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~~~
When they got into the kitchen, Greg went to the cupboard to get out a couple of pots; one for pasta, the other for sauce. Veronica opened the fridge and started taking out what they needed while Greg set the kitchen up for working. They didn't speak, and soon the only sounds in the kitchen were those of onions sizzling in hot oil, of knives chopping through length of celery and peppers.
When the sauce was simmering, Greg grabbed the second pot and filled it with water, putting it on the boil. Veronica watched him work, concentration etched on his face. He took hardly any notice of her, and when he did look her way all he did was smile. Veronica felt a pang in her chest. The water started boiling and Greg put the dried pasta in, stirring it with a fork until it was all submerged.
Veronica swept over to him and put her arms around his stomach. Greg stiffened at first, but then relaxed into the embrace. He turned his head slightly and she kissed him on the cheek. She felt him smile, the muscles in his cheeks pulling back to create the effect. He turned around in her arms and kissed her on the lips, the two in full embrace for the first time in a long time.
Veronica felt her chest tighten again as this man's body pressed itself against her own. She kept her eyes shut tight but warm tears still flowed down her cheeks. A loud hissing sound suddenly came from the stove top and Greg broke off the kiss, whirling around to save the pasta from boiling over. Veronica quickly broke away from him, turning to hide her face, wiping her tears away. She went to the cutlery drawer and grabbed too many of everything, taking them to the table to set their places.
The meal was good, though neither Veronica nor Greg spoke very much. When they were finished she offered to clean up, taking Greg by surprise. He hovered around for a bit in the kitchen until finally leaving to go watch hockey. Veronica slowly did the dishes, and when she was done she joined Greg in the TV room. Again surprised, he made room for her on the couch where she snuggled up next to him, tucking her knees up against her chest.
As the hockey game played on the TV, Veronica lowered her head to Greg's chest and rested it there. He lifted a hand and placed it on Veronica's head, stroking her hair. She felt her head rise and fall with each breath that he took. Greg leaned down and kissed the top of her head, and Veronica blinked away two fresh tears.
When the game was over Greg suggested they go to bed together. Veronica nodded silently and the two walked upstairs together. They made love that night, Veronica holding tight to Greg as he moved inside of her. In the darkness of the room he felt her hand place itself upon his chest. He moaned and moved faster as Veronica's fingers grasped at his skin, trying to find the slightly raised bumps of the scars from long ago.
Chapter 15
Veronica woke up alone in the bed. Sunlight streamed through the window and she lifted her head, blinking away the sleepiness that still remained. She looked over at Greg's side of the bed and saw a note on the pillow, the second time in their entire marriage where that had happened:
"Good Morning Sleepyhead!
I didnt want to wake you since you looked so peaceful sleeping there! Theres breakfast in the oven for when you get up. See you later!
-Greg"
Veronica left the note where it was and rolled over in bed, turning to stare out of the window. She could hear birds chirping outside, enjoying the sunlight for all that it was. Breathing a sigh she got up out of bed, grabbing the note to throw it out. She went down to the kitchen, opened the oven, and pulled out a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast. When she glanced at the clock she saw that it was 10:23 in the morning.
She sat down at the table and began to eat her cold meal. There was a walking meeting today, although for the first time in a long while Veronica wasn't looking forward to it. She wondered what would happen when she and Jason saw each other again, or if he would even acknowledge her, or if he would even be there.
Trying not to think about it too much, Veronica finished her meal and washed the plate, the rest of the dishes having already been done by Greg. She went up to the washroom to have a shower, and when she was all clean she got dressed for the day. She decided to read a little before leaving, so she sat down in her chair and picked up the book, flipping to her marked page.
~~~
Lady Violet walked along the dirty streets, both hands clutching at the shawl that was wrapped around her head. She was hiding her identity, not wanting to be recognized as the Lady Violet Winchester, devoted wife and servant to the Lord Roland Winchester. Were she to be noticed her reputation would be shattered, for her line was not typically known to walk these particular streets.
Luckily for her, no one gave her a second glance that day as she wound her way through the alleys and past street merchants. Finally she came upon a battered-looking house, one that might've fallen down at any second. She knocked three times upon the door and waited. It opened and inside stood Emmanuel, his strong frame filling that of the doorway easily. He looked down at her in distaste, a grimace appearing on his lips.
"You again," he snarled. "Very well, come in. Let's get this over with."
Lady Violet, her head down and the shawl wrapped tight, walked past him into the house. Emmanuel shut the door behind her and Violet turned around, throwing the shawl down on the ground by her feet. She and Emmanuel immediately rushed to one another, locking themselves in sweet embrace. Violet felt Emmanuel's strong arms lift her from the ground as they kissed, their mouths locked together as though fused in permanence.
Finally Emmanuel lowered the lady down and they broke away from the kiss, looking one another in the eyes.
"Oh, it is so good to see you again, Emmanuel," Lady Violet said, her face flushed with excitement.
"Did you have trouble getting here?" he asked. "These streets can be rough at times."
"No, it was no trouble at all," she replied, and they kissed again.
La
dy Violet pulled away from Emmanuel and walked to the stone fireplace where there was a fire already burning. She lifted the kettle to fill it with water from the bucket in the corner.
"Would you like some tea?" she asked. She knew the place well, having been there many times already, and took care of the kettle with ease. When it was full of water she put it on the hook and swung it over so that it hung above the crackling flame.
"Tea would be nice, thank you," Emmanuel said, sitting at the lone table.
"My love," Violet said as she grabbed two mugs from the shelf, "I have been thinking about us, about the two of us."
