Sienna looked through her phone, it had ore numbers and she smiled. She now had friends or at least she considered them to all be friends. So far everyone had been so nice to her and she couldn’t stop smiling. She knew it would go away, the happiness but right now she was enjoying it. Maybe being forced out of her aunt’s house and to Bristol was going to be the best thing. She got up, tossed her phone to the bed and walked to her closet.
Sienna fingered all her clothes, trying to find something good and she sighed heavily. She needed new clothes, it was summer and she wanted some dresses. But all she had was some skirts, she picked out a nice navy one and found a shirt that would match. Maybe she needed a fashion assistant as well. She was so used to wearing a school uniform that trying to look cute became a chore.
“Fuck it, I’ll go to the shopping centre,” she said as she got undressed before getting into her new skirt and shirt. The skirt had no pockets so she grabbed a small purse, filled it with the necessities and went to her father’s car. She would also meed to find a job, so she could get her own car. She made a note of that in her mobile. It didn’t take her long to find the Shopping Centre, and as she walked around looking for a nice clothing store she eventually found one.
Sienna looked through the clothes, looking for deals on overpriced stuff. But she had a good feeling that she would find something. She bumped into a girl who wasn’t much taller than her. She looked over to her and smiled. “Sorry about that, in the zone as they say,” she said and giggled.Even though Emily was nowhere clothes-obsessed as other girls around Bristol, the redhead did take pleasure in finding little pieces of clothing to brighten up her closet. Today she aimed to buy a cute yellow top and purple shorts that wouldn’t clash with earrings Emily found from a few years back. Her favorite store was thankfully crowded, meaning the best deals would be at the bottom of the stack and people would be too distracted to notice a redhead digging for what she wanted. Most people browsed to find anything on sale but Emily’s specific tunnel-vision made it easier to stay focused in a busy store. By the time the redhead got into a good system of pushing away unusable clothes, someone had rammed into her backside. “Sorry about that, in the zone as they say,” Emily stood up and waved off the apology. “It’s fine. At least you didn’t throw me into a rack for a nice cardigan or something like that.” She placed a piece of hair behind her ear before smiling at the brunette. Part of Emily wanted to say the girl looked young, but she wasn’t sure if that was appropriate to mention right off the bat. “Hey, do you mind letting me know if you see a yellow skirt or a purple top?” The redhead went back to digging for a moment then realized she’d said the wrong thing. Her face blushed. “Scratch that. Purple skirt and yellow top. I think I’m a bit too focused.”
Sienna was surprised at how busy it had gotten and at how cut throat people became over sale prices. All she wanted was some nice summer attire and now she had to fight off the masses for anything. The red head she was near mentioned something about a top and a skirt and then changed the colors. So she had to stop and think. Should she help the stranger find a purple skirt and yellow top or should she focus on her own gain.
Sienna looked over to the red head, they weren’t too different in size and she smiled. “If you find some cute sun dresses and skirts then let me know and we have a deal,” she said and began to look for rhe skirt or top that this girl wanted. Maybe they could help each other. It was better than pulling hair and throwing punches over stupid things like skirts and blouses.
Sienna found a yellow top and held it up like the trophy that it was. She was glad to help out and hoped that the girl that was near her could help her out. She also wished she found the right size. That was the worst part of cloth shopping. Sienna never could find anything she liked because she was such a short girl. It made life a pain in the arse.
Sienna handed the cute yellow top over and wished she had kept it. But she had nothing that would go with it and this girl seemed to need it more than her. She would just have to hope that the girl helped her out.“If you find some cute sun dresses and skirts then let me know and we have a deal,” Emily looked at the girl’s figure up and down before nodding in agreement. “Sounds good to me. Search!” She crouched down to places were most people were too frenzied to look for her items along with possible candidates for the smaller girl not to far away. Emily located a few tops though none of them were in the size needed to fit the tiny frame. She finally found a shimmery teal skirt, something she could imagine a number of people wishing they’d found in the pile of sales items on the floor.The battle of finding the shirt was over but the other battle of finding her shopping partner had just begun. Emily pushed through the throng hard enough to spot the brunette holding a fashionable yellow top with just enough shine to make Emily smile brightly. “This is amazing. Where’d you find this?” The redhead looked at the size and then held it up against her chest. It would probably fit, but she made a note to try it on before she fully purchased the piece of clothing. “Oh here, I found this skirt. I think it’ll hug your waistline just perfectly.” Emily motioned for the other girl to hold it up and hoped that she liked her suggestion. It would suck to have their tastes be that much different, though Emily could always buy the skirt for another outfit in the future.
It was such a strange thing to help someone find cloths. But in a way it was liberating. Plus she was so used to not having friends that making them so easily was something she wasn’t used to. Sienna was s used to being ignored and that was something she wouldn’t wish on her worst enemy, not even Bobby.
They traded their clothes, Sienna looked over the skirt and smiled. It was a very cute thing and she knew it would fit. This girl seemed to have an eye for fashion and she smiled. “I’m Sienna Lewis, new to the whole Bristol thing and you’re a life saver,” she said and wanted to give the stranger a hug. But she held back from this feeling and she just smiled.
Sienna held the teal skirt to her waist and touched the fabric, trying to think of something that would go with it. “Let’s try these on and maybe a few other things,” she said and snatched up a few dresses with her size on the tags. She had been looking for some nice summer-y dresses so she didn’t have to wear only shorts.
Holding the clothes she grabbed and the nice skirt Emily had grabbed for her they made their way around the store to the fitting rooms. She locked her door, hung up the dresses and slid out of her skirt and into the teal one. She really liked the length of it and she checked her self out in the mirror. This skirt was too sexy for a girl like Sienna and she was starting to feel doubt. She could never pull this off and her stomach clenched up. She wanted to show her shopping buddy but was becoming embarrassed because of her nerves.
She clenched her fists, trying to hold in a scream of frustration. She needed to stop doing this to herself, she knew she was beating herself up. Her therapist had tried to work with her and if felt like nothing would work. She gripped the door and opened it. Emily would probably hate the skirt or tell it was ugly so she could buy it for herself. “What do you think?”“I’m Sienna Lewis, new to the whole Bristol thing and you’re a life saver,” Emily waved off the compliment but paid attention to the name. Usually people around town didn’t mention their last names, even she had dropped the ‘Fitch’ from conversation once Katie had fucked off. There was no need to associate herself with the name unless someone asked. “I’m Emily and it’s really no trouble. Most people were just throwing clothes toward me.” The redhead smiled brightly before hearing Sienna suggest they try their respective outfits on. Emily took the yellow top in hand and disappeared into the dressing room with a few different pairs of shorts. All but two fit, meaning Emily would probably only buy the pair that made her feel the most comfortable. She liked spending money on clothes but not enough to blow a paycheck on something she could always come back to find. Emily slipped on the yellow top and cursed the slight tightness. Even though Sienna had got the size exactly right, Emily always took a minute to get used to different types of fabric against her skin. She spun around in the mirror a few times and decided that the new shopping partner had done a good job. She peeked out of the dressing room before seeing the door next to her open. “What do you think?” Emily took a step back and looked the girl up and down to get the full view. The skirt was definitely bright, that couldn’t be denied. Nobody would be able to miss the brunette when she was wearing the outfit. “I think….” Emily squinted her eyes before nodding. “I think you should get it. It looks really flattering on your legs.” She tugged on the bottom then looked at Sienna’s expression. It seemed kind of nervous compared to the way she looked when she offered to help. “I really do like it. Do you?”
“I really do like it. Do you?” Emily had said and Sienna smiled. Maybe she did like it but she was too afraid it looked like rubbish. Her hands kept tracing the fabric of the skirt and she looked over to see Emily had the yellow top on.
“You look great in that, I hope it’s the right size,” she said and wanted to try the other dresses on. She nodded to the dressing room and slide back in, getting out of the skirt and her op, slipping into the first summer dress, it was too baggy near her bust and the patter wasn’t very flattering. She tossed it off and placed it on the chair. She took the other one and slipped into it. This one felt better, and the pattern didn’t hurt the eyes.
Sienna came out of the dressing room, held out her arms and did a swirl, not sure why but a boost of confidence was flowing through her and it was a wonderful feeling. She was having fun, she didn’t have to avoid booze or anything. “I actually like this one as well, I may have to break the bank and get this and the skirt,” she said.
She went back into the dressing room and got back into her normal clothes. She grabbed what she was buying and put the other stuff in a basket by the changing rooms. The worker could hang it up, after she washed it or something. Sienna had no idea, she returned to Emily and patted her new clothes. “Got a good selection and yourself? Did you want to visit a few other shops or go on our merry ways?” she asked. Sienna hoped Emily wanted to hang out, she was too nervous to text the new people she had met. She didn’t want to be too forward.
“I actually like this one as well, I may have to break the bank and get this and the skirt,” Emily thumbed up her approval before looking at the burnette disappear back inside the dressing room. She’d only grabbed the top and a pair of tan shorts for herself, meaning Emily would probably be back within the next two weeks to search for the purple skirt. The redhead grabbed her items at the same time Sienna reappeared in her original outfit and holding a stack of clothing hangers for the register. “Got a good selection and yourself? Did you want to visit a few other shops or go on our merry ways?” Emily looked down at her two things and hesistated. She knew it would time-efficient to just get all the shopping down at once, but did she have the want to go store-hopping? She was used to going into one every few hours and almost always ended up at the nearest garden center to get some type of plant nutrient. At its max, clothes shopping took an hour and half with Emily. “I got the things I wanted, except a purple skirt. Or pants I guess. Just purple bottoms.” Emily still stood there nibbling on her bottom lip before deciding to try it. She could always part ways from the girl if she ended up hating the act of all day shopping. “Yeah. There’s a boutique down the way that doesn’t have outrageous prices. Figure we can snag some deals in there, yeah?” Emily put a piece of hair behind her ear then led the path to the cash register. She brought out her card and wished today of all days she didn’t have her patchwork wallet stuffed in her bag.
If Emily counted out the wait time for crosswalk signs and lunch foot traffic that came with being a bicyclist, getting to Tyler’s new flat only took about 25 minutes in total. To some that could be considered a long day trip, but Emily knew she couldn’t have biked to London. At least this distance was doable in good weather and close to a taxi stop if some freak rainstorm hit the city. Moments before pulling up beside the flat, Emily gripped the bag of things she’d gathered as “housewarming” gifts and took a deep breath. The significance of Tyler actually making the move to Bristol was far from lost on the redhead. She really hadn’t believed the blonde would follow through until she spent the first night in almost two weeks alone. Emily already missed seeing tracks of Tyler throughout the kitchen, the bathroom and the unmade bed sheets on her side. She pushed the kickstand down then began smoothing her outfit to a respectable crinkle.
For the first time ever in life, Emily knocked loudly on Tyler’s door and waited for her girlfriend to answer it. Would they come to a point where they exchanged keys? She didn’t know. Emily shifted her weight between both feet and smiled towards the bright yellow flowers propped up on the table. Instead of staying still, the redhead reached to grab one. The stems looked like Tyler had just plucked them from the ground and that made the gesture more cute than she wanted to admit.
Tyler stepped from the shower, crunching her wet curls in the towel she grabbed from the hamper. The flat was not entirely filled with furniture yet, but she did have a bed and necessary elements. A nice couch was delivered the morning before and a kitchen table. She slipped a sundress on before a loud knock at the door sounded from downstairs. Tyler assumed it was Emily arriving just on time as she always would. Unlike Tyler, who would have arrived an hour or two late. She powered down the hall and stairs reaching for the handle swiftly. Tyler smiled as Emily was poking at the flowers on the porch. “Like them? Beautiful like you, am I correct?” She scrunched her nose and kissed Emily’s nose.
“What’s in the bag, dear?” Tyler tried to see through the top but Emily had a firm grasp. In the midst of it all, she invited Emily inside her new flat. They could explore on their own time. Right now, she wanted to enjoy the fresh smell of flowers and drying paint. “Welcome to House of Evans, all guests welcome. Even bugs, though I wish them out sooner than later. Kitchen,” she nodded at the open room. “Stairs and two bedrooms upstairs. Living room and such. Patio in back with optimum jacuzzi that I have fixed up but do not understand how to work it.” Tyler wondered aloud and tapped her chin. “How have you been?”
“Stairs and two bedrooms upstairs. Living room and such. Patio in back with optimum jacuzzi that I have fixed up but do not understand how to work it.” Emily smirked at the last sentence. Leave it to her girlfriend not to know about adjusting water pressure and making sure there was enough chlorine to make it safe. “How have you been?” She put a piece of hair behind her ear before smiling. “Good, good. I do miss having to fight for the blanket in bed though, I must admit.” Emily stepped so closer, kissed Tyler for a good thirty seconds and then wandered into the kitchen to get a view of the hot tub. “I can help you set it up. It looks fantastic, everything does.” She did a 360-degree view and then ended up on the same spot on the counter. It looked so open and airy, a little bit different from her intimate flat filled with things. Emily placed the bag next to her arm before giving Tyler a warning look. “Don’t open it, I want to see upstairs first.”
She pointed towards the second floor and wondered how spacious those rooms were. This place was already striking her as beautiful, now all she needed see was a shower that dried you off or something else equally as amazing. Emily touched a newly painted wall resulting in a bit of color coming off on her fingertip. Rather than wiping it on another wall, Emily pressed the finger against Tyler’s exposed shoulder and smirked again. “Did you do this yourself?”
“Don’t open it, I want to see upstairs first.” Tyler pouted. Obviously she wanted to see the lovely bagged gift that Emily had brought to her new home. It could wait. She turned around swiftly and felt wet paint dabbed onto her arm. “No. Could never do this alone. Hired someone while we were still at yours. I would have suggested we do it ourselves but I believe we are too distracted. Come,” Tyler wiggled her finger and slid around Emily to the stairs. “My room is bare. But I have a bed with silk sheets.” Tyler opened her white bedroom door and showed the nice view from the window. Tyler sat on the edge of her bed smiling. “Now that you have seen the fruits, besides the loo, will you show me what you have brought?” Tyler hopped to her feet and touched Emily’s shoulders. “We can go in the tub after a nice dinner. Salad? Veggies? Everything you like all in one?” Tyler kissed Emily’s small forehead. She moved the red strands of hair out of her face and put them behind her ears. “Your ears are absolutely adorable. So tiny. Like your nose and hands,” Tyler waltzed around Emily, no hint of guilt. She put the things with Tally behind her. It was an accidental kiss and nothing more. It was not worth mentioning.
“We can go in the tub after a nice dinner. Salad? Veggies? Everything you like all in one?” Emily started to say something about not having a swimsuit, but then she decided that Tyler had an extra or preferred them both in the nude. “Salad sounds delicious with the croutons I like, the little ones that look like miniature loaves of bread?” Her eyes were still roaming the room as Tyler came up to begin touching parts of her face. “Your ears are absolutely adorable. So tiny. Like your nose and hands,” Even though Emily still got a knot of happy anxiety when Tyler gave her compliments, she had started to believe the blonde actually meant was she was saying. This wasn’t a fluff thing just to pump her feelings up, but rather Tyler really did find her weirdly small ears attractive. “My hands aren’t that small Tyler!” Emily held them up with fingers splayed and tried to keep from letting a laugh take over her features. She tickled Tyler’s sides before staring out the bedroom window. The view was fantastic, not to mention it showed how the jacuzzi was somewhat secluded compared to the rest of the patio. Emily crossed her arms and paced around the room in interest. “You can look in the bag if you promise, promise, promise you won’t give me that look.” The redhead rolled her eyes before realizing she needed a bit more explanation. “That look where you’re trying to convince me you love the gift when I think you really feel like it’s just juvenile. Just tell me if you don’t like it.” Emily nodded and then led the charge back downstairs to get the bag. She’d thrown a good amount of things in there including a picture of them, wine glasses and enough candles to light the hallway for months.
Tyler splayed her hands out and touched Emily’s to measure. “Still small. Tiny girl you are.” She wrinkled her longer nose. After their small fumble into a tickle. Tyler giggled but was not as ticklish as Emily had hoped. In the end, it was good for her. They admired the view and Tyler waited patiently for her gift that was downstairs. “You can look in the bag if you promise, promise, promise you won’t give me that look. That look where you’re trying to convince me you love the gift when I think you really feel like it’s just juvenile. Just tell me if you don’t like it.” Tyler rolled her eyes back to the comment. “I love everything. There is nothing you can give me that I would hate darling.” Tyler scooted by and touched Emily’s puffy cheek with a pinch while she passed. “We have a present to open, dinner to eat, and a session involving no clothes and water.” Tyler exited the room rather quickly and skipped into the kitchen to the bag. She pulled it open and spotted the small items that Emily had given her. She waited for the red headed girl to come into view before she ran over and picked her up into a hug. “I love it. I love it all. We can set the candles outside on the patio and use these new glasses for the dinner?” Tyler kissed Emily’s lips quickly and grabbed the photo smiling. “You look beautiful in here.” She set the frame up on the table in the hall for everyone that passed it to see. “You are wonderful, but what is the occasion for? House warming or you missed me that much?” Tyler poked Emily’s side. She moved to the refrigerator to grab lettuce and fixings for a larger salad that the two could have. “Grab what you like, I’ll get the bowls, dear.” Tyler reached up on her toes to grab the larger dinner sets from the top shelf of the cabinets.
Emily was surprised to see Tyler enjoyed the simple gifts so much and a red hue graced her cheeks at the compliment. The picture was of them just sitting on the couch of her flat both with faces that gave away they were about to laugh. She thought they looked cute, but beautiful? You are wonderful, but what is the occasion for? House warming or you missed me that much?” Emily followed Tyler behind the counter and then washed her hands in the kitchen sink. “Both, mostly the second one. I want to make sure I help with the moving process at least a little bit.” She watched Tyler easily move around the appliance while looking at her own fingertips. . “Grab what you like, I’ll get the bowls, dear.” She obediently grabbed bell pepper and croutons to compliment the rest of the salad choices Tyler had prepared. Emily reached for the dressing while holding the vegetables, a motion that resulted in the Italian dressing squirting out onto the floor. “Well, shit.” She placed everything down on the counter and then held Tyler’s waist to keep her girlfriend from slipping into the mess. “Let me get paper towels and then you can come with the breakable objects, yeah?” Emily laid a few out on the ground before swirling them around. After the main spill was cleaned, she took a damp towel to get any stickiness. “I’m sad to say I caused the first kitchen mess. Sorry.” She made a silly face towards Tyler and then tried to assist with chopping or tossing as much as possible. “What’ve you been up to lately? Just moving in?”
“Let me get paper towels and then you can come with the breakable objects, yeah?” She giggled. “You seem so accident prone. Funny accidents though. Don’t worry too much now.” Tyler ripped the lettuce into the bowls and watched Emily clean the small mess with the paper towels. She apologized but it was meaningless. Tyler did not find any harm in making a mess. She was mostly organized, beside her room for some reason. She could never keep it spotless like the rest of her house. Emily joined again, chopping the vegetables and tossing them in bowls. Tyler was glad she went shopping before Emily had stopped over. And she remembered her own diet specifications. The sound of meaty foods sounded delightful, until they were placed in front of her. Sadly, Tyler and her memory issues were getting the best of her still. “What’ve you been up to lately? Just moving in?” Tyler nodded casually. She did not want to bring about the two girls she had randomly met. Besides Chelle, though at the moment she couldn’t remember her name. “I was in a pub catching a drink and this poor girl looked sick to her stomach. I bought her soup and she ran off pissy. Turned out she was thought to be pregnant, money down the drain but I escorted her home after some saltines in her tummy. Hope the girl’s okay. Poor soul. One night stand and possibly pregnant? Wouldn’t that rustle you up some?” Tyler shook her head and finished applying the dressing and croutons in an organized fashion. “Other than that, hiring some painters, and shopping.” Tyler smiled while she handed the large salad bowl to Emily. “Now we dine, my love.” Tyler kissed Emily’s cheek and headed off to the square table on the other side of the kitchen. “Meet anyone new? Mates, old mates, lovers?” Tyler teased.
Emily listened to Tyler’s story and widened her eyes at the conclusion. “That’s terrifying. At least you were there to calm her down, I don’t what I’d do in situation like that.” She tried to restrain a smirk from coming across her lip. “Odds are that I’ll never be in that situation, but still.” Both girls rustled around each other to set the food in down in an appealing manner. Emily made it her business to carefully place the italian dressing far away from any corners and noticed her hands still smelled strongly of the topping. After washing them thoroughly in the sink, Emily joined Tyler at the table just small enough for them to touch legs if they wanted. “Meet anyone new? Mates, old mates, lovers?” She rolled her eyes and handed out a plate so Emily could begin scooping salads onto her plate. “No lovers, unfortunately. I think I might just be stuck with you and you alone.” Emily bit her lip cheekily before sprinkling the greenery with croutons. “I spent the other night in this cabin in the woods to keep a new mate company. She was slightly less freaked out by the sounds and creepy things than I was. It was okay eventually.” In between fork bites, the redhead pushed piece of hair behind her ear and nudged her foot against Tyler’s a few times. “There’s a potential party in the horizon. A sparkler party and I might potentially plan the shit out of it.” Emily smiled brightly. Party planning was out of her comfort zone but as long as people danced, got drunk and shot off sparklers she would consider it a success. “Jesse might plan it with me. She’s great.” Emily chewed a bit more though her stomach was already starting to get full of anticipation. “Talked to your mum lately?” The redhead knew this had the potential of being a touchy subject, but if they were trusting each other like they should, Tyler wouldn’t completely clam up as she did before. “I thought about calling mine for dinner arrangements or something.”
“I spent the other night in this cabin in the woods to keep a new mate company. She was slightly less freaked out by the sounds and creepy things than I was. It was okay eventually.” Tyler raised an eye at Emily. A new mate? She was curious of course. They would have to meet. “There’s a potential party in the horizon. A sparkler party and I might potentially plan the shit out of it.” Tyler chewed her salad patiently. “Jesse?” She smirked. Another possible mate for Emily. That was good, she was reaching out to more people and Tyler would not have to feel like she was smothering her. She ignored the question about her mother quickly, there was a subject she needed to speak about but not after addressing Emily’s last statement. “Dinner? With infamous Mother Fitch?” Tyler dabbed the corner of her mouth. “Would she approve? I have my doubts.” She slyly spoke before standing abruptly. “Wine?” She walked off breathing in beats. Tyler grabbed the white Chardonnay from the shelf and worked the cork off. The girls were still in the same room, speaking was still necessary. Tyler grabbed two wine glasses and filled them each half way. “About my mum.” She handed Emily the glass so she could sip before they continued. Tyler sniffed the wine, using all her scents. “Did you know the French invented tapping glasses? The proper way to drink wine is to admire your full senses. Sight, taste, feel, smell, and then hearing.” Tyler reached over and clinked the glasses to get the full effect. She was stalling the bad news. “Okay, no more procrastinating. My mother wants me to accompany her to Moscow.” Tyler sipped her wine and set it down carefully. Her mannerisms were calm and collected. Emily would be a mess soon. “She wants me to go in a few days. Russia, it is a little far, cold, but I cannot let her go alone. She’s getting in one of those moods.” Meaning, her mother was depressed and needed to run away for a little. Tyler was feeling slightly the same way, by being alone in her flat. Her thoughts drifted to her father like always.
Emily listened politely to Tyler’s background information on wine glasses, but she could care less where the practice came from. “You were talking about your mum?” The redhead sipped her glass slowly, her stomach already in knots about whatever was coming next. “Okay, no more procrastinating. My mother wants me to accompany her to Moscow.” Emily nodded slowly. She’d miss Tyler, but why would that be bad news? Another trip to a place the redhead had never been before and this time the blonde wouldn’t have to deal with an inexperienced traveler. “She wants me to go in a few days. Russia, it is a little far, cold, but I cannot let her go alone. She’s getting in one of those moods.” Emily sipped the last bit of wine as a realization came over her thoughts. “I understand. You can’t leave her alone.” She figured that using her secret girlfriend as an excuse to get out of the trip was not an option, something the redhead knew would become an issue if they didn’t talk it out completely. “When will you be back? Don’t tell me a month from now. I’ll miss you too much.” Emily could easily see Tyler shooting off and disappearing completely oblivious to how much strain that could potentially put on a relationship. Instead of diving deeper into her own feelings, the redhead bit at her lip. She reached for the wine bottle and poured a healthy amount into her own cup. Maybe the two women would find Russia boring which in turn meant for a swift trip back to Bristol. Emily brought her legs up into a chair and waited for Tyler’s response.
“When will you be back? Don’t tell me a month from now. I’ll miss you too much.” Tyler twisted her finger around the glass of wine. How long did her mother want to go? She was never given a time limit. The last time they flew off with no limit it was almost a month. Twenty-five days exactly. “I am sorry. She never told me. So, it could be a long while.” Tyler felt apologetic. Normally she would invite her along, but with her mother acting up again it was not possible. “It might be a long while. My mother gets very down on herself when she is alone. Without me there at home she is probably drinking more and visiting the wrong debutantes that put useless information in her head. How Moscow has the best fish to eat and hotels to stay in. She always gets that way. Running off when she reminisces about my father.” Tyler drank her glass of wine more healthily. The sips grew more grand so she would not have to speak about her father in general. Tyler touched Emily’s knee with her extended arm. “I wont know how long until I am there. She will force me to drive around to find all the sights and I would honestly rather be on the couch watching a film with you.” Tyler rubbed her knee softly. “It wont be forever.”
. “I wont know how long until I am there. She will force me to drive around to find all the sights and I would honestly rather be on the couch watching a film with you.” Emily stared at her girlfriend and tried to ignore the reassuring hand on her knee. It wasn’t either of their faults that this was happening, but that still didn’t make it fair. They had just gotten settled. “It wont be forever.” She looked at the blonde girl with an unexplained expression. “I know, but I’m scared it will feel like it. Can you even call from Russia? Text? Send pictures?” Emily pouted on the side of the couch before staring at her empty wine glass. She shouldn’t have been surprised that Tyler’s mother coped with grief this way. It came up similarly in the daughter that Emily was almost sure she was close to loving. Both girls were quiet for a moment and the redhead twisted her lips to keep from spurting out thoughts as they came across her mind. “Do you ever talk to her about your dad? Maybe she’s looking for an outlet or someone just to be silent with.” Even though that proved Tyler’s point about her mother needing a companion, Emily wondered if the two women ever got around to the elephant in the room. Tyler barely spoke about him now. “I bet he was a great man,” She said quietly.
“I know, but I’m scared it will feel like it. Can you even call from Russia? Text? Send pictures?” Tyler smiled wearily. She could afford a plan for the time there, however long it would be. “We can do anything, love.” She would have to find a way for this to work. She wasn’t moving away but for some reason it felt like she was. “Do you ever talk to her about your dad? Maybe she’s looking for an outlet or someone just to be silent with.” Tyler put her hands back in her lap. “I have tried. She blocks me out and gets angry. She would rather not talk about it.” Emily mentioned her father and Tyler did not like the sound of someone never knowing him say he was great. He was better than that. Her father was the best father anyone could ask for. He taught her everything good in the world and how to properly care for people. The other side was her mothers deceptiveness and manipulation. During her better moods she was more like her father. “He was better than great.” Tyler fell silent and grabbed her half finished salad. She applied a plate over it and set it in the refrigerator. Tyler did not want to speak about her father to someone that never knew him properly. “Would you like to go outside? Weather’s nice for the time being.” Tyler crossed her arms. She was irritated and needed to leave the conversation. Emily hopefully would leave it but she seemed like the type of girl to continue on.
“He was better than great.” Emily realized she’d overstepped a boundary and noticed how Tyler’s eyes changed the moment she even mentioned his existence. “Would you like to go outside? Weather’s nice for the time being.” Emily picked up her dinner plate then scraped the remaining piece of lettuce into the trashcan. After putting everything else in the sink, the redhead joined Tyler outside. The jacuzzi looked beautiful under this light and so did Tyler if Emily ignored the subtle anger coming from her girlfriend’s direction. “It’s great out here,” Emily said almost to herself. She could see them lounging on patio chairs for the rest of the summer. “I know you don’t ever talk about him with me but you know you can right? I’m sorry if I’m overstepping a line.” She stared at the rippling water in the jacuzzi and turned back towards Tyler with a shrug that meant Emily didn’t really mind the hostility. Not when her girlfriend was actually showing some emotion that wasn’t completely vested in affection.
“I know you don’t ever talk about him with me but you know you can right? I’m sorry if I’m overstepping a line.” Tyler stayed motionless. Her arms crossed under her chest and she stared along the outside lights. She eagerly wanted to talk about her father, but it was too difficult. She missed him and hated the feeling of mourning or longing. He would never return and she needed to accept it. “I don’t need to speak about it.” She blinked for a moment, scared she had forgotten his face. “Excuse me.” Tyler walked back inside and up the stairs. Not many frames were up in her home, but she kept one important one always next to her bed. Tyler rummaged through her drawer until she found the crumpled old photo of her and her father. She ran her thumb on the corners. It was the last thing she had of them together. Her primary graduation. She kissed the photo and set it aside. She could find two suits. Tyler grabbed the suit she had borrowed from Tally and stared at it. She felt guilt tough her heart. Tyler knew Emily was close by, she could sense her frail figure walking down the hall. She grabbed her extra suit and balled it in her hand. “We should change before we get in.” Tyler spoke at Emily while she neared the door entrance.
Emily waited for two moments before following Tyler down the hall. She wanted to be a springboard for discussion, but obviously that had no potential of happening anytime soon. “We should change before we get in.” Emily came in with a small smile and took the bathing suit that was offered by the blonde. “Of course. I can change in here, can’t i?” She unzipped her shorts before taking them down past her thighs with a tiny smirk. Emily continued to undress and was able to slide herself fully into the bikini with her head cocked to the side. “I know you hate swimming, but at least the tub is less than six feet. It’s a perfect place to relax in water.” Emily kissed Tyler’s lips softly and pulled back to see herself in a mirror. She felt comfortable in bikinis, they just always seemed to make her bum look twice as big as it was in real life. Emily ignored the gnawing feeling of already missing Tyler in her stomach and clapped her hands. “Let’s go!”
“I know you hate swimming, but at least the tub is less than six feet. It’s a perfect place to relax in water.” Tyler pulled the last strap on her shoulder kissing Emily back. She was obviously right about the water, but it did not make her feel any less safe. Being submerged into water always made her worry as if anyone with a phobia would be around their element of surprise. “You look pretty,” she commented before they headed down to the patio yet again. Emily looked rather excited to be inside the new body of water but Tyler was eerie yet again. She climbed up once Emily submerged her torso inside. Tyler only sat at the edge and put her legs in. “Baby steps,” Emily would understand why. The thought of Russia and the unplanned amount of time ate at her subconscious. The last time her mother had grown into this fit she was gone for months in Spain. She would hate to break the news to Emily but it had to be done eventually. She would know once Tyler did not come back after an extended period of time. “Promise you won’t hate me, Emily.” Tyler tapped at her knee caps with her frail fingers. “The trip might be longer than expected, but I won’t really know. My mother never plans, just like I do. The last trip we had took months to get her back on her feet. I hope you will forgive me.” Tyler knew it would be hard on Emily, but more so her commitment to this relationship. Being apart for that strung amount of time would leave her hopelessly lost on what to do. Lust would venture in her life and there were always more people in different countries.
Promise you won’t hate me, Emily.” Emily continued splashing around in the water and knew that she’d absolutely hate whatever came out of Tyler’s mouth next. She was tired of getting the anxious feeling that made her insides feel like mush. Instead of answering, Emily turned and looked at the blonde with her lips pursed together. “The trip might be longer than expected, but I won’t really know. My mother never plans, just like I do. The last trip we had took months to get her back on her feet. I hope you will forgive me.” Emily took a moment to process the news. Her face didn’t change much besides her eyes looking a lot more somber than they did before. Of course. Tyler not only couldn’t give her an ETA back to Bristol, but that time wouldn’t be for a few months? Emily kicked some water from the jacuzzi tub. “So what are you saying? Do you want to go ahead and break up now? Save both of us heartache later?” Her voice was even. She wasn’t even near the verge of crying right now. Emily knew she wouldn’t stop caring about Tyler over her taking a vacation but there would times where she’d be tempted to fulfill intimacy needs after a couple weeks had gone by. She shook her head. “I don’t hate you, if that’s what you’re worried about. It’s not really your fault that this happened to your mother.” Emily pressed the water to see rippled occur within the tub. She hoped that Tyler would stop sitting so perched up and at least come to her eye level while they finished talking this out. It was weird to be so distanced.
(Source: emuffily)
The night sky had come early today. It wrapped a giant black blanket around Bristol and had no intention of letting the stars or moon out. This made it extremely difficult for Beatrice to navigate her way around the thick forest. Although she had a torch with her, it brought little to no help. She was lost, and had no idea where she was headed. Her hopes were to find a road, a house, anything that would give her a sense that she wasn’t completely in the middle of nowhere. Every now and then her mind would play tricks on her and she would hear a “Hey, over here!” or “Hello.” The phrases made her jump and turn around, expecting someone to be there but there never was. She continued on with her search until her torch light reflected off a piece of glass. Carefully, Beatrice took a step closer to and discovered that it was a cabin. “Finally,” she breathed. She readjusted her bag on her shoulder before continuing on. The door of the wooden cabin creaked open slowly. She shined her torch around, looking for any evidence if someone lived there or animals occupied it, but there was nothing. She found a lamp in the corner of the room that thankfully still worked. As the room lit up, she examined the place. Old couch, dusty carpets, a wooden staircase that she had no intention of going up, and a broken television set. She set her bag down on the couch and took out the two blankets she had in there. She placed them across the couch and then took a seat. Beatrice rested her head on the sofa’s arm and was about to close her eyes until she heard a loud banging noise from upstairs.
Emily knew she should’ve gotten the plants for the school earlier than the night before, but Cook had proved to be a distraction on the day she intended to gather them. The redhead poked around the woods she’d visited with Matty. It was dark, darker than most of the times she ended up out here alone. Emily took her time crossing over land bridges and made sure to keep her phone clenched inside her fist in case some murderer came tearing through the trees. It wasn’t her personality to be too paranoid but there was an element of realism in her fears. She wasn’t that big, wasn’t that strong unless she was aggravated and taxi cabs didn’t pick people up for another half mile. There weren’t any chances to be taken. Eventually Emily gathered most of the plants she needed to weed but it was becoming difficult to remember which way she’d come inside the grasses. The sun had set almost an hour ago. Maybe there was some other path that led to the familiar greenhouse or a place she could dump the plants for an overnight stay. She’d get them before work. Everything would be fine, right? Emily looked over her shoulder a little anxiously. Everything would be fine if she figured out a way to leave the forest without getting caught in a thorn bush. After fifteen minutes of looking, Emily saw a structure a few yards away then quickly realized it was a two-story cabin. There was a light on but it was too dim to see if there were any people milling about inside. Emily dropped the plants at the base of the tree and then climbed up a few branches to peek inside. “You’re the dumbest person in the world, Emily” The girl muttered to herself moments before rapping on the window. She didn’t hear anybody scurrying but prepared herself for whatever was coming after pushing the window up slightly. “Hello?”
“Hello?” The sudden break of silence frightened Beatrice. Her eyes shot open and she immediately jumped up from the couch. She flicked on her torch and shined it in all the dark areas of the room. Nobody was there. The sound echoed through the almost empty house and she realized the sound had come from upstairs. She shined the torch’s light in the direction of the staircase. Was someone living here? Had she invaded someone’s home? Or did somebody follow her here? Whatever the answer might be, somebody was upstairs. She took a deep breath then exhaled before slowly walking towards the staircase. The old, rotted steps creaked as she placed her foot on them. She tried to be quiet, but it was useless. Once upstairs, more fear gathered in the pit of her stomach. There were two rooms, and one of them was the source of the noise. She looked left then right, trying to decide which one to look in. She noticed a cold breeze coming in from a cracked window in the left room so she decided to check that one first. The room was bare, only a broken chair and bookshelf occupied the large space. Beatrice made her way to the window to close it when she realized a dark figure in the large oak tree. The sight made her jump backwards and drop her torch on the ground. Her hands searched the floor and frantically picked it up. She shined the light in the person’s face. “What are you doing here?” her voice was shaky.
“What are you doing here?” Emily was clinging onto the tree for dear life. She half-expected some owner to chew her out and demand that she leave the premises immediately. “I’m looking for a phone or something like that. Or even better, a map to tell me where I am exactly.” Emily moved a piece of hair from her face before smiling sheepishly. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. If this was about to turn out like those scary movies, she should probably place her last phone call at this very second. After a moment of being terrified the redhead realized that the person asking the question was probably more scared than she was. What type of normal person graced the branches of somebody else’s tree? It was ridiculous to even consider the exchange wouldn’t have a little bit of awkwardness. “I was picking flowers and didn’t realize I’d get caught in the sunset. How dumb can I be right?” Emily smiled again and then felt a cramp starting to come into her limbs. She could only stay perched up on a tree for so long until hands began to slip. “Can I just…” Emily gripped the window pane and looked at the blonde girl pleadingly. In a way she reminded her of Tyler, probably because of the long limbs. Thankfully most burglars weren’t redheaded girls or Emily doubted she’d be able to slowly push herself into the house if they were. “I promise I’m not here to do anything fucked. Emily.” She decided not to hold her hand out and instead just brushed a few leaves from her shoulder.
Beatrice listened in silence as the girl spoke. The red haired girl looked harmless. In fact she looked a bit frightened as well. Slowly, she climbed into the room through the window. Beatrice took a few steps backwards then lowered her torch’s light to the girls chest so the light still illuminated her face. The girl introduced herself then brushed herself off. “Beatrice.” She spoke quietly then shined her light around the room, trying to see if there was a lamp anywhere. She spotted one in the corner next to the wooden chair. Quickly she walked over to it and it successfully turned on. Beatrice turned off her flashlight then put her hands in her pocket. “Sorry for scaring you too. You probably weren’t expecting anyone to be here,” she kept her voice low and emotionless. “I was just spending the night here. It got dark so quickly and I got lost.” She walked back towards Emily, closing the awkwardly huge gap between them. “There isn’t much here. Downstairs in the living room there’s a few couches and chairs. I haven’t really explored the rest of it yet. Thankfully the lights work though.” Beatrice found it hard not to feel awkward in this situation. She was making unnecessary boring conversation and had probably already lost the girls attention. Her eyes wandered up and down Emily’s body. Cute, she thought.
“I was just spending the night here. It got dark so quickly and I got lost.” Emily looked around the cabin. Obviously it didn’t belong to Beatrice, but one glance confirmed that whoever owned it hadn’t been by in at least a few months. “It’s alright. I would’ve reacted the same way if someone tried to jump through the window.” She tried to smile at the blonde girl but realized her body was still slightly shaking from the incident. “There isn’t much here. Downstairs in the living room there’s a few couches and chairs. I haven’t really explored the rest of it yet. Thankfully the lights work though.” Emily walked a few steps closer to Beatrice, subconsciously stepping near the person who knew where the hell they were. “Let’s go downstairs then, yeah? Less creepiness from the trees.” She took the quiver from her voice in time to smile reassuringly at Beatrice. A thought about why the girl needed to sleep in an abandoned cabin, but Emily knew it wasn’t the right time to ask. She led the charge down the stairs and sort of recoiled back from all the outdoorsy decor that was associated with hunters. “I have a lighter, if that helps.” Emily showed the tiny object before shrugging her shoulders. This was sort of awkward. The last time she was in the woods with a girl a lot had happened then them sitting quietly on the couch. “Do you know if there’s water somewhere? I have to keep these flowers viable.” Emily held up the little pouch she had and smiled sheepishly.
Beatrice followed Emily down the stairs, noticing the odd decor on the walls. There were pictures of a family from fishing and hunting trips along with stuffed animal heads. “Creepy,” she made a weird face then sighed. When they got back into the living room, she took another look around the room. She noticed a few things she hadn’t seen before. “Do you know if there’s water somewhere? I have to keep these flowers viable.” Beatrice looked at the pouch Emily was holding. “The sink might be working, we can check.” She led the way into the dark kitchen. The kitchen layout was odd. It was a semi-narrow hallway with cabinets and a pantry on one side, and the refrigerator, sink, and appliances on the other. The room had old scuffed up tiles and wallpaper that was chipping away from mold and tiny critters. The sink was full of mold and what looked like rotting leaves. The kitchen had a greenhouse feel to it because of the plants and vines that squeezed themselves in through cracks in the windows. She reached out to turn the sink’s nobs and surprisingly the water began to run. “Wow, I’m surprised it works,” she stared at the water in fascination then stepped away from the sink so Emily could do her thing. Beatrice propped herself up on the counter top next to the fridge and looked around for a light switch but was unsuccessful at finding one. “So, what are you collecting those flowers for anyways?”
Emily followed Beatrice to the kitchen and realized that her first assumptions were right. It had been ages since someone had made a meal in here, much less filled the fridge. Why would any right-minded person just have a structure standing for basically nothing? It made no sense. Beatrice flicked a knob and both girls stepped back in shock. At least there was plumbing. ”Wow, I’m surprised it works.” Emily reached in the nearest cabinet for a cup wide enough to hold half of the flowers, then grabbed another one to fill with the rest. The water would only last for so long but hopefully she’d be near proper tools in less than 12 hours. “So, what are you collecting those flowers for anyways?” The redhead wiped her hands together with a smile. “9 to 13 year olds who have an interest in biology structure. It’s actually a bigger group than you might think.” Emily smiled. “They’re going to look at the parts and then put it under a microscope. Just typical scientific things for their summer camp.” The whole day had the opportunity to be stressful, but these kids did have a genuine interest in botany. She saw Beatrice propped up on the counter and joined her with a bit of space in between their waists. “I dunno how you were going to sleep here by yourself. It’s scary as fuck.” Emily looked at the dark corners and thanked God the moon was shining enough to act as a fake light. “Why….why were you going to sleep here? There’s plenty of places in town. Free and everything.” She turned red. “Not that you have money issues, but like, if you did.”
A smile played across Beatrice’s lips as Emily spoke about the summer camp. It was nice to hear there were some people out in the world who were still doing well for others just because. Not many people were like that nowadays. She propped herself up on the counter and continued to speak. Beatrice giggled slightly at Emily’ comment. She looked around the room, noticing how creepy it actually was. “Why….why were you going to sleep here? There’s plenty of places in town. Free and everything…. Not that you have money issues, but like, if you did.” Before answering, she pondered her mind trying to come up with a way to explain herself. “It’s fine,” she reassured Emily about the money comment. “Well, besides the fact that I was just lost… I don’t really have a home,” she looked down at her boots and began to kick her feet back and forth slightly. “I grew up traveling across London. Never had a permanent home really. My family and I would switch off from different motels and when that didn’t work, we would sleep in places like alley ways or under bridges,” her voice sounded emotionless, like she could care less about how she grew up. “But, I ran away. So I’m doing the same here.” Beatrice tilted her head up and gave Emily a weak smile. The subject was something she often thought about, but never spoke of. It felt odd pouring her thoughts out, especially to someone she didn’t even know. But in all honesty, it wasn’t very odd at all considering Beatrice didn’t really know anybody. She was a drifter and that would never change.
“I grew up traveling across London. Never had a permanent home really. My family and I would switch off from different motels and when that didn’t work, we would sleep in places like alley ways or under bridges,” Emily’s eyes widened in a state of shock. She hadn’t expected the blonde girl to have grown up that way, in fact she expected she was here to blow off steam or escape from a night out with mates. The redhead sympathized with people but having a home taken away for a few days wasn’t the same thing as never having one to begin with. “But, I ran away. So I’m doing the same here.” Emily nodded slowly as she tried to comprehend what Beatrice was exactly saying. “So you don’t want to settle down, really? You like drifting?” She wasn’t accusing the blonde of anything, she honestly wanted to know what it felt like to only worry about things like shelter. Emily swung her legs over the edge of the counter and then decided to broach up another subject. “Have you ever stayed outside in a greenhouse? Those are some of the most insulated walls ever, I think.” She furrowed her eyebrows together in thought. “I’m pretty sure they’re insulated but if not, there’s got to be a little warehouse with better ones. People stay there before and after raves. The regular.” Emily played with her fingernails. “Want to explore some more? I think there’s a candle stick holder under these dishes.”
“It never really bothered me much when I was younger because it was my normal. I didn’t know any different. But, I guess as I got older I sort of realized it wasn’t normal. I’d like a home of my own one day, but it isn’t a priority.” Although the topic of conversation was heavy, Beatrice tried to discuss it in a manner that felt light and like it was no big deal. She hated pity. “Greenhouses? Really? I wouldn’t have thought of that,” she nodded her head and added it to the list of places to stay at if there was no other option. “I’ll take mental note of that,” she chuckled lightly but quickly stopped. “Want to explore some more? I think there’s a candle stick holder under these dishes.” Emily suggested. “Sure!” Beatrice hopped off the counter and rummaged through a pile of dishes until she found a candle stick holder. “Ah-ha!” She held it in her palm and looked at it carefully. She took the corners of her jacket and wiped down a few dusty spots on it. “Good as new..well, not really,” she shrugged. “Now, candles?” She walked around the kitchen and found a few sitting on top of the fridge. Emily lit them with her lighter and they were good to go. “I’m just warning you now, I get frightened easily, so sorry,” she laughed and patted Emily on the back.
“Good as new..well, not really,” Emily smiled sympathetically at the poor little stick holder in Beatrice’s hand. It had seen better days, many better days before the two girls found it stuffed underneath the cabinets. “It’ll work, yeah?” She light all the candles quickly and then blew out the match with one quick huff. After standing upright, Emily looked over to the blonde with a slightly nervous smile. “I’m just warning you now, I get frightened easily, so sorry,” The house creaked in response and Emily jumped closer to the blonde of out pure shock. “No, that’s fine. Obviously I’m the same way when it comes to inanimate objects. Shit.” She pushed back her bangs before gripping the other end of the candle stick holder. Hopefully some courage would suddenly fill their souls as they investigated. “Let’s just keep everything to first floor for now…that we can run if stuff gets really creepy?” Emily tiptoed around the living room couch then saw a huge object with enough drawers to carry everything a person might need. She wasn’t quite ready to dive in that much all at once so Emily simply pointed towards the entertainment cabinets. She pulled open one and saw cassette tapes mixed with VHS tapes in perfect stacks. “Home movies, maybe?”
The house creaked under their footsteps, like it was talking to them. “Get out. Go away.” It whispered. A shiver went down Beatrice’s spine, and in that moment she regretted ever stepping food in the cabin. She tucked a piece of falling hair behind her ear and swallowed loudly. “Sounds like a good idea to me,” she agreed with Emily. The girls took their time walking around each piece of furniture with caution and concern. Even though it was pretty much completely dark, Beatrice’s eyes took in everything around the room. Emily pointed out what looked like a giant dresser that had a bunch of drawers. She opened one that contained tons of tapes. “Home movies, maybe?” Beatrice reached into the drawer and pulled one out of it’s perfectly neat row. She turned the tape on each of it’s sides to see if there was a label on it anywhere but there wasn’t. She thumbed through the rest in it’s row and they were all nameless as well. “I guess we could find out?” Beatrice opened the other drawer that was beside it and inside was a tape player. “Perfect,” she sighed. There was a TV placed in the corner of the room that was still hooked up to the wall. She waltzed over to it and knelt down so she could plug in the tape player to the television. “Hopefully this will work.” After plugging everything in she turned on the TV and it roared to life. Beatrice waved Emily over. She scooted across the floor and patted the ground next to her for Emily to take a seat. The VHS tape began to play.
“I guess we could find out?” Emily’s stomach began to knot up as she thought about what kind of freaky things could be on the tape. She knew in all honesty it was probably just recordings of baby steps or fishing or something else so ordinary it would bore the girls to tears. But still, a part of her worried they weren’t supposed to be messing with the cabin’s things. It was secluded for a reason. Emily watched Beatrice masterfully set up the TV for them and stood near the couch a bit nervously. What if this was like The Ring? The video ruins everything. “Hopefully this will work.” Emily tried to hide her nervousness as she came over to join Beatrice on the ground. She scooted closer just in case some sort of supernatural monster came busting through the glass then saw the TV begin to flicker with life. “It doesn’t help my fear that this TV is from the Middle Ages, you know?” Emily was able to laugh a bit more and relaxed as figures began to become clear on the screen. She could make out the typical setting she assumed it would be, a small child’s birthday party with family gathered around. She could hear the sound of noisemakers along with people singing “Happy Birthday” off key. “This isn’t so bad…” Emily murmured to herself moments before the scene was abruptly cut off. She swallowed and turned to Beatrice. “That’s fucking weird, right?” Emily got to her feet to press the play button but the video was apparently still rolling the same as it was 10 minutes again. Instead of investigating further Emily kept her eyes half closed for what was about to come up next.
She sat patiently with wide eyes as the video tape began to play. It was a classic birthday scene. Little kid being video taped while blowing out the candles to his birthday cake, family all around him singing cheerfully, then it unexpectedly ended. Beatrice’s head tilted, puzzled. She looked over at Emily who wore the same curious but frightened expression. “So weird.” She watched as Emily fumbled with the tape and it’s player, until they realized it was still on. “I wonder what happened, maybe they ran out of film?” She asked Emily, trying to steer away from scaring the red head even more. The TV was blank, and showed no signs of regaining life. They could just sit there and wait for the tape to play again, or turn it off. Beatrice bit her fingernails and looked at Emily worried. “I don’t like this.” At first, she hesitated, but then reached out towards the TV and unplugged it from the wall. “Sorry, but I have a feeling we were about to see something we didn’t want to,” she apologized. Beatrice didn’t need any more fear, the looks of the house was enough to last her for the night. “I’m actually glad you came here. I don’t think I would have been able to stay the night if I was alone.”
“Sorry, but I have a feeling we were about to see something we didn’t want to,” Emily looked at the blonde gratefully and then stared at the now completely black screen in front of them. To be honest, skipping past a potentially horrible video prevented either of the girls from becoming paranoid about the house. “No, thank you.” She brought her legs together in a criss-cross position before forcing her eyes to look away from the TV. “I’m actually glad you came here. I don’t think I would have been able to stay the night if I was alone.” A genuine smile came across her face and Emily nodded with a smile. “I’m glad you were in here, I probably would’ve fallen face first out of that tree and broke something.” She shrugged her shoulders, turning ever so slightly to see the darkened room behind them. The candle was still lit but the light was weaker than a even the most decrepit lamps. Emily hadn’t thought about spending the night. A part of her was somewhat convinced she could wander her way back to the main road. “Maybe we should do something less scary-movie like…no stories. No random searching around the house for spirits.” Emily smirked as she pushed herself up to a standing position. “Do you know how to braid hair?” Even though the redhead usually hated people taking the red locks, anything would be better than sitting there waiting for a sign of terror. “I can do a bun if given a lot of time.”
“Maybe we should do something less scary-movie like…no stories. No random searching around the house for spirits.” Beatrice nodded at Emily and then stood up. Without all the creepy thoughts running through her head, the place didn’t seem as bad as it did before. In daylight, it was probably beautiful in some sort of dark and twisted way. The house was like a piece of art. Emily asked if she knew how to braid hair, and Beatrice shook her head in shame. Because of her upbringing, her mother never taught her the traditional girl things like doing hair, applying makeup, or even piecing together an outfit. She hadn’t taken much interest in those things anyways, but it would have been nice to know. “I never really had a reason to learn I guess,” Or a mother to teach you, she continued the rest of her sentence in her head. She smiled shyly at Emily then looked at her unusual colored hair. “It’s an odd color you have, but surprisingly it works. I’ve seen a bunch of women across town trying to pull off red hair, but it never looks right.” She took a step closer to Emily so she could get a better look at her hair. “It looks nice,” she managed to compliment her without it sounding weird or creepy. She took a step back from Emily to restore the distance between them.
“It’s an odd color you have, but surprisingly it works. I’ve seen a bunch of women across town trying to pull off red hair, but it never looks right.” Emily smiled at Beatrice’s roundabout compliment, not minding that the blonde had really not specified if she pulled off red hair or “It looks nice,” The redhead beamed. “Thank you. I’d hate to be one of those girls who look like a bright red lollipop, you know?” She looked at Beatrice before deciding to go with her original plan. “Can I do a bun in your hair? I almost want to see if I forgot or not. It’s been ages.” The only person Emily had to practice one was Katie, and even then the buns were 75% done by her sister’s grubby hands anyway. “It can be like a pretend beauty parlor or something. I wish i had a little spin chair.” She reached her fingers out timidly to touch Beatrice’s hair. It was surprisingly soft to the touch. It almost felt like a fluffy sheet or curved silk. “Has anyone ever told your that your hair is phenomenal? It’s so easy to play with,” Emily mused as she began to wrap the hair together in a mound at the very top of Beatrice’s head. The edge of her tongue peeked out as Emily put all of her focus into making sure no stray hairs were present and there were no noticeable bumps on the scalp. “After this, I can teach you how to braid hair. It’s really fucking easy. Unlike buns.” Emily let go of the hair exasperated and started to try again.
“Sure,” Beatrice shrugged and smiled at Emily. Nobody had ever played with her hair before, and though it was something simple and normal to most girls she felt excited for the new experience. She felt Emily’s warm fingers brush through her hair. The sensation felt unlike any brush that she had used before. It was softer than the harsh bristles of a comb. Emily complimented her and Beatrice smiled brightly. “I’ve never gotten that before, thank you.” She folded her hands together and closed her eyes as Emily played hair salon. Behind her eyelids she pictured Emily and herself as two little girls playing dress up and doing each others hair and makeup. The thought put a smile on her face. Her hair twirled up onto the top of her head then swooshed back down to her shoulders. Emily attempted the bun again until she got it right. “You’re good at this. I take it you have a sister or a mother you get along with?” Beatrice tried to imagine what Emily’s family looked like. A bunch of red haired beauties with rosy cheeks and plump lips. She thought back to her family and the way that they all didn’t looked related. Beatrice didn’t know for sure, but she guessed that it was because of her mother sleeping around with different men. She had five sisters and three brothers, all that which ad their own special look to them. Beatrice came out as the softest and most delicate looking one of them all.
“You’re good at this. I take it you have a sister or a mother you get along with?” Emily’s smile tightened slightly and she shrugged her shoulders. “I have a sister and mother, but I don’t really get along with them. Not lately.” She tried to look as if it didn’t matter though the subject was especially sore if Emily had the chance to think about how much it hurt to be without them. Even though the distance from Jenna Fitch was mostly self-inflicted, who could blame her? Emily wasn’t going to change her sexuality or any other part of herself just to have a relationship with the woman who birthed her. She wanted unconditional love. Besides, even if Emily was civil there was always a chance Jenna could suddenly decide to sever ties like Katie had. There wasn’t a lot of point in hoping everything could be as it was before those last years of college. “It’s a whole big thing but basically I like girls. I always have.” Emily continued swirling around with Beatrice’s hair as she began to spill her life story to the blonde. There was something in her newfound companion’s eyes that made the redhead feel like talking was a way for them to be closer, not awkwardly informed of each other’s lives. “My mother and twin sister couldn’t really wrap their heads properly around the need for muff in my life. That’s not my fault, I don’t think.” Emily cast her eyes down as she came around in front of Beatrice. “Still want me to show you how to braid? Take a piece of my hair and I’ll take a piece of yours.”
She listened attentively as Emily spoke about her family. Even though she couldn’t see her face, she could hear the uneasy tone in her voice. After years of listening in on people’s conversations Beatrice learned how to read the tone and mood of people by how they said things or the way their body language changed. She always picked up on the little things people seemed to overlook. “I’m sorry your family isn’t supportive of your preference. I guess, I know how that is. I come from a family of strong, aggressive personalities and behavior, I turned out to be the delicate flower of the group. It was hard for them to accept it.” She kept her explanation short and sweet. It was just enough to hint at her life, but not reveal even the slightest detail. Even though the information wasn’t much, it was the closest she had even came to talking about her family to anyone before. Emily came around to face Beatrice. She took a piece of Emily’s red locks delicately and waited for her instructions. The girl’s hair felt light and bouncy like a feather, it was smooth like one too. She followed the instructions, and after a few attempts she was beginning to get the hang of it. “This isn’t as hard as I expected,” she huffed then smiled. “It’s sort of fun, yeah?” Beatrice threw her head back laughing then focused back on the braid.
This isn’t as hard as I expected,” Emily smiled and began working on the third or fourth braid she had twined in Beatrice’s hair. Thankfully the blonde was not tender-headed, meaning Emily could pull slightly without getting any obvious signs of pain. “It’s sort of fun, yeah?” She nodded enthusiastically. “Right. It seems pointless but sometimes you can end up doing a whole head before your hands cramp up or hurt or anything ” Emily finally stopped messing with Beatrice’s hair and instead laid back slightly on the couch so the nimble fingers could go through her own locks. The cabin had lost part of its scary appeal given that the girls were having their own personal lower form sleepover inside of the wooden walls. “You’re a delicate flower right? I could see you as a daffodil or an apple blossom. Those are pretty delicate even though they’re also bright in appearance.” Emily nodded in agreement with herself. If it wasn’t obvious before, the redhead was coming close to her threshold for getting too tired to function. “Where are you going to sleep tomorrow Beatrice? It’s scary here.” She pulled the braids in her hair.
Beatrice dropped her hands from Emily’s hair when she did. Her body felt awkward just standing in the middle of the room so she slowly walked over to a cushioned rocking chair and took a seat in it. It creaked as it swayed back and forth. “You’re a delicate flower right? I could see you as a daffodil or an apple blossom. Those are pretty delicate even though they’re also bright in appearance.” Beatrice tucked a strand of hair behind her eye and nodded. “Thanks.” She grabbed a small strand of her own hair and began to braid it. “Where are you going to sleep tomorrow Beatrice? It’s scary here.” She looked around the cabin, noticing how vines and plant life were wedging themselves through the floorboards. “Wherever,” she replied to Emily flatly. She didn’t know where she was going to stay, if there were no other options she would stay here another night. It wasn’t her number one pick as a place to stay, but it was certainly better than on the ground somewhere. “Where are you going to sleep tomorrow?” She mocked Emily in a sleepy tone. “I hope you don’t get addicted to this whole cabin thing and go out to search for another,” she joked.
“Where are you going to sleep tomorrow?” Emily was pulled out of her wondering about how Beatrice was so comfortable about her living arrangements and blushed. It was a legitimate question seeing that Emily had asked the same a few minutes earlier. “I hope you don’t get addicted to this whole cabin thing and go out to search for another,” The redhead shook her head vehemently. “Don’t worry about that, I don’t think I could stand sleeping in another one of these things by myself.” Emily yawned widely before looking at Beatrice. “I’m going to sleep at my flat tomorrow. You’re welcome to….” She cast her eyes down. She could hear Jenna Fitch’s voice berating her for inviting a stranger in her home and she could see Katie rolling her eyes because Emily was too “trusting”. Emily looked down at the floor before making eye contact with Beatrice again. “Is there a bed in the place? We could probably use the blankets.”
Sienna looked through her phone, it had ore numbers and she smiled. She now had friends or at least she considered them to all be friends. So far everyone had been so nice to her and she couldn’t stop smiling. She knew it would go away, the happiness but right now she was enjoying it. Maybe being forced out of her aunt’s house and to Bristol was going to be the best thing. She got up, tossed her phone to the bed and walked to her closet.
Sienna fingered all her clothes, trying to find something good and she sighed heavily. She needed new clothes, it was summer and she wanted some dresses. But all she had was some skirts, she picked out a nice navy one and found a shirt that would match. Maybe she needed a fashion assistant as well. She was so used to wearing a school uniform that trying to look cute became a chore.
“Fuck it, I’ll go to the shopping centre,” she said as she got undressed before getting into her new skirt and shirt. The skirt had no pockets so she grabbed a small purse, filled it with the necessities and went to her father’s car. She would also meed to find a job, so she could get her own car. She made a note of that in her mobile. It didn’t take her long to find the Shopping Centre, and as she walked around looking for a nice clothing store she eventually found one.
Sienna looked through the clothes, looking for deals on overpriced stuff. But she had a good feeling that she would find something. She bumped into a girl who wasn’t much taller than her. She looked over to her and smiled. “Sorry about that, in the zone as they say,” she said and giggled.Even though Emily was nowhere clothes-obsessed as other girls around Bristol, the redhead did take pleasure in finding little pieces of clothing to brighten up her closet. Today she aimed to buy a cute yellow top and purple shorts that wouldn’t clash with earrings Emily found from a few years back. Her favorite store was thankfully crowded, meaning the best deals would be at the bottom of the stack and people would be too distracted to notice a redhead digging for what she wanted. Most people browsed to find anything on sale but Emily’s specific tunnel-vision made it easier to stay focused in a busy store. By the time the redhead got into a good system of pushing away unusable clothes, someone had rammed into her backside. “Sorry about that, in the zone as they say,” Emily stood up and waved off the apology. “It’s fine. At least you didn’t throw me into a rack for a nice cardigan or something like that.” She placed a piece of hair behind her ear before smiling at the brunette. Part of Emily wanted to say the girl looked young, but she wasn’t sure if that was appropriate to mention right off the bat. “Hey, do you mind letting me know if you see a yellow skirt or a purple top?” The redhead went back to digging for a moment then realized she’d said the wrong thing. Her face blushed. “Scratch that. Purple skirt and yellow top. I think I’m a bit too focused.”
Sienna was surprised at how busy it had gotten and at how cut throat people became over sale prices. All she wanted was some nice summer attire and now she had to fight off the masses for anything. The red head she was near mentioned something about a top and a skirt and then changed the colors. So she had to stop and think. Should she help the stranger find a purple skirt and yellow top or should she focus on her own gain.
Sienna looked over to the red head, they weren’t too different in size and she smiled. “If you find some cute sun dresses and skirts then let me know and we have a deal,” she said and began to look for rhe skirt or top that this girl wanted. Maybe they could help each other. It was better than pulling hair and throwing punches over stupid things like skirts and blouses.
Sienna found a yellow top and held it up like the trophy that it was. She was glad to help out and hoped that the girl that was near her could help her out. She also wished she found the right size. That was the worst part of cloth shopping. Sienna never could find anything she liked because she was such a short girl. It made life a pain in the arse.
Sienna handed the cute yellow top over and wished she had kept it. But she had nothing that would go with it and this girl seemed to need it more than her. She would just have to hope that the girl helped her out.“If you find some cute sun dresses and skirts then let me know and we have a deal,” Emily looked at the girl’s figure up and down before nodding in agreement. “Sounds good to me. Search!” She crouched down to places were most people were too frenzied to look for her items along with possible candidates for the smaller girl not to far away. Emily located a few tops though none of them were in the size needed to fit the tiny frame. She finally found a shimmery teal skirt, something she could imagine a number of people wishing they’d found in the pile of sales items on the floor.The battle of finding the shirt was over but the other battle of finding her shopping partner had just begun. Emily pushed through the throng hard enough to spot the brunette holding a fashionable yellow top with just enough shine to make Emily smile brightly. “This is amazing. Where’d you find this?” The redhead looked at the size and then held it up against her chest. It would probably fit, but she made a note to try it on before she fully purchased the piece of clothing. “Oh here, I found this skirt. I think it’ll hug your waistline just perfectly.” Emily motioned for the other girl to hold it up and hoped that she liked her suggestion. It would suck to have their tastes be that much different, though Emily could always buy the skirt for another outfit in the future.
It was such a strange thing to help someone find cloths. But in a way it was liberating. Plus she was so used to not having friends that making them so easily was something she wasn’t used to. Sienna was s used to being ignored and that was something she wouldn’t wish on her worst enemy, not even Bobby.
They traded their clothes, Sienna looked over the skirt and smiled. It was a very cute thing and she knew it would fit. This girl seemed to have an eye for fashion and she smiled. “I’m Sienna Lewis, new to the whole Bristol thing and you’re a life saver,” she said and wanted to give the stranger a hug. But she held back from this feeling and she just smiled.
Sienna held the teal skirt to her waist and touched the fabric, trying to think of something that would go with it. “Let’s try these on and maybe a few other things,” she said and snatched up a few dresses with her size on the tags. She had been looking for some nice summer-y dresses so she didn’t have to wear only shorts.
Holding the clothes she grabbed and the nice skirt Emily had grabbed for her they made their way around the store to the fitting rooms. She locked her door, hung up the dresses and slid out of her skirt and into the teal one. She really liked the length of it and she checked her self out in the mirror. This skirt was too sexy for a girl like Sienna and she was starting to feel doubt. She could never pull this off and her stomach clenched up. She wanted to show her shopping buddy but was becoming embarrassed because of her nerves.
She clenched her fists, trying to hold in a scream of frustration. She needed to stop doing this to herself, she knew she was beating herself up. Her therapist had tried to work with her and if felt like nothing would work. She gripped the door and opened it. Emily would probably hate the skirt or tell it was ugly so she could buy it for herself. “What do you think?”
“I’m Sienna Lewis, new to the whole Bristol thing and you’re a life saver,” Emily waved off the compliment but paid attention to the name. Usually people around town didn’t mention their last names, even she had dropped the ‘Fitch’ from conversation once Katie had fucked off. There was no need to associate herself with the name unless someone asked. “I’m Emily and it’s really no trouble. Most people were just throwing clothes toward me.” The redhead smiled brightly before hearing Sienna suggest they try their respective outfits on. Emily took the yellow top in hand and disappeared into the dressing room with a few different pairs of shorts. All but two fit, meaning Emily would probably only buy the pair that made her feel the most comfortable. She liked spending money on clothes but not enough to blow a paycheck on something she could always come back to find. Emily slipped on the yellow top and cursed the slight tightness. Even though Sienna had got the size exactly right, Emily always took a minute to get used to different types of fabric against her skin. She spun around in the mirror a few times and decided that the new shopping partner had done a good job. She peeked out of the dressing room before seeing the door next to her open. “What do you think?” Emily took a step back and looked the girl up and down to get the full view. The skirt was definitely bright, that couldn’t be denied. Nobody would be able to miss the brunette when she was wearing the outfit. “I think….” Emily squinted her eyes before nodding. “I think you should get it. It looks really flattering on your legs.” She tugged on the bottom then looked at Sienna’s expression. It seemed kind of nervous compared to the way she looked when she offered to help. “I really do like it. Do you?”
If Emily counted out the wait time for crosswalk signs and lunch foot traffic that came with being a bicyclist, getting to Tyler’s new flat only took about 25 minutes in total. To some that could be considered a long day trip, but Emily knew she couldn’t have biked to London. At least this distance was doable in good weather and close to a taxi stop if some freak rainstorm hit the city. Moments before pulling up beside the flat, Emily gripped the bag of things she’d gathered as “housewarming” gifts and took a deep breath. The significance of Tyler actually making the move to Bristol was far from lost on the redhead. She really hadn’t believed the blonde would follow through until she spent the first night in almost two weeks alone. Emily already missed seeing tracks of Tyler throughout the kitchen, the bathroom and the unmade bed sheets on her side. She pushed the kickstand down then began smoothing her outfit to a respectable crinkle.For the first time ever in life, Emily knocked loudly on Tyler’s door and waited for her girlfriend to answer it. Would they come to a point where they exchanged keys? She didn’t know. Emily shifted her weight between both feet and smiled towards the bright yellow flowers propped up on the table. Instead of staying still, the redhead reached to grab one. The stems looked like Tyler had just plucked them from the ground and that made the gesture more cute than she wanted to admit.
Tyler stepped from the shower, crunching her wet curls in the towel she grabbed from the hamper. The flat was not entirely filled with furniture yet, but she did have a bed and necessary elements. A nice couch was delivered the morning before and a kitchen table. She slipped a sundress on before a loud knock at the door sounded from downstairs. Tyler assumed it was Emily arriving just on time as she always would. Unlike Tyler, who would have arrived an hour or two late. She powered down the hall and stairs reaching for the handle swiftly. Tyler smiled as Emily was poking at the flowers on the porch. “Like them? Beautiful like you, am I correct?” She scrunched her nose and kissed Emily’s nose.
“What’s in the bag, dear?” Tyler tried to see through the top but Emily had a firm grasp. In the midst of it all, she invited Emily inside her new flat. They could explore on their own time. Right now, she wanted to enjoy the fresh smell of flowers and drying paint. “Welcome to House of Evans, all guests welcome. Even bugs, though I wish them out sooner than later. Kitchen,” she nodded at the open room. “Stairs and two bedrooms upstairs. Living room and such. Patio in back with optimum jacuzzi that I have fixed up but do not understand how to work it.” Tyler wondered aloud and tapped her chin. “How have you been?”
“Stairs and two bedrooms upstairs. Living room and such. Patio in back with optimum jacuzzi that I have fixed up but do not understand how to work it.” Emily smirked at the last sentence. Leave it to her girlfriend not to know about adjusting water pressure and making sure there was enough chlorine to make it safe. “How have you been?” She put a piece of hair behind her ear before smiling. “Good, good. I do miss having to fight for the blanket in bed though, I must admit.” Emily stepped so closer, kissed Tyler for a good thirty seconds and then wandered into the kitchen to get a view of the hot tub. “I can help you set it up. It looks fantastic, everything does.” She did a 360-degree view and then ended up on the same spot on the counter. It looked so open and airy, a little bit different from her intimate flat filled with things. Emily placed the bag next to her arm before giving Tyler a warning look. “Don’t open it, I want to see upstairs first.”
She pointed towards the second floor and wondered how spacious those rooms were. This place was already striking her as beautiful, now all she needed see was a shower that dried you off or something else equally as amazing. Emily touched a newly painted wall resulting in a bit of color coming off on her fingertip. Rather than wiping it on another wall, Emily pressed the finger against Tyler’s exposed shoulder and smirked again. “Did you do this yourself?”
“Don’t open it, I want to see upstairs first.” Tyler pouted. Obviously she wanted to see the lovely bagged gift that Emily had brought to her new home. It could wait. She turned around swiftly and felt wet paint dabbed onto her arm. “No. Could never do this alone. Hired someone while we were still at yours. I would have suggested we do it ourselves but I believe we are too distracted. Come,” Tyler wiggled her finger and slid around Emily to the stairs. “My room is bare. But I have a bed with silk sheets.” Tyler opened her white bedroom door and showed the nice view from the window. Tyler sat on the edge of her bed smiling. “Now that you have seen the fruits, besides the loo, will you show me what you have brought?” Tyler hopped to her feet and touched Emily’s shoulders. “We can go in the tub after a nice dinner. Salad? Veggies? Everything you like all in one?” Tyler kissed Emily’s small forehead. She moved the red strands of hair out of her face and put them behind her ears. “Your ears are absolutely adorable. So tiny. Like your nose and hands,” Tyler waltzed around Emily, no hint of guilt. She put the things with Tally behind her. It was an accidental kiss and nothing more. It was not worth mentioning.
“We can go in the tub after a nice dinner. Salad? Veggies? Everything you like all in one?” Emily started to say something about not having a swimsuit, but then she decided that Tyler had an extra or preferred them both in the nude. “Salad sounds delicious with the croutons I like, the little ones that look like miniature loaves of bread?” Her eyes were still roaming the room as Tyler came up to begin touching parts of her face. “Your ears are absolutely adorable. So tiny. Like your nose and hands,” Even though Emily still got a knot of happy anxiety when Tyler gave her compliments, she had started to believe the blonde actually meant was she was saying. This wasn’t a fluff thing just to pump her feelings up, but rather Tyler really did find her weirdly small ears attractive. “My hands aren’t that small Tyler!” Emily held them up with fingers splayed and tried to keep from letting a laugh take over her features. She tickled Tyler’s sides before staring out the bedroom window. The view was fantastic, not to mention it showed how the jacuzzi was somewhat secluded compared to the rest of the patio. Emily crossed her arms and paced around the room in interest. “You can look in the bag if you promise, promise, promise you won’t give me that look.” The redhead rolled her eyes before realizing she needed a bit more explanation. “That look where you’re trying to convince me you love the gift when I think you really feel like it’s just juvenile. Just tell me if you don’t like it.” Emily nodded and then led the charge back downstairs to get the bag. She’d thrown a good amount of things in there including a picture of them, wine glasses and enough candles to light the hallway for months.
Tyler splayed her hands out and touched Emily’s to measure. “Still small. Tiny girl you are.” She wrinkled her longer nose. After their small fumble into a tickle. Tyler giggled but was not as ticklish as Emily had hoped. In the end, it was good for her. They admired the view and Tyler waited patiently for her gift that was downstairs. “You can look in the bag if you promise, promise, promise you won’t give me that look. That look where you’re trying to convince me you love the gift when I think you really feel like it’s just juvenile. Just tell me if you don’t like it.” Tyler rolled her eyes back to the comment. “I love everything. There is nothing you can give me that I would hate darling.” Tyler scooted by and touched Emily’s puffy cheek with a pinch while she passed. “We have a present to open, dinner to eat, and a session involving no clothes and water.” Tyler exited the room rather quickly and skipped into the kitchen to the bag. She pulled it open and spotted the small items that Emily had given her. She waited for the red headed girl to come into view before she ran over and picked her up into a hug. “I love it. I love it all. We can set the candles outside on the patio and use these new glasses for the dinner?” Tyler kissed Emily’s lips quickly and grabbed the photo smiling. “You look beautiful in here.” She set the frame up on the table in the hall for everyone that passed it to see. “You are wonderful, but what is the occasion for? House warming or you missed me that much?” Tyler poked Emily’s side. She moved to the refrigerator to grab lettuce and fixings for a larger salad that the two could have. “Grab what you like, I’ll get the bowls, dear.” Tyler reached up on her toes to grab the larger dinner sets from the top shelf of the cabinets.
Emily was surprised to see Tyler enjoyed the simple gifts so much and a red hue graced her cheeks at the compliment. The picture was of them just sitting on the couch of her flat both with faces that gave away they were about to laugh. She thought they looked cute, but beautiful? You are wonderful, but what is the occasion for? House warming or you missed me that much?” Emily followed Tyler behind the counter and then washed her hands in the kitchen sink. “Both, mostly the second one. I want to make sure I help with the moving process at least a little bit.” She watched Tyler easily move around the appliance while looking at her own fingertips. . “Grab what you like, I’ll get the bowls, dear.” She obediently grabbed bell pepper and croutons to compliment the rest of the salad choices Tyler had prepared. Emily reached for the dressing while holding the vegetables, a motion that resulted in the Italian dressing squirting out onto the floor. “Well, shit.” She placed everything down on the counter and then held Tyler’s waist to keep her girlfriend from slipping into the mess. “Let me get paper towels and then you can come with the breakable objects, yeah?” Emily laid a few out on the ground before swirling them around. After the main spill was cleaned, she took a damp towel to get any stickiness. “I’m sad to say I caused the first kitchen mess. Sorry.” She made a silly face towards Tyler and then tried to assist with chopping or tossing as much as possible. “What’ve you been up to lately? Just moving in?”
“Let me get paper towels and then you can come with the breakable objects, yeah?” She giggled. “You seem so accident prone. Funny accidents though. Don’t worry too much now.” Tyler ripped the lettuce into the bowls and watched Emily clean the small mess with the paper towels. She apologized but it was meaningless. Tyler did not find any harm in making a mess. She was mostly organized, beside her room for some reason. She could never keep it spotless like the rest of her house. Emily joined again, chopping the vegetables and tossing them in bowls. Tyler was glad she went shopping before Emily had stopped over. And she remembered her own diet specifications. The sound of meaty foods sounded delightful, until they were placed in front of her. Sadly, Tyler and her memory issues were getting the best of her still. “What’ve you been up to lately? Just moving in?” Tyler nodded casually. She did not want to bring about the two girls she had randomly met. Besides Chelle, though at the moment she couldn’t remember her name. “I was in a pub catching a drink and this poor girl looked sick to her stomach. I bought her soup and she ran off pissy. Turned out she was thought to be pregnant, money down the drain but I escorted her home after some saltines in her tummy. Hope the girl’s okay. Poor soul. One night stand and possibly pregnant? Wouldn’t that rustle you up some?” Tyler shook her head and finished applying the dressing and croutons in an organized fashion. “Other than that, hiring some painters, and shopping.” Tyler smiled while she handed the large salad bowl to Emily. “Now we dine, my love.” Tyler kissed Emily’s cheek and headed off to the square table on the other side of the kitchen. “Meet anyone new? Mates, old mates, lovers?” Tyler teased.
Emily listened to Tyler’s story and widened her eyes at the conclusion. “That’s terrifying. At least you were there to calm her down, I don’t what I’d do in situation like that.” She tried to restrain a smirk from coming across her lip. “Odds are that I’ll never be in that situation, but still.” Both girls rustled around each other to set the food in down in an appealing manner. Emily made it her business to carefully place the italian dressing far away from any corners and noticed her hands still smelled strongly of the topping. After washing them thoroughly in the sink, Emily joined Tyler at the table just small enough for them to touch legs if they wanted. “Meet anyone new? Mates, old mates, lovers?” She rolled her eyes and handed out a plate so Emily could begin scooping salads onto her plate. “No lovers, unfortunately. I think I might just be stuck with you and you alone.” Emily bit her lip cheekily before sprinkling the greenery with croutons. “I spent the other night in this cabin in the woods to keep a new mate company. She was slightly less freaked out by the sounds and creepy things than I was. It was okay eventually.” In between fork bites, the redhead pushed piece of hair behind her ear and nudged her foot against Tyler’s a few times. “There’s a potential party in the horizon. A sparkler party and I might potentially plan the shit out of it.” Emily smiled brightly. Party planning was out of her comfort zone but as long as people danced, got drunk and shot off sparklers she would consider it a success. “Jesse might plan it with me. She’s great.” Emily chewed a bit more though her stomach was already starting to get full of anticipation. “Talked to your mum lately?” The redhead knew this had the potential of being a touchy subject, but if they were trusting each other like they should, Tyler wouldn’t completely clam up as she did before. “I thought about calling mine for dinner arrangements or something.”
“I spent the other night in this cabin in the woods to keep a new mate company. She was slightly less freaked out by the sounds and creepy things than I was. It was okay eventually.” Tyler raised an eye at Emily. A new mate? She was curious of course. They would have to meet. “There’s a potential party in the horizon. A sparkler party and I might potentially plan the shit out of it.” Tyler chewed her salad patiently. “Jesse?” She smirked. Another possible mate for Emily. That was good, she was reaching out to more people and Tyler would not have to feel like she was smothering her. She ignored the question about her mother quickly, there was a subject she needed to speak about but not after addressing Emily’s last statement. “Dinner? With infamous Mother Fitch?” Tyler dabbed the corner of her mouth. “Would she approve? I have my doubts.” She slyly spoke before standing abruptly. “Wine?” She walked off breathing in beats. Tyler grabbed the white Chardonnay from the shelf and worked the cork off. The girls were still in the same room, speaking was still necessary. Tyler grabbed two wine glasses and filled them each half way. “About my mum.” She handed Emily the glass so she could sip before they continued. Tyler sniffed the wine, using all her scents. “Did you know the French invented tapping glasses? The proper way to drink wine is to admire your full senses. Sight, taste, feel, smell, and then hearing.” Tyler reached over and clinked the glasses to get the full effect. She was stalling the bad news. “Okay, no more procrastinating. My mother wants me to accompany her to Moscow.” Tyler sipped her wine and set it down carefully. Her mannerisms were calm and collected. Emily would be a mess soon. “She wants me to go in a few days. Russia, it is a little far, cold, but I cannot let her go alone. She’s getting in one of those moods.” Meaning, her mother was depressed and needed to run away for a little. Tyler was feeling slightly the same way, by being alone in her flat. Her thoughts drifted to her father like always.
Emily listened politely to Tyler’s background information on wine glasses, but she could care less where the practice came from. “You were talking about your mum?” The redhead sipped her glass slowly, her stomach already in knots about whatever was coming next. “Okay, no more procrastinating. My mother wants me to accompany her to Moscow.” Emily nodded slowly. She’d miss Tyler, but why would that be bad news? Another trip to a place the redhead had never been before and this time the blonde wouldn’t have to deal with an inexperienced traveler. “She wants me to go in a few days. Russia, it is a little far, cold, but I cannot let her go alone. She’s getting in one of those moods.” Emily sipped the last bit of wine as a realization came over her thoughts. “I understand. You can’t leave her alone.” She figured that using her secret girlfriend as an excuse to get out of the trip was not an option, something the redhead knew would become an issue if they didn’t talk it out completely. “When will you be back? Don’t tell me a month from now. I’ll miss you too much.” Emily could easily see Tyler shooting off and disappearing completely oblivious to how much strain that could potentially put on a relationship. Instead of diving deeper into her own feelings, the redhead bit at her lip. She reached for the wine bottle and poured a healthy amount into her own cup. Maybe the two women would find Russia boring which in turn meant for a swift trip back to Bristol. Emily brought her legs up into a chair and waited for Tyler’s response.
“When will you be back? Don’t tell me a month from now. I’ll miss you too much.” Tyler twisted her finger around the glass of wine. How long did her mother want to go? She was never given a time limit. The last time they flew off with no limit it was almost a month. Twenty-five days exactly. “I am sorry. She never told me. So, it could be a long while.” Tyler felt apologetic. Normally she would invite her along, but with her mother acting up again it was not possible. “It might be a long while. My mother gets very down on herself when she is alone. Without me there at home she is probably drinking more and visiting the wrong debutantes that put useless information in her head. How Moscow has the best fish to eat and hotels to stay in. She always gets that way. Running off when she reminisces about my father.” Tyler drank her glass of wine more healthily. The sips grew more grand so she would not have to speak about her father in general. Tyler touched Emily’s knee with her extended arm. “I wont know how long until I am there. She will force me to drive around to find all the sights and I would honestly rather be on the couch watching a film with you.” Tyler rubbed her knee softly. “It wont be forever.”
. “I wont know how long until I am there. She will force me to drive around to find all the sights and I would honestly rather be on the couch watching a film with you.” Emily stared at her girlfriend and tried to ignore the reassuring hand on her knee. It wasn’t either of their faults that this was happening, but that still didn’t make it fair. They had just gotten settled. “It wont be forever.” She looked at the blonde girl with an unexplained expression. “I know, but I’m scared it will feel like it. Can you even call from Russia? Text? Send pictures?” Emily pouted on the side of the couch before staring at her empty wine glass. She shouldn’t have been surprised that Tyler’s mother coped with grief this way. It came up similarly in the daughter that Emily was almost sure she was close to loving. Both girls were quiet for a moment and the redhead twisted her lips to keep from spurting out thoughts as they came across her mind. “Do you ever talk to her about your dad? Maybe she’s looking for an outlet or someone just to be silent with.” Even though that proved Tyler’s point about her mother needing a companion, Emily wondered if the two women ever got around to the elephant in the room. Tyler barely spoke about him now. “I bet he was a great man,” She said quietly.
“I know, but I’m scared it will feel like it. Can you even call from Russia? Text? Send pictures?” Tyler smiled wearily. She could afford a plan for the time there, however long it would be. “We can do anything, love.” She would have to find a way for this to work. She wasn’t moving away but for some reason it felt like she was. “Do you ever talk to her about your dad? Maybe she’s looking for an outlet or someone just to be silent with.” Tyler put her hands back in her lap. “I have tried. She blocks me out and gets angry. She would rather not talk about it.” Emily mentioned her father and Tyler did not like the sound of someone never knowing him say he was great. He was better than that. Her father was the best father anyone could ask for. He taught her everything good in the world and how to properly care for people. The other side was her mothers deceptiveness and manipulation. During her better moods she was more like her father. “He was better than great.” Tyler fell silent and grabbed her half finished salad. She applied a plate over it and set it in the refrigerator. Tyler did not want to speak about her father to someone that never knew him properly. “Would you like to go outside? Weather’s nice for the time being.” Tyler crossed her arms. She was irritated and needed to leave the conversation. Emily hopefully would leave it but she seemed like the type of girl to continue on.
“He was better than great.” Emily realized she’d overstepped a boundary and noticed how Tyler’s eyes changed the moment she even mentioned his existence. “Would you like to go outside? Weather’s nice for the time being.” Emily picked up her dinner plate then scraped the remaining piece of lettuce into the trashcan. After putting everything else in the sink, the redhead joined Tyler outside. The jacuzzi looked beautiful under this light and so did Tyler if Emily ignored the subtle anger coming from her girlfriend’s direction. “It’s great out here,” Emily said almost to herself. She could see them lounging on patio chairs for the rest of the summer. “I know you don’t ever talk about him with me but you know you can right? I’m sorry if I’m overstepping a line.” She stared at the rippling water in the jacuzzi and turned back towards Tyler with a shrug that meant Emily didn’t really mind the hostility. Not when her girlfriend was actually showing some emotion that wasn’t completely vested in affection.
“I know you don’t ever talk about him with me but you know you can right? I’m sorry if I’m overstepping a line.” Tyler stayed motionless. Her arms crossed under her chest and she stared along the outside lights. She eagerly wanted to talk about her father, but it was too difficult. She missed him and hated the feeling of mourning or longing. He would never return and she needed to accept it. “I don’t need to speak about it.” She blinked for a moment, scared she had forgotten his face. “Excuse me.” Tyler walked back inside and up the stairs. Not many frames were up in her home, but she kept one important one always next to her bed. Tyler rummaged through her drawer until she found the crumpled old photo of her and her father. She ran her thumb on the corners. It was the last thing she had of them together. Her primary graduation. She kissed the photo and set it aside. She could find two suits. Tyler grabbed the suit she had borrowed from Tally and stared at it. She felt guilt tough her heart. Tyler knew Emily was close by, she could sense her frail figure walking down the hall. She grabbed her extra suit and balled it in her hand. “We should change before we get in.” Tyler spoke at Emily while she neared the door entrance.
Emily waited for two moments before following Tyler down the hall. She wanted to be a springboard for discussion, but obviously that had no potential of happening anytime soon. “We should change before we get in.” Emily came in with a small smile and took the bathing suit that was offered by the blonde. “Of course. I can change in here, can’t i?” She unzipped her shorts before taking them down past her thighs with a tiny smirk. Emily continued to undress and was able to slide herself fully into the bikini with her head cocked to the side. “I know you hate swimming, but at least the tub is less than six feet. It’s a perfect place to relax in water.” Emily kissed Tyler’s lips softly and pulled back to see herself in a mirror. She felt comfortable in bikinis, they just always seemed to make her bum look twice as big as it was in real life. Emily ignored the gnawing feeling of already missing Tyler in her stomach and clapped her hands. “Let’s go!”
If Emily counted out the wait time for crosswalk signs and lunch foot traffic that came with being a bicyclist, getting to Tyler’s new flat only took about 25 minutes in total. To some that could be considered a long day trip, but Emily knew she couldn’t have biked to London. At least this distance was doable in good weather and close to a taxi stop if some freak rainstorm hit the city. Moments before pulling up beside the flat, Emily gripped the bag of things she’d gathered as “housewarming” gifts and took a deep breath. The significance of Tyler actually making the move to Bristol was far from lost on the redhead. She really hadn’t believed the blonde would follow through until she spent the first night in almost two weeks alone. Emily already missed seeing tracks of Tyler throughout the kitchen, the bathroom and the unmade bed sheets on her side. She pushed the kickstand down then began smoothing her outfit to a respectable crinkle.For the first time ever in life, Emily knocked loudly on Tyler’s door and waited for her girlfriend to answer it. Would they come to a point where they exchanged keys? She didn’t know. Emily shifted her weight between both feet and smiled towards the bright yellow flowers propped up on the table. Instead of staying still, the redhead reached to grab one. The stems looked like Tyler had just plucked them from the ground and that made the gesture more cute than she wanted to admit.
Tyler stepped from the shower, crunching her wet curls in the towel she grabbed from the hamper. The flat was not entirely filled with furniture yet, but she did have a bed and necessary elements. A nice couch was delivered the morning before and a kitchen table. She slipped a sundress on before a loud knock at the door sounded from downstairs. Tyler assumed it was Emily arriving just on time as she always would. Unlike Tyler, who would have arrived an hour or two late. She powered down the hall and stairs reaching for the handle swiftly. Tyler smiled as Emily was poking at the flowers on the porch. “Like them? Beautiful like you, am I correct?” She scrunched her nose and kissed Emily’s nose.
“What’s in the bag, dear?” Tyler tried to see through the top but Emily had a firm grasp. In the midst of it all, she invited Emily inside her new flat. They could explore on their own time. Right now, she wanted to enjoy the fresh smell of flowers and drying paint. “Welcome to House of Evans, all guests welcome. Even bugs, though I wish them out sooner than later. Kitchen,” she nodded at the open room. “Stairs and two bedrooms upstairs. Living room and such. Patio in back with optimum jacuzzi that I have fixed up but do not understand how to work it.” Tyler wondered aloud and tapped her chin. “How have you been?”
“Stairs and two bedrooms upstairs. Living room and such. Patio in back with optimum jacuzzi that I have fixed up but do not understand how to work it.” Emily smirked at the last sentence. Leave it to her girlfriend not to know about adjusting water pressure and making sure there was enough chlorine to make it safe. “How have you been?” She put a piece of hair behind her ear before smiling. “Good, good. I do miss having to fight for the blanket in bed though, I must admit.” Emily stepped so closer, kissed Tyler for a good thirty seconds and then wandered into the kitchen to get a view of the hot tub. “I can help you set it up. It looks fantastic, everything does.” She did a 360-degree view and then ended up on the same spot on the counter. It looked so open and airy, a little bit different from her intimate flat filled with things. Emily placed the bag next to her arm before giving Tyler a warning look. “Don’t open it, I want to see upstairs first.”
She pointed towards the second floor and wondered how spacious those rooms were. This place was already striking her as beautiful, now all she needed see was a shower that dried you off or something else equally as amazing. Emily touched a newly painted wall resulting in a bit of color coming off on her fingertip. Rather than wiping it on another wall, Emily pressed the finger against Tyler’s exposed shoulder and smirked again. “Did you do this yourself?”
“Don’t open it, I want to see upstairs first.” Tyler pouted. Obviously she wanted to see the lovely bagged gift that Emily had brought to her new home. It could wait. She turned around swiftly and felt wet paint dabbed onto her arm. “No. Could never do this alone. Hired someone while we were still at yours. I would have suggested we do it ourselves but I believe we are too distracted. Come,” Tyler wiggled her finger and slid around Emily to the stairs. “My room is bare. But I have a bed with silk sheets.” Tyler opened her white bedroom door and showed the nice view from the window. Tyler sat on the edge of her bed smiling. “Now that you have seen the fruits, besides the loo, will you show me what you have brought?” Tyler hopped to her feet and touched Emily’s shoulders. “We can go in the tub after a nice dinner. Salad? Veggies? Everything you like all in one?” Tyler kissed Emily’s small forehead. She moved the red strands of hair out of her face and put them behind her ears. “Your ears are absolutely adorable. So tiny. Like your nose and hands,” Tyler waltzed around Emily, no hint of guilt. She put the things with Tally behind her. It was an accidental kiss and nothing more. It was not worth mentioning.
“We can go in the tub after a nice dinner. Salad? Veggies? Everything you like all in one?” Emily started to say something about not having a swimsuit, but then she decided that Tyler had an extra or preferred them both in the nude. “Salad sounds delicious with the croutons I like, the little ones that look like miniature loaves of bread?” Her eyes were still roaming the room as Tyler came up to begin touching parts of her face. “Your ears are absolutely adorable. So tiny. Like your nose and hands,” Even though Emily still got a knot of happy anxiety when Tyler gave her compliments, she had started to believe the blonde actually meant was she was saying. This wasn’t a fluff thing just to pump her feelings up, but rather Tyler really did find her weirdly small ears attractive. “My hands aren’t that small Tyler!” Emily held them up with fingers splayed and tried to keep from letting a laugh take over her features. She tickled Tyler’s sides before staring out the bedroom window. The view was fantastic, not to mention it showed how the jacuzzi was somewhat secluded compared to the rest of the patio. Emily crossed her arms and paced around the room in interest. “You can look in the bag if you promise, promise, promise you won’t give me that look.” The redhead rolled her eyes before realizing she needed a bit more explanation. “That look where you’re trying to convince me you love the gift when I think you really feel like it’s just juvenile. Just tell me if you don’t like it.” Emily nodded and then led the charge back downstairs to get the bag. She’d thrown a good amount of things in there including a picture of them, wine glasses and enough candles to light the hallway for months.
Tyler splayed her hands out and touched Emily’s to measure. “Still small. Tiny girl you are.” She wrinkled her longer nose. After their small fumble into a tickle. Tyler giggled but was not as ticklish as Emily had hoped. In the end, it was good for her. They admired the view and Tyler waited patiently for her gift that was downstairs. “You can look in the bag if you promise, promise, promise you won’t give me that look. That look where you’re trying to convince me you love the gift when I think you really feel like it’s just juvenile. Just tell me if you don’t like it.” Tyler rolled her eyes back to the comment. “I love everything. There is nothing you can give me that I would hate darling.” Tyler scooted by and touched Emily’s puffy cheek with a pinch while she passed. “We have a present to open, dinner to eat, and a session involving no clothes and water.” Tyler exited the room rather quickly and skipped into the kitchen to the bag. She pulled it open and spotted the small items that Emily had given her. She waited for the red headed girl to come into view before she ran over and picked her up into a hug. “I love it. I love it all. We can set the candles outside on the patio and use these new glasses for the dinner?” Tyler kissed Emily’s lips quickly and grabbed the photo smiling. “You look beautiful in here.” She set the frame up on the table in the hall for everyone that passed it to see. “You are wonderful, but what is the occasion for? House warming or you missed me that much?” Tyler poked Emily’s side. She moved to the refrigerator to grab lettuce and fixings for a larger salad that the two could have. “Grab what you like, I’ll get the bowls, dear.” Tyler reached up on her toes to grab the larger dinner sets from the top shelf of the cabinets.
Emily was surprised to see Tyler enjoyed the simple gifts so much and a red hue graced her cheeks at the compliment. The picture was of them just sitting on the couch of her flat both with faces that gave away they were about to laugh. She thought they looked cute, but beautiful? You are wonderful, but what is the occasion for? House warming or you missed me that much?” Emily followed Tyler behind the counter and then washed her hands in the kitchen sink. “Both, mostly the second one. I want to make sure I help with the moving process at least a little bit.” She watched Tyler easily move around the appliance while looking at her own fingertips. . “Grab what you like, I’ll get the bowls, dear.” She obediently grabbed bell pepper and croutons to compliment the rest of the salad choices Tyler had prepared. Emily reached for the dressing while holding the vegetables, a motion that resulted in the Italian dressing squirting out onto the floor. “Well, shit.” She placed everything down on the counter and then held Tyler’s waist to keep her girlfriend from slipping into the mess. “Let me get paper towels and then you can come with the breakable objects, yeah?” Emily laid a few out on the ground before swirling them around. After the main spill was cleaned, she took a damp towel to get any stickiness. “I’m sad to say I caused the first kitchen mess. Sorry.” She made a silly face towards Tyler and then tried to assist with chopping or tossing as much as possible. “What’ve you been up to lately? Just moving in?”
“Let me get paper towels and then you can come with the breakable objects, yeah?” She giggled. “You seem so accident prone. Funny accidents though. Don’t worry too much now.” Tyler ripped the lettuce into the bowls and watched Emily clean the small mess with the paper towels. She apologized but it was meaningless. Tyler did not find any harm in making a mess. She was mostly organized, beside her room for some reason. She could never keep it spotless like the rest of her house. Emily joined again, chopping the vegetables and tossing them in bowls. Tyler was glad she went shopping before Emily had stopped over. And she remembered her own diet specifications. The sound of meaty foods sounded delightful, until they were placed in front of her. Sadly, Tyler and her memory issues were getting the best of her still. “What’ve you been up to lately? Just moving in?” Tyler nodded casually. She did not want to bring about the two girls she had randomly met. Besides Chelle, though at the moment she couldn’t remember her name. “I was in a pub catching a drink and this poor girl looked sick to her stomach. I bought her soup and she ran off pissy. Turned out she was thought to be pregnant, money down the drain but I escorted her home after some saltines in her tummy. Hope the girl’s okay. Poor soul. One night stand and possibly pregnant? Wouldn’t that rustle you up some?” Tyler shook her head and finished applying the dressing and croutons in an organized fashion. “Other than that, hiring some painters, and shopping.” Tyler smiled while she handed the large salad bowl to Emily. “Now we dine, my love.” Tyler kissed Emily’s cheek and headed off to the square table on the other side of the kitchen. “Meet anyone new? Mates, old mates, lovers?” Tyler teased.
Emily listened to Tyler’s story and widened her eyes at the conclusion. “That’s terrifying. At least you were there to calm her down, I don’t what I’d do in situation like that.” She tried to restrain a smirk from coming across her lip. “Odds are that I’ll never be in that situation, but still.” Both girls rustled around each other to set the food in down in an appealing manner. Emily made it her business to carefully place the italian dressing far away from any corners and noticed her hands still smelled strongly of the topping. After washing them thoroughly in the sink, Emily joined Tyler at the table just small enough for them to touch legs if they wanted. “Meet anyone new? Mates, old mates, lovers?” She rolled her eyes and handed out a plate so Emily could begin scooping salads onto her plate. “No lovers, unfortunately. I think I might just be stuck with you and you alone.” Emily bit her lip cheekily before sprinkling the greenery with croutons. “I spent the other night in this cabin in the woods to keep a new mate company. She was slightly less freaked out by the sounds and creepy things than I was. It was okay eventually.” In between fork bites, the redhead pushed piece of hair behind her ear and nudged her foot against Tyler’s a few times. “There’s a potential party in the horizon. A sparkler party and I might potentially plan the shit out of it.” Emily smiled brightly. Party planning was out of her comfort zone but as long as people danced, got drunk and shot off sparklers she would consider it a success. “Jesse might plan it with me. She’s great.” Emily chewed a bit more though her stomach was already starting to get full of anticipation. “Talked to your mum lately?” The redhead knew this had the potential of being a touchy subject, but if they were trusting each other like they should, Tyler wouldn’t completely clam up as she did before. “I thought about calling mine for dinner arrangements or something.”
“I spent the other night in this cabin in the woods to keep a new mate company. She was slightly less freaked out by the sounds and creepy things than I was. It was okay eventually.” Tyler raised an eye at Emily. A new mate? She was curious of course. They would have to meet. “There’s a potential party in the horizon. A sparkler party and I might potentially plan the shit out of it.” Tyler chewed her salad patiently. “Jesse?” She smirked. Another possible mate for Emily. That was good, she was reaching out to more people and Tyler would not have to feel like she was smothering her. She ignored the question about her mother quickly, there was a subject she needed to speak about but not after addressing Emily’s last statement. “Dinner? With infamous Mother Fitch?” Tyler dabbed the corner of her mouth. “Would she approve? I have my doubts.” She slyly spoke before standing abruptly. “Wine?” She walked off breathing in beats. Tyler grabbed the white Chardonnay from the shelf and worked the cork off. The girls were still in the same room, speaking was still necessary. Tyler grabbed two wine glasses and filled them each half way. “About my mum.” She handed Emily the glass so she could sip before they continued. Tyler sniffed the wine, using all her scents. “Did you know the French invented tapping glasses? The proper way to drink wine is to admire your full senses. Sight, taste, feel, smell, and then hearing.” Tyler reached over and clinked the glasses to get the full effect. She was stalling the bad news. “Okay, no more procrastinating. My mother wants me to accompany her to Moscow.” Tyler sipped her wine and set it down carefully. Her mannerisms were calm and collected. Emily would be a mess soon. “She wants me to go in a few days. Russia, it is a little far, cold, but I cannot let her go alone. She’s getting in one of those moods.” Meaning, her mother was depressed and needed to run away for a little. Tyler was feeling slightly the same way, by being alone in her flat. Her thoughts drifted to her father like always.
Emily listened politely to Tyler’s background information on wine glasses, but she could care less where the practice came from. “You were talking about your mum?” The redhead sipped her glass slowly, her stomach already in knots about whatever was coming next. “Okay, no more procrastinating. My mother wants me to accompany her to Moscow.” Emily nodded slowly. She’d miss Tyler, but why would that be bad news? Another trip to a place the redhead had never been before and this time the blonde wouldn’t have to deal with an inexperienced traveler. “She wants me to go in a few days. Russia, it is a little far, cold, but I cannot let her go alone. She’s getting in one of those moods.” Emily sipped the last bit of wine as a realization came over her thoughts. “I understand. You can’t leave her alone.” She figured that using her secret girlfriend as an excuse to get out of the trip was not an option, something the redhead knew would become an issue if they didn’t talk it out completely. “When will you be back? Don’t tell me a month from now. I’ll miss you too much.” Emily could easily see Tyler shooting off and disappearing completely oblivious to how much strain that could potentially put on a relationship. Instead of diving deeper into her own feelings, the redhead bit at her lip. She reached for the wine bottle and poured a healthy amount into her own cup. Maybe the two women would find Russia boring which in turn meant for a swift trip back to Bristol. Emily brought her legs up into a chair and waited for Tyler’s response.
“When will you be back? Don’t tell me a month from now. I’ll miss you too much.” Tyler twisted her finger around the glass of wine. How long did her mother want to go? She was never given a time limit. The last time they flew off with no limit it was almost a month. Twenty-five days exactly. “I am sorry. She never told me. So, it could be a long while.” Tyler felt apologetic. Normally she would invite her along, but with her mother acting up again it was not possible. “It might be a long while. My mother gets very down on herself when she is alone. Without me there at home she is probably drinking more and visiting the wrong debutantes that put useless information in her head. How Moscow has the best fish to eat and hotels to stay in. She always gets that way. Running off when she reminisces about my father.” Tyler drank her glass of wine more healthily. The sips grew more grand so she would not have to speak about her father in general. Tyler touched Emily’s knee with her extended arm. “I wont know how long until I am there. She will force me to drive around to find all the sights and I would honestly rather be on the couch watching a film with you.” Tyler rubbed her knee softly. “It wont be forever.”
. “I wont know how long until I am there. She will force me to drive around to find all the sights and I would honestly rather be on the couch watching a film with you.” Emily stared at her girlfriend and tried to ignore the reassuring hand on her knee. It wasn’t either of their faults that this was happening, but that still didn’t make it fair. They had just gotten settled. “It wont be forever.” She looked at the blonde girl with an unexplained expression. “I know, but I’m scared it will feel like it. Can you even call from Russia? Text? Send pictures?” Emily pouted on the side of the couch before staring at her empty wine glass. She shouldn’t have been surprised that Tyler’s mother coped with grief this way. It came up similarly in the daughter that Emily was almost sure she was close to loving. Both girls were quiet for a moment and the redhead twisted her lips to keep from spurting out thoughts as they came across her mind. “Do you ever talk to her about your dad? Maybe she’s looking for an outlet or someone just to be silent with.” Even though that proved Tyler’s point about her mother needing a companion, Emily wondered if the two women ever got around to the elephant in the room. Tyler barely spoke about him now. “I bet he was a great man,” She said quietly.
“I know, but I’m scared it will feel like it. Can you even call from Russia? Text? Send pictures?” Tyler smiled wearily. She could afford a plan for the time there, however long it would be. “We can do anything, love.” She would have to find a way for this to work. She wasn’t moving away but for some reason it felt like she was. “Do you ever talk to her about your dad? Maybe she’s looking for an outlet or someone just to be silent with.” Tyler put her hands back in her lap. “I have tried. She blocks me out and gets angry. She would rather not talk about it.” Emily mentioned her father and Tyler did not like the sound of someone never knowing him say he was great. He was better than that. Her father was the best father anyone could ask for. He taught her everything good in the world and how to properly care for people. The other side was her mothers deceptiveness and manipulation. During her better moods she was more like her father. “He was better than great.” Tyler fell silent and grabbed her half finished salad. She applied a plate over it and set it in the refrigerator. Tyler did not want to speak about her father to someone that never knew him properly. “Would you like to go outside? Weather’s nice for the time being.” Tyler crossed her arms. She was irritated and needed to leave the conversation. Emily hopefully would leave it but she seemed like the type of girl to continue on.
“He was better than great.” Emily realized she’d overstepped a boundary and noticed how Tyler’s eyes changed the moment she even mentioned his existence. “Would you like to go outside? Weather’s nice for the time being.” Emily picked up her dinner plate then scraped the remaining piece of lettuce into the trashcan. After putting everything else in the sink, the redhead joined Tyler outside. The jacuzzi looked beautiful under this light and so did Tyler if Emily ignored the subtle anger coming from her girlfriend’s direction. “It’s great out here,” Emily said almost to herself. She could see them lounging on patio chairs for the rest of the summer. “I know you don’t ever talk about him with me but you know you can right? I’m sorry if I’m overstepping a line.” She stared at the rippling water in the jacuzzi and turned back towards Tyler with a shrug that meant Emily didn’t really mind the hostility. Not when her girlfriend was actually showing some emotion that wasn’t completely vested in affection.
The night sky had come early today. It wrapped a giant black blanket around Bristol and had no intention of letting the stars or moon out. This made it extremely difficult for Beatrice to navigate her way around the thick forest. Although she had a torch with her, it brought little to no help. She was lost, and had no idea where she was headed. Her hopes were to find a road, a house, anything that would give her a sense that she wasn’t completely in the middle of nowhere. Every now and then her mind would play tricks on her and she would hear a “Hey, over here!” or “Hello.” The phrases made her jump and turn around, expecting someone to be there but there never was. She continued on with her search until her torch light reflected off a piece of glass. Carefully, Beatrice took a step closer to and discovered that it was a cabin. “Finally,” she breathed. She readjusted her bag on her shoulder before continuing on. The door of the wooden cabin creaked open slowly. She shined her torch around, looking for any evidence if someone lived there or animals occupied it, but there was nothing. She found a lamp in the corner of the room that thankfully still worked. As the room lit up, she examined the place. Old couch, dusty carpets, a wooden staircase that she had no intention of going up, and a broken television set. She set her bag down on the couch and took out the two blankets she had in there. She placed them across the couch and then took a seat. Beatrice rested her head on the sofa’s arm and was about to close her eyes until she heard a loud banging noise from upstairs.
Emily knew she should’ve gotten the plants for the school earlier than the night before, but Cook had proved to be a distraction on the day she intended to gather them. The redhead poked around the woods she’d visited with Matty. It was dark, darker than most of the times she ended up out here alone. Emily took her time crossing over land bridges and made sure to keep her phone clenched inside her fist in case some murderer came tearing through the trees. It wasn’t her personality to be too paranoid but there was an element of realism in her fears. She wasn’t that big, wasn’t that strong unless she was aggravated and taxi cabs didn’t pick people up for another half mile. There weren’t any chances to be taken. Eventually Emily gathered most of the plants she needed to weed but it was becoming difficult to remember which way she’d come inside the grasses. The sun had set almost an hour ago. Maybe there was some other path that led to the familiar greenhouse or a place she could dump the plants for an overnight stay. She’d get them before work. Everything would be fine, right? Emily looked over her shoulder a little anxiously. Everything would be fine if she figured out a way to leave the forest without getting caught in a thorn bush. After fifteen minutes of looking, Emily saw a structure a few yards away then quickly realized it was a two-story cabin. There was a light on but it was too dim to see if there were any people milling about inside. Emily dropped the plants at the base of the tree and then climbed up a few branches to peek inside. “You’re the dumbest person in the world, Emily” The girl muttered to herself moments before rapping on the window. She didn’t hear anybody scurrying but prepared herself for whatever was coming after pushing the window up slightly. “Hello?”
“Hello?” The sudden break of silence frightened Beatrice. Her eyes shot open and she immediately jumped up from the couch. She flicked on her torch and shined it in all the dark areas of the room. Nobody was there. The sound echoed through the almost empty house and she realized the sound had come from upstairs. She shined the torch’s light in the direction of the staircase. Was someone living here? Had she invaded someone’s home? Or did somebody follow her here? Whatever the answer might be, somebody was upstairs. She took a deep breath then exhaled before slowly walking towards the staircase. The old, rotted steps creaked as she placed her foot on them. She tried to be quiet, but it was useless. Once upstairs, more fear gathered in the pit of her stomach. There were two rooms, and one of them was the source of the noise. She looked left then right, trying to decide which one to look in. She noticed a cold breeze coming in from a cracked window in the left room so she decided to check that one first. The room was bare, only a broken chair and bookshelf occupied the large space. Beatrice made her way to the window to close it when she realized a dark figure in the large oak tree. The sight made her jump backwards and drop her torch on the ground. Her hands searched the floor and frantically picked it up. She shined the light in the person’s face. “What are you doing here?” her voice was shaky.
“What are you doing here?” Emily was clinging onto the tree for dear life. She half-expected some owner to chew her out and demand that she leave the premises immediately. “I’m looking for a phone or something like that. Or even better, a map to tell me where I am exactly.” Emily moved a piece of hair from her face before smiling sheepishly. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. If this was about to turn out like those scary movies, she should probably place her last phone call at this very second. After a moment of being terrified the redhead realized that the person asking the question was probably more scared than she was. What type of normal person graced the branches of somebody else’s tree? It was ridiculous to even consider the exchange wouldn’t have a little bit of awkwardness. “I was picking flowers and didn’t realize I’d get caught in the sunset. How dumb can I be right?” Emily smiled again and then felt a cramp starting to come into her limbs. She could only stay perched up on a tree for so long until hands began to slip. “Can I just…” Emily gripped the window pane and looked at the blonde girl pleadingly. In a way she reminded her of Tyler, probably because of the long limbs. Thankfully most burglars weren’t redheaded girls or Emily doubted she’d be able to slowly push herself into the house if they were. “I promise I’m not here to do anything fucked. Emily.” She decided not to hold her hand out and instead just brushed a few leaves from her shoulder.
Beatrice listened in silence as the girl spoke. The red haired girl looked harmless. In fact she looked a bit frightened as well. Slowly, she climbed into the room through the window. Beatrice took a few steps backwards then lowered her torch’s light to the girls chest so the light still illuminated her face. The girl introduced herself then brushed herself off. “Beatrice.” She spoke quietly then shined her light around the room, trying to see if there was a lamp anywhere. She spotted one in the corner next to the wooden chair. Quickly she walked over to it and it successfully turned on. Beatrice turned off her flashlight then put her hands in her pocket. “Sorry for scaring you too. You probably weren’t expecting anyone to be here,” she kept her voice low and emotionless. “I was just spending the night here. It got dark so quickly and I got lost.” She walked back towards Emily, closing the awkwardly huge gap between them. “There isn’t much here. Downstairs in the living room there’s a few couches and chairs. I haven’t really explored the rest of it yet. Thankfully the lights work though.” Beatrice found it hard not to feel awkward in this situation. She was making unnecessary boring conversation and had probably already lost the girls attention. Her eyes wandered up and down Emily’s body. Cute, she thought.
“I was just spending the night here. It got dark so quickly and I got lost.” Emily looked around the cabin. Obviously it didn’t belong to Beatrice, but one glance confirmed that whoever owned it hadn’t been by in at least a few months. “It’s alright. I would’ve reacted the same way if someone tried to jump through the window.” She tried to smile at the blonde girl but realized her body was still slightly shaking from the incident. “There isn’t much here. Downstairs in the living room there’s a few couches and chairs. I haven’t really explored the rest of it yet. Thankfully the lights work though.” Emily walked a few steps closer to Beatrice, subconsciously stepping near the person who knew where the hell they were. “Let’s go downstairs then, yeah? Less creepiness from the trees.” She took the quiver from her voice in time to smile reassuringly at Beatrice. A thought about why the girl needed to sleep in an abandoned cabin, but Emily knew it wasn’t the right time to ask. She led the charge down the stairs and sort of recoiled back from all the outdoorsy decor that was associated with hunters. “I have a lighter, if that helps.” Emily showed the tiny object before shrugging her shoulders. This was sort of awkward. The last time she was in the woods with a girl a lot had happened then them sitting quietly on the couch. “Do you know if there’s water somewhere? I have to keep these flowers viable.” Emily held up the little pouch she had and smiled sheepishly.
Beatrice followed Emily down the stairs, noticing the odd decor on the walls. There were pictures of a family from fishing and hunting trips along with stuffed animal heads. “Creepy,” she made a weird face then sighed. When they got back into the living room, she took another look around the room. She noticed a few things she hadn’t seen before. “Do you know if there’s water somewhere? I have to keep these flowers viable.” Beatrice looked at the pouch Emily was holding. “The sink might be working, we can check.” She led the way into the dark kitchen. The kitchen layout was odd. It was a semi-narrow hallway with cabinets and a pantry on one side, and the refrigerator, sink, and appliances on the other. The room had old scuffed up tiles and wallpaper that was chipping away from mold and tiny critters. The sink was full of mold and what looked like rotting leaves. The kitchen had a greenhouse feel to it because of the plants and vines that squeezed themselves in through cracks in the windows. She reached out to turn the sink’s nobs and surprisingly the water began to run. “Wow, I’m surprised it works,” she stared at the water in fascination then stepped away from the sink so Emily could do her thing. Beatrice propped herself up on the counter top next to the fridge and looked around for a light switch but was unsuccessful at finding one. “So, what are you collecting those flowers for anyways?”
Emily followed Beatrice to the kitchen and realized that her first assumptions were right. It had been ages since someone had made a meal in here, much less filled the fridge. Why would any right-minded person just have a structure standing for basically nothing? It made no sense. Beatrice flicked a knob and both girls stepped back in shock. At least there was plumbing. ”Wow, I’m surprised it works.” Emily reached in the nearest cabinet for a cup wide enough to hold half of the flowers, then grabbed another one to fill with the rest. The water would only last for so long but hopefully she’d be near proper tools in less than 12 hours. “So, what are you collecting those flowers for anyways?” The redhead wiped her hands together with a smile. “9 to 13 year olds who have an interest in biology structure. It’s actually a bigger group than you might think.” Emily smiled. “They’re going to look at the parts and then put it under a microscope. Just typical scientific things for their summer camp.” The whole day had the opportunity to be stressful, but these kids did have a genuine interest in botany. She saw Beatrice propped up on the counter and joined her with a bit of space in between their waists. “I dunno how you were going to sleep here by yourself. It’s scary as fuck.” Emily looked at the dark corners and thanked God the moon was shining enough to act as a fake light. “Why….why were you going to sleep here? There’s plenty of places in town. Free and everything.” She turned red. “Not that you have money issues, but like, if you did.”
A smile played across Beatrice’s lips as Emily spoke about the summer camp. It was nice to hear there were some people out in the world who were still doing well for others just because. Not many people were like that nowadays. She propped herself up on the counter and continued to speak. Beatrice giggled slightly at Emily’ comment. She looked around the room, noticing how creepy it actually was. “Why….why were you going to sleep here? There’s plenty of places in town. Free and everything…. Not that you have money issues, but like, if you did.” Before answering, she pondered her mind trying to come up with a way to explain herself. “It’s fine,” she reassured Emily about the money comment. “Well, besides the fact that I was just lost… I don’t really have a home,” she looked down at her boots and began to kick her feet back and forth slightly. “I grew up traveling across London. Never had a permanent home really. My family and I would switch off from different motels and when that didn’t work, we would sleep in places like alley ways or under bridges,” her voice sounded emotionless, like she could care less about how she grew up. “But, I ran away. So I’m doing the same here.” Beatrice tilted her head up and gave Emily a weak smile. The subject was something she often thought about, but never spoke of. It felt odd pouring her thoughts out, especially to someone she didn’t even know. But in all honesty, it wasn’t very odd at all considering Beatrice didn’t really know anybody. She was a drifter and that would never change.
“I grew up traveling across London. Never had a permanent home really. My family and I would switch off from different motels and when that didn’t work, we would sleep in places like alley ways or under bridges,” Emily’s eyes widened in a state of shock. She hadn’t expected the blonde girl to have grown up that way, in fact she expected she was here to blow off steam or escape from a night out with mates. The redhead sympathized with people but having a home taken away for a few days wasn’t the same thing as never having one to begin with. “But, I ran away. So I’m doing the same here.” Emily nodded slowly as she tried to comprehend what Beatrice was exactly saying. “So you don’t want to settle down, really? You like drifting?” She wasn’t accusing the blonde of anything, she honestly wanted to know what it felt like to only worry about things like shelter. Emily swung her legs over the edge of the counter and then decided to broach up another subject. “Have you ever stayed outside in a greenhouse? Those are some of the most insulated walls ever, I think.” She furrowed her eyebrows together in thought. “I’m pretty sure they’re insulated but if not, there’s got to be a little warehouse with better ones. People stay there before and after raves. The regular.” Emily played with her fingernails. “Want to explore some more? I think there’s a candle stick holder under these dishes.”
“It never really bothered me much when I was younger because it was my normal. I didn’t know any different. But, I guess as I got older I sort of realized it wasn’t normal. I’d like a home of my own one day, but it isn’t a priority.” Although the topic of conversation was heavy, Beatrice tried to discuss it in a manner that felt light and like it was no big deal. She hated pity. “Greenhouses? Really? I wouldn’t have thought of that,” she nodded her head and added it to the list of places to stay at if there was no other option. “I’ll take mental note of that,” she chuckled lightly but quickly stopped. “Want to explore some more? I think there’s a candle stick holder under these dishes.” Emily suggested. “Sure!” Beatrice hopped off the counter and rummaged through a pile of dishes until she found a candle stick holder. “Ah-ha!” She held it in her palm and looked at it carefully. She took the corners of her jacket and wiped down a few dusty spots on it. “Good as new..well, not really,” she shrugged. “Now, candles?” She walked around the kitchen and found a few sitting on top of the fridge. Emily lit them with her lighter and they were good to go. “I’m just warning you now, I get frightened easily, so sorry,” she laughed and patted Emily on the back.
“Good as new..well, not really,” Emily smiled sympathetically at the poor little stick holder in Beatrice’s hand. It had seen better days, many better days before the two girls found it stuffed underneath the cabinets. “It’ll work, yeah?” She light all the candles quickly and then blew out the match with one quick huff. After standing upright, Emily looked over to the blonde with a slightly nervous smile. “I’m just warning you now, I get frightened easily, so sorry,” The house creaked in response and Emily jumped closer to the blonde of out pure shock. “No, that’s fine. Obviously I’m the same way when it comes to inanimate objects. Shit.” She pushed back her bangs before gripping the other end of the candle stick holder. Hopefully some courage would suddenly fill their souls as they investigated. “Let’s just keep everything to first floor for now…that we can run if stuff gets really creepy?” Emily tiptoed around the living room couch then saw a huge object with enough drawers to carry everything a person might need. She wasn’t quite ready to dive in that much all at once so Emily simply pointed towards the entertainment cabinets. She pulled open one and saw cassette tapes mixed with VHS tapes in perfect stacks. “Home movies, maybe?”
The house creaked under their footsteps, like it was talking to them. “Get out. Go away.” It whispered. A shiver went down Beatrice’s spine, and in that moment she regretted ever stepping food in the cabin. She tucked a piece of falling hair behind her ear and swallowed loudly. “Sounds like a good idea to me,” she agreed with Emily. The girls took their time walking around each piece of furniture with caution and concern. Even though it was pretty much completely dark, Beatrice’s eyes took in everything around the room. Emily pointed out what looked like a giant dresser that had a bunch of drawers. She opened one that contained tons of tapes. “Home movies, maybe?” Beatrice reached into the drawer and pulled one out of it’s perfectly neat row. She turned the tape on each of it’s sides to see if there was a label on it anywhere but there wasn’t. She thumbed through the rest in it’s row and they were all nameless as well. “I guess we could find out?” Beatrice opened the other drawer that was beside it and inside was a tape player. “Perfect,” she sighed. There was a TV placed in the corner of the room that was still hooked up to the wall. She waltzed over to it and knelt down so she could plug in the tape player to the television. “Hopefully this will work.” After plugging everything in she turned on the TV and it roared to life. Beatrice waved Emily over. She scooted across the floor and patted the ground next to her for Emily to take a seat. The VHS tape began to play.
“I guess we could find out?” Emily’s stomach began to knot up as she thought about what kind of freaky things could be on the tape. She knew in all honesty it was probably just recordings of baby steps or fishing or something else so ordinary it would bore the girls to tears. But still, a part of her worried they weren’t supposed to be messing with the cabin’s things. It was secluded for a reason. Emily watched Beatrice masterfully set up the TV for them and stood near the couch a bit nervously. What if this was like The Ring? The video ruins everything. “Hopefully this will work.” Emily tried to hide her nervousness as she came over to join Beatrice on the ground. She scooted closer just in case some sort of supernatural monster came busting through the glass then saw the TV begin to flicker with life. “It doesn’t help my fear that this TV is from the Middle Ages, you know?” Emily was able to laugh a bit more and relaxed as figures began to become clear on the screen. She could make out the typical setting she assumed it would be, a small child’s birthday party with family gathered around. She could hear the sound of noisemakers along with people singing “Happy Birthday” off key. “This isn’t so bad…” Emily murmured to herself moments before the scene was abruptly cut off. She swallowed and turned to Beatrice. “That’s fucking weird, right?” Emily got to her feet to press the play button but the video was apparently still rolling the same as it was 10 minutes again. Instead of investigating further Emily kept her eyes half closed for what was about to come up next.
She sat patiently with wide eyes as the video tape began to play. It was a classic birthday scene. Little kid being video taped while blowing out the candles to his birthday cake, family all around him singing cheerfully, then it unexpectedly ended. Beatrice’s head tilted, puzzled. She looked over at Emily who wore the same curious but frightened expression. “So weird.” She watched as Emily fumbled with the tape and it’s player, until they realized it was still on. “I wonder what happened, maybe they ran out of film?” She asked Emily, trying to steer away from scaring the red head even more. The TV was blank, and showed no signs of regaining life. They could just sit there and wait for the tape to play again, or turn it off. Beatrice bit her fingernails and looked at Emily worried. “I don’t like this.” At first, she hesitated, but then reached out towards the TV and unplugged it from the wall. “Sorry, but I have a feeling we were about to see something we didn’t want to,” she apologized. Beatrice didn’t need any more fear, the looks of the house was enough to last her for the night. “I’m actually glad you came here. I don’t think I would have been able to stay the night if I was alone.”
“Sorry, but I have a feeling we were about to see something we didn’t want to,” Emily looked at the blonde gratefully and then stared at the now completely black screen in front of them. To be honest, skipping past a potentially horrible video prevented either of the girls from becoming paranoid about the house. “No, thank you.” She brought her legs together in a criss-cross position before forcing her eyes to look away from the TV. “I’m actually glad you came here. I don’t think I would have been able to stay the night if I was alone.” A genuine smile came across her face and Emily nodded with a smile. “I’m glad you were in here, I probably would’ve fallen face first out of that tree and broke something.” She shrugged her shoulders, turning ever so slightly to see the darkened room behind them. The candle was still lit but the light was weaker than a even the most decrepit lamps. Emily hadn’t thought about spending the night. A part of her was somewhat convinced she could wander her way back to the main road. “Maybe we should do something less scary-movie like…no stories. No random searching around the house for spirits.” Emily smirked as she pushed herself up to a standing position. “Do you know how to braid hair?” Even though the redhead usually hated people taking the red locks, anything would be better than sitting there waiting for a sign of terror. “I can do a bun if given a lot of time.”
“Maybe we should do something less scary-movie like…no stories. No random searching around the house for spirits.” Beatrice nodded at Emily and then stood up. Without all the creepy thoughts running through her head, the place didn’t seem as bad as it did before. In daylight, it was probably beautiful in some sort of dark and twisted way. The house was like a piece of art. Emily asked if she knew how to braid hair, and Beatrice shook her head in shame. Because of her upbringing, her mother never taught her the traditional girl things like doing hair, applying makeup, or even piecing together an outfit. She hadn’t taken much interest in those things anyways, but it would have been nice to know. “I never really had a reason to learn I guess,” Or a mother to teach you, she continued the rest of her sentence in her head. She smiled shyly at Emily then looked at her unusual colored hair. “It’s an odd color you have, but surprisingly it works. I’ve seen a bunch of women across town trying to pull off red hair, but it never looks right.” She took a step closer to Emily so she could get a better look at her hair. “It looks nice,” she managed to compliment her without it sounding weird or creepy. She took a step back from Emily to restore the distance between them.
“It’s an odd color you have, but surprisingly it works. I’ve seen a bunch of women across town trying to pull off red hair, but it never looks right.” Emily smiled at Beatrice’s roundabout compliment, not minding that the blonde had really not specified if she pulled off red hair or “It looks nice,” The redhead beamed. “Thank you. I’d hate to be one of those girls who look like a bright red lollipop, you know?” She looked at Beatrice before deciding to go with her original plan. “Can I do a bun in your hair? I almost want to see if I forgot or not. It’s been ages.” The only person Emily had to practice one was Katie, and even then the buns were 75% done by her sister’s grubby hands anyway. “It can be like a pretend beauty parlor or something. I wish i had a little spin chair.” She reached her fingers out timidly to touch Beatrice’s hair. It was surprisingly soft to the touch. It almost felt like a fluffy sheet or curved silk. “Has anyone ever told your that your hair is phenomenal? It’s so easy to play with,” Emily mused as she began to wrap the hair together in a mound at the very top of Beatrice’s head. The edge of her tongue peeked out as Emily put all of her focus into making sure no stray hairs were present and there were no noticeable bumps on the scalp. “After this, I can teach you how to braid hair. It’s really fucking easy. Unlike buns.” Emily let go of the hair exasperated and started to try again.
“Sure,” Beatrice shrugged and smiled at Emily. Nobody had ever played with her hair before, and though it was something simple and normal to most girls she felt excited for the new experience. She felt Emily’s warm fingers brush through her hair. The sensation felt unlike any brush that she had used before. It was softer than the harsh bristles of a comb. Emily complimented her and Beatrice smiled brightly. “I’ve never gotten that before, thank you.” She folded her hands together and closed her eyes as Emily played hair salon. Behind her eyelids she pictured Emily and herself as two little girls playing dress up and doing each others hair and makeup. The thought put a smile on her face. Her hair twirled up onto the top of her head then swooshed back down to her shoulders. Emily attempted the bun again until she got it right. “You’re good at this. I take it you have a sister or a mother you get along with?” Beatrice tried to imagine what Emily’s family looked like. A bunch of red haired beauties with rosy cheeks and plump lips. She thought back to her family and the way that they all didn’t looked related. Beatrice didn’t know for sure, but she guessed that it was because of her mother sleeping around with different men. She had five sisters and three brothers, all that which ad their own special look to them. Beatrice came out as the softest and most delicate looking one of them all.
“You’re good at this. I take it you have a sister or a mother you get along with?” Emily’s smile tightened slightly and she shrugged her shoulders. “I have a sister and mother, but I don’t really get along with them. Not lately.” She tried to look as if it didn’t matter though the subject was especially sore if Emily had the chance to think about how much it hurt to be without them. Even though the distance from Jenna Fitch was mostly self-inflicted, who could blame her? Emily wasn’t going to change her sexuality or any other part of herself just to have a relationship with the woman who birthed her. She wanted unconditional love. Besides, even if Emily was civil there was always a chance Jenna could suddenly decide to sever ties like Katie had. There wasn’t a lot of point in hoping everything could be as it was before those last years of college. “It’s a whole big thing but basically I like girls. I always have.” Emily continued swirling around with Beatrice’s hair as she began to spill her life story to the blonde. There was something in her newfound companion’s eyes that made the redhead feel like talking was a way for them to be closer, not awkwardly informed of each other’s lives. “My mother and twin sister couldn’t really wrap their heads properly around the need for muff in my life. That’s not my fault, I don’t think.” Emily cast her eyes down as she came around in front of Beatrice. “Still want me to show you how to braid? Take a piece of my hair and I’ll take a piece of yours.”
She listened attentively as Emily spoke about her family. Even though she couldn’t see her face, she could hear the uneasy tone in her voice. After years of listening in on people’s conversations Beatrice learned how to read the tone and mood of people by how they said things or the way their body language changed. She always picked up on the little things people seemed to overlook. “I’m sorry your family isn’t supportive of your preference. I guess, I know how that is. I come from a family of strong, aggressive personalities and behavior, I turned out to be the delicate flower of the group. It was hard for them to accept it.” She kept her explanation short and sweet. It was just enough to hint at her life, but not reveal even the slightest detail. Even though the information wasn’t much, it was the closest she had even came to talking about her family to anyone before. Emily came around to face Beatrice. She took a piece of Emily’s red locks delicately and waited for her instructions. The girl’s hair felt light and bouncy like a feather, it was smooth like one too. She followed the instructions, and after a few attempts she was beginning to get the hang of it. “This isn’t as hard as I expected,” she huffed then smiled. “It’s sort of fun, yeah?” Beatrice threw her head back laughing then focused back on the braid.
This isn’t as hard as I expected,” Emily smiled and began working on the third or fourth braid she had twined in Beatrice’s hair. Thankfully the blonde was not tender-headed, meaning Emily could pull slightly without getting any obvious signs of pain. “It’s sort of fun, yeah?” She nodded enthusiastically. “Right. It seems pointless but sometimes you can end up doing a whole head before your hands cramp up or hurt or anything ” Emily finally stopped messing with Beatrice’s hair and instead laid back slightly on the couch so the nimble fingers could go through her own locks. The cabin had lost part of its scary appeal given that the girls were having their own personal lower form sleepover inside of the wooden walls. “You’re a delicate flower right? I could see you as a daffodil or an apple blossom. Those are pretty delicate even though they’re also bright in appearance.” Emily nodded in agreement with herself. If it wasn’t obvious before, the redhead was coming close to her threshold for getting too tired to function. “Where are you going to sleep tomorrow Beatrice? It’s scary here.” She pulled the braids in her hair.
Sienna looked through her phone, it had ore numbers and she smiled. She now had friends or at least she considered them to all be friends. So far everyone had been so nice to her and she couldn’t stop smiling. She knew it would go away, the happiness but right now she was enjoying it. Maybe being forced out of her aunt’s house and to Bristol was going to be the best thing. She got up, tossed her phone to the bed and walked to her closet.
Sienna fingered all her clothes, trying to find something good and she sighed heavily. She needed new clothes, it was summer and she wanted some dresses. But all she had was some skirts, she picked out a nice navy one and found a shirt that would match. Maybe she needed a fashion assistant as well. She was so used to wearing a school uniform that trying to look cute became a chore.
“Fuck it, I’ll go to the shopping centre,” she said as she got undressed before getting into her new skirt and shirt. The skirt had no pockets so she grabbed a small purse, filled it with the necessities and went to her father’s car. She would also meed to find a job, so she could get her own car. She made a note of that in her mobile. It didn’t take her long to find the Shopping Centre, and as she walked around looking for a nice clothing store she eventually found one.
Sienna looked through the clothes, looking for deals on overpriced stuff. But she had a good feeling that she would find something. She bumped into a girl who wasn’t much taller than her. She looked over to her and smiled. “Sorry about that, in the zone as they say,” she said and giggled.Even though Emily was nowhere clothes-obsessed as other girls around Bristol, the redhead did take pleasure in finding little pieces of clothing to brighten up her closet. Today she aimed to buy a cute yellow top and purple shorts that wouldn’t clash with earrings Emily found from a few years back. Her favorite store was thankfully crowded, meaning the best deals would be at the bottom of the stack and people would be too distracted to notice a redhead digging for what she wanted. Most people browsed to find anything on sale but Emily’s specific tunnel-vision made it easier to stay focused in a busy store. By the time the redhead got into a good system of pushing away unusable clothes, someone had rammed into her backside. “Sorry about that, in the zone as they say,” Emily stood up and waved off the apology. “It’s fine. At least you didn’t throw me into a rack for a nice cardigan or something like that.” She placed a piece of hair behind her ear before smiling at the brunette. Part of Emily wanted to say the girl looked young, but she wasn’t sure if that was appropriate to mention right off the bat. “Hey, do you mind letting me know if you see a yellow skirt or a purple top?” The redhead went back to digging for a moment then realized she’d said the wrong thing. Her face blushed. “Scratch that. Purple skirt and yellow top. I think I’m a bit too focused.”
Sienna was surprised at how busy it had gotten and at how cut throat people became over sale prices. All she wanted was some nice summer attire and now she had to fight off the masses for anything. The red head she was near mentioned something about a top and a skirt and then changed the colors. So she had to stop and think. Should she help the stranger find a purple skirt and yellow top or should she focus on her own gain.
Sienna looked over to the red head, they weren’t too different in size and she smiled. “If you find some cute sun dresses and skirts then let me know and we have a deal,” she said and began to look for rhe skirt or top that this girl wanted. Maybe they could help each other. It was better than pulling hair and throwing punches over stupid things like skirts and blouses.
Sienna found a yellow top and held it up like the trophy that it was. She was glad to help out and hoped that the girl that was near her could help her out. She also wished she found the right size. That was the worst part of cloth shopping. Sienna never could find anything she liked because she was such a short girl. It made life a pain in the arse.
Sienna handed the cute yellow top over and wished she had kept it. But she had nothing that would go with it and this girl seemed to need it more than her. She would just have to hope that the girl helped her out.
“If you find some cute sun dresses and skirts then let me know and we have a deal,” Emily looked at the girl’s figure up and down before nodding in agreement. “Sounds good to me. Search!” She crouched down to places were most people were too frenzied to look for her items along with possible candidates for the smaller girl not to far away. Emily located a few tops though none of them were in the size needed to fit the tiny frame. She finally found a shimmery teal skirt, something she could imagine a number of people wishing they’d found in the pile of sales items on the floor.The battle of finding the shirt was over but the other battle of finding her shopping partner had just begun. Emily pushed through the throng hard enough to spot the brunette holding a fashionable yellow top with just enough shine to make Emily smile brightly. “This is amazing. Where’d you find this?” The redhead looked at the size and then held it up against her chest. It would probably fit, but she made a note to try it on before she fully purchased the piece of clothing. “Oh here, I found this skirt. I think it’ll hug your waistline just perfectly.” Emily motioned for the other girl to hold it up and hoped that she liked her suggestion. It would suck to have their tastes be that much different, though Emily could always buy the skirt for another outfit in the future.
If Emily counted out the wait time for crosswalk signs and lunch foot traffic that came with being a bicyclist, getting to Tyler’s new flat only took about 25 minutes in total. To some that could be considered a long day trip, but Emily knew she couldn’t have biked to London. At least this distance was doable in good weather and close to a taxi stop if some freak rainstorm hit the city. Moments before pulling up beside the flat, Emily gripped the bag of things she’d gathered as “housewarming” gifts and took a deep breath. The significance of Tyler actually making the move to Bristol was far from lost on the redhead. She really hadn’t believed the blonde would follow through until she spent the first night in almost two weeks alone. Emily already missed seeing tracks of Tyler throughout the kitchen, the bathroom and the unmade bed sheets on her side. She pushed the kickstand down then began smoothing her outfit to a respectable crinkle.For the first time ever in life, Emily knocked loudly on Tyler’s door and waited for her girlfriend to answer it. Would they come to a point where they exchanged keys? She didn’t know. Emily shifted her weight between both feet and smiled towards the bright yellow flowers propped up on the table. Instead of staying still, the redhead reached to grab one. The stems looked like Tyler had just plucked them from the ground and that made the gesture more cute than she wanted to admit.
Tyler stepped from the shower, crunching her wet curls in the towel she grabbed from the hamper. The flat was not entirely filled with furniture yet, but she did have a bed and necessary elements. A nice couch was delivered the morning before and a kitchen table. She slipped a sundress on before a loud knock at the door sounded from downstairs. Tyler assumed it was Emily arriving just on time as she always would. Unlike Tyler, who would have arrived an hour or two late. She powered down the hall and stairs reaching for the handle swiftly. Tyler smiled as Emily was poking at the flowers on the porch. “Like them? Beautiful like you, am I correct?” She scrunched her nose and kissed Emily’s nose.
“What’s in the bag, dear?” Tyler tried to see through the top but Emily had a firm grasp. In the midst of it all, she invited Emily inside her new flat. They could explore on their own time. Right now, she wanted to enjoy the fresh smell of flowers and drying paint. “Welcome to House of Evans, all guests welcome. Even bugs, though I wish them out sooner than later. Kitchen,” she nodded at the open room. “Stairs and two bedrooms upstairs. Living room and such. Patio in back with optimum jacuzzi that I have fixed up but do not understand how to work it.” Tyler wondered aloud and tapped her chin. “How have you been?”
“Stairs and two bedrooms upstairs. Living room and such. Patio in back with optimum jacuzzi that I have fixed up but do not understand how to work it.” Emily smirked at the last sentence. Leave it to her girlfriend not to know about adjusting water pressure and making sure there was enough chlorine to make it safe. “How have you been?” She put a piece of hair behind her ear before smiling. “Good, good. I do miss having to fight for the blanket in bed though, I must admit.” Emily stepped so closer, kissed Tyler for a good thirty seconds and then wandered into the kitchen to get a view of the hot tub. “I can help you set it up. It looks fantastic, everything does.” She did a 360-degree view and then ended up on the same spot on the counter. It looked so open and airy, a little bit different from her intimate flat filled with things. Emily placed the bag next to her arm before giving Tyler a warning look. “Don’t open it, I want to see upstairs first.”
She pointed towards the second floor and wondered how spacious those rooms were. This place was already striking her as beautiful, now all she needed see was a shower that dried you off or something else equally as amazing. Emily touched a newly painted wall resulting in a bit of color coming off on her fingertip. Rather than wiping it on another wall, Emily pressed the finger against Tyler’s exposed shoulder and smirked again. “Did you do this yourself?”
“Don’t open it, I want to see upstairs first.” Tyler pouted. Obviously she wanted to see the lovely bagged gift that Emily had brought to her new home. It could wait. She turned around swiftly and felt wet paint dabbed onto her arm. “No. Could never do this alone. Hired someone while we were still at yours. I would have suggested we do it ourselves but I believe we are too distracted. Come,” Tyler wiggled her finger and slid around Emily to the stairs. “My room is bare. But I have a bed with silk sheets.” Tyler opened her white bedroom door and showed the nice view from the window. Tyler sat on the edge of her bed smiling. “Now that you have seen the fruits, besides the loo, will you show me what you have brought?” Tyler hopped to her feet and touched Emily’s shoulders. “We can go in the tub after a nice dinner. Salad? Veggies? Everything you like all in one?” Tyler kissed Emily’s small forehead. She moved the red strands of hair out of her face and put them behind her ears. “Your ears are absolutely adorable. So tiny. Like your nose and hands,” Tyler waltzed around Emily, no hint of guilt. She put the things with Tally behind her. It was an accidental kiss and nothing more. It was not worth mentioning.
“We can go in the tub after a nice dinner. Salad? Veggies? Everything you like all in one?” Emily started to say something about not having a swimsuit, but then she decided that Tyler had an extra or preferred them both in the nude. “Salad sounds delicious with the croutons I like, the little ones that look like miniature loaves of bread?” Her eyes were still roaming the room as Tyler came up to begin touching parts of her face. “Your ears are absolutely adorable. So tiny. Like your nose and hands,” Even though Emily still got a knot of happy anxiety when Tyler gave her compliments, she had started to believe the blonde actually meant was she was saying. This wasn’t a fluff thing just to pump her feelings up, but rather Tyler really did find her weirdly small ears attractive. “My hands aren’t that small Tyler!” Emily held them up with fingers splayed and tried to keep from letting a laugh take over her features. She tickled Tyler’s sides before staring out the bedroom window. The view was fantastic, not to mention it showed how the jacuzzi was somewhat secluded compared to the rest of the patio. Emily crossed her arms and paced around the room in interest. “You can look in the bag if you promise, promise, promise you won’t give me that look.” The redhead rolled her eyes before realizing she needed a bit more explanation. “That look where you’re trying to convince me you love the gift when I think you really feel like it’s just juvenile. Just tell me if you don’t like it.” Emily nodded and then led the charge back downstairs to get the bag. She’d thrown a good amount of things in there including a picture of them, wine glasses and enough candles to light the hallway for months.
Tyler splayed her hands out and touched Emily’s to measure. “Still small. Tiny girl you are.” She wrinkled her longer nose. After their small fumble into a tickle. Tyler giggled but was not as ticklish as Emily had hoped. In the end, it was good for her. They admired the view and Tyler waited patiently for her gift that was downstairs. “You can look in the bag if you promise, promise, promise you won’t give me that look. That look where you’re trying to convince me you love the gift when I think you really feel like it’s just juvenile. Just tell me if you don’t like it.” Tyler rolled her eyes back to the comment. “I love everything. There is nothing you can give me that I would hate darling.” Tyler scooted by and touched Emily’s puffy cheek with a pinch while she passed. “We have a present to open, dinner to eat, and a session involving no clothes and water.” Tyler exited the room rather quickly and skipped into the kitchen to the bag. She pulled it open and spotted the small items that Emily had given her. She waited for the red headed girl to come into view before she ran over and picked her up into a hug. “I love it. I love it all. We can set the candles outside on the patio and use these new glasses for the dinner?” Tyler kissed Emily’s lips quickly and grabbed the photo smiling. “You look beautiful in here.” She set the frame up on the table in the hall for everyone that passed it to see. “You are wonderful, but what is the occasion for? House warming or you missed me that much?” Tyler poked Emily’s side. She moved to the refrigerator to grab lettuce and fixings for a larger salad that the two could have. “Grab what you like, I’ll get the bowls, dear.” Tyler reached up on her toes to grab the larger dinner sets from the top shelf of the cabinets.
Emily was surprised to see Tyler enjoyed the simple gifts so much and a red hue graced her cheeks at the compliment. The picture was of them just sitting on the couch of her flat both with faces that gave away they were about to laugh. She thought they looked cute, but beautiful? You are wonderful, but what is the occasion for? House warming or you missed me that much?” Emily followed Tyler behind the counter and then washed her hands in the kitchen sink. “Both, mostly the second one. I want to make sure I help with the moving process at least a little bit.” She watched Tyler easily move around the appliance while looking at her own fingertips. . “Grab what you like, I’ll get the bowls, dear.” She obediently grabbed bell pepper and croutons to compliment the rest of the salad choices Tyler had prepared. Emily reached for the dressing while holding the vegetables, a motion that resulted in the Italian dressing squirting out onto the floor. “Well, shit.” She placed everything down on the counter and then held Tyler’s waist to keep her girlfriend from slipping into the mess. “Let me get paper towels and then you can come with the breakable objects, yeah?” Emily laid a few out on the ground before swirling them around. After the main spill was cleaned, she took a damp towel to get any stickiness. “I’m sad to say I caused the first kitchen mess. Sorry.” She made a silly face towards Tyler and then tried to assist with chopping or tossing as much as possible. “What’ve you been up to lately? Just moving in?”
“Let me get paper towels and then you can come with the breakable objects, yeah?” She giggled. “You seem so accident prone. Funny accidents though. Don’t worry too much now.” Tyler ripped the lettuce into the bowls and watched Emily clean the small mess with the paper towels. She apologized but it was meaningless. Tyler did not find any harm in making a mess. She was mostly organized, beside her room for some reason. She could never keep it spotless like the rest of her house. Emily joined again, chopping the vegetables and tossing them in bowls. Tyler was glad she went shopping before Emily had stopped over. And she remembered her own diet specifications. The sound of meaty foods sounded delightful, until they were placed in front of her. Sadly, Tyler and her memory issues were getting the best of her still. “What’ve you been up to lately? Just moving in?” Tyler nodded casually. She did not want to bring about the two girls she had randomly met. Besides Chelle, though at the moment she couldn’t remember her name. “I was in a pub catching a drink and this poor girl looked sick to her stomach. I bought her soup and she ran off pissy. Turned out she was thought to be pregnant, money down the drain but I escorted her home after some saltines in her tummy. Hope the girl’s okay. Poor soul. One night stand and possibly pregnant? Wouldn’t that rustle you up some?” Tyler shook her head and finished applying the dressing and croutons in an organized fashion. “Other than that, hiring some painters, and shopping.” Tyler smiled while she handed the large salad bowl to Emily. “Now we dine, my love.” Tyler kissed Emily’s cheek and headed off to the square table on the other side of the kitchen. “Meet anyone new? Mates, old mates, lovers?” Tyler teased.
Emily listened to Tyler’s story and widened her eyes at the conclusion. “That’s terrifying. At least you were there to calm her down, I don’t what I’d do in situation like that.” She tried to restrain a smirk from coming across her lip. “Odds are that I’ll never be in that situation, but still.” Both girls rustled around each other to set the food in down in an appealing manner. Emily made it her business to carefully place the italian dressing far away from any corners and noticed her hands still smelled strongly of the topping. After washing them thoroughly in the sink, Emily joined Tyler at the table just small enough for them to touch legs if they wanted. “Meet anyone new? Mates, old mates, lovers?” She rolled her eyes and handed out a plate so Emily could begin scooping salads onto her plate. “No lovers, unfortunately. I think I might just be stuck with you and you alone.” Emily bit her lip cheekily before sprinkling the greenery with croutons. “I spent the other night in this cabin in the woods to keep a new mate company. She was slightly less freaked out by the sounds and creepy things than I was. It was okay eventually.” In between fork bites, the redhead pushed piece of hair behind her ear and nudged her foot against Tyler’s a few times. “There’s a potential party in the horizon. A sparkler party and I might potentially plan the shit out of it.” Emily smiled brightly. Party planning was out of her comfort zone but as long as people danced, got drunk and shot off sparklers she would consider it a success. “Jesse might plan it with me. She’s great.” Emily chewed a bit more though her stomach was already starting to get full of anticipation. “Talked to your mum lately?” The redhead knew this had the potential of being a touchy subject, but if they were trusting each other like they should, Tyler wouldn’t completely clam up as she did before. “I thought about calling mine for dinner arrangements or something.”
“I spent the other night in this cabin in the woods to keep a new mate company. She was slightly less freaked out by the sounds and creepy things than I was. It was okay eventually.” Tyler raised an eye at Emily. A new mate? She was curious of course. They would have to meet. “There’s a potential party in the horizon. A sparkler party and I might potentially plan the shit out of it.” Tyler chewed her salad patiently. “Jesse?” She smirked. Another possible mate for Emily. That was good, she was reaching out to more people and Tyler would not have to feel like she was smothering her. She ignored the question about her mother quickly, there was a subject she needed to speak about but not after addressing Emily’s last statement. “Dinner? With infamous Mother Fitch?” Tyler dabbed the corner of her mouth. “Would she approve? I have my doubts.” She slyly spoke before standing abruptly. “Wine?” She walked off breathing in beats. Tyler grabbed the white Chardonnay from the shelf and worked the cork off. The girls were still in the same room, speaking was still necessary. Tyler grabbed two wine glasses and filled them each half way. “About my mum.” She handed Emily the glass so she could sip before they continued. Tyler sniffed the wine, using all her scents. “Did you know the French invented tapping glasses? The proper way to drink wine is to admire your full senses. Sight, taste, feel, smell, and then hearing.” Tyler reached over and clinked the glasses to get the full effect. She was stalling the bad news. “Okay, no more procrastinating. My mother wants me to accompany her to Moscow.” Tyler sipped her wine and set it down carefully. Her mannerisms were calm and collected. Emily would be a mess soon. “She wants me to go in a few days. Russia, it is a little far, cold, but I cannot let her go alone. She’s getting in one of those moods.” Meaning, her mother was depressed and needed to run away for a little. Tyler was feeling slightly the same way, by being alone in her flat. Her thoughts drifted to her father like always.
Emily listened politely to Tyler’s background information on wine glasses, but she could care less where the practice came from. “You were talking about your mum?” The redhead sipped her glass slowly, her stomach already in knots about whatever was coming next. “Okay, no more procrastinating. My mother wants me to accompany her to Moscow.” Emily nodded slowly. She’d miss Tyler, but why would that be bad news? Another trip to a place the redhead had never been before and this time the blonde wouldn’t have to deal with an inexperienced traveler. “She wants me to go in a few days. Russia, it is a little far, cold, but I cannot let her go alone. She’s getting in one of those moods.” Emily sipped the last bit of wine as a realization came over her thoughts. “I understand. You can’t leave her alone.” She figured that using her secret girlfriend as an excuse to get out of the trip was not an option, something the redhead knew would become an issue if they didn’t talk it out completely. “When will you be back? Don’t tell me a month from now. I’ll miss you too much.” Emily could easily see Tyler shooting off and disappearing completely oblivious to how much strain that could potentially put on a relationship. Instead of diving deeper into her own feelings, the redhead bit at her lip. She reached for the wine bottle and poured a healthy amount into her own cup. Maybe the two women would find Russia boring which in turn meant for a swift trip back to Bristol. Emily brought her legs up into a chair and waited for Tyler’s response.
“When will you be back? Don’t tell me a month from now. I’ll miss you too much.” Tyler twisted her finger around the glass of wine. How long did her mother want to go? She was never given a time limit. The last time they flew off with no limit it was almost a month. Twenty-five days exactly. “I am sorry. She never told me. So, it could be a long while.” Tyler felt apologetic. Normally she would invite her along, but with her mother acting up again it was not possible. “It might be a long while. My mother gets very down on herself when she is alone. Without me there at home she is probably drinking more and visiting the wrong debutantes that put useless information in her head. How Moscow has the best fish to eat and hotels to stay in. She always gets that way. Running off when she reminisces about my father.” Tyler drank her glass of wine more healthily. The sips grew more grand so she would not have to speak about her father in general. Tyler touched Emily’s knee with her extended arm. “I wont know how long until I am there. She will force me to drive around to find all the sights and I would honestly rather be on the couch watching a film with you.” Tyler rubbed her knee softly. “It wont be forever.”
. “I wont know how long until I am there. She will force me to drive around to find all the sights and I would honestly rather be on the couch watching a film with you.” Emily stared at her girlfriend and tried to ignore the reassuring hand on her knee. It wasn’t either of their faults that this was happening, but that still didn’t make it fair. They had just gotten settled. “It wont be forever.” She looked at the blonde girl with an unexplained expression. “I know, but I’m scared it will feel like it. Can you even call from Russia? Text? Send pictures?” Emily pouted on the side of the couch before staring at her empty wine glass. She shouldn’t have been surprised that Tyler’s mother coped with grief this way. It came up similarly in the daughter that Emily was almost sure she was close to loving. Both girls were quiet for a moment and the redhead twisted her lips to keep from spurting out thoughts as they came across her mind. “Do you ever talk to her about your dad? Maybe she’s looking for an outlet or someone just to be silent with.” Even though that proved Tyler’s point about her mother needing a companion, Emily wondered if the two women ever got around to the elephant in the room. Tyler barely spoke about him now. “I bet he was a great man,” She said quietly.
