Saturday Serial - Searching

Last week's episode can be found here, Surprises. To start at the beginning go here, Morning Heartache.

As mentioned earlier Saturday Serial is a bit of an experiment where I draw on events within my own life and blend them into a fictional ongoing story. Enjoy.

--DauntlessD
_________

Danny wakes up and finds his mind lingering on Becka. There are few things in his life that make him feel happy. To be honest, he's been downright depressed for some time. Looking back on his life nothing seems to have gone as he had envisioned. Today there is very little of his life that he could call his own. Meeting Becka had brought a strange collection of sensations -- he had enjoyed himself and was surprised that he had nearly forgotten what that felt like.

Looking around Danny finds nothing has changed within his tiny room in the small, run down, two bedroom duplex. Turning in his bed he puts his feet on the floor reaching for the ceiling in a morning stretch. His wife rolls over and pulls up the blanket.

With a pop of joints he stands and begins to shuffle toward the bathroom. Upon reaching the doorway he turns and looks down at his wife. Most would consider him a lucky man, she's beautiful. Her long auburn hair is tousled with sleep framing her peaceful face. The sheer tank-top she's wearing barely covers her full breasts. He could see the shadow of her large nipples; she had always been self conscience about them and he thought they had been put on her for his mouth alone.

For a brief moment a smile flickers across his lips when entertaining the thought of ripping the blanket off and taking her. The intimacies of times long gone flash through his mind. The smile dies as quickly as it came, replaced with a darkened face and a furrowed brow. What happened? Why had their life together become so strained?

With a sigh he continues toward the bathroom stepping around the 4 foot diameter, and nearly as high, pile of dirty cloths on the floor. Then he steps in front the toilet and releases the morning urgency that drove him there.

His mood lifts a little with a hot shower. After getting dressed he makes his way to the kitchen. The table is full of clutter and looking over at the sink he finds it piled high with dirty dishes caked with food. The dreariness returns and he finds himself struck that there seems to be very little they take pride in anymore.

Danny opens a cupboard and pulls out a bag of discount breakfast cereal. Pouring himself a bowl he munches standing next to the counter in sullen silence. Shaking his head he adds the dirty dish to the already growing pile.

Grabbing the car keys he heads back to the bedroom to tell his wife he's leaving. He kneels down and kisses her. Rachel's green eyes flutter open full of sleep. "I'm off to work. I love you."

"I love you too", she replies.

I love you. The words feel hollow. He questions whether he means them anymore. It simply had become a part of their established routine of getting from day to day.

Stepping out the front door Becka comes to mind again. It was Saturday. Along with Becka he had also secretly met another group of people online and they were getting together tonight. Could he feel happy again? He wasn't sure, but he decided that maybe new friends could help him find out.