I refrain from touching her, but I’m so close that she must feel my presence. She must know I’m there, but she’s not ready to let go of the things that reveal themselves before her eyes.
I lean forward, careful not to touch her as I search to see her face. Her head is still shaking as if in trance, when the first tears roll down her cheeks. She grimaces, biting her lower lip while the urge to cry takes over.
“Petal.”
As deep as she may have been, lost in her own mind, guided by memories that have turned into nothing but dark haze by now—she wakes up immediately upon hearing my voice.
Her eyes fly open and her hands leave the sofa with the same breath.
She’s breathing heavily, wiping away the tears from her pretty face when she turns to me.
“What happened here?” she wants to know, her green eyes wide with curiosity. “What... what was that?”
I lift her up, moving her closer to the kitchen so she no longer chokes herself by putting so much pressure on the leash. She takes in big huffs of air, almost gasping in desperation, and it’s making me realize that lack of oxygen probably heightened the experience she just endured.
She’s trembling when I guide her to the table, holding on to me in need of support.
“Jayson, what happened here?” she asks again when I help her to sit down on one of the chairs.
Her eyes are latched on to me as I busy myself with brushing the newspaper that is spread across the tabletop aside to make room for our plates.
“Let’s eat.”
“No!” she protests, almost jumping up from her chair as I retreat to the kitchen. “No! You tell me—”
“I will!” I interrupt her impudent demand.
“After. We. Eat.”