healing

satisfied

Hours later, I woke up to a pounding headache. I sit up, rubbing my eyes with my palm and see Wilhemina at her vanity, brushing her hair. We made eye contact in the mirror and she pauses for a moment, stopping her movements just to smile at me and continued brushing her long hair.

"How'd you sleep baby?"

"Like a baby," I laughed. I put a hand over my head, feeling like there were boulders being thrown at the inside of my eye sockets. "fuck."
Wilhemina turns around and stands up, walking to the bed. She sits beside me and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Not feeling so good?" I shook my head as I dug my face into my palms. "Why don't we go have an early dinner? It's already 4."

I just hesitantly nodded and she took my hand as we went downstairs together. In the kitchen, I sat down as Mina looked through cupboards and the fridge for food. She found some pasta and I rushed to help her as she tried to reach for a pan on a shelf.

"Oh. Thank you sweetheart."

I just nodded with a smile and placed it on the stove. I went to the fridge and picked out zucchini, tomato, onion, and other vegetables for a recipe. It was a veggie stir fry with pasta that my grandmother used to make a long time ago.

"What's all this for?" Wilhemina asks, approaching the table as I got the cutting board from the cabinet. I stood up and looked over the table of vegetables.

"Oh. I was thinking of trying a recipe that my grandmother taught me when I was little. I think I remember how to make it. If you want to boil the pasta, then could you help cut these?"

"Of course darling," she says with a bright smile.

Mina put the pasta to boil on the stove and came over to help. She leaned on the counter for support so that she didn't have to hold her cane and could use both hands to cut. I soon caught sight of the record player that resided in the corner and gasped.

"Oh! I'll be right back."

I rush out of the kitchen and head upstairs to Misty's room. I knock on the door and she opens it. Just as I was about to speak, I look behind her and see Cordelia sitting on Misty's bed, wiping tears, sniffling, trying to hide her red face.

"What's up cutie?" Misty asks.

"Oh- I uhm... was wondering if I could bring your box of Stevie vinyls downstairs... for the record player."

"Oh! Sure thing," she says with a smile, turning to get the box. I slowly walk into her room and approached Cordelia on the bed as Misty gathered all the records.

"I'm sorry Dee. I didn't mean to do this. Cause you pain, ...make you cry," I whispered, my voice breaking at the last three words. "I was just trying to help," I cried. Misty turns around and leaves the room to give us a second alone.

"I know. It's okay y/n," she says, pulling me into her. I wrap my arms around her and squeezed her tight.

"I love you so much. I'm sorry for everything," I sobbed into her long blonde hair.

"It's alright baby. It's okay. I love you too. What are you doing downstairs?"

"I'm making dinner with Wilhemina. Uhm- we were thinking of making some for everyone."

"Really? What is it?" she asks with a smile.

"It's a surprise. You're gonna love it."

"I'm sure I will sweetheart," she laughs, kissing my cheek. "Go ahead. I'll be alright."

"Okay. I- I love you."

"I love you too."

I take the box of vinyls and head downstairs. Mina was still cutting vegetables and sees the box.

"My, what's this?"

"The vinyls I was talking about. It's every single Stevie album. Choose whichever one you'd like."

"Oo I see. I've always loved Bella Donna," she says, thumbing through them to find it. She does and holds it with a smile. She hands it to me and I put it on the record player. The first song was Bella Donna and we both quietly sang along as we continued on the food.

The kitchen smelled amazing and I was so grateful I remembered the recipe, causing the kitchen to smell like simpler times when my grandmother was alive and I got to spend time with her. And for the first time in a while, I couldn't wait to eat.

Soon, Myrtle walked into the kitchen, coming to visit for the day.

"Do I smell pasta primavera?"

I laughed as I strained the pasta over the sink.

"Yes! Myrtle, this is Wilhemina."

"Oh. Nice to meet you!" she says with a smile.

"You as well."

Soon, Cordelia and Misty come downstairs and Wilhemina immediately tensed up.

"This smells delicious," Cordelia said as I mixed the vegetables in the pan.

"Well, there should be enough for everyone," Wilhemina said sweetly. Cordelia just kindly smiled to her and I finished mixing the vegetables and pasta together in a large pot.

We also ended up making rolls and salad and put the food on the table. Everyone came and sat down. I sat beside Mina and we smiled at each other as she placed a hand on my thigh. I look over at Cordelia and she's smiling too. Everything felt right. Everyone was laughing and we all began eating.

I lifted my fork and took the first bite.

delicious.

I closed my eyes and let the flavor just take over my senses. We all conversed at the table and I didn't even think about the fact that I was eating a whole meal. I was happy.

"So- she threw your cane into the pool....?" Cordelia asked Wilhemina. We both nodded.

"Yeah and I jumped in with my pajamas on into 60 degree water to get it."

"To say the least, Diane was batshit but lots of funny stories," Mina laughed. I nodded with a smile as I continued to eat.

"Yeah so she was girlfriend number three? ...Was it?" Madison asked.

Everyone went silent and looked at her. Mina's hand tightened a bit on my thigh, knowing in awkward meal situations, I tend to run upstairs, locking myself in my bedroom.

"So did April teach you this when you were young?" Myrtle asks.

April was my grandmother's name. Her and Myrtle went wayyy back, seeing they went to the academy together when they were younger.

"Yeah actually I remember she made it all the time. It was my favorite. I swear it tastes the exact same."

Madison was quiet, knowing she shouldn't have said anything. There now was an awkward tension but nonetheless, everyone continued to hold a nice conversation and laughed together.

I finished my entire bowl and sat there satisfied. Eating a whole meal made me realize that it wasn't so bad. I knew my body didn't change from just one meal. And it was so so good. Wilhemina and Cordelia both had smiles on their faces as they looked to me. Wilhemina gently squeezed my thigh with a toothy smile and kisses my cheek.

What I didn't know was that her other hand resided on Delia's thigh.