The Tragic Tale of Teddy Woven

Chapter 27

“She would never let anything come in between us,” he said with a sharp shake of his head. “My mother has a jealous nature… always has.” He stopped the stroking of his thumb, and loosened his grip so his hand could slip up to my wrist. “I can’t ever have people around there, or even entertain the idea of having a romantic relationship with someone. She fears that one day I will leave this place, which would mean leaving her.”

“But you had every intention to stay.”

“I’ve been thinking about leaving my home for quite some time now,” he revealed with a nervous quirk of his lips downwards. “Because of the memories, and the things that my father had done to our family, but I stayed for her. I wanted to make her happy. To atone for my sins, or at least the things I wasn’t able to do as a child. I kept it a secret, all those times my father beat her and eventually me. A secret because I feared what would happen if my father ever found out that I told anyone.” He removed his hand from my wrist and laid it flatly over his lap. “I should have done something. He killed her in the end, strangled her to death with rope and pretended her hanging was a suicide attempt.” He stopped talking for a moment and simply let out a tiny exhale of air. “I knew it was him all along when I returned that day from school. No police officer or doctor could convince me otherwise.”

“Did you tell anyone about your suspicions?”

He shook his head violently with severely pursed lips. “No,” came out in a haggard breath. “I couldn’t.” His voice significantly lowered as he added: “Two days later he killed himself. It seems he had a conscience after all.”

I laid a hand on the back of his shoulder. “And so you’ve been blaming yourself for keeping silent for all of these years.”

“For not speaking out for my mother,” he admitted. “In life and later on in death.”

“And that is the reason that you returned home,” I finally realized. “And the reason you put so much effort decorating her house - her garden.”

“Yes,” he consented. “She always loved her garden.”

My hand slid down his back as I considered: “Then all of it was for her.”

“Everything,” he wheezed out lifelessly.

“As a way of an apology?”

“Yes, Sela,” he softly concurred. He turned his gaze in my direction, and let his eyes scan my entire face. “But I asked you to have coffee the first day we met because…” He tilted his chin upwards to regain some strength. “Because I liked you,” he bluntly told me with a steady gaze.

I fell into the side of him, smothering the side of my cheek onto his strong upper arm. The scent of smoke still lingered over him, probably coming from his hair since he hadn’t taken a shower yet. I rubbed my hand over the center of his back soothingly, taking my time to feel the tense muscles that stretched along his back. He remained perfectly still, probably enjoying my open show of affection. I slowly inched my head upwards and rested it over the top of his shoulder blade. I could feel his hand cupping the side of my head, stroking his fingertips into my scalp in small circles. I let out an audible sigh, and then tilted my head to lay my cheek over the side of his shoulder. “I hope you know that you are welcome to stay here as long as you want.”

“Thank you, Sela,” he hushed into my ear.

“And if you need anything-”

“I know.”

upwards, urging his cat to jump on top of the couch. We were lucky to find her in the dark, but I suppose all of the mayhem exhibited on the front lawn sparked Luna’s interest. Teddy was quick to stick her in the

realizing Teddy had seen me in my most relaxed state possible. I tried to control the blushing of my cheeks when reaching for my cup of tea, hoping he could not see

an apartment room to rent across the hall

have to ask

turned his attention to the front door, silently contemplating something for a moment. I thought he looked like a wounded bird with his right arm tightly bandaged up. He encountered some scrapes on his upper inner arm, but the ones along the sides of his waist were apparently the worst. It was nice to see him wearing one of my baggy black jumpers, for I thought him wearing casual street clothes was somewhat bewildering to me. He would have to start his life over again, since all of his artwork

is good,” he noted after he

like the taste

murmured. “So do

clear

paws outstretched themselves across Teddy’s lap to press against

for her food

added: “A

“And cat treats!”

in this flat all the time. She is used to

a hard adjustment,” I

we are thankful all

had subsided, and interestingly enough she looked like she was

intend to be rid of my memories. I will go away somewhere -

“Where?”

he pondered aloud. “But I know I can make just about a living anywhere as an artist. Should I go to Rome, do

“Why?”

would buy a house close to

am at the moment,” I replied with utter honesty. “I am not too far from my parents, and

I would love

patted him on the back in a reassuring way. “Okay, we can do that then.” I smiled at him, but for some reason Teddy did not smile back.

am sorry about my past. I

“It’s not your fault.”

when I meet your parents and your friends,” he tried to explain. “They will

have to be honest.” My hand shifted upwards to rest over the back of his shoulder that was furthest from me. “It will be horrifying I know, but if I am willing to accept your

are different!” Teddy pointed out with

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