to the moon & to saturn | cate blanchett

chapter 18

Elle laid on the couch in her apartment, asleep, drowsy from the car ride and the change of scenery from the hospital to home. Cate stood over her, appreciating the natural rise and fall of the girl's chest as she breathed.

Dylan interrupted her thoughts and asked if she wanted something to eat.

"We don't have much, but anything in the fridge is up for grabs," she said, lugging her suitcase to her bedroom to unpack it.

"Thanks, but I should go check on the store," said Cate, following Dylan to the open doorway of her room. "And probably drop by my house for a quick shower, but I'll be back later this afternoon. Text me if something happens. Here, let me put my number in your phone."

Dylan shrugged, taking her phone back when Cate finished with it. "No worries. Yeah, I'll text you if she spontaneously self combusts."

"Not funny," said Cate with narrowed eyes, but a sly smile crept onto her face.

"It was a little bit funny," said Dylan. With a sudden realization, she stepped out of her room to check on Elle's sleeping status. Her roommate was still passed out on the couch.

Dylan stepped back into her room, ushering Cate inside. Confused, Cate stumbled a bit before steadying herself on her feet.

In a hushed tone, Dylan whispered, "Hey...do you remember the night you gave Elle your number?"

Cate stared at Dylan, unblinking. "Vividly."

A second question burned on the tip of Dylan's tongue, one that lay dormant since that night. She voiced it, desperate to know the answer straight from Cate's mouth. She needed the reassurance that Elle would be safe and protected with Cate.

"So you're still for sure?" she asked seriously, scanning Cate's face to detect any hint of a lie.

Cate blinked, tilting her head.

"What are you — oh. Yes, Dylan. Yes. Beyond measure, yes. It's preposterous for you to ask a second time," she said, waving off the girl. "I was sure then and I'm sure now."

Cate was being genuine, Dylan could tell.

"Good," she stated, satisfied with Cate's response.

"Now, I must be off," said Cate. She grabbed her purse from the kitchen.

Dylan said goodbye to Cate and finished unpacking from her parents' house. She lifted her empty suitcase and put it back on the top shelf of her closet. She tried to be quiet, but she rarely succeeded as this; the suitcase accidentally banged against the wall and a couple of old notebooks came tumbling down on top of her.

"You okay?" came Elle's sleepy voice, drifting in from the living room.

Swearing, Dylan kicked the notebooks under her bed and jammed the suitcase further onto the shelf to make sure it wouldn't fall.

"Yeah! Sorry!" she called.

"I'm awake," said Elle, yawning. "Come talk to me! I'm bored."

"My schedule doesn't revolve around you," said Dylan sarcastically as she walked out into the living room.

"Well, it should," said Elle with a grin. She moved her upper body into a half-sitting position so she wasn't directly flat on her back.

Dylan grabbed an ice pack from the freezer and gave it to Elle — the doctor had instructed her to put ice on her stomach every few hours for a week. Dylan sat next to her best friend and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Hey. I want to apologize on behalf of my parents. What they did was shitty and out of line."