Teachers Tapestry

Seventy-four

"Hello." I heard a voice. And then I heard footsteps.

"It's Stella, my love." She said rubbing my cheek with her thumb.

"Val are you home?" Someone else asked.

"Of course she's home otherwise she wouldn't have her lights on Charlotte, think." Stella replied harshly and at that moment I knew the two of them entered.

"That's a never a good sign." Val said to me. I stayed in her lap as they both walked into the living room.

"I need some alcohol." Stella said.

"You can't drink." Lottie scolded.

"It's not happening anyway. I can have one drink." Stella said and ran her hands through her hair. 

"Stella Marie I swear to god if you drink, you're sleeping downstairs. I fucking swear." Val and I watched as they argued.

"Charlotte, don't test my—"

"Drink, I fucking dare you Stella."

"I can't with you right now." Stella turned around went into the kitchen while Lottie stood alone in the door frame of the living room. She groaned, irritated, turned around and sat on the couch adjacent to us.

I slid off vals lap and sat next to her.

"I'm gonna go check on Stella." She said softly, kissed my cheek and then stood up for the kitchen.

It was just Lottie and I.

"I don't get it. It's not working now but there's still so much time to try but she's acting like it's the last strain of hope for us." Lottie said.

"I—"

"And the girls are definitely noticing. Natalia has clung to her and Emilia cries in my arms about us not being together anymore. If it doesn't work it's okay. I'm happy as we are. It's not the last of us." She said. I sat as she complained.

"There's so much more for us than this. I'm so in love with her and I can't imagine my life without her. I can't imagine not waking up to her everyday and falling asleep in her arms every night. My world really only turns for her. And she's..." she trailed off. "I love her too much." She sighed.

"I can imagine. When you love someone so deeply it's like nothing else matters when you're with them. I've seen you two, I can tell she loves you. So much."

✽Valentina's POV✽

I stood in the kitchen with my best friend who has poured herself a glass of whiskey and has just been staring at it.

Stella and Lottie never fight. They do but it never gets so big they need a mediator. In all my time of knowing them both I've never seen them argue, only ever heard about it. And even then Stella or Lottie admit they're wrong.

They're the epitome of love to most of us. Stella has this look in her eyes when she looks at Lottie and Lottie blushes when she notices Stella's gaze. They might be married but it's like their honeymoon stage of dating never wore off.

"I can't do it Valentina." She sighed.

"Shit, don't waste my whiskey then." I said to her.

"You drink it then." She said harshly, pushing the glass to me. She had an undertone to her voice, one I'd never heard her use before.

"I can't do it Val." She said, her tone shaky and unsteady.

"Can't do what?" I took gentle approach.