What The Night Holds

A Temporary Home

After getting far enough from home Selene stopped to think where she'll go.

The first option was spending a few days in her gallery. But she reconsidered it right away since the place didn't have a bed or heating so nights there would be hell.

The second option was West, but living with him, even for a few days, would be a bad idea considering how he felt about her. Not only will it be uncomfortable for her, but for him too. So, she scratched that too.

The third option was Geraldine. Selene would definitely be a bother to the old woman but seeing she didn't have much options it was worth a try. So, she headed there.

"Oh, hello Selene." Geraldine smiled as soon as she saw Selene.
"Good morning. I see you're feeling better?" Selene took a seat on the chair next to Geraldine.
"Thanks to you dear. I woke up feeling much better." Geraldine put down her half knitted sweater and picked up something from behind her.
"Here. A thank you gift." She handed a bag to Selene. Selene peaked inside and saw something knitted. She took it out and saw that it was a lovely red sweater.
"Thank you Miss Geraldine. You didn't have to give me anything." Selene felt grateful.
"Oh, it's nothing. It's not much but I hope you like it and I hope it fits." Geraldine laughed.
"I love it. I'm sure it'll look amazing on me." Selene put the sweater back in the bag and placed it next to her suitcase.
"Dearie, are you going somewhere?" Geraldine pointed to the suitcase.
"Well, that's why I came here. I was hoping, if it's no bother, to stay here with you for a few days. Something happened back home and it ended with me leaving. So now I need to find a place to stay at." Selene felt ashamed to ask something like this.
"Of course you can stay. As long as you want. I don't have another room so I hope you won't mind the sofa."
"I won't. Thank you very much. You have no idea how much this means to me." Selene stood up and went to give Geraldine a hug.

After Selene settled in or in other words put her suitcase in the living room and her toothbrush in the bathroom, she went back outside. She saw Geraldine was putting food in the cats' bowls so she jogged next to the old woman and took the food right from her hands.
"I'll do it. You go sit." Geraldine didn't argue and sat down.
As Selene poured the food cats came running like a stampede all around her. She barely made it through without stepping on a cat. She almost tripped but thankfully she wasn't that clumsy so she regained her balance.
"How do you manage with them?" She sat down with a huff.
"Haha, it takes time dear. But they're my babies, I wouldn't trade them for anything." That led Selene to ask another question.
"Um, Miss Geraldine, if you don't mind me asking, do you have children...or a husband?" It was surely going to be a sensitive question since she saw no sign of either but she was curious to know more about Geraldine.
"It's okay. It's been years since I lost my husband, he was killed by one of our local gangs here. Thankfully they were found and were sentenced to death. And I have a daughter, she lives very far from here and we don't keep contact very much. We didn't end on very good terms and she's probably still mad at me, but I guess I had it coming. I forbid her to marry the man she wanted, I even locked her home so she wouldn't see him, I regret it all now. But it's too late for it." Geraldine looked sad to Selene. Of course she'd be when she was recalling old and bad memories.
The situation with her daughter reminded Selene of her problem with her parents now. It was almost the same thing, she just didn't want to marry Daemon.
"I'm so sorry...It must've been hard for you, first losing your husband then your daughter leaves...I can't even imagine."
"It's been a long time. I learned to live with it. My cats helped me fight the loneliness and then Daemon appeared and I see him as my own son. And now you...You're the dearest things to me together with my daughter and cats." Geraldine smiled sadly.
"It means a lot that you think of me like that. Thank you." Selene reached out to hold Geraldine's wrinkled hand.
Their emotional moment ended when they both saw Daemon walking towards them.
"Hello." He glanced at Geraldine but held his gaze towards Selene.
"Daemon. What brings you here this early?" Geraldine asked.
Daemon broke the eye contact with Selene and answered.
"I need your help."