Orphans

17

You can hate a place with all your heart, and still be homesick for it. ~ Joseph Mitchell

After Ana's departure, D goes into her room to study for tomorrow's paper. Nadi goes upstairs and fills the bathtub with oils and salts, soaking herself up. She leans back closing her eyes, embarassment at the thought of how she was clinging to Ana. But why would you do that Nadina? She asks herself.

And yet her mind is all fuzzy thinking about how gentle and soft the woman was with her. How she called her "babygirl" time and time again. How she looked at her fondly as she spoke. And how she genuinely listened to her, like every word that came out of her mouth was giving directions to the world's greatest treasure map. How warm her aura is and how much she liked being hugged and comforted by her. To be honest, there were times she faked her sniffles just to hear Anabela cooing into her and running her hand up and down her back.

It's such a wild feeling. She really is a powerful witch... And maybe falling for her wouldn't be so bad. And she truly gets why Eli is so smitten over her... Eli Eli... Her heart clenches up remembering what she said. Her mood goes down and she quickly finishes her bath and comes out of the bathroom.

As she lotions herself up, preparing to get in bed, her phone rings. Now why would Eli be calling her?

"Yeah?" She answers the phone with an attitude.

"Can you please come down to the bar?" Eli asks in a humble tone.

Nadi is puzzled, she drops the call and dresses up in warm sweats and heads down. Eli is grateful seeing her enter their private bar, she wasn't sure if she would come.

Nadi tries to ignore her fresh shower gel scent and how effortlessly beautiful she looks with her wet hair and simple white cotton top and black sweatpants. The blue low lights of the bar illuminating her in the most beautiful way.

"Why did you call me here?" Nadi folds her arms.

"Please sit, let me make you your favourite cocktail." Eli stands up pulling out the bar stool for Nadi.

When Nadi sits down, she takes it as permission to go ahead and make the cocktail. Nadi looks away from her, not wanting to see her concentrated face and arms flexing as she mixes and pours the liquids.

"Thanks..." Nadi takes the drink.

Eli comes around and opens a cider, taking a sip.

"Do you remember how we built this bar?" Eli suddenly asks.

Nadi shakes her head as the memory fills her mind. "How could I forget. I went out to drink and came back wasted. You were so angry with me, talking about how I could have been taken advantage of being drunk all by myself... You forbade me from ever going out to drink, the next two days and a construction team was building a private bar in our home... So extra..." Nadi shakes her head at her recounter of how the private bar came into being.

"And you were angry with me... Talking about how I want to restrict you and control you... How sick I am..." Eli chuckles humourlessly

Nadi keeps quiet.

"I am sick. I do too much. Someone said that they once killed a plant because they watered it too much. It hit home. Sometimes I worry that my love is violent. In an attempt to show my love or to protect the ones I love, I end up hurting them. And some days I genuinely fear that you will end up resenting me... If you don't already..."

Nadi looks at her as she plays with the cider in her hand. Twisting it around the counter as she speaks.

"I should be saying sorry, it's how I intended to say sorry but I've somehow turned all of this about me... I'm a narcissist aren't I?" She rhetorically asks.