The three days that Tom had alotted for their honeymoon were almost up and it was the time that Daisy returned to the hustle and bustle of their normal lives. The only problem was that Daisy had never had a normal life. Her normalcy was confined within other people's convenience whether it be her mother in the earliest days or her sister in the latter. Her severance from her family had occurred early on, while she was barely fifteen, when she was raped by Jonathan in her mother's house. It was the first time that he mother, Beverly, had to be institutionalized following an episode. Daisy had taken upon herself to look after Mallory. She was chaperoning her when Jonathan came over to keep them company because it seemed the proper way to go about it. Mallory and Jonathan had a few shots of tequila at home and while Mallory blacked out in her room Jonathan stole into hers.
Daisy's claustrophobia dates back to the feeling of Jonathan's body pushing her into her bed, his hand covering her mouth, blocking her respiratory passage, suffocating her in turn. Daisy had passed out from suffocation before Jonathan had managed to rip her clothes off and did not recall much even of the night. The blood stain on her bed and the soreness of her body made her realize what had happened though. She was quick to confront him, as foolishly brave she was. No one believed her. Mallory had accused her of being jealous of her and plotting to steal her boyfriend. Beverly, when some of her senses returned to her, through medication mostly, had chalked it up to the trauma of being unsupervised for the first time in her life.
Since then she had managed to alienate herself from everything and everyone. Her house had become a lodge and she turned to it for food and sleep. She paid for it through her service, by looking after a sick delinquent woman and her reckless and needy daughter. When Mallory and Jonathan got married she was relieved that the accusations of her trying to steal Jonathan would go away. She hadn't taken into consideration the fact that she would have to deal with the man more often.
Daisy hadn't been in a proper home for ages. She knew that home was a place far different from just a place to stay. A home had a philosophy laid in the air, in the way the furniture is laid, the potted plants by the window, the decoration on the wall: Everything came together into making a house a home.
'Tom, are we going to stay at your house or mine?'
'Well, because your house is basically a dump and mine is nonexistent I have arranged for a place for us to start our family in. It has ample space for the kids to grow and a spacious kitchen for you to destress in. I know you cook to destress.'
That simple gesture somehow managed to tug at her heartstrings. Their arrangement was a marriage of convenience. They both desired some stability and security in the future that they had not previously known. It was amply clear to Daisy that this relationship was based on more than an agreement. It was based on a need and a thirst for a sense of belonging that they both had. Growing up she knew that she wanted her own kitchen. That was the one priority she had when looking for a place to stay. The fact that Tom took that into consideration while looking for a place to stay meant so much more to this partnership. Tom was her life partner and Daisy was extremely comfortable in sharing her life with him.
'You bought me a house?' she whispered in a choked voice.
'No Daisy, I bought us a house. I had to. I guess it is about time that we have a place of our own.'
Daisy nodded silently. It was about time that they both had a place where they did more than sleep and eat. The mere idea had her blushing, remembering the honeymoon that they shared. 'So are we going there directly?'
'I was thinking of making a pit stop at your friend's apartment to gather whatever old things you want to keep and then we can go to our new place.'
'I would like that.'
On the way, Tom chose to drive and Daisy kept stealing glances at her husband. When Tom told her that he was the Chairman of Melinda internationals she accepted it because it made the most sense given the circle of friends he has and the lifestyle she saw him maintain. But as the days pass it was easier to dismiss it. Tom was too easy going and jovial to be a mysterious and conniving taskmaster.
There wasn't much that Daisy had at Stella's and it was mostly old clothes and books, comfort and nostalgia of a life she wanted to leave behind. Before Tom, her life had mostly been surviving. 'Anne Frank's Diary' was dog-eared. 'Tuesdays with Morrie' had a worn out cover. Her music was mostly Kelly Clarkson telling her to be 'Stronger'. But with Tom in her life, she didn't need to be always strong for herself. That was an assurance she felt from him, more by his actions than words. Yes, he did block her. Daisy recalled those days when she thought she would never hear from him again when she thought she wasn't worth having his friendship and now they were married. Tom had confided that a part of this arrangement was his abandonment issues. She hoped that he would realize that abandoning the only sense of a home was the last thing daisy would want to do.
The house that he had picked out for them was a far cry from what she was used to for a home. It was large and surrounded by a luscious garden. It was a two storey bungalow with a fountain in the backyard. There were six bedrooms, two living areas, an indoor theatre, and a pool.
"Do we really need all this?" Daisy asked absentminded to herself.
"We don't but our kids will be growing up in this house and they shouldn't have anything wanting. There is a choice of four private schools within half a mile of this location and there is an amusement park in under a mile. There are five playgrounds at five minutes walking distance, a soccer field at ten minutes walking distance and a dance studio just around the corner." Tom narrated by rote.
"It is really a parent's haven I guess. They will have a good life here." Daisy concluded. The realization hit a while later. She used the plural: they. It was a slip of her tongue, she tried to tell herself. She was in her mid-thirties and having even one child seemed to be a stretch.
Tom seemed to sense her hesitation. "We can adopt as many children as we can't have. They will have a home here even if either of us turns out to be sterile," he assured her.
"What is the chance of you being sterile?" Daisy murmured, a bit put off by the idea.
"It is almost the same as you. Daisy, you are not menopausal and I have never fathered a child. The possibility of your being fertile is almost equal to my being sterile. We just have to take things as it is. The only difference is that if I turn out to be the sterile of the two I will arrange for a good sperm donor for you but I don't want any other woman bearing my child if you don't mind." he said.
His words gave life back to her cheeks as Daisy blushed at his declaration. "As far as I am concerned you are the only sperm donor I need. If you can't have kids then we can adopt," she said.
"You should know Mrs. Monroe, I have no intention to be your sperm donor." Tom said placing his palms on the small of her back. For a moment Daisy's heart skipped a beat and she couldn't place whether it was from the words or the touch. The way her body reacted to his touch never seemed to stop startling her.
"I don't want needles and injections Tom. I want you." she said coyly bringing a smile to his lips.
"Then I say it's time to inaugrate the bedroom" so saying Tom lifted Daisy in his arms as he climbd two stairs at once.
"I am too heavy, put me down." she protested.
"Never underestimate the adrenaline rush of a turned on man." Tom chuckled as he laid her on the pristine white sheets of what was to be their bed. The warm velvet blue of the walls engulfed her in a sense of security followed by Tom's arms as they soon lost each other in the promise of a future that they brought to each other.