The curled figure on the sofa stirred slightly in her sleep. The slight rise and fall of her chest was rapid, attempting to keep up with the pace of a nightmare. Her breath hitched and she sat bolt upright, panting in the darkness.
Calming her breathing, Delia focussed on her surroundings. Familiar yet unfamiliar. Welcoming in its nooks and crannies, but also foreboding in the shadows they created. Drawing her knees to her chest, Delia racked her brains. Her mind had not been the same since the accident, and sometimes her thoughts deserted her in a more dramatic fashion than others. This was one of those times.
Delia focussed on the little facts she could; her body was intact, her breathing had slowed down to a more manageable pace, and the slow dripping in the background indicated a leaky faucet in the distance. The house around her gave a loud creak which shook Delia to her core.
Standing on unsteady legs, Delia began to explore the house she found herself in. The smell of old books and wood felt strangely comforting to her as her mind was still searching for an explanation. Reaching the source of the dripping, Delia turned the tap off and looked around the kitchen. On the table lay a tin of biscuits that had been pried open by the spoon unceremoniously dumped at its side, many of the biscuits had been eaten, the crumbs littering the table the only proof of their existence. The sight made Delia smile, and she felt obliged to replace the tin lid and hide it out of reach at the back of the highest cupboard. Sweeping the crumbs onto the floor, Delia made her way into the hall.
Passing by a telephone illuminated by seemingly the only light on in the house, Delia paused taking in the strange names on the board in front of her. Once again this caused a flutter of comfort in her stomach she was unable to place. Making her way onwards to the foot of a rather large staircase, Delia tentatively tested the bottom step and found the creak it expelled to be rather loud in the surrounding silence. Placing her feet carefully, Delia made her way swiftly up the stairs and in reaching the top landing in seconds, paused to gather her breath, ears straining for the faintest sounds of stirring from any direction.
Satisfied that she had not disturbed anyone from where she assumed they were sleeping, Delia crept down the hallway, feeling drawn deeper into its darkness. Pausing outside one of the identical doors, Delia felt her breath catch in her throat. Pushing the door open, Delia was hit with the wonderful scent of coffee and bleach, mixed with the faint smell of flower perfume. The smile that encompassed Delia's face was unmistakable, and she was rather relieved that the occupants of the room were absent.
Crossing the room towards the furthest bed from the door the scents got stronger and stronger until Delia was fully enveloped in them. Smiling she sat down on the bed, enjoying the softness of the sheets underneath her fingers. The feelings of tiredness began to overcome her once again and Delia found herself curled up on the bed, faced pressed into the pillow inhaling the smell. Resuming the position she had been in on the sofa, Delia drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
Delia awoke for the second time in a more controlled manner than the first. The arm that had snaked its way across her stomach settled underneath her shirt and drew small circles on her skin. The body pressed behind her began placing soft kisses on her neck and snuggled in closer than Delia would ever have though possible. Feeling Delia move slightly, the arm around her tightened.
"I am sorry I woke you Deels, I tried to be as careful as I could."
"S'ok," Delia mumbled in response.
"Did you forget where your bed was my love?"
"Yes I did," Delia admitted, "in fact I forgot everything."
Delia stroked the hand that tensed on her stomach momentarily until it relaxed into the motion.
"Actually, that is not true. I never forgot you." As Delia spoke she turned herself round in the bed to face her partner. "Even though I did not know where I was, I knew that this is the spot that I needed to be in."
"Oh Deels..."
"Even when I do not know anything else about myself, I know that you are my safe place and I know that I love you Patsy."
Leaning to close the gap between them before a response was uttered, Delia pressed her lips softly to Patsy's and then snuggled into the crook of her neck. Though Delia's mind periodically abandoned her; she knew that Patsy never would and in that moment she had never felt so protected in all her life.