CAUGHT

PERMISSION

Antonio didn't spend the night. Hinting he had something planned for her and was bumped he couldn't go through with it that very night. And maybe for this cause amongst another, the proceeding day Clar woke up with a spring in her step. She felt no negative emotion weighing in on her or lacking at the back of her heart and mind like a shadow. She felt less heavy and more at ease.

'You're happy .'

May wrote on her board.

The both of them were out in the backyard enjoying the sun and each other's company. Finished tending to their side of the garden where they had recently added pots of other flowering plants around it. It had been May's idea. Clar didn't mind, it kept her occupied. An escape from her thoughts and boredom. She still hadn't fully toured every corner of the mansion and compound.

"Am I ?" Clar asked gazing at her lightly.

'Yes'

May signed smiling back at Clar.

"May. Antonio agreed not to punish me physically anymore "

Clar spilled the beans and May appeared surprised and then skeptical

' what exactly did he say?'

" I won't hurt you physically as punishment," Clar recited his words in memory. She was happy with him, it felt like one milestone pushed away.

May held her eyes slightly narrowed then signed slowly for Clar.

'Punishment? He can still hurt you if it's not punishment. He's a businessman. Manoeuvring words is his specialty'

Clar watched. Attentive.

'He can still hurt you. Emotionally or mentally. There are more ways he can cause you pain'

It had been at the back of her mind but now it dawned on Clar much more forceful that there were many loopholes in his statement. Having him stop physically hurting her had been her major goal and not so much had she regarded the other possibilities. For one she was not mentally nor emotionally invested in him deeply enough for him to make a 180 and torture her in that route severely. Her mood turned grey by the second. Clar wanted to discard May's point but her warnings were never far-fetched. They were always precise and direct.

Antonio could potentially still do her harm. Wanting out of the dark pit that her mind was quickly digging into, she changed the subject.

"Why do you always dress up in four colors?"

May nodded at her smiling sympathetically before signing.

'You noticed.'

"I noticed way back." Clar focused on the subject. Pushing her mocking conscious at the back of her head.

May was currently dressed up in peach trousers and a white thin designer top. She rarely wore body-fitting clothes which she had the body for, her petite hourglass figure would have been more prompt to one's eye if she dared flaunt her feminine dips and curves. Usually dressed in slightly loose bottoms that showed the outline of her petite curvy stature but nonetheless, she still looked effortlessly good, as always. Black and crème, were the other two colors in her wardrobe.

' I like them. To the point of obsessing over them.'

" so you must love the white coat."

'Over the blue scrubs, yes'

"Do you miss the hospital?"

'I visit. Occasionally. I'll go back and finish my course.' May wrote on the board.

"Did you know? That I knew about, you know."

May nodded her head, gently smiling then wrote on the board.