Nothing More

Chapter Thirty.

She looks at me, her eyes begging me to listen. To really listen. "I carry too much baggage, and I'm not looking for a knight in shining armor."

I don't know what to say to her. I don't know how to fix this, or if she even needs to be fixed. I'm not used to not being needed. I've always been the fixer, who I am without that?

I don't know.

"I know, princess," I try to add a little humor. I'm pretty sure Nora does not want to be called a princess.

"Ew," she makes a face of pure disgust. "I'm no princess."

"What are you then?" I ask her, genuinely wondering how she views herself.

"A human."

There's more to her words than sarcasm.

"I'm no damsel, no princess. I'm a woman who is human in every sense of the word."

My eyes meet hers and she hugs me again.

"Can we just stand like this for a few seconds. Can you just hold me for a few seconds so I can memorize how it feels?"

I hate that her words sound so ominous, like she's saying more than a goodbye.

I don't respond, I just hold her in my arms until she lets go a few seconds later.

"I wish you would tell me what's going on," I finally say when she pulls away.

Her eyes don't meet mine when she says, "So do I."

Nora stands up straight and opens her eyes wide. "Okay. Let's decorate this cake and give Ellen the best birthday of her life." It worries me how quickly she can shut down and change the subject.

I want more from Nora. I want answers. I want to know the magnitude of her problems so I can offer a solution. I want to hold her in my arms until she believes that I will be here for her. I want to kiss her pain away and make her laugh until she forgets why she keeps herself hidden from me. I want her to know that I see her, even though she doesn't want me to.

I want so many things, but she has to want them too. I give her what she wants and I plaster a fake smile on my face.

"Lets," I raise my hand to high five her and she cracks a smile.

She lifts her hand to mine and smacks it.

"You're the corniest person I know," she says, opening the bathroom door.

A follow behind her. "I'm fine with that."

And just like that, we are "friends" again.

Tessa and Lila are still in the living room when we walk out of the hallway together. Lila is still entranced by her car and Tessa is sitting crossed legged on the couch, watching the little girl with a big smile on her face.

Tessa looks at me, then at Nora, then back to me. Her face doesn't hide her suspicion, but she doesn't say a word about it.

"Lila," I bend down to talk to the little girl. "We are going to decorate a cake. Do you want to come into the kitchen with us?"

Lila looks up at me and grabs her car. "Car," she chirps, holding the shiny hotwheel up to show me.

"Yep. You can take your car with us." I reach for her hand and she takes mine.

"I'm going to close my eyes for a few more minutes," Tessa says, laying back down.

I tell her to go back to sleep and I walk Lila into my kitchen. Nora follows.