No Strings Attached

Chapter Forty Eight

The room was quiet, wrapped in the heavy stillness of the night. Faint light seeped through the curtains, casting soft shadows on the walls. Alex blinked against the darkness, stirring awake as the bed shifted beside him. He wasn't fully conscious, his mind still heavy with sleep, but he registered the sight of Norma moving toward the bedroom door.
"Where you goin'?" he mumbled, his voice thick with exhaustion.
She said something too quiet, too muddled for him to make out, before slipping out of the room. He assumed she was heading to the bathroom and let his eyes drift shut again, sinking back into sleep.
When he woke up the next morning, she was beside him, curled up peacefully. He took a moment just to watch her, taking in the way the morning light cast soft shadows across her face. She looked serene, untouched by the chaos of the last few days.
Smiling to himself, he leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. She stirred, making a small sound before kissing him back, slow and warm. He pulled back slightly, meeting her sleepy gaze, and as her hand reached up to cup his cheek, something caught his attention.
His smile faltered as he pulled back further, gently taking her hand in his.
It was covered in dirt.
"You go outside this morning?" he asked with a light chuckle, though the confusion in his voice was unmistakable.
Norma sat up, pulling her other hand in front of her, her brow furrowing as she stared at the dirt smeared across her fingers and under her fingernails.
"No, I..." she trailed off, confusion flashing across her face.
Alex sat up beside her, his mind working quickly now as the events of last night came back to him. "Where did you go last night?"
"What? I...I didn't go anywhere." Her voice held uncertainty now, as if she was trying to convince herself as much as him.
"You got up in the middle of the night," he said carefully. "I thought you were just going to the bathroom. You don't remember that?"
Norma shook her head, her expression growing more unsettled. "No. No, I...I don't remember waking up last night."
He watched her closely, his gaze flicking between her dirt streaked fingers and her increasingly troubled eyes.
"Do you sleepwalk?" he asked.
"Not that I know of," she murmured, still staring at her hands as if they held the answers.
Something clicked in Alex's mind then, a nagging suspicion forming. Without another word, he slipped out of bed and started pulling on his clothes.
"Where are you going?" Norma asked, quickly following suit as she pulled on her robe over her nightgown.
"I just want to see something," he said vaguely, already moving toward the door.
Norma hurried after him, confusion still etched into her features. But as they stepped outside, Alex stopped abruptly, his gaze settling on exactly what he'd been expecting.
Newly potted plants in the garden.
"I don't...I don't understand," Norma said shakily, staring down at the freshly potted plants as if they might offer her an explanation.
Alex turned his gaze from the garden to her, taking in the way her breathing had picked up, her hands still covered in dirt trembling slightly at her sides.
"It...it can sometimes be caused by stress. Sleep deprivation—" he began gently.
"I'm not stressed," she cut in quickly, her eyes snapping to his, daring him to challenge her.
Alex held her gaze for a moment before simply nodding, choosing not to argue. Instead, he looked back at the garden, exhaling through his nose.
"Well, at least you did a good job," he said lightly, trying to ease the tension, but Norma didn't react. She was still staring at her hands like they weren't her own.
"I'm gonna go...rinse off," she mumbled, her voice distant, already turning back toward the house.
Alex watched her go, unease settling deep in his chest.
By the time Norma got out of the shower and dressed herself, she found Alex waiting in the living room.
"Hey," she said, leaning against the doorframe, drawing his attention to her.
"Hey," he replied, offering a small smile as she walked over and sank down beside him.
His eyes searched hers, reading the lingering unease in her expression. "You okay?" he asked, reaching out to rub her back in slow, soothing circles.
"All clean," she answered, forcing a smile. But he could see it. The way her shoulders were still tense, the way her hands fidgeted with her dress slightly in her lap.
"It's gonna be fine, Norma," he reassured her, his touch gentle. "Just...take it easy for the next few days. Get some rest."
She nodded quickly. "Yeah, I'm sure it's fine. It was probably just a one time thing," she said, her words rushed, as if saying them fast enough would make them true.
Alex hesitated before speaking. "Maybe...maybe it'd help to talk about things. Keeping busy might not be the best way to handle—"
"I'm fine, Alex." Her voice was sharper than she intended, her body going rigid beneath his hand.
He didn't flinch at her tone, but his hand stilled on her back. Instead, he just studied her, his expression unreadable.
Norma forced another smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
A few days passed, and there was no reoccurrence to her knowledge.
Alex had been there most nights, when he could sneak over, his presence a quiet comfort that she never turned away. She wasn't alone with her thoughts long enough for them to take hold, and she preferred it that way.
She played her part well. The grieving girlfriend. The shattered woman left behind. A few condolences in town, a short but heartfelt conversation with Christine about the funeral arrangements. It had been easy enough to hold it together.
Now, as she stood in front of the mirror, her hands smoothed over the fabric of her black dress, fingers catching at the seams as she stared at herself.
Her reflection was composed, her face arranged just right. Subtle exhaustion in her eyes, lips slightly parted like she might still be processing the weight of it all. She tried to study it.
She had to look perfectly imperfect. Not too put together, not too broken. Like a woman with just enough strength to show up but not enough to fully breathe.
Her final performance.
She swallowed hard, her hands falling to her sides as she exhaled. Alex walked in just as she was about to lose herself. He didn't say anything at first, just stepped up behind her, his hands sliding up her arms in a slow, comforting motion.
She let herself take in the sight of him through the reflection, his uniform neatly pressed, sleeves rolled up just the way she liked. Something about it grounded her, the familiarity of him, the quiet strength in the way he stood with her.
"It's gonna be fine," he murmured, his voice low and steady. "It'll probably be a short service, and if it starts to feel like too much, you can leave whenever you want."
For a moment, she considered brushing him off, insisting she was fine. But she was about to step into a room full of people and put on a show, hold herself together for the sake of appearances. With Alex, she didn't have to do that. With him, she could be real. So instead, she simply whispered, "Thank you."
Turning her head, she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, her fingers tracing lightly along his jaw as she smiled at him.
"I'm off to work," he told her, his hands slipping to her waist, thumbs rubbing slow circles against the fabric of her dress. "Should be done around seven."
"You gonna come over tonight?" she asked, tilting her head up at him expectantly.
He smiled softly. "You want me to?"
She gave him a look that answered for her. He chuckled, nodding. "Yeah, I'll come by."
"Good." She leaned up, kissing him softly, savoring the warmth of him before pulling away.
"Alright, I gotta go," Alex said, his hands lingering on her waist before finally letting her go. He hesitated only a second before adding, "I love you."
Norma watched as he stepped away, her heart swelling as she murmured back, "I love you."
She stayed there for a moment after he disappeared from her room, taking a steadying breath before turning back to the mirror. One more deep inhale, then she straightened her dress and stepped away. Time to go.