day 154 revisited
When he comes home on a break, it looks like a damn tornado hit the house on the inside. Furniture's everywhere, all the lights are on, and the record player is up almost as loud as it can get. James finally sees her pushing the couch up against the wall and catches her eyes. He can't even get a word out before she's explaining.
"We needed a change."
From outside, the record player isn't that loud, so he doesn't think the neighbors were bothered much, but he turns it down a few notches. "It's two in the mornin’. You got work at eight, right?"
"Yeah," she says dismissively. "I just couldn't sleep until this was done. And it almost is, I'm figuring out where I want to put the extra chairs."
"Juliet, you gotta start gettin' more sleep at night."
"I'm fine," she insists, but she doesn't quite meet his gaze.
"Jules..."
"I have to get over it, okay? It'll take time. So please, James, just..."
There's silence for a minute as he looks around the room. "We should move the table over to the other side, give us more space in here," he offers.
She nods gratefully, moving the table as he makes his way toward her. Her back is to him, and there's a second when he's not sure of what he's doing, but then he brings a hand to her shoulder and squeezes lightly. When she turns, he wraps his arms around her. "Hey, it's okay," he says quietly. "It's like you said. It'll just take some time." He hates that he can't do something to fix it.
Juliet takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "And you're right. I need more sleep. Work has been....and Christ, Susan after no sleep, it's getting unbearable." She tugs James down to kiss his forehead, lingering for a little while before speaking softly. "Don't worry about me. I'll be okay."
As he leaves again, he knows that not worrying when it comes to Juliet is impossible. Turning to look over his shoulder, he watches the lights go out in the living room, the light go on in the bedroom, and he sighs in relief.
"We needed a change."
From outside, the record player isn't that loud, so he doesn't think the neighbors were bothered much, but he turns it down a few notches. "It's two in the mornin’. You got work at eight, right?"
"Yeah," she says dismissively. "I just couldn't sleep until this was done. And it almost is, I'm figuring out where I want to put the extra chairs."
"Juliet, you gotta start gettin' more sleep at night."
"I'm fine," she insists, but she doesn't quite meet his gaze.
"Jules..."
"I have to get over it, okay? It'll take time. So please, James, just..."
There's silence for a minute as he looks around the room. "We should move the table over to the other side, give us more space in here," he offers.
She nods gratefully, moving the table as he makes his way toward her. Her back is to him, and there's a second when he's not sure of what he's doing, but then he brings a hand to her shoulder and squeezes lightly. When she turns, he wraps his arms around her. "Hey, it's okay," he says quietly. "It's like you said. It'll just take some time." He hates that he can't do something to fix it.
Juliet takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "And you're right. I need more sleep. Work has been....and Christ, Susan after no sleep, it's getting unbearable." She tugs James down to kiss his forehead, lingering for a little while before speaking softly. "Don't worry about me. I'll be okay."
As he leaves again, he knows that not worrying when it comes to Juliet is impossible. Turning to look over his shoulder, he watches the lights go out in the living room, the light go on in the bedroom, and he sighs in relief.