If You Like

People estimate that it takes ten full days of learning to pick up a new language, the easy ones anyway, harder ones can take almost a hundred full days of learning. At one hour a day the most difficult languages would take roughly six years to master. I can't help but think where French falls on this scale, as I sit with Elise and her mother in a small pub, unable to understand a single word of the conversation playing out before me.

We'd arranged to meet her after school, given our confrontation with William yesterday Elise seemed in a hurry to be back in touch with the one parent she could stand to be around at the moment. Not that I blame her, with how brutally she dispatched her father it's clear the pain she's carrying cuts deeper than I'd thought.

This thought process is why I don't mind sitting here, unable to add a word to the ongoing dialogue, if Elise just needs me to hold her hand, well I consider myself the luckiest girl in the world to get to do so. A little language barrier is a small hurdle if it supports her, and I won't lie, being needed gives me a warm tingly feeling inside. Though, that could be the wine Camille graciously bought for us.

Finally, Elise returns her speech to English and catches me up. "So, Mama was saying she's still in a hotel while she looks into finding a place to stay, she wanted to ask if it's okay that I stay with you a little longer?" She translates for her mother, who looks earnest in her expression.

Does she think Elise is imposing? Not so much, honestly, I can't imagine her not being there anymore, I don't think Mum could either, Hell, even Ruby would go ballistic if her infinite cuddle dispenser went missing.

"Oh, you're not allowed to leave. You have to stay with me, it's the law. I don't know if I've mentioned this, but I have a teeny tiny crush on you... Can't let you go so easily." I answer, trying to keep a straight face. Elise makes no such efforts openly giggling as she translates my confirmation.

Camille reaches over the table to squeeze my hand in thanks. Honestly, I feel like I should be thanking her, I'm not ready to give up our little love nest, her having a place to live would be really inconvenient.

Sometimes I think things and I realise how evil I sound.

The wine flows, more French is spoken, and I feel like I'm not adding anything of note by being here, but Elise seems to think I do, and that's enough.

*

I'm yanked roughly to the bed as Elise pulls me in for a hug. Her Mum had dropped us off in a taxi on her way back to the hotel, it wasn't too late but it's getting dark early now, better to be safe than sorry.

"Thank you, for being there today, I know it must have been boring for you." My love whispers to me, holding me tightly as we lay on the bed. I rest my head on her chest and listen to her heart beat in rhythm with mine.

"I'm many things when I'm around you, but bored is never one of them." I grin. "What did you guys talk about? Other than living arrangements." I add, curious of the conversation I was only technically a part of.

Elise sighs wistfully. "Oh, a lot of things, some little boring matters, but mostly... We talked about how I've been, how sorry she was that she didn't realise what had happened until too late." She begins to explain. It's at this point I realise that from Camille's perspective there was just a bunch of shouting in a foreign language and I suddenly punched her husband and abducted her daughter... Yeah, should probably apologise at some point. "We talked about you too, she said she'd never seen me like this, she said I was glowing so much she wanted to check me for radiation poisoning."

I'm just going to imagine that joke works a lot better in French.

"I... I told her I was in love with you, and all she said was 'That's obvious!' And she told me she knew that from the first time she saw us together, mothers always know apparently." She concludes with a chuckle. Yeah, probably why I keep forgetting to mention it to mine. I smile along, but one line sticks out to me.

"The first time she saw us together? As in, when she caught us having sex?" I ask worriedly. I mean, yeah, that's definitely an expression of passion, but I was hoping she'd erased that from her memory.

Elise snorts at my thought. "She was referring to dinner that evening... I think... I hope." She corrects herself. Doesn't fill me with confidence, but oh well, can't change the past now. Can't take things back.

"Did you mean everything you said to William yesterday?" I ask meekly, I don't want to upset her, but it's been on my mind.

"I don't know, maybe? He hurt me, a lot, more than I thought possible... But he's my father, you know?" She answers with a lack of certainty, to be honest, I can't offer much advice in regards to that.

"I don't, but I can imagine it's pretty awful." I reply.

Elise cringes at my words, apparently having realised what she's said. "I'm sorry, I didn't think, you never talk about your Dad." She apologises, hugging me more tightly.

"Not much to say, never knew him, don't know why he's not around, never asked, can't miss what you don't know." I respond. It's true, only Jasper remembers our father, and even then not much, it's like an unspoken agreement that we were all immaculate conceptions. "That being said, you know William better than anyone. You're just in a lot of pain, give it time, you'll know how you feel." I offer. It sucks my advice boils down to 'wait and see' but there's not much else I can give.

"We should talk of more pleasant things... Like how our plan is gonna lead to Rouge and Trish getting married and having so many babies!" Elise jokes, stroking my hair.

"Or what my costume is?" I point out. She's been incredibly tight-lipped about it, which makes me think it's revealing, humiliating, or both.

Elise simply moves her finger and thumb across her mouth to signal her lips being sealed. Figured it wouldn't be so easy.

Maybe she was jumping the gun about Rouge and Trish's future, but if everything goes right it's not impossible... I mean the babies part might require some assistance, but other than that, they could really be happy. Maybe then I'll feel like I'm finally square with Rouge.

Who am I kidding? I owe her like four hundred favours before we're even.