The sun crept through the curtains.
New house. New room. New morning.
Jay woke slowly. Warm. Content. Sore.
Very sore.
She tried to move. Her body protested.
Keifer stirred beside her. Opened his eyes.
Keifer: "Morning, wife."
Jay: "Morning, husband."
Keifer: "How are you feeling?"
Jay: "..."
Keifer: "Jay?"
Jay: "A bit... sore."
Keifer: "A bit?"
Jay: "Maybe more than a bit."
Keifer: "Tss."
Jay: "Don't."
Keifer: "OUR thing."
Jay: "OUR thing."
She tried to sit up. Failed.
Jay: "Okay. This is worse than I thought."
Keifer: "Let me help."
He sat up. Reached for her.
Jay: "I'm fine. I just need to—"
She swung her legs over the side of the bed. Stood up.
Immediately regretted it.
Jay: "Ow. Ow. Ow."
Keifer watched her take two steps. Waddling. Awkward.
Keifer: "You walk like a penguin."
Jay: "I do NOT."
Keifer: "You definitely do."
Jay: "KEIFER."
Keifer: "A very cute penguin."
Jay threw a pillow at him.
He caught it.
Keifer: "My reflexes are excellent."
Jay: "Your mouth is annoying."
Keifer: "Your walk is adorable."
Jay: "I HATE YOU."
Keifer: "No, you don't."
Jay: "...No, I don't."
She tried another step. Winced.
Keifer stood up. Walked to her.
Keifer: "Come here."
Jay: "I can walk."
Keifer: "You really can't."
Jay: "I CAN."
She took another step. Her legs wobbled.
Keifer caught her before she fell.
Keifer: "Penguin."
Jay: "I will end you."
Keifer: "Later. Right now, I'm carrying you."
Jay: "Keifer—"
Keifer: "No arguments. It's my fault you can't walk."
Jay's face went red.
Keifer grinned. Scooped her up. Bridal style.
Jay: "KEIFER!"
Keifer: "WIFE!"
Jay: "PUT ME DOWN!"
Keifer: "NO."
Jay: "YOU'RE SO ANNOYING!"
Keifer: "YOUR ANNOYING!"
Jay: "THAT'S NOT GRAMMAR!"
Keifer: "I DON'T CARE!"
He carried her to the bathroom. Set her down gently on the counter.
Jay crossed her arms. Glared.
Keifer: "Still mad?"
Jay: "Yes."
Keifer: "Even though I'm carrying you around?"
Jay: "ESPECIALLY because you're carrying me around."
Keifer: "Tss."
Jay: "OUR thing."
Keifer: "OUR thing."
He kissed her forehead.
He drew her a bath. Added the fancy soap Tita Gema gave them.
Jay: "You don't have to do this."
Keifer: "I want to."
Jay: "You're being sweet."
Keifer: "I'm being a husband."
Jay: "Same thing?"
Keifer: "Same thing."
He helped her in. The warm water soothed her muscles.
Jay: "Oh. That's good."
Keifer: "Good?"
Jay: "Really good."
Keifer sat on the edge of the tub. Watched her relax.
Keifer: "I'm sorry."
Jay: "For what?"
Keifer: "For... the penguin walk."
Jay: "You should be sorry."
Keifer: "I'm not sorry for the reason."
Jay: "KEIFER."
Keifer: "I'M JUST SAYING."
She splashed water at him. He didn't move.
Keifer: "You're going to have to try harder than that."
Jay: "I'm incapacitated."
Keifer: "Incapacitated?"
Jay: "You did this to me."
Keifer: "I did."
Jay: "So you have to deal with the consequences."
Keifer: "What consequences?"
Jay: "I'm going to be dramatic all day."
Keifer: "Okay."
Jay: "I'm going to complain about everything."
Keifer: "Okay."
Jay: "I'm going to make you carry me everywhere."
Keifer: "Okay."
Jay: "And I'm going to call you penguin husband."
Keifer: "Penguin husband?"
Jay: "Because you made me a penguin wife."
Keifer laughed. That low, warm laugh.
Keifer: "Deal."
He helped her out of the bath. Wrapped her in a towel. Dried her hair.
Jay: "This is nice."
Keifer: "Being carried around?"
Jay: "Being taken care of."
Keifer: "You take care of me too."
Jay: "I know."
Keifer: "That's what we do."
Jay: "Take care of each other?"
Keifer: "Always."
Jay: "Tss."
Keifer: "OUR thing."
Jay: "OUR thing."
He carried her to the kitchen.
Set her on a chair. Started cooking breakfast.
Jay watched him. Moving around their kitchen. Making their food.
Jay: "I could get used to this."
Keifer: "Being carried?"
Jay: "Being married."
Keifer: "Good. Because you're stuck with me."
Jay: "Promise?"
Keifer: "Promise."
He made pancakes. Eggs. Coffee.
Brought it to her on a tray.
Keifer: "For my penguin wife."
Jay: "I'm going to kill you."
Keifer: "After breakfast."
Jay: "Fine. After breakfast."
She ate. He watched.
Keifer: "Good?"
Jay: "Good."
Keifer: "Better than penguin walk?"
Jay: "MUCH better than penguin walk."
Keifer: "Tss."
Jay: "Stop."
Keifer: "No."
After breakfast, he carried her to the living room.
Their living room. Their couch. Their home.
Jay: "What's on the agenda today?"
Keifer: "Nothing."
Jay: "Nothing?"
Keifer: "You need to rest."
Jay: "I'm fine."
Keifer: "You can't walk."
Jay: "I can walk."
Keifer: "You walk like a penguin."
Jay threw another pillow.
He caught it.
Keifer: "My reflexes are excellent."
Jay: "My aim is terrible."
Keifer: "That's why I caught it."
Jay: "You're so annoying."
Keifer: "Your annoying."
Jay: "That's still not grammar."
Keifer: "I STILL DON'T CARE."
He sat beside her. Pulled her close.
Jay leaned into him.
Jay: "This is nice."
Keifer: "Just sitting?"
Jay: "Just being together."
Keifer: "In our house."
Jay: "On our couch."
Keifer: "With our penguin walk."
Jay: "I'M NEVER LIVING THAT DOWN."
Keifer: "Never."
Jay: "Tss."
Keifer: "OUR thing."
Jay: "OUR thing."
He kissed her.
The day was quiet.
No chaos. No family. No Section E.
Just them.
Jay rested. Keifer took care of her.
He carried her from room to room. Made her lunch. Made her tea.
Jay: "You're going to spoil me."
Keifer: "That's the plan."
Jay: "What if I get used to it?"
Keifer: "Then I'll keep doing it."
Jay: "Forever?"
Keifer: "Forever."
By evening, Jay could walk again.
Almost.
Keifer: "You're walking better."
Jay: "I'm walking normally."
Keifer: "You're walking like a human now."
Jay: "I WAS WALKING LIKE A HUMAN."
Keifer: "You were walking like a penguin."
Jay: "KEIFER."
Keifer: "JAY."
She walked toward him. With purpose. With dignity.
Then her leg wobbled.
He caught her.
Keifer: "Penguin."
Jay: "I hate you."
Keifer: "No, you don't."
Jay: "...No, I don't."
They stood there. In their living room. Their home.
Keifer: "I love you, Jay Watson."
Jay: "I love you too, Keifer Watson."
Keifer: "Even when you walk like a penguin?"
Jay: "ESPECIALLY when you call me penguin."
Keifer: "Tss."
Jay: "OUR thing."
Keifer: "OUR thing."
He kissed her.
Later. Their bed.
Jay's head on his chest. His hand in her hair.
Jay: "Best first night."
Keifer: "Best morning after."
Jay: "Best everything."
Keifer: "Best us."
Jay: "Tss."
Keifer: "Stop."
Jay: "No."
He kissed her forehead.
Their house. Their bed. Their forever.