Drabble of the Week: Tiny Things

By Sweet Lu
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He was abnormally quiet, picking the green bell peppers off his pizza and tossing them back in the box. Neither one had found any words to break their silence on the drive home either. Talking about what they had witnessed would only solidify the horror in their minds, so they’d said nothing. Now they sat solemnly at the kitchen table drinking beer and eating lukewarm pizza, indifferent to its taste. He glanced at her when she got up and began to clear the table, not even teasing her when she began washing the plates. She found the simple ritual calming. When he came up behind her she leaned into him, his arms warm and comforting as he snuggled against her.

“I like the blue one,” he whispered in her ear.

It took her a minute to realize he was referring to the color of one of the tablecloth swatches she had shown him that morning.

“It reminds me of the ocean,” he clarified.

She turned to face him, kissing him softly on the lips before taking his hand and leading him into the living room. The coffee table was covered in a slew of bridal magazines, fabric samples, scribbled notes, and lists of things to do before the wedding. She had tried to get his input any number of times, but he’d always brushed her off like he had this morning. But tonight was different. He sat down on the couch and picked up one of her lists, reading through it without comment until the end.

“Quite a production, Princess,” he said, smiling softly at her. “I really had no clue it could be this complicated.”

“Lots of decisions to make,” she said. “Wanna help?”

“After today, picking out flowers for our wedding seems so normal. Kind of comforting actually.”

“We could use a little normal,” she replied.

She picked up one of the magazines and flipped it open to the sticky note she’d attached. A photo array of bouquets spread across the pages. His face was serious as he leaned in close to look, pointing at one, his hand warm on her back.

“I like the one with the big, blue puffy flowers,” he said.

“They’re called hydrangeas.”

“I’m impressed you know that since you can’t keep a house plant alive and been banned from the local nursery.”

“I’ve learned a lot about flowers during my research,” she bragged, choosing to ignore his gibe.

“Yeah, right,” he laughed, peering closely at the picture. “It’s in the photo caption, little miss know-it-all.”

“That’s research,” she replied, pouting just a little.

“Yeah, you’re right, Kens. It is,” he said, pulling her head close to kiss her gently on the temple. “I love you, and…even though all I care about is seeing you waiting at the alter on our wedding day…I promise to help with the tiniest details if it will make you happy.”

“Tiny things matter in the world, Deeks,” She said, tucking her head into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. “They keep us sane.”

“Yeah, they do.”

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