Enlightened

Chapter Seventeen: Home

A/N: 1. We hit 1000 reads!! Thank you guys so much!! Make sure you comment and vote if you want faster updates! :) 

2. I'm going to try and maintain a somewhat structured update schedule.  I'm thinking updates every Tuesday and Friday, starting after this is published.  I'll try my hardest to stay true to it, but I'm not sure how this will work because I'm a pretty busy person.  

3. Prepare yourselves, friends.  :)

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Toni and Cheryl left the station at 7:15, hopping into the cruiser and driving to Thistlehouse. The Sheriff had been told that all the broken furniture had been removed and it was safe to be in the building again. The redhead needed clothes so she decided to go back for some, as much as she loved wearing Toni's clothes she wanted to wear the dress she'd bought out tonight.

They got to Thistlehouse half an hour later, after making a pit stop at Starbucks and 7/11.  Toni dropped Cheryl off in the driveway.  Before going inside, the redhead walked around the car and leaned into the open window.  "Does nine work?  Or do you want me to come earlier?"  Toni asked.

"No, nine works.  I want to clean some stuff up and rearrange the little amount of furniture that I have left,"  Cheryl said leaning closer to her girlfriend and kissing her lightly.  After saying their goodbyes, the redhead walked inside to see her practically empty house.  Most of the art, electronics, anything with jewels on it was gone.  Seeing Thistlehouse like this was a little bit saddening.  Sure, she kinda hated it there, but it was still her house for a number of years.  The redhead walked up to her bedroom and went into her closet, surprisingly it was untouched.  

She pulled out the red bodycon dress and matching red pumps and laid them on her bed.  She took her phone out and went to plug it into her speaker, but realized it wouldn't be there.  She remembered her nana buying an old-school boom box with an aux plug a year or so before she died.  The redhead walked quickly down to the basement and pulled the large music machine out of a cardboard box.  She wiped the lining of dust that had been accumulating on the top of the boombox and went to close the box when she noticed a collection of cassette tapes at the bottom.  

She took them out and saw that each tape was in a case with a piece of paper and a name on the front.  She rifled through the cases until she found the one with her name on it.  She took her tape and the boombox up to her bedroom.  

She set the boombox on her desk and took the tape out.  The piece of paper fell out of the case and onto the floor, before picking it up Cheryl put the tape into the boombox and pressed play.  "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" by Paul Anka started playing first.  She picked the sheet of paper up as the 1950s classic played through the bedroom.  Anka's voice was soothing in light of all that had happened to her and Toni.  She unfolded the small sheet and almost wept at the sight of her grandmother's handwriting.

Cheryl,

I've always known what you are.  My dear, I know you love women and I know you love that strapping young Sheriff Topaz.  I need you to know that, no matter what anyone says, whether it be your demonic excuse for a mother or a stranger that may cross your path, you love who you want to.  

I made this tape so you could express your love for Antoinette.  You made a good choice young one, cherish her.  I may not have been able to have the love I so desperately wanted, but you can.  You can live out the life and the love I never had.  

My dear granddaughter, I am glad that you were born along with your brother.  I am so proud of you.  You're the child I always wanted Cheryl, now go on and live your life free of fear or worry.