Beyond A Sky So Blue -- Part XIV

Milly gave the floor an extra hard scrub with the brush. Her mother had always used cleaning as an outlet for strong emotions and with a large family, there was always something to clean. Facing a lonely weekend, Milly had taken her example.

So she had cleaned. When she had finished normal cleaning, like mopping and dusting, she had moved on to cleaning curtains and washing windows. Those tasks were now complete. She had finished beating the carpets and was now scrubbing all the floors by hand. She planned to wax them next.

It was physical work. It gave her something to do. It helped keep her mind off things.

‘As well as could be expected,’ she amended, dipping her brush into the soapy water.

She couldn’t stop worrying about Meryl and the baby. She had visited them right after Vash had brought them back. While the doctor assured her and Vash that they both were okay, she wished that her friend would hurry up and stay awake long enough to talk to her.

She wondered if she should throw a party when Meryl was well. She would invite some of Meryl’s old friends from the diner. She would also invite some of the guys from the construction company.

Milly suddenly growled in frustration.

Her mind wouldn’t shut off. No matter how hard she pushed her body, her mind just kept going. And no matter what she thought about, her thoughts inevitably turned to him.

She watched the water drip onto floor. She absently wondered what could be leaking before she realized that she was crying. She threw the brush down in disgust.

“What’s wrong with you?” she cried, ashamed that she was crying over a man who obviously didn’t want her. She was angry that he could just leave and not offer any kind of explanation. She still felt guilty that she was betraying her priest’s memory.

Milly buried her face in her hands. Her sobs echoed in the quiet house, reminding her of how alone she was. She cried even harder.

She didn’t know how long she wept. She eventually became aware of a knocking at her door. She rose shakily to her feet, wiping at her eyes as she went to the door.

She opened the door, only to want to close it again. She blinked and blinked again to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. But it seemed real enough.

“Hello, Milly,” Ben greeted.

* * * * *

It was warm. And soft. So different from that other place.

She gave a contented sigh and scooted closer to the source of the warmth. But her left hand was so heavy. She tried to dislodge it with a gentle tug but to no avail.

With a huff, Meryl opened her eyes and searched for her left hand. It was in a cast. Vash’s long hand covered the top of it as he slept on the edge of the bed with his head by her hip.

It all came back to her.

Knives attacking her in the kitchen. Announcing that Vash was coming for her. That he had a surprise planned for his brother.

The tugging of her hand woke up Vash. He sat up instantly, searching the room for danger. He relaxed when he found only her.

She wanted to cry. In the year they had together, he had learned to relax. Knives had managed to take all of that back.

‘Damn you, Knives,’ she thought bitterly, blinking back tears.

“Meryl, honey, are you okay?” He gently gathered her into his arms. “Are you in pain? Where does it hurt?”

She buried her face into his shoulder, relishing the contact. “I’m okay, Vash. I’m all right.”

He heaved a sigh of relief before pressing a kiss into her hair. “You really had me worried for a minute there.”

They simply held each other. She took comfort in his heart beat as it sounded under her ear. He was grateful that he had her once again after being reminded of how easily she could be taken away.

Eventually, she leaned back, making Vash loosen his hold. She put her good hand between them and rested it on her abdomen. She studied it for a moment before looking up at him. “What did the doctor say?”

He covered her abdomen with one of his hands. “Perfectly fine. Should be ready to make his or her appearance in the world any day now.”

“Thank goodness,” she whispered.

He squeezed the hand on her abdomen. “I know.”

“And my hand?” she murmured.

“Most of the bones were broken,” he began, “and at least one had punctured the skin. He gave you some medicine to fight off any possible infection and then set the bones. He said that once the cast was off, with plenty of exercise you should be able to use it normally.”

She peered up at his face. She noted the new lines of strain around his eyes. What had the battle cost him?

“And Knives?” she forced herself to ask.

“Won’t bother us anymore,” he answered quietly.

“Oh, Vash.” She buried her head against his shoulder so she didn’t have to face the pain in his eyes.

“It’s okay, Meryl.” But his voice sounded hollow to his own ears.

“You shouldn’t have had to make that choice,” she continued. “Despite everything he had done, he was your brother. Why do these things keep happening to you! You don’t deserve this, Vash! You don’t!”

He held as she cried the tears he no longer could.

* * * * *

Milly thought about shutting the door in his face. Her traitorous hand moved to close it before she thought better of it. He struck his foot out, stopping its closure

“I guess I owe you an explanation,” he said.

“Oh, you don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Though it was nice of you to drop by. I’ll see you at work on Monday.”

She went to close the door but he stopped her. “Milly, I know I have no right to ask anything of you.”

“You’re right. You don’t.”

“But I beg you to hear me out,” he interjected. “I want a chance to explain, please.”

She left him at the door and headed inside. He debated for a moment if it was an invitation to come in. He had to admit that this was new ground with Milly.

“Close the door,” she called. “And mind the floor. It’s still wet.”

He did as she asked.

He found her in the den. Milly was seated in the chair, forcing him to sit away from her on the couch. He offered her the flowers. She took and laid them in her lap.

“I heard that Vash and Meryl are back,” he began. She nodded. “How are Meryl and the baby?”

“They’re fine.”

“That’s good news.” He paused for a moment. “And Vash’s brother?”

“He won’t be back to hurt anyone again,” she said quietly.

“Oh.” He wondered that meant. However, he doubted he would get an explanation.

They fell into silence. He watched her out of the corner of his eye. She kept her eyes on the flowers in her lap.

“You said you owe me an explanation,” she said after a while, breaking the silence.

“Yeah, I did.” He ran a hand nervously through his hair. “You gave me a lot to think about the night you told me everything.”

“I guess I did.”

“It made me so mad to think that you had put yourself in such danger again and again. It also bothered me that you had kept things that important from me. But I understand your reasoning,” he interjected, cutting off a potential outburst.

“It also made me realized that I had been less than honest with you,” he admitted.

She jerked her head up, the flowers on her lap quickly forgotten. “What?”

“Milly, until yesterday, I was still legally married.”

“Married!”

“We’ve been separated for the past two years. I actually left to get away from her and moved here. I kept sending her the papers but she refused to sign them.”

He sighed. “I realized that night that I had to be honest with you. So, I left to go see her. I got her to sign the papers. I’m now a free man.”

“That’s the only reason why you left?”

“Yes. Why else would I leave?”

Milly seemed to shrink into herself. “I thought you wanted to get away from me.”

“No!” He knelt in front of her, taking her hand. “Milly, I’m so sorry. That was never my intention. I felt like such a hypocrite that I couldn’t be around you like usual until I was free.”

“You could have explained,” she said quietly. “I thought that there was something wrong with me.”

“Milly, love, there is nothing wrong with you. And I’m sorry that I hurt you.”

She glanced back down at the flowers. But she kept her hand in his. He took that as a small victory.

“Why did you separate?” she asked.

“Huh?”

“Why did you separate from your wife?”

“She was cheating on me. Had been for a while I later learned.”

“That’s horrible.”

“That’s all in the past. It is, Milly. I can have a future now,” he declared, “with you.”

“I don’t know if I can,” she said, wiping away a tear. His heart dropped to his feet. “It’s too quick, Ben.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. “I can do slow, Milly. As much time as you need.”

She finally met his gaze. “Do you mean that?”

“Absolutely,” he replied with a smile. He felt like king of the world when she returned it. “Care to seal it with a kiss?”

She laughed and then bent toward him.


Reunions Milly gave the floor an extra hard scrub with the brush. Her mother had always used cleaning as an outlet for strong emotions and with a large family, there was always something to clean. Facing a lonely weekend, Milly had taken her example. So she had cleaned. When she had finished normal cleaning, like mopping and dusting, she had moved on to cleaning curtains and washing windows. Those tasks were now complete. She had finished beating the carpets and was now scrubbing all the floors by hand. She planned to wax them next. It was physical work. It gave her something to do. It helped keep her mind off things. ‘As well as could be expected,’ she amended, dipping her brush into the soapy water. She couldn’t stop worrying about Meryl and the baby. She had visited them right after Vash had brought them back. While the doctor assured her and Vash that they both were okay, she wished that her friend would hurry up and stay awake long enough to talk to her. She wondered if she should throw a party when Meryl was well. She would invite some of Meryl’s old friends from the diner. She would also invite some of the guys from the construction company. Milly suddenly growled in frustration. Her mind wouldn’t shut off. No matter how hard she pushed her body, her mind just kept going. And no matter what she thought about, her thoughts inevitably turned to him. She watched the water drip onto floor. She absently wondered what could be leaking before she realized that she was crying. She threw the brush down in disgust. “What’s wrong with you?” she cried, ashamed that she was crying over a man who obviously didn’t want her. She was angry that he could just leave and not offer any kind of explanation. She still felt guilty that she was betraying her priest’s memory. Milly buried her face in her hands. Her sobs echoed in the quiet house, reminding her of how alone she was. She cried even harder. She didn’t know how long she wept. She eventually became aware of a knocking at her door. She rose shakily to her feet, wiping at her eyes as she went to the door. She opened the door, only to want to close it again. She blinked and blinked again to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. But it seemed real enough. “Hello, Milly,” Ben greeted. * * * * * It was warm. And soft. So different from that other place. She gave a contented sigh and scooted closer to the source of the warmth. But her left hand was so heavy. She tried to dislodge it with a gentle tug but to no avail. With a huff, Meryl opened her eyes and searched for her left hand. It was in a cast. Vash’s long hand covered the top of it as he slept on the edge of the bed with his head by her hip. It all came back to her. Knives attacking her in the kitchen. Announcing that Vash was coming for her. That he had a surprise planned for his brother. The tugging of her hand woke up Vash. He sat up instantly, searching the room for danger. He relaxed when he found only her. She wanted to cry. In the year they had together, he had learned to relax. Knives had managed to take all of that back. ‘Damn you, Knives,’ she thought bitterly, blinking back tears. “Meryl, honey, are you okay?” He gently gathered her into his arms. “Are you in pain? Where does it hurt?” She buried her face into his shoulder, relishing the contact. “I’m okay, Vash. I’m all right.” He heaved a sigh of relief before pressing a kiss into her hair. “You really had me worried for a minute there.” They simply held each other. She took comfort in his heart beat as it sounded under her ear. He was grateful that he had her once again after being reminded of how easily she could be taken away. Eventually, she leaned back, making Vash loosen his hold. She put her good hand between them and rested it on her abdomen. She studied it for a moment before looking up at him. “What did the doctor say?” He covered her abdomen with one of his hands. “Perfectly fine. Should be ready to make his or her appearance in the world any day now.” “Thank goodness,” she whispered. He squeezed the hand on her abdomen. “I know.” “And my hand?” she murmured. “Most of the bones were broken,” he began, “and at least one had punctured the skin. He gave you some medicine to fight off any possible infection and then set the bones. He said that once the cast was off, with plenty of exercise you should be able to use it normally.” She peered up at his face. She noted the new lines of strain around his eyes. What had the battle cost him? “And Knives?” she forced herself to ask. “Won’t bother us anymore,” he answered quietly. “Oh, Vash.” She buried her head against his shoulder so she didn’t have to face the pain in his eyes. “It’s okay, Meryl.” But his voice sounded hollow to his own ears. “You shouldn’t have had to make that choice,” she continued. “Despite everything he had done, he was your brother. Why do these things keep happening to you! You don’t deserve this, Vash! You don’t!” He held as she cried the tears he no longer could. * * * * * Milly thought about shutting the door in his face. Her traitorous hand moved to close it before she thought better of it. He struck his foot out, stopping its closure “I guess I owe you an explanation,” he said. “Oh, you don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Though it was nice of you to drop by. I’ll see you at work on Monday.” She went to close the door but he stopped her. “Milly, I know I have no right to ask anything of you.” “You’re right. You don’t.” “But I beg you to hear me out,” he interjected. “I want a chance to explain, please.” She left him at the door and headed inside. He debated for a moment if it was an invitation to come in. He had to admit that this was new ground with Milly. “Close the door,” she called. “And mind the floor. It’s still wet.” He did as she asked. He found her in the den. Milly was seated in the chair, forcing him to sit away from her on the couch. He offered her the flowers. She took and laid them in her lap. “I heard that Vash and Meryl are back,” he began. She nodded. “How are Meryl and the baby?” “They’re fine.” “That’s good news.” He paused for a moment. “And Vash’s brother?” “He won’t be back to hurt anyone again,” she said quietly. “Oh.” He wondered that meant. However, he doubted he would get an explanation. They fell into silence. He watched her out of the corner of his eye. She kept her eyes on the flowers in her lap. “You said you owe me an explanation,” she said after a while, breaking the silence. “Yeah, I did.” He ran a hand nervously through his hair. “You gave me a lot to think about the night you told me everything.” “I guess I did.” “It made me so mad to think that you had put yourself in such danger again and again. It also bothered me that you had kept things that important from me. But I understand your reasoning,” he interjected, cutting off a potential outburst. “It also made me realized that I had been less than honest with you,” he admitted. She jerked her head up, the flowers on her lap quickly forgotten. “What?” “Milly, until yesterday, I was still legally married.” “Married!” “We’ve been separated for the past two years. I actually left to get away from her and moved here. I kept sending her the papers but she refused to sign them.” He sighed. “I realized that night that I had to be honest with you. So, I left to go see her. I got her to sign the papers. I’m now a free man.” “That’s the only reason why you left?” “Yes. Why else would I leave?” Milly seemed to shrink into herself. “I thought you wanted to get away from me.” “No!” He knelt in front of her, taking her hand. “Milly, I’m so sorry. That was never my intention. I felt like such a hypocrite that I couldn’t be around you like usual until I was free.” “You could have explained,” she said quietly. “I thought that there was something wrong with me.” “Milly, love, there is nothing wrong with you. And I’m sorry that I hurt you.” She glanced back down at the flowers. But she kept her hand in his. He took that as a small victory. “Why did you separate?” she asked. “Huh?” “Why did you separate from your wife?” “She was cheating on me. Had been for a while I later learned.” “That’s horrible.” “That’s all in the past. It is, Milly. I can have a future now,” he declared, “with you.” “I don’t know if I can,” she said, wiping away a tear. His heart dropped to his feet. “It’s too quick, Ben.” He breathed a sigh of relief. “I can do slow, Milly. As much time as you need.” She finally met his gaze. “Do you mean that?” “Absolutely,” he replied with a smile. He felt like king of the world when she returned it. “Care to seal it with a kiss?” She laughed and then bent toward him.


Epilogue: Peace Back