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💫GISELLE💫

Working on a farm, shoveling shit, feeding chickens, and helping to shelter farm animals from the cold, was never in a mental scrapbook of things I'd like to do in the future. I honestly never saw myself in love with another man either. So, I suppose I had no clue what my future looked like to begin with. I tried to focus, be serious, take it all in as a lesson rather than find every complaint humanly possible. Some may say I was trying to impress Angel or his father, but really and truly, I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of change; I was capable of achieving something new; And by the end of that morning, I was.

Angel was right about one thing. His parents were so old school and traditional, it was ridiculous. Just as soon as we were done on the farm, we came into the house to shower and clean up. The moment an inch of my toe crossed the threshold of his room, Angel's dad handed me fresh linen and towels, escorting me to the other end of the hall where I would be sleeping and showering. As his father walked away, I turned to peep down the hallway where Angel stood in his doorway, grinning with way more satisfaction than I cared to witness. I threw the middle finger his way and mouthed, "fuck you", disappearing into my quarters and letting out a loud sigh.

Looking around, I could tell that no one stayed in there much, if at all. The bed was neatly made, the walls were crisp and a pale blue. Not a stain on the almost white carpet as my bare feet sank into the plush comfort of what felt like home. The room smelled like a garden. Everything felt so fresh with a slight scent of lavender and something green. I began looking around, thinking maybe there were plants in the room, but there weren't. That's when I realized the window was open. Just as soon as my eyes scanned past one of the windows facing the side of the house, the white sheer curtains swayed towards me. I walked over to get a better look, and what I saw when I pulled those curtains back took my breath away. A beautiful plot of land, that looked as though It was a garden during less cold months, lay beneath that window and spread out further than my eyes could see. And then there was the beauty of empty grasslands with a beautiful tree line circling around beyond their home. From that window, I could even see a small section of the farm we'd just worked so hard on. I took a few deep breaths, inhaling and releasing that cold fresh air that ironically made me feel warm inside. Before opening my eyes, I heard someone speak from behind me.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Her voice was like silk. I turned quickly to face her. "I didn't mean to startle you sweetheart."

"Oh, no. It's okay." I smiled, taking a step towards her. "You didn't startle me, Mrs. Trapp. I just—"

"Oh darling. Call me momma."

I fought the urge to frown, remembering my first encounter with Angel's mom. She addressed me as Lina, battling some kind of memory of some sort in her head, confused. Instead, I gently brushed my hand across the back of her arm and nodded.

"I know I met you already. I know my Angel introduced you, but do you mind telling me your name again?"

"I'm Giselle."

"Giselle?" She chuckled. "Oh! What a beautiful name. What's it's origin?"

"Well...for my whole life I thought it was French. I only recently learned that it's German, like my mom."

"German?"

"Yup. I'm half German." I raised both hands in a 'ta-da' type motion. That got a rise out of her, as she laughed and patted me on my shoulder.

"So, tell me, Giselle, how'd you and my boy meet?"

"We met at college. We were never really given a proper introduction, but it was enough." I stopped speaking, trying to fight of the happiness that I was sure was already plastered across my face. "He fixed my bracelet."

"Ha!" Mrs. Trapp chuckled loudly. "Let me guess, you dropped your bracelet, and he saved the day?"

"Um...yes." I frowned. "That is exactly what happened. Did Angel tell you this story already?"

"That's how me and my Glen met, you know?" She smiled. "I was spending the summer in Venice with my Aunt and Uncle. I'd gone into town for ice cream one day. I remember wearing this yellow sundress that used to blow in the wind. It was like a movie." She giggled. "Anyway, Glen came out of nowhere, tugging on my wrist like a mad man. As fate would have it, I'd dropped my bracelet somewhere between the ferry and the ice cream shop and he followed me the entire way to return it to me. The rest of that summer belonged to us. And right before I returned home, he proposed to me. We've been inseparable since."

"Wow." My heart melted right along with hers. I watched Angel's mom sulk in the memory for a moment, happy yet sad.

"My memories are fading, my lovely. But I hold on dearly to the ones that keep my heart beating."

"I'm sorry." It was all I could find to say. I had no idea how to console her, but I didn't want to continue staring in silence.

"You make sure you love my boy with everything you've got. He's all we have left." A tear escaped her eye but was wiped away quickly. "He's a happy boy. He just needs a little fine tuning."

"He smiles now." I laughed. "I think that's a start."

"It is. His heart is warm. I can feel that. You did that."

Tucking my chin into my chest, blushing embarrassingly as his mother caressed the fire in my cheeks, I couldn't help but feel comfort beneath her glare. Her judgement. She may have been losing her memory, but she was far from losing her mind. She was such a gentle woman. So sweet and full of love. I remembered when Angel compared me to his mom in that way. Was this the way I made people feel? Was this the effect I had on him?

"Mom?" Angel's voice echoed from the hall. We both jumped, startled by the bass echoing into the room.

"Well, duty calls. I'll let you clean up." Mrs. Trapp stood to her feet and headed towards the doorway. Before walking through, she turned to face me again. "Before you two leave for school, I want to show you something."

"Okay, Mrs. Tra—"

"Uh" She stopped me. "Momma."

"Okay, momma." I repeated in my best southern accent.

She smiled with satisfaction, clapping her hands together and running off to see what Angel wanted. I sank into the mattress after throwing myself back onto the bed. Taking several deep breaths, I became full and felt completely at ease and at home. I didn't understand that feeling at that moment. It probably took a year for me to realize what that feeling meant. But it felt amazing. It felt like nothing I'd ever felt before. My stomach fluttered, my heart pounded harder than the drums of a high school marching band, battling it out with their rivals for the first time all year. Wishing I could lay there forever, I jumped up quickly, remembering that I was still filthy.

"My parents are going to the store. Shower?" Angel peeped his head in and shouted.

Without waiting for an answer, he ran over to me and began ripping my clothes off. Laughing hysterically, I pretended to fight him off, but it wasn't long before I joined in, ripping off his shirt and then pants. Angel proceeded to tickle me once I was fully undressed, tossing me over his shoulder and running into his room and then bathroom. The shower was already running when he tossed me inside. I squealed, praying gravity was on my side and that I wouldn't fall and break something.

"So rough!" I screamed, splashing him simultaneously.

"Shit!" Angel yelled, wiping the water from his eyes. "You're going to regret that." He laughed, pulling the shower head from the wall and changing the setting to add more pressure. When the water hit my body, I screamed for mercy.

"Oh my God!" I gasped. "Angel!" Yelling to the top of my lungs in between laughter, trying to get as far away from him as I could, I found myself buried in the wall.

"Say sorry." He laughed.

"No!"

"Say it!" He began getting closer.

"No!" I whined. "I'm not saying it."

"Have it your way." And again, the water was firing into my skin. He leaned nonchalantly onto the opposite wall as he fired away, carelessly. I knew then that he wasn't going to let me win.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry."

"Huh?" He pretended not to hear me. "What was that?" He yelled at me.

"I'm sorry." I laughed, covering my face. Just like that, the water stopped hitting me and within seconds I found myself in his arms.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Angel laughed, cuddling me closely to his body.

"I don't even remember what I'm apologizing for." I admitted, looking up at him innocently.

"Me neither." He laughed.

We both held onto one another, smiling and laughing all child-like. His arms felt so warm as his love began escaping from his body and hovering above me, waiting for me to let it in. It wasn't until my smile faded and his, in response, did the same, that I stood on my toes and planted a soft kiss on his lips. That love that hovered above my head, waiting patiently, shot into me like cupid's arrow, igniting the temperate feeling of fulfillment. I was right at home, in the arms of the man who loved me, in a house that felt so inviting, on land that welcomed me and my future into it. And so, we made love.

***Author's Words****

I know the wait was long this time around, but I hope it was worth it.

Read on for more because the story may be coming to an end, but it's not over yet!!!