Love Between Bars

Chapter Five

"I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"How beautiful sobriety looks on you."  Nicky began to laugh but soon stopped when she realized Lorna was being serious.

"I mean you looked beautiful before. But now you look fresh, happy." Nicky smiled, no one had ever treated her like this before. She knew that they were sort of dating but she wanted to make sure things were official. She didn't want anyone else to be able to claim her.

"Can I ask you something Lorna?"

"Sure," she nodded.

"I don't really know where we stand and I want to know who we are to each other."

"Your confusing me. What do you mean?"

"I mean, will you be my girlfriend." Lorna jumped up from her seat and kissed Nicky passionately on the lips, ignoring the looks they were getting from other diners.

"Is that a yes?" Nicky asked, briefly pulling away from the kiss.

"Yes," murmured Lorna, before going back to kissing her.

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"Lorna, it's your birthday. Will you at least pretend that your having fun?" Piper teased. The two were at a restaurant with two other friends Polly and Jessica. As Piper was unable to take Lorna to visit Nicky, she took a bus. However when Nicky never came, Lorna left, feeling used. She had yet to tell anyone.

Five hours earlier, Lorna went through the usual safety checks before she went to visit Nicky. She entered the visitation room and took the table in the corner, the table they always used. At least in the corner they were able to forget the other Inmates that were also there. They could imagine that they were elsewhere. They liked to pretend that they were in their favorite restaurant. The place where Nicky first asked Lorna to be her girlfriend.

A steady flow of Inmates began to enter the visitation room. On one of their first visits Lorna questioned Nicky as to why they came in one at a time and when Nicky told her about the 'squat and cough' Lorna wished she hadn't. She couldn't help but think of every Inmate that came into the room had just had their pants round their ankles, squatting, while coughing with someone looking up their 'private parts', as Lorna liked to call them. Lorna would laugh at Nicky every time she came in, Nicky always had a look of disgust on her face. Lorna sat through the whole visitation waiting for Nicky, thinking that she would frantically come through the door apologizing with a reasonable explanation as to why she was late. But she never came. She never called either. Lorna felt humiliated, having to sit there alone, with no one showing up.

"She never came did she?" asked Piper sensitively to Lorna. Lorna looked up at her friends worried expression, remembering where she was. Also knowing that this was her's and Nicky's place. They went there the night before Nicky went to prison and when they first got together.

"No."

"I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation," Polly reasoned. But they didn't know Nicky like Lorna did. Lorna knew Nicky would never miss visitation, especially on her birthday. It made her wonder what had happened. Had Nicky found someone else? Had she gotten herself into even more trouble?  

"But she's never missed it before. She didn't even call to apologize later."

"You know what Lorna," began Jessica.

"Nicky's not here right now. She could be but she made some stupid mistakes and now shes paying for them. But do you know who is here? We are and so are you. So please just forget about her for one night and have fun with your friends, who are here, on your birthday." Lorna thought about what Jessica had said. Maybe just for one night she could forget. As she thought that she saw her ex boyfriend walk through the doors. He looked over and smiled at her. The smile that would always melt her heart. The smile that was so similar to Nicky's, but not as bright.

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For Lorna, today was the day that things could change. Finally Nicky was getting out of rehab after two months of hard work. She decided that before she went to meet Nicky, she would pick something up for her.

First she went to a flower shop but decided that flowers were not Nicky's thing and wouldn't last too long so instead she brought her a huge helium balloon. It was tacky she knew, but it would last longer than flowers and she knew that every time Nicky looked at it and saw 'congratulations' printed on the front, she would be reminded of how well she had done.

Lorna waited for Nicky by the front of the rehab center, clutching the balloon tightly in her hand. When she saw Nicky, they hugged. Lorna, nestled her head on Nicky's shoulder. An action that she had missed doing.

"I'm so proud of you Nicky. You've done so well." Lorna watched as Nicky smiled. Nicky's smile was similar to her ex's. It was bright and would show teeth, however Nicky's smile felt more genuine.

"I wouldn't of been able to do it without you," replied Nicky.

"Can I take you out for a meal?" asked Nicky. Nicky was always such a gentleman.

"I would love you to."

Nicky took Lorna to a seafood restaurant. As they sat eating, Lorna could't take her eyes from Nicky. For the first time since Nicky had left rehab Lorna allowed herself to look at Nicky properly. She looked very different to the person she did when she went in.

"Something the matter?" Lorna realized that she had been looking at Nicky a little too long, making Nicky feel uncomfortable.

"I was just thinking," she replied, finally.

"About what?"

"How beautiful sobriety looks on you," as she said it she thought it probably sounded a little weird especially when Nicky started laughing but Lorna kept her face straight, wanting Nicky to know what she was serious. Lorna decided to continue talking when Nicky said nothing.

"I mean you looked beautiful before. But now you look fresh, happy." Nicky smiled again, making Lorna feel everything she always did .

"Can I ask you something?" Lorna panicked, had she overstepped her mark?

"Sure."

"I don't really know where we stand and I want to know who we are to each other."

"Your confusing me. What do you mean?" Lorna thought she had an idea as to what Nicky was trying to say, but she wanted to hear her say it.

"I mean, will you be my girlfriend?" Lorna was so glad that Nicky had said what she thought she was saying. Lorna had never been with a girl before but she knew that she loved the girl in front of her. Lorna jumped up from her seat and kissed Nicky on the lips.

"Is that a yes?" Nicky asked as she pulled away from the kiss for a moment.

"Yes."

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