Perfected for Sin

3:1

Tanner stood at the sink washing her whiskey glass as everyone else  continued sleeping.

"How much pain are you in?"

"I thought you were asleep?"

"I asked first."

"I'm sore but it was worth it to me."

"Let's go upstairs."

Tanner leaned against the counter facing her wife with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry for dragging you guys out."

"Baby I had a wonderful time and so did Jas."

"But Danny didn't."

"Danny is a teenager with a girlfriend, she won't admit it but she had a good time. Is that why you were drinking?"

"I had one glass, I promise. I was hoping it'd help me sleep."

"Let's go upstairs and lay down."

Tanner's eyes closed as her wife massaged her ankles.

"Try to sleep, baby."

"Come here then."

The tattooed arms wrapped around the girl who rested her head on the pillow beside her.

"I'm trying..... I'm trying so hard to remember everything but I just can't."

"It's okay as long as you remember that I love you with all of my heart."

"I couldn't forget if I tried."

The little girl ran from the evil man down the hallway to the kitchen.

"Stop running from me!"

"Leave me alone!"

"Honey!"

She slammed the door on the man's fingers before stepping up on the wobbly chair to reach the phone.

As her tiny fingers pressed the last one the chair was kicked out from under her allowing her to fall.

"I told you to stop running, Tanner."

The carpenter jumped out of her wife's grasp on to the hardwood floor.

"Are you okay?"

The gentle hand reached out to touch the tattooed fingers that were shaking.

"Don't touch me, leave me alone."

"Baby it's me, it's Autumn your wife."

"No, no."

"It's me, I won't hurt you. Baby it's me."

Tanner finally looked at her wife with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry."

Autumn held her hand out waiting for Tanner to allow contact.

"What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just don't think I want to be touched right now."

"Okay, I understand."

Autumn placed a pillow between the two of them before shifting her attention back to Tanner.

"I'll leave the light on."

"Okay."

She shifted under the gaze of her therapist.

"Two."

"What?"

"You're digging up memories trying to remember everything. This is why the nightmare came back and now that you have someone that was comforting you, you couldn't tell the difference between nightmare and gentle touches of your wife. Just stop trying. We have both talked with your doctors, right?"

"Yes."

"So we both know that you will never be able to retain the memory that you once had. You are obviously hurting yourself by trying. The best thing you can do is let go of your childhood memories and allow yourself to make new ones. Now Mrs. Sin, do you remember what number I said a little over three minutes ago?"

Tanner racked her brain trying to remember but she came up blank.

"No sir."

"You're a loss cause kid."