Chapter 12
A blonde woman sat on the balcony of her French hotel room, slowly sipping her coffee and reminiscing on her life. It was a melancholy moment, the anniversary of someone’s death that she really loved. The day was never easy for her. A breeze blew by and the woman tightened her robe around her and brought her hot cup closer to her. She didn’t really feel the cold, but she liked the feeling of comfort that these things brought her. She wished she could have brought the other woman with her. They would have had amazing adventures together. But time was not kind to mortals. She had offered immortality of course, she didn’t want to do life without her; her soulmate the blonde called her. But forever wasn’t for everyone and she had to accept the decision. The other woman would live in her heart forever, their memories to never be lost to time or disease or anything else. The blonde opened her phone and scrolled through their photo album, tears in her eyes as she smiled through the memories that will be permanent in the screen. After a few more moments of reflection, she decided to officially get her day started and went back into her room.
She immediately slipped off her robe and went in the shower. The hot water immediately steaming up the bathroom as the water beat down on the floor. The woman stood under the water and sighed as the heat automatically relaxed her muscles. Her eyes were closed and she was in the middle of watching her hair when she sensed another presence and smiled.
“I can hear you through the sound of the water right?” She asked.
The sound of the bathroom door closing and the shower curtain opening and closing behind the person who entered was her only response.
“What, cat’s got your tongue?” She teased as she finished rinsing her hair and opened her eyes to greet the intruder.
“100 years and you still look as amazing as when I met you.”
The blonde woman rolled her eyes and greeted the other person with a kiss. “That’s what happens when you’re changed at 19. Good morning to you too Tate.”
Elinor smiled and laughed. “Good morning Leight. How you feeling?” She had taken the soap and was washing Leighton’s back.
“Okay. It’s still pretty rough. I really miss her. I miss everyone but you know. Whit was my other half.”
Elinor raised a teasing eyebrow but she knew she had nothing to be jealous of. Whitney and Leighton were attached at the hip the minute they got back from spring break. Elinor was glad her girlfriend had another person to spend time with and love and she felt horrible when Whitney had denied the proposition to change. She knew it broke Leighton’s heart and had spent many years telling Leighton it wasn’t her fault. The day that Whitney had finally died, it was a rough year. Leighton would disappear for days at a time and come back once the news of some mysterious animals deaths had reached the news. It took a lot of years of therapy to help Leighton find proper coping mechanisms. The couple decided on something that was doable and still fun for both of them; Whitney and Leighton wanted to travel the world together so every year on her death date, the blondes went to a different country and spent a day dedicating it to Whitney. Today was that day. They were going to the Lourve, the Eiffel Tower, all the touristy stuff. It helped that Tatum had been to France many times before, she had befriended a bunch of French vampires and knew all the cool underground thing to do on their other days.
The women eventually got out of the shower and slowly got ready. They were in no rush, Tatum had used her connections to get some sort of pass that allowed them to get everywhere and skip the line no matter what time they got there. Leighton got dressed first and found herself back on the balcony, leaning over it while listening to the hustle and bustle of the French livelihood in the streets below. Elinor finished getting ready and stood beside her girlfriend, not saying anything.
“She would have loved it here.”
“You say that every year.” Elinor playfully bumped their shoulders together.
“I mean it every year. But here especially. We always talked about coming here and getting absolutely shit faced and finding some French people to hook up with and just dance in the streets. We wanted it to be like a movie.”
“Well. I don’t know about the hooking up with random French people thing, but we can absolutely get shit faced and dance in the streets in her honor.”
Leighton smiled softly and placed her head on Elinor’s shoulder. "Have you called your sister?"
Elinor shrugged. "Not today. We talked the other week. She and Cal are on some meditation retreat or something. No phones allowed."
Leighton chuckled softly. "Who knew the huntress would allow herself to become the monster she was destined to destroy?"
The older blonde smiled. "I did. Juliette wasn't going to live without her and Cal wasn't going to let Jules mourn her. It was destined to happen. Shakespeare is rolling in his grave."
They both laughed at the joke and then sat in comfortable silence for a bit before Leighton sat up and reached for Elinor’s hand.
“Come on Tate, Whitney would hate that I’m sad and procrastinating today. Let’s get our France adventure started”
Elinor laced with her fingers with Leighton’s and they headed out of their hotel room toward the awaiting city of love. As they went about their day, Elinor tried her hardest to make Leighton smile. She told her she was prettier than all the art in the Lourve combined. She told her that her eyes shone brighter than the lights on the Eiffel Tower at night. She tried to say croissant in the weirdest French accent she could. Her goal was of course accomplished, Leighton wasn’t hard to make laugh. But Elinor also understood that her girlfriend needed to mourn her friend so she gave her the space to do that as well.
At the end of the night when the two women were in bed cuddled up to each other after their night cap of dancing with each other in the French streets, they both had a feeling of contentment wash over them.
“Hey Elinor?”
The older blonde tensed. “Am I in trouble?”
Leighton laughed. She knew that would make her girlfriend on edge, she never called her Elinor unless she was really serious. “Not at all. I just wanted to say thank you for today. And every day that you take care of me. And ever year that you take these trips for Whit with me.”
Elinor kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer to her. “And like I say every year, you don’t have to thank me. She meant a lot to you so of course I am going to be here for you while you mourn her.”
Leighton shifted to get comfortable and by her voice Elinor could tell she was starting to sleep. They didn’t have to but Leighton liked the feeling asleep in each other’s arms so they did it often. “Even if it takes forever?”
“Especially if it’s forever. We’ve already been together for 100 years Leight. Why would I leave you now?”
“Right…forever. I love you Tate”
“I love you too Leighton. Forever.”