When it rains in the desert

Mindy Richards

God. I had so many questions. So many questions and I didn't know how to ask them. But there was one that I just couldn't let go of. One question that was really, really getting on my nerves. She could've just told me. She could've told me and we could've worked through it.

After our conversation I let her sleep, I went to the gym, I needed to clear my head. Ever since Celia had left, going for a walk to clear my head just wasn't cutting it. I needed something more intense to focus my energy so I started going to the gym. I was reluctant to leave Celia alone but after a lot of reassuring on her part, I went.

Things were awkward between us. There was a tension we couldn't quite leave behind, there was an unanswered question between us. A question as to what was happening between us, where we stood. I couldn't tell if she felt it too but it was eating me up inside and I didn't know how to bring it up. So I just decided not to. I could wait.

When I got back from the gym I hopped straight in the shower. Celia was asleep on my bed so I was as quiet as I could be. I stood in the shower for a few minutes, just letting the water hit me. I closed my eyes against the shower wall and waited for the hot water to begin to hurt, to burn. Everything was such a mess. Once my body had turned red from the water I took the shower gel and shampoo and quickly washed off.

It was getting dark outside and I looked over at Celia asleep in my bed and felt myself feeling sleepy. I didn't know whether I should sleep in the bed or not again so I made my way across the room to the door when Celia stirred awake.

She sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Jacob?" she asked. I stopped at the door and turned to face her. "Yes love?" She chuckled silently to herself and looked up at me.

"I like this new development" she said looking at me. Like really looking at me, I felt nervous all of a sudden. I looked at her, waiting for her to respond. "You started calling me love, it's nice" I rubbed the back of my neck and began to walk away. "you're seriously going to sleep on the sofa again? " she asked raising her eyebrows. I couldn't understand why I felt so nervous.

"well, yeah." I said looking at the door. "unless... unless you want me to stay?"  I looked back and felt oddly young. As though I was in 6th grade again and I was asking Mindy Richards to be my girlfriend. We don't talk about that though, not because she rejected me or anything. Obviously not.

She raised her eyebrows at me "Jacob Mendoza, would you please stay with me? For I do not know how I will sleep without you." I chuckled at her, shaking my head. God i'd missed her so much . I walked over to my side of the bed as she opened the covers for me. I lay down and she lay with her head on my chest. I felt her get comfortable and her palm lay flat on my chest.

"I missed you" I said kissing the top of her head, feeling the soft strands of hair on her head. I felt her breathe in before saying "you have no idea" and suddenly I felt guilt. I couldn't imagine what it was like to be trapped for months, to be beaten and God knows what else.

"I didn't think I was going to make it. I didn't think I was going to ever see you again" she whispered into my chest. I ran my hand up and down her arm as she spoke. "They killed Carter." I felt a tear stain my shirt and pulled her closer. " I know baby, I know" I felt her shaking against me and it broke me, into a million pieces. " They killed Carter and they were going to kill me too"

"But you're here, safe , with me" I said, trying to reassure her. I knew it wasn't much but it was the truth. She was here, and I was so grateful. words couldn't explain how grateful I was. She shook her head and said "They'll come back for me Jacob, they won't let me get away with taking Rory."

"Shhh, you don't need to worry about that right now" I felt her breathing slow down, she wasn't asleep yet but she was becoming calmer and soon after, she fell asleep.