Rosemary barely had time to push the bed frame back in place before the grandfather clock downstairs let out a succession of six low, humming bongs. 6 p.m.? Why, Lee would be home any minute! She pushed a frazzled lock of hair off her face and straightened her shirtwaist. There, everything was in order… well, everything except her expression. There was no getting rid of the anger and angst there. Upon hearing the front door downstairs open, she made her way to the stairs. God help her, she could barely think straight for the terror coursing through her. Whoever had toyed with her special box would have the mighty wrath of Rosemary to deal with. But, for the moment, she might try to disguise her fury until she figured out what was really going on.
"Honey?" Lee's voice came from the bottom of the stairs.
"Coming, Dear." She cautiously swept down the stairs to face her husband. It took a lot of control to keep her face gentle. The corners of her eyes felt squinty and suspicious. Lee leaned forward for a kiss. She offered her lips, somewhat cold and hard.
"I noticed we have a bit of company." Lee said, oblivious to the storm going on inside of her. He motioned to the settee. To Sidney.
"Oh yes." Her cheeks flamed. She had quite forgotten about the kitten. "She's a sweet little creature. She ended up keeping me company for the day. I don't think she has a home."
"Now she does."
Her head snapped up. "What?"
"Well, why not?"
"You mean we could keep her?"
Lee nodded and a sliver of the hidden anger she was holding against him fell away.
"Her name is Sidney."
"Oh is it now?"
"Well, she sort of reminds me of my Aunt Sidney."
Lee raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
She coughed. She sure wasn't going to tell him that the commonality between Aunt Sidney and this creature was their listening ears. No, she wouldn't dare reveal to a human being that this afternoon she had bore all of the secrets of her heart to a furry, yet darling, beast.
She shook her head, trying desperately to come up with a logical reason. "Well… Umm…Aunt Sidney always liked orange." Yes, that would do. A memory resurfaced. "Her favorite tea set was cream with orange poppies painted in the middle of each teacup and a—"
"Okay. So, how are you, Sid?" Lee went over to the kitten and stroked her on the head, in-between her ears. She purred.
She placed her hands on her hips. "No, not Sid. Sidney. Right, Sidney?" She went over and gave Sidney a pat identical to the one Lee had just administered. This time Sidney did not purr.
Lee laughed and then shrugged his shoulders. "Looks like she's a 'Sid' to me."
She huffed. "Well, I for one will always call her Sidney."
Lee smiled. "I like her and I like that she can keep you company."
"But what about your rule: animals always belong outdoors?"
"Well, most of the time I agree, but this little girl, well, something's different about her." Lee continued to pet the kitten who decided to get up and stretch, her mouth opening in a big yawn, her pink tongue protruding. Lee picked her up and beamed at her, the corners of his eyes crinkling.
"How did you know how to do that?" She said staring at him in awe.
"Do what?"
"Pick her up like that."
"I don't know. You mean you haven't?"
"Oh no. I don't have the faintest idea how to hold an animal like that."
Lee quirked an eyebrow.
"Here, let me show you—" He approached her with the kitten in his arms, holding the flailing animal towards her. Heavens, no, she wasn't going to hold that thing. It had claws and, well…
Lee must have read her expression and lowered the kitten. "I guess perhaps I should have her checked out by Doc Carson before we get too close to her. You know— just to make sure she is healthy and fit to be inside as a house cat."
Lee placed the kitten on the settee. Sidney's eyes closed and she leaned into his touch.
She trifled with a loose string on her shirt. "Just so you know, I don't have the faintest idea about how to care for animals. Are you sure you don't want to change your mind? She could be a lot of work."
Lee paused and considered her.
"Are you having second thoughts?"
She looked over at the kitten who curled up on the blanket and blinked her eyes sleepily.
"No. I'd like to keep her, but I am just warning you: I have a lot to learn. This—" she motioned to her belly and to the kitten, "mothering thing doesn't come the most natural to me."
Lee came close, his arms encircling the totality of her. "That's okay. We will learn together. You are doing a great job so far."
His face nuzzled into her neck and she felt herself melting to his tender touch, his tender words. More than anything she wanted to lose herself in his warm presence, forgetting all of the confusion and rage that had arisen because of her missing box. She could forget that, right? She could push it under the rug? Maybe she could pretend her box never existed. The only problem with that line of reasoning was: her box was out there somewhere and someone was privy to her secrets. She shuddered. She pushed Lee's chest with the flat of her hand.
"Lee… I have a question to ask you."
"Okay, sure." Lee kept his arms fastened around her and brought his sincere blue eyes meet hers. His voice was husky. It would be easy to get swept away… no, she had a mission.
"You wouldn't have by chance… umm… I mean, have you ever…"
Lee gave her a quizzical look.
"Look, I guess I will just come out and say it. Did you take my box? The one that was under the floorboard?"
Lee's eyes grew serious, and he released her from his arms. He wiped a hand across the back of his neck. "Ahh…I might have seen something like that."
Was he avoiding her eyes?
"Well, have you or haven't you?" Her voice was frustrated, hard.
He stayed still. Too still.
It was him. He had her box. He knew?
She felt like running up to him and banging her hands against his chest, wailing and just being outright childish. But instead she stood still, seething white hot inside.
"I'd like my box back. Now." She hissed through her teeth.
"Rosie, I know what you are thinking. Let me explain myself." He backed up. "That day Bill and Jack helped with assembling the bed frame, well, Bill nearly twisted his ankle on a loose floorboard. We were going to repair it, but we ran across an old box. When I opened it, I looked at the first picture. It was a picture of a sweet faced girl, light bouncing curls. I just knew it was you."
"You had no right! It's my box!" Now she really did rail against him, her fists beating on his chest, but her strength failed her. She was spent. Her emotions having drained every ounce of her strength.
He gently reached up to grab the hand that had just pounded against his chest. "Rosie." His words soft, kind.
"Why did you take it?"
"I promise you, once I saw the picture, I closed the box. I didn't dig through anything else. Whatever has you so upset in that box is still there and still a mystery to me."
Relief sagged through her body. He gripped her to keep her from falling.
"Why did you take it?"
"Why did you hide it?"
She bit her tongue until she felt the warm rise of blood.
Silence stood between them for what seemed like hours.
Finally Lee's voice came, soft and warm. "I've just been waiting for you… well, I was hoping you'd want to talk about it one day."
He carefully walked her to the settee and sat her down. She felt like a block of ice—blindsided and dumfounded all at the same time.
"I'll be right back." He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head before taking the steps up to their bedroom. She heard some shuffling overhead. His steps then went to the stairs and proceeded down.
He approached her with her box in hand. In his strong and capable hands.
"Is this what you are looking for?" He held it out towards her.
"You shouldn't have taken it. It isn't yours." Her voice was raw. "It wasn't your right to look in my box." She reached out and grasped her box. Her hideous box. She wished she could set on fire— burning not just the physical memories but also the past that went with it. She tucked it under a nearby pillow, not willing to look at the box one minute more than necessary.
"I know I shouldn't have taken it. I'm sorry." He settled on the settee next to her.
She still stung hot with anger and, was that fear?
"Rosie, when I first opened it, I didn't know whose box it was. But then I saw the picture of the girl and I knew it was yours. All I can say is I hope our daughter shares those same curls." He cracked a small smile, and braved a soft touch to her shoulder. She shrugged off his hand.
"That girl…she was with an actress of some sort. Is that how you got into the theater? Did you go on a trip as a young girl and fall in love with the sights and sounds of the city? Did you fall in love with the glamor of the stage?"
She didn't answer.
"Rosie, I know we don't talk much of our pasts, but I'd like to. I don't know what is hidden in that box of yours but it must be something that you haven't wanted to share with me. And you know what? I am okay with that. Just hold onto it. I believe there will be a time you will be ready to share with me. And when you are, I will be here—waiting. I guess that is why I took the box. I know it was wrong of me. I thought, perhaps, one day when you found it missing, you'd tell me everything that you have hidden there." He hung his head. His eyes looked deeper than the ocean, filled with waves of sadness and regret.
She looked away, but could still feel his sweet, sorrowful eyes on her. She sighed.
"You know what, Lee Coulter?"
He met her glance, uncertainty in his eyes.
"It wasn't right of you to take my box."
He hung his head.
"But," she continued, "it wasn't right of me to hide it from you."
A sparkle of hope wove through his countenance.
Her lips felt dry and thin. "I hope you know I am not deserving of you."
He scooted closer to her, and hooked his finger under her chin. "Don't you dare say that. Ever again. If you don't know by now, I don't know if you ever will, but when I said I pledged my love to you always, you and you alone, I meant it. Even if I have to spend the rest of my life earning your trust, waiting for you to open completely to me, I will. It's worth it. You are worth it."
His eyes shone so honest, so true. But there was something else in his eyes. Heartbreak?
He cleared his throat and looked away. "Just promise me…you will be ready one day? My heart can't handle it if you won't be."
A moment ticked by. Then another. She intertwined her fingers with his and gently squeezed. His face instantly lit, hopeful eyes searching hers.
"I promise you, Lee Coulter, one day I will be ready."