbows and closing her eyes, she breathes deep.
“Happy anniversary, love,” she whispers to the black expanse glittering with distant stars. A gentle wind caresses her face as she slowly opens her eyes.
“Happy anniversary, Emma,” a familiar voice says behind her.
Emma turns and sees him staning there, holding out his hand. She closes the distance and interlocks her fingers with his.
“I knew you’d come,” she says as she leans in close.
“I told you,” he says, smiling down at her, “I’ll be here as long as you’ll have me.”
“I hope forever is good for you,” she whispers.
“It’s good for me,” he says, “but it’ll never be enough.”
Their song continues to play as they sway slowly together, his chin on her head and her head on his heart.
THE END