Ch 16
They spent the night on the floor again with Sully clinging to her again as if his life depended on it.
"I was on many times goin'..." his voice lowered before he continued. "to end the pain." There he had said it.
Michaela shuddered knowing of the many ways these men and women felt coming home. "But you didn't."
"No I didn't I hoped something good would happen, and then you came." She nodded and affirmed his last words. "Yes I came."
She knew now they had now spoken about all the major traumatic incidents that were in Sully's file. She wondered if there may have been any others. She knew she would have to tell him soon that she would have to give him up and hand the file to another councillor. She had become emotionally involved now and that was a breach of ethics. She knew though she would keep a watch on how he was treated and monitor his recovery.
She decided she would have to tell him in the morning.
Michaela had never enquired about the rooms upstairs. When she had used the bathroom she counted four closed doors with the bathroom at the end. This house had been built for a family, quite a large one at that. Sully had built the home for children. Now the only space used was the ground floor. Sully had cocooned himself downstairs, ignoring the top other than the bathroom. Thankfully he had been taking much better care since she first met him.
His bathroom smelt like fresh pine needles with a hint of leather. It was a very masculine smell and she liked it better that the colognes some of her colleagues used. Brut and the other overpowering after shaves you could smell coming before the wearer arrived.
She washed her face and used the towel Sully had given her before. Leaving the room she was surprised to see him leaning on the wall at the top of the stairs, watching her.
"Ya wanna see up here?" he enquired casually.
Surprised she looked at him; she knew he would have known she had not snooped and looked up here. "Only if you want to show me," she admitted.
Pushing himself off the wall he stepped to the door closest to her, opening it.
The finish was amazing. There was no furniture in it. The view from the window was of the mountains. The orange granite against the clear blue sky looked like a painting.
Next he opened the door towards the stairs. It was a little larger in space and had some handmade items in it. A lovely bed and wardrobe that matched, also a dresser. The pale wood looked like it may have been pine. The craftsmanship was professional in appearance.
They said nothing but Sully knew she liked what she was seeing. She had taken some time looking out the window and running her hand over the smooth finish on the furniture.
The next one back on the other side was very much like the previous two. This also had some bits and pieces of odd furniture, the window had a perfect view of a large tree to the side of the home. It would have been great for a swing or even a tree house.
As they moved down the hall Sully put his hand on the final door handle and froze. Michaela, who was standing by him, gently placed her hand on his arm.
"Sully, you don't have to do this now." She understood that he was reliving the nightmares, hoping that they would be less as time went by.
He glanced at her, appreciating her sensitivity and nodded, turning the handle he pushed the door open, "Yea, I do."
He stepped aside and Michaela entered the main bedroom. Sully had created a wonderful haven for a couple. She surveyed the room and her eyes alighted on the bed. It was amazing. Carved out of pine it was very old, but obviously restored with love. The unique design was amazing; it had an Indian feel to it.
Sully came up behind her, and looking at the bed told her that he had bought it at an auction. The story was that a frontier man had made it for his bride. He knew he felt the same way and he bought it. Sadly he said Abbey had never seen this part of the house; he was finishing it up the day she died.
"It now reminds me of CD, he was a Cheyenne Indian Medicine man and told many stories. This wheel, I believe, may be a dream catcher. It is for his memory that I have kept it," Sully informed her quietly.
Taking her towards the twin windows they gazed out of it. Wrapping his arms around her waist he bent his head, taking a long breath smelling the flowers he had become to like a lot.
"Sully it is all so beautiful," She breathed.
"It is all a waste now, it was meant to be my family's home. Maybe I should sell it, thought about it but something is holding me here," he admitted.
...
Sully stood on the porch waving goodbye as she drove out the yard.
Re-entering the house he had the feeling that he knew why he had stayed here all this time. It had to do with the fact that he had fallen in love again. He was totally amazed that she had admitted she loved him, too.
Smiling, he again felt a weight shifting off his shoulders.
"Is it is possible, Wolf?" he whispered in the dog's ear, and was rewarded with a lick. Chuckling he hugged the animal.
That night was the first night he went and slept in the guest room. He wanted to keep the main bedroom for Michaela.
...
Work had kept Michaela busy and she was very tired when she eventually arrived home.
A letter addressed to her was standing in the hall table. Picking it up she absently moved over to the lounge and plopped down exhausted. Looking at the envelope she was surprised to find it was from the real estate agents she rented their modest apartment from. Absent-mindedly she tore the envelope open and saw the letter was quite short. Reading it she could not believe what she read, having to reread it once again for the words to sink in.
They were given two weeks' notice as the owners had sold the flat and the new owner wanted to live in it.
This was where the children still found her when they arrived home. She had allowed them a visit to the shops after school. Matthew was to bring them home after that.
Sensing something was wrong they approached her with concern. "Mum, what is wrong?" Colleen asked on behalf of all of them.
"We have to move in two weeks," she volunteered.
The children asked in unison, "Where?"
"I don't know," she admitted.