Chapter 9
The clean lines of the kitchen registered upon Bear as he reflected upon his tidy up. The dishwasher was silently at work and all before him looked bright and smelled clean. Funny how deep the feeling of satisfaction was as he turned to find his way upstairs.
Thing was, as he sought to step away, he paused and retook a seat on one of the breakfast bar stools. As Bear sat there, he realised he had been caught in a whirlwind these last few days, and only now could he pause and judge the truth and consequences.
Finally he smiled and arose but not to go upstairs but to place the coffeepot on the stove and brew another very excellent coffee. He looked occasionally towards the top of the stairs, expecting Ma'am to appear with directions on what was next and was surprised, when she did not.
The full action replay of the last twenty-four hours cascaded through his head, which he just kept shaking side to side as smiles came and went. The occasional frown and tilt of head was in there too, but mostly a self deprecating acceptance of this was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
Bear was on his second cup of coffee when he felt her presence at the top of the stairs. Dressed in an identical bath robe to the one on the chair beside him. He had picked up that bathrobe from the floor where Ma'am had left it, as part of her spectacular exit. Ma'am took a seat on the top step, watching him thoughtfully, and then broke the silence.
"You done figuring out stuff?" She asked.
"Not really," was Bears reply, which he followed with,
"It's a lot to take in when you put it all on a plate in one sitting."
"I hear you," was Ma'am's reply, then adding,
"Having second thoughts?" As she rested her chin on her knees sitting there on the top step.
"Always," Bear said, shrugging his shoulders, "but they mostly resolve into gratitude that I find myself here. You have found me. That fact is not lost upon me, at all. You have waited, plotted, conspired and finally ambushed me. Thereafter, in all truth, you have then dragged me back to your lair for dinner coffee and afters."
At this point Ma'am starting laughing and the scale and depth of her laughter grew until she lifted her head and shouted,
"Guilty your Honour on all charges," and continued,
"You understand, Bear, this is a two-way street. You are not some trick or treat. Some dalliance to be moved on from by next month?"
Bear felt his heart sink as she used these words and, sensing this, Ma'am transfixed him with her intense gaze. Damn, she could be right in his face no matter what the distance.
"That thought scares your heart, doesn't it, my love?"
Bear, looking up at her, was lost for words. He tried for yes and after struggling a few times finally just dropped his eyes and looking down at the kitchen table in front of him nodding. But it did not stop there. He kept nodding first at the question and then at his internal response. Things went so deep as he continued to nod. His heart unraveling heaven and hell standing there like two doorways side by side.
Finally, he could not take the screaming growth of insecurity any more and, lurching his head around, looked at Ma'am and said,
"No please, let that be never true," and then just looked up at her, lost. The thought of such betrayal crushing his features as his body coiled downwards in response.
