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"Tyr?" I call again, slightly quieter than before. I feel more exposed now that I’m not in the enclosed room.
"In here! Sorry, I didn't hear you," I hear him shout from somewhere beyond the hallway.
Finding slight comfort that I’m not alone in the house, I take my time to stop and slowly look around more before going to him.
On the right, at the end of the hallway sits the living room that I was welcomed into yesterday evening. In the daylight, I can see that there are a couple of leather chairs, a small loveseat, and a television. To the left of where I stand is the dining room, and in it stands Tyr.
"There you are. I didn't want to wake you. You were sleeping so peacefully. I don't know about you, but I don't sleep very well anymore." He looks over to me while I’m still lurking in the mouth of the hall. He’s set two places on the small dining table and is holding two plates full of food. Using his head, he motions for me to come closer. "Come here, come eat."
Obediently, I make my way over and sit in a grey chair that matches the plain-looking table as he sets his plate down across from my place setting. I scoot into the chair, making it scrape against the hardwood floor beneath me. I tremble as my eyes jerk to watch his reaction.
"Ugh, sorry," I mumble quickly.
"You're fine.” He comes towards me and places my meal in front of me. He bends down and uses his hand to gently cradle my head like a child. I don’t mind it. He feels safe. “I know you’re still getting back to normal, but I'm not him. Remember? I'm not going to yell or beat you for every little thing, like scraping a chair. Not the way he would.”
"It's just hard. It's hard trying to be normal now.” He squats in front of me, bringing his head level with mine. “It’s only been a couple of weeks, but I don't know how to act or who to be around. I'm constantly looking over my shoulder, waiting for him to give me that disgusting smile. To use his slimy hands to…touch me," I sob.
Tyr doesn’t say anything; he just holds me while I cry into his shoulder. He stays there until I get my emotions back into check, then gently kisses me before sitting in his own seat.
"Let's eat, then we need to do something 'normal.' I don't know what, but something."
I sigh softly. Nothing is normal. Nothing will ever be normal again. Who am I to think that things can go back to the way they were? I’ve changed.
We sit and eat the breakfast he made, talking about Caleb and Kiyanna. Neither of them have reached out to us since we came home. We both assume that everyone just needs some space.
Once we finish eating, we clean off our plates, put them in the dishwasher, and stop to face each other.
"Um, now what?" I ask, looking to Tyr's blue eyes.
"Well, the first step of doing normal things is existing around normal people. So, do you want to have dinner together tonight? Maybe I could come around and officially meet your parents or something? Talk to them about you moving in. That is, if you’ve decided." He winks and then plucks an unruly strand of hair from my face and tucks it behind my ear. "We need to go socialize with people other than ourselves…or that friend of yours.”
"Hey, there is nothing wrong with Aims!" I push his chest jokingly.
"Other than the fact that she would let you turn into a hermit and crawl into a hole more than you already are?" He smirks at me before embracing me tightly.
"Asshole."
Pulling up to the front of my house feels different than usual. Bringing Tyr to meet my parents is a bigger deal than I imagined it would be.
Just months ago, Aimee and I were carefree, going to the beach in my car and lazing around on the sand all day. Now I'm taking this man, who practically saved me from myself, to meet my parents.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?” I ask him as I emerge from the vehicle. “It could get a little insane. I haven't told them much, other than that we were together the entire time, and you stayed by my side. I didn't tell them what we are. Wait.” I stop midstep, glancing up at Tyr from the curb his car is parked next to. “What are we?"
He meets my eyes, and I swear they twinkle a little bit. "What do you want to be, Nova? Do we need a title?"
"Okay, good point. I guess if they ask I can just say those exact words." I shrug my shoulders.
He laughs heavily and grabs my hand. "Come on, hun, this will be fine."
Monday Night Football was never a huge event in our house growing up. I knew my father watched football, yet we never had friends or family over to make it a big deal. This year is slightly different, however. I don’t know if it’s because I invited Tyr over and my parents want some sort of icebreaker, or if it’s time for another change in my life.
I slowly open the door, holding Tyr’s hand in a firm grip. My parents, who are in the process of standing from their chairs, glance at each other warily.
"Hey, guys! This is Tyr. Tyr, this is my dad, Aaron." He grabs my father's hand to shake it and gives him a genuine smile. "This is my mom, Rachelle."
Tyr tries to shake my mother’s hand but gets pulled into an affectionate squeeze instead. I huff out a small laugh while taking my shoes off at the door.
"It’s lovely to meet you,” my mother says quietly. She turns to me. “Why did you take your shoes off? Never mind, come on, honey. Let's go grab our plates." My mom grabs me by the shoulders and leads me to the kitchen. I give an awkward smile to Tyr, leaving him behind with my father.
