Ryker's Guide (Mild)

Pedicures

Meriwa

Meriwa jumped when the woman began scrubbing her feet with a pumice stone. From the big comfy massage chair beside her, Samantha started laughing, which drew a grin to Meri's own face. She hadn't heard Samantha laugh a lot in the past year or so, but things were slowly getting better for her witch friend turned incarnation of a goddess. She and Timmy had found their demon mate a couple of months back, and the other woman's presence seemed to soothe both of them.

But, Urdu wasn't the same, and Tim and Sam were still holding together their broken mate who was plagued by the horrors she'd been through. The poor demon needed round-the-clock care, but she was healing, at least physically. However, Meri knew that the process was exhausting to both Tim and Sam but that it was something that couldn't be rushed. Urdu needed to recover and deserved all the love and support she could get in that process, and Samantha and Tim would do everything within their powers to help their mate.

She just wished it wasn't so physically and emotionally taxing for Samantha.

"Thanks again for going out with me, Meri." Sam's sentence drew Meri from her musing as the woman's words tapered off into giggle when her own technician began to prepare her feet for the footbath.

Meri smiled as the lady working on her put the pumice stone down then began cutting back the cuticles and slathering fancy-smelling oil on the hard soles of her feet. First, she needed to make sure Sam was okay. Then...then she'd have to tell her about the...thing. "Of course, Sammy! I haven't had one of these things in years. And it's a good time to chat. I...how are you holding up?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Sam's smile fall a bit as she looked down at the swirling heated water of the foot bath. The bags under Samantha's eyes broke Meri's heart, and she wished there were more she could do to help her friend other than just going out for a girl's day with her.

After a few long moments of silence, Samantha spoke softly. "I'm doing okay. I worry that she won't...get better, you know? But Timmy says everything will be okay. And we have her back with us and we're never, ever going to let her go again." With the woman's last sentence, Meri's goddess Tiamat recognized the voice of Ishtar, her centuries-old friend, and the conviction with which the other ancient one spoke made her shudder.

Sighing, Meri reached out and grabbed her friend's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze and drawing the woman to look at her. "I know she'll get better, Sam. I feel it. And you know you can reach me anytime. Call and I'll be there. You and Tim, you guys aren't alone, you know?"

The other woman's resulting grin lit up her features. "Thanks, Meri. I love you."

"Love you, too, Sam-sam." Meri couldn't help smiling as they lapsed into a contemplative silence, and while she leaned back in the chair, Meri watched as the young lady working on her feet slipped them into the water, turned on the massage chair for her, then asked if she wanted a glass of wine or anything. The lady working on Samantha did much the same, and soon, Meri and Sam both held fruity-tasting glasses of wine in their hands and the employees then left them alone in the private back room of the swanky salon Carbry was footing the bill for. Calming music filtered in through the speakers, and flickering candlelight had Meri already relaxing far more than she was usually able to.

Beside her, Sam sighed contentedly and adjusted the fluffy pink robe, and Meri nestled into the identical robe she currently wore. The pedicures were just the first step. They apparently had an entire spa day arranged by Carbry. The problem had been that Meri had wanted a girl's day so that she could talk to Sam about...everything...with her and the others, but Meriwa had no idea how to arrange a spa day. So, when she'd explained what she wanted to do for Sam, get her out for a while and get her talking, her King Vampire had offered to take care of everything. Which is why they were in a spa place where the fees for their relaxation package would probably be higher than the cost of a small used car.