Another Love

On A Pretty String

[Y/n's POV]

The second Wilhelmina left me, I dropped down on my knees next to the lilac bush and finally let the tears run down my face. I'd held them in all conversation and whilst she'd sat there, but after her leaving, and the loneliness crawling back again, I was overcome with the sadness.

When I look back on that day now, I wonder what in earth possessed me to do as I did, but I stepped over the wall into Wilhelmina's garden and knocked gently on her back door.

She opened it in silence and led me to the living room, where we each sat in separate ends of the black leather sofa.

We sat in awkward silence for a few minutes, before I shuffled a little closer. Again, we sat still and silent, until I saw Wilhelmina come closer again.

We sat, staring at the wall for a moment, before we both moved in at the same time and then just sat there.

I moved that final few inches, so I was close enough our knees were touching.

I can't explain it, but the smell of her perfume (the same one she'd worn for ten years), mixed with the gentle warmth radiating from her body, hit me like a train.

I completely broke down.

And she didn't mind, she said nothing. No. All Wilhelmina did, was pull me in close and kept her arms tightly around me the entire time I cried.

"Cordelia hit me," I whispered, after finally calming down.

"I know, darling," she breathed out, before sobs shook through her own body and this time, it was my turn to hold her.

Nothing more was said that day between us, even when her husband pulled up outside, the same time as Cordelia and they started talking.

I left in silence and ran across our back gardens and back into my house, before anyone could know I'd been with Wilhelmina.

[Wilhemina's POV]

When she knocked on my back door, I wasn't expecting what I saw. The sadness in her eyes was far too familiar to me, the tears in her eyes were tears that I'd cried before too, so I let her in.

I brought her to the living room where we both sat on opposite ends of one of the sofas.

We sat in an awkward silence for a while until I saw her move a little closer. The silence gave me peace of mind, she wasnt here to shout at me or have a go at me, she was just simply here. So I shuffled a little closer toward her.

We sat, looking at the wall in a peaceful silence, until I decided to move a little closer. I didnt expect y/n to move too though. A few more moments passed and y/n moved the final few inches. We were so close our knees were touching.

When she started crying, I knew all too well not to interrupt her, just hold her close and silently comfort her.

After she calmed down, she finally told me, "Cordelia hit me," she whispered and my vision became blurry from the tears that were in my eyes.

"I know, darling," I said, and I couldnt keep it in anymore. The sobs shook my body and y/n swapped our places, now comforting me. Knowing that awful woman hit her made everything so much worse.

We didnt say anything else that day, not even when Michael and Cordelia pulled up and started talking.

She left my house in silence and crossed the wall that divided my garden from hers. I watched her go back into her house just as Michael came back into mine.