Human Again (A Jeff the Killer story)

30. Happiness

Peter's pov

The bell surprises me a little when I enter the flower shop. I kind of forgot about it each time, and I end up being surprised, being the clumsy man I am.
I hear a slight laugh and I'm not surprised to see Margaret, next to the counter and wearing her green apron, laughing at me. The 60 years old woman heads toward me, trying to hide her giggle, even though I can hear it through her hands.

"Please, stop laughing Margaret, it's not kind." I tell her with a huge smile. This woman always amazes me by her happiness in life. Always smiling or laughing at everything. I swear I've never seen her a bit sad or angry.

"My apologies, Peter. But you have the same reaction each week." She giggles a little more, revealing small wrinkles under her brown eyes full of life.
She then heads to the counter, while motioning me to follow her. I do so, and she takes out from a place hidden under the counter a bouquet of deep red roses.

"I hid those for you. I know how long you've wanted them!" She informs me with a big smile.

Feeling grateful as ever, I lean in for a hug. This woman is amazing, and I swear I could refer her as a grandmother to me, even if I've known her for only a year. She always tries to help people, even if that means doing sacrifices.
I've told her some weeks ago that I wanted red roses, but each time I found some, they were ugly or destroyed in some parts. In summer, it's like everybody wants them as well.

"When they were delivered, I hid them here so you could have them." She explains to me.

"Thank you so much, Margaret. I don't know how to thank you for all you're doing to me." I tell her in my most cheerful tone.

"You don't have to thank me that much. Just take them and go make your lover happy." She says while getting away from my hug gently and stroking my hair like I was a little kid.
"Now go before they wilt."

I quickly take the wonderful roses, pay the bill and kiss her right cheek, before leaving the place.
I'm now on the main street of Hood River, a small town of 7,000 inhabitants, in Oregon. The sun is still presents even though the wind is coming back. It doesn't stop people from going out though, and I try as much as I can to avoid the children running and playing on the streets, while their parents are chasing after them. I can't help but smile at that scene, I've always dreamed to have my own family. Having children, living in a good house, doing parties with my neighbors and my wonderful wife...that life has always attracted me.

When I finally arrive at my house, which is only 10 minutes away from the City Center, I can't help but smile. It's a small but comfortable white house, with a small garden behind it. I really like living here, even more than back when I was in Chicago. I'm only some years away from my dream, and I've never been so happy in my life.

I knock at the door, waiting for my love to open it for me. I hear her calling from inside the house, "Coming!", before the door bursts open.
Her brown eyes are the first things I see. I have always found them amazing. Her now red hair are longer than before, past her chest. She wears little make up, that makes her even more flawless than before. She's....beautiful. Amazing. Perfect. She has grown so much since the past year, growing into a beautiful and confident woman.
I notice her being surprised at me knocking at the door, like she doesn't know what I'm up too. Then, she notices the flowers and a wonderful bright smile appears on her face.

"Tadaaaaa!" I say in a cheerful tone, handing her the red roses. She instantly grabs them and smells them, still wearing this smile I'm dreading to see every seconds of my life.

"They are amazing, Peter. Thank you so much!" She says while kissing me rapidly. I'm melting every time she does that, but choose to keep it cool so she won't think I'm completely fond of her. While I am.
She then heads toward the kitchen to grab a vase I suppose, and I close the door behind me. I take off my shoes and follow her, hugging her from behind as I watch her pour water into the vase.

"On what occasion is that for?" She says suddenly.

"Do I need a special occasion to make my fiance happy?" I reply with a playful tone, with my head on her neck, smelling her perfume.
She giggles a little at my comment, getting the roses inside of the vase. A small flash comes in front of my vision, making me blind for a second and leaving small dots wherever I see. Confused, I try to understand what it was until I figure out it was simply the sun reflecting on her ring. The ring I gave her two months ago when I proposed to her. I smile every time I look at her small ring. I took forever to pick it, visited every jewels stores to find the perfect one for her. I was going to give up and wait some more time before I found this one. It is an extra thin silver ring with 1 carrat diamond silver, with a lot of pearls surrounding it. Even if the price was absolutely terrible, I bought it anyway. It is simply perfect, just like her. To my immense joy and surprise, she accepted when I proposed to her when we were walking at twilight near the Columbian River. She cried a little and she hugged me like she never did before.

It was the best moment of my life, because I had the proof that she loved me too. I know that we'll have to wait more than a year to really marry, because she can't see her parents any time soon, and plus she's young. She's still technically supposed to pretend dead for a while, because of the threat. She told me about it when I found her at the cafe one year ago, completely broken with a lot of bruises from her walk in the woods. She told me everything...what she's been through in Chicago, what she's seen in the cinema and how she was trapped and saved by a certain Anders for a month. She explained to me that she has to pretend dead to be able to live a normal life after a while, or else the man will find her again. I was scared at first, but it didn't take me more than a second to make the decision to run away with her. We changed cities, changed states and even changed last names. Anders provided us new ID cards with our new names. There's nothing I wouldn't do to protect her. She has now red hair too, and wear different style of clothes. We are very cautious of not being caught by the man.

So far, it has worked. Sometimes we receive a letter from Anders, telling us what that man has been doing lately. We still are looking for the time he'll tell her that she can live normally again, that he has finally forgotten her. I know she's dreading to contact her parents, who still think she's dead. I know she's dreading to come back to France, far from this hell. And of course, when this day will come, I'll go with her. I have nothing here to stop me from following her everywhere she wants to go.

"-ter? Earth on Peter?" She calls out, waving her hand in front of my face.

"Oh sorry honey, I've been...deep in my thoughts, again." I apologize to her by giving a small kiss on her neck.

She laughs a little while putting the vase onto the table. She then turns to me again, putting her body close to mine, and stares deeply into my eyes.

"You seem tensed, chéri. Do you want me to relax you?" She says deep in my ear, in a sensual one, making me shiver a bit. I instantly feel a certain feeling rising inside of me. This girl, she knows exactly how to play with me...
I quickly take her in my arms and carry her bridal style to our room. I hear her laugh trying to get away from my arms, but I won't let her. She's mine, after all.

If my life with her is only a dream, please, never wake me up.

****************

Tadaaa~
It was time to finally know what Emilie has been doing for more than one year! I do hope you're not disappointed, I wanted to make you surprised!
How Jeff will react when he'll know that she has started a new life with Peter?
You'll have to wait and see! They are (slowly) getting closer to each other, so please have patience ;)
Thanks for reading.
Xx