He had lived every day as the one before. One after the last the days blurred together. He wanted nothing more than to find something to live for. To have a suicidal mate was unbearable. Especially when she doesn't know she's your mate.
She'd been...
He stands next to me nursing something on the stovetop. He asked me to help him chop vegetables. I have no idea what I'm doing. Still, even as I struggle with an onion, he does not criticize me. He keeps a watchful eye over me to make sure I don't hurt myself but, other than that leaves me to try my best.
He's been looking better recently. I finally stopped trying to antagonize him. I can't believe how patient he is. The man should be up for sainthood for dealing with me. He doesn't just deal with me though, he says he loves me.
I smile at the notion of it. I don't totally believe him but, I'm trying. He's not the first person to say those words to me. Plenty of men have said the same words. They fed me the crumbs of affection I'd been starved of to make me bend to their desires.
When he says it he demands nothing of me. He doesn't even ask me to say it back. He says it as earnestly as I've ever heard anything.
He takes the vegetables from me and pours them into the pot paying no mind to how I've destroyed them.
"Can you go get my grandmother for me?", he asks.
"Yeah", I say, "no problem".
I go to get her from the living room. I think her health has started to decline further but, Eros hasn't said anything about it. She can no longer walk even with assistance. She's completely bound to her chair now.
I think she's a nice lady even if I have no clue what she's saying. She smiles at me sweetly when I greet her. She's always watching Spanish dramas. I don't understand them either but, sometimes I'll still watch them with her. She likes me to sit in front of her so she can play with my hair. Eros says she's trying to braid it.
I turn off the television and wheel her into the kitchen. I push her up to the table and place a napkin over her lap.
"Hey something came up so I have to eat in my office", says Eros, "can you handle her while I'm gone?".
"Yeah we'll be fine", I tell him.
"Are you sure?", he asks.
I roll my eyes, "we'll be fine". He smiles and presses a chaste kiss to my lips.
"Thank you", he says grabbing a bowl from the counter, "I love you". With that, he disappears upstairs.
I grab one of the bowls from the counter and put it in front of her before pulling up a chair next to her. She hasn't been able to feed herself as of late. I sit down beside her and lift the spoon to her lips. She gladly takes it.
When the bowl is empty she looks at me with a smile. I smile back at her. She takes a hand to rest on my cheek.
"My angel Maya", she says. I'm surprised to hear it. I've never heard her speak a word of English before. I'm not sure who Maya is but, I smile nonetheless.
I dump the other bowl back into the pot to store for leftovers. Once the kitchen is clean I help her back to the living room to finish watching her programs and go to look for Eros.
I find him I'm his office. I knock at the door frame and he looks up at me with a bright smile.
"I'll probably be here for a few more hours", he says, "do you mind helping my grandmother get into bed?".
"Sure it's no problem", I say.
"The you so much", he says.
"No problem".
"Did you enjoy dinner?", he asks.
"It was delicious", I say. I rationalize to myself that I'm not exactly lying to him. I'm sure it was delicious and he doesn't need to know I didn't eat it.
"I'm glad", he says.
"Hey", I start, "who is Maya?". He pauses for a second before clearing his throat.
"Where did you hear that name?", he asks.
"Your grandmother called me by it", I say.
He sighs, "she was my mother".
"How come I've never met her?", I ask.
"She and my father died when I was young", he says. I'm taken aback by his answer.
"I'm so sorry", I say.
He smiles at me, "it's okay I never knew them, and my brother raised me in their place". I think of the man waiting by his mate's bedside. He didn't seem too much older than Eros.
I go to his desk and lean over the papers in front of him. He smiles at me lightly. I press a kiss to his forehead.
"I'll have to thank him for doing such a good job", I say. He gives me a kiss and I turn around to go back to his grandmother. The two of us watch her programs until it's time to go to bed.
I help her through her routine before going to wait for Eros in our bedroom.
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