POWER

Chapter Eight

Silence. There was no answer. Faith knocked again. No answer. ''Josh! Josh!'' Still no answer. Great she thought, she was too late. Faith turned her back and just stood there regrettably, blaming herself. Why didn't she just say yes? Why didn't she realise it sooner?

Beep Beep! Faith checked her phone (she'd been expecting a message from Joseph - he always messaged first after and argument!) But it wasn't her phone.

''Josh?'' 

There he stood at the end of the street. He looked at her, she looked at him. Josh walked down to her, with his heart racing and dropped his bags in the door's archway way as he grabbed her waist and kissed her - she didn't hesitate before kissing him back. It was only for a moment but it felt like forever. In that instant, Faith realised: she had never had never truly been in love before. But this, she thought, this was love. She looked into his beautiful, brown eyes and saw everything her life was missing.

''Shall we go in?'' Josh opened his door and they both walked in, her hand still firmly held in his. ''What changed your mind?'' he was afraid of scaring her away, but Faith was far from leaving.

''I never planned on loving you.'' She kissed his neck and whispered 'but I'm glad I did. You're the fairytale ending I never had.'' It was true she thought. Joseph wasn't her prince. They were together out of practicality not passion, and she realised it wasn't enough any more. Josh and Faith lay in the bedroom, each with a glass of wine on the bed side cabinet.

They were both comfortable under the sheets as Josh twirled Faith's hair and kissed her shoulder. She smiled and giggled as he began kissing her neck. ''Josh how is it you you manage to make me feel sixteen again?'' He laughed and Faith rolled onto her side to check her watch. How could it be eight a.m already? The night had gone so fast, yet they remembered ever moment.

''I need to go. Kendall's being released and I need to be there when she gets home.'' She got out of bed and grabbed the pile of her clothes off the floor.                                                                                                                 ''Do you want a shower before you leave?'' Josh was still lying in bed as Faith buttoned her shirt and did the clasp on her watch.                                                                                                                                                           ''I'll be fine. Listen,'' she leant over the bed and gently kissed Josh's cheek, ''I want to see you again.''    ''Good, because I want to see you again too'' replied Josh. Naturally they would see each other again, after all, they did work together.

''Josh I want to see you tonight, and not as colleagues. We'll work something out later but I have to go.'' They kissed farewell and Faith drove home with a very big smile on her face and he smiled as he went to shower. 

Faith struggled to to concentrate on the way home and was very glad she only had one glass of wine. She sat in her car and remembered every minute of the previous night. Faith thought it was amazing. Amazing how one day someone walked into her life and she struggled to understand how she ever lived without him. She loved him. He loved her. There was chemistry, just unfortunate circumstances. 

Her car pulled up into her drive-way and Taylor ran to greet her. ''Mom are you okay?'' Faith nodded. She already had her cover story for where she had been - she spent the night at her friend Renata's house. ''Kendall's home. She's in the sitting room.'' Faith locked her car and headed up to the house. Joseph was waiting for her at the door but she acted oblivious to him. This was a day to focus on her daughters, not her marriage's failures.

''Kendall, hi. How are you?'' Faith hugged her daughter who was currently unpacking the few things she had been allowed in her room in rehab: most of which were books. ''Were you studying?''                   '' Yep'' Kendall replied. She had needed hope and something other than addiction to focus on, so she had been keeping up with her studies.