I'm just the help

We spend the next day doing as planned, searching for a place to meet both our needs as neither of us felt like a car was necessary. That put us at needing to be roughly midway between Henrik’s and where Edward’s looking at getting certified to teach. There isn’t really a lack of options, more a lack of my personal confidence in the ability to pay for said options, though Edward seems to take everything into consideration…or maybe he’s just being polite to the people showing us round?

We end up with a stack of business cards, all with a brief outline of fees on their backs, two dozen photos on cell phones, and starving. I lead the way to the chip shop and we find a place to sit in the crowded little space.

"I don’t even remember what place was where at this point, and I think they’re all blurrin’ into one giant flat in my memory," I shake my head and blink a few times, trying to recall any details that stood out and not being able to separate out much. Too many places in one day, but they’d all been in the same area so it’d seemed the thing to do at the time.

She assures me it’s fine but i shrug.  ”Well, still…my doing and i don’t want to waste the little time you have off.  Bit of an idiot, me.”  She argues but i push on.

"Good thing one of us is organized," I start after a few chips and time to regain my lack of idiocy. "If it were left to me, we'd probably end up with a dartboard full of photos and the call that whatever we hit, we keep. Possible I'm slightly impulsive at times."

After The Two Towers, we decided to take a break and work on cooking class round two, this time eggplant parmesan since I’d made homemade marinara before he got home from Africa. Somehow that seems to impress him, or maybe he just likes the domestic aspect? Whatever it is, if he’s smiling, I’ll take it.

It’s instruction time on dredging and pan frying and all sorts of fun. I thoroughly enjoy this, us together in the kitchen making something together. I’m used to cooking, and I even enjoy it, but to have someone do it with me, and to know that we’re working together on something for the both of us…okay, sure that sounds terribly swoony-girl of me, but so what?

Bless her patience with me on all of it.  ”Think i’ll learn to love cooking.  Especially together.”  i wink at her at this, digging in and loving it.

We head to bed somewhat early, all snuggled up together in bed, not a stitch of clothing on but needing nothing more than the intimacy of the moment, me completely happy to just be home with her.

After The Two Towers, we decided to take a break and work on cooking class round two, this time eggplant parmesan since I'd made homemade marinara before he got home from Africa. Somehow that seems to impress him, or maybe he just likes the domestic aspect? Whatever it is, if he's smiling, I'll take it.

It's instruction time on dredging and pan frying and all sorts of fun. I thoroughly enjoy this, us together in the kitchen making something together. I'm used to cooking, and I even enjoy it, but to have someone do it with me, and to know that we're working together on something for the both of us...okay, sure that sounds terribly swoony-girl of me, but so what?

"You were incredibly sweet yourself and i just liked when you actually talked to me.  So i stuck with the small talk, seemed to get you to notice me a little bit so i didn;t mind."

"Otherwise we would’ve been stalled out before we got anywhere. Or maybe I’m just impatient," I muse, slipping my shoes off and setting my little pet wolf on the dresser. 

"And I think that it’s more than possible shy and nervous Edward got lost somewhere in Africa. All the sweetness, all the kindness, and seems to me you aren’t nervous about much of anythin’ anymore." I stand in front of him, tugging at his belt buckle. "Also seems to me it’s birthday girl’s choice for another…" I check the clock, "two and a quarter hours."

All i do now is smile and comply to her wishes, but only hers, kissing her as she tugs at my clothes and i help her out of hers.

I tame my hair and pull on my robe before shuffling out in search of coffee and my Edward. He unfolds from his position on the couch, setting down what is either a book or a journal, I’m not really sure, before coming to give me a light kiss. I burrow into the warmth of his chest and breathe him in.

"Still can’t quite believe you’re really here," I tell him, looking up into his eyes and twining a curl around my index finger. "Sometimes it feels like a dream, but if it is, I really don’t wanna wake up at all."

How I possibly deserve someone so sweet is beyond me. How I’ve earned the love of a man as good as Edward is completely baffling.

In my alone time, I’d spent a while thinking it over, and hadn’t been able to figure it out, not really. He’s good and kind, has a sharp mind and a massive heart, and generally makes me a better and more grounded person than I’ve ever been. He makes me dream of being more than I’ve ever though to be and…well, he makes me consider things I’ve never thought to: university, a real career that I have the potential to love, …marriage. All of it. 

Like…I can actually see myself in a proper house, with a proper garden and a dog or a cat or something. It’s so…domestic. I’d never thought to be domestic. In fact, I rather thought I’d just move away to some other country, live in some tiny flat, and be a starving author or something stupidly romantic and useless like that. Maybe have a string of lovers across the Mediterranean who I base my characters off of, it was all wildly idiotic and more likely I’d be a shopgirl forever, but now? Well, Edward has this magic charm of making me consider the future, and I’ve no idea how he does it.

"Well," i sip at my own coffee in consideration.  "Depends on how extraordinary we want to go.  I vote somewhat simple.  Waffles, fruits, maybe some egg and some…sausage or something for you," i suggest.  "We can get more creative with dinner tonight, i think."

I have other thoughts running through me head and had been since last night.  Particularly concerning that origami flower ring hidden in the back of one of my drawers.  I wanted to propose, first with that and then get a proper ring later down the road when we weren’t so bogged down with things like moving and school and jobs.  The trouble was coming up with when was the best time.  And where.

I shrug the thought off for now though as i stand with her and join to help her in the kitchen. “Did you do any looking into other places?  I thought we could perhaps look into some this week.  It’ll be a bit of a busy month.  Need to look into some teaching programs.  Goodness…i’ll have to visit mother sometime this week, too. Or maybe next week when i have my hair cut.  And C.”

"But given that we’re together, and not in some casual way where we go on a date now and again, I feel like I should probably make at least an effort at civility. I mean…she is your sister. You just lucked out and I don’t have any siblings to contend with."

We get to work on breakfast, and it’s quite nice having him in the kitchen with me again. After all, this was where it’d all started: just a nice guy coming to help out the hired help…

I stop myself short and let out a breath.  ”I don;t want it to seem as though i am forcing you in any way but i am here to support you in any way i can.  Classes included.  We’ll find a place, we’ll go looking this week, what do you say?”  I ask her, helping with the batter.

He argues against that immediately, and I just smile. "You really are...absolutely incredible, d'ya know that? Not many guys out there in the world as kind as you are. Okay, this week I'll look into one or two classes--nothin' extreme. I'm not looking to get into Cambridge or somethin', just a start. And we'll look for a place. Maybe I can get more hours at the shop for a while."

I shrug and we finish up breakfast, getting everything onto plates and making for the little dining table. "I've at least been pretty good at saving up since I got back...helped immensely that you already had this place paid up through now."

"You were incredibly sweet yourself and i just liked when you actually talked to me.  So i stuck with the small talk, seemed to get you to notice me a little bit so i didn;t mind."

"Otherwise we would’ve been stalled out before we got anywhere. Or maybe I’m just impatient," I muse, slipping my shoes off and setting my little pet wolf on the dresser. 

"And I think that it’s more than possible shy and nervous Edward got lost somewhere in Africa. All the sweetness, all the kindness, and seems to me you aren’t nervous about much of anythin’ anymore." I stand in front of him, tugging at his belt buckle. "Also seems to me it’s birthday girl’s choice for another…" I check the clock, "two and a quarter hours."

All i do now is smile and comply to her wishes, but only hers, kissing her as she tugs at my clothes and i help her out of hers.

I tame my hair and pull on my robe before shuffling out in search of coffee and my Edward. He unfolds from his position on the couch, setting down what is either a book or a journal, I’m not really sure, before coming to give me a light kiss. I burrow into the warmth of his chest and breathe him in.

"Still can’t quite believe you’re really here," I tell him, looking up into his eyes and twining a curl around my index finger. "Sometimes it feels like a dream, but if it is, I really don’t wanna wake up at all."

How I possibly deserve someone so sweet is beyond me. How I’ve earned the love of a man as good as Edward is completely baffling.

In my alone time, I’d spent a while thinking it over, and hadn’t been able to figure it out, not really. He’s good and kind, has a sharp mind and a massive heart, and generally makes me a better and more grounded person than I’ve ever been. He makes me dream of being more than I’ve ever though to be and…well, he makes me consider things I’ve never thought to: university, a real career that I have the potential to love, …marriage. All of it. 

Like…I can actually see myself in a proper house, with a proper garden and a dog or a cat or something. It’s so…domestic. I’d never thought to be domestic. In fact, I rather thought I’d just move away to some other country, live in some tiny flat, and be a starving author or something stupidly romantic and useless like that. Maybe have a string of lovers across the Mediterranean who I base my characters off of, it was all wildly idiotic and more likely I’d be a shopgirl forever, but now? Well, Edward has this magic charm of making me consider the future, and I’ve no idea how he does it.

"Well," i sip at my own coffee in consideration.  "Depends on how extraordinary we want to go.  I vote somewhat simple.  Waffles, fruits, maybe some egg and some…sausage or something for you," i suggest.  "We can get more creative with dinner tonight, i think."

I have other thoughts running through me head and had been since last night.  Particularly concerning that origami flower ring hidden in the back of one of my drawers.  I wanted to propose, first with that and then get a proper ring later down the road when we weren’t so bogged down with things like moving and school and jobs.  The trouble was coming up with when was the best time.  And where.

I shrug the thought off for now though as i stand with her and join to help her in the kitchen. “Did you do any looking into other places?  I thought we could perhaps look into some this week.  It’ll be a bit of a busy month.  Need to look into some teaching programs.  Goodness…i’ll have to visit mother sometime this week, too. Or maybe next week when i have my hair cut.  And C.”

"But given that we're together, and not in some casual way where we go on a date now and again, I feel like I should probably make at least an effort at civility. I mean...she is your sister. You just lucked out and I don't have any siblings to contend with."

We get to work on breakfast, and it's quite nice having him in the kitchen with me again. After all, this was where it'd all started: just a nice guy coming to help out the hired help...

"You were incredibly sweet yourself and i just liked when you actually talked to me.  So i stuck with the small talk, seemed to get you to notice me a little bit so i didn;t mind."

"Otherwise we would’ve been stalled out before we got anywhere. Or maybe I’m just impatient," I muse, slipping my shoes off and setting my little pet wolf on the dresser. 

"And I think that it’s more than possible shy and nervous Edward got lost somewhere in Africa. All the sweetness, all the kindness, and seems to me you aren’t nervous about much of anythin’ anymore." I stand in front of him, tugging at his belt buckle. "Also seems to me it’s birthday girl’s choice for another…" I check the clock, "two and a quarter hours."

All i do now is smile and comply to her wishes, but only hers, kissing her as she tugs at my clothes and i help her out of hers.

I tame my hair and pull on my robe before shuffling out in search of coffee and my Edward. He unfolds from his position on the couch, setting down what is either a book or a journal, I'm not really sure, before coming to give me a light kiss. I burrow into the warmth of his chest and breathe him in.

"Still can't quite believe you're really here," I tell him, looking up into his eyes and twining a curl around my index finger. "Sometimes it feels like a dream, but if it is, I really don't wanna wake up at all."

How I possibly deserve someone so sweet is beyond me. How I've earned the love of a man as good as Edward is completely baffling.

In my alone time, I'd spent a while thinking it over, and hadn't been able to figure it out, not really. He's good and kind, has a sharp mind and a massive heart, and generally makes me a better and more grounded person than I've ever been. He makes me dream of being more than I've ever though to be and...well, he makes me consider things I've never thought to: university, a real career that I have the potential to love, ...marriage. All of it. 

Like...I can actually see myself in a proper house, with a proper garden and a dog or a cat or something. It's so...domestic. I'd never thought to be domestic. In fact, I rather thought I'd just move away to some other country, live in some tiny flat, and be a starving author or something stupidly romantic and useless like that. Maybe have a string of lovers across the Mediterranean who I base my characters off of, it was all wildly idiotic and more likely I'd be a shopgirl forever, but now? Well, Edward has this magic charm of making me consider the future, and I've no idea how he does it.

"You were incredibly sweet yourself and i just liked when you actually talked to me.  So i stuck with the small talk, seemed to get you to notice me a little bit so i didn;t mind."

"Otherwise we would've been stalled out before we got anywhere. Or maybe I'm just impatient," I muse, slipping my shoes off and setting my little pet wolf on the dresser. 

"And I think that it's more than possible shy and nervous Edward got lost somewhere in Africa. All the sweetness, all the kindness, and seems to me you aren't nervous about much of anythin' any more." I stand in front of him, tugging at his belt buckle. "Also seems to me it's birthday girl's choice for another..." I check the clock, "two and a quarter hours."

We kill plenty of time in town before it’s time to head to Mum’s, which is easiest done by cab at this point. I laugh when she opens the door and snatches Edward into a crushing hug, babbling at him at a rapid pace.

"Look atcha! All muscled up and so tan…good lord all that hair!" She flips his ponytail. "No wonder ya want me cuttin’ it soon, look at all that! How was it? Everythin’ alright? You made it without catchin’ ill or anythin’ yeah? Can’t believe it’s been near on a year now!"

"Oi! One of us is supposed to be the birthday girl here, and she’s bein’ neglected," I laugh, and Mum waves it off, but comes and kisses my cheeks anyway.

"Oh sweetheart, like I don’t know that? One of us had to pack all eight and a half pounds of you in the mid-summer heat, and guess what, I still ain’t forgot the twenty-odd hours waitin’ for you to decide you’d make your damn debut in society."

I roll my eyes at her turning to Edward to tell him she loves telling people how much torment I was from the start.

"Well it’s true! You wait, I’ll get revenge one of these days when you’re packin’ round one of your own."

I start a coughing fit right about then because I’d been about to make a smartass comment about me being charming from the start, and then she’d gone and slapped that out there for the world to hear.

"Good god, reign it in Mum! Is my gift this year embarrassment?"

"Hush, I’ll turn out right eventually. I always am. Now then, come sit down, grab somethin’ to drink, Rosie you know where everythin’ is. Edward, come tell me about this trip of yours. I’ve seen some of the pictures, what a cute bunch of kids you had!"

When Jackie asks about the trip and the kids i very gladly launch into storytelling mode.  About the people with me, what we got accomplished, about all the kids, about the craft days we had, and little Sia Marie who was enamored with Rose.

I nod and add that we hadn’t set a date or anything of the sort, but that i wanted to go and meet these people who’d become so important to him, and to me as well. 

I also suck it up and mention my idea to take a few classes this fall. She just nods and says I should do whatever makes me happiest, and that I had support for whatever that was. “So long as you don’t stick round that shop forever since I know for a fact you don’t want that, sweetheart.”

"No intention of it, Mum. Think I’d lose my mind."

"You say that like ya didn’t years ago," she laughs and I roll my eyes again. Oh lord it’s like she’d saved it all up until Edward was back. "Oh now, you know ‘m only teasin’." She had me grab plates for her and we get dinner to the table.

"What’d they feed ya in Africa? Somehow you got less scrawny, my prediction went awry," Mum asks after a minute, surveying Edward again.

"Oh you dance, now do ya? Not all…slutty like my no-good daughter here, I assume—"

"Mum!!"

"You must’ve taken lessons or somethin’, yeah? Always did love dancin’ myself, though Pete was terrible."

I just let that one go, knowing there was no way I was getting out of this anyway, and telling her that yes, Edward is a very good dancer, at least from my experience. “But Dad couldn’t dance?”

"You kiddin’? Nearly crushed my toes off on our weddin’ day, the clumsy oaf," she smiles affectionately, she always gets this look when she talks about Dad, and I’ve always loved that. "He stepped on your Gran’s toes and she socked him on the jaw for it. It was one helluva weddin’."

Talk shifts to a few stories from Edward’s trip, Mum was keen on hearing anything he’d tell. Think she liked the idea of travel, plus she adores kids so I’m not surprised by all her interest.

"Such a shame people aren’t lookin’ out for others like they should. Proud of you for sacrificin’ so much to become a part of the lives of people who most just kinda disregard. You’ve got a lotta integrity, Edward. I can see why you had Rose swoonin’ from the start."

"I did not swoon," I sigh.

"Uh-huh. As your mum, I can officially state for the record I heard a swoony tone in your voice the first time you called me from that house and mentioned him."

"Mum, you make it impossible for me to seem cool and collected."

Jackie informs me that yes that was the case and i keep on smiling at her, ideas coming to me for later when we were alone.

"Aside from embarrassment, I guess ya deserve a little somethin’, yeah?" Mum pulls out a little box wrapped in pink paper. "Happy birthday, sweetheart."

I open it up to find a charm bracelet with charms like a little bull, a Spanish flag, a tiny Eiffel tower, a wine glass, a little cannoli, and a mini Colosseum.

"Awww, Mum," I pull her into a hug and she kisses my cheeks again. "Thank you, it’s perfect."

Edward fastens it for me, his fingers tracing over my right wrist as he looks it over. 

"There’s room for more," she points out. "So when you two head off to Africa, I’ll add to it."

"It was important to me that i returned in time and i’m glad i managed it.  They night isn’t over yet, though and whatever you like, we will do.  I also want to hear more about this…swooning business.  That was fun."

She smacks my chest gently and i laugh.

"You were so kind straightaway, and then I looked up and...all bright blue...then it was the adorable fluff on your head first thing in the morning...that time we just sorta talked in the living room...had me all smitten after that. Oh quit lookin' pleased." I blush deeper, feeling like some schoolgirl.

We kill plenty of time in town before it’s time to head to Mum’s, which is easiest done by cab at this point. I laugh when she opens the door and snatches Edward into a crushing hug, babbling at him at a rapid pace.

"Look atcha! All muscled up and so tan…good lord all that hair!" She flips his ponytail. "No wonder ya want me cuttin’ it soon, look at all that! How was it? Everythin’ alright? You made it without catchin’ ill or anythin’ yeah? Can’t believe it’s been near on a year now!"

"Oi! One of us is supposed to be the birthday girl here, and she’s bein’ neglected," I laugh, and Mum waves it off, but comes and kisses my cheeks anyway.

"Oh sweetheart, like I don’t know that? One of us had to pack all eight and a half pounds of you in the mid-summer heat, and guess what, I still ain’t forgot the twenty-odd hours waitin’ for you to decide you’d make your damn debut in society."

I roll my eyes at her turning to Edward to tell him she loves telling people how much torment I was from the start.

"Well it’s true! You wait, I’ll get revenge one of these days when you’re packin’ round one of your own."

I start a coughing fit right about then because I’d been about to make a smartass comment about me being charming from the start, and then she’d gone and slapped that out there for the world to hear.

"Good god, reign it in Mum! Is my gift this year embarrassment?"

"Hush, I’ll turn out right eventually. I always am. Now then, come sit down, grab somethin’ to drink, Rosie you know where everythin’ is. Edward, come tell me about this trip of yours. I’ve seen some of the pictures, what a cute bunch of kids you had!"

When Jackie asks about the trip and the kids i very gladly launch into storytelling mode.  About the people with me, what we got accomplished, about all the kids, about the craft days we had, and little Sia Marie who was enamored with Rose.

I nod and add that we hadn’t set a date or anything of the sort, but that i wanted to go and meet these people who’d become so important to him, and to me as well. 

I also suck it up and mention my idea to take a few classes this fall. She just nods and says I should do whatever makes me happiest, and that I had support for whatever that was. “So long as you don’t stick round that shop forever since I know for a fact you don’t want that, sweetheart.”

"No intention of it, Mum. Think I’d lose my mind."

"You say that like ya didn’t years ago," she laughs and I roll my eyes again. Oh lord it’s like she’d saved it all up until Edward was back. "Oh now, you know ‘m only teasin’." She had me grab plates for her and we get dinner to the table.

"What’d they feed ya in Africa? Somehow you got less scrawny, my prediction went awry," Mum asks after a minute, surveying Edward again.

"Oh you dance, now do ya? Not all…slutty like my no-good daughter here, I assume—"

"Mum!!"

"You must’ve taken lessons or somethin’, yeah? Always did love dancin’ myself, though Pete was terrible."

I just let that one go, knowing there was no way I was getting out of this anyway, and telling her that yes, Edward is a very good dancer, at least from my experience. “But Dad couldn’t dance?”

"You kiddin’? Nearly crushed my toes off on our weddin’ day, the clumsy oaf," she smiles affectionately, she always gets this look when she talks about Dad, and I’ve always loved that. "He stepped on your Gran’s toes and she socked him on the jaw for it. It was one helluva weddin’."

Talk shifts to a few stories from Edward’s trip, Mum was keen on hearing anything he’d tell. Think she liked the idea of travel, plus she adores kids so I’m not surprised by all her interest.

"Such a shame people aren’t lookin’ out for others like they should. Proud of you for sacrificin’ so much to become a part of the lives of people who most just kinda disregard. You’ve got a lotta integrity, Edward. I can see why you had Rose swoonin’ from the start."

"I did not swoon," I sigh.

"Uh-huh. As your mum, I can officially state for the record I heard a swoony tone in your voice the first time you called me from that house and mentioned him."

"Mum, you make it impossible for me to seem cool and collected."

Jackie informs me that yes that was the case and i keep on smiling at her, ideas coming to me for later when we were alone.

"Aside from embarrassment, I guess ya deserve a little somethin', yeah?" Mum pulls out a little box wrapped in pink paper. "Happy birthday, sweetheart."

I open it up to find a charm bracelet with charms like a little bull, a Spanish flag, a tiny Eiffel tower, a wine glass, a little cannoli, and a mini Colosseum.

"Awww, Mum," I pull her into a hug and she kisses my cheeks again. "Thank you, it's perfect."

Edward fastens it for me, his fingers tracing over my right wrist as he looks it over. 

"There's room for more," she points out. "So when you two head off to Africa, I'll add to it."