A NUMBERS GAME, Epilogue
Elsie flopped back against the old wooden door until the century-old latch popped into its groove with a familiar click. Dropping her travel bag onto the floor, she closed her eyes took in her home's familiar scents.
Home...
The very notion had occupied her mind since early that morning; how could it not? It would be a life changing experience - if she chose that particular path.
She'd debated the pros and cons of Lara and Sam's offer ad nauseam, but was no closer to a decision now than she was when the Airbus lifted off from Heathrow. If there was any silver lining it was that her preoccupation had served to at least partly blunt the stress of flying.
There was so much - almost too much - to consider. To accept would mean leaving behind the life she'd painstakingly built up over the last several years, to say nothing of her career at the Gallery and the opportunities it presented. And the friendships she had cultivated therein.
Gellis.
The older woman had been a virtual sister to Elsie ever since she'd first set foot in Portland almost six years before - she'd had the blonde's back since day one. Would she ever even see her again?
The notion was almost too painful to consider.
And then there was her mother - already separated by thousands of miles, moving to the other side of the planet would hardly make get-togethers any easier.
Nathan. Her neighbourhood. Little Sophie.
Even her landlady, crazy as it seemed.
Six years of hard-earned life.
Independence.
Of course, it wouldn't be the first time she'd moved thousands of miles - but this time she would be running towards something rather than from it.
She slowly shook her head. Staying with - no, scratch that - living with Lara and Sam: It hardly seemed possible.
The carrot being dangled before her was so very tantalizing...it has hard to remain objective.
Damn...
Elsie sighed and pushed off from the door; she needed a break from the inner turmoil that had churned through her mind all morning. She was acutely aware of the dangers of overthinking.
A nice glass of fresh milk would undoubtedly help settle her anxiety - not that powdered crap .
Elsie shuffled past the living room entrance and stopped. Taking a step back, she gped at the figure sprawled out on her couch.
There, at what had become something of her default position, was Doppie, book propped up against her bent legs.
"Hey, what are you doing here? I thought you were working."
The redhead gave her a brief glance before returning her gaze to the page.
"Why didn't you answer your phone?" pressed the blonde, drawing into he room. "I had to take a cab from the airport."
The doppelgänger gave no reaction.
Elsie frowned. "Hey...are you pissed at me or something?"
The redhead quietly turned a page, golden-yellow eyes busily scanning fresh lines of text.
The blonde ran a hand back through her hair.
"Okay, I don't know what's eating you, but I'm tired and all lagged out, so I'll deal with this later."
Elsie turned her back on the doppelgänger and made for the kitchen. She was in the process of pouring herself a glass of milk when her eye was drawn to her potted philodendron on the windowsill: the tiny plant's leaves were greyish-green and alarmingly shriveled.
What the Hell?
She spun around to the small bowl of violets that sat on the shelf in the breakfast nook: the dark petals were crumpled - perhaps beyond saving.
Dammit!
Elsie set her milk on the counter and fetched a measuring cup from the cupboard.
"For fuck's sake, Doppie!" lamented the blonde as she twisted the sink faucet, the ancient pipes rattling for several seconds before producing desperately needed water. "Didn't you feed the plants at all?"
"They're your hobby, not mine," returned the doppelgänger from the living room.
So NOW she talks...
Elsie ran from room to room, adding the overdue hydration to her suffering greenery, knowing some were likely too far gone.
Having taken care of the immediate crisis, the blonde returned to the kitchen and took a long drink of cool milk.
Okay...just calm down, mused the blonde, closing her eyes and moderating her breathing. It's not the end of the world...
But at the same time, Elsie suspected the doppelgänger's neglect had been deliberate.
What's gotten into her? Is she that pissed that I left her alone for a week?
Elsie continued to hover at the kitchen window and take slow, intermittent gulps, the familiar ritual gradually easing her frustration.
Setting the empty glass onto the counter the blonde took a deep breath to settle herself. It was time to face the music - whatever tune Doppie was playing.
Striding purposefully into the living room, the blonde's forcefulness suddenly evaporated as she found herself alone. The book the redhead had been reading was on the coffee table, closed.
What the fuck...where is she?
She checked her tiny study. Then the bathroom.
Nothing.
Making her way down the short hall, Elsie peered inside her bedroom. There, splayed out on the top bunk and facing the wall, was the familiar form of the redhead.
Elsie drew into the room and frowned. "Doppie?"
No answer.
Grasping the rungs of the ladder, the blonde slowly climbed until her head was level with the top bunk.
"Hey...you okay?"
The redhead remained resolutely silent and unmoving. Elsie bit her lip - something was obviously amiss.
The blonde crawled into the bunk and settled in behind the doppelgänger.
"Go away," whispered the redhead.
"Fat chance," returned Elsie, cupping Doppie's shoulder consolingly.
"You will."
Elsie blinked. "What do you mean by that?"
No response was forthcoming from her bunkmate. Elsie snuggled closer and spooned the doppelgänger's form.
"Come on, tell me what's eating you...you're not doing yourself any favors by holding back -"
"You intend to forsake me," croaked the doppelgänger.
"What? Of course not!"
"Do not deny it," continued the redhead, her voice strained with emotion. "I overheard Samantha...she and Lara intend for you to live with them."
Elsie chewed her lip at the dawning realization.
Fuck...she's been sitting on this all week...
"No...Doppie, no, it's not like that -"
"There was no mistaking her intent," said the doppelgänger darkly.
"I'm not denying that," countered the blonde, pressing into the redhead's ponytail. "But you've only got half the story. One, I'm not even remotely close to making a decision, and two, do you really think I'd leave you behind?"
Elsie waited, letting the words sink in.
"You...would take me with you?"
"In a New York minute," affirmed the blonde. "We're in this together, remember?"
Elsie could hear the hard swallow - she'd struck an emotional chord.
"I did not know," confessed the redhead. "But Lara would never agree. It is why she sent me here...my presence would be too great a risk."
Elsie slowly ran her hand up and down the doppelgänger's arm. "Yeah, well, I asked her specifically about that...she's game to give it a go. She knows we're a package deal."
Doppie slowly turned to face the blonde, her golden-yellow eyes wide.
Elsie smiled.
"We'd just have to be careful, is all. But we can make it work. That's if I even go, so stop worrying, will ya?"
"I..."
The blonde witnessed a surge of relief course through the doppelgänger. Elsie cupped the redhead's cheek.
"You'll never be alone," said the blonde softly. "Friends, remember?"
A single tear slowly trickled from the corner of the redhead's eye before disappearing into the pillow cloth.
"I remember..."
"Then it's settled," returned Elsie with a grin. "Come on, let's eat, I'm famished!"
Elsie rolled over and smoothly dropped to the floor.
"Eat?"
"Airplane food sucks," explained Elsie as she made her way down the hall. "I don't know how people eat that slop."
A faint voice from her bedroom. "What will you make?"
"Dunno yet," returned the blonde as she scampered into the kitchen and opened the pantry.
Elsie gasped in disbelief, mouth agape.
"What the -"
Every inch of the cupboard had been crammed with cartons of pancake mix and bottles of maple syrup.
"DOPPPIIIEEE!"
~ oOo ~
Elsie's eyelids fluttered open to utter darkness.
It was not so very long ago when such conditions would've caused an almost crippling spike in the blonde's anxiety. But not this time.
Entwined in a mass of limbs, pillows and blankets, Elsie couldn't even determine what direction she was facing, the huge Caesar bed easily accommodating her form with room to spare on all sides. She briefly wondered what time it was before quickly sweeping the thought from her consciousness - morning would come in its own good time.
The back of a hand flopped limply against her forehead: in the pitch blackness, there was no telling who it belonged to. But it mattered not - Elsie loved them all.
Taking the mystery hand in hers, Elsie kissed the smooth dorsal skin before entwining her fingers. There followed a brief stir of consciousness as the interloper's fingers gently squeezed back in response before settling back into slumber.
Elsie closed her eyes and sighed contentedly, pressing the clasped hands to her chest.
For truly the first time in her life, she was home.