The funeral was to take place on the Friday afternoon. The weather was warm and dry, unusually so for mid-April. The little church was packed. Granny had always said what a waste of good land it would be if she was buried. She would prefer to be cremated. Her ashes were to be scattered over ‘her’ garden – my garden. It would be up to me to collect the ashes and carry out her wishes.
I returned home late Saturday afternoon and went to the café. Sean was delighted to see me. He insisted I waited until he’d closed the café and he’d come back with me. We’d then go out for a meal.
As I opened my front door I sensed something was wrong. The door to the kitchen and the one to the lounge were both open. I always made a point of closing doors before I went out. That way there was at least a chance of slowing the spread of fire if one did occur. As I walked slowly in, I noticed crisps trodden into the carpet. My heart began to race. Instinctively I grabbed Sean’s hand and crept forward. The doors to the fridge and freezer were both open. The food in the freezer was beginning to defrost. The drawers were open and some mail had been opened and discarded.
“I’ve been burgled,” I stammered, unable to believe what I was seeing. Sean stepped closer and put his arms round me. Together we edged into the lounge. The clock Granny Wise had left when she gave me the house was gone. It wasn’t expensive, but it meant a lot to me. I started to cry. Sean stroked my hair and said he’d call the police.
While waiting for them to arrive, Sean and I gingerly explored the rest of the house. Every drawer in every room had been emptied out and the contents left where they had fallen. My jewellery box was gone. A pane of glass had been broken at the back of the house; that was how they’d gained entry. I was heartbroken. I felt violated. Could I wear the clothes that had been touched by unnamed burglars? All the time, Sean was trying to comfort me. I felt as bad as when I’d arrived at my parent’s house after Granny died. I didn’t feel I could be comforted.
Three hours later, a policeman, a Detective Constable Brooks, and a female Police Community Support Officer arrived. They noted the broken window, took statements from both Sean and me to try and determine when the break-in might have occurred. Between Thursday tea-time and six that evening was the best estimate. Sean told them about the freezer door having been open and the food defrosting. That, they decided, meant the burglary probably hadn’t happened that day. We attempted to make a list of what had been taken. There didn’t seem to be much other than my jewellery and a carriage clock Granny Wise had left in the house when she said I could live there. Nothing was really valuable, but it all had great sentimental value. My heart wasn’t in it. I burst into tears.
“It’s all right Rusty,” Sean tried to comfort me as he put his arm round my shoulders and drew me into him. “I’ll look after you. She’s just returned from her grandmother’s funeral,” Sean told the police. “They were very close. That was enough to make her fragile. This is just too much for her.” The police officer and support officer were both sympathetic. They said they’d send someone round o check for fingerprints but doubted I would get anything back or that the burglars would be caught. That made me even more depressed. I promised to provide a better inventory of the missing items in the next few days. They departed.
“You can’t stay here,” Sean said as the police left. “They could come back. I wouldn’t let you take that risk. Come back with me. At least you’ll be safe if they do come back. Not that there is much more for them to take.” It made sense. Plus, I didn’t want to be on my own right now. I allowed Sean to drive my car back to the café. I was in no state to drive.
As soon as we were in his flat above the café he took me in his arms and held me tight. I clung to him, shaking with a multitude of competing emotions. Why me? What would have happened if I’d been in the house? The thought horrified me. Perhaps they knew I was away, but if so, how? Was it someone I knew? That was even worse. I was bitterly angry that they had added to my grief over Granny. Irrationally, I told myself I could have coped better if they’d waited a couple of months. I was distraught by what had been taken. I wondered what else I would find was missing when I went back. I was relieved I wasn’t alone when I discovered the break-in. I wasn’t sure I’d have been able to take another step if I was on my own. I was also relieved I’d renewed the insurance just a month previously.
All these thoughts competed for my attention. All the time Sean was holding me and stroking my hair. “I think you ought to try and get some sleep,” he told me. I nodded into his shoulder. “I don’t think you should be alone tonight. I don’t want you having nightmares. I’ll let you use the bathroom first.” With that, he disentangled himself from me and led me to the bathroom. Like an automaton, I did as he’d suggested. I washed my face and undressed to my bra and panties, staggered back into the bedroom and crept under the covers. Five minutes later I was asleep.
I woke as Sean slipped into bed beside me, put his arm round me and cupped my breast. I was too shattered to resist or even consider resisting. Seemingly meeting no objection he slipped my breast out of my bra and tweaked the nipple. At the same time, he kissed the back of my neck and my ear. The effect was similar to the effect Crispin created. I was aroused and my nipples hardened. His hand crept lower and underneath my panties. I was already wet. I could feel his erection pushing into my back and his fingers exploring inside me. It had been quite some time since I’d last had sex and suddenly I wanted it. Now! I knew it would push my thoughts about the burglary to the back of my mind. I was wide awake. I sighed at the effect he was having on me. He turned me over. He didn’t even bother removing my panties, just brushed them aside and entered me. It wasn’t the best sex I’d ever had, but it was satisfying.
“I can’t believe we did that,” he grinned when he was satisfied. “You were so ready for it. It would have been cruel of me to deny you. Let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow we’ll see if we can make it even better.” He turned over and went to sleep. He hadn’t used a condom. I hoped fervently that he didn’t have any diseases and that my period, due in a couple of days would start on time. Slowly, I drifted off to sleep.