I make her go take a long, hot shower. "To relax," I say. To try and wash away the pain of the day, I think. To feel clean, at least for a little while.
As she leaves, I walk into the kitchen to begin the dinner I promised. By the time she comes back out, hair wet, I'm pouring the pasta into a colander.. "Hey," I say. "Feel better?"
"Cleaner, yeah." She sits down at the table. My kitchen doubles as a dining area.
"You came out just in time." I dump the pasta into a bowl and pour some sauce into a bowl as well. "Dinner is served," I say in a British accent. She smiles slightly. "Dig in."