"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Hamilton continued to drag his feet
along the pavement, ignoring the shouts from the people he walked into.
His jacket was hanging off his shoulder, and his shoelace was untied. It
was very early morning, and he looked as though he hadn't stopped walking
all night. He slumped onto a bench on the side of the road, dropping his
bags on the floor. He sat there for a long time, staring into nothingness.
He looked lost; he probably was. A flickering street lamp nearby finally
gave up, and he was left sitting in semi-darkness, still staring ahead,
unmoving. It began to rain. His hair became plastered to his forehead,
and drops of water fell off the end of his nose. Once it had been raining
pretty hard for a while, he slowly looked down at his feet and noticed they
were wet. He looked to the sky, as if to say 'typical', before going back
to staring ahead.
Jake sat, leaning against the front door. Her eyes were red, and she looked like she'd been looking at the same bit of wall for the last nine hours. She looked completely drained. The sun began to shine through the window, on her patch of wall, and she blinked a few times, sniffing. She looked around, and spotted a clock on the wall. She contemplated the time, took a deep breath, and stood up, using the door for support. She threw back her head, stood up tall, and plastered a smile on her face, giving her a fake kind of happiness. She walked up the stairs, and went to wake her little girl.
Hamilton sat on the same bench, his clothes heavy with water and hanging off him. He looked calm, his mouth turned up at the corners a little. He wasn't looking as miserable as he did. He looked around slowly, in an almost robotic way, and the sun shone on his face. Then, slowly, he stood up, and began to walk along the pavement again. Only this time, he was in control, and stood up more straight, placing his feet more definitely on the floor.
Emily's hands were covered in cake mixture as she stirred the contents of the bowl she was holding. Jake stood next to her; the same smile still plastered on her face as she says, "That's it, just keep stirring." She looked up as she heard the doorbell ring.
"I'll just go see who that is, okay? Just keep doing what you're doing." Jake wiped her hands on a cloth as she spoke to her daughter, before leaving the kitchen. Almost as soon as she'd passed through the doorway, the smile flew from her face, her shoulders dropped, and she showed what she was really feeling.
She opened the door, looking down. Slowly, her eyes ran up the person standing in front of her, till they came to rest on his, filled with concern.
"God Ham, what happened? Were you out in the rain? You look terrible."
"Don't look too good yourself", he replied quietly, looking straight at her.
Jake looked down to find she was still wearing what she had worn yesterday. Although, 'wearing' would probably not be the best word to use. Her clothes more like hung on her. She tugged at her short hair; slightly embarrassed that she hadn't even realised her rugged state. She looked up as Hamilton spoke, his tired but still sparkling blue eyes looking into her wearied green ones.
"Look, Jake, you were right. I was being heartless. I do love you, and I.don't.think I wanna lose you just 'cos there's a." He paused as he looked toward the kitchen to see Emily roughly attacking the cake mixture. "...very beautiful little girl around now. But.there's a lot I need to ask, and tell you."
Jake looked at Hamilton, and felt as if she may begin to cry again. But she had no tears left.
"OK", she said, responding to what he'd said, and met his eyes again. They knew that the first steps toward forgiveness had been taken. Then, as if on cue, they both turned their heads slowly to look toward the kitchen, and smiled weakly to see Emily licking her fingers and the spoon she was holding.
Jake turned back to look at Hamilton, as he stood on the doorstep: watching her daughter enjoying the 'cooking'. *He looks ruined. I hope he can forgive me* she thought.
"Why don't you have a shower, and change", she suggested, pulling him out of his trance. "Do you have dry clothes?" She lowered her eyes, indicating the sports bag he was holding, that was pretty soaked too.
"Yeah", he replied. "Okay." He looked intently at her, still feeling the same burning love for her, even after all that had happened. *She looks tired. This has affected her as much as me. But God, she still looks beautiful* He refrained from reaching out and touching her.
They both knew how much they wanted each other. They each had a huge wish to kiss the other and forgive everything, but they had a stronger knowledge of what had to be done first.
"The shower's upstairs. Second door on the left. There should be clean towels in there. Yell if you need anything." Jake instructed.
"Okay", Hamilton said gently, heading toward the stairs after pulling off his shoes.
"And come down when you're done, yeah?"
"Yeah." Hamilton walked slowly up the stairs.
Jake watched him until he turned the corner, and sighed. She put on her Emily front again, with acted enthusiasm, and headed toward the kitchen.
Jake sat, leaning against the front door. Her eyes were red, and she looked like she'd been looking at the same bit of wall for the last nine hours. She looked completely drained. The sun began to shine through the window, on her patch of wall, and she blinked a few times, sniffing. She looked around, and spotted a clock on the wall. She contemplated the time, took a deep breath, and stood up, using the door for support. She threw back her head, stood up tall, and plastered a smile on her face, giving her a fake kind of happiness. She walked up the stairs, and went to wake her little girl.
Hamilton sat on the same bench, his clothes heavy with water and hanging off him. He looked calm, his mouth turned up at the corners a little. He wasn't looking as miserable as he did. He looked around slowly, in an almost robotic way, and the sun shone on his face. Then, slowly, he stood up, and began to walk along the pavement again. Only this time, he was in control, and stood up more straight, placing his feet more definitely on the floor.
Emily's hands were covered in cake mixture as she stirred the contents of the bowl she was holding. Jake stood next to her; the same smile still plastered on her face as she says, "That's it, just keep stirring." She looked up as she heard the doorbell ring.
"I'll just go see who that is, okay? Just keep doing what you're doing." Jake wiped her hands on a cloth as she spoke to her daughter, before leaving the kitchen. Almost as soon as she'd passed through the doorway, the smile flew from her face, her shoulders dropped, and she showed what she was really feeling.
She opened the door, looking down. Slowly, her eyes ran up the person standing in front of her, till they came to rest on his, filled with concern.
"God Ham, what happened? Were you out in the rain? You look terrible."
"Don't look too good yourself", he replied quietly, looking straight at her.
Jake looked down to find she was still wearing what she had worn yesterday. Although, 'wearing' would probably not be the best word to use. Her clothes more like hung on her. She tugged at her short hair; slightly embarrassed that she hadn't even realised her rugged state. She looked up as Hamilton spoke, his tired but still sparkling blue eyes looking into her wearied green ones.
"Look, Jake, you were right. I was being heartless. I do love you, and I.don't.think I wanna lose you just 'cos there's a." He paused as he looked toward the kitchen to see Emily roughly attacking the cake mixture. "...very beautiful little girl around now. But.there's a lot I need to ask, and tell you."
Jake looked at Hamilton, and felt as if she may begin to cry again. But she had no tears left.
"OK", she said, responding to what he'd said, and met his eyes again. They knew that the first steps toward forgiveness had been taken. Then, as if on cue, they both turned their heads slowly to look toward the kitchen, and smiled weakly to see Emily licking her fingers and the spoon she was holding.
Jake turned back to look at Hamilton, as he stood on the doorstep: watching her daughter enjoying the 'cooking'. *He looks ruined. I hope he can forgive me* she thought.
"Why don't you have a shower, and change", she suggested, pulling him out of his trance. "Do you have dry clothes?" She lowered her eyes, indicating the sports bag he was holding, that was pretty soaked too.
"Yeah", he replied. "Okay." He looked intently at her, still feeling the same burning love for her, even after all that had happened. *She looks tired. This has affected her as much as me. But God, she still looks beautiful* He refrained from reaching out and touching her.
They both knew how much they wanted each other. They each had a huge wish to kiss the other and forgive everything, but they had a stronger knowledge of what had to be done first.
"The shower's upstairs. Second door on the left. There should be clean towels in there. Yell if you need anything." Jake instructed.
"Okay", Hamilton said gently, heading toward the stairs after pulling off his shoes.
"And come down when you're done, yeah?"
"Yeah." Hamilton walked slowly up the stairs.
Jake watched him until he turned the corner, and sighed. She put on her Emily front again, with acted enthusiasm, and headed toward the kitchen.