domestic
After finishing her shift, Lisa wasn’t as optimistic about the case she’d been dragged into. She knew what was coming, how dangerous the game she was about to play was, and how much she could lose. She also knew that one wrong move could cost her everything.
Peace.
Job.
Family.
Carla.
Even her life…
Thoughts were spinning in the blonde detective’s head as she sat behind the wheel of her Citroen, heading towards Victoria Street. She wanted to talk to Carla about it all. She wanted to tell her what she’d got herself into. She wanted to tell her what might happen to them, but she couldn’t.
Bloody professional secrecy.
She couldn’t say a word about risking everything for them.
For their good... their peace... their future happiness.
Parking the car, she tried to clear her head and not show Carla how shaken she was by the news from her bosses. After all, she couldn’t.
She’d gone backwards in her emotional development again, again she couldn’t do something. She started hating this feeling the moment she decided to start therapy. Now she regrets loads of things she did before.
She hates not being in control of her life. Especially in such an important part of it. She regrets and doesn’t get how others forgive her so easily.
Carla… Betsy… Becky’s parents.
She never forgave herself for what happened to Bex.
The woman she thought she’d spend her whole life with.
The woman who taught her everything.
Taught her how to love another person, how to be loved. Taught her happiness, family warmth. Taught her how to breathe and live.
They were like two peas in a pod. She was hers. They belonged to each other.
And then it all went so wrong.
Argument,
accident,
death,
funeral,
mourning,
moving…
and when she thought she’d hit rock bottom, this fiery soul appeared in her life, a ray of light in the tunnel.
Carla Connor.
Now, when Lisa thinks back to the start of their friendship, relationship, she feels a pang in her heart and a knot in her stomach.
Thank God Carla held it together for both of them. Lisa was a right cow back then. No arguing with that. All these thoughts were with her as she did the things her muscle memory knew by heart. Getting out of the car, grabbing her bag from the back seat, locking the car, crossing the street, rummaging for keys in her backpack, going up the stairs, unlocking the door, taking off her shoes, hanging up her coat and…
“Morning, love,” she heard a quiet, calm, almost sleepy voice behind her.
“Alright, babe? Everything okay?” Lisa was baffled by the state of the lass standing before her.
“Oh yeah, I had a little kip,” she said, rubbing her eyes. “Fancy a brew?” She walked to the kettle and put the water on.
“Mhmm, only if you’ll have one with me,” Lisa approached Carla from behind, wrapped her arms around her waist, and snuggled into her back, placing a gentle kiss on her neck.
“I should have a nap more often before you get back from work, so my day starts as blissful and slow as this,” Carla leaned her whole body towards Lisa’s, placing her hands on her lover’s hands resting on her hips.
“As much as I’d love to carry on, I need to get changed; I’ve had enough of this get-up,” the detective said, stepping back from her girlfriend and looking at her entire body, gesturing up and down to show what she meant.
“Ta-ra, DS Swain, hello Lisa, eh?” Her right eyebrow went up. That’s so Carla of her. “Go sort yourself out and come back here; I’ll put kettle on and stick something on for the evening.”
Lisa reluctantly, with slow, heavy steps, headed towards the bedroom, and from there, grabbing her loose joggers, a sleep shirt, and a hair tie, she went into the bathroom. Carla, as she said, brewed the tea, turned on the series they’d started watching together the night before. "Adolescence" was something that could stimulate them both intellectually and spark discussions that helped them get to know each other better.
The topic was dead personal for them because of the knife crime Mason had gone through. That lad shouldn’t have had to deal with that. Not from his own brothers. When it turned out he needed a liver transplant because his was knackered, everyone feared they’d lost him. Luckily, Mason proved to be a proper fighter, and after many battles, he won the war. He spent long weeks recovering, which turned out to be a turning point in his relationship with Lisa. While Mason was getting better, Betsy forgave him for whatever had come between them and was his only visitor in the hospital besides Lisa and Carla, as you’d expect from the mothers of his girlfriend. Even though Lisa often hid behind “I’m here as DS Swain,” everyone knew she worried and cared about the lad. The women knew there was no point trying to keep the kids apart because they were both in too deep.
For a short time, Mason lived with them, but after Lisa walked in on situationin the living room, she drew the line and said he had to fend for himself. Carla tried to explain that taking away Mason’s place to live wouldn’t stop him and her daughter from sleeping together or seeing each other. It’d just make them sneak around and do it in odd, unsuitable places, and they definitely wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on them. But Lisa wouldn’t budge. Mason had to move out. He went back to Sal and Tim’s, though he said that after living with Mrs C, nowhere else would ever feel good again.
Carla turned off the main light in the living room, which Lisa had switched on when she came in. She went to the kitchen for matches and lit a few candles, setting the mood in her small, cozy living room. The soft yellow, gentle, and very romantic light washed over everything. The older one pulled out a blanket, fluffed the pillows, and settled on the couch just as she heard the tap being turned off in the bathroom. She picked up the mug of tea and waited for her one true love to appear in the doorway.
Lisa walked into the living room in her black Pink Floyd T-shirt—the one with The Dark Side of the Moon logo—and her comfy black joggers. Her hair was down, not in that tight bun she wore as DS. Now, it was in a messy bun with a few strands framing her face, making her look dead charming. Hands in her pockets, she headed for the couch.
Carla was proper smitten with the blonde one who was now snuggling up to her, head resting on her chest. She thought that after everything they’d been through at the start, how their honeymoon phase was cut short so suddenly and brutally, she’d never feel like that again, but they did. They’d been through much worse, and now everything was back on track. They were back in their love bubble, acting like teenagers every day.
Both women held each other tighter than they’d planned and stayed like that for a long while. Lisa kissed Carla’s chest and reluctantly moved slightly away, shifting so she was lying on her side, leaning against the older lass. This position was definitely better for watching telly.
“What about that promotion?” Of course, she remembered. How could she forget?
“I got it,” she muttered, “...but you know I can’t tell you more than that I’ll be working with the CID from London, and it’s a really important operation. I wish I could, love, I really do.” Her face automatically turned apologetic, though she knew she didn’t need to say sorry.
“Just remember not to put yourself in harms way,” Carla was dead serious. “We’re waiting for you here every day… Bets and me.” As she said this, Carla leaned in and placed a kiss as light as a feather but full of more feeling than the fanciest words on her girlfriend’s temple.
“What about Ryan, eh?"
"Lisa, im serious..."
"I won’t… I promise,” Lisa tightened her grip on Carla’s waist a bit, knowing that’s exactly what she’d got herself into. Danger. Not just physical danger but also the kind that could threaten their little family. The brunette didn’t seem to notice the slight tension.
“Shall we watch?”
“Aye, let’s.”
Lisa knew she had to make the most of this while she could, before things got messy again, before the next load of crap hit them.