Mr.Cater's Maid

Bruised Lilies

When I woke up the following day, a feeling of absolute bliss stirred up in my chest. I looked over to my bedmate to keep this feeling alive. He was sound asleep. His face, however, held a small smile similar to mine. Seeing this certainly helped escalate my happiness. It felt like we were both on the same page for the first time. Even though he was still hadn't broken up with his fiancée at this moment, I was trying hard to hang on to his words from last night. He chose me! I trusted him this long, what was a few more days. It will just be days, right? Maybe until that day comes, I should move in with Natasha, I thought, but I didn't let it linger. I just stared at his smiling face.

"Are you just going to stare at me like a creep?" Adam said, causing the smile to expand. Then, finally, his eyes opened, and he turned to face me completely. 

"It's not creepy when a girl does it! Plus, why would I stare? I've already seen everything here." I retorted. "You know I have nothing to do today. We are not dealing with brides, and we are almost done with the gala setup."

"What are you going to do all day, all alone?" He sarcastically said.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe I can convince my boyfriend to spend the whole day with me?" I said in a sing-song voice.

"The whole day? Can I bargain for less?" He tickled my neck, causing me to squeal.

"Stop!" I pleaded. "I am being serious. I am excited to have the day off, but I don't want to spend it alone."

"Fine, fine. I am all yours. All-day." Adam gave in.

"Yay!" I cheered. "I want to see all of Boston!" I declared.

Okay, let's do it. But do you mind if we make a pit stop somewhere? I want you to meet someone."

***

It was mid-afternoon. We had just gone shopping on Newbury street where Adam had tried to convince me to buy something, but I refused. So we spend most of the time in the shops looking for a suite for Adam for the gala next week. We then did all the touristy things like the Boston tea party museum, the public gardens, the aquarium, and a Ferry ride around the Boston harbor.

The tour guide bellowed facts about Boston as Adam, and I took in the view from the deck, letting the cool air hit our faces.

"Look, our apartment is that one right there!" He exclaimed, pointing at a large building slightly hidden behind a few big ones in the skyline.

"That's pretty cool! This place is so pretty. I am never leaving." I announced, staring at the water whooshing back and forward underneath us, creating a calm feeling within me.

"We might have to...I have special lunch reservations." He answered.

Once we got off the Ferry, Adam called a car, and soon we were driving past the main part of the city and into a more remote area. Finally, we stopped at the small red-bricked building. From the large windows, I could tell the restaurant was full.

"Ready for the best meal in Boston?" He asked as we both got out of the car.

The restaurant had a cozy inclination. Instead of seats, they had large blue couches, and the wall had several paintings. One, in particular, caught my eyes. In it, a woman with a white flowy dress was standing in the middle of a field of pink lilies.

"It's my mother's," Adam informed when he caught me staring.

"She really did like her lilies, didn't she?" I commented. He did not reply back to this.

A waiter noticed us and guided us to a table right across from the painting. I could now see the woman looked demure, scared like she had just experienced something painful from this view. She also had a bruise under her right eye, and it took me a while to notice, but all the vibrant pink lilies in the field behind her had similar bruises. The pink lilies that his mother had every few weeks were tarnished here. They were still beautiful, but if they were real flowers, they would not last long. I looked over at Adam, who was looking at the painting. Then it hit me, not that the revelation was a shocking one...