It had been a year. A whole year since Red and Emma had gotten married. Being out of prison was great now but at the very beginning it was rough. There were so many things that they were sheltered from when they were at Litch. They thought they were free when they were out but for the first year they had to meet with their p.o's and have interviews. They were openly out as a couple which caused heads to turn. They weren't your conventional couple. Ex prisoners, one Red head in her 50's and a brunette in her early 30's. At first watching people gasp at their age gap bothered them but they realize they are who they are and it didn't matter what people thought. Next, they needed jobs. Luckily Emma's mother had a job set up for her for when she got out, working at the family law office ironically. Emma was in charge of filing papers and such. It wasn't much but it was a job nonetheless.
Red on the other hand kept getting and loosing small, poorly paid jobs.
"I don't feel right with this." she said to Emma one night over dinner.
"No job feels right, I want I cook again. I don't understand why no one will look past what I did almost 15 years ago and let me work in their restaurant." She said.
" I don't know love. People suck." Em said as if it were the most obvious answer.
"I want my own place. To cook and bake. But I'll never be able to get it started. I have no money and who would rent out a building to an ex prisoner?"
"Never say Never Red." Emma stated. "You just have to keep trying."
And Red did try. She found buildings for sale. She applied for rent. None came through. Then she found one. It slightly resembled her shop in Queens.
"I could do so much here. Cook like I used to. It's perfect!" Red stated her bright blue eyes shimmering with hope and promise of a new start.
They were so close. Red had most of the paperwork signed and she was coming up with floor plans, menus and everything else she needed to make her dream restaurant. Emma loved seeing Red so excited about something that she could truly make hers.
Emma was going with Red to sign the final papers and make it official.
"Oh I'm like a girl on Christmas morning!" Red all but squealed as they walked into the realtors office.
"Mrs. Reznikov-Johnson?" Realtor Jacob Mathers called. Both women stood up and walked it to office.
"I'm so excited to do this! I feel like I'm adopting a child!" Red said almost giddy with exitement.
She was so into her dream that she didnt notice the saddened look of Mr. Mathers.
"Red." He started, motioning for her to sit down. "There has been a problem. The owner of the building decided to keep it. She wants to give her bakery another chance. She called last night telling me she changed her mind. I am so sorry." He said as he watched the older woman's face fall.
Emma felt her heart still. She looked at her wife seeing her try to fight against tears.
"Can she do that?" Emma asked. "How is that fair?"
"It isn't fair but it is allowed. It will be ok Ms. Reznikov. You know there are plenty of places going up for sale all the time. You just need to find the right one for you." Mathers said.
"That was the right one for me!" Red said loudly her voice finally breaking. "I had it all planned out. It was perfect. I was so happy." She said sadly.
"I'm sorry." He said.
Emma and Red slowly and quietly walked back to the car. Emma watched her wife carefully but saw Red retreating into herself.
"Love.."Emma started "it's going to be ok..you.."
"No! Red interrupted loudly. "It won't be ok! It's not ok! Everything was supposed to be better now that we are out. We are supposed to be making our dreams come true. Not watching them fall apart:" Said her accent getting thicker with emotion.
They had gotten back to the house. Red barely waited until Emma stopped the car before she jumped out and ran up the steps to their apartment.
"Red?" Emma said as she followed her wife into their bedroom watching her wife grab pjs and a towel. "I'm going to shower." She said closing the bathroom door in Emma's face. She sighed and pressed her forehead against the door.
Emma didn't dare move from the door as she listened to her wife start the shower. She heard the shower curtain open as close. Emma hesitated then walked to the bedroom door, opened it and closed it again with herself still inside the room. She then walked quietly back the bathroom door. After waiting a few seconds she heard it. The sound of her wife's sobs. Emma's heart lurched. It made her sad that Red tried to hide her pain from her wife.
She desperately wanted to go comfort her wife but knew she needed her space.
Emma made pasta for dinner. By the time Red made her way to the kitchen Emma had set the table for a nice dinner in hope to soothe her wife's aching heart.
Red sat at the table. "It looks good love." Red said. She looked up at Emma who saw the cooks eyes puffy And bloodshot.
She reached over and laid her hand across Red's.
"I know it hurts and it sucks. I know you just want to hide away and cry and want to scream at the same time. I get that you feel it's not going your way. But it's their loss love. You are the most amazing cook and your inspiration and drive is such an amazing thing. I am so so glad you have that love. But just because this one place fell through doesn't mean they all will. Soon you will get the right place..the perfect place and you will have people out the doors to eat your food. And I will stand there in the door way shouting THAT IS MY WIFE AND I AM THE LUCKIEST WOMAN ALIVE!l"
When Emma stopped talking she looked at the tear filled eyes or her wife.
Red got up from the table and walked around to Emma side sitting herself on her lap. She pressed a gentle kiss to the brunettes lips and said "No my love. I am the lucky one."
