Chapter 3

Aurelia arrived home just in time to beat both of her parents to the house along with the rain that had just started when she’d walked in. Of course, Cadence was already there and dying to know where she’d been, but she ignored her sisters questions, grabbed an apron and started pulling ingredients out of the refrigerator for dinner.

            She was just starting to peel potatoes when her mother rushed in, shaking a borrowed umbrella out the door and leaving it on the back steps.

            “That’s what I get for thinking I’d beat the rain home,” said Elizabeth McKinnon, chiding herself. She turned to hang her jacket on a hook by the door and picking up her own apron from the hook next to it.

            She started trimming the fat off of the roast that they would be using for the stew, before cutting it into cubes and adding it to the pot of vegetables, herbs, spices and beef broth that Aurelia had already started.

            Cadence sat quietly at the counter doing homework, but eyed her sister as she made idle conversation about her mothers’ day.

            Finally, she got to a point where she couldn’t take it anymore.

            “So what did you do today Ari?” She asked sweetly as her sister frowned at her. They only called each other by nicknames when they were picking on one another; neither of them cared much for them. Their parents thought it was sweet that they had little nicknames for each other, and assumed it was sisterly.

            “Not much Cadie.” Aurelia paused to get the satisfaction of the grimace that crossed her sisters’ face.

            “I just took care of my chores and hung out at the beach. I picked up some great shells, I’ll show you after dinner.” Cadence knew that something was up, to have kept her sister gone so long, but was willing to put off the conversation for another time and went back to her homework.

            Once the stew had started cooking, Aurelia had some time to herself after her mother offered to clean up the few cutting boards and knives they’d used for the preparation. She went upstairs to her room, and after closing the door behind her, sat on the bed to think about the day she’d spent with Lisette.

            She felt like she could think more clearly now that she was alone and the thought that something was different about Lisette became prominent in her mind. Once again, she found that it didn’t bother her, it only made her curious. What was it that caused this irresistible pull that she felt toward the other girl?

            She found her thoughts drifting to Lisette’s clear blue eyes, like pools of water providing a gateway to her soul.  Her angular face was so beautiful that it could be on the cover of a magazine, but perhaps, even then, a camera couldn’t capture the essence of her true beauty in Aurelia’s eyes.

            Lisette’s red hair was probably her most outstanding feature, you could pick her out in a crowd without really trying. It was redder than most, but still seemed to be real, judging by the color of her eyebrows, and it complimented her skin well.

            There was something about Lisette’s skin that made Aurelia want to reach out and touch it. This was part of the reason why she secretly liked hugging the other girl and holding her hand so much. There was nothing remarkable about the feel of Lisette’s skin, yet Aurelia couldn’t help wanting to touch her. She was so unnaturally beautiful, Aurelia couldn’t help thinking. Then the thought of Lisette, wrapped in her arms, occupied her thoughts. Her skin felt so soft and warm against Aurelia’s and her pink lips looked so inviting-

            Aurelia snapped out of the daydream as if someone had slapped her. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest and her breathing was slightly erratic. Had she really just fantasized about kissing Lisette? She’d never in her life considered kissing another girl, but something stirred inside her, startling her because she’d never felt it before.

            Confused, but intrigued by this new revelation, Aurelia headed downstairs for dinner. She barely paid any attention to what she was eating or what anyone was saying, her mind was too occupied with thoughts of Lisette. She wondered if she could sneak out and see her again tonight. She suddenly felt the urge to sit down and have a talk with the other girl, just so that she could figure things out.

            It seemed like hours before her parents and Cadence went to sleep, but when she finally heard the rhythmic snoring of her father, she knew it was safe to leave. She tiptoed down the stairs, going out the back door from the kitchen, rather than attempting the front door, which didn’t close easily. Looking up at the night sky, she was glad that the rain had stopped.

            As she hurried off toward Lisette’s house, she wondered if maybe she should have called first. But she didn’t have Lisette’s phone number, if she even had a phone hooked up yet, so there wasn’t much choice but to just stop by. As she neared the house, she saw that the living room lights were lit and the flat screen on the wall was on.

            This made her feel better as she knocked quietly on the front door. Her hand had barely fallen to her side, when the door opened and Lisette stood there looking slightly defensive. When she realized who it was, she relaxed immediately.

            “Aurelia! What are you doing back so soon?” She asked with a welcoming smile. Standing back and motioning for Aurelia to come in.

            “I was bored at home and really wanted to see you.” Aurelia replied honestly.

            “Really?” Lisette asked in surprise and Aurelia nodded.

            “That’s funny, because I was just thinking about coming to see you.”

            “You were?” Aurelia asked, excitement sparkled in her eyes and she realized that her response may have been a bit too enthusiastic.

            “I was.” Lisette replied with another smile.

            “Why would you want to come see me?” Aurelia asked curiously.

            “I imagine for the same reason that you came to see me.” Lisette teased and Aurelia blushed a bit as she followed Lisette into the living room and sat on the couch.

            Finding great courage from somewhere, she opened her mouth to speak again, “Honestly, I’ve been thinking about you since I left earlier. Something about you is so different from other people, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. I can’t stop thinking about you.” Aurelia blushed again, an even deeper red this time. She had decided to just be honest, and maybe that would help her figure things out.

            “I hear that a lot.” Lisette said with a smile as she came to sit beside her friend. “I think what it is, is that I’m not afraid to be myself, I don’t care what other people think of me and I just go with the flow. It’s not that easy for some people and it intrigues them.”

            Aurelia stared for a moment, Lisette’s words made sense, but something told her that the answer wasn’t quite what she was looking for.

            “I think there’s more to it than that.” Aurelia replied, unable to come up with a more in-depth response, but feeling the need to let Lisette know that she was on to her.

            “What are your theories then?” Lisette asked, smiling again, knowing that Aurelia would never guess the real reason. Every time she smiled it seemed to take Aurelia’s breath away a little.

            She’s stunning as it is, she doesn’t need to throw the smile in there and make herself heartbreakingly beautiful. Aurelia thought, suddenly feeling self conscious.

            If I could just touch her cheek or hold her hand… her thoughts trailed off and she realized that she’d been starting at Lisette, who was patiently staring back with a wry smile.

            “See something interesting?” Lisette asked and Aurelia blushed. Her eyes remained on Lisette’s face, focusing on her lips as she spoke.

            “Yes.” Was all Aurelia could say, lost in her thoughts, yet again, as she fantasized about Lisette’s lips on hers.

            Suddenly, Aurelia stood up. “I have to go.” She declared and headed toward the door. Lisette was behind her in a flash.

            “Wait. What? You just got here! What’s wrong?” Lisette asked, grabbing for Aurelia’s hand to stop her leaving.

            Aurelia fought to keep from looking Lisette in the eye, knowing that if she did, she wouldn’t be able to tear her gaze away. Her wrist felt like it was on fire where Lisette gripped it, and she felt that familiar stirring again. She barely registered that Lisette’s hand was much colder than usual, before she managed to yank it out of Lisette’s grip.

            Lisette was faster than she was though. In the blink of an eye, Aurelia found Lisette between her and the door, again, not registering the speed at which her friend had moved.

            “If we’re going to be friends, we need to talk about this,” Lisette insisted.

            “I-I’m not s-s-sure we can be friends.” Aurelia stammered, still trying to be honest, but even she was shocked at her words. Lisette just stood there open-mouthed for a moment before finding her voice again.

            “Why not? We’ve had a great time so far, so what’s changed?” She demanded, crossing her arms over her chest and positioning herself in such a way to suggest that she was prepared to stand there for a while.

            “I just…I keep thinking….I just can’t Lisette.” Aurelia replied lamely. Her words sounded fake, even to her own ears. She was afraid, terribly afraid, of what she was feeling for the girl in front of her. It went against everything in her being and yet something told her that it was right, that it was okay. That was the part that scared her to death.

            Here was a stranger that she’d known for only two days, she had sneaked out of her house to see her, uninvited, in the middle of the night. What was I thinking? She mentally chastised herself. Then it dawned on her, how things might have looked to the other girl. Aurelia showing up uninvited in the middle of the night like some girl from the brothel…she shuddered at the thought.

            Lisette stood for a moment, watching Aurelia’s battle with herself. Feeling the tension, looming like an elephant in the room. She knew that the other girl was feeling the same thing she was, but Aurelia was fighting it with every ounce of her being, it was plain on her face as her internal struggle continued.  

            Lisette also knew from, personal experience, that the revelation Aurelia could possibly be having, would be life altering and she was going to need someone who would support her and help her get through it without feeling like she was doing something wrong. These were modern times, despite the fact that the town they were in, was very behind on those times.

            There were very few people that she’d ever met who stirred emotions in her from the very first meeting, but this girl completely took her breath away. The moment she’d laid eyes on her, Lisette wanted nothing more than to keep her there by her side and never let her go again. The feeling overwhelmed her, though she was better at hiding her feelings than Aurelia was.

            She wanted to open up her heart and say mushy, romantic things that she’d rarely said to anyone else in all of her two hundred some-odd years. She wanted to assure her friend that everything would be alright, that she’d take care of her always, if she’d just let Lisette give her forever.

            It was a powerful experience for the both of them and neither truly knew how to react. Lisette suddenly felt like there was a boulder where her heart used to be. Though it no longer beat, the emotion that Aurelia evoked in her, almost made her feel human again; so much that she could almost feel her heart pounding in her chest the way it would have when she’d been alive.

            She’d always known that she had to tread carefully when trying to find a mate, which was why she had only found one other in her time on the earth. Even that relationship hadn’t been as intensely right as her short friendship with Aurelia felt. It perplexed her to feel so tied to a human that she barely knew, but she also got the feeling that she should just go with it.

            So, Lisette was trying to go with it, while Aurelia was fighting a losing battle with herself. Part of her argued that being with another woman was wrong. Another part of her argued, “Why? Why should it matter that she’s a woman? Who cares? These aren’t the dark ages. People don’t get stoned for being with the same sex.” She also mulled over the fact that very few people in this town would ever accept two women together as a couple. But at the same time, not many of them would suspect it either, unless it was obvious.

            They both stood, lost in their own thoughts, but Lisette broke first. She stepped toward Aurelia, startling her from the battle with herself and causing her to look Lisette in the eye. She’d been right about not being able to look away, now that their gazes had met, Aurelia was stuck, hypnotized by those clear blue eyes that seemed to go on forever.

            Lisette slowly crept closer and closer to Aurelia until they were less than a foot away from each other. Aurelia wanted to say something, anything, but her voice eluded her as she lost herself in Lisette’s eyes.

            “Forgive me if I’m wrong.” Lisette breathed, and suddenly the space between them was no longer existent as she took the final step to close the distance between them, pressing her lips to Aurelia’s.

            Aurelia was so shocked for a moment that she didn’t even respond. She had just meant to blink, but her eyes stayed closed and she began to pay attention to the softness of Lisette’s lips. This time she noticed a slight chill to them amidst the warmth, but the thought was lost as fast as it had registered. She felt herself relaxing against her will and pressing her lips back against Lisette’s.

            Lisette pulled away first, leaving Aurelia breathless, but feeling less confused than she had before. This was right, no matter what argument her mind had presented, the kiss that she’d just shared with the girl in front of her had been the most perfect kiss she could have ever imagined and she wanted more.

            They stood staring at each other for a moment, each working to catch their breath just a little. Lisette watched Aurelia’s expression very carefully and a small smile spread across her face as Aurelia smiled shyly at her, she was almost irresistible as she looked up at Lisette through her lashes. This time it was Aurelia who gently pressed her lips to Lisette’s once, then again, short, sweet kisses, that made them both smile.

            Lisette found herself pressed against her front door as the passion built between them and Aurelia responded fervently. She was the one who had to push Aurelia away before things got out of hand. Aurelia never even noticed that Lisette had managed to move her about 3 feet away and step back in the blink of an eye. Lisette made a mental note to slow down around people.

            “You were right. God Lisette you were so right.” Aurelia nearly groaned the words and took a step towards Lisette. There was a new fire in her eyes and Lisette was glad to see it, but she still didn’t want to rush things.

            Lisette held her hand out to signal Aurelia to stop. “I was right about what?” she asked cautiously.         

            Aurelia lost her train of thought for a moment. “You said, ‘Forgive me if I’m wrong.’ right before you kissed me. You weren’t wrong. I don’t know if anything as ever been as right as that was.”

            Lisette took a deep breath and let it out before she spoke. “We need to take this slowly okay? I don’t want you to rush into this, you need to take time and think about what you’re getting into. I hardly believe that we’d be openly accepted in this town and I want you to be fully aware of that.

            “I didn’t come here to fall for anyone Aurelia, please know that this is just something that happened. I’m honestly, not even sure how to handle it myself so let’s just take it one day at a time and see where things go alright?” Aurelia nodded silently before turning to go back to the couch.

            She sank into the cushions and put her elbows on her knees, supporting her head with her hands as she stared into the fire that she hadn’t noticed when she’d walked in. She tried to pull up her previous thoughts about how wrong she was to have these feelings about Lisette, but found that she couldn’t.

            There was nothing now that told her that anything she was doing was wrong. She didn’t care what other people thought, not even her family. Then she realized how overwhelming this all was. She’d been convinced that she’d never find a man who could make her happy, and now she knew why.

            As Lisette came to sit across from her, she felt like she was seeing her in a whole new light. She felt like a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She really could be happy with someone. No, it wasn’t her knight in shining armor, but she felt that this could be so much better than that. Maybe “Happily Ever After” really could exist.

With the way she felt right now, it was a definite possibility.