“So, what does the Farmers’ Almanac say about New Year’s?” Steve asked, as she cuddled Lou to her as they lay on top of the covers on her bed, where they had come after strolling around the lake. They were both still in their party clothes but had kicked their shoes off inside the living room door, and Steve had hung her suit jacket up before they got comfortable. Her only other deference to comfort had been to untie her tie. She was sitting back against her pillows cradling Lou to her chest.
Lou smiled at the question as she lazily fingered Steve’s tie. “Nothing that I recall, but it’s been a while since I’ve read one. Other than Sirius, the only other thing I know about New Year’s Eve is that it’s tradition to eat black-eyed peas. But I didn’t need the Farmers’ Almanac to tell me that, my grandmother did. She was from Virginia. Made them every year. They’re supposed to bring good luck.”
“I’ve heard that. We never ate them in my house, though. In my house, we stayed up late on New Year’s watching scary movies and eating popcorn and all kinds of other bad, delicious things.”
Lou chuckled. “Why scary movies?”
“Because it was fun to critique them. Dad made a game out of counting how many jump scares there were. We laughed every time one came up. We made the mistake of going to see a scary movie at the theater once and everyone looked at us funny when we laughed while the rest of them screamed. We just watched scary movies at home after that.”
Lou put her head on Steve’s chest, laughing. When she came up for air, she said, “Oh my God, I love your family.”
“Well, my family loves you.” Steve grew melancholy. “I just wish you could have met my dad. He was the best.” A smile of remembrance flashed across Steve’s face and she wasn’t there for a moment.
“Would your dad have liked me?” Lou asked with real concern.
“Are you kidding? He would have insisted that you call him Dad and immediately dubbed you an Adams. Then he would have given you a role—like, on Christmas every year it would be your job to decorate the tree or hand out presents or something. That’s how he welcomed you. Well that, and big hugs every time he saw you. My dad was a teddy bear. And he gave great hugs.” Steve hugged Lou tighter.
Steve’s embrace made her smile, as did the picture Steve had just created for her in her mind. Her father had been a teddy bear too, once. She remembered when she was small enough to sit on his shoulders. He would put her up there saying, “Climb up on me so you can be closer to the stars.” She would eagerly run to him and be lifted up, and it felt so high. Her little legs would go around his neck and he would take her hands in his. Then he would proceed to tell her and her mother stories about the stars, most of which she couldn’t remember from that time. But since he often retold the same stories, she eventually learned them all, and later, after she was old enough to read and understand books, she would add to his stories with stories of her own. Once he had asked her how she knew so much, and she had replied, “I learned from the best.”
A tear escaped her and she tried to surreptitiously wipe it away, but Steve noticed her movement.
“Oh, honey, I’m sorry. I should have realized. No more stories.” Steve tightened her arms around Lou and kissed her on top of her head, cupping her cheek in her hand.
“No, that’s okay. I like hearing them. And that was a happy memory. I promise.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, baby, I’m sure. I’ve worked hard over the years to hold on to them. I don’t want to forget that I did once have a good father. It wasn’t his fault what happened to him, but he chose to not seek help for it. I don’t want to be like him in that regard.” Lou leaned back out of Steve’s embrace a bit so she could look up at her. “I mean, I’m proud to have his tenacity when it comes to certain things. And I credit my career to him, in part. If he hadn’t taught me all about different weapons and such, who knows where my love of theater would have taken me. Probably just writing.” Steve was smiling at her and she realized she was babbling, so she decided to say only one more thing on the subject. “I’m going to get help for my past trauma.”
“I’m glad.”
Lou slipped a leg over Steve’s and looked up at her with a smile. “And I want a future with you, soldier. One that doesn’t involve anger and violence.”
“Couldn’t agree more.”
“But that doesn’t mean tickling’s off the table.” Lou rolled on top of Steve and began tickling her sides and anywhere else she could reach.
Steve squealed but quickly got the upper hand and rolled Lou on her back. Their tickles quickly turned to playful kisses, and Steve’s tie got thrown to the floor. Just as Lou was in the process of playfully biting her on the neck, Steve pulled back with a note of surprised comprehension in her voice, “Sirius! The Dog Star! That’s why Rowling named him that!”
Lou burst out laughing. “You are such a dork.”
“What? It just came to me.”
“Uh-huh.”
“It did!”
With a smile on her face, Lou replied, “Je t’aime, tu dork.”
Steve growled low in her throat. “Ah, Lou, French!” Steve took hold of Lou’s hand and began to kiss up Lou’s arm, which just made Lou giggle more.
When Steve’s kisses reached Lou’s lips, their mutual giggles subsided. Lou put her arms around Steve’s neck and met her lips with hers for a soft, sweet kiss.