OS 111.2 Some desire is necessary to keep life in motion. - Samuel Johnson
Harry had just finished doing the washing up when the doorbell rang. He frowned - it was late for anyone to be calling. He'd been out all day at the sailing club he'd just joined and dinner had been late. But after that he'd been looking forward to a relaxed evening. Martha had been right - he was feeling a lot better for doing the things he enjoyed instead of working. If only Elaine could have been here it would have been perfect. However, he had managed to speak to her on the phone every night and while he still wasn't sure everything was going to be right between them, he was at least reassured that she still wanted to marry him. They just needed to get through the summer term then they would at least be living in the same place.
After drying his hands he went to answer the doorbell. He was stunned to find Elaine standing in the hallway. For a moment he just stood there looking at her. She must have left straight after school to have got here by this time. She smiled at him and stepped inside to hug him. He pulled her close and the feel of her in his arms reminded him how much he'd missed her.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, not wanting to let go yet.
"We hardly saw each other last weekend and I couldn't wait another week without seeing you."
He smiled into her hair and let go enough to lean down and kiss her. "I'm so glad you're here," he said softly.
"You do look well," she said, letting go of him. "You can bring my bag in." She patted him on the arm and went inside.
Harry found her bag on the floor outside his front door. He didn't remember her dropping it, so she must have put it down before he'd opened the door. Which wasn't a surprise given how long it had taken him to answer the door and how heavy it was. "What have you got in here?" he asked her before taking it into the bedroom.
"I had to bring some marking," she said, looking apologetic when he returned to the lounge to join her on the sofa. "I really can't put it off at this time of year."
"I understand." He didn't really care as long as she was here. He kissed her again, this time not stopping until she pulled away.
"And we have some wedding things to do."
He sighed. The list of things that needed doing never seemed to get shorter. He would be glad to get it over with, if just for that.
"We do have to come up with a guest list." She sat up and he let her go reluctantly.
"Does it have to be now?" he asked, trying not to sound too petulant. He could think of too many other things he'd rather be doing, now she was here.
"We need to cross off one thing a day and if we don't start now we won't manage today's."
She had a point. Harry briefly wondered if all teachers were like this, or if it was just Elaine that tended to be organised. He knew he wasn't going to win so he sat up with a sigh.
Elaine had already found a couple of pieces of paper and some pens and she handed him one of each. "We need two lists," she told him. "One of everyone you want to come to the wedding and reception, and one for people you just want to invite to the reception." He looked doubtfully at her and she added, "Start with your close friends and family and work outwards. We can always cross people off later."
She industriously started scribbling on her sheet, so Harry had to follow suit. It wasn't easy, though. There were people he ought to invite, but didn't really want to have to, and people he wanted to invite but who would mean inviting other people to avoid causing arguments.
"What have you got?" Elaine asked when he stopped writing, and he handed the paper over. She frowned as she looked over the list. "Are you inviting all your ex-girlfriends?"
"No," he said defensively, but he already knew where this was going. "Teddy's my best man and he'll bring Esther even if I don't invite her. And you liked Sarah."
"Yes, but not at my wedding."
"It's my wedding too and they're my friends."
She bit her lip and he did appreciate that she was trying to get her jealousy under control. He could understand her reluctance to allow them to come to the wedding, but at the same time they were his friends and she was going to have to live with that.
"As long as we get married does it really matter who's there?" he asked her.
"I could say the same to you."
Harry put his face in his hands for a moment. It wasn't so much that he wanted to win this argument - and he did - but he didn't want to have the argument in the first place.
"Harry."
He looked up when she put her hand on his arm.
"I'm sorry, this was a bad idea."
The contrite expression on her face was enough to make him hug her again. "No, it wasn't." He kissed the top of her head. "But maybe you don't decide who I invite and I don't decide who you invite."
She nodded her head against his chest. "Sometimes I just wish we were married already."
"We could elope." Although he had considered it, he still didn't say it seriously.
"We can't, my mum'll kill me."
He laughed at that and she looked up to laugh along with him.
"I missed you," he said and stroked his thumb across her cheek.
In response she kissed him hard enough that he forgot what they were talking about.
After drying his hands he went to answer the doorbell. He was stunned to find Elaine standing in the hallway. For a moment he just stood there looking at her. She must have left straight after school to have got here by this time. She smiled at him and stepped inside to hug him. He pulled her close and the feel of her in his arms reminded him how much he'd missed her.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, not wanting to let go yet.
"We hardly saw each other last weekend and I couldn't wait another week without seeing you."
He smiled into her hair and let go enough to lean down and kiss her. "I'm so glad you're here," he said softly.
"You do look well," she said, letting go of him. "You can bring my bag in." She patted him on the arm and went inside.
Harry found her bag on the floor outside his front door. He didn't remember her dropping it, so she must have put it down before he'd opened the door. Which wasn't a surprise given how long it had taken him to answer the door and how heavy it was. "What have you got in here?" he asked her before taking it into the bedroom.
"I had to bring some marking," she said, looking apologetic when he returned to the lounge to join her on the sofa. "I really can't put it off at this time of year."
"I understand." He didn't really care as long as she was here. He kissed her again, this time not stopping until she pulled away.
"And we have some wedding things to do."
He sighed. The list of things that needed doing never seemed to get shorter. He would be glad to get it over with, if just for that.
"We do have to come up with a guest list." She sat up and he let her go reluctantly.
"Does it have to be now?" he asked, trying not to sound too petulant. He could think of too many other things he'd rather be doing, now she was here.
"We need to cross off one thing a day and if we don't start now we won't manage today's."
She had a point. Harry briefly wondered if all teachers were like this, or if it was just Elaine that tended to be organised. He knew he wasn't going to win so he sat up with a sigh.
Elaine had already found a couple of pieces of paper and some pens and she handed him one of each. "We need two lists," she told him. "One of everyone you want to come to the wedding and reception, and one for people you just want to invite to the reception." He looked doubtfully at her and she added, "Start with your close friends and family and work outwards. We can always cross people off later."
She industriously started scribbling on her sheet, so Harry had to follow suit. It wasn't easy, though. There were people he ought to invite, but didn't really want to have to, and people he wanted to invite but who would mean inviting other people to avoid causing arguments.
"What have you got?" Elaine asked when he stopped writing, and he handed the paper over. She frowned as she looked over the list. "Are you inviting all your ex-girlfriends?"
"No," he said defensively, but he already knew where this was going. "Teddy's my best man and he'll bring Esther even if I don't invite her. And you liked Sarah."
"Yes, but not at my wedding."
"It's my wedding too and they're my friends."
She bit her lip and he did appreciate that she was trying to get her jealousy under control. He could understand her reluctance to allow them to come to the wedding, but at the same time they were his friends and she was going to have to live with that.
"As long as we get married does it really matter who's there?" he asked her.
"I could say the same to you."
Harry put his face in his hands for a moment. It wasn't so much that he wanted to win this argument - and he did - but he didn't want to have the argument in the first place.
"Harry."
He looked up when she put her hand on his arm.
"I'm sorry, this was a bad idea."
The contrite expression on her face was enough to make him hug her again. "No, it wasn't." He kissed the top of her head. "But maybe you don't decide who I invite and I don't decide who you invite."
She nodded her head against his chest. "Sometimes I just wish we were married already."
"We could elope." Although he had considered it, he still didn't say it seriously.
"We can't, my mum'll kill me."
He laughed at that and she looked up to laugh along with him.
"I missed you," he said and stroked his thumb across her cheek.
In response she kissed him hard enough that he forgot what they were talking about.