After a week together, Katherine was used to living with Elizabeth. It was now a routine to come home from school or work and find her sitting on the couch, looking out of the window. Thank god, after a few days, Katherine had barely managed to explain that Elizabeth didn't need to wait for her at the door every time she come back. When she come home, she would greet Elizabeth, and as soon as she had changed, they would sit down to eat the food Elizabeth had prepared.
A couple of times Katherine had asked Elizabeth to go out and take some fresh air together, but she hadn't been interested. Perhaps she was still afraid of meeting the people who had taken her up that hill that day. She was always cleaning the house and cooking, and when she had finished all the work and found nothing else to do, she just sat on the couch. She was obviously thinking about something. But no matter how much Katherine tried to start a conversation, it never went beyond general topics. So, Katherine avoided pushing her by asking her questions before she is ready to tell her. But it bothered her that she was unable to help Elizabeth.
Katherine woke up to the sound of footsteps from the corridor. What time is it? Small footsteps approached her and stopped at a distance. When Elizabeth was sure she hadn't woken Katherine, she walked into the kitchen with the same small steps. Katherine could hardly keep herself from laughing. If she let on that she was awake, Elizabeth's little victory would be spoilt. She's making breakfast again...
Katherine was debating whether or not to let on that she was awake when she was startled out of her inflatable bed by the sound of breaking glass. She saw Elizabeth crouching on the floor, covered by the shards. She ran to her side, "Elizabeth! Are you all right? Are you hurt?"
Elizabeth was frantically trying to pick up the broken pieces, "I- I- I'm so sorry! I'll pick it up right away! I- It's my fault, I’ll take care-!"
Katherine grabbed Elizabeth's wrists, "Nope, nope, nope! No. You're going to hurt yourself. Don't move, okay?"
Elizabeth nodded. Then Katherine wrapped her arms around Elizabeth's waist, pulling her close. Slowly and carefully, she lifted her. Without changing her serious expression, she took her to the bathroom. She gently took her off and told her to wash her cut and bleeding finger. Katherine got out of bathroom as Elizabeth tried to understand how she could be carried so easily by Katherine. As she blushed, Katherine returned with a small bag in her hand. "Can you show me your finger?"
With great care, Katherine put a band-aid on the tiny cut on Elizabeth's finger. Elizabeth watched her without saying a word. When she was finally finished, Elizabeth looked at the band-aid with teddy bears on it, the kind you would give to children. When Elizabeth chuckled, Katherine placed both hands on her waist. "What? I like this band-aids better…"
“No it’s…” She was still laughing, “I’m sorry it’s just… Hard to imagine you with teddy bear band-aids…” And now they were both laughing.
Elizabeth exhaled deeply as the air softened, “I'm so sorry to wake you and break your glass. I will clean it immediately…”
“No, it’s fine. It’s just a glass. But I already told you, you don’t have to prepare breakfast or dinner. Or clean the house. You don’t have to do any of that.”
“What should I do then? Would you want me to do laundry?”
“No, that’s not my point. Just do what you want to do. Do things that you like.”
“But… I like doing housework…?”
“Please excuse me for being forward, you might enjoy doing housework but… I don't think you do these things because you like doing them, but because you think you have to.”
Elizabeth looked at her in confusion. Was it true? Maybe ‘like’ was not the correct word. But housework was her whole life. Since childhood, she had been brought up to be good at it. This was her main duty. That's what her mother said. Doing housework and even doing it well was her ultimate goal. Or so it should have been...
When Elizabeth was again lost in her own thoughts, Katharine smiled, “I will go look after the roses of Mrs. Hudson, why don’t you come with me to the garden? I’m sure you will like it. And don’t worry, I’m sure no one will be around.”
“Okay.” She exhaled, “I would love that. But… the glass-”
“I will take care of it when we come back, then we can prepare breakfast together.”
Was she around ten years old? When she dropped the tray in her hand at a tea party organised by her mother… She still remembered the way her mother looked at her among all the other women. She remembered very well how those dark eyes drew all the blood from her body. She was locked in the warehouse for a day and a half. Who was it that found her in the warehouse? The gardener? Of course... When he came to get the ladder, he found her lying on the floor. Right next to her own… When she was taken out earlier than her mother's deadline, her punishment was much more severe than being locked up. It took weeks for the bruises on her body to disappear. The bitter taste left in her mouth by this memory was still as fresh as the first day.
She watched the sun rising over the horizon and changing the colour palette from black and blue to yellow and orange. Then her gaze wondered around the quite street for a while as she walked with Katherine towards Mrs. Hudson's house. She did not forget to wipe away a tear that fell from her eye to her cheek.
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