Up All Night

   “Hey, Marie?” Callie listened attentively to the handset. Although she normally leaned back during calls, not yet; she had to make sure her other was there, hear her calming voice on the other line. A dire situation? No. She merely feared the idea of needing to hear her speak, only to be greeted by that dreaded busy tone that helped to keep her and her lover all the more apart.
   “Hey, baby.” There it was. Callie breathed easier, laid back. “Is that you? I hope it's you.”
“Who else could it be, silly?”
“Heh, you never know. Especially considering that old hunk-a-junk of yours never gives me caller ID.”
“Hey, we already talked about that!” Callie laughed. “I think the feeling is worth the convenience.”
“Oh, yeah. You like winding it up, huh?”
“Well, more than that. There's just something soothing about rotary phones. It's more… Physical.”
“Pfft. I know how much you love the physical. I'm guessing you're putting the jacket I left to good use.”
“Mhm… at least I have your smell.”
“Whatever you say.” Marie sounded smug, but Callie knew better. She had to be blushing just as much as herself… Short and curt to hide the fact. “You know, hold it too much and it'll start to smell like you instead.”
“All the better for you when I have to give it back!” Callie tried to be her excited self - but in the late, lonely hours of the night, the best she could do was squeak. She wished she could do more than just hear and smell Marie - see her, feel her. Taste her. Silence followed.
   “So uh… What's keeping you up this late?”
“I-”
“Other than thinking of me, of course.”
“You know me too well. I can't help it!”
“Well, don't worry. I feel the same way.”
“Aw, what d'you know. You're a night owl, after all.”
“Hey, usually I just don't want to sleep early. I still can.” A sigh. “Not tonight, though. I'm flattered I can keep someone like you up, though.”
“It's not any more crazy than me dragging you out of bed in the morning. That's how we work, right?” Callie smiled. Her happiness couldn't be seen, but it did well enough to make itself heard.
“Ha, I guess you're right.” Marie sighed, and Callie giggled.
“Anyway, I've been uh… trying to write out a riff. Like we talked about.”
“Not so easy, huh?” Marie chuckled.
“Yeah, you were right. I'm sorry we had that fight.”
“So am I… Listening back on our stuff, your solos are what really makes a song shine. Riffs can only get you so far.”
“Well, there's nothing wrong with having both. It's just really hard to put so much message into such a short and memorable string… With a solo, you can let yourself run wild, but… Maybe you lose some of the meaning that way. Some things are better let loose, and others contained. It's just like…”
“Like us?”
“Yeah! So there wasn't any point arguing which was better. I love your riffs and you love my solos, and that's all that matters, right?”
“Damn right. The way you're not afraid to let yourself loose is what I love most about you.“ The two of them laughed. The sounds carried on for quite a while, slowly fading out, until…
   “I miss you,” they both spoke, simultaneously. “I miss you more.”
“Woah, Marie. You're usually not competitive like that.”
“Look, Callie. I'll be honest… I miss you. A lot. I know others see me as stone-hearted or whatever, but… You know better. It feels like I haven't seen you in forever. I miss your smile… I miss your body.”
“I was thinking the same thing, y'know. It's funny, right? We're so different. I have black hair, you have gray hair. I'm expressive, you're… not. Even tiny things like the past and future, solos and riffs… But we can’t ever stop thinking about each other.”
“Guess we must just complete each other.”
“Something like that!” Callie beamed. For such a loud, excitable girl, her night had already been made by Marie's quiet, rich voice. Just another opposite to attract them. “It's a lot to think about.”
“Mm. But that's how it's always been right? Since we were kids.”
“Uh huh… I'm glad to have been with you so long. Growing up your cousin to see you become the love of my life… No matter what they say.” The two of them paused, taking in their past, all they had been through together and swore they would go through. “And uh… I know you're not a 'fate’ kind of girl, but even you have to admit… Putting us together has been too amazing of a thing for it to just be luck.” Marie laughed. Her voice had become something warmer - always did around Callie.
   “...I'll give it to you. Once in a while. After all, who knows where I'd be without you in my life?”
“Haha, same here. I just...I love you so much, Marie.”
“I love you too, Callie. I couldn't live without you. You know that.”
“Heh, sure do… I'm gonna try to go to bed, now. Hopefully I'll dream of us!”
“You’ll regret that when you wake up, you know.”
“Well… I'll see you soon enough anyway, right?”
“You've got a point… Maybe I'll try and dream of you on the way home. Not like I can help it.” They both grinned, sensing each other on the other line. “Goodnight, Callie. I love you.”
“I love you too, Marie.”
“Sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite.”
“You can be such a dork, Marie!”
“Oh, only for you.”
“Pffft… See ya! Love you!”
“I just said that. But I love you too.”
“I love you three!”
“I-” Callie hung up, giving her the last laugh. Marie really was the light of her life. The bond of both family and lover - how many others were so lucky? Rolling into bed, she kept imagining Marie's face, gentle and warm. She couldn't be home soon enough.