Page 58 of Scorched Hearts
They plunged into discussions of travel and preferred destinations and everyone’s favorite airlines. Advice for travelling with little children was being tossed around, even though no one actually had had a child yet. The atmosphere was mellow, and wanting to end the evening on a lovely note, Elle got up with a suggestion.
“Should we do a little dance party and annoy our already very annoyed neighbors?”
Everyone approved of the idea, pushing the table aside and making space to dance. Elle chose her favorite jazzy songs and some vintage hits like Presley. Everyone got to slow dance in a couple or twirl around the dance floor, free and careless, as if they didn’t have to work tomorrow, as if they wouldn’t need to leave the garden at some point, the heavenly garden without any forbidden fruits. Maya swayed from side to side, feeling a little too tired to dance, and Elle quickly joined her to keep her company, swaying together with her.
The scents of the garden came blooming stronger with each new day, flowers and trees spreading their fragrances all around the house. Living so close to a small fragment of nature filled both Maya and Elle with an inexplicable sense of joy. Having grown up in a big city in apartments with no gardens or even balcony, their only experiences of it consisted of parks. But this little garden of their own, beautiful and peaceful, shaded with trees and full of bushes, was a place so different from the crowded parks that they considered it much more valuable than their house. They couldn’t wait to bring up a child in such an endearing place.
The hour was getting late, and even though everyone was filled with a dance-induced charm and didn’t want to leave the hosts in peace, they forced upon themselves to the realization that sooner or later, the wonderful time would have to end. One by one, car by car, they began to leave, promising to visit as soon as an opportunity would show itself.
“Take care of each other.” Fleur hugged them both, tender and kind as always.
Her steps sounded gracefully on the stone pavement before the gate shut behind her. The last guests left were Hallie and Kaia, who came up to say goodbye while holding hands.
“I still will need time to get used to the idea of you permanently going away from our team, I wasn’t expecting that at all, but here we are… I always thought you’d return after your injury was healed.” Hallie looked at Elle for a long time, then shifted her gaze towards Maya. “But I know what a miracle it is to be deeply in love, so deeply that one learns to make sacrifices and changes that seem drastic to the outside world. I hope you’ll stay as happy as you seem to be right now.” she smiled, squeezing Kaia’s hand.
“
I wish you the same,” Kaia added. “And whether or not Elle comes back won’t change anything about our friendship. If anything, you’ll just have to organize more dinner parties. Or we will!” She looked at Hallie, and they both laughed, because neither of them felt particularly passionate about cooking.
“Yes, we’ll hire Elle as the cook, though,” Hallie added. “It would be better for everyone involved.”
“Sorry, guys. I’m only one household’s private chef.” Elle shook her head, “I’m afraid I’m taken.” She pulled Maya closer and kissed her forehead.
“Take care, girls.” Hallie and Kaia came up to embrace them and then turned to follow everyone else through the gate, giggling and joking to each other.
Elle and Maya stood following the guests out with their eyes, taking in the beautiful sight of satiated, laughing friends leaving their garden with promises of return on their smiling lips. They looked up to see the stars, although still dimmed, much more visible than in the heart of the city.
“Remember when we were looking at the sky at your old house, and the stars just weren’t there?” Maya stroked Elle’s back up and down, the gentle massage she knew Elle loved.
“That was one of the luckiest nights of my life,” Elle said, smiling. “I understood then that you really meant to stay, and we’d truly be together again for good.”
“Did you not believe me before?” Maya laughed. “That’s rude.”
“I believed you. I didn’t know whether to believe myself… Whether I wouldn’t mess it up down the line or get scared. But that night I understood I wouldn’t allow anything of the sort to happen, and you were there, loving and kind and everything I had ever wanted my love to be.”
“Don’t be so sweet.” Maya climbed up her toes to kiss Elle’s cheek, something that required significant effort at this stage of pregnancy. “We need to clean up the mess now.”
Elle sighed, “we do, don’t we?” She looked at Maya. “You know what? I’ll clean it up. You go and take a bath and relax. I’ll be done in no time.”
“More like you’ll be done at 5 a.m.” Maya looked at her watch poignantly.
“Then I’ll finish the rest tomorrow morning.”
She kissed Maya’s lips, wishing to linger on them more, but promising herself to commit to the cleaning and finish it swiftly.
“Well, I won’t protest,” Maya said, turning to go back into the house.
The dishes were stacked on the crowded table, the candles were half-burned through stood cluttering the surface, and the tablecloth was stained with sauces. Elle sighed. Everyone loved to come and eat, but not many stayed to help them clean. She smiled to herself wearily. If they kept having these gatherings this often, the guests will have to start participating in the cleaning rituals, as well. She felt strangely at peace collecting the dishes and carrying them to the kitchen, gradually seeing the table cleaned off and the dishwasher working.
Until she heard Maya shouting.
“Elle! ELLE!” Her voice thundered downstairs.
“What happened?” Elle ran up, terrified by the anxiety in Maya’s voice. “What--”
“My water broke,” Maya said, standing in the bathroom and looking shocked.
“Fuck.” Elle felt her chest tighten with stress, pulsing in her temples. “We should go to the hospital, right?”