Home Sweet Home

[Anna]

Anna let him hold her close. She liked it. It had been a long time since she had been held like this. She was quiet for a bit after he finished talking. She wasn’t really sure how to respond to that. Curses could likely be real. Her wallet buzzed giving her a moment to think as she checked it. It was Elyse and Anna didn’t hide the screen from Cade. If he wanted to read it, he could.

”Elyse doesn’t know any monsters that leave messages like that. She’s less worried about it than I am. If it was dangerous it would be eating your face off. Still suggests being cautious and, of course, ask Nox about it.”

She set her wallet down on the bed, not wanting to get out of Cade’s arms to put it away. ”I don’t know anything about curses. I wish I knew what to say to help.” she was really at a loss for words. She debated making a joke to lighten the tension, but decided not to. It didn’t seem respectful.

[Cade]

Cade smiled. He checked his phone again, but there was nothing from Nox. He was safe but it was unlike him. "I wonder why Nox isn't responding to texts. Maybe he isn't with his wallet." Cade signed. "Though Sky said his vitals are good so he has to be close for her to still read his vitals."

Cade shrugged though. "You don't need to say anything. I'm not particularly worried. It wasn't a threat -- yet."

There wasn't much todo in the dark and with no electricity. "So what do we do with no electricty, and getitng out of bed sounds like torture in the cold." He sighed. "And there is only so much fun we can have."

[Anna]

Anna thought about it for a bit. Nox had his wallet but wasn't checking it. His vitals were good so he wasn't in any danger. "My guess would be he's in a pissy mood right now. Someone upset him somehow." She didn't know if she ever saw him pissed off, but she never knew him to not respond either. "He'll respond eventually I'm sure. Just have to wait. He's made of stern stuff and he has his power again. If he was in trouble, he'll handle it."

She laughed at his next statement. "What? Are you bored of me already Cade Reese?" She laughed again - it was a joke. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Friends and I used to play Truth or Dare when the power went out. We already did that." It had led to two sexy sessions. She was okay with that.

Anna turned on her side and rested her head on her arm so she could look at Cade. She had wanted to ask Cade something for a long time, but she hadn't wanted to open any wounds, but she felt now it would be okay. He had made a big step today in moving on. Anna didn't know what they were yet. She doubted this was an official relationship, but it might have the potential to become one. Anna knew though that Laney and Jackson would always be a part of him. He wouldn't forget them and he shouldn't. Not for Anna or anyone else.

"Will you tell me about them? Laney and Jackson. I'd like to hear about them. Good memories. What were they like?" She took Cade's hand in hers and held it softly.

[Cade]

Cade had asked Anna about her most secret moment -- this was no different. He didn't pull away, he pulled her closer insted but he lay back deeper into the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. "We didn't really get to see Jackson's personality. He was just a baby. But we loved him -- had great plans for him. But he was always bright and smiling when he saw us. We spent most of his life in NICU"

He smiled. "Laney was great. Full of life. She loved art. She wasn't a painter or a sculpter, her artsy side wasn't in the making. It was in the building, the construction. She was into the analysis of it. She was going to run a muesum gallery until she got pregnant with Jackson."

[Anna]

Cade pulled her close instead of pushing her away. She had expected the push away or some show of guilt because he had brought Laney up. She had been the first one he had been with since her passing. She did notice how he looked up and sank deeper into his pillow. He was probably feeling a little down about it, but it could be worse for him.

Anna didn't just listen to his words. She listened to how he said them. Their son had died a infant and spent most of his life in the NICU. It had to have been extremely hard for them. It was hard enough that Laney had ended her life after the passing of their son, but he had always smiled when he saw his parents. A child on the verge of death smiling. That was something bright in the darkness.

Cade smiled when he spoke of Laney. It was evident that Cade loved her and still did. It wasn't something Anna would take away from Cade. He would always love her and he should, regardless of where things went with them. After he finished, Anna let the silence stand for a bit, allowing herself to absorb what he had said, and allowing Cade to deal with whatever emotions may have been brought up.

"They both sound lovely," she said. "I'm so sorry they were taken from you so early. I'm sure it must be hard - even now." Anna had no idea of how it would feel to go through that. "How did you meet Laney? College? High school sweethearts?"

She had never asked for this story and had always wondered, but hearing Cade talk about her already had been a unique experience, and perhaps doing it himself was therapeutic too. She wanted to focus on the positive things, and through hearing about Laney, she could learn more about Cade. "Let me know if I'm asking to much." She added. She wasn't trying to hurt him, but it seemed a good time to ask about such things.

[Cade]

Cade didn't usually like talking about his past -- mostly because it hurt so much, but he had started to learn that talking was probably a good idea. Even if it was just to get in a word when he talked to his brother. Talk about someone who just rambled to fill the silence. But Cade found if he talked about things, Nox listened. And he had life experiences that Cade could never imagine to add to the conversation. His life had been rough. A lot rougher than Cade's.

"Laney I met when I was in pre-med in college. She's an art history major. We met at a frat party. It was the only party my friends dragged me to. From that point on it Laney and I hanging out. She didn't much care if I stayed in to study as long as she could lie on my bed, with her headset and wallet and jam. She'd make me dance with her so I had to stop dancing, but it was worth it. She was my biggest cheerleader."

Cade leaned forward and kissed Anna on top of the head. "You are fine. It's good to talk. Something I learned from my little brother who never shuts up."

[Anna]

Anna giggled when he kissed the top of her head. She was glad he was okay with talking about this stuff. It was good to remember the good things, but it was often easier to focus on the bad things. Things like loss, grief, and pain always seemed to linger, but eventually the good memories helped with the healing.

"Yeah, Nox definitely likes to talk," she laughed and nuzzled Cade's cheek. "But he's a good listener if you can get a word in."

Anna kissed him on the cheek. "I'm glad you can talk about it. It's good to remember the good things. The smiles, fun times, and love. And I know its cliche, but they're always with you." His family was a part of him. That would never change.

"So you can dance?" she asked, catching his reference to dancing. "She'll have to show me your moves sometime, but I'll be right back."

Anna stood up and stretched before heading to the bathroom. She shut the door and wove a ball of light so she could see. The weird message was still there. It was creepy.

Anna finished and headed back to the bed and climbed back in getting herself close to Cade again. She sighed contentedly. She was glad to be here. The storm sucked and was a little scary, but she was glad to be here.

[Cade]

Cade laughed. "No I can't dance. It's one thing I am not good at. It took me three months of lessons just for my wedding dance. And I haven't danced since." He'd rather keep it that way. Dancing wasn't something he enjoyed.

It was weird lying naked in bed with another woman. Not in a bad way -- just weird

"So you don't have to answer, but what made a girl like you want to get into this line of work?" There was nothing wrong with it, and it was profitable, he had asked Nox the same question and he said it had just fallen in his lap and he was good at it -- at least from what he'd seen.

[Anna]

Anna laughed at his response. "Well as a doctor it's okay for you to have two left feet - as long as you don't have two left hands."

Cade's question of how she got in the business wasn't an unexpected one especially since they were getting closer. She didn't mind answering it. They weren't in a relationship. Anna wasn't certain if things would go that way or not. It wasn't a discussion they needed to have now, but generally it was an unspoken rule that those you slept with or were in a relationship with were not patrons at the Club. There were a lot of reasons for that, but jealousy was the primary one.

Anna didn't get the sense that he was judging her - he was just curious - so she didn't mind answering. "It started in college. Going to a prestigious dance school like Julliard meant that a lot of the people I studied under and with were fairly stuck up, snobbish, and a little elitist. I was different. I like ballet and I'm good at ballet. I still practice, but I like all forms of dance. It was..." She looked up, thinking. "Sort of like a rebellion. I sort of picked what was the opposite and started doing it. I found I liked it and was good at it. I didn't have to pay for college, so everything I made, I got to keep. Made a lot of money. It wasn't the point of it, just a good perk. I have no idea if that makes sense."

She leaned on her arm and rested her head in her hand, looking at Cade. "That said, I don't think the sexy dancing is a lifelong career for me. I'll eventually lay down the lingerie and flower crown for something else." She smiled a bit thinking about her dreams. She had made a lot of money and had a lot stashed away. Sometime, maybe they'd become real. Among them was finding someone and having a family, but that dream had little to do with his question. "I haven't told anyone this yet, but I want to start a dance studio. Just somewhere people can come to learn how to dance - different styles - people of all ages. No one turned away. No elite snobbery or this dance is better than that one. Just...all dance is beautiful...you only need to find the one that suits you." her eyes lit up as she talked about it, but she had doubts. Doubts that she was good enough and doubts that she could make it work. "Maybe that's more than I can do. I don't know. But I can dream, can't I?"

[Cade]

Cade kinda figured that it all had to do with rebellion. But then again no one says I wanna be a stripper from the get go. But her confession of her dreams made him sit up a bit and look down on her. "So what's stopping you?" He grinned at her. "I'm not saying stop dancing at Kallisti -- yet. But do what Nox does, find a little space, advertise this is what's going on, flyers hung on the light posts, in shopping bulletin boards, just anywhere they'll let you. See if you get any calls. Hell, you could offer some free classes at Second Chances just to get your name out there. Anna Rodriguez's School of Dance."

Cade laid back with his hands above his head like he was framing a sign. "I can see it in lights. And I'm sure that Nox's hacker bud and Sky could help out too. I'm sure you could even put a commercial together and get it up on one of them video billboards. You should do it. Don't let someday be tomorrow, make it be today."