Page 82 of The Rescue

“It’s a long story,” I smile at Crystal.

“Sorry, I was just coming in to tell you that everyone’s waiting for us at The Drunken Duck,” she says.

I look up at the clock and it’s way later than I expected it to be, the afternoon has slowly slipped away from me. I look at my mum and then at Crystal. I should cancel on the drinks, heck we’re there practically every night, but I want to spend as much time with Crystal as I can before she goes back to America for Christmas.

“You go, I can close the door behind me,” my mum offers.

I don’t make an effort to move, a fleeting thought of not trusting my mum crosses my mind. I think she can read the look on my face, and her face flushes.

“Only if you’re comfortable with me doing that,” she adds.

Crystal shifts uncomfortably by the door. I remember back to the conversation that just happened between me and my mum. The agreement I made with myself to move forward, and work at our relationship. This is the first step, letting her close up for me shouldn’t be a big deal, but it is to me. Not that I think she would take anything, there isn’t anything worth taking, and I always lock away the days takings in my flat upstairs which is always locked. Sweet Treats is my safe space, my haven, my livelihood. I think it feels weird to let her stay here by herself when I feel like I hardly know her. But I need to give her this chance, and showher I’m willing to trust her. I hope it doesn’t come back to bite me in the ass. I calm my anxious thoughts, and smile at her.

“Aye, of course. Only if you’re okay with it?” I ask her.

A small smile spreads across her face, and she knows how big of a decision that would’ve been for me to make.

“Of course, there’s only one bowl left to wash.”

“Aye, the front is all locked up so you’ll only have to close the backdoor behind you,” I tell her.

“No worries,” she reassures me.

“How will you get home though?” I suddenly feel worried about her getting home.

“Dinny fash, I’m sure there’s another bus on the roads by now.”

I try to get my mind to move my legs but I’m stuck still in my kitchen, Crystal wanders over to me and places a hand on my arm and smiles up at me. Her reassuring demeanour makes me relax.

“Bye Susie,” Crystal says to my mum with a soft smile.

My mum returns the smile, and gives me a reassuring nod. Crystal grabs my jacket from the hook and leads me out the backdoor and down the street towards The Drunken Duck. We walk in silence, and the further we get away from Sweet Treats the more I start to think it was a bad idea leaving my mum alone in my safe place. As if she can read my mind, Crystal squeezes my hand to calm my nerves.

“Do you think I’m an idiot for letting her be there by herself?”

Crystal stops in her tracks and I see the flicker of a frown she had when she first walked into the kitchen. She doesn’t meet my eyes and that’s all I need to know.

“I’m not sure. I hope for your sake she can be trusted. I don’t want to see you get hurt, so I hope you can understand my reservations?” She finally meets my eyes, and her big green eyes ground me and make me feel safe. I don’t know when shestarted feeling so sturdy for me, but I respect her honesty and her protectiveness of me.

“Aye, I know. I’ve got to at least try. It makes me angry and sad of years that have been wasted, not just for me, but for my nan too. I’m tired of keeping people at arm’s length in fear of getting hurt. I want to start living my life to the fullest, and I have you to thank for that,” I tuck a stray strand of red hair behind her ear, and let my hand linger on her cheek.

She leans into my touch, and exhales softly. I grab the other side of her face and pull her to me, her body fits perfectly against mine like it was made for me. She looks up at me with twinkly eyes and I feel the happiest I’ve ever felt at this moment. Just the two of us standing out in the crisp cold night, in the middle of the street talking just like we did that night after we had dinner at my nan’s. I kiss her soft and slow, and she melts into me with a soft groan. I will never ever get tired of kissing her, and hear those little groans she makes.

“I think we both have each other to thank. If it wasn’t for you I would never have been able to talk to my mum and lay everything out on the table,” she smiles against my lips.

“Who’d have thought it? Two people with two very fucked up views on relationships finally overcoming their generational traumas together,” I chuckle.

“How grown up of us,” she laughs with me.

“Aye, nobody else I’d rather do it with,” I kiss her again.

She smiles against my lips, “Come on, we were meant to be at the pub ages ago. I’ll race you,” she pushes my chest and I stumble backwards.

Crystal starts off running toward The Drunken Duck giggling and squealing.

“Loser has to buy the first round!,” she shouts.

“You’re a wee cheat,” I chase after her.

---