by BWWM Club
The girl was so talented and her writing left you wanting more. When she had heard the news about what had happened to her and the subsequent memory loss she had been paralyzed with fear thinking that she was going to die but she had made it, thank the good Lord and now she was here saying that she was taking time off from writing. Artists, she thought with a grimace, dealing with them was like dealing with children. “I hope you know what you are doing honey.”
“I do,” Kym said with a smile. “I will be in touch.”
“Take your fan mail with you and see how much you can respond to and I will let you know when this goes to publication.” Sylvia told her with a wave. “And honey,” she stopped her when she reached the doorway. “I don’t blame you for wanting to concentrate on your marriage, the man is scrumptious!”
*****
“We are so happy to hear about your wife’s complete recovery Julian,” Peter Blagrove, a senior member of the board told him as soon as the meeting was adjourned. The others nodded gravely and expressed their relief as well. The men filed out and left the father and son still sitting in the room.
“I understand that Kym will be taking a hiatus from writing?” James asked him sipping the spring water that had been set before him by one of the secretaries.
“I tried to talk her out of it Dad but she will not budge. She is going to be doing some research for a historical novel but as for writing she is giving it a break in order to be more of a wife to me. I wish I was happy about it but what if she resents me for it in the long run?” Julian asked him.
“She was the one who made the decision son and I suppose the fact that she almost lost her life along with her memory had a profound effect on her. I think she needs to do this.” James told his son. He had been very happy when they had decided to make the manor their home. He had fallen in love with the bright and beautiful girl who had married his son and he was glad they were near to them.
“She is not used to being idle Dad and I wonder what that is going to do to her.” Julian said still a little bit worried.
“Why don’t you talk to her again about her decision and hear what she has to say?” he smiled a little bit, his expression thoughtful. “Your mother was a successful buyer for a department store and she traveled all over the world; but when we got married she quit her job and she told me she never regretted it. I even offered her a position at the company but she told me no and she found things to occupy herself. Look what she did to the hospital and the children’s home downtown and now she has taken on the task of rebuilding the community center downtown. Your wife will not be idle I assure you, she will find something to occupy her time.”
*****
“Darling what on earth are you doing?” Irene asked as she entered the kitchen and saw her daughter in law bent over something the chef was making.
“I think it’s time I learned to cook.” She told her with a grin. “And I am learning from the best.” She looked up at the balding pot bellied man with the florid skin, his face shiny with a glimmer of sweat. “He is actually a fan of my books as well.”
“Luke, I noticed that the produce truck has just pulled up outside could you go and see to it for me?” Irene said with a charming smile. She had come down from her study in search of her daughter in law to talk to her. She never expected to see her in the kitchen because her son had told her that his wife did not cook.
Irene picked up a snowy white apron from the hook against the wall. The kitchen was huge and ultra modern and was a chef’s dream. “I never had time for cooking when I lived alone because I was always traveling and take out was my best friend.” She tasted the sauce that was bubbling on the stove and smacked her lips in appreciation. “When I got married I wanted to be the best wife a man could ever have. I quit my job and started to learn how to cook and bake. James already had a chef and he did not appreciate me puttering around in his kitchen. He did not say anything because I was the boss’ wife but I could see I was making him uncomfortable. One day James sat me down and told me that cooking and baking does not make me a good wife, I can be one without all of those things and besides I hated cooking.” She sliced a large slice of the blueberry pie that was cooling on the side board and cutting it in two she handed a slice to Kym and they sat at the counter eating the pie. “I am telling you the same thing my dear. Julian does not care if you can boil water, he loves you for who you are and you are a talented writer who brings joy to her readers and my dear Luke is going to be offended if he does not get to cook for the family because that’s his job.”
“I am trying too hard aren’t I?” Kym said ruefully, polishing off the delicious pie and the milk that Irene had also poured.
“Don’t worry about it. I did that as well and discovered that I was not happy being someone I was not.” Irene told her with a smile. “How about in between your research you could help me with seeking funding for the community center we are planning to renovate and reopen downtown?”
“That sounds like a good idea.” Kym said enthusiastically. “I would love to help and maybe I could make some positive input. I also want to donate some of my royalties to the cause as well.”
“Excellent my dear,” Irene said with a pleased smile. “Now let’s go up to my study and give Luke back his kitchen.”
*****
“I tried to take over the chef’s kitchen today.” She admitted to Julian as sat on the large padded bench in the bathroom and rubbed some cream on her skin. They had taken a shower and he was watching her as she smoothed the cream over her skin.
“What did he say?” he asked her in amusement coming to sit next to her, taking the tube from her and squeezing some into his palm and taking her foot onto his lap and finishing the job.
“Your mother showed me the errors of my ways,” she told him, closing her eyes as he massaged the cream into her skin. “She implied that I was trying too hard.”
“Are you?” he looked at her quizzically reaching for her other foot.
“I would like to say no but I guess I am,” she nodded. “I hate cooking Julian and the fact that I was willing to try and learn shows how much I want us to work.”
“We are working without you having to do anything,” he stopped to look at her. “Even if you sit around here every day doing nothing that would not matter to me. It matters to me that you are here with me and I am so thankful for that. You would never understand how much.” He told her feelingly.
“I think I do,” she closed her hands over his on her legs. “I guess I am trying to make up for the careless way I regarded what we had before and I am trying hard to show how much I appreciate you.”
“I love you Kym and I want you to be you, not someone else.” He told her softly pulling her into his arms and standing up with her. “You are my wife and you have made the happiest man in the world.”
*****
“Honey, it’s so good to see you!” Gloria enveloped her daughter in her arms tightly as she opened the door to let her in. “I expect to see your husband as well even though it is a work day. That man looked like he would not let you venture out by yourself again after what happened.”
“I had to convince him that I was going to be fine.” Kym said with a smile walking with her mother into the living room. “Where is Pops?”
“Planting some spring bulbs; with the rain we have been having he is taking advantage of it to put in some vegetables and flowers.” Gloria hurried out to the back doorway and called for her husband. “Honey, Kym is here for a visit.” She called out.
He joined them in time for tea and homemade biscuits. “It’s good to see you up and about girl,” he said gruffly giving her a big hug.
“Thanks Pops,” she said kissing him gently on the cheek.
“Your mother here and I never had a good night sleep until you left the hospital. It’s a crying shame that people are not safe in their own neighborhood.” He said shaking his head as he reached for a biscuit.
“It was a homeless guy Pops and
I think he felt threatened by my presence there.” Kym said a little concern showing in her expression.
“My dear don’t tell me you feel sorry for him!” her mother looked at her incredulously.
“Mom, he is not in his right mind.” Kym protested. “I am just happy that I survived because it could have been so much worse.”
“I still think that they should be put in a confined environment where they are monitored every minute of the day.” Gloria said firmly sipping her tea delicately. “I almost lost you honey and for that I cannot dredge a single sympathy for him.”
“I don’t think that there is enough manpower or a resource to monitor them as much Mom but it was on me as well, I should not have gone up there and stayed there so late. I was careless and I am not going to be doing that anymore.”
“Good,” Daniel said reaching out to squeeze her hand. “We will sleep better knowing that you will not be wandering around that place all by yourself.”
They talked about her decision to quit writing for a year. “Are you sure you will be able to do that dear?” her mother asked in concern.
“I need the break mom,” Kym said with a smile. “When I am writing I am totally focused on what I am writing and I have no time for anyone or anything else. I am a married woman and my husband needs me more than my desire to write or my reading public. He has a job, a company to run but he leaves that behind and comes home every evening to me and it’s all about me then and on weekends he is with me as well. When I am writing I am so engrossed I don’t think about anyone or anything else. It’s not fair to him and I intend to change that.”
Chapter 11
The nightmares came. The day had been hectic with her sending off emails to various places to ask for funding for the renovation of the community center and Kym found that she was enjoying herself.
“I have been doing this for years my dear and it is very fulfilling.” Irene told her as she got off the phone with a potential donor. “I have a committee that I work with and we meet once per week to update our progress.”
Kym admired her very functional and luxurious office that had everything that an office needed. She even had a secretary who came in to work with her from nine until three each day from Monday to Friday.
“Lucy dear, send a note to Mrs. Fletcher to tell her that I can meet with her tomorrow. Thursdays are the days I make my rounds to the old ladies who are sitting on their money and have no idea what to do with it.”
Kym had spent the day getting to know the ins and outs of the committee and organizing a luncheon to solicit some more assistance for funding.
She had not left her mother in law’s suite until she knew it was almost time for Julian to get home. He had called her several times as usual to find out how she was doing. She had a feeling he was afraid that she was regretting her decision and wanted to make sure that she was still okay with what she had decided.
They usually ate dinner with his parents but sometimes they ate in their suite and dinner would be brought up to them by one of the maids on duty. She was not sure she could ever get used to been served by another person but she supposed she would eventually.
She had fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillows after they had made love. It was shortly after that the nightmares came. She dreamed that there was a large man coming after her wielding a heavy plank, his expression fierce. The more she tried to get away from him the faster he came until she fell over a piece of broken tile. As he raised his hand to bring the plank down on her head that was when she screamed.
Julian jumped up, his heart racing. He grabbed her and shook her until she woke up and saw him above her, his expression anxious. She threw herself into his arms her body trembling. He held her to him and felt her heartbeat against his bare chest. Her nightgown was thin and he felt every contour of her body as he held her against him. He waited until she was calm enough to tell him what was going on but he had a good idea what had brought it on.
He slid back and brought her against his chest, his arms around her waist, stroking her back thankful that the trembling had abated. “Want to talk about it?” he murmured.
She nodded against his chest, feeling safe against the terror that had assailed her in her dream. “It was him,” she said quietly. “I saw him coming after me and the more I tried to run the faster he came.”
His arms tightened around her waist. “You know that is not going to happen to you again don’t you?” his voice was tight.
“I am sorry about bringing it up again Julian,” she said soberly. “But I guess it was still in my sub consciousness and it manifested itself into my dreams.”
“He hurt you and I could not do a thing about it,” he said trying to control the rage inside him. “If I had been there and seen him, homeless or not I would have killed him for hurting you like that!” he said harshly.
She lifted her head and saw the rage on his face and felt compassion for what he was feeling. He loved her and he was not there to stop her being hurt and he was forever going to blame himself for that. “Will you look at me?” she demanded. He did and his green eyes were turbulent. “If it was anyone’s fault it was mine and I don’t want you to put it on you. I am here now Julian and whatever it is, we have to learn to deal with it together. You have to try and stop treating me like a delicate glass about to break.” She climbed on top of him and started nibbling at his bottom lip sending darts of desire through his body. “I am here and I love you and I am not going anywhere.”*****
He called the doctor the next day when he was at the office and told him about the nightmare she had had. “It’s natural that after a trauma like that for a person to have recurring nightmares Julian,” he was told.
“Is it going to be a problem for her Michael?” Julian asked him abruptly. Even though she had distracted him with her body he was still on edge and he had hid his concern from her this morning while he was with her and they were having breakfast together. No matter what he had to do at the office he made sure that they had breakfast and dinner together and there was no variation, she was too important to him.
“If she wants she can see a therapist Julian,” he suggested.
“You don’t know my wife, she would never agree to that,” Julian said grimly.
“The only thing I can tell you is that it will pass just continue to be supportive of her and make her know that she is safe. If it continues then you can suggest the therapist and hear what she says.”
*****
She told her friends about the nightmare. They were having lunch in their usual restaurant. It was coming to the end of April and the weather was considerably mild and she had worn dark blue dress pants and a white silk blouse and had bundled her curls on top of her head. “I am afraid I have Julian worried.” She said as she sipped her flavored water.
“That sucks,” Marla said with a sigh moving her bright orange clad arm as she signaled for the waiter to bring her a glass of water. “How can you really charge a homeless guy anyway?”
“He is not only homeless but also insane and he is not going to make court,” Gabrielle told them. She kept looking at her wristwatch the minute she came inside.
“Do you have somewhere else to be?” Kym asked her friend with a lifting of one brow.
“I have to be back in court as soon as the jurors are back, they have been out for more than two hours and I am starting to get worried.” She said with a sigh. “Anyway back to you, after suffering something so traumatic you are bound to have some flashbacks. You think that you are going to need to see someone?”
“Like a shrink?” she looked at her friend in horror.
“Honey, I know we are supposed to be strong black women but sometimes we need a little help and kindly remember that it’s not just you it is your husband as well and if the nightmares continue you are going to have to deal with that aspect of it.” Gabrielle told her.
“I think you should listen to the counselor,” Marla said in amusement. “She usually knows
what she is saying.”
Just then her phone rang and she answered it. “I will be right there.” She stood up hastily and reached inside her pocket book for some money to cover her portion of the lunch she had yet to eat.
“It’s okay my treat,” Kym said with a wave of her hand.
“Thanks girl,” she leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I am glad you are still around. I will call you girls later.” She said before hurrying away.
“So how is your love life?” Kym asked turning to Marla.
“I am not seeing that guy from the party again,” she said with a sigh. “He is too clingy and wants to know where I am every minute of the day. I am also relocating from where I am because they are upping the rent so now I am going to have to look at somewhere to rent.”
“How about using my place to do your work? It is standing there empty and you don’t have to pay me anything.” Kym suggested. She had told her husband that they could go there when they wanted to be alone but the suite they had at his place gave them enough privacy as it was.
“Are you sure?” Marla stared at her in disbelief.
“I am sure,” Kym told her with a smile.
“You have it all girlfriend and a lot of us search a long time for what you have right now.”
*****
She started jogging again and he would not let her go by herself. Even though there was a complete gym in the manor she preferred the fresh outdoors when the weather was not cold. She woke up at six and donned her jogging clothes and he woke up with her and they headed out. The neighborhood was upscale and there was not a park in sight.
“How about a race?” she asked him one morning with an impish smile. She had bent down to tie her shoe lace and he had stood behind her admiring her curves.
“You want to race with me?” he asked her in amusement. She was wearing a purple sleeveless top and even though she was wearing a sports bra underneath he could still see her nipples sticking out.