Close Shave
a Sonny short

 

For the first time in weeks, Sonny had gotten a good night's sleep. Somehow, miraculously, the dark fog that had invaded his head and taken up residence there had vanished. He didn't know how or why it had gone, just as he didn't know how or why it had come. But he was grateful to be able to breathe again without his breath catching in his throat; to think again without his mind racing off into terrifying black holes that he couldn't fight his way out of.

Looking at himself in the bathroom mirror this morning, he knew that he must have done just that: Fought like hell to save himself. He studied his reflection, and took note of the dark circles under his eyes; the sallowness of his skin. "Some time on the Island will fix that," he thought. He'd already made plans to go away with Carly and Michael. It would do them all some good. And now that he knew Ric was Faith's partner, he could leave Jason to deal with the "cleanup." Sonny rubbed his hand over his face, covered in at least a week's growth. Removing it would make him feel better, as well as look better.

He stood, shirtless, his skin glistening with moisture from the shower; a towel wrapped around his hips. Spraying shaving cream in his hand, he then covered the beard in a thick, even coat. He picked up the razor, took a deep breath to steady himself, and then began to shave. He shaved with a confidence and determination he didn't know he was still capable of. His hand was steady, and he could feel his heart pumping with every sweep of the blade. When the last hair was cut, he put the razor down, and then bent over the basin to splash his face with warm water. Standing up, he took the towel off his body, and dried his face. He looked again in the mirror, and saw a new man looking back. He couldn't help but smile, and say…"I'm baaaaaaaack!"

The End