The Ruins of Love and Chaos (AvaLance)

CHAPTER VIII

She gradually goes back to her senses when she woke. The first thing that registers to her was the smell of the room from the lit candles the night before. The next was the smell of vanilla, from a shampoo or soap. The initial thought was it was her daughter.

She pulls Laurel closer to her embrace and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. She snuggles her to her neck and adjusted herself to a comfortable position. She rubbed her back and noticed something different about this Laurel. This one has a wider back, more muscular and clearly not a body of a 4 year old. Then she remembered...

It was an unusual night. A storm hit the ground. The sky poured, the lightning clapped and the thunders roared. She stirred when the first thunder resonated in the room but didn't bother to wake. The second one however was louder and stronger.

When she finally turned to check on her daughter she saw a figure she didn't expect. "Sara?" at first she thought she was dreaming and that her mind was playing tricks on her but then her ex-wife replied

"She woke up and went to my room crying" the shorter blonde gestured to their daughter

"Thunder?" she rubbed her hands on her face.

"She wanted to sleep beside you but she didn't want me to leave her awake. I can leave if you want" Sara propped herself up using her elbows. Instinctively she did the same.

The space suddenly became smaller and all of a sudden it was hard to breathe. They were too close that when a lightning struck she saw the freckles in her ex's nose, on her cheeks and the tiny spots near her lips.

She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat "don't be silly. Stay" her voice was just above a whisper, still out of breath from the rush of emotions.

Sara's eyes were darkened by the room but it didn't stop them from being mesmerizing. She found herself locked to it.

"Okay" Sara whispered back.

A part of her wanted Sara to leave but a greater part of her wanted her to stay. After being alone for more than a year she never knew she ached to be held, to be touched. She missed the warmth of sleeping with another person on the bed. She missed being kissed, being loved.

"Good night" Ava finally managed.

It took her every ounce of willpower to turn her back away from Sara. She held the pillow tightly, wishing it was something else, someone else.

Her heart started beating fast. If the person she is embracing is the one who she thinks it to be then things are another universe of complicated. She wanted to play it cool. So she did the stupidest thing she could think of.

Ava opened one eye and when her thoughts were confirmed she immediately shut them close, tightly. She tried removing Sara's arm that was wrapped around her waist. When the other woman stirred she stilled and pretended to be asleep.

She felt Sara waking up so she waited. She waited until the other woman was fully aware of the situation and when she finally was, the taller blonde 'yawned'.

She opened her eyes to see Sara scurrying away from her. She ex-wife had a confused look on her face "what happened?" the shorter blonde scratched her temple.

"I... I don't know" she felt stupid. Her cheeks grew hot red when she remembered that she pretended to be sleeping just to save herself from embarrassment.

"Where is..." before Sara could finish the sentence a tiny voice pierced through the room.

"Good morning mommy! Good morning mama!" The little girl had the sweetest smile. She held her favorite stuffed toy in her hand, perfectly still in the center of the edge of the bed.