Chapter 6: Two years ago
Nikki had had a long and difficult day; it had taken all her sweet talking and cajoling powers to secure a reasonable deal for Rob. Hopefully his day in court tomorrow would be nothing more than a formality. She climbed the few steps up to her front door slower than she usually did, contemplating how she was going to break the whole Rob saga to Helen. Talking about her family had never been one of her favourite subjects.
The minute she opened the front door her nose detected the tantalising aroma of her favourite dish, Helen was making her patented roast lamb. Nikki smiled as she set down her briefcase, hung her coat and discarded her keys on the table in the hallway. She kicked off her shoes and padded noiselessly down the passage toward the kitchen. She stopped in the doorway and leant against the frame, watching Helen as she worked. "if you want to eat any time soon you'll come over here and give me a hand with this instead of standing there staring at my bum," Helen said playfully without even turning away from the stove, "I know it's delicious looking but unfortunately it has no nutritional value."
Nikki laughed as she walked up behind Helen and slid her arms around her waist. Their bodies fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. Nikki swept Helen's hair to the side with one hand and placed her lips softly against the bare skin of her shoulder. She kissed her gently. Slowly, she moved up toward her neck, letting her lips trace lightly across Helen's skin, kissing her softly every few centimetres. Helen stopped stirring the sauce she had been making and closed her eyes, every muscle in her body relaxed as she leant into Nikki. She could feel the goose bumps spreading down her arm as Nikki's lips brushed against her ear.
Helen pushed the saucepan to the middle of the stove and switched off the heat in one swift motion as she turned in Nikki's arms to face her. She ran her hands up the Back of Nikki's neck and pushed her fingers into her short dark hair. Time stopped as she lost herself in the depths of those beautiful brown eyes.
Before she even had time to blink Nikki had lifted her feet off the floor and put her down on the kitchen table. Helen grinned as she wound her legs around Nik's waist and deftly began unbuttoning her shirt. Nikki cupped Helen's face in her hands and kissed her deeply. "Not that I don't fancy our kitchen table, but how about we take this somewhere a little more comfortable?" Nikki whispered in her ear as she intertwined her fingers between Helen's. "I quite like that idea," she said as Nikki led her by the hand to their bedroom upstairs.
By the time they had made it through the bedroom door they had both managed to shed most of their clothes. With their lips locked together they stumbled across the room and collapsed onto the bed. Helen wrinkled her nose and giggled when Nikki's tongue found the ticklish spot on the curve of her hip bone.
They had been lovers for several years now and each knew the whims and fancies of the other as intimately as they knew their own. Their love making was patient and yet still filled with a passionate intensity that had not waned over the years. Helen often wondered if other couples experienced the same magical glow she did with Nikki, it was amazing.
As they lay there entwined in each other's arms savouring that blissful moment the events of the day began to creep out from the corners of Nikki's mind. Helen felt the almost immediate change in her demeanour and snuggled even closer to her. She kissed the back of Nik's neck, "what's on your mind sweetheart?" she asked as she stroked her arm.
Nikki sighed, "It's this case at work. I sort of stole it form Paul, and now I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't rather have just left well enough alone." "Go on," Helen encouraged as Nikki searched for the right words. "Well, let's just say I got reacquainted with someone from my past today." She was silent for a few moments before the rest of the day's events rushed out in torrents; she told Helen everything that had happened with Robert, not forgetting even the smallest detail. "So you see," She said at last, "I'm not quite sure what to do next. The boy will be released tomorrow if all goes to plan, then what? We go our separate ways and I forget he even exists, forget that he's probably going to go straight back to pushing pills to pay his way?" Nikki shook her head in disgust.
Helen was quiet for a while as she let all that had been said sink in, she continued to stroke Nikki's arm methodically as they lay there in silence. "Ah but I think you already know exactly what it is you are going to do, you've known all along," Helen said, smiling down at Nikki as she propped herself up onto her elbow. "Have you got some crystal ball hidden away somewhere that I don't know about?" Nikki asked, returning her smile. "I am the oracle, I don't need a crystal ball," Helen said in a serious voice, trying in vain to keep a straight face. "Well then oh all knowing one, I prostrate myself at your feet, pray tell, what is it that I already know I'm going to do," Nikki said with a laugh as she pulled Helen down on top of her and rolled her over so that she was the one now looking down into Helen's eyes.
They both laughed light-heartedly. "Firstly, you are going to make sure he takes that deal you organised for him, and then you are going to bring him home, where I will have tidied up the spare bedroom for him. Then we'll go to the bank and organise a student loan so that he can finish up at uni. You see, not rocket science is it?" Helen said and kissed Nikki on the nose. Nikki looked a bit sceptical, "I don't know babe, I hardly know the boy, the last time I saw him he was three years old and playing patter cake in the mud in my parents back garden. For all we know he could be a sociopath."
"This wee boy is your family Nikki, you can't turn your back on him now, he needs you. Imagine how different things might have been for you if you'd found someone to look out for you back then." Helen said. The compassion in Helen's eyes was what finally made up Nikki's mind; she put her arm around Helen and pulled her closer, "Where on earth did I manage to find such a gem?" She asked with a broad smile. I believe I'm the one that found you," Helen said as she wrapped her arms more tightly around Nik.