"So what exactly do you have planned?"
"This." Thomas replies, which makes me chuckle.
"No, seriously."
Although it was really nice sitting in each other's arms listening to the radio, I look at Tommy and wonder what he has planned for today. Our days usually consist of this, we moved house so that I was closer to his workplace in London. We rarely ever visit Birmingham and whenever we do, it's during the day time. Or else Thomas and I spend a night in a hotel. London is beautiful, and I like that we're here and not there. In the depths of hell that is Birmingham.
I mention his trousers, smoothing my hands over his leg. "You're still in your pyjamas."
"You're still in yours." He mentions the silk fabric I lay in.
"You're not working?" I ask.
"No."
"Why?"
As if to answer me, a knock sounds at the door. I sit up, as Thomas withers away from me. I lean back against the couch, wishing I was leaning against his chest.
"Good morning." A woman starts, she's chippy.
"Morning," Thomas clears his throat, "Please come in."
The woman, who is an older lady, enters the living room. She smiles kindly at me, she's got a phenomenal smile. White hair that falls just below her ears, baby blue eyes and a round figure.
"This must be your wife!" She walks up to me, and before I can grab my cane to stand up, I'm embraced by the woman. "Oh, I've heard so much about you, sweetheart."
My eyes fall on Thomas's, who scratches his chin awkwardly. I don't like being touched, especially since what happened to me. Still, I swallow my frustrations and hug the woman back. I stand up slowly, feeling a bit of tenderness in my tailbone.
You no good fuckin' whore! Oliver's scream comes racing through my mind as he kicks my back, the steel toed boots he wore lunged into the bottom of my spine.
I manage to stand, despite being shaky. I grab my cane to help keep me balanced. Thomas is by my side, ready to catch me if I fall. I meet eyes with the woman, who reads me like I'm a book. Her silver eyebrows pull together, her mouth shut.
"I'm sorry," I tell her, a woman who looks like she's in her sixties can stand up straight, and yet I struggle. Fuck.
"Jade, this is Maggie. Maggie, I'd like you to do meet Jade. My wife."
I smile at her, it's hard not to. She's a personable woman. "Nice to meet you Maggie."
"You too, Mrs. Shelby."
"Please. Call me Jade." Mrs. Shelby sounds nice though, don't get me wrong.
"Jade. What a pretty name." Maggie softly hums before looking around. "And such a marvellous home you have Jade."
"Thank you." I look at Thomas, "To be quite fair, the house was Tommy's doing. I was in and out of the hospital, I couldn't say much about the decor, but I love it."
"That's good, having a good partner during that time must've been important." She puts her hands in front of her, intertwining her fingers.
I notice the beautiful silver ring on her finger with a gemstone plopped in the middle of it. It's a beautiful shade of red. A ruby.
"Yes, I'm extremely grateful to Thomas." I reply.
Only now wondering what I can help Ms. Maggie with. We don't have any housekeepers, the one stay at home nurse did what she had to do and left after I recovered.
"Thomas, do you mind if Jade and I have a moment alone?"
"Of course." Thomas answers her quite quickly.
I grab his arm and look at him. "Where are you going?"
"Just trust me." He whispers and kisses my forehead before exiting the living room.
"Why don't we sit down, Jade."
"Okay." I slowly sit, sinking into the couch.
She crosses her legs, "Jade, I am a healer."
Healer?
Maggie the Healer continues. "My job is to help people who are struggling after an accident happens to them. I was called to help you by your husband, who only praises you. As a matter of fact, he said you didn't need any help with feeling better. That you've moved into a very capable woman." Maggie presses her lips together. She mentions my cane. "You've gotten yourself a beautiful cane."
"Thank you." I whisper, rolling my thumb around the head of the cane. It's a lions head, all gold.
"Why did you decide to get that cane?" She crosses her legs and leans in.
"I don't know," I respond.
"Do you think you'll walk with a cane forever?"
I swallow, feeling a prickling in my brain.
"Do you feel safe, knowing that you've got a cane to assist you in walking?"
"Of course I feel safe."
She's calm with me. Even though I give her attitude. "If I asked you to walk right now without the cane, could you?"
"I could but-"
"Ah ah," She stops me right there. "Don't say but... the truth is, Jade, you can absolutely walk without a cane. If you put your mind to do it. Do you know what physiotherapy is?"
Clamping my mouth shut, I feel rage because of this woman. I shake my head. She's defying me.
"Physiotherapy is a more holistic approach to tending to injuries or diseases."
"Holistic?" I ask.
"Yes, so massages rather than surgeries, exercise in oppose to medication. I've been practicing physiotherapy for years, Jade. And I've seen miracles. People who haven't walked in decades now running for miles."
"What makes you think I need this? That I need you?" I snap.
"Well for starters, I think you're living your life with a safety blanket wrapped around you." She nods at the cane. "Your cane is a temporary guide, it isn't something that you'll need forever. To be-"
"Who the hell said I'd need it forever-"
"To be frank, Jade, I think you're comfortable with the idea of you having an aid by your side to walk. But I assure you, you don't need an aid. Not with me."
"I don't need you." I laugh at her. "I've survived hell without you. I can get through the rest of life without you too."
"Jade-"
"Please see yourself out, Maggie." I grab my cane and push myself to stand. I turn and stare down at her. "And don't bother comin' back. You're expertises isn't needed here."
I walk away and head straight to the restroom. I slam the bathroom door shut and pull open the medicine cabinet, to my dismay, every single one of my pills have been taken out. The bloody cabinet is empty!
"Fuck!" I scream, slamming the cabinet shut.
