Cardigan

His keen eyes searched around the closet sharply, looking for that one piece of clothing he’d discarded years ago.

It would be buried somewhere at the back of his closet, he knew that, for he had outgrown the sweater a long time ago. It barely went down his shoulders now, before getting stuck.

In short, it would be the perfect size for her.

Although he didn’t know what had possessed him to keep it, he silently thanked his younger self for not giving it away back then. Maybe he’d kept it in the hopes that someone else would, perhaps, wear it in the future.

His hand rummaged through the back, disarranging the neatly kept folded clothes. Some of them fell to the ground, but he couldn’t be bothered to pick them up right now. There would be plenty of time for that later. But as of this moment, he had to focus on finding that sweater for her.

She’d been sitting quietly all this while, her innocent doe like eyes looking up at him as he searched for the desired item. She could feel his frustration, as if they were rays emanating from him. She’d wanted to comfort him, but it was difficult reading Stephen. You never knew what he wanted. She didn’t know whether to reassure him or to remain quiet.

She eventually chose the latter. She could wait, and besides, he was quite stubborn. She was certain that he’d insist on finding it regardless of what she said.

She smiled to herself unknowingly, as she continued to watch him amusedly.

He had almost given up hope, until his fingers touched something soft. Stephen’s entire body stiffened, as his fingers played with the hem of the material. He knew without a doubt he’d found it.

Grasping the cashmere jumper, he pulled it out, showcasing it to the girl who sat on the bed.

She grinned as she stood up, her eyes never leaving the item he held between his fingers.

“Wanna try this?” He asked, a crooked smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

She gladly took the cardigan from him, resisting the urge to bury her face against the silky, smooth fabric and inhale his sweet cologne as she slowly unbuttoned the front.

The cardigan slid onto her with ease, the tips of her fingers barely peeking through from the edges. Stephen had to clench his palms together to stop himself from hugging her on spot. He feared he might just crush her.

“Ta-da.” She spoke. It was accompanied with a little twirl.

“What do we think?”

He chuckled lightly at her actions, as he scratched the nape of neck shyly.

“I think you should keep the cardigan from now on.”