Crazy but Sweet, Sweet but Crazy

48: a morning

When I'd reached home slightly past 9PM, Michael's car was parked in the front yard. Taking in a deep breath, I opened the door.

This was my first time properly facing Michael, after all that had happened. After all we had tried and failed.

I entered the house to a sight I hadn't seen in a long time- Michael, Jessica and Sonia sitting at the dining table.

It wasn't hard guessing their topic of conversation before I'd reached home.

It'd probably had to do with their discussions with the legal team.

"Welcome back home, honey."

With blushes of wine on her cheeks, Jessica came to me and pulled me into a hug, before I'd even reached the dining table.

Michael folded me into a wordless hug.

He smelled like fresh shaving cream. "Thank you for fighting for us. You can rest now. It's all over."

Looking at his face, with wrinkles and darkened spots on his skin that I hadn't seen before, I realized how much time had passed since we'd met.

In his smiling eyes was exhaustion that reminded me it wasn't all over.

Our family's reputation was still besmirched. And he would have to go to court.

He wouldn't have had to, if I'd won this fight. If I hadn't started it at all in the first place.

"I'm sorry." I closed my eyes, snuggling my face into his sweater.

"No. A lot more people believe in us now, you know that. That's enough."

By the time I'd pulled away from Michael, Sonia had already prepared a cup of chrysanthemum tea.

A cheery smile lit up her face, but it couldn't hide the swirling thoughts in her eyes.

Looking at them was enough to discern that outlook on the defense against the lawsuit, wasn't pretty.

"Have some tea and go to bed. You look tired."

"Thanks."

After bidding them all goodnight, I went upstairs, indistinctly hearing their conversation resume again, in low voices.

As advised by Sonia, I showered, brushed my teeth, had some hot tea, and tucked myself into bed in fresh pajamas.

With the lights switched off, I looked up at the ceiling, blankly.

My phone buzzed. It was a text, from Elliot.

'Good night'

Such a short text, but it was the first time we'd texted about anything but how to go against his father, to find out the truth about what'd happened three years ago.

A normal, ordinary text.

"I'm in love with you, you foolish girl."

I pulled my sheets closer to my body, remembering the small laugh in Elliot's voice as he'd spoken, and the way I'd seen the slight pink tinging the tip of his ears before he'd walked off, leaving those words behind with me.

The way he lowered his eyes slightly, and grabbed my chair before he leaned in.

Then I remembered the hushed voices in which Michael and Jessica were speaking, their haggard, sunken eyes, and closed my eyes shut.

~ * ~

"Your parents...went for a morning run."

The next morning, I sat at the dining table with Sonia, feeling an acute sense of de ja vu.