Past Sins Revisited

by Mary Goldberger

  “I’m going to bed,” she told him going to her bedroom door. “Thank you for a pleasant day.”

  The door shut behind her as soon as she finished uttering her words and Edric sighed leaning his head back against the edge of the couch.

  They were already four days into their week and yet they haven’t been able to actually have a conversation on what they needed to discuss, but he had put it off wanting Calida to relax and enjoy herself before they discussed his sister and everything else. Now he realized that he was merely putting it off and he had a feeling that he would need much longer than a week for him to make Calida understand what she truly meant to him. He had already had a feeling that it would take longer, but he had hoped that this week together would be a beginning.

  “Adella,” he muttered as the room became dark. ‘I could use some help here.”

  He chuckled as his whimsical imagination reaching forward and turning on the lamp before switching on the radio and staring at the door in which Calida hid behind from him, and their feelings for one another.

  Chapter 30

  The next few days followed a similar pattern and Edric stood on the porch at the end of the week his fists clenched tightly as he wondered what he could do to break down the block Calida suddenly put up after their day of sledding.

  His heart was aching because ever since that day, every morning she sobbed into her pillow but not once had she mentioned a word to him.

  Her appetite had dwindled again which bothered him but he didn’t know what to do unless he became stricter with her.

  He sighed quietly his breathing frosty in the cold evening air as a cry echoed inside the house. He swung around and rushed into the house to see Calida picking herself up from the floor.

  “What happened,” he asked brusquely as he walked over and lifted her up into his arms.

  “I lost my balance,” Calida muttered her body tense in his arms as her hazel eyes flashed in wariness.

  “You’re weak,” Edric said bluntly a touch of anger in his voice at that look of wariness as he placed her gently on the couch at odd with his tone. “You haven’t been eating properly and don’t tell me you have because I’ve been watching you move your food around on your plate.”

  Calida glared up at him as she yelled her eyes flashing, “Why the hell do you care?”

  Edric growled as he yanked up only to freeze as Calida cried out in pain overshadowing the anger in her eyes.

  “Let me see your wound,” he ordered angrily as he resettled her back on the couch before he lifted her shirt over her half-hearted protest.

  Her eyes looked red and slightly swollen to Edric’s eyes which he lifted narrowly at Calida who stared back with a mutinous look on her face.

  “What are you trying to do, Calida, get an infection,” he stated in a cold voice that Calida couldn’t help but shiver.

  “Maybe it would be for the best,” Calida muttered eyes downcast wincing when Edric’s hands bit into the flesh of her arms. “I’ve been taking care of it, Edric.”

  Edric gave a harsh exclamation as he released her and got up stiffly from the couch as he muttered, “Not for me” as he walked away with Calida staring after in confusion.

  He came back with a first-aid kit including her medicine which Edric made her take first before he ordered in a stern voice, “Take off your shirt.”

  Calida opened her mouth to argue but thought better of it when he flashed a hard look from narrowed green eyes and she pulled the shirt over her head wincing as her wound pulled.

  Edric helped her when he saw her wince a half smile coming to his face when he saw the sports bra she wore underneath, and Calida gave him a quick look as he went to work disinfecting her wound.

  “I know you better than you think, sweetheart,” he remarked as he used gentle fingers to smooth the ointment over the wound the doctor prescribed before bandaging it up.

  Calida watched him the entire time her hazel eyes dark with whirling emotions and as he placed everything back in the first-aid kit she found herself saying aloud, “I didn’t see everything that happened that night although that’s not a good excuse for not helping her.”

  Edric froze at her words for a second before he said in angry tone, “What are you telling me” as he kept his eyes on his task.

  “I never realized how much your sister looked like you until now,” Calida muttered her eyes going over his dark hair and strong chin watching his body still at her mutterings not saying a word as she continued speaking. “When I met Adella that day, I liked her immediately for her personality but also her devotion to her boyfriend. She had been so worried about being late for their date that I envied she had someone she cared about in such a way.”

  Calida chuckled suddenly putting her head back against the couch hazel eyes staring up at the ceiling as Edric finished repacking the first aid kit and placed it under the table before he focused his full attention on Calida seeing the unfocused look on her face.

  “When I heard her name that night outside,” Calida began again much softer eyes focused on a crack she saw in the ceiling. “I thought for sure that it had to be someone else because I wouldn’t think she would have any reason to be hanging out with my brother and his friends.”

  She shook her head slightly before she continued, “I didn’t bother getting up to check it out as they played in the pool being a normal activity for my brother and his friends to do nightly so I continued going over my college admission booklet checking out the courses I would like to take. Maybe if I had gotten up and checked, what happened later on may have never happened.”

  Tears rolled down her face and Edric swore loudly as he reached out to gather her in his arms although Calida tried to weakly fight him off, but Edric was adamant and soon Calida was sitting in his lap on the couch.

  “You don’t have to say anything else,” he muttered thinking about the pain and guilt he saw on her face.

  Calida swallowed as she whispered tilting her head back so her watery eyes could meet his, “Isn’t that the point of our being here, Edric, because you want to know what happened that night.”

  Edric’s eyes closed as his arms tightened around her involuntary before he told her honestly, “I do want to know what happened, but only when you are ready to tell me, Calida, and at the same time I don’t like seeing you in pain because of the memories.”

  He opened his eyes and stared down at her in his laps as he told her, “I want to stop those nightmares that haunt you every night into the early morning.”

  Calida sagged against as she whispered, “If I tell you everything, you will only hate me more but I guess it can’t be helped.”

  Edric felt his heart twist in his chest as understanding rolled through him at her words, and he said quietly pulling the elastic she had used to put her hair up out, “You need to speak it out, honey, or you will be haunted for the rest of your life.”

  “I’m tired, Edric,” she told him wearily her body crawling into his warmth knowing that it may be the last time she could be this close to him once she revealed everything. “I just want to sleep tonight.”

  Edric ran a hand through her hair untangling and smoothing it out so it fell past her shoulders as he made a quick decision.

  “You will,” he promised her as he stood up from the couch shifting her in his arms to get a more steady hold on her before he headed for his bedroom.

  He helped Calida to undress and instead of going to her room for something to wear, he slipped one of his own shirts on her before he tucked her underneath the blankets where he joined a few minutes later after stripping out of his clothes and putting on a pair of pajama bottoms.

  Calida didn’t hesitate to turn to him as he slipped in next to her feeling the light kiss he placed on her temple and she muttered, “I will apologize to Sophie once we return.”

  “There is no need,” he whispered although he was sure that she didn’t hear him feeling her body completely relax against him while her breathing evened
out.

  As she fell into a deep sleep for the first time since their arrival, Edric stayed awake watching her and running his fingers through her hair as a frown crossed his face.

  They were supposed to leave in the next two days, but he needed more time since this was the first time Calida opened up in the five days they’ve been here. Once they returned, though, Calida would close herself off from him which he gathered from her words as she was ready for him to turn away after she revealed everything.

  “Please, I need more time,” he pleaded into the night as drowsiness swept through him and he closed his eyes tightening his arms around the woman sleeping in his arms.

  It was as if someone heard his plea because the storm outside increased in power knocking out electricity everywhere within in the vicinity and the little house became isolated as the snow buried them in.

  As the night went on, a snow storm came in as the wind became freezing cold that even the animals took shelter and Tomas’s truck was a white form in the darkening night as it became buried up to the top of its wheels. It was going to be a while before anything would be able to travel in the area until the snowstorm passed through.

  Edric woke up when Calida shivered against him and he felt the chill in the room. He frowned as he slipped out of bed feeling the coldness of the house seep into his body while he tucked the blanket snuggly around Calida.

  He got dressed quickly in warm clothes before he went out into the living room where the coldness was even worse.

  “Damn,” he muttered as he realized the electricity was off which meant the generator had finally ran out of gas.

  He looked out the window seeing that they were being hit by a snowstorm and Edric was relieved that he had chopped wood the day before as it would be hard to get through that storm to get wood much less chop it.

  They would be using the fireplace for the rest of their stay, he surmised as he went into the kitchen where he kept candles and lanterns for such emergencies. He grabbed them going back into the living room where he got to work starting a fire in the fireplace using some old newspapers that he had by the fireplace along with some kindling he had remembered to grab yesterday as luck would have it.

  The fire was just getting started and Edric rubbed his hands together as he stroked it before getting up going back into the kitchen frowning as he realized that they had another problem.

  With the freezing cold weather, he would have to worry about the pipes freezing and he grimaced as he walked over turning on the water. He felt a moment of relief as the water ran out although it was ice cold which meant they would have to heat it up to use and he was immensely relieved that he had decided to keep the gas stove instead of replacing it with the electric one Sophie told him to get when he mentioned it in passing to her.

  He lit the stove after he found a hot water kettle and filled it glad that both he and Calida liked hot tea because it looked like that’s what they would drink this morning.

  “I’m guessing the generator finally quit on us,” Calida stated in a low voice and Edric glanced over his shoulder to stare at her wrapped in the blanket from his bed.

  “Yeah, it’s dry,” he admitted as he placed the kettle on the lit burner before walking over to her and wrapping his arms around Calida ignoring how she tensed.

  “I’ve already started a fire,” he told her nestling her against him. “It was a good thing that I chopped wood yesterday although I think I should go out and get some more just to be on the safe side, but I have to clear the path first.”

  Calida nodded her head as she realized what he was telling her. “Let me get in some warm clothes and I will help you today.”

  “Calida, you’re not…” Edric began his eyes filled with worry and concern.

  “With the two of us working, it will get done faster and we can come back into the warmth of the house,” she told him with a smile. “Don’t worry, I will let you check my wound afterwards since you seemed to be concerned although….”

  She stopped there and shook her head as she started to step back from his arms only to be shocked when Edric leaned down and kissed her.

  “That’s why I love you,” he whispered against her lips before he gently pulled away and turned her around toward her room. “Go get dressed warmly so we can get started.”

  Calida hurried into her room slightly befuddled by his actions before she shook her head sure that she must’ve heard him wrong although she definitely couldn’t ignore the kiss he gave her as she lifted a hand to her lips. With another shake of her head, she quickly got dressed as the cold of the room began to make her shiver.

  She walked out ten minutes later and Edric handed her a cup of tea which she took with a sigh sipping it slowly.

  “I would’ve made coffee but it would be my first time making it with the kettle so I took the easy way this morning,” Edric commented giving her a wink which had the desired effect of lifting the corners of her mouth. “As many years I’ve been coming here, I will have to admit it is the first time that I’ve actually been snowed in.”

  “There’s a first time for everything,” Calida murmured as they began to get there heavy jackets and snow boots on.

  Edric laughed loudly at her comment as he opened the door and they both shivered at the cold air that came through the opening.

  “Well, if it had to be my first time being snowed in, I’m glad it was with you,” Edric told her as he walked out onto the porch throwing her a wicked grin over his shoulder as she followed him.

  Calida’s eyes widened before she began to laugh shaking her head and realized that first time since she been there, no nightmare leftovers clouded her mind.

  Being held all night by Edric kept the nightmares at bay and yet, Calida bit her lip as her eyes settled on Edric while a single thought rung through her head.

  She pushed it away as Edric glanced back at her asking, “Ready” holding out a gloved hand.

  “I guess I have to be,” Calida muttered sliding her own into his hand and Edric had the feeling that she wasn’t referring to the work ahead of them.

  His hand tightened for a moment as they headed off the porch out into the storm that had calmed down some, but Edric had a feeling that it would pick back up soon so he wanted to hurry up and get this done before it did start up again.

  They waded through the deep snow heading for the barn where Edric got the shovels to dig out the path as Calida asked, “How much more wood do you think we would need?”

  Edric shook his head as Calida started to digging out the path as he told her, “I’m not sure but I don’t want to run out when we may need it the most.”

  Calida nodded her head as she continued shoveling while Edric started gathering the rest of the wood he chopped last night admitting in a ragged voice, “I should’ve put it all on the porch last night.”

  Calida giggled before she teased, “We would be warm right now if you had.”

  “Next time we will be more prepared,” Edric told her as he grabbed another shovel to help her clear the path. “I think a wood box outside the front door could be useful at such times.”

  Calida shot him a sharp look at his words but Edric continued working without glancing up letting her think over what he said.

  Once they got to the stairs, Calida leaned against the shovel for a few seconds until Edric’s hand settled on her lower back.

  “Let’s get the rest of the wood before the path gets covered again,” he advised her, and Calida nodded her head as she lifted the shovel to follow him back to the barn.

  It took them some time to get what wood was left up to the porch as the snow began to pick up and Edric remarked, “That wood box is starting to look better and better for next year so we don’t have to worry about it.”

  Second time, Calida thought wondering if Edric forgot who she was as she helped him stock pile the wood with what he stocked piled the day before on the porch.

  They had just finished when the wind picked up and the snowstorm
returned, and they watched from the porch as the path they just cleared was buried within minutes of its return.

  “Another game of poker, Calida,” Edric asked giving her smirking grin as they turned to go back inside.

  “Do you feel like losing again, Edric,” Calida taunted as they entered and she began to take out her outer wear hanging up the jacket and placing the boots by the door as Edric did the same.

  She didn’t see the way Edric’s eyes lit up at her teasing or the smile that came to his hard mouth as he shut and latched the door behind them while Calida headed for the kitchen.

  He followed her watching as she moved around the kitchen telling him, “Although I like tea, I’m going to attempt to make coffee so no comments if it doesn’t come out right.”

  Edric held up his hands in surrender as she gave him a brief glance and her eyes flashed with humor before she turned her attention back to what she was doing.

  He smiled watching her for a few minutes before he turned and went into the living room stroking the fire before adding a few more logs.

  Calida entered the living room a few minutes later with two cups of coffee and handed one to Edric as he dusted off his hands straightening up from his squatting position in front of the fire.

  “I’m not sure what to do for dinner tonight,” Calida remarked sipping her coffee thinking that she didn’t do such a bad job which Edric echoed when he sipped his own.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out,” he replied turning to the side to gaze down at the fire before giving her an intense look.

  Calida shifted under that look reading something she wasn’t sure she could trust as she looked away glancing around the room when her eyes landed on a picture sitting on the mantel of Edric and Adella with his arm wrapped around her shoulder as she made a face at him.

  “I didn’t notice that before,” she remarked quietly as Edric followed her gaze.

  “You haven’t really been paying attention,” he told her in a slightly harsh voice. “Or you would’ve notice that I…”