Chapter Eleven:
Clarice woke up the next morning alone. She looked around the hotel room and found no one.
Clarice got up and went into the bathroom and got into the shower. The warm water ran over her body and she sighed out her pain. She kept thinking about Tamala, and how she missed her. She didn't miss her in the romantic sense, she just missed her being around. Being around Tami made her happy, sometimes made her feel more at home and safe that she would have liked. Clarice sighed and found tears springing up to her eyes once more. She remembered how Tami used to tell her that everything would be alright, and that someday, Clarice would find solitude and happiness even if it wasn't with her.
"I hope you're right..." she whispered.
Hannibal sat on the other side of the room, he had entered quietly and listened to her as she showered. Hannibal was consumed by the mist, so Clarice couldn't see him.
Clarice sat down on the floor of the shower/bath and looked up to the ceiling. She began talking out loud.
"I hope Hannibal knows that I didn't mean to hurt him Dad...I hope that he understands that I only did what I thought was best at the time. I didn't know how to leave her back then, it was too hard on her, and then it became too hard on me. I hope you aren't disappointed in my Dad, because I love Hannibal. I hope he knows that too...I just don't know how to say it to him in a way to make him fully understand." She cried out the last sentence as she stood up, "But someday Dad, I will make him understand...and I will never leave him."
Hannibal got undressed and opened the shower curtain silently and came up behind Clarice. He put his arms around her waist, and she screamed.
She turned around and saw Hannibal there, "You scared me..." she said quietly.
"How long have you been in here Hannibal..."
"Long enough."
Hannibal looked her in the eye and spoke, finally, from some real emotion.
"I know you love me Clarice. I had to be sure that you wouldn't leave again, since this is so soon after Tami's death. I understand she meant a lot to you, but I will make you happy Clarice. WE can have anything we have ever wanted, and we can live anywhere that you would like. Preferably out of the United States, but still, anywhere you desire we can go," he looked down and then back into her eyes, "I love you too Clarice. As much as I have tried to fight it sometimes, I do love you too."
They shared a passionate kiss and looked deeply in each others eyes.
What was shared there, symbolized a promise that neither one of them would ever leave again.
Authors Note: Ok I have finally finished this one....I didn't want to drag it on any longer, and I felt this was sufficient enough.
I hope you enjoyed it.
Clarice woke up the next morning alone. She looked around the hotel room and found no one.
Clarice got up and went into the bathroom and got into the shower. The warm water ran over her body and she sighed out her pain. She kept thinking about Tamala, and how she missed her. She didn't miss her in the romantic sense, she just missed her being around. Being around Tami made her happy, sometimes made her feel more at home and safe that she would have liked. Clarice sighed and found tears springing up to her eyes once more. She remembered how Tami used to tell her that everything would be alright, and that someday, Clarice would find solitude and happiness even if it wasn't with her.
"I hope you're right..." she whispered.
Hannibal sat on the other side of the room, he had entered quietly and listened to her as she showered. Hannibal was consumed by the mist, so Clarice couldn't see him.
Clarice sat down on the floor of the shower/bath and looked up to the ceiling. She began talking out loud.
"I hope Hannibal knows that I didn't mean to hurt him Dad...I hope that he understands that I only did what I thought was best at the time. I didn't know how to leave her back then, it was too hard on her, and then it became too hard on me. I hope you aren't disappointed in my Dad, because I love Hannibal. I hope he knows that too...I just don't know how to say it to him in a way to make him fully understand." She cried out the last sentence as she stood up, "But someday Dad, I will make him understand...and I will never leave him."
Hannibal got undressed and opened the shower curtain silently and came up behind Clarice. He put his arms around her waist, and she screamed.
She turned around and saw Hannibal there, "You scared me..." she said quietly.
"How long have you been in here Hannibal..."
"Long enough."
Hannibal looked her in the eye and spoke, finally, from some real emotion.
"I know you love me Clarice. I had to be sure that you wouldn't leave again, since this is so soon after Tami's death. I understand she meant a lot to you, but I will make you happy Clarice. WE can have anything we have ever wanted, and we can live anywhere that you would like. Preferably out of the United States, but still, anywhere you desire we can go," he looked down and then back into her eyes, "I love you too Clarice. As much as I have tried to fight it sometimes, I do love you too."
They shared a passionate kiss and looked deeply in each others eyes.
What was shared there, symbolized a promise that neither one of them would ever leave again.
Authors Note: Ok I have finally finished this one....I didn't want to drag it on any longer, and I felt this was sufficient enough.
I hope you enjoyed it.