“Hey, why’s the library door locked, Cole-babe?”

Laura’s muscles tightened. What would she thing when she saw this sad human being in her library? So, Laura sat still, not letting a small shake tremble her body.

“Maria, I have something to tell you…” mumbled Cole.

Good, thought Laura, he’s not the lying type. At least Maria would know the truth and not shriek of unhappiness when she saw Laura and thought dastardly things.

“What, Cole-Babe? Is there somebody…in here?” she cried, her voice twanging with dismay.

“Well…yes…”

“Is it another woman? Who is in there, Cole, be straight-forward with me!”

“It’s my old, um, lover.” At those words, Maria’s face fell. “It’s not what you think! I found her on the street, hopeless and homeless, and I’m letting her stay for a while.”

“Prove she’s homeless.”

“You’ll see.”

Cole opened the door, letting Maria go in first. As soon as she caught sight of Laura, a smirk tugged her lips. Laura’s face was crumpled at the sight of Maria’s beautiful, irresistible face. Cole would never love Laura again.

“You’re such a dirty thing!” said Maria smugly.

“Maria,” muttered Cole warningly. “You’re acting snooty and rich.”

“Cole-babe!” frowned Maria defensively, but couldn’t back up her insult. Laura hardly heard their small, mumbled argument. She was too deep in though, which was a desolate, vacant place; not a spot of love dotting it. Or at least not anybody else’s love. Her love for Cole was smothered all over it. Yes, love. She knew it was love. There’s times when at first you deny, and then you can’t keep denying. It’s too true.

“H-hi, I’m L-Laura,” stammered Laura, standing up and clumsily stumbling over to Maria. Maria didn’t respond to Laura’s ready-to-shake hand, and just backed up slightly.

“You need a bath,” she commented. “Cole-Babe, show her the bath.” Cole nodded and obediently took Laura by the grimy hand and led her up the carpeted stairs.

“How can you be in love with that?” hissed Laura under her breath.

“She’s a bit snooty, but she’s great once you get to know her.”

“Sure, to rich people she’s great. She won’t make much of a wife; she’ll be overlooked and whispered about by the other moms.”

“All the moms at the school our children will go to are going to be the same. You have to meet her; she’s not always like this. She’s a bit at dismay we’re lovers, that’s all.”

“All right, Cole, whatever you say.” Laura shrugged and entered the large, high-ceilinged bathroom with a skylight pouring in silvery light. “Elegant,” she said, immediately turning the shining knob to the bath. “Now scoot. I’m going to take a bath!” Cole did so immediately and slammed the door shut behind him.

As Laura poured endless amounts of bubble bath in the water, she was suddenly desperate for a voice to serenade her. She wanted to listen to Cole’s voice and to talk to him, even if it was awkward and filled with pauses and silences in-between sentences. But right now, she was alone, and Maria and Cole’s voices drifted into her ears. She sunk into the water. It blanketed her comfortingly, and her ears clogged. She couldn’t hear a thing of what they were saying. Somehow, that didn’t make her feel any better. She wanted a hand to hold, a voice to speak to, and eyes to stare back into hers.

She slunk into the water, accompanied by only her thoughts. Those thoughts depressed her even further. With every pang of guilt and sadness and anger, she sunk lower into the water. Soon enough, her head banged the bottom of the bath and she came up, spluttering out water and bubble bath.

“Hey, Laura! Could you get out? I want to come!” called Maria’s voice. Laura immediately rushed out, sloshing water onto the floor and wrapping a towel around herself. She ignored the waving, dirt-brown water and rushed into her clothes. She was going to have an alone time with Cole. She sleeked her hair back with Maria’s come, smirking lightly to herself. She smelled her new scented skin and giggled. She was Laura again, “writer extraordinaire.” Or at least it felt like it.

She padded down the stairs, her footsteps echoing throughout the large foyer. She threw herself into Cole’s arms, seeing Maria wasn’t there.

“Um, Laura? What are you doing?” asked Cole awkwardly.

“Nothing,” she said quickly, brushing herself off of him and grinning from ear to ear.

“Why are you so smiley?” he asked, not being able to help but smile.

“Because I’m so clean,” she joked, plopping onto the silk-cushioned bench. She was going to break the tension if it killed her, she thought definitely.

“Let’s take a walk,” suggested Cole, obviously attempting to break the chilly ice that was making them more distant than they were when they weren’t in touch. As the two entered the freshness of outside and briskly made their way down the snakelike driveway, there was a comforting silence. It was the sort of silence that just shifts on you and you relax in, one that you know isn’t bad. Laura slipped her hand in Cole’s. Cole’s hand didn’t budge and relaxed into her hand. As the two talked, going down the path, Cole’s more gentle side shone like sun rays.

Their voices wafted like lullabies through the after-rain scent that clouded around them.

“You never became a writer?”

“I tried, Cole, I really did!”

“I know you did.” He put his arm around her.

“Sometimes it’s just so hard!” she said, trying to hold back tears.

“I understand.”

“You told me I was good! If you hadn’t told me that, maybe I wouldn’t have had false confidence and trudged out into the world that’s altogether to real! I can see you’re not the lying sort anymore?”

“No, I’m not. And I’m sorry. I mean, Laura, you were falling in my arms, begging for a compliment on your…works. What could I say?”

“The truth.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know you are.”

“Don’t get cold with me again, Laura, I’ve missed you. It panged when I thought of you. And now you’re here…and…”

“And…?”

“I’m happy.”

“Oh.” Disappointment wasn’t visible on her face, but it weighed down Laura’s voice.

As the two talked for what seemed like hours, walking away and not feeling obliged to ever peel away from their bubble of happiness of reuniting, Laura couldn’t stop smiling. Cole’s hand was in hers, her eyes were locked with his, and he was being so sweet. Suddenly, Cole’s eyes caught hold of his watch and he uttered a screech.

“I’ve got to go,” he said urgently, and began to clack down the pavement, his leather shoes clicking. Laura was left, crestfallen and hanging on a single thread of hope from her spot on the pavement. He ran to Maria. Away from Laura. Away…

It was later that night, when darkness had cracked over Cole’s roof and Laura and Maria sat side by side. Laura was silent. The same couldn’t be said for chatty Maria.

“There’s nothing going on between you and Cole, right? Because if there was, I wouldn’t be brushing your hair right now, and you’d be right back on East-West Street. Right? Uh-huh, good. Your hair’s really stringy, but it’s weird, like it was wavy before. I guess when you’re begging on the streets it gets like that. Oh sorry, I seem really rich and snooty. I’m not usually like this, just so ya know. Cole knows that, he knows my inner-self. Husbands get things like that. Too bad you’re not his wife, right? I can see b y the way you look at him that you want to be me. I mean, maybe not me, I mean his wife or girlfriend or something. Well, babe, face it—you’re never going to be his. Anyways! So, Cole and my wedding was so great. We had it at the cutest little church downtown with a balcony and stuff, and I felt so beautiful! You’re supposed to on those sorts of days! Cole wants kids, but I’m not so sure. I mean, it’s a lot of responsibility and I don’t know if I’m ready for that. Y’know? So Cole’s just waiting for me to answer him.”

That cut it.

“Cole never wanted kids,” grumbled Laura darkly.

“Well, he does now,” snapped Maria, ripping the brush out of Laura’s hair, causing her to screech a bit in her throat.

“Um,” choked Laura, “I think I’ll go to bed…”

“Sleep in the guest room. Down the hall, sixth to your left.”

Laura nodded and sheepishly ducked out, half-grateful for getting away from the talkative jerk. She hated Maria, it was a black punching hate that made her angry—at herself. She felt dirty, hating Maria, Cole’s wife. But it was a bit of a given, to hate your love’s wife.

“Laura? The guest’s room is over here…” said Cole, coming up to her and motioning towards a door to their left.

“I know,” nodded Laura, ducking into the room without a word. She bent under the covers, shivering. She wasn’t cold. She was upset. The covers embraced her as she closed her eyes.

Laura woke the next morning to a dim light spilling on her. She rolled over, calm and feeling fragile and weak under the covers. She didn’t know how long it had been since she’d been this comfortable, and felt this regal. The canopy spread out before her eyes royally and a fire crackled in the wall; a very rare thing. She smiled at its warmth, and then a tingling sensation reminded her where she was. Cole’s house—with Maria.

“Laura?”

The voice was whispering and shushed from the door. Laura’s head spun around and her eyes bumped into Cole’s.

“What?” she mumbled, pretending to be groggy. She felt a need to pretend just so he’d feel like he’d done something wrong by waking her up. She didn’t really feel drowsy; it was just a game she was playing with Cole’s emotions. She always used to. Cole stared at her, narrow-eyed, because he knew.

“What?” she asked again, hyper and excited. Her whisper was excited and perky.

“Maria’s at work and I think I’ll skip for today. Want to go somewhere fun? We could bask in the sunlight like we used to,” he invited. It was tempting and it was clear Laura thought that as she shot up quicker than lightning and began to zoom around the room. Happiness sprawled its way across her heart and pressed with such force it made her tighten with delight.

As she rumbled down the spiraling stairs, baggy clothes seeming thin and worn-out as they ruffled from her body, her eyes lit up at him. She threw herself into his arms. He just stood shock-still at the astonishment at this sudden sign of affection. But soon enough, he was returning the hug and whispering in her ear how he’d missed her.

The two walked, hand-in-hand, talking like no time had passed in all the years. Hours later, Laura sat down on a bench and opened her mouth. It was a stunning thing to hear her sing after so long. She didn’t have an amazing voice and the lyrics weren’t great, but it meant so much to Cole’s businesslike brain that tears choked in his eyes and a lump growled and pushed itself into his throat.

“I sit at the side-lines

And I miss you!

I wish that I could hold you tight

And I miss you.

Although my hands may be dirty

And my expression may be covered in fright

I miss you.

Oh-oh-oh, I miss you.

I want to hold you close—

Please don’t think it’s gross…

I miss you.”

“You wrote that?”

“When I was…ermm…”

“Homeless.”

“Right.”

“It’s really nice.”

“I know it’s bad, Cole, but you understand its inner-meaning. It’s the one thing I have within my grasp—but can’t have.”

“Maria’s…”

“Yours. I know. I wouldn’t stop your…” she scoffed “beautiful relationship.”

“Hey! Don’t get my wife into this!”

“But tell me the honest truth—did you marry her because she’s quite the sight?”

“Because she’s beautiful? No. There’s more than just beauty. There’s silk and satin behind those eyes, but the beauty inside is encrusted with being rich…”

“And snobby. Beautiful metaphor, but I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“You’ll see it, just break the ice between you two.”

Cole didn’t seem as awkward as you usually would when you just realized your former lover still loves you and you’re married now—to a Barbie-doll, perfect woman. Looking at Laura, she was anything but perfect. But everything was so mixed-up and such a tornado in Cole’s mind, bulldozing any thoughts he might have had of loving Maria with all his heart and never changing his vows. Now Laura was in the picture-perfect photo and it was heart-stopping-ly frightening.

Snapping out of his trance, he said suddenly, “Laura! I’ve got an idea!”

“What?”

He took her hand and roughly began to drag her, sparks seemingly flying everywhere around him. He was ecstatic for her expression. He pushed her through the business office’s door with little protesting on her part.

“Welcome!”

“To…?”

“My office building, durr. How do you feel about writing?”

“Well, you know—but you know I’m not any good…”

He ignored her half-hearted shrugs and put-downs to herself and pushed her along, his eyes dancing like Laura used to, on stage and leaping. No eyes even bothered to wander to them but if any did, they would see one very confused young lady with raggedy clothes and one briskly-walking, proper businessman—an odd couple to see.

“This young lady wants to be our new secretary.”

Laura’s head swam with confusion as she looked, narrow-and-bug-eyed at Cole. She blinked stupidly, her eyelashes curling. The bearded man eyed Laura.

“Uhum, please pardon this, sir, but what about her…” his voice lowered “clothing?”

“We’ll fix that,” nodded Cole promptly. “So hows about it?”

“We have to interview her…”

“Oh, but I recommend her. She’ll be stupendous.”

“Very well then…”

If somebody looked at both of them then and there and took a picture, they would see four identical, piercing eyes, and one unbreakable bond.