Maddy finished brushing her teeth and applied a dab of moisturizer to her face before exiting the bathroom. It was late at night and
she and Kenny had just finished watching a movie downstairs. Though
the heater was working just fine, there was a marked chill in the air, thanks
to the relentless winter winds that forcefully enveloped the little Cape
Cod; it was hard to believe that less than five months ago, she'd paraded
around the home in her shorts. Now here she was, bundled up in heavy
winter pajamas, struggling to keep warm.
She strode into her bedroom and saw Ken comfortably ensconced
under the covers of Lori's twin bed.
"Hey," he whispered.
"Hey, you ready to go to sleep?"
"Mmm-hmm."
With that, Maddy flipped off the light switch and crawled under the
blankets of her own bed, separated from Kenny by a nightstand as well as
total blackness. She'd never realized just how dreary Ocean City could be
in the wintertime with seasonal businesses boarded up, quiet streets
devoid of pedestrians and cars, and an oppressive darkness that seemed to
invade every corner once the sun went down.
It all seemed sadly appropriate, given the pall that had hung over the
entire evening, but a moment later, Ken made her giggle uncontrollably by
leaping out of the blackness and into the bed with her.
"Kenny! What are you doing?"
"Do you actually think I'm going to sleep apart from you, young
lady?" he teased, pulling her into a close embrace that soothed her soul
and heated her body.
"Does this mean you're not mad at me?" she asked, listening to his
heart beating fast in her ear.
"Why would I be mad at you, sweetheart?" He stroked her hair as he
spoke in a calm, gentle voice.
"I don't know, but something's wrong. You're not yourself today at all."
"You're right, Maddy," he sighed. "But it's not because of you."
"Then what's the matter?"
"I'm just-it's just, Maddy I don't know what I'm doing here! I mean,
professionally. Do you really think I want to work at Atlantic Electric the
rest of my life? God, I am so sick of that place! I'm smart, I want to go
back to school; I want to do something meaningful and financially
rewarding, and it's like I can't seem to figure out exactly what that is! I just
know I don't want to be stuck at the Jersey Shore the rest of my life!"
"That's understandable, Kenny. And you are incredibly smart; I
noticed that about you right away. I have no doubt you can do and be
anything you want. My God, look at everything you've accomplished
already! Do you know how amazed I am by you? You didn't have the
luxury of being born into a family that could pay for you to go to college,
so you took it upon yourself to enlist in the Navy. You served your
country honorably for four years. How many people can say that? I mean,
as much as I respect and appreciate our Military, I know I could never do
what you did. It takes incredible discipline and character to pull that off.
And you did it!"
"Wow," he laughed. "You really know how to make a guy feel
better!"
"I mean it, Kenny," she emphasized, running her hand up and down
his sweater-clad chest.
"I know, sweetheart," he replied softly, kissing her hair. "You have no
idea what it does to me to hear you say those words."
"Kenny, you'll figure it out. Just don't give up; keep believing that
there's so much more ahead of you-all kinds of great things. Because
there's definitely a plan for you. Your job is to let things unfold while you
put one foot in front of the other. And for crying out loud, be patient
with yourself; this isn't a contest."
"How'd you get to be so smart, Madeline Rose?"
"It's an inherited condition," she joked.
With that, he pulled her close to him and placed his lips on hers, filled
with a burning desire he knew would not be satisfied that evening. She
closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his strong body and the subtle rhythm
of his tongue as it playfully sought out hers. When they finally came up
for air, she was situated beneath him, staring into sparkling aquamarine
eyes that pierced the darkness and seemed to see through to her
innermost being.
"I wonder what it would be like to be with you," he whispered,
moving a stray hair away from her face. "Guess I'll just have to marry you
to find out."
Once again, Maddy was speechless, though his words filled her with
pure ecstasy as he moved in for another kiss.
For the next several hours they held each other close, alternating
between meaningful conversation and passionate make-out sessions. And
though their fully clothed bodies stopped well short of crossing any lines,
they experienced an intimacy that rivaled the sweetest pleasures of the
flesh. Kenny expressed his hope for a hot summer that would keep him
busy at work so he could put some more money away for his education;
Maddy confided her deeply held feelings of inadequacy, given her highly
ambitious family ties. And each supported and understood the other's
feelings perfectly-without any need for qualification. It was something
they'd come to treasure more than they could ever know on that blustery
January night.