The ensuite was meticulously clean and dazzlingly white, except for the trail of muddy water the two women had left in their wake. It contained a vanity, a large mirror, a clothes hamper and a grand old bath on clawed feet, next to which Misty now stood. Cordelia crossed the room to Misty. She squeezed Misty's hand and looked into her eyes. Misty squeezed back, the ghost of a smile still on her lips. Cordelia let go of her hand and gently brushed past her. She bent down and turned on the taps to run a bath.
Cordelia let the water run over her hands. She felt it slowly heat up as it washed away the blood and mud. The only sounds were the thunder of the water on the bath and the music. Cordelia felt Misty crouch down beside her. Misty touched the fingertips of her hand to the running water. It rushed past her hand and into the drain.
"I remember a boy," she said, "I cleaned him, fed him, helped him get better."
She twirled her hand in the water. The dirt flowed from her fingers.
"I remember me and him and Stevie," she said.
She put both her hands in the water and began to rinse them clean.
Cordelia watched her, not daring to speak.
Misty's brow furrowed and she shook her head, looking at Cordelia.
"But he wasn't part of my tribe. I was looking for my tribe..."
Her words trailed away and she looked at the water again. She started to clean the mud from her arms. Cordelia pushed the plug into the plughole and poured some bubble bath mix into the water. She watched as the bubbles foamed and spread, flowing down to Misty's arms, which were now clean and pink.
"You should get in" Cordelia said. "You'll feel better."
Cordelia stood up and offered her hand to Misty. Misty took it and stood. They were now face to face. Misty took Cordelia's other hand in hers. Her eyes studied Cordelia's features. Cordelia felt like her breathing was very loud, very laboured.
"I remember you Miss Cordelia," Misty said. "I remember I was scared. I was looking for my tribe. And I found you."
Cordelia smiled.
"And now I've found you," Cordelia said.
Cordelia was very aware of how close they were. She could feel her heart beating faster. Misty's hands were warm. Her palms were slightly rough. Cordelia forced herself to let go. She slipped her long fingers underneath Misty's shawl and lifted it from her shoulders, pulling on the soft, saturated material until it was bunched in her hands.
"I'll make sure this stays safe," she told Misty. "The rest of your clothes we can throw away. Now get in the bath before you freeze."
Cordelia turned off the taps and carried the shawl over to her hamper. She threw it in. Her heart was still thumping. She stood there for a moment, her back turned to Misty, biting her lip. She took a deep breath, let it out, and forced herself to turn around.
Misty was facing away from Cordelia. She had taken her boots and her top off and they lay in a pile on the floor. Her long hair fell down her back in a cascade of dirty blonde curls. The skin of her arms shone white, in stark contrast to the dirty skin of her bare back and shoulders. She stopped getting undressed and looked over her shoulder at Cordelia. Muddy hair had flopped into her eyes again.
"What about you?" Misty asked. "Aren't you cold?"
Cordelia quickly looked away.
"I'm fine Misty," she said. "Now get in the bath. I'll fetch you some clothes. I promise I won't be far away."
Cordelia walked out of the bathroom. She left the door a little ajar for Misty's sake and walked over to her wardrobe. She opened it and stared blankly at the clothes within. She could hear water splashing. And she could hear Fleetwood Mac.
"I turned around," sang Lindsey, "And the water was closing, all around, like a glove, like the love that had finally, finally found me."
Cordelia rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. She rubbed her eyes. Then she closed the wardrobe and rested her forehead on the door. Choosing an outfit for Misty seemed like an impossible task. This was insane. She was letting her emotions get out of hand.
"Get it together Cordelia," she said.
But all she could do was think about Misty. Misty's smile, Misty's hands in the water, the touch of her skin, the dark pools that were her eyes, the way her body looked, pale skin painted with mud.
"Miss Cordelia!" Misty called. "Cordelia!"
Cordelia bolted for the bathroom door.