The Time Traveler's Wife

The Story Interview

January 2015

Carmilla cracks open her eyes at the feeling of Laura climbing out of their bed. It hadn't taken long into their relationship for Carmilla to move in with Laura, although there had never been anything official.

But during most of 2012 and 2013, Carmilla was still vanishing so often and reappearing in Laura's apartment, that soon enough most of Carmilla's wardrobe and her toothbrush had been moved for the sake of convenience. By 2014, the traveling had slowed down, but they had decided to just get a new place together, especially when Laura graduated and got a job. And them living together took some anxiety off Carmilla about paying rent when she did travel. Which, to their immense happiness, hadn't happened for quite a while.

"Good morning," Laura says around a yawn as she walks off to the bathroom and begins brushing her teeth.

"Not good morning," Carmilla grumbles. "Very, very bad morning."

She hears Laura laugh through her applied toothpaste. "When did you travel off to last night, grumpy pants?"

"February 1998. Our first Buffy viewing together."

Laura spits out the toothpaste and pops her head through the door with a playful glare. "I'll still never forgive you for that spoiler."

Carmilla chuckles. "Yeah, sorry again about that."

Laura goes back into the bathroom and returns a few minutes later.

"Too bad I didn't disappear for a few more days," Carmilla pouts.

"Why?" Laura asks with a frown.

Carmilla's pout grows. "Coz then we would've been spending a weekend together, instead of me watching you leave for work."

"But then I would've had to spend those few days alone," Laura points out. She gives Carmilla a minty peck on the lips. "Also, Mattie couldn't find anyone to cover your afternoon shift while she's in Morocco. So you've still got work today."

"What would they have done if I didn't come back?" Carmilla asks.

Laura starts changing into her work clothes. "I was just gonna go in and cover for you. My interview for the article should be over by then."

Carmilla stares at her with a soft look. "You're amazing, you know that?"

And I love you.

Carmilla swallows hard at that thought. It's one she's had countless times in the past couple years, but she's never said it.

Laura's also never said it, but Carmilla has a feeling it's because she doesn't want to scare Carmilla. As if she knows that some part of Carmilla still has a feeling that this is all temporary, and one day the one person keeping her grounded will drift away.

Those three words could solidify the feeling, but it could also make it all the more painful if she ever loses her relationship with Laura. And Laura seems to understand that.

So instead, they both let a look between them linger.

"Well, there are cupcakes I baked last night in the kitchen. I have to get going," Laura eventually says, "This woman is supposedly very impatient."

"Who even is she?" Carmilla asks around a yawn.

Laura is putting on her makeup across the room. "I'm not even sure. The original source LaF put me in touch with was some manager at a smaller branch. But word got out and I guess the CEO wants to do damage control, so she reached out to me and said that she would like to do the interview instead of letting her inferior do it."