Thank you all for all of your comments. Apologies that some of the chapters have been a little brief. I will definitely try and make more of an effort to get as much Carol/Therese in there as possible. Thank you for bearing with me in this latest development. I have to say I seem to be a bit of a fan of the more angst laden descriptions of their relationship. It won't all be plain sailing but there is definitely more romantic and passionate times ahead. Thanks again for reading.

I came to, at some point, in the early hours of the morning, with a throbbing head and a sense of confusion that only deepened when I realised I was still wearing my clothes from yesterday. The space beside me was empty and my attention was drawn to the sounds of hushed conversation in the hallway. In the darkness of the bedroom I could not see the face of the clock. I leaned over in an attempt to get a better view and instantly felt my head throbbing to life.

"I'm not feeling too good" Therese's voice said, hushed to practically a whisper. "Mmm hmm. Some sickness..." She mumbled. "Should be back on my feet tomorrow…No i won't rush in. Thanks Danny" Then there was the sound of the phone placed back on the receiver, a gentle click and yet it seemed to be an avalanche in my mind.

Details starting to come back to me. Fragments of last night that made my cheeks flush red with shame and my mouth open in a perfect circle, the tell tale signs of regret. There was the memory of Abby and the car ride back to the apartment, waiting and waiting for what felt like long, drawn out periods for Therese to return and then…No I wasn't quite ready for that memory yet. I shooed it away and sunk under the covers. If I stayed here, I reasoned, it would all eventually evaporate to nothing. Perhaps it was a bad dream? Not even in my desperation could I put this feeling down as being a figment of my imagination.

"If only" I groaned. My voice bordered on the realms of silence, so concerned was I with Therese's return and the inevitability that I would have to face up to my actions.

The memory of the flowers came to me in bloom. Beautiful, vibrant, flowers that had been tossed aside like they were nothing. I couldn't bear to think of the disappointment in her face. I couldn't stomach the sadness in her eyes and the complete and utter confusion that had seemed to encapsulate her. This had hit her like a shot to the stomach, some dark revelation that I knew had snipped at the fabric of our happiness and left me clean, open, in her mind. I could no longer hide behind our love. I could no longer strive to be perfection. It was a fruitless quest, truth be told, but I had so badly wanted to keep her unburdened by the truth. I didn't want her to have to worry about me when all I wanted was for her to be happy and content in life. Was it ridiculous to have felt some fear that in knowing about Rindy…thinking the name alone made my heart constrict…that she would begin to regret her decision to be with me?

"Carol" Her voice was tender and sweet, spoken through the opened doorway with a sense of hope and concern that threatened to undo me completely. "Are you awake?"

There was that initial fight. Should I fake sleep? Wake only to brush away her concern and insist that the matter was not up for discussion? "I am" I replied with a heavy and thick tone. Slowly I sat up in bed, feeling as queer as I ever had before. How many manhattans had I forced down? i wondered as my stomach turned and my throat suddenly felt unbearably dry.

"I brought you some tea" She whispered and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"You're an angel" I remarked, taking the tea in my hands and sipping at the warm, sweet, liquid, feeling it reinvigorating me with it's warmth. It was like amber nectar to my parched throat and I drank it down, bearing the heat as it slid down my throat. "Therese…" I began. I found I could barely look at her. I felt so horribly embarrassed.

"You don't have to say anything Carol" She insisted and placed a hand over mine, stroking the back of my hand with her curled fingertips.

"I fear I do" I explained and closed my eyes with a deep sigh. "Will you forgive me my darling? I was a crude, unforgivable, mess last night"

She came closer to me on the bed and i could see in her drained expression that she had not slept well last night. I cupped her cheek in my hand and her eyes teared, momentarily, at the contact.

"Please don't apologise to me" She breathed the words out and when her eye lids fluttered open I was struck by her beauty. I never grew tired of looking in to this face "I feel like I've been inattentive…selfish even"

Despite myself I could not withhold the laughter that sprung forth. "Therese!" I exclaimed.

"Listen to me Carol, please" She said in a solemn voice. "I should have known you would be feeling all of this. I should have known that you would be hurting and I didn't say anything. I didn't check in with you because I was caught up in my own happiness and I'm sorry for that"

She was such a wonderful and sensitive lover. Even after I had been so unkind, said so many hurtful things, she was still here propping me up, apologising! It was quite a different experience to what I was used to. "You couldn't have known darling" I assured her.

"Couldn't I?"

I shook my head. "I should have been more honest with you. I should have spoken about her more" I admitted, gazing off in to the distance.

"I want you to" She said, gripping my hand. "I want you to talk about her"

"I'll try" I replied. "It's not always easy for me to talk about how I feel"

She smiled at me knowingly. "That is one thing that certainly hasn't gone unnoticed"

I playfully jabbed her in the side and in doing so felt the tension relieved from the room. "But you make it easier to imagine that I could"

We smiled together. Our own, knowing, secret smile. "I'm glad to hear that" She said pressing a chaste kiss against my mouth. "Do you need anything? I've taken the day off…" She allowed herself to grow distracted by the patterns she was drawing in to the palm of my hand.

"I think I need to be hosed down. I feel god awful" I croaked.

"Perhaps a bath and then breakfast?" She suggested, an arm slinked around the back of my neck. "If you can stand it" She added with a playful bump of our shoulders.

"Just about!" I groaned.

The sound of the bath running was like a charming lullaby in my pounding head. Steam moved from the bathroom and in to the bedroom, dispersing through the air until it was nothing. I lay here entranced by the clouds of steam, allowing my mind to paint a picture of her moving around in there. She would be creating some kind of concoction out of various scents and bath oils. Therese liked to be creative with her baths and today would be no exception.

She led me in to the bathroom and I sat, propped against, the edge of the bathtub, allowing myself to be more of a patient than I truly needed to be. It felt amazingly good to give in to being taken care of and I was determined to enjoy it while I could. The water was a mix of bubbles that floated to the surface bringing with them dried flowers that moved as though they were dancing.

"It shouldn't be too hot" She assured me as I climbed in, submerging myself in the intense warmth.

"Devine" I sighed. The warmth wrapped itself around me and I lay back closing my eyes to the pleasure. At times I dipped under the water, entirely, enjoying the way it diluted all my senses. I could hear reduced sounds coming from the kitchen as I lay under water with my eyes tightly closed. It was the perfect opportunity to think of nothing and I was content, at this point, to do just that. I had cried all the tears I could possibly shed and I was left with this cathartic feeling. For now I did not want to dwell on the dark thoughts. For now it would do just for her to know.

"Do you want to get out?" She asked and I opened my eyes to the sight of her with a thick towel proffered in one hand.

I nodded my head and allowed myself to be helped up to my feet. The coldness in the air clung to me, painting my body in a cover of goosebumps. I shuddered at the feeling and she wrapped the towel around me in response. For a long moment we stood together in the bathroom as she carefully dried me off with the towel. Her face was a picture of concentration and I noted how adorable she looked nibbling on her bottom lip, lost in thought. Then there was a robe placed on me, thick and warm and welcoming.

"Breakfast?" She asked, leaning in to kiss the tip of my nose.

'What a role reversal this relationship had turned out to be' I thought to myself as I nodded my head.

The smell of toast filled the air and we walked in to the kitchen together. At the table were the bunch of flowers, renewed now that they stood proudly in a vase. I sat down and she brought me rounds of toast that were buttery and delicious. I took bite after bite, feeling myself becoming more human with every mouthful. "I feel more like myself again" I decided, polishing off another slice of toast. I sat back with a full stomach and a feeling of contentment.

"I'm glad to hear it" She smiled back at me but I could see the cogs turning in that curious mind of hers. She leaned forward, propping her head up with her hands and her elbows on the table. "When you're ready…"

I cut her off mid sentence with a single, raised finger. "When I'm ready I will talk about it" I promised her. "But for now I want nothing more than the waste the day in bed with you. Call it what you will, I feel we have endured enough misery for one day"

"As long as you're sure"

I took a single hand, holding it in between my own. Therese had hands that spoke of emotions, that told me stories of creation and worth. They were beautifully soft and magically skilful. These were hands that had captured images that held your attention, shocked and bewildered your senses and yet they were able to hold mine with a tenderness that could not be comprehended. I loved these hands. "I'm sure" I insisted, tugging on her hand and leading her back in to our unmade bed. I was sure that I wanted nothing but to sleep away my blues. It was enough for now. For now.