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“A little bird told me,” she giggled and kissed me again before asking to be put down so she could eat. “I may have baked these pastries but didn't sample any because I wanted to eat them with you, but Anna assured me they were good.”
“I can't wait, come and let's have some tea.”
“It's English breakfast; I wasn't sure what you would like, so I picked this kind.”
“It's perfect, just like you; thank you for this; I love it.”
“But do you love me?” Surprised by the question, I cupped her face and kissed her swollen lips.
“More than I can ever express. Why do you ask?” She filled our cups with the steaming tea and then placed a scone on the doily covered plate. “Principessa, are you not going to answer me?”
“I will; I'm trying to figure out the right words to say,” she said quietly and looked away.
“It shouldn’t be hard if you were telling me the truth about loving me,” I said, gently cupping her face so she could look at me.
“Of course, it was the truth,” she nearly shouted.
“Why question me then?” I said, not letting her go.
“You were angry with me last night after I questioned you, so I thought your feelings might have changed, and I was scared that I may have overreacted. Were you punishing me?” I let out a sigh, confused by our conversation's direction. I quickly kissed Sabina’s intoxicating mouth and then released her so we could talk. I gestured to the table where I placed the tray, wanting to enjoy the treat instead of the talk we needed to have. I never wanted Sabina to question what we have together or my feelings for her.
“Sabina, how did I punish you? To understand what is bothering you, I need to hear your reasons for believing that. To believe I don’t love you and how I punished you because you dared to challenge me. By the way, I fucking love that you do. You excite me, Principessa, and cause my pulse to react in ways I've never felt with another woman. You are perfect for me, and I would never change anything about you. As for punishing you? I would never push you in any way I believed you could not handle. Last night was me showing you that no matter what happens between us, I’m not going anywhere, nor will I allow you to leave me.”
I waited for Sabina to react to what I said, especially the last part. However, she surprised me again and said, “You should drink your tea before it gets cold,” and began smearing raspberry jam onto her scone. “Yummy, this is so good,” Sabina happily exclaimed, and then I noticed she had jelly on the corner of her mouth. We were fine, and so was Sabina.If my woman needed assurance about what we were, I could do that for her.
Leaning in to lick her mouth clean, I said, “Not as good as you taste, my sweet. Thank you for baking my favorite treat. Get dressed, I'd like to take you somewhere today, and you'll need to dress warmly. Everything you need is in the adjoining closet since you will not return to the guest bedroom. You have thirty minutes; I'll be waiting for you downstairs. I love you.” I quickly left the bedroom before I changed my mind. I needed Sabina as much as the air needed to breathe. Sabina causes me to lose all logical thinking when I’m in her proximity. A hike would be perfect on a day like today, and it would burn off some of my nervous energy to prepare for the talk I wanted to have with Sabina. I stepped into the kitchen, which was usually off-limits due to Anna's iron rule, but she readily accepted Sabina into the fold, which pleased me to no end.
“Anna,” I called out for her, and a moment later, she stepped out from the walk-in pantry.
“What can I do for you?” She asked as she placed several ingredients down.
“I'd like to thank you for what you did for Sabina yesterday, the entire time she's been here. You've taken her under your wing and welcomed her into my home.”
“It was no bother, but thank you for saying so. Sabina is a wonderful girl and very good for you. So treat her right,” she said, pointing her wooden spoon at me.
“Always. I hope you will join us once I return to England. She needs you, and so do I.”
“Thank you, son, your invitation is very kind. I accept.”
“You're welcome, and if I may ask another favor?” She began whisking batter in a bowl as she waited for the question.This woman never stops cooking.“I want to take Sabina on a hike followed by a picnic. Will you pack us a lunch and have it ready in twenty minutes? She should be down soon, and I want to leave when she does.”
“No problem, I'll get it together now for you. Sabina will love the snow caps.” I stopped in my tracks and smiled back at her.
“How did you know that's where I'm taking her?”
“It's the closest spot to God. I believe it's what she needs.”
“Needs what?” I questioned.
She returned to her stirring and said, “She needs help to find the strength to close a painful part of her life. Once she does that, you will give her the clarity to begin a new one with you. She’s a precious child of God and, by some miracle, has never lost her faith.”
“How do you know this? Did she say something to you?”
“No, but you don’t need to hear her say the words to know how much she needs you. Be patient with her, and listen with not only your ears but your heart as well.”
Anna's words touched a part of my heart that now solely belonged to Sabina. Before I could say anything, she stepped up, patted my shoulder, and began making our lunch. Ten minutes later, Sabina started striding down the stairs and did something unexpected. She placed her hip on the shiny and slippery banister Anna polishes daily and came rushing toward me. I caught her in my arms, and she squealed in happiness as she wrapped her arms around my neck.
“Let's get this show on the road,” she said, kissing me before wiggling her way out of my arms to greet and hug Anna. I took the cooler bag, placed it in my carrying pack, and then gave one to Sabina that held the essentials she would need for the hike. We said our goodbyes to Anna, and I had Edric drive us to the point where we would begin our trek.
