Beyond the Broken Angel

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

— until midnight —

July 5th, 1938

GISELLE WAS AWOKEN from her slumber with lips upon her own.

She opened her eyes, catching Will's body leaning over her, his outline cast in a soft, blue glow as the sun slowly rose outside.

"I came to see you before I left," Will told her, pecking her lips as he sat on the edge of her bed. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

Giselle smiled dreamily, reaching up to pull him closer to her and return his kiss. They continued on until birds started to chirp, alerting Will that he needed to leave soon.

"I need to go, love," he said after a while, reluctantly pulling back. He brushed her hair from her face, gazing down at her for several moments before standing up. "I'll see you later."

"Happy birthday, Will," Giselle called out as he shut her door, leaving her to fall asleep with a smile on her face.

She awoke hours later, a smile still on her face as she remembered his lips against hers. She breezed through the day feeling as she if she was on cloud nine, her head in the clouds as she decorated the house for Will's birthday and wrapped his present.

Marguerite and Selene noticed her happy mood and starry eyes, whispering behind her back and delving into different theories, all that involved Will, of course.

When Giselle entered the kitchen to help the women prepare Will's favorite dinner—a Sunday roast—Marguerite was smirking at her.

"Did you touch up your makeup?" Marguerite asked. "It looks like you powdered you face some."

"And there's more rouge to your cheeks, too," Selene pointed out.

"Yes, you're right," Marguerite agreed. "Definitely more rouge. Could this be because a certain someone will arrive soon?"

Giselle blushed under the women's gazes, avoiding the question by asking one of her own. "So, what do you need help with?"

"Nothing, hon, we've got it all handled here," Selene said. "Why don't you go check on the kids?"

"Gladly," the girl murmured under her breath as she headed towards the stairs.

She found the children in the playroom, the three oldest seemingly in a discussion as the youngest squirmed around in Frank's arms.

"Oh, Ellie," Barbara exclaimed, "you have to play with us!"

"What are we playing?"

"Hide-and-go-seek," Albert told her. "I'm going to be the seeker!"

"Alright, I'm down," Giselle said. She looked to Frank. "I can take Dorothy if you want."

Frank shook his head, propping Dorothy up higher on his hip. "It's alright, I've got her."

"Okay, everyone go!" Albert demanded. "I'm going to count till fifty!"

The group scurried out of the room by the time he started counting, Giselle heading downstairs to hide in the broom closet.

She listened and waited for Albert to find her, hearing his small feet patter all over the house.

After a few minutes, the closet door was opened, warm light pooling in from behind Will's tall figure before her.

"Will?" Giselle questioned, watching as he slipped inside and shut the door. "What are you—?"

He silenced her with a kiss, his arms slipping around her and holding him to her as he let her know how much he had missed her with his lips.