make us breakfast.”
“I don’t want a damn bath or shower or food, I want you. All I need is you.”
“I know, angel, and believe me, if this wasn’t terribly important, I wouldn’t be leaving your side, but it is.”
“Fine,” I say with a much lighter, more understanding tone. “I will let you take care of business while I take that bath you mentioned, then I will make us breakfast…I need a distraction.”
“Ok, that sounds great,” he utters, shifting me off his lap onto the bed. “I promise I won’t be long.”
He rises and jumps out of bed, heading toward the all-white bathroom. I hear the tub turn on and the water filling up its empty depths.
I’m sitting in our king-sized bed, decked out in dark blue satin sheets and a cream comforter with a modern, tufted, wingback headboard. I remember it being black, but it’s now a cream color, matching the bedspread. The enormous scarlet rug it once sat on, covering a large portion of the dark wood floor, has been replaced with a blue one, same as the sheets. The furniture is modern, black-stained wood pieces, and the walls are still gray adorned with black and white photos of me.
Hunt comes walking out of the bathroom and into the closet, emerging a few moments later fully-dressed in a white open-collared shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbow, with dark jeans and bare feet.
He’s lip-licking yummy.
“Your bath should be ready, and I shouldn’t be more than thirty minutes, maybe an hour depending on how well this goes. Will you be okay?” he asks, putting on his Cartier watch and clasping it shut.
“Yes, I’ll be fine,” I assure.
“Are you positive?”
“Yes, Hunt, go take care of the situation,” I wave my hand toward the door, “I will be downstairs in the kitchen when you finish.”
“Ok.” He smiles at me, though it doesn’t reach his eyes, and walks over to me, rewarding me with a chaste kiss on the lips. Then, he’s gone.
I took a nice, long soak, sporadically crying when my father popped into my head. When I couldn’t sit still any longer, I jump out of the bath and head downstairs, dressed in jeans and a black, form-fitting V-neckline tee with my hair tossed up in a sloppy bun atop my head.
I walk through the kitchen door and punch the music setting on the touchscreen near the entrance, selecting Fitz and the Tantrums’, ‘The Walker’. It’s upbeat, perfect for a morning pick-me-up. I whip up some scrambled eggs, hash brown potatoes, and chopped bananas and strawberries all while grooving to the cheery tune, singing along off key.
Abruptly, I’m a part of a duet as a familiar female voice joins in. I spin around to find Maya standing at the door, a sad smile on her refined face.
“Maya,” I whisper and run to my sister, snatching her up into my arms.
“Hi, Ellie,” she shakily whispers into my ear, hugging me tight, then she hauls me away, holding me at arms-length, giving me a good scanning. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way…Where the hell have you been? Why the hell did you leave me behind…? Jeez, Ellie, you look…thin.” She brings me back in for another hug.
Wow, her mood swings are worse than mine.
“I’m sorry, sweetie. I wasn’t in a good place…What are you doing here anyway?”
“Well, I’m here for your well-being. From the sound of things, you still aren’t in a very good place…Hunt called me. He’s worried about you.”
“Is he now?” I ask, pulling away to study her. I notice that she doesn’t look too good either, worn down even.
“Yeah, he said you aren’t processing things well. He thinks you should talk to someone and I was the only one who could possibly understand what you’re going through…That maybe we needed each other.”
“Do you need me, Maya?”
Her eyes widen. “Are you joking? Please, tell me you are…Of course, I need you, Ellie! We lost our dad and found another and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with all this new
“I don’t want a damn bath or shower or food, I want you. All I need is you.”
“I know, angel, and believe me, if this wasn’t terribly important, I wouldn’t be leaving your side, but it is.”
“Fine,” I say with a much lighter, more understanding tone. “I will let you take care of business while I take that bath you mentioned, then I will make us breakfast…I need a distraction.”
“Ok, that sounds great,” he utters, shifting me off his lap onto the bed. “I promise I won’t be long.”
He rises and jumps out of bed, heading toward the all-white bathroom. I hear the tub turn on and the water filling up its empty depths.
I’m sitting in our king-sized bed, decked out in dark blue satin sheets and a cream comforter with a modern, tufted, wingback headboard. I remember it being black, but it’s now a cream color, matching the bedspread. The enormous scarlet rug it once sat on, covering a large portion of the dark wood floor, has been replaced with a blue one, same as the sheets. The furniture is modern, black-stained wood pieces, and the walls are still gray adorned with black and white photos of me.
Hunt comes walking out of the bathroom and into the closet, emerging a few moments later fully-dressed in a white open-collared shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbow, with dark jeans and bare feet.
He’s lip-licking yummy.
“Your bath should be ready, and I shouldn’t be more than thirty minutes, maybe an hour depending on how well this goes. Will you be okay?” he asks, putting on his Cartier watch and clasping it shut.
“Yes, I’ll be fine,” I assure.
“Are you positive?”
“Yes, Hunt, go take care of the situation,” I wave my hand toward the door, “I will be downstairs in the kitchen when you finish.”
“Ok.” He smiles at me, though it doesn’t reach his eyes, and walks over to me, rewarding me with a chaste kiss on the lips. Then, he’s gone.
I took a nice, long soak, sporadically crying when my father popped into my head. When I couldn’t sit still any longer, I jump out of the bath and head downstairs, dressed in jeans and a black, form-fitting V-neckline tee with my hair tossed up in a sloppy bun atop my head.
I walk through the kitchen door and punch the music setting on the touchscreen near the entrance, selecting Fitz and the Tantrums’, ‘The Walker’. It’s upbeat, perfect for a morning pick-me-up. I whip up some scrambled eggs, hash brown potatoes, and chopped bananas and strawberries all while grooving to the cheery tune, singing along off key.
Abruptly, I’m a part of a duet as a familiar female voice joins in. I spin around to find Maya standing at the door, a sad smile on her refined face.
“Maya,” I whisper and run to my sister, snatching her up into my arms.
“Hi, Ellie,” she shakily whispers into my ear, hugging me tight, then she hauls me away, holding me at arms-length, giving me a good scanning. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way…Where the hell have you been? Why the hell did you leave me behind…? Jeez, Ellie, you look…thin.” She brings me back in for another hug.
Wow, her mood swings are worse than mine.
“I’m sorry, sweetie. I wasn’t in a good place…What are you doing here anyway?”
“Well, I’m here for your well-being. From the sound of things, you still aren’t in a very good place…Hunt called me. He’s worried about you.”
“Is he now?” I ask, pulling away to study her. I notice that she doesn’t look too good either, worn down even.
“Yeah, he said you aren’t processing things well. He thinks you should talk to someone and I was the only one who could possibly understand what you’re going through…That maybe we needed each other.”
“Do you need me, Maya?”
Her eyes widen. “Are you joking? Please, tell me you are…Of course, I need you, Ellie! We lost our dad and found another and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with all this new
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