"What on Earth do you have there?" I don't respond to Amie right away, carefully placing all of the bags on the guest bedroom bed.
"I bought Rosemarie clothing."
"Why?" She asks, wiping her hands on a cloth before coming over to assist me with hanging the clothing up.
"I'm going to take her in."
"A little soon, don't you think?" She asks, motioning me to sit down on the bed. "You don't know this girls story at all, how can you say she wants to stay here, that she doesn't have a place to go?"
"You weren't there when I found her, Amie. The look of terror in her eyes, the way she held herself… I've seen that before."
Amie frowns and then goes back to the work that calms her nerves. Neither of us speaks until after she's finished placing all of the clothing in its place. "How bad do you think it was?"
Taking a deep sigh, I close my eyes. "Do you remember the story I told you about that young girl in Turkey, around 1859?"
"That poor child… May God help her."
"God is far too busy to help her, but I'm not. I have all the time in the world, and I am going to dedicated it to Rosemarie."
Amie didn't respond vocally, just walked over to me and took my hand. We looked at one another for just a few seconds, and, by the time she left, I knew that she would help me with any decision that I decided. I knew that she would take impeccable care of Rosemarie, just like she has me for the past twenty years.
When I walked into the dining room in the morning, Rosemarie sat at the chestnut table, dressed in one of her new dresses. I'm going to call someone to come in and fit the dress to her better, I knew they wouldn't fit her perfectly, but, surprisingly, they are close to her size. The current one she wears is made of a soft blue color, close to that of a nearly bloomed hydrangea.
"How are you feeling this morning?" I ask her, making sure that she sees me before speaking so that I don't cause her fright.
"Alright, I suppose…" She responds, keeping her hands kept in her lap, eyes looking up only for a brief moment.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Not very well, but thank you for the bed, it's very comfortable."
"You're quite welcome," I tell her, pouring her a cup of coffee before sitting down across from her. "Would you like cream or sugar, milk maybe?"
"I don't know… what is this?" For a fraction of a moment, I chastise myself for assuming she knew. Though I have my ideas, I don't know exactly what occurred to her, so, who knows how she was brought up.
"Its coffee, sort of wakes you up, gives you energy. It can be rather bitter, which is why some people add cream or sugar too it. If you don't want it, it's not a problem at all."
"Um," Rosemarie begins, picking up the cup. She takes a small inhale of the drink and then takes a small sip. "A little sugar, maybe."
Giving her a small smile, I comply; pushing the jar filled to the brim, and let her put as much sugar as she wants into the dark liquid. When she takes a second sip, she gives me a small smile. "That's much better. I can't remember the last time I had sugar."
"Well, there's plenty in this household. There are plenty of other things in this house as well, and they are all open to you. My only exception, Rosemarie, it the basement, that's my one request." She nods, showing that she understands, and then takes another sip of coffee. "Now, how do you feel about a breakfast of pancakes?"
She grins. "T-that would be amazing,"