Bitter Sweet Melodies (girlxgirl)

Chapter 7

My colleagues had gone home hours before and the workers employed by the Langford’s were sound asleep.

It was an hour later when Taylor got home. I had come to learn that Henry was away on business, but I hoped Taylor would not get so busy that she would neglect Angie as well.

“I didn’t hear you come in,” I said when I saw Taylor standing at the door.

That tinge of self-consciousness overcame me because as always, the woman was dressed like a model out of a fashion magazine and compared to how I was dressed, it made me feel like a peasant.

“I can’t believe you’re still working.”

“I had nothing else to do and didn’t want to leave before you arrived in case Angie woke up.”

“That was very thoughtful of you.”

“She’s a wonderful little girl.”

“She is. Thank you for doing this. I really appreciate it.”

“It was no trouble.”

“Wow! I haven’t been in here for a while,” Taylor said as she took a look at the walls I had been working on.

I had finished applying the paint and was now painting unicorns and rainbows as Angie had requested. It would have been much easier to put stickers, but in time, they would have worn off, so I had decided to hand paint the walls myself. So far, the resulting effect was magnificent.

“I knew you were talented, but wow! This is amazing.”

“Angie helps too,” I said, a little bit embarrassed by the praise.

“Yeah, what did she paint?”

I reluctantly looked at Taylor and then moved some stuffed boxes that were leaning against the wall to reveal Angie’s painting.

“That’s you,” Taylor said, looking at the amateur crayon-like drawing with my name.

“And you,” I said, moving the boxes further to reveal the rest of the drawing.

Angie had drawn herself in the middle of the two of us, holding our hands.

Shrugging it off, I said in nonchalance, “I’ll paint over it once I’m done, I just thought she’d like to see it around while I’m still working on the room.”

Taylor walked over to the wall and ran her perfectly manicured fingers over the images. “I’d like for it to stay,” Taylor said, surprising me with the remark.

We stood there in long silence until I thought it was time to leave. “I should get going.”

“Have dinner with me,” Taylor said when I started preparing to leave.

“Sorry?” I said, not sure I’d heard correct.

“Stay a while longer and have dinner with me.”

That was one invitation I wasn't sure I could turn down. “Okay.”

I followed Taylor to the dining room. The household cook must have woken up when Taylor had come home because when we sat down, she brought over our meals and once we were satisfied, she left us alone.

I silently watched Taylor and wondered what she was thinking. In all my lifetimes, I had never imagined a time would come when we would seat across each other again. It had always been a distant thought; one that had always been too much to hope for, but then again, this wasn't the same woman I had known five years ago.

“Thank you, for today, for Angie.”

I heard Taylor say and nodded in acknowledgment.

“It's a little bit hard balancing my roles as a mother and a career woman.”