Intertwined

Maddalena

I pushed open the door and stepped out into the chilly night. I clicked my phone on and saw the time staring back at me. It was too late to call the family driver so I ordered an Uber. The curb behind me was starting to look comfortable so I made my way over to sit down. Tonight was successful. I was able to forget about the deal my father made for a few hours. I didn't want to return home, I knew what would be waiting for me when I did. Tomorrow would be a nightmare, Dad would want to discuss the fine print of the deal with me and Mom would want to talk about the wedding. I ran my hands over my face praying that when I removed them I would realize this was all a bad dream. A car horn honked, pulling me from my thoughts. I stand up from the curb and walk over to the car. The ride home was mostly quiet leaving me to overthink what tomorrow would hold.

I thanked the driver and shut the door before making the walk to the front door. I'm surprised to see my mom standing in the foyer when I open the door. She has her arms crossed over her chest and is sitting in one of the plush chairs next to the staircase. I walk over to join her in the opposite chair.

"Do I want to know what you've been doing for the last three hours?'

I'm shocked she can't tell. My makeup is smudged and my hair is rumpled. I just pray she doesn't want to know the answer to that question. I try to smooth out my dress and cross my legs.

"Probably not. Were you waiting for me to come home?"

"No, I just happened to hear the car pull into the driveway when I was headed up to bed. I decided I might as well wait until you come inside so I could say goodnight to you."

I was too busy worrying about my appearance I didn't even notice my mom had on her silk blue nightgown.

"Oh well, that's sweet of you."

She stands up from the chair and places a kiss on top of my head before telling me goodnight. I watch her walk up the winding staircase before making my way to the kitchen. I was pretty hungry considering that I didn't eat dinner. The refrigerator seemed to be calling my name. My feet guide me to the fridge and I wrap my hands around the cool metal bars of the door and pull it open. Every shelf is stacked with a mix of leftovers and fresh ingredients. I push aside containers until I find the carton of raspberries and blackberries. The plastic of the container bites against my skin as I pull them out and set them down on the counter. A cabinet to the left of the refrigerator stores the bowls. I open it up and pull out a small glass bowl. Spinning around I flick on the sink and rinse a handful of each berries before plopping them down in the bowl. I turn off the sink and wipe my hands with a towel. The berries are ripe and sweet as I pop them in my mouth. After I finish my bowl of berries I head upstairs to get ready for bed.

The bathroom is way too fancy for me. It has both a shower and a bathtub. Which I find a complete waste of space because I hate baths and never use them. I turn the shower handle up until I can see steam rising from the water falling from the shower head. I slip off my dress and toss it into the hamper before stepping into the shower. The water feels like the hot springs that I visited last year in Iceland. I dip my head under the water letting the water run down my body. I follow the streams of water down my body with my hands, wincing at the bruises forming on my hips. Once I finish cleaning myself off, I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around my body. My pajamas are laid out on the edge of my bed. I pick them up and change into them. The cool material of the clothes feels good against my warm skin. I head back into my bathroom to finish getting ready for bed.

When I finish my nightly routine I make my way over to my bed and pull back the covers. I slip into the sheets and plug my phone into the charger before lying on my back. The mural on the ceiling continues to provide a distraction as I try to shut my brain off. As much as I don't want to marry a stranger, maybe it's for the best. I mean what if this ends up being the best thing to ever happen to me? Plus I don't have to continue to pretend to be interested in guys I find at the bar or on a dating app. I close my eyes and hope that sleep will find me quickly.