The evening after I'd spent the night with Effie, as promised, I'd made her dinner at my house so she could come over to start conquering the memories and mental images of being taken from my house and the horror that followed. She parked in the same place she had the previous night, and I was right there, offering her my hand when she stepped out of the SUV.
"Those are pretty. New because they weren't here yesterday," she said, pointing to some purple and white flowers I'd planted along the edge of the driveway during the day. I was trying to think of anything that would change the space, make it different and brighter for Effie. Something to make a small change.
"I hoped you'd like them," I said.
"I do," she said simply.
Since she hadn't yanked her hand from mine, I kept it there when I walked her to the house. There were now some potted flowers lining each step up to the porch, and two more potted flowers on either side of the front door.
I'd also changed out the welcome mat in front of the door and chosen a plain coir one that had a Greek key design around the border.
"Someone's been busy today," she laughed up at me before turning more serious. "And I appreciate it."
Opening the front door, I had Effie go past me into the living room.
"Smells really good."
Knowing the Euphemia loved lasagna, I'd made one, thinking the smell of her favorite food might be soothing to her. Comfort food for the win, I'd hoped.
"We're having your favorite -- lasagna, lettuce salad and garlic bread."
"Impressive. But to reach true perfection...you know what I need."
I laughed at her one-track mind. "For dessert, chocolate fudge cake with cream cheese icing."
"Excellent," she teased. "I was afraid I was going to have to leave before we got to dinner."
Her mood was better than I expected, and knowing Effie, part of it was real and part of it was sheer determination to replace the horrible shit with good, to not let the bad win.
"Would you like some wine?"
"Please," she said, and after I got her a drink, I pulled the lasagna out of the oven, popped the garlic bread into it and put the salad on the table I'd already set. Domestic shit was never ending.
We chatted easily, and something inside me relaxed while we touched on a number of different subjects. I never thought I'd have this again with her so I memorized each moment. We talked all through dinner and dessert, and I wanted this every night with something close to desperation. I closed my eyes briefly and just felt the gratitude that Lucio and Santo had arrived in time the previous night.
"Are you OK, Rogue?"
"Yeah," I said, opening my eyes and smiling at her. "I'm sitting here talking with you and just appreciating the wonder of it."
We walked out to her SUV later that night, and she marched right up to the driver's door and yanked it open. She got in while I watched and then leaned over to check the backseat.
"All good," she said, and there was both determination and grimness in her tone.
"I'll follow you home," I told her and knew she was relieved.
When we reached her apartment door, she let me in first, knowing I'd check the place for her.
"Thank you for a good night, Rogue," she said once I'd swept the apartment. "Your dinner was excellent."
YOU ARE READING
The Body #3: Rogue and Euphemia
RomanceI watched as my boyfriend saved another woman when a rival club shot up the clubhouse. He never even checked on me as he took her to the hospital -- and I almost died. So I disappeared for a year, and when I came back, he was waiting for me. He want...
