Valerie
I've had a great night's sleep, since a long time, while sleeping on the couch. I wake up with Melissa in my arms and that immediately puts a big smile on my face. I enjoy this moment for a few minutes and then turn away from the couch as carefully as possible. So I don't wake her up. I quickly jump into the shower. After getting dressed I move to the kitchen. " Good morning". After five minutes, Melissa also entered the kitchen. " Good morning. Slept good? ". She nods. " You? ". " I slept wonderfully. Milk? ". She gives me a nod again. I go to the fridge and pour her a glass of milk. Which I then put on the dining table with her. " Here you go. Breakfast is almost ready. Then you can take a shower if you want. I've left clean clothes for you in the bathroom. We have to leave in half an hour." She gives me a small nod again. I walk back to the counter to finish preparing breakfast.
When I have breakfast ready I put it on two plates and take it to the dining table. I place one in front of Melissa and then sit across from her. " Thank you ". she says very softly. " Your welcome. If you want something, you can just grab it. I'll show you where everything is tonight." She just gives me a small nod again. " And then after school we also have to look for a bed and other things for your bedroom ". Now she looks at me. "I do have those things in storage". I give her a smile. "Okay then we will go there this afternoon". She shakes her head. " I have to work ". "You don't have to do that anymore". She sighs. "I want it. I don't want to depend on you". I nod understandingly. "Okay, we'll talk about that later then." She nods and then falls silent.
" Lis what is it? ". She looks at me for a moment. I see tears in her eyes. "I'm going to take a quick shower, then we can go.". She gets up and quickly walks away. I also get up and do this morning's dishes. By the time I've finished that and gathered my things, Melissa rejoined me. " Ready to go? ". She gives me a small nod. I walk over to her and give her a hug. " Take your time. I'm here for you if you want to talk". I whisper to her. She grips me a little tighter. " Thank you ". Comes out a little soft and broken to her. " Let's go ". I let go of her after a few minutes and then it really is time to go.
I'm fifteen minutes into my lunch break when Emma enters my classroom. " How are you? ". she asks as she takes a seat at the table across from me. "I don't know very well. Melissa has slept so many times on my couch, but this morning was different from those times. She hardly said anything to me today". Emma gives me a small smile. "No me neither. She is completely turned in on herself. Give her some time". I nod. "I know, but it's hard to see her like this. I want to go to her storage tonight to pick up her things. Are you coming? ". She nods. "If Mel wants to, that is. She's never taken me there. She always has an excuse". I look at her questioningly. " How do you mean? ". She shrugs. "I have the impression that she would rather not have me see it or something". I nod understandingly. " Okay. We'll see how it goes tonight. Where is Melissa right now? ". Emma stands up. "She wanted to go for a walk. I'll see if she's back yet, because class is about to start. What time shall I join you tonight? ". I think for a moment. "Do around eight if that suits you. Melissa is at work until about six o'clock. Then we'll have some time to eat something." Emma puts her thumb in the air. " Fine. See you tonight ".
I didn't see Melissa walk into school for the rest of the day. I'm sitting in my classroom waiting for her to come clean here. "You should have gone. You don't have to wait for me". Ten minutes later she's in my classroom. " Lis that is at least a forty-five minutes walk or you have to spend unnecessary money on the bus. I don't mind waiting for you". She shrugs and goes to work. "Were you at school this afternoon? ". She looks at me a bit shocked when I ask after five minutes. " So no ". I say when it stays quiet. " Where were you? ". She shrugs. "I had to think". I nod understandingly. "Would you please let me know next time? Then I don't have to be so worried". I see the tears in her eyes. "Sorry that wasn't my intention". I walk over to her and give her a hug. " I know that ". I tell her softly and let her go. "Would you like pasta tonight? ". I change the subject and luckily I now see a small smile appear at Melissa. " Yes please. I just need to tidy up the stuff and then we can go". I nod and Melissa walks out of the room.
I grab my stuff and walk to the exit. "What are you doing here so late? ". On the way to the exit I meet my mother. "I'm waiting for Melissa". She gets a smile on her face. " Already the caring woman ". I give my mother a little shoulder nudge. "Mom...". She starts laughing louder. " What? Am I wrong? ". I sigh. "It's hard for me to let her walk. And after dinner we still have to get things for her bedroom." She puts an arm over my shoulders. "So she's already moved in with you? ". I nod. "Last night she agreed to stay with Rose and me for a while and then slept on the couch". She lets go of me to walk to her office, to lock it and then comes back. "Does she know Chloe and I are coming tomorrow evening? ". My eyes widen. " So no ". I shake my head. "Can't you skip a week? ". My mother has a big smile on her face. " I do not think so ". I sigh. "As long as you don't make a fool of me". She doesn't have time to respond, because Melissa is walking by . " See you tomorrow". My mother kisses my cheek and continues walking. I turn and join Melissa.
When we got home, Melissa went into the living room to do her homework and I went to the kitchen. I've just finished dinner and walk to the living room with two plates. Where I sit next to Melissa on the couch. " Enjoy your meal. I hope it taste". She gives me a small smile and takes a plate from me. " Thank you. Enjoy your meal ". It's another five minutes of silence. I'll just break it. " Do you have a lot in your storage that we need to pick up? ". She shrugs. "I have a bed and some cupboards anyway. My clothes and some other small stuff". I nod. "Then I will hang the trailer behind the car. Emma is also coming here to help". She looks at me a little hard. " Do you think that is annoying? ". She shrugs and falls silent again. "Do you want me to call her and tell her we don't need her help? ". She shrugs her shoulders again and sees the tears in her eyes. " Lis what is it? ". I ask calmly. She sighs. "I would prefer that no one goes with me, but I can't do it alone". I put my plate on the table. Turn to her and take her hand. "Why don't you want us there? ". I see her fighting back her tears, but she can't stop a few from escaping. I gently wipe them off with my thumb. " The storage is not in the safest area. I don't want you to worry about me any more when you see how I live. Or that you suddenly start looking at me differently, because then you get an even better picture of it". I take her plate from her hands and put it on the table. Then I wrap her in a tight hug. "We are really not going to look at you differently. You are who you are and the way you live really doesn't change that. And that time is over now. Okay? ". I feel her nod. " Thank you for everything. I really don't know how to thank you well enough for this". I can hear how broken she is. I kiss her on the top of her head. "You don't have to thank me for anything. I care about you and that you are here now is enough for me." She grips me a little tighter. We are both shocked when the bell rings. That's the sign that we should go to the storage and make sure Melissa gets her own bedroom here.
Melissa wasn't lying when she said the storage wasn't in the safest area. I am therefore extra happy that I can get her out of here. Her storage is a garage box and I must say she keeps it very tidy. If you didn't know better you wouldn't say it was lived in here. Not even dust to be seen. Her bed was neatly made. Some boxes were piled up along the wall. She had a large wardrobe and two bedside tables. It was just like walking into a bedroom in a house. I am very happy that this will now be in my house and that I can get her off the street. "I do that myself". I'm about to grab the last big box, but Melissa comes running. "I can do it though". She shakes her head. " What's in it? ". She looks at me a little hard. " Maybe another time ". I nod. " Okay. Shall we go home? Then we can put it all in your bedroom. After that we can relax." She looks a bit difficult. " What? ". She shrugs. "It sounds weird. Home and my bedroom". I put an arm over her shoulders and kiss her temple. " Get used to it ". I say with a smile and see a small smile on her face.
We just put the last things in the bedroom. Melissa sits down on the bed and looks around. " Satisfied? ". She gives me a small nod. "I just can't quite believe it yet". I nod understandingly. Emma sits down next to her. " That'll come. Tomorrow I'll take you into town and then we'll get some stuff. So that it really becomes your place". Melissa gives Emma a hug. " Thank you for everything ". Emma then looks at me. "Will you join us tomorrow, Val? ". I shake my head. "I want to unpack the last boxes tomorrow and my instruments will be brought here". Emma stands up. " Okay. I'm off now. Shall I pick you up tomorrow around noon? ". Melissa nods. Emma gives Melissa and me a hug and then goes home. " Lis, do you know where your swimsuit is? ". Melissa looks at me questioningly and nods. "Good, then you can go change. I'm going to do that now too and then go outside to prepare the Jacuzzi for use ". Melissa's eyes widen. " Do you have a Jacuzzi? ". I nod. " In the backyard. So go get changed and I'll see you outside in a bit. We do deserve some relaxation". I say as I walk out of her bedroom. I could just see the big smile on her face.
I'm taking the lid off the Jacuzzi when Melissa comes out in her bikini. " Looks good ". she says as she bites her lip and looks at me. I also take a good look at her. It's the first time I see her in a bikini. Normally when swimming she always wears a bathing suit. She is really beautiful, but also very thin. I'm going to change that soon. " Yes does the Jacuzzi look good? ". She nods. "Yes that one too". she says with a wink. I shake my head with a smile. "You don't look bad yourself." I see her blush a little. She walks over to me and hands me a glass of wine. " Thank you. Just what I need. I would say take a seat". Melissa puts her glass of milk on the edge and steps into the Jacuzzi. I follow her lead and sit across from her. Not a word is said for the first few minutes.
We enjoy this moment for a while. I think we're both recovering from the day. "What is the story between you and Sander? ". I take a look at Melissa. " How do you mean? ". She shrugs. "You've never actually said much about it. I didn't see it coming that you were going to get a divorce". I give her a small smile. I grab my glass of wine and take a sip. I put it back and sigh. "Sander and I have never been lovers". Melissa gives me a hard look. " But... ". I shake my head and raise my hand for her to be quiet. "I'll tell you everything, but you have to promise me you won't talk about it. Only my family, Sofia and his parents know what's going on." Melissa gives me a small nod. "On my eighteenth birthday I was introduced to Sander. A month later we were married". Melissa looks at me with wide eyes. I see she wants to say something. I move towards her and put my index finger to her lips. "Let me tell you everything first, then you can comment or ask questions. Okay? ". She nods with her reddened cheeks. Which makes me smile. It is also very difficult not to kiss her. I quickly go back to where I was to put some distance between us. " My father had a deal with his parents. It has made my father's company a lot of money. I couldn't help it. I've known since I was sixteen that I like women. I never said that at home and was completely impossible from then on. I never had a good relationship with my father, but I didn't dare go against him. When he passed away I was finally able to muster the courage to choose myself." Melissa is listening intently and looks at me with a sweet smile. "I had not seen this coming. So you had a arranged married? ". I nod. "You could call it that." She looks at me a bit unsure. "Did Sander know that you like women? ". I shake my head. "That was the hardest of all. I suggested to Sander from the start that we could have someone next to us for sex, because we didn't have those feelings for each other. At least not from my side. He's never said that much about it. He didn't want that. Because he was afraid that someone would find out that we were sleeping with someone outside our marriage. So I had to give him that. The only thing that has been good about that is Rose ". I say with a small smile. "I can't imagine what that's like. I've never done it with a boy. Do you have experience with women? ". she asks a little shyly. I nod. " Even before I was married, but I also had someone next to me during the first four years of my marriage ". Melissa's eyes widen. "But you just said you suggested it but he didn't want it". I start laughing. "He might be against it, but I also had my needs. No one ever found out either". She nods in understanding. "If I'm asking too much, tell me. But was it the same for those four years. That you had a relationship next to it or were there different ones ? ". I shake my head. "You can ask me anything and yes and no. It was just one person, but we didn't have a love affair. She was my best friend and we both had no problem sharing the bed without feelings". She gives me a sweet smile. " Why did it stop after four years? ". I take another sip of my wine and love that I can finally talk about it so openly. "She had met a woman from Egypt on holiday in Spain. Less than six months later, she emigrated to Egypt. And you? In addition to that period at school, did you have many bed partners? ". She shakes her head.
Then it stays quiet for a while. "Don't you want to talk about it? ". She sighs. "Yes, but it brings back memories". I nod understandingly. " Take your time. If you are not ready, then it will come another time". I sit a little closer to her. I put her legs over mine and start massaging her feet. " Mmm. This is nice". I bite my lip. "You shouldn't make such noises, because then I'll stop". I see Melissa's cheeks turning red. "Sorry I will do my best". She closes her eyes and sits down a little more relaxed. "I was fifteen when, very secretly of course, I had a girlfriend". After five minutes she starts to talk. "I told you once that my parents caught me. She was my first and only girlfriend." She rests her head on my shoulder. "I'll tell you the whole story right away." she says very softly. I take her hand. "Only if you want it and you are ready". She gives me a nod. I wrap my arm around her and rest my head against hers. I lift her legs onto my lap. She starts to play with my hand, which is on her leg. "My parents, or rather my father, immediately sent her home when he saw us. I was sent to my bedroom. From then on my parents hardly spoke a word to me and Fenna was completely kept away from me. That girl wanted nothing more to do with me, because she was afraid that her parents and friends would also know about her. It hurt, but I never blamed her. I think it was about three months later. I came home from a week of school camp. I came in and everything was gone. There was nothing left at all. On the counter was a note that they had left. My stuff was in my bedroom and I had to make sure I was gone in a week. I never heard from them again. I went to my bedroom". Now she starts to cry loudly. I hold her tight. Sobbing, she continues with her story. "In my bedroom I saw a violin lying on the floor. All in pieces. That violin meant everything to me. It was Fenna's violin. I always played piano and Fenna violin. She wanted to teach me too, but I really didn't like it. When we were twelve, Fenna had an accident that left her blind. Fenna was someone who walked around with a beautiful smile on her face all day long, but that smile disappeared from then on. There was no life left in her at all. All she did was lay on the bed. I then taught myself to play the violin. You should have seen her smile when I first played for her. It was the only thing that brought a smile to her face. Every night I played for her and started to enjoy it myself more and more. That was probably also because of what I achieved with it. It was really the highlight of my day, to see Fenna's smile again for a moment. I haven't played since the day they left. I no longer have a goal to play for and it would also give me too many memories. Fenna and I were really two peas in a pod and since the day they left it feels like a piece has died in me." Then she breaks completely. I let her throw everything out in my arms. I whisper sweet things to her and try to be there for her as best I can. I'm also trying to process a bit of what I just heard. I can't imagine what it must be like to go through that.
After a while she comes away from me. "Oh yeah I was telling my story about bed partners". She says with a fake smile. "We can talk about what you want". She gives me a nod. "So I ended up on the street. Luckily I had saved some money. With that I rented the garage box ". She says it now almost without emotion. I don't think she really wants to go into it now. "That was the story of how I got on the street. As for bed partners. You know what happened at school. That was when I really needed a distraction. I also did something outside of school once. Shall we talk about it another time. I think it's time to go to bed." I hold her tight and kiss her on the head. " You right. And if you want to talk you know where to find me". I feel her nod.
Melissa gets out of the Jacuzzi and holds out her hand to help me. I take her hand and as soon as I'm on the floor she puts my hand on her neck. Then she puts her hands on my stomach and comes close to me. Automatically my other hand also goes to her neck. "Melissa what are you doing? ". I whisper. She rests her forehead against mine and closes her eyes. "Sorry. I don't know how I'm going to last another three months. I'm falling harder and harder for you". She says with a sigh. It puts a smile on my face. With my hand I go to her face and with my thumb I gently caress her cheek. "Lis, look at me". I say softly. She opens her eyes. We stare at each other for a while. "We can do this. There will be difficult moments like now, because you are really not the only one who has to hold back now. It's only three months. We're going to keep that up. We do it together. Okay? ". She gets a sweet smile on her face and nods. "And now you have to make sure you go to your bedroom very quickly". I give her a kiss on the forehead and turn around and walk inside. "Sleep well Val". Melissa is already behind me and whispers it in my ear and kisses me on my temple. "Lis stop. Now go to your bedroom". She starts laughing and walks away from me. "Okay Miss van Buren, this time. I think I've already found your weak spot." She gives me a wink. I feel myself blushing more and more. She has indeed found that weak spot. If there's one thing I have a soft spot for, it's when she whispers in my ear like that. "Sleep well Lis". Then she really went upstairs. I'll stay down a little longer before I go up too. If I see her again now I don't know if I can hold back.