Page 69 of Goode Vibrations

Letting Errol Sylvain hold me was like coming home.

12

Errol

Iwoke slowly, and then all at once I was awake.

Poppy was still in my arms, facing me, nuzzled into me. Her arm was thrown over my ribcage, her thigh over mine, mine over hers, her other arm curled up against my chest, her fingers under my chin.

Soft. Warm. Comfortable.

I never wanted to leave this moment.

I felt her stir. “Errol.”

“I’m here,” I murmured. I squeezed her gently. “Right here.”

“Don’t leave?” she whispered, and it was such a small, vulnerable couplet of words that my heart threatened to crumble, break open like a dropped egg.

My lips touched her forehead, kissed as delicately as I could. “I won’t.”

She clung to me. Nuzzled closer. Sighed. “Errol?”

“Yeah.”

“Can I go back to sleep?”

“Yes. I’ll be here holding you.”

A silence, her breathing, closeness, fulfillment.

“Errol?”

I sniffed a laugh. “Yeah, Pop?”

“Would you understand if I said I didn’t want to…to do anything, just for right now?” A fearful pause. “I just want to know what it’s like to just…be held. And nothing else.”

I kissed her forehead again, her temple. “Just relax, Poppy. I’m not letting go. I’m not going anywhere. I don’t want anything but this.”

She sighed, reassured. Contented.

I felt her drift back into sleep, and after a while, I did too.

When I woke next,it was late in the day, and I didn’t care. Poppy hadn’t moved, was still sleeping. I had to pee like nothing else, but held it. I was hungry. I needed coffee.

But nothing came close to needing this, holding Poppy.

Eventually, she stirred, groaning softly. “Mmm.”

I looked down at her, rolling to my back and bringing her closer, more on top of me. “Hi.”

Her eyes flickered up, melted milk chocolate and full of warmth and contentment. “Hi,” she whispered, a small smile on her lips.

“Sleep all right?” I asked.

She just brightened her smile. “So good.” She clung closer, her arm clutching at my neck, burying her nose in the side of my throat. “Thank you.”

“For what?”