River of sin

40. I am not asking you to change

Yvonne was in the bath tub, trying to be as quiet as she could, glancing up anxiously when the door opened, Jacob smiling at her sympathetically, clicking the door shut and locking it.
"Maggie is happily picking daisies with Uncle Harry and Doris. She has a soft spot for him, she has him wrapped around her finger already. Now then, my little darling" he crouched by the tub, leaning his arms on the rim, resting his chin on top of them, smiling reassuringly at her. "What you doing in here again then eh? You had a soak this morning and last night. You will look like a prune at this rate." He reached for her hair, she flinched away impulsively, he paused, keeping his hand hovering close to her, waiting to hear a no, when it didn't come he carried on, running his fingers through her hair. She reached to stop him, pulling them gently down. Looking over his cut knuckles.

"Tell me what you need, Yvonne?" He whispered kissing the top of her hair.
"You" she whispered back. "Just you."
"Very well" he nodded standing up. She watched him worriedly as he stripped his clothes and climbed in the tub with her. He placed his hands slowly on her arms, guiding her back to lean against his chest "good girl" he whispered softly in her ear, taking the sponge and running it along her arm attentively. "Bruises are fading quickly now, almost gone. My Evie is nearly back to her beautiful, strong self. I am so very proud of you. You are brave, fearless, strong, you're my little Evie. The girl I fell in love with and the women that still holds this broken black heart of mine in the palm of her hand, making it beat again. The mother of my little Angel, Maggie. She smiled at me this morning, a wide happy to see me smile. She reached her arms up for me for the first time, she was babbling happy noises at me. I got no idea what she was saying. I am not a gentle man, I am not well educated or cultured, I am not the man I was when I left for France..... unless I am with you, then I see glimpses of him. I am a fiercely loyal man. I am in love with you Yvonne Barnes, formally Fisher and soon to be Evans and nothing will ever change that."

"You are clean, my little darling" he squeezed the sponge over her hair giving it a final rinse. "You were when you stepped into this tub. Evie? Look at me" he turned her face not letting her resist this time "if you can not bare more children then I do not care. We have Maggie. We have Betty. We have a family both small and large in nature. The doctor's words did not sway my mind about wanting to marry you. If you want me to go straight, I will, for you. Legitimate business only."
She chuckled placing her forehead on his "you would not last a day" she murmured out "I am not asking you to change, my handsome devil. I am asking.....I am asking you to stay."
"Always. Evie look at me." He insisted holding her face firmly "always, my little darling. Always. I see the same girl I fell in love with, so enough now. You're going to dry off, get yourself dressed, in something nice, fix your hair, walk out of this room, with your head held high, safe with me holding your hand, you will come and eat with the family, with our daughter. When you need comfort you can come to me and I will provide it, like you do me. But we will start to live our life together, my little darling, we have waited long enough and survived enough tests to know that what we have is real and meant to be." He ran his fingers gently over her skin "these hands belong to your handsome devil, your Jacob, they will never hurt you." He said surely "I waited once, my little darling, I can wait again" he smiled leaning in for a kiss, he could feel she was unsure so he went slowly. "I love you"
"I love you too. Can I have another?" She giggled initiating a kiss making him laugh, happily obliging.

Jacob helped her out of the bath, getting dressed himself, still watching her carefully. Concerned when she angrily grabbed and tugged at her hair, her tears rising to the surface once more, he darted across the room when she took the scissors and started hacking at her hair. He held her hand still looking at her in the mirror. He gave her a nod, prying them from her fingers. He took pieces of her the stunning hair that he adored, sniping it, strands slowly falling to the floor. He put the scissors down, smoothing down her now short hair in his palms.

"You look like an elegant lady. So grown up. Utterly beautiful" he smiled
"He would grab it, I..."
"Still enough for me to run my fingers through" he smiled, giving a demonstration, twirling a piece around his finger, like he often used to at night. "If you can not get used to it, it will grow and it will be hair he or any of them have never touched. Only me. You ready?" He asked kissing her cheek, she gave him a nod, taking a firm hold of his hand. "That's my girl, take it slow, I know walking still hurts, I am not blind, do not hide your pain from me, I will get more medicine to relive it. That knee is still swollen despite the bruises fading. No rush, I am here now, Evie. I've got you. I will always be here to catch you. For you to lean on. Let's go start our lives, eh. Fresh start."