Love, nightmare-like, lies heavy on my chest
Joseph was woken in the early morning hours by the gentle sinking of his bed as someone sat on its side. Assuming it was Ana, he rolled over to face her, stifling a yawn as he sat up.
"What happened, baby girl, you have a bad dream...?"
His words trailed away as he came face to face not with his seven-year old daughter, but the warm smile of Lilith, the Anomaly. She sat beside him in a long shirt, her bare legs sticking out from beneath it, her hair glowing in the sunlight. With a playful look in her eye, she put her finger to her lips, hushing him. Confused, he tried to ask what was going on, but was silenced when she leaned in and kissed him. It was like he'd always imagined kissing her would be like, soft, gentle, with a warmth that flowed from her very soul. It was a sensation he'd started to lose hope of ever knowing, given her inability to love him back. Not remotely caring about why she'd made such a change, he kissed her back with all the passion that had been pent up the last four years. She pushed him back down to the bed, climbing on top of him like a predator, still kissing him all the while.
"This isn't right," he whispered in disbelief.
"But it's what you want," she replied, pulling her shirt up over her head before tossing it aside.
Stunned for a moment by the way she glowed in the light, he finally came back to his senses, kicking his pajama pants toward the edge of the bed. He turned the tables, flipping her onto her back. She gazed at him, waiting patiently, as he took a moment to let his hand wander from her cheek down across her body. Her skin was flawless, untouched by the elements, every curve was perfect. His hand skimmed her breasts, her stomach, her hip, finally reaching her thigh. He kissed her deeply as he gently pushed it aside, anticipating the welcome warmth about to engulf him...
With a jolt and a sharp inhale, Joseph woke up. For a long moment, he hoped it had been real, that he'd find Lilith dozing beside him. But then he felt the cold wet spot on his pillow, and worse, the sticky spot on his pajamas, and knew it was a dream.
"Son of a bitch," he muttered, lying defeated in bed.
He could hear her downstairs, chatting with Tarah as she made breakfast, the smell of it wafting up. Slowly, he slid out of bed, taking off his pants and tossing them in the laundry before changing into a fresh pair. At the top of the stairs, he hesitated, an awkward feeling holding him fast. After four years, he'd finally learned to accept that his love for her would be forever unrequited. But after a dream like that, long-buried desires had come back with a fiery passion, and he found it hard to even think about looking her in the eye, let alone actually doing it. But then Ana's bedroom door swung open, and the little girl came bounding out, taking him by the hand to lead him downstairs and into the kitchen. He sat at the table, Ana climbing into his lap with a book. Lilith brought over a cup of hot coffee for him, and for a moment, their eyes met. He knew that even if she didn't know the explicit details, she could sense something off in him. But the moment passed as her fingers brushed against his hand, leaving the mug in his grasp, and she turned back to the pancakes cooking on the stove.
Just as it had every other morning for the last four years, their lives would go on in heartbreaking denial.
"What happened, baby girl, you have a bad dream...?"
His words trailed away as he came face to face not with his seven-year old daughter, but the warm smile of Lilith, the Anomaly. She sat beside him in a long shirt, her bare legs sticking out from beneath it, her hair glowing in the sunlight. With a playful look in her eye, she put her finger to her lips, hushing him. Confused, he tried to ask what was going on, but was silenced when she leaned in and kissed him. It was like he'd always imagined kissing her would be like, soft, gentle, with a warmth that flowed from her very soul. It was a sensation he'd started to lose hope of ever knowing, given her inability to love him back. Not remotely caring about why she'd made such a change, he kissed her back with all the passion that had been pent up the last four years. She pushed him back down to the bed, climbing on top of him like a predator, still kissing him all the while.
"This isn't right," he whispered in disbelief.
"But it's what you want," she replied, pulling her shirt up over her head before tossing it aside.
Stunned for a moment by the way she glowed in the light, he finally came back to his senses, kicking his pajama pants toward the edge of the bed. He turned the tables, flipping her onto her back. She gazed at him, waiting patiently, as he took a moment to let his hand wander from her cheek down across her body. Her skin was flawless, untouched by the elements, every curve was perfect. His hand skimmed her breasts, her stomach, her hip, finally reaching her thigh. He kissed her deeply as he gently pushed it aside, anticipating the welcome warmth about to engulf him...
With a jolt and a sharp inhale, Joseph woke up. For a long moment, he hoped it had been real, that he'd find Lilith dozing beside him. But then he felt the cold wet spot on his pillow, and worse, the sticky spot on his pajamas, and knew it was a dream.
"Son of a bitch," he muttered, lying defeated in bed.
He could hear her downstairs, chatting with Tarah as she made breakfast, the smell of it wafting up. Slowly, he slid out of bed, taking off his pants and tossing them in the laundry before changing into a fresh pair. At the top of the stairs, he hesitated, an awkward feeling holding him fast. After four years, he'd finally learned to accept that his love for her would be forever unrequited. But after a dream like that, long-buried desires had come back with a fiery passion, and he found it hard to even think about looking her in the eye, let alone actually doing it. But then Ana's bedroom door swung open, and the little girl came bounding out, taking him by the hand to lead him downstairs and into the kitchen. He sat at the table, Ana climbing into his lap with a book. Lilith brought over a cup of hot coffee for him, and for a moment, their eyes met. He knew that even if she didn't know the explicit details, she could sense something off in him. But the moment passed as her fingers brushed against his hand, leaving the mug in his grasp, and she turned back to the pancakes cooking on the stove.
Just as it had every other morning for the last four years, their lives would go on in heartbreaking denial.