Notes

Canada day 2006

It’s 7pm on Canada day and Tessa had been feeling down about not being able to go to the annual bbq due to an exhibition she was dancing in. So instead there was an afternoon of food and drink and then the Moirs and the Virtues all had to tickets to watch Tessa perform.

Scott’s PoV

Tessa had been down all week about having to miss the bbq this year because she felt like she was letting someone down. Even though we all understood that this show was important, in classical Tessa style she thought of herself last. I only wanted to do what every friend would do and cheer her up - but she doesn’t need to know that changing the time and getting the tickets was my idea.

On stage she’s a true beauty. Not that she isn’t anyway, of course she is, but she commands a stage presence that I’ve never seen in anyone else and I find all my attention is on her when she dances which means that I have no idea what the rest of the show is about. I don’t get to see her perform as much as she gets to see our team play hockey but that’s because shows are less frequent, however when there is one I try my best to go. For her. Tess asked me to meet her at the end of the show so here I am, leaning against the back exit waiting for my Tessa to come out.

“Scott, hey”. “Hey tutu’, I gasp out of realisation, ‘Omg that totally makes sense for this situation cause you just wore one” she laughs at that. I like making Tessa laugh because I like to see her happy. “So what did you think of the show?” She asks me and I already know the answer because it the only bit I actually paid attention to, “your solo”. She cocks a brow and tilts her head but she must know I’m being honest with her because then she gives me a shy smile and.. is she blushing right now?

“So you ready to go and meet our families in the pub?” Her face deflates and I’m instantly concerned. But before I can ask her my question she already answers it, “oh I forgot that was happening’, a pause, ‘Do you think I can get out of it?” Her voice drifts of as if she’s not speaking to me but just voicing her thoughts. “Hey tutu I can drive you home if you want, I’ll just text my Mum” I offer. Her eyes catch mine and I can read the silent please in them. I pull out my phone as Tessa rests her head on my shoulder, “I want my bed”.

I type my mother a text letting her know I’m taking Tessa home and not to worry if we don’t show up. I then put it on Do Not Disturb and don’t check it for the rest of the night. I wrap my arm around her waist to guide her to my car and we drive home in silence with only soft melodies of songs we don’t recognise coming from the radio.

I basically have to pull her out from the car as I take her gym bag and carry it because even though we both know she is capable of doing it herself, she’s given up. Her body language and the sleep forming in her eyes scream exhaustion. I rummage for her set keys in her bag to get the house key so I can take her to bed. Having success in that, I set her bag down near the stairs and lock the door behind me while she’s already let go of me and putting her foot on the step ready to climb. Before letting her go any further I tap her shoulder so she faces me and lift her up as she wraps her legs around my waist with my hands holding up her thighs and she softly smiles into my shoulder as I carry her upstairs to her room. She makes an incoherent mumbling which resembles the word “bathroom” so I continue to carry her through to her ensuite and set her down on her sink counter.

Yes I said ensuite because Tessa’s family are anything but struggling for money and it’s their wealth that allows them to have 2 houses and Tessa to have an ensuite bathroom with a moderate king sized bed accompanied by her favourite piece of furniture; her vanity.

Tess grabs her makeup remover, hairbrush and toothbrush from their spot, brain in autopilot rather than her making a conscious effort and she takes the wet wipes and shoves them in my hand while looking at me silently asking me to do it for her. I never refuse Tessa Virtue. Something about her sitting on the counter with eyes closed as I stand between her dangling legs to remove her show makeup is oddly domestic and my heart tugs a little when she hums contentedly. After I think I’m done (I don’t know how this works so I’m assuming) I let her slip off the counter, “hey Tessy brush your teeth and do your hair and I’ll put out some pyjamas for you okay?” She only nods in response so I go into her bedroom drawers to get her favourite pair of fuzzy pyjamas with the checkered pattern on them and a shirt that looks appropriate to go with it. Because if I know Tessa Virtue, she hates for anything to be uncoordinated. Which is usually why she’s my shopping buddy because she doesn’t trust me to do it all myself.

I’m laying them out for her and her cheek comes to rest against my back which I smile a little at but she’ll never know. She then just raises her arms above her head and I realise that tonight I’m the one doing everything. Taking no time to get changed she slips into bed herself and she sinks into the mattress (which I assume is memory foam because it’s Tessa) and wraps herself in her duvet and throw blanket. She looks so peaceful and I don’t want to disturb that. So I simply whisper “goodnight T”. I switch on her bedside lamp and the main light off and leave her in her cocoon.

Going back downstairs I retrieve her gym bag and take it with me back to her room basking in a warm glow and put her phone on charge on her bedside and throw the costume from tonight in the hamper. From Tessa’s home that she’s made in her blankets her sleep filled voice can be heard “stay” and then her blankets untangle to leave me an open door into her home and because I can never refuse Tessa, I take off my shirt and accept her offer, closing her bedroom door and then slipping in next to her closing the blanket door around us, she snuggles her body into mine and I place my arm around her to lay on her stomach like it’s the most natural thing.

“thanks Scott” she sighs happily into her pillow. “Anytime tutu”. And despite everyone’s beliefs this is the first time we’ve ever been in a bed together. Not counting the time when we lay on top of the covers of course in the broad daylight but right now in the intimacy of the soft light and the cocoon of warmth that promises to protect us of all intruders, its just Tessa and I. We know we live dangerously on the boarder of romance but I don’t want what we share to ever be anything less. However when I think about it, I wouldn’t be opposed to it being more. In fact I think I’d rather like it if I could spend all my evenings ending with Tessa wrapped in my embrace just like this one.

2 things that have become incredibly clear to me tonight is that I love Canada Day and I love Tessa Virtue.