Mindful Beauty

38) Their Home

Morning came, and Damien awoke with a start. He had stretched his arm across the bed, expecting to feel Ella's warmth and body, but all he felt was the cold and light sheets in her place.

"Ella?" Damien called from the bed, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "Ella?" He tried again, getting up and knocking on the bathroom door, but upon hearing no response, he persisted. "Are you there? Can I come in?"

No response.

"I'm going to push the door open in three..." he counted upon realizing the door wasn't even locked. "Two... one..." he allowed a lengthy pause before pushing through.

Ella wasn't in there either, so Damien returned, noticing that her perfume was dancing in the air and that her phone, which was usually plugged up on her nightstand, was no longer there.

Damien grabbed his, dialing her number until she answered on the fifth ring.

"Hello?"

"Ella? Amore, where are you?" Damien ran a hand through his hair. He had decided yesterday, upon realizing how bad Ella's state of mind and health was, that he would stay at home with her.

There was some ruffling sounds before Ella pulled the phone away, "... next week at the same time sounds good... right... thank you. Bye!" There was another voice that could be heard responding before Ella's was back. "Sorry, Damien. What were you saying?" Ella sighed, seeming relieved.

"Are you working?" Damien frowned, super perplexed as to what Ella was doing. Perhaps she was punishing him. This was her way to show him that she didn't need him now. That he had already screwed up royally, and she wouldn't be forgiving him that easily.

"Yeah. I had an appointment early today. I didn't want to wake you since I figured you were tired, but I called Jihye to let him know you'd either be late or take the whole day off. He said to not worry about it."

She wasn't punishing him. If anything, she still seemed to be her sweet, caring, normal, and calm self.

Damien ruffled his dark hair again.

"Shouldn't you be the one resting? Your condition seemed unwell yesterday, Ella." Damien sat on the bed.

"I'm okay. Yesterday was... it was just a bad day. It's okay, though. That's life for you." Ella waved off. She was a psychologist; it would impossible for her to never have an off day at work or to not end up too much in her feelings.

"I... can we have lunch together?" Damien felt like he needed to make up for everything to Ella. He hadn't been a good fiancé lately, and he wanted to redeem that. He didn't want Ella to think that this was normal behavior nor that it would happen it again. Damien needed Ella to know that she could count on him whenever, even when he was drowning in work.

"Um... what if I leave work early? We can- well... when do you have free time?" Ella asked instead, and Damien almost cursed.

"Whenever you need me, love."

Ella shouldn't have to think about his schedule like that. She shouldn't have to work her time with him around his hectic work.

"Okay... then, I'll leave work early. I don't have any appointments after three, so I'll get home around then."

"Sounds great." Damien agreed, relieved that today was Friday so that they could spend today and the weekend all to themselves. Both of them desperately needed some time off work and time together.

Damien decided that while he waited for Ella's return he would do a bit of work while he waited, but time flew by, and the front door opened when he least expected it.