******
She slid the fried eggs onto the plates, and set the flowered plates on the tray. Finally - she exhaled - the weekend had gotten here, and she could take her time, and relax a bit. The past week, with Clay stuck upstairs, had not been easy on either of them. Before heading to her classes each day, she'd fixed him breakfast, then hurried back home between classes to take his lunch upstairs, see if he needed his medicine, or help him with cleaning the wound and changing the bandage. The injury was healing nicely, but she'd come to find out that he'd been right about his not being a good patient, discovering that he could be very stubborn about his limitations while he healed. She poured them each a cup of coffee and tilted her head as she heard a 'thunk' in the living room.
"Clay?"
"It's me," he laughed. "I hit the wall with the crutch."
She peered out around the kitchen door and saw him at the bottom of the stairway, getting his crutches in a comfortable position to make it over to the sofa.
"Do you need any help?"
"No, I can do this." He sounded irritated with himself to her.
"All right, I'll bring breakfast out in a minute." She assembled everything on the tray and headed out to the living room. "You must be feeling much better to have made it down the stairs. I'm so glad." She smiled at him as she set the tray on the coffee table and set out their breakfast on the table.
"Not really." He eyed her seriously. "I just can't stay cooped up any longer. " He laughed as he ran his hand along the side of his head. "Not that I don't love being in your bed, I do...I was just going stir-crazy."
"I completely understand." Mattie sipped her coffee. "It's good to see you downstairs." She watched as he started in on his breakfast, and she took a bite of her toast.
"Mattie, I've had a lot of time to think, and I've made a decision." Clay sipped his coffee.
"About what?"
"I'm not going to attend any more protests," his voice was resigned.
"What about life being too short and having to speak out?" She sat upright at that, surprised at his revelation.
"I've done all I can do right now...all I want to do. I've decided to just focus on the veterans for the remainder...until April - my two year mark." He took a bite of the eggs and watched her for her reaction.
"So, two months more? That's when you'll return to Plattsburgh and your business?" She leaned back on the pillow and tucked her leg under her as she sipped her coffee. She bit the side of her lip as she thought about it...the changes it would naturally force on their relationship.
"Yes. I need to wind this down." He slanted his eyes at her as he rubbed his bearded jaw. "I've said my piece about the war, made my views known. That's all one person can do, isn't it?"
"You've done more than the average person, Clay, in my opinion." Mattie gazed at him, her eyes soft. "You've put your whole heart into the cause. I've admired that about you - your passion for what you believe in - since we first met." She rested her hand on his arm.
"Well, I'm done with it. No second-guessing myself," He smiled at her, and he reached over and patted her hand softly. "Then, perhaps, we can concentrate a little more on each other, eh?"
"I haven't felt the least neglected," she smiled. "But, that would be nice." She leaned toward him as he reached for her, and she smiled as he kissed her softly.
"Two months then." He rubbed his thumb along her jaw, as he narrowed his eyes at her.
"Two months," she whispered, feeling a soft pang in her heart as he bent to kiss her again.