Her Secret| ✓

05

When the heart speaks, the mind finds it indecent to object

Always Be My Baby—The Ronettes

● ● ●

Morning

"COME OUT TO THE pub with me, a few of us boys are going there now," Charlie Olsen said, keeping pace with Erik Laurence as they walked across the porte-cochere. Erik squinted at him and shook his head, the chilly air felt clean compared to the stifling hospital. Charlie could not take his eyes from the scar running down Erik's forearm, he caught Erik's inquisitive eyes. Erik smiled; it was more of a grimace. "Nope, not today. My family has a thing, you can come along if you want. The new girl that is starting tomorrow will be there," He said.

Charlie shook his head. "You mean make nice with a bunch of my bosses? No thank you," Charlie said flippantly, disappearing into his car. "Tomorrow though," Erik said, ducking into his car.

"Tonight, with words unspoken," Erik tapped out the tune on his steering wheel, watching the clearing skies through his car window. He leaned forward and gestured to the car that had just cut him off.

He waited for the beep of his little car as he walked up the drive to his house, serenaded with the seasonal music-the way his family saw it was, just because the holidays were over, did not mean the festivities had to be. Yes, they were the family that kept decorations up until February, what of it? His mother had challenged.

"She'll bring her love to me," Ellen crooned from the living room, Erik's smile widened as he took off the scarf and hung it up. He walked into the living room and was not surprised to see Ike spinning Ellen around the room. "Don't you two look well together?" He said as he watched.

"How did the operation turn out?" Ellen asked breathlessly as Ike dipped her, her blonde hair uncharacteristically messy as they danced.

"Well," Erik said, reminded of when Ike and Ellen had won a high school dance competition. He shook his head, looking around for someone. "It should hold him up for now. Where is everyone?" He asked.

Ike looked at Ellen and they shared a secret laugh. "Your new chew toy is upstairs. Getting her new room set up," Ike said, grinning devilishly. Erik laughed off their insinuations and turned to head up the stairs. "Dad's with the boys. They are setting up the grill, the Marks are coming in ten," Ellen called hoarsely.

Diana found herself standing in the middle of the room that she had rented from the Laurence's; it had the same layout as the other room, except every corner seemed to vignette-blocking what daylight had crept through the taped-up newspaper windows.

It was a depressing sight, she sighed and wondered for the umpteenth time why in the world she had let herself be talked into it. She had never gotten used to the idea of having ones' room, she had tried so hard. All at once, had someone walked by the open door? No, no it can't be. Had she imagined it? Diana turned to the door, no one was there but if she stilled herself, she knew it would happen.

There it was again, she heard it. Soft at first, light as a feather, gradually rising into a distinct melody. Tilting her head warily, Diana took a cautious step forward, she could feel her heartbeat anxiously in her chest and she did not relish the familiar sensation. She advanced towards the bedroom door; it had never been so quiet.

Diana stepped over the threshold and breathed sharply. Wasn't it just afternoon? She thought as her gut twisted with suspicion. The hallway stretched on into the dark, setting Diana's nerves on edge as she stepped into the middle of the hall. She saw the outline of a table with potted plants on it between the bathroom and library door, down a pace to her left was Erik's door.