(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Therese sat in the back of the car as Carol and Abby loaded their suitcases in Abby's car. Once they were on the road Abby turned to Carol.
"Where to?"
Carol turned her head slightly so that she could look at Therese, whose eyes where avoiding the older woman's. Her heart started beating faster. She wanted Therese to answer, wanted her to choose for herself.
"West 83rd street." Therese said and Carol's heart sank inside her chest. "I need to pick up a change of clothes and some things I'll need." She continued as she met Carol's eyes which were filling with tears.
Carol turned back and sat straight in the chair. She smiled at Abby as she said.
"Well you heard what the client wants." Carol and Abby giggled and Therese could feel the heat rise in her cheeks.
"Ask and you shall receive." Abby looked into the mirror, happy at how easy she could make the girl blush.
Carol and Abby caught up during the 50-minute drive. Therese tried not to eardrop but it couldn't be helped. Abby was filling Carol in on a redhead she'd apparently met in the furniture shop they owned together; they were going on a date next week.
"You sure you can handle a redhead?" Carol teased Abby and Therese felt a hinge of jealousy at the apparent easiness the two shared around each other.
"Of course I can, you nitwit." Their laughter filled the confined space of the car. After they both stopped giggling a silence fell upon them.
"Have you heard anything from Harge?" Abby turned to look at Carol.
"No. He hasn't been answering my calls for the past few days." Therese listened as the conversation became heavier. Carol hadn't mentioned anything about this to her.
"I'm sure he has a good reason, Carol." Abby assured Carol even though she had an uneasy feeling about this whole situation with Harge and his sudden need for full custody of Rindy.
"He better have a good fucking reason." Carol said sharply and the conversation stopped there.
Abby asked Therese questions about her work and told her she knew some people that might be interested to see her photography and Therese smiled appreciating. She also asked her about living in New York and Therese informed Abby that there was no place she'd rather live; however loud the city could be, the opportunities she had there were too many to pass up on.
"Come in, if you'd like?" Therese offered Abby who was unloading hers and Carol's bags.
"Thanks, babe, but I have a client waiting at the shop. I'll come by soon though." Abby said as she hugged Carol and then Therese; something that she hadn't expected but appreciated nonetheless.
"Would you like some coffee? Or tea?" Therese asked as they entered her apartment. She saw Carol looking around the apartment, softly brushing the couch with the back of her hand. Therese suddenly grew conscious of how small her home actually was; an old couch, cupboards in the kitchen that were on the brim of falling off. That was all she could afford, yet she was never ungrateful. Ever since she'd moved to the big city to pursue her dream of photography she'd known she'd have to settle for small and dull. But Carol. Carol was anything but small or dull; she was everything big and bright and Therese suddenly felt sick for inviting her in. She was so far away in her thoughts that she hadn't heard Carol's answer or seen the way she was looking at the photographs that lay on the coffee table.
"You're miles away, darling. What are you thinking?" Carol walked up to her and the sound of Carol's voice brought her back down to earth.
"Carol I…I can't afford to live with you. I'm definitely not making enough money at the magazine to be able to live on Madison Avenue. I've lived in this tiny apartment for over 3 years and I've never needed…"
Carol's lips landed on Therese's as she pulled the girl closer and wrapped an arm around her waist. Therese's breath was caught in her throat and whatever she was going to say poured into Carol's mouth instead. Carol pulled away slowly and cupped Therese's chin and motioned it upwards so that the girl would look her in the eyes. But Therese's gaze turned to the floor.
"Look at me." Carol said softly; begging. When Therese's eyes met hers she continued as she brushed a short strand of hair behind the girl's ear. "I love you. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, do you understand that Therese?"
The girl leaned her head on Carol's shoulder as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. They stood in the middle of the small living room and all of a sudden it didn't matter where they were anymore. It didn't matter whether they were in Therese's tiny living room, or on the sunny beach in Cyprus or on Madison Avenue. It didn't matter where they were, as long as they were there together; safe in each other's arms.
"I don't want you to feel like you owe me anything, my sweet." Carol continued as her fingers roamed swiftly between strands of Therese's hair. "I was lucky to grow up in a wealthy family and I'm grateful that I can afford such a place and I'm blessed to have found you. I want to share everything that I have and everything that I am with you. And I'd do that on Madison Avenue, I'd do that here, hell I'd do it on the moon."
Therese squeezed Carol closer to her body, overwhelmed by the words coming out of the woman's mouth; dripping honey. She looked up into Carol's eyes searching for honesty. She knew what they had was real but would it survive in the reality of New York?
"I would want to contribute to the household, Carol."
"And you will, darling. Once you get that raise you deserve. But for now I'd love that, and that and that." Carol said pointing to an ashtray on the coffee table, a painting hanging on the wall and finally Therese's lips.
Therese smiled deeply at the woman's ability to humor her while they were having a very intense conversation.
"You know, that was my father's" she said pointing to the ashtray. "It's the only thing I have left of him. He passed away when I was four" She said smiling a sad smile at the memory. Carol brushed her cheek.
"I'm sorry."
"It's alright. I want you to have it." Therese's sad smile turned into a genuine one then. Connecting the past with the present, her two favorite people in the world would meet after all.
"What about your mother?" Carol asked hesitantly as they moved to the couch; Therese placing her head on Carol's lap as she spread out on the couch. She looked upward into waiting grey eyes.
"She left about two years after he died. Dropped me off in front of an orphanage and disappeared." She said closing her eyes, not wanting to see Carol's reaction.
After a few beats of silence she felt a soft kiss on her forehead and opened her eyes slowly.
"What about that coffee?" Carol whispered and Therese was glad Carol knew exactly what to say.
Therese hadn't much to pack apart from some books, her photographs and her clothes. She wrapped the stuff Carol wanted in some paper and put them in the boxes with the other stuff. Carol had hailed a cab for them and before she knew it she was standing in front of her new home. Carol unlocked the door with her key and made a note in her mind to get another one made for Therese. She let the girl walk in first.
Therese's eyes widened at the amount of space; yet it looked empty. She noticed some unpacked boxes sitting around the living room and added her own next to them. She walked to the kitchen that seemed unused and then towards a long corridor. There were three doors, one she assumed was Rindy's room, the second could be the bathroom and the third, ah the third would be Carol's room.
"Is that your room?" she asked pointing towards the last door.
"Our room. Yes." Carol came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist.
They unpacked some boxes together until a wave of tiredness hit them both. Carol showered while Therese continued unpacking, looking for her pajamas. Carol had bought her a silk pajama set while they were in Cyprus and it was the most comfortable thing she'd ever slept in; although with Carol she usually would get rid of them halfway through the night.
They lay in bed facing each other. Carol gently traced her fingers up and down Therese's back. Therese complained about the woman's hands being cold but when Carol tried to extract her hand from under Therese's pajama, Therese pressed it back down.
Therese was about to kiss Carol's lips when a sudden slam on the door startled her.
"I know you're in there, Carol!" a loud manly voiced yelled and Carol's eyes widened as she recognized it all too well.
"Goddammit." Carol swore as she sat up in bed. "Stay here." She instructed Therese and she closed the door behind her.
The knocking got louder, as well did the muffled screaming. It was past midnight and he was causing a scene. If she didn't open the door a neighbor probably would, and this was already embarrassing enough.
"What do you want, Harge?" She opened the door slowly.
"What do I want?" Harge replied stumbling inside. He was obviously extremely drunk. "What do I want you ask." His laughter made her feel sick.
"Harge, you're drunk." She stated as if it would change anything. "I've been calling you for days and you haven't been picking up! Where have you been?" The heat in her slowly rising.
He was keeping Rindy from her and she knew damn well he hadn't been home in a few days since Rindy had been calling her about nightmares the past three days.
"Well, you have some guts asking me that! You went off to the other side of the fucking planet leaving your child behind, and you ask me where I've been?"
"You know damn well I never left Rindy! I never left my child. I needed to get away from you, Harge. You and your drunk ass. And don't you dare threaten me about taking Rindy away. You know goddam well that no judge will let a child live with an alcoholic instead of her mother."
Therese could hear everything. The apartment was so empty the screams and footsteps echoed around the room the way the waves had when they left the window open in their hotel room. She wished they were there now. In their own little paradise; away from Harge and Richard, away from threats and screaming, away from reality.
"Where is he?" Harge screamed as he started moving towards the corridor.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Carol tried to grab his arm but he instantly swapped her hand away. He looked back at her and she could see his eyes darken.
"You can't tell me you dragged your pretty ass to the other side of the world and didn't come back with a new boyfriend." He smiled an evil smile. "Is he in there?" he walked towards the bedroom.
Carol wanted to slap him but she knew he was capable of doing her and Therese more harm than they could do to him.
"You can't just walk in here and do what you want, Harge. You're not my husband anymore, goddammit. I'm calling the police."
Therese's heart started beating faster. And faster. She felt like she was going to throw up. She knew she should get up. Move. Hide. Her legs went limp. She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. She could hear Carol on the phone in the living room. She could hear the switching of the door handle.
The door flew open.
(Notes)
The honeymoon phase is over. Reality has hit them hard, but i'm super excited to write more and see where this takes us. Hope you enjoy a little drama because it's definitely gonna get a bit more dramatic for a while. Fasten your seat belts, ya'll are in for a wild ride.;) Hope you enjoy this fast update and let me know your opinions!