Sea Glass: Marie and Lauryn

Chapter 33

Marie sat on the edge of the bed, gently stroking Lauryn's hair back from her face. She was still curled up under the covers, Felix tucked protectively under her chin, her pacifier rising and falling with each sleepy breath. There was a peace in her now that had been missing for days. The sharp edges of terror had dulled into something softer. But, she hadn't left her little space in the week since confronting Evan Hammersley, still needing the world to feel slow, safe, and predictable.

Marie worried about leaving her today. After days of waiting to hear the court's decision, she had gotten a phone call the night before that she could go collect Jack and Pippa from her father's in the Cotswolds. She was ecstatic, and so was Lauryn. Lauryn desperately wanted her to go get her children and had made that clear; it was Marie who worried about leaving Lauryn in such a vulnerable state.

She watched as the morning light crept gently across the floor, casting soft golden lines against the pale rug. Everything still felt hushed, suspended. It was early, and the flat was silent except for the distant hum of the kettle warming in the kitchen. In some ways, Marie wished she could just keep time suspended in this peace. 

Looking back down at her, she loathed to interrupt the peace that was inside Lauryn. But, she also wanted some time with her before she had to go, so she leaned in close, her voice barely above a whisper as her fingers brushed a tangle from Lauryn's hair. 

"Time to wake up, sweetheart. It's morning."

Lauryn stirred slowly, her brow furrowing just a little before she shifted, reaching out her arms to wind around Marie's waist and pressing her face into her side. Her voice was groggy, the pacifier softening her speech. 

"M-mama...?"

"I'm right here, monkey." 

Marie gently pulled her into her lap and kissed her forehead, then rested her cheek there for a long, quiet moment. 

"This morning, we'll take things nice and slow. I'm going to help you have a bath, and we'll get you all clean and cozy. Then we'll have breakfast, and I'll tell you all about the plan, okay?"

Lauryn nodded sleepily against her. They had talked a little about it yesterday when she had received the call, but she also knew that Lauryn would struggle regardless.

The bathwater was warm, gently steaming up into the air as the room filled with the scent of jasmine bubbles, Lauryn's favorite. The soft splashes echoed lightly off the tile as Lauryn sat with her knees tucked up, small arms wrapped around them. Marie knelt beside the tub, carefully rinsing the shampoo from Lauryn's hair with a cupped hand. Lauryn kept her eyes focused on Felix, who sat on the counter wrapped in a little towel Marie had warmed in the dryer just for him as she suckled her light blue pacifier at a rate that was faster than Marie would have liked. It was always a good indicator for how she was feeling. 

"I love you, baby," Marie murmured, her voice low and melodic, running a warm cloth over Lauryn's arms with slow, practiced movements, just the way she knew she liked it, "You're so brave and patient, my darling."

Lauryn didn't say anything, but she leaned into the touch, her quiet acceptance saying more than words could.

When the bath was finished, Marie wrapped her up in a fluffy white towel and carried her and Felix back into their bedroom. She laid her gently down on the bed before kissing her forehead. Picking out an outfit for the day and a cloth diaper, she carried them along with the supplies needed to change her. She took her time, far more time than she needed, knowing how much the processed soothed Lauryn. With the gentlest touch she could manage, she lightly spread the powder over her bottom before guiding her back down and doing the same to her center and hips. Then she pulled up the front, securing it snuggly. Bending, she then blew a raspberry into her stomach.