Prisoner of Love

Chapter Eighteen.

Lili-Rose ignored Danny and her mother as they walked into the kitchen and out into the backyard, Lili-Rose watched as Danny helped Betty lift up Matthew's wheelchair onto the patio.

The small crowd of loved ones in the backyard started to give Betty a hand tiding up the backyard.

Some started to bring in the leftovers and dirty dishes, one moved the esky full of almost melted ice with a few drinks left onto the patio while the few kids that were in attendance began to happily pull at the few decorations that hadn't been pulled down by the wind.

Lili-Rose stayed in the kitchen, she lowered her head as she tried to let her emotions shift from scared, panic and fear to love, she had to remind herself that she was at her parents house, she had to remind herself that she was with family and friends, family and friends she hadn't seen since she ran from the life she once knew. Lili-Rose needed to remind herself that at this very moment she was safe even if she didn't feel safe.

Lili-Rose started to distract herself by cleaning up the kitchen, she grabbed the food covers for the plates and covered the leftovers before placing the plates in the fridge, she scrapped the scraps off the plates into the bin before placing the used dishes into the sink. She needed a distraction, she needed to remind herself that she was surrounded by people who genuinely cared about her safety while she struggled to protect her own family.

She ignored people as they started to leave, she stayed put in the kitchen as Danny helped Matthew into the lounge room and Betty bid people goodbye.

Aunt Riddy carried in the few gifts that Matthew had gotten, she placed them on the dining table.

Lili-Rose watched as the sink began to fill with water, watching as the bubbles from the washing up liquid started to form, she began to pile some of the dishes into the sink. She let her hands rest in the water for a moment before turning the sink taps off. She reached for the cloth hanging over the tap before beginning to wash up.

She ignored the conversations around her as her body went numb, she ignored the voices and the questions, she ignored her thoughts as she kept her focus on the kitchen sink as she motioned her way though the dishes.

"I thought I'd find you here." His tone sounded serious as it broke through her focus.

Lili-Rose jumped a little as panic flowed through her body again, she knew it wasn't the British Gentleman as she turned to face Geff standing in his police uniform "Sorry." She muttered softly as her hands dripped a little with water.

"As long as your safe, that's the main thing." Geff looked out the kitchen door as Lili-Rose returned her attention to the final dishes in the sink before placing them in the crowded drying rack. "Did I miss it?"

"Yeah, Dad. You did." Danny quipped slightly as he closed the fridge door.

Lili-Rose grabbed the tea towel that was hanging over the handles of the oven door and wiped her hands, she playfully chucked it at Danny.

Danny managed to catch the tea towel before it hit the floor, he playfully chucked it back at Lili-Rose "Your house, your dishes."

Lili-Rose rolled her eyes "My parents house, not mine." She sighed as she leaned against the kitchen bench as she placed the tea towel on the kitchen bench.

Aunt Riddy noticed Lili-Rose's gift bag amongst Matthew's small pile of gifts on the kitchen table "Sweetie, you almost forgot this." She picked it up, took several steps towards Lili-Rose before reaching out the gift bag.

Lili-Rose reluctantly grabbed the giftbag.

Geff looked down at the giftbag, curiosity got the better of him, but Aunt Riddy had beaten him to his question.