Princess gathered the empty dishes and took them to the sink. The kids happened to be done with their food and were busy with their pacifiers.
"What did you put in the pacifier?" Faye asked. She removed Ronny’s pacifier, and the little boy immediately began to cry. Faye had to put it back for him to stop crying. The infant’s sharp squeal cut through the small room, making Faye’s heart rate spike for a fast second before the quiet returned, her own breathing coming out in small, ragged hitches as she patted the baby’s chest.
"Frozen mashed avocado and your breast milk," Princess said as she began to do the dishes. She kept her back turned, her hands moving through the warm soapy water while her lungs pulled in short, cautious puffs of air to keep her voice steady.
"Oh... that’s nice." Faye murmured. She leaned her chin on her hand, her eyes fixed on the countertop, her throat feeling dry and tight as her chest gave a slow heave.
Princess’s side eyes couldn’t stop staring at Faye. She wanted to ask her what was wrong and why her face was swollen, but she couldn’t. Every time she glanced over her shoulder, her pulse hammered a frantic, painful rhythm against her ribs, her breath locking straight in her throat.
"How was your weekend?" Princess started. She scrubbed a plate with a rough, steady pressure, her shoulders locking tight as she waited for the answer.
"Fine." Faye replied shortly.
Faye’s voice was low too. The single word hung heavily in the air, her lungs letting out a faint, exhausted puff as she stroked Donny’s hair.
Princess couldn’t hold it anymore. She put down the plate and faced Faye, resting against the sink counter.
"I know we are on a break, but I’m still your girlfriend and the mother of your pups. I cannot ignore the fact that something is definitely wrong. Have you been crying all day?" Princess said. Her voice shook with a fast, dangerous emotion, her chest rising in a rapid, heavy rhythm as she stared directly into Faye’s swollen face.
"Princess, I’m fine..." Faye muttered, her jaw tightening as she tried to pull her gaze away, her breathing turning fast and defensive.
"No, you are not fine. You don’t look fine. This was how you looked last Sunday, when you were crying all day."
"Princess, can you just ignore looking at my face? Okay, just pretend that you didn’t notice anything." Faye pleaded sharply, her voice breaking slightly as her lungs pulled in a desperate, burning gasp of air.
Princess was quiet after that... for a while. The kitchen went completely dead silent, the only sound being the slow drip of the faucet, Princess’s chest heaving as she fought the storm brewing inside her.
She wanted to, but the Alpha in her couldn’t.
"No, I won’t. No, Faye, I will not pretend that my girlfriend has not been crying. I have been pretending for a whole week that everything is fine. I have been pretending to be happy about the decision you made a week ago... but you know what? I am done pretending." Princess yelled out, but not that loud.
Princess gasped before continuing. Then tears started dropping from her eyes.
"I am not happy, Faye. A whole week has been hell for me. I cry every night trying to give you the space you want. The space... it’s killing me... it’s suffocating, and I can’t breathe. Even with the pups around, I’m not breathing. I just cannot do it. I’m trying to, but I can’t. Knowing that something is wrong with you, and all I want to do is hug you so you will be better instead of acting like everything is fine..." Princess sobbed out. She clutched her own chest, her lungs gasping for oxygen in short, painful bursts while her posture completely collapsed under the weight of her pain.
"I’m sorry for leaving you that night. I was just trying not to be angry. I just want to be the person you come to when you are sad, not the person you run from. I...." Princess wept, her voice dropping into a raw, desperate whisper that cut through the entire kitchen.
Before Princess could finish her words, Faye moved closer to her and hugged her.
"I’m not fine, baby... I’m not fine. I just can’t pretend anymore. I couldn’t save her... she is gone, and she is never coming back." Faye cried out, burying her face into Princess’s neck, her body trembling violently as her heart broke completely open.l
Both girls cried on each other’s shoulders while the four pups watched their mommies.
Inside the nursery room, Princess made a family-sized camping bed, pumped it up, and arranged it. Then the whole family lay on the bed.
The pups were between Princess and Faye. Tiny legs kicked out in comfortable warmth, small chest rising and falling in quick, easy rhythms...
Finally, after all the crawling around and bathing tantrums, sitting on their mommies face, chewing on the blanket and biting Princess’s fingers, they were sleeping peacefully.
"I didn’t mean to hurt you, Princess. I thought you were okay with it," Faye whispered softly. She reached across the sleeping children, her thumb brushing against Princess’s hand, her own heart pounding a quiet, steady rhythm.
"I never meant to walk away either," Princess confessed, her eyes shining in the dim nightlight as she pulled in a long, peaceful breath.
"Were you lonely?" Faye asked gently, her throat tightening as her lungs pulled in a careful draft of air.
"Yes... the nights were so long, but this long night feels way better than my previous nights," Princess admitted. She squeezed Faye’s fingers, her chest expanding with a deep, content sigh that relaxed her whole body.
"My nights were longer too... I didn’t cry though." Faye muttered, a tiny, watery chuckle escaping her lips as her breathing finally leveled out.
"Guess I’m such a crybaby," Princess smiled. "Was she somebody I knew?" she asked softly, her gaze searching Faye’s face .
"You might have met her. Malo said the whole town knew her. She wanted to see the pups, but now I owe her a debt that I could never pay." Faye murmured, her eyes dimming slightly as her breath hitched on the old memory.
"Do you think she will meet our moms?" Princess whispered, her chest rising with a gentle, curious breath.
"She talked about the other side... she could." Faye answered quietly, her hand tightening around Princess’s.
"Are you coming back home? I really miss you, and I don’t want to be apart from you anymore," Princess asked...
"Life is too short. No one knows when it’s going to end. I will never leave you, Princess. You are my family... my girlfriend... the girl I wish to spend my life with. I’m never going to let you feel loneliness ever again." Faye promised from the bottom of her heart. Her voice was strong, her pulse steady and firm as she poured every piece of her soul into the words, her lungs expanding with total certainty.
"Does that mean you are going to stay, tomorrow night and other nights?" Princess asked with the most innocent voice ever. She leaned in a fraction closer over the sleeping pups, her lungs holding a tiny, breathless pause.
Faye nodded her head repeatedly. A soft, warm smile broke across her face, her eyes shining bright in the quiet room.
Princess smiled as she looked at her girlfriend. Her heart swelled with a massive, overwhelming warmth, her entire body relaxing into the comfortable mattress.
The love of her life was finally home.