As Stella and I got off the plane, we then spent an vicennial in long lines and tried our best to get the luggage. By the time we left the airport for mom to pick us up It was already dark, I even thought I already had five grandchildren and lived twenty more years.

Stella sat in the back seat with me, eventually falling asleep on my shoulder, while I couldn’t get a wink of sleep. I saw mom looking at us through the car mirror smiling like she always wanted this to happen.

“I see you guys became even closer, remember I want a boy as my first grandchild”, she said, giving off a chuckle.

I didn’t respond and just sat silently, thoughts running through my mind, I just waited until we reached the house to lay my head. I even managed to somewhat fall asleep in the car.

*

As we approached the house, I looked over at the empty house they couldn’t sell after Stella and her family left the country. I couldn’t stop myself from reminiscing about those times, forgetting to leave the car after mom parked it, Stella still sleeping on my shoulder. I woke her up and went for our luggage.

Walking in the house flooded me with a plethora of memories when Stella used to come over, which is when I stopped playing games because of her.I walked around to only stumble upon my room, I went in to notice the biggest change so far.

“Oh I see you found the bed I bought for you guys.” She said, giving a smile.

“Ah, what about my other one?”

“I threw it out, it was too old and broke down at some point”

As I walked through my old room, remembering all the good,bad and some unfavorable times I had here. Wandering through memory lane caused me to forget my tired wife outside in the living room, leaving my mother to remind me.

“Emmanuel, hurry up and take Stella to the room, she’ll catch a cold out here.” It was late, so I understood why she was so tired, but why can’t I seem to fall asleep for long. I went to the couch where she slept and walked with the sleeping but still heavy body and laid her on the bed.

“I’m gonna go sleep, take the light off when you’re finished” Mom said while giving yawn.

I nodded, as she opened the door to her room.

*

I laid there not being able to sleep even in the darkness of my room, mind running through thoughts sometimes overlapping them. I turned to my side to ease my mind by seeing my wife's face, as if it was God's way of setting up a moment. Her eyes opened and stared back at me.

As we both stared into each other's eyes in the dead silence of the night for so long nobody said a word, until she spoke breaking the silence.

“What time is”

I picked up my phone showing it was one in the morning. Staring back into her blue bright eyes.

“Did you sleep at all” She said with a somewhat worried tone.

“Not really, I just couldn’t seem to get my mind at ease.”

She smiled and threw her hand over my side pulling me in. I didn’t know what was happening, but my body impulsively went with her movements.

As she came closer to me holding me tighter, I could feel her warm body resting upon my cold heart. I couldn’t help but pull her in tighter.

“I hope you know, even for the short time we have been together or when we dated, I love you, I always did.” Her soft tone said, whilst her breathe brushed over my neck.

I looked her in the eyes and kissed her forehead.

“Maybe it was a good thing you came back for me, I think i would’ve been lost”

I hugged her warm frail body until my mind allowed me to sleep. With my wife beside me warming my body.