Untamed

32

Melissa divided her time between chastising and mouthing Heather's ear off and sneaking ice cream, chocolates and biscuits into Shelby's room.

The house was quiet as usual but now it had a melancholic theme which Melissa recognized very well, she might be old but memories stuck like glue on paper.

The two young women were miserable and walloping in the ocean of heartbreak and confusion, it was not a pleasing sight to see. Melissa prepared dinner knowing fully well no one was going to be at the table, she knew because it was exactly what happened when Danita and Heather's father had one of their fights. Heather was more like her father than she would ever admit, he was the only one around so she emulated his very being. Melissa could only be grateful that her soul was left intact.

Heather was sitting by the empty fire place in a guest room when Melissa finally found her, she held her tongue when another retort threatened to roll out.

"What?" Heather said dryly.

"You've got nothing left?"

"You've had enough for one day, I have nothing else to say to you."

"So... the two women in the house won't speak to me?"

Melissa squeezed the napkin in her hands to cool her anger and keep her mouth shut, Heather always learnt lessons of life step by step, if it wasn't in books or on the internet, you might as well to talking to a toddler.

"Why do you think that?"

"I don't know" Heather sank deeper into the chair. "I can't for the life of me fathom where I went wrong."

"Child" Melissa tsked. "I have tried to spell it out for you but your brain is obviously too slow when it comes to these matters, clearly you love the woman why don't you tell her?"

"I tried to tell her but it came out all wrong, I was getting there but the words just felt stuck in my mouth." Heather raked her hands through her hair in frustration. "I didn't mean to make her cry, this was supposed to be a getaway from her life so we could get to know each other better outside the bedroom and for me to come clean about my life."

"You managed to fuck that up under seventy two hours." Melissa chortled. "You're even worse than a man."

The old woman wondered how to broach the subject without poking at Heather's wounds, she was very easy to rile up and seldom saw reason when it smacked her in the face.

"Why is it so hard to say?" she asked carefully

"I don't know"

"Are you sure about that hun? There was a lot of arguing and unhappiness in this home. You saw it firsthand how something sweet can turn sour."

Heather sat up with a hint of anger in her voice. "What're you saying?"

Melissa crossed her fingers then said. "You've never known love and the little you know of it isn't as rosy as what everyone claims it to be, don't you think that's why you're scared of accepting or letting it close to you."

Heather opened her mouth then closed it, she was offended mostly because her words weren't too far from the truth. How could she express what she didn't know?

Her heart was almost bursting at the seams with all the intense skipping and beating when Shelby came into a room or laughed or looked at her but her walls were made of iron and steel and it wasn't see through. She didn't know she needed to break it down to let someone in, everything was hard and confusing.

Why couldn't they go back to when it was just business and pleasure? When it was just dirty words said in lush voices with rasped breaths mingling with the cool wind of the night.

She had promised the woman she loved the world if she came with her yet there they were in different rooms feeling miserable both wanting the day to end so another could start leaving the past literally in the past.

Melissa left Heather to her thoughts opting to go to bed, she wanted to check on Shelby but decided against that too, they both needed space to clear their heads and sort out their emotions. All they had to do was meet each other in the middle, a confused and scared Heather plus a heartbroken and proud Shelby, she didn't know who would bite the stick first.

°°°

The next day wasn't any different, Shelby and Heather hid in their rooms both rejecting breakfast and asking not to be disturbed, Melissa thought of calling Danita, she always knew how to console and talk to Heather but she didn't think Heather wanted her in her business, if she needed her mother then she would call her.

The day dragged on painfully and slowly like it enjoyed the silent sounds of pain effusing from the house, Melissa was tired of babysitting two grown women who would feel better if they just spoke to each other, she wanted to drag them out of bed and lock them in a room but her shaking aging bones would only let her dream.

She cooked for herself which wasn't as fun as when she didn't have anyone to appreciate it like Shelby did, her eyes would light up and her moans of delight would fill the dining hall, Heather was too proud to say her cooking was heavenly because she tried to learn under Melissa when she was younger, it was a total disaster so Melissa taught her how to cook basic things; anything higher than pancakes or fried eggs would result in a smoky kitchen and angry firemen pounding on the door.

A loud knock startled Melissa out of her thoughts, she walked slowly to the door hoping it was the boy she paid to get groceries, she cooked so little yet they were running out, she had a feeling the girls snuck out of their rooms to grab something from the kitchen before they disappeared into their gloomy worlds again.

Another loud knock didn't make Melissa walk any faster, "I'm coming! I'm coming!"

She pulled the door open with a smile that halted halfway on her lips.

"Melissa dear, I'm guessing I came at a wrong time."

"Dios mio" Melissa whispered under her breath as the woman at the door pushed her way into the house.

The gates of hell would open now that the devil had arrived.

°°°
Lenifty
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