Steph gave Keira a tight hug as Lucy pulled up in front of their house.
"I cant thank you enough, Steph," Keira said, smiling.
"I'm always here for you, Kei," Steph smiled back, tucking a strand of Keira's hair behind her ear and kissing her on the top of her head.
With Milly tight in her arms and her bag around her wrist, Keira got into the passenger seat of Lucy's car.
Lucy smiled at her. It was a smile that Keira felt like she hadn't seen for ages. It was a genuine, happy smile. "I love you, Kei." She leaned forward, looking for a kiss but Keira didn't feel comfortable yet. Keira turned around and fastened Milly into a car seat and kissed the baby's cheek before turning around again and buckling her seatbelt.
The drive home was mostly silent. When they got to the house, Keira looked around quietly at the mess Lucy had made.
Lucy scatched the back of her head shyly. "Sorry bout all this."
There were empty bottles of vodka and wine, clothes and broken glass all over the floor. Keira held Milly tight. "Lucy...what happened?"
"Nothing." She bent over and picked up a broken bottle, throwing it into the bin.
Keira walked through the house cautiously as if it were set with land mines, as if it wasn't her own house. She sat down at the dining table and played quietly with Milly as she watched Lucy wander around the house, picking up out of the corner of her eye. She tried to ignore how stiff she and Lucy were with each other.
Crash! Something broke in the kitchen. Jesus Christ, Lucy, Keira mutered to herself. She rested Milly on her hip and hurried into the kitchen. A big plate was broken in the dishwasher, pieces of it scattered across the tiled floor. Keira sighed. "Lucy. Why don't we...stop this? Just for a second."
Lucy didn't answer, and was scrambling around to pick up the broken pieces of the plate. "This was our f@cking engagement present, Keira. A f@cking plate. Jesus Christ."
"Lucy," Keira said firmly, pulling Lucy's shoulder.
Lucy sighed angrily and stood up, looking at Keira with her hands on her hips.
"Luce, whats wrong?" Keira asked softly.
Lucy looked at her, obviously pissed off. "Whats wrong? Whats wrong? Keira, where have you been this last week?" She laughed, nervously, psychotically, exhaustedly. "Jesus, Keira. I'm a mess! That's what you want to hear, isn't it?"
"Lucy, come sit down," Keira told her gently.
"No! No I cant just...bloody sit down! I...I have to fix this!"
"Fix what?! The plate??"
"I need to fix everything!" Lucy cried, exasperated.
"Guess what, Lucia? You cant! You cant just fix every goddam thing! Surprise?" Keira stood there, looking across at Lucy, the kitchen dead silent except the sound of their breathing. "Now come here." Keira waited, one arm stretched out, for Lucy to take her hand.
Lucy looked back at her for a moment before taking Keira's hand and letting herself be enveloped in Keira's embrace. "I cant do this anymore," she admitted, crying into Keira's shoulder.
Keira held her tighter, stroking her fiance's head. "You don't have to. At least not alone. Lucia Bronze, I'm not leaving you again." She took Lucy's face in her hands, and tried to wipe away her tears.
Lucy couldn't hardly look into Keira's face. She just loved her so much and it made her miserable how she knew she didn't deserve Keira Walsh.
[sorry for the short chapter, I'm working on the next one <3]