The Thrill Of Your Love

Chapter Twenty Eight

Whilst Alice cleaned herself up in the shower, Copia stood by what was left of her dressing table, his expression full of guilt as he saw the shattered glass from perfume bottles and scattered makeup strewn across the floor, the legs of the table left skewed whilst a crack ran along the face of the mirror. His frown deepened when he noticed the suitcase lying next to the table, realising that Alice must have thrown it.

He sighed and held his aging back as he bent over, gathering any makeup he could salvage and the hairbrush that had slipped beneath her bed. Then as he turned, Alice emerged from the bathroom, clad in a bathrobe, making Copia's eyes light up.

"You're looking much better my dear." He exclaimed, his voice warm yet soft. Alice offered him a small smile in return, a tiny glimmer of love flickering in her eyes as she thanked him quietly. Copia teasingly motioned for her to take a seat on the bed, where he was laying out the makeup. "Come, sit. Welcome to Copia's makeup parlour." He teased with a smile. "I'll be your makeup artist for the day."

"What's all this?" Alice giggled, her spirits lifting slightly in the face of his playful banter.

"Shh. Less questions, more sitting." He pulled her towards the bed he'd made whilst she was showering, forcing her to sit.

Then, with gentle care Copia began to apply her makeup, his movements soft and delicate as he worked to enhance her natural beauty, hiding beneath the tear stains. As he carefully brushed her cheeks with blush and swiped a coat of mascara onto her lashes, Alice felt a sense of familiar calm wash over her.

"He used to do this for me a lot." She murmured softly, her voice tinged with a wave of sadness as the memory of Terzo doing her makeup for her flooded her mind.

"Terzo was always such a romantic." He smiled fondly. "We were taught from a young age how to apply our papal paints, so makeup comes naturally to us I suppose." Finally, Copia stepped back, admiring his handiwork with a satisfied grin. "There, all done." He announced, his voice filled with pride as his hands gently turned her shoulders, facing her body towards the cracked mirror. "You look nothing less than perfect."

"Thank you, Copia." She whispered, a bittersweet smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. "I'll get dressed." She dragged her aching body from off the mattress and stumbled towards their wardrobe.

Her hands lingered on the knob of the wardrobe as she glanced towards Terzo's side and bit down on her lip. She shook off her thoughts as she picked out a silk black dress hidden in the depth of her closet, one that she'd once worn to dinner with the man. She pulled sheer tights over her unshaven legs, slipping her feet into her patten black, red-bottomed stilettos whilst pushing glistening golden loops through her earlobes.

"I'm ready...I think." Her lip quivered as she looked down at her toes, then back up at Copia who was patiently waiting on the bed, his hands resting on his lap.

"I promise, you'll be ok." He stood, grabbing her hands. "If you change your mind, that's ok too. But his funeral is in a couple of days and it is going to be hectic. An Emeritus funeral is like no other my dear. So have some time together; just the two of you."

Copia guided Alice through the ministry's corridors, his arm securely around her waist as they walked. Siblings they passed shot Alice sympathetic glances, their eyes filled with regret. She swallowed hard, feeling a lump in her throat, her heart feeling as though it was drowning with grief.

They stepped outside, the evening sun shining brilliantly in a clear blue sky. The irony of such a glorious day contrasted sharply with Alice's internal devastation. It felt like her entire world was crumbling and the beautiful weather was mocking her sorrow. As they approached the small chapel tucked away in the depths of the garden, Copia gave her a gentle squeeze before letting her go.