in the peace of it

Charlotte was beat after what felt like moving mountains out of the basement. It looked naked now and no where near what she thought of, as a home.

"Are we done yet?" She wanted to curl up on the couch and go to sleep. The fact remained, she'd never gained all her energy back from her episode of Mono. Maybe she went back to work too soon or the fact that she never really rested. There was so much to do with work, at home and an online class. Thankfully, it was only one class.

"We're just getting started, don't you know that." Rosco fell next to her on the cough and put his arm around her. "We need to paint now."

"When?"

"Dunno. Soon." He shrugged.

"Like tonight?" She looked up at him noticing he was just getting a little tubby. Probably a good case of cabin fever. It had been quite dreadful this winter. All the snow and cold. She wasn't going to mention it. He was her teddy bear, after all. But still she thought they both needed to get in more exercise. Right now, they'd had enough.

"No." He yawned. "Of course, not."

She yawned too.

She put her head on his chest, and he smelled of the slightly damp basement and sweat. "Did, you know who, ever have her baby?"

"Who hasn't had their baby?" He looked at her puzzled.

"You know, who. You're friend who looks like Jay from Silent Bob-"

"Beats me, I don't keep track of stuff like that." He hugged her close. After all, he was going to college full time now. No late nights at the grocery store or anything.

Charlotte nodded. They were on a rubber-band budget. She was thankful that his Mom let them stay here.

"Do you even think she'd let us paint?" At least the walls were white. They could live with that. Charlotte didn't want to ask for anything else.

"She said she wanted me too." Rosco told her.

"Like what? Not yellow."

"Maybe."

Charlotte scowled. Maybe she was depressed. All this was depressing. Getting by. And of course, she knew how lucky she was, and it was nothing like being happy to sweep out your little hut in a far off land. She wanted to be happy about this. She did. But time was marching on. Rosco didn't look a bit like that boy she remembered meeting the first time at a Thanksgiving she didn't even know she was going too. There were shadows under her eyes. She and Rosco would never be a picture in a magazine. This was the real world.

But his kiss was alive, and it made her smile. And she couldn't help but still want to be with him to do all these little things. To the naked eye, it was nothing, but when she looked into his face, it was so much more. So much to take in his warmth from the light hairs on his strong forearms and steady hands to get ready for the next thing to do. Get the bed set up so they could sleep.