Holly
I can hear the clattering from down the hall as I approached my bathroom. Gail had been in there for quite a while and I am starting to get worried. Something is obviously wrong.
"Honey, is everything okay?" the door is already slightly ajar, so I just push it open. What I find however is slightly surprising.
Gail is sitting in the middle of the floor hair strewn around her and a pair of scissors in hand.
Her head turns to look at me and I can see the tear streaks down each side of her face as she acknowledges the mess she has made. She is immediately guilt stricken and can't stop herself look straight down at her hands which are neatly folded into her lap, scissors dismissed as I entered the room.
"I'm sorry, I-I don't know why I did this." Her sentence falters as she fights back the tears and I slowly make my way over to her crouching to her level and taking her face in my hands.
"It's okay, Gail. Gail look at me." Her eyes slowly latch onto mine and I am immediately stuck with the sadness I can see seeping through the air between us. "It's fine, it's okay, we can sort this out, okay?" she nods slowly as I lift her chin slightly and our lips meet. They only brush, ever so slightly. "Shall we sort out your hair first or are you trying a new do?" I nudge her gently in the side with my elbow and see a glimpse of a smile appear on her lips, just for a second and then it vanishes.
"No I don't think this is the best look I've ever had Lunchbox," she takes my hand that I offered and I pull her to her feet, "I may need a bit of help though if you happen to be any good at snipping hair?"
I wrap my arm around her and pull her into a hug, "actually you're in luck, I'm a bit of a master at all things scissory." With that I give her a small squeeze and earn myself a chuckle. Finally. That sound could lift anyone's spirits, lighten anyone's mood. "Get in the bath so we don't make any more mess though."
"Ahh, always two steps ahead, very smart" she plants herself into the bath, as far away from the shower head as possible, facing the wall, "some things will just never change ayy."
"Yeah on being I'll always be here, you should know that, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, not without you by my side." I clamber into the bath behind, planting a kiss on the side of her head and each leg on either side of her hips. "Even with no hair. How short are we going exactly?"
Forty five minutes later I have finally created a look that involves all her hair being the same length and she is now facing me.
"Okay, so I think I may be done." I state looking down at her, inspecting my work.
"Okay, can I take a look?"
"Of course you can have a look," I confirm simply, "just give me a moment to wipe the remaining hair off you, so you don't get it all over the floor." I can't help chuckling to myself as she looks around at the floor of my once perfectly clean bathroom that is now littered with hair.
"I'm sorry about that by the way, wasn't really thinking about what I was doing at the time."
"Clearly, but it doesn't matter, nothing a quick hoover won't fix, that can be your job in the morning."
She spins around on the spot to look at me both eyebrows raised in a mock shock expression "Woah, Dr Stewart getting a presumptuous are we?"
"Well considering I brought you here in my car so therefore you have no way of getting home, and it's almost half past twelve at night- I just assumed." I shrug and twist on my heels and start to leave the room, only to have a hand clamp onto my arm and pull me into a bear hug I have no chance getting out of.
"No no, I want to stay, please?" She releases me at arm length and looks me up and down trying to gauge my reaction until a smile cracks through my lips and she slumps back into my arms. "Thank you," she barely whispers into my chest arms still wrapped around me tight, "really thank you, for everything, I don't think I would have made it through today without you and your shoulder…"
"Whatever you need okay, I'll be here."
"I know. I know, but just. Thank you." With that I lead the way out of the bathroom and down the hall into my room.
"Did you want to sleep in here with me or I can sleep in the guest room, or you can sleep in the guest room? Whatever you want." She was sweeping my room with her eyes. It hadn't occurred to me this is the first time she had been in here, so she wasn't even listening to me.
It isn't much. As you enter the room the windows are on the wall immediately opposite and on the right hand wall is my bed, in the middle. I have a chest of drawers set against the wall next to the door with all sorts on it, including: photos of my family and friends (now including a picture of me and Gail that she had taken of the two of us at the batting cages); a jewellery box- too small to actually hold all of the things in it and so overflowing onto the table top and a mirror resting onto the wall behind to stand up. My wardrobe is on the wall across from the bed and is admittedly not looking its best with the doors slightly open and clothes all over the floor inside and out. Finally there is a wide armchair in the far corner- in which Gail is now seated in looking around- that is far comfier than anything in the living room.
"I like it, it's very you" she whispers to the room at a volume I can only just hear.
"Okay, Gail. Gail, sweetie?" she finally stops her perusing and meets my eyes across the room. "Where would you like to sleep? I can sleep in the guest room if that would make you more comfortable or-"
"No. No I would like to sleep in here, with you. Please?"
"Yeah, yeah of course that's fine, whatever," I walk over to the drawers and open the top one to retrieve some pyjamas for myself and turn once again to face Gail. "What do you normally wear?"
She was in a daze again I realise a moment too late and I have interrupted her train of thought. Looking at me confused I can see she has no idea what I just said and so doesn't know how to respond. "I just wandered what you wear to bed normally. Do you want so shorts or trousers?"
"Oh, I don't- I don't normally sleep in anything," I know I shouldn't- this isn't the right time at all for this- but I feel my pulse quicken. Just the image of this woman in front of me- in my bed, with me without any clothes, is a very hard thought to shake. I have to physical rid it from my head before I look back at her.
"So, do you want to put something on to sleep or…" I don't know how to finish that sentence so I try again, "it's not that- I- I erm, if you don't put anything on- I don't know-"
"Oh, yeah yeah of course, would I be okay to just use some shorts and a t-shirt or something then?"
"Yes- yes that's fine." I shift about my drawer looking for some more shorts and a comfy shirt for Gail. As I find what I was look for I turn to see Gail has now gotten up from the seat and is making her way over to me slowly. As she reaches my side I hold out the clothes, "here you go, I'll go and get changed in the bathroom so you can- do whatever."
"Holly"
"mmmh"
"Seriously, thank you." She's close enough now that I can feel her breath on my lips and I can't help myself but to think about earlier- the interrogation room- my eyes flicker from her lips to her eyes. But I can't, this really isn't the time.
"Oh-okay. Well I'm gonna go and change now." I turn and try for the door only to stumble straight into the drawers. Stupid drawers. And hit by hip on the corner. I rush out of the room before I can determine Gail's reaction.
I take my time in the bathroom to ensure there is no chance of me walking in on Gail changing then head back to my room. As I enter I figure maybe I waited a little too long. She's asleep under the covers on the far side of the bed snuggled into the pillows below her head in a position that looks very, very comfortable. I try my best not to wake her as I slide into the bed next to her careful not to touch her at all, but it's useless as she slides towards me and burrows her head into the crevice between my neck and shoulder. I drift off like this after about half an hour. After I am completely sure Gail is asleep. But mostly after I have watched her drift through her peaceful slumber knowing finally she was mine.