What am I to you? // Corpse Husband

6. Awkwardness

Saturday 7.32pm

It's been about just over a month since we first met. I've been looking after him but we have grown close... friends... I won't be needed much longer on the carer side as both his arms are now much better. I wonder what it will mean for us. It's one thing to get on well with your patient. It's another to actually keep in touch and stay as close as we have been during that time.

I don't want it to stop. He's part of my life now. I've seen him every day, morning and evenings to help him with his exercises since the incident and I know he's on the mend but I still stick with our routine and I feel that he needs it as much as I do. We just support each other.

I enter his apartment.

"I'M HOME!" I shout.

He comes out of his bedroom offering me the fondest smile.

"Very funny."

"I still don't feel comfortable coming into your apartment without knocking."

"What could happen? I know you're coming." I shrug my shoulders. "What? You're worried to find me naked?"

"Haha!" Damn! Can you imagine? My throat is a little tight right now I won't lie. "Haha! Yeah. Or with someone. Or doing some devilish incantations."

"Seriously, right now I'd rather you had my keys, if it was to happen again." He shakes his arms referring to the paralysis.

"Thank you for trusting me. So how's my patient?"

"I can move both arms, the right one still a little stiff but nearly back to normal."

"How's the rest?"

"It's been a tough day. I couldn't get up for a while this morning, but I'm okay now."

"Mind?"

"Mind is good... right now." He smiles at me with insistence which is... good... I guess... I feel giddy and suddenly shy.

"That's because you know I come with presents." I tease.

"This has nothing to do with you bringing vegan pizza I swear!" I laugh at his poor attempt to not stare at the box in my hands. "I am starving though... so... shall we eat?" He asks excitedly.

"Yes. I'm starving too actually."

He runs to his bedroom as I get glasses. There's Diet Coke in his fridge for me. That's nice. Coming back in the living area, he hands me a tiny paper bag as I sit at the table.

"What's this?"

"You're not the only one bearing gifts."

"I can see that, but what is it?"

"It's tiny so don't get excited." I am so confused, looking at him suspiciously sideways. I open it and it is a ring with a skull on it. I smile. "I see you looking at my rings all the time, so I assumed..."

"Thank you. You assumed well."

"I don't know your ring size so it's one that doesn't close." He says picking it off my hands and showing me the back. I am so touched by this gesture, I can't stop smiling but I also can't talk. I don't know what to say. "Do you like it?"

"It's perfect. Thank you."

I put it on my index and it fits quite nicely there. I look at him grabbing a slice of pizza, happy with himself.

After dinner, we talk about his hair.

"Dude. It's super long, you need an intervention."

"I am not going to the hairdresser. It stresses me out."