Sophie was lying on her back smiling at the ceiling. Sian was lying on her side with her head propped up watching her. She had that grin that made the butterflies flutter in Sophie's stomach.
The only thing they had on was the radio.
"You're amazing you" Sophie said lazily looking toward the girl beside her.
"Well, that's certainly better than talking about our situation" Sian said groaning. Sophie just shook her head then turned towards her.
"The only thing I can think of to do is just tell everybody. Be honest" Sophie said running her hand thru her hair. It was getting ridiculous that they were trying to hide their relationship again. They aren't 15 anymore for Christ's sake.
"You know that you're risking my life aye? Your mum and sister are going to kill me," Sian giggled.
"Well maybe just Rosie. I can hold them back though I'm tough," Sophie laughed back.
Sophie put her hands on Sian's hips while the other woman rested her head into her neck. It was this easy intimacy that Sophie had missed. Even as young girl's it had been there between them. Adding love into the mix just made it more powerful.
"Oh babe" Sophie whispered.
"Soph" she sighed.
This was not what Sophie had intended when she stopped by this afternoon. Class had been cut short so Sophie had decided that today was the day. They would sort things out. The two of them had been trading texts and some phone calls. Of course when her mum wasn't around, but she had a feeling that she was getting suspicious. This was getting ridiculous. No more stupid hiding. Sophie was determined.
It had been her every intention when she had knocked on Sian's door to put everything out on the table. But then Sian had pulled her in the door by the collar of her shirt. All thoughts of much else other than hot naked sex went out the window as their lips had crashed together.
"Look I know that we haven't figured out everything with us, but I know that I only want you. And I want to be able to tell everyone" Sophie shared first slowly. She held on to the connection between them desperately. They had been ripped apart on that train platform when she had expressed these emotions. All it would take would be for Sian to pull away again and it would break her. She waited nervously to see what the other woman would say.
"I know, I know" Sian said in a small voice. "I just…seeing my dad go…so quickly, it reminded me that life is so short, it's not to be wasted at all" she replied.
"What about school? Are you going back?" Sophie said tentatively. It had been bothering her relentlessly. It would make things hard if Sian went back to California, but she didn't want Sian to stay just for her. She didn't want resentment at all to taint what they have. But it would be well nigh difficult for them. They'd be together and alone.
"With Uni they let me have some time off because of my dad, but I have to decide if I actually do want to go back soon" Sian shrugged.
"Would you not want to go back?" Sophie asked hesitantly. She didn't want to hear that she'd be gone so far away. It was a powerful part of the human condition-the strings that tether us to each other. It explained the immense pain that's felt when that connection is severed.
"After everything that's happened at UCLA, it's hard to show my face" Sian scoffed lowering her eyes.
"Well it's not got any palm trees but you could always transfer back here, it'd be easier to see each other than having to jump on a plane" Sophie said sitting up. Looking down at her she noticed all the little things that had changed but there was much that was still the same.
"Yeah, look Soph, I know there's a lot for me to wrap my head around. Made a proper mess of my life haven't I?" she reached up cupping Sophie's face and pulling her down towards her. Anything other than Sian's lips flew out of Sophie's head.
Sally was waiting for Sophie as she came in. There was a tension in the air that foretold of doom.
"Hiya" Sophie said as she headed to the stairs, quick to escape. Some drama was afoot and she wanted to avoid being a part of the incoming storm.
"How was school?" Sally asked from the table where she'd been reading the Gazette.
"Fine, I'm gonna go upstairs and clean up, mum" Sophie desperately tried to play it cool and casual-like. Sally knew something, Sophie was sure.
After Sian and Sophie had come up for breath they decided together that Sian would sort out her schooling and then they'd decide how to tell everyone. They couldn't decide whether to do it all at once like a band-aid or just slowly to those who mattered. In the end it really wasn't any one else's business but still Sophie would rather avoid the drama. She was also terrified that it would scare Sian away.
"Sophie?" Sally asked before she could get to the landing.
"Yeah mum, I really have to clean up" Sophie said impatiently. This was getting ridiculous-she didn't know what here mum was on about.
"Is there anything that you'd like to tell me?" Sally asked with her arms folded in front of her.
"You know don't you?" Sophie said as she stepped down from the stairs and stood in front of her mother. Sally nodded that she did. Sophie rolled her eyes and went into the kitchen to put on a kettle. Hopefully tea could magically make this easier.
"So did Chesney wag his big gob?" Sophie sighed. It had to be and she was going to kill him.
"No, but it makes me feel a bit worse knowing that Chesney Brown knows more about my own daughter than I do" Sally sniffed.
"Mum! He saw her in the market is all and put 1 and 1 together" Sophie explained putting the tea bags in their mugs. "Either way what does it matter. It's really not anyone else's business but ours" Sophie said taking a stand. She was fully willing to fight her on this. She's an adult after all, she could see whom she likes.
"Sophie, you may have forgotten but I haven't. You were a right mess over that girl not so long ago. Are you sure that you're not just throwing yourself back into this?" Sally asked with a cynical edge to her voice.
"Mum, I'm not you. And she didn't come back for me, it just happened" Sophie sighed. She brought a cuppa over to the table hoping it would calm her mum down.
"That couldn't be true, there must be something else" Sally insisted.
"Oh thanks mum! I hope you didn't mean that" Sophie sighed. She debated how much to tell her. Well she might as well let it all out of the bag. "Mum her father died, that's why she's back, it's nothing to do with me" Sophie said seriously. "He had moved to Newcastle but he kept the flat here, and he left it to Sian because it was the one place that the two of them were happy" Sophie explained as Sian had told her.
Sally got very quiet and interested in her teacup. "I didn't know, that's not what I heard about from Norris" Sally said quietly. She had assumed the worst of her daughter again. After all that Sally had been thru in her life she often forgot that not everything was done with dark ulterior motives. Her younger daughter was always a reminder of that. Although it often meant certain heartbreak, having hope and belief in the good of people was one of Sophie's constant virtues. She wouldn't change that in her daughter for the world.
Sophie heard her phone buzz with a text message. It was from Rosie. "BUSTED!" with a frowny face was all it said. Sophie just shook her head. She still marveled at how fast gossip can travel.
"Wait! So what did Norris tell you?" Sophie asked with trepidation.
"He saw you leave her door early in the morning that night that you were babysitting at Chesney's, you said that you had fallen asleep" Sally explained.
Sophie thought back. Chesney had been a handy alibi over the last few weeks. And technically she had not lied. She had fallen asleep, just not on Chesney's couch, but in Sian's bed. They had spent a long night talking over some things along with other activities. She had just been too exhausted to care about sneaking around. Norris must have seen her leave Sian's flat. He got quite a show the pervy old man as Sian had tried desperately to get Sophie to stay just a little longer.
Sophie just rolled her eyes and sighed. "What a perve! He probably snuck up and peaked in the windows" Sophie crossed her arms annoyed.
"Hey! He was just being Norris. If he acted any different we'd think it was strange" Sally scoffed. She had been slightly suspicious that something was going on with her daughter. Norris just confirmed it. Actually she believed that Sophie had gotten back together with that Ellie girl from 3 streets over. While unlikely, at least it was a bit more enviable considering the circumstances.
"Argh! Look I'm not 15 anymore so I don't have to get approval of who I'm with. She's just bricking it about what to do and I don't want to force her into anything" Sophie reassured her mum.
Sally just nodded. If there's one thing that she had learned from raising her two often-headstrong girls was not to force anything. It only ever ended in a lot of shouting and slammed doors. So she just sipped her tea and bit her tongue.
"This tea's cold" she said as she got up and took her cup to the sink.
Sophie could see that her mum was dying to say something. Strangely she stayed quiet at the sink. Sophie got up and walked over to the sink. She wrapped her arms around her mum and gave her a squeeze. As they broke apart she looked in her eyes. "Thanks mum" she said quietly. "I may get it wrong sometimes, but don't ever forget I love you Sophie" Sally said in return. Sophie laid her head on her mom's shoulder for a moment as she got a bit choked up. After a few seconds she let go.
Sniffing back some tears she laughed. "Well I better call Rosie aye?" Sophie said in mock fear.
"Yeah it's best to call Sian first though, at least give her a head start to escape" Sally laughed.
"Oh god! I better start packing my bags now!" Sian giggled in mock terror.
"Yeah she proper kicked off, got all high-pitched and screechy" Sophie laughed. It hadn't been easy to cut thru a good old-fashioned Rosie Webster hissy fit. But at least Sophie had managed to calm her down. She just promised that she would take care of herself. No Whiskey, she pledged.
They were sitting on the couch drinking tea and watching telly. Sophie remembered fondly how the two of them had discussed this very scenario. She reached back and tugged at the hairs on the back of her neck.
"Can I say something?" Sophie asked nervously. Sian nodded for her to go on.
"It's been nearly a month. Do you really think that you are going back? Because I don't think you should and I've made a list…" Sophie reached for her bag, which she'd dropped near her bag. Sian stopped her and pulled her back.
"Sophie, I think you're right. I think that everything I want is right here" Sian said as she pulled Sophie towards her. Sophie rolled her eyes and giggled. "That is right proper sap there" Sophie said holding her eyes on the blondes. "Ruin the moment why don't you?" Sian smirk as their lips crashed together.