Like Sunday Morning

 Clay stretches his legs propping them up on the porch rail then leans back in his chair enjoying the winter sun on his face and watching the ducks swimming among the reeds and cattails. He loved being here and he couldn't remember when he was happier or more at peace. A far cry from what he was used to. He loved sitting on the porch at the end of the day watching absolutely nothing . Waking up in the morning and finding Felicia next to him, laying down at night with her wrapped in his arms. He loved the quiet and the non existent tension. He loved for the first time in a long time, a place he could actually call home and the feeling of being happy.
 Yet every day it felt more and more fleeting as what he liked to call the "darkness" came creeping. It had been a long time since he'd felt it but just like then he could feel it coming. Every morning it got a little closer. He could feel it coming on the wind through the trees and in the deafening quiet of the night. He knew with every fiber of his being it was going to be cold, hard and merciless. He prayed it wouldn't touch them and he planned to protect his life. He was going to keep them safe from whatever it was. He was holding on to every moment of happiness with everything he had no matter what was coming.
 He turns his head at the sound of tires crunching gravel breaking through his troubling thoughts. He stands and walks around the porch to the front of the house and stares at the unfamiliar car as it rolls to a stop. He steps off the porch out into the driveway as the door opens pulling himself to his full size.
"Can I help you...." He stops in his tracks his voice fading off as Preston steps from the car he glares at him his stance still challenging.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Preston grins unperturbed.
"I thought I'd come by pay my respects."
"Yeah," He scoffs walking slowly towards him "after two weeks you finally show your ass up here?"
"I've been really busy man I got here as soon as I could. It's partly your fault" Preston smiles ignoring his cousins tough guy persona. "I went to the "Batcave" and Jake said you'd moved out."
"And you'd known that if you'd stayed in touch." Clay growls stopping in front of Preston giving him a quick look over. He looked good he notes grinning with happiness and pride for him.
"Yeah, well the phone works two ways man." He smiles back enjoying the banter between them he'd missed this. Calls and media just weren't the same. It could never translate the feeling of happiness emanating from Clay. There was a brightness to his smile that hadn't been there in a long time.
"Come here!" Clay says enveloping him in a tight hug. "How you been man?" He says letting him go.
"How do I look?" Preston laugh posing next to his car grinning like a cheshire cat. Yeah, he did look happy a satisfied grin playing on his lips making him shed his foreboding of moments ago.
"You look great man! Better question are you happy?" Preston sighs sounding satisfied.
"Never been happier! I have everything you and I used to talk about up in that big pine behind the old barn remember?"
"Yeah, I remember. We spent hours in that tree." He smiles wistfully at the memory of the two of them climbing to the top straddle on the branches looking out on the town laughing and talking about their dreams for the future.
"I'm really happy for you." Clay says walking towards the porch waving for Preston to follow.  "Come in, Felicia will be home soon she'll be happy to see you."
"Oh cool! Great timing as usual! You look good man. Happier than I've see you in a long time." He says stepping in closing the door behind him. He'd been here dozens of times when Felicia's grandfather had been alive but not since she'd moved in. It was beautiful she'd turned his old hunting cabin. Not exactly old or a cabin it slept three one bedroom on the main floor two in the loft but, she'd turned it into a home. He understood why Clay was happy here other than the fact that he'd be happy anywhere she was there was a feeling of real love in this house like being in Aunt Mary's or Mrs. Van Dorn's kitchen.
"Best day of my life was the day I finally left that house and told Jay to kiss my ass. You want a beer?" Clay calls from the kitchen.
"Sure, did you really tell Ol Jay to kiss your ass?" Preston calls following behind him, grabs the bottle from his hand and sips it.
"Yeah, and I told him to stay out of my life." Preston salutes him with the bottle nodding his head in agreement.
"Good for you man I'm proud of you! I can't imagine your old man's real happy with me or what we're doing. I'm sure that didn't make things any easier for you. I'm sorry for that." He asks trying to sound more casual than he felt hoping that what he was doing hadn't been the catullus for what happened between he and Jay.
"I couldn't tell you Press and I don't care what that bastard thinks. I haven't lived there or talked to the man in weeks. And, I know what you're thinking and what you, Chase and Well are doing had nothing to do with what happened between me and Jay. Jay's a control freak and I was done letting him try to control me. I can tell you he still hates Chase and the fact that it's Chase and Wellington makes that pill real bitter. As for me. I'm really proud of you guys. Despite everything my old mans thrown at you, you still managed to knock him on his proverbial ass. Makes me laugh every time I think about it." He laughs making them both laugh. Preston stopping first when he spots a picture of all of them from the week before graduation sitting on the bookshelf. Clay's eyes follow his making him smile inwardly as he waited for Preston to get the courage to ask the question that he knew was burning the back of his tongue.
"You still in touch with anyone like Frannie, Dave, Talia or Nick?" Clay grins knowing exactly what he was really after but deciding to play his game.
"Nothing you can't catch on "My Face" I talked to Frannie yesterday."
"How's she like married life?" Preston asks remembering her last post.
"She sounded happy. She sent me pictures of her little rug rat. He's really cute. Look." He says holding up his phone and scrolling through the photos both smiling making Preston feel nostalgic.
"It's weird sometimes, thinking about everyone getting married having kids. Hey! What's Dave up to?" Clay smiles scrolling to another set of pictures.
"Dave is still doing volunteer work up in Alaska. Nick's doing his Nick thing." He shrugs smothering a smirk at the look of anticipation on Preston's face.
"Talia became a Cop." Preston's eyes open wide with surprise.
"Get out of here! You're lying! Naw" He laughs.
"Naw, son I swear Fran told me." Clay takes a sip from his bottle then sets it down on the counter smiling to himself as Preston shakes his head in disbelief.
"She became a cop?" He says then howls with laughter. "All the trouble we got into in school and she becomes a cop? I guess what they say is true ." They both chuckle.
Preston hoped she was happy in her new life and he was sure with her new somebody. Only an idiot like himself would throw away a woman like her. He reminded himself that was exactly what he was because the memory wouldn't allow him to forget that was what he'd done that early Sunday morning.
"I'm sorry I have to do this." He remembered saying as the tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Let me make sure I understand this. Last night you had a stroke of genius and that's it? We're just done?" She looks up at him his heart giving a lurch at the amount of pain in her expression despite the coldness in her voice.
"Please, Talia this is my dream! You know it it is! I've been working on this almost every waking minute for years! It all just came together for me last night. Look!" He tosses down his backpack pulling his notebook from it and flipping it open.
"This, is going to revolutionize the industry! I talked to Chase and we three -wayed with his cousin Well last night. They both known people who are big in the computer industry. I'm talking really big! He's showing it to them as soon as I can finish the model." She looked from the notebook to him the pain on her face replaced by one of pure disgust and loathing.
" I get it I'm not a part of the "Revolution"." Her voice cold with resolve.
"No, it's not like that this is going to take up every minute of my time and it's not fair to..."
" Ask me to wait?"  She says cutting him off before he can finish the sentence. " See that's the problem right there. You never bothered to ask me. Go, change the world." She said then turned and left never looking back. After a couple of days neither had he not until today. But, he wouldn't change that decision he decided long ago that he wasn't going to let anyone or anything get in the way of his goal and he hadn't. It was just that sometimes...No. As his Grandfather said you can't change what is and for him it was better to stay with "what is" than delve into the realm of what could have been.
"Wow, let me just let that marinate a minute." He leans back against the counter trying to look as casual as he was trying to sound. Clay watches a moment  then realization hit him like a lightening bolt making him almost giddy with one upmanship.
"Oh my God you're still hung up on her!" He accuses making Preston blush then choke on his beer wiping the excess from his lips trying to hide his embarrassment behind his sleeve.
"No I'm not I was just curious besides I'm the one that broke up with her remember?" He pleads.
Clay smirks and smothers a laugh.
"Tell that to the dishpan hands I had cleaning up after you!" He says laughing wholeheartedly making Preston laugh as well shaking him out of the melancholy that had come over him.
"Naw man that ship sailed and sank. Right now I'm living and loving the single life bro! Check this out!" He says pulling his phone from his pocket showing him the photo's from the article premier party. Clay looks on nodding in approval as Preston flips through.
"Hey honey!" Felicia calls tossing her work bag and purse down on the sofa as she walks.
"Who's car is that outside..." She stops mid sentence seeing Preston's smiling face. "Preston!" She yelps and leaps into his arms.
"Big Red!" He teases wrapping her in his arms and twirling her in a circle. "I missed you!" He says setting her down on the floor.
"I missed you too!" She laughs then grasps his arm a moment to steady herself feeling slightly nausea and dizzy.
"Baby you okay" Clay says coming to her side his voice filled with concern and edged with fear. Felicia smiles squeezing his hand not ready to let him in on what she suspected.
"Honey I'm fine really. I just forgot to eat lunch today." She smiles feeling more steady smiling into his concerned face and pushing gently away. "I'm fine I just need to eat." She says moving with him to the kitchen chair Preston taking the seat  next to her. Clay shakes his head chastising her as he walks to the cabinet,
"I told you to stop doing that!" He finishes handing her the box of crackers from the shelf.
"Thanks honey." She says reaching into the box and stuffing one in her mouth.
"Dinner will be ready in five minutes" Preston grins he always enjoyed watching the two of them together. There was such genuine caring between the two.
"Here." Clay says placing a glass of green tea in front of Felicia and handing him a bottle of beer as he takes the seat next to him.
"Why don't you stay for dinner you can fill me in on what you guys have been up to! I've barely seen Chase since you all got back." She sighs.
"I'd love too! What are we having?" Preston asks then takes a sip from his bottle.
"Grandma's beef stew." Clay says with pride enjoying the salivating expression on Preston's face.
"Oh man! I haven't had that in I don't know how long!" He says rolling his eyes in anticipation.
"And Clay makes it just like her!" Felicia smiles with pride.
"I talked with Mike yesterday he is loving his job. My Mom was saying she's never seen him actually up before her. What the hell did you do to my party boy brother?" They all laugh Preston nods his head in agreement.
"Nothing!" Preston laughs again then his tone becomes serious. "When it comes to computers and electronics he's right on the money." Felicia stares back at him in awe.
"I'll be I mean he bragged about what he could do but then he brags about everything." Clay chuckle and nod in agreement. Preston smiles and shakes his head.
"Naw, he wasn't just bragging the boy can back it up. He's a really good worker smart, very imaginative he could go far. Once we get settled I want to introduce him to some people I know. Like this person right now." He says looking down at his phone and then standing. "That's work. I have to get back to the office."  
"Aww!" Felicia pouts. "Can't Chase or Wellington handle it?" Preston smiles.
"I wish! They left me large and in charge." Felicia ear's suddenly perk up. It' wasn't like her brother to just disappear for a day not where his business was involved.
"What's going on?" Preston smirks.
"Don't even start" He laughs. "Nothings wrong, Chase took the day off to spend with Erin and Well had some stuff to take care of and so do I. Gorgeous," He says leaning in and kissing her cheek. "It was really good to see you!" He says pulling his jacket from the chair and hugging Clay then moving towards the door Clay and Felicia following behind. "Why don't we all meet at "Rowdy's" tomorrow night we can hang out catch up and I promise no phones just a lot of beer and a lot of talk what do say?" Clay smiles reaching for the door and pulling it open.
"I have no plans, what do you think hon?" He says turning towards Felicia who nods her head in agreement.
"Me either .We'll meet you around seven-thirty, eight o'clock?" She says coming behind Clay and wrapping her arm around his waist.
"I'll be there! I may even drag along my young assistant." Preston winks then jogs down the steps to his car. "I'll see you both tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow" Clay hollers after him then closes the door. "Dinners ready if you want to eat." He says kissing the end of her nose then walking back towards the kitchen. Felicia reaches down for her bags and slings them over her shoulder and walks to the bedroom.
"Give me like five minutes and I'll be right in" She calls to him slipping into the bathroom and hiding her pregnancy test in the cabinet under the sink. Whatever way it went she'd have her answer in the morning.

"Harbinger Falls" Copyright 2015