NORMALITY

"What's wrong?" Xenia said as she opened her door to Gregory.

"I'm inviting Sia and you to eat at my place."

"You mean in your apartment?"

"Yes, mam."

Xenia's eyes grew small in suspicion, "and you are cooking?"

"Yes, mam."

"Yay," yelled Sia jumping into his arms without waiting.

"I didn't say yes, Sia," Xenia protested, watching Gregory carry Sia into his apartment.

"Come on, Xenia, it's not like you've never been to my apartment before. And you can always run back across the hall if my meal is awful," Gregory teased.

The invitation was so unexpected it left no space for pondering, plus Sia already ran loose in Gregory's apartment.

"Okay," Xenia was about to close her door when Oasis slipped out to join in on the party.

"So, what are you making for us?"

"Pizza, will you help me cook, Sia?"

The little girl nodded; all three of them were in the kitchen. The scene was one of those you dream of, knowing it will never happen. How can something so ordinary become a farfetched idea?

It felt good for Xenia, but it hurt as she wondered how long the newly found happiness would last? Ann-Catherin's words still rung in her ears. Xenia logged on Spotify account and let I Heard Em Say by Kanye West play to chase the gloom away.

They ate while laughing; the more they chuckled, the more Xenia sunk in a melancholic state which suffocated her.

Gregory took Xenia's hand, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing, everything is fine," Xenia replied while the man kissed her on her knuckles, making the little girl smile.

After the meal, Gregory didn't escape his storytelling chore, which he executed without a book. Sia fell asleep on his couch, and Gregory put a cover on her.

"So now tell me, why did you have such a sad face earlier?" Gregory said as he grabbed Xenia by the waist.

"It was nothing. I was just happy," Xenia said and shrugged.

"You have a weird way of showing your happiness."

Gregory kissed her on the forehead before sinking his head into her neck. The contrast between Gregory, the auditor, and the lover still managed to stun Xenia as she realized how affectionate the man was.

"Gregory, please, Sia could wake up; she's not in her bed."

"She's fast asleep; I'm sure she won't, sleepover."

"Don't be ridiculous; I live across the hall."

"Sleepover still," said the man, slowly making her step back towards the corridor leading to his bedroom while he still held her waist. They entered Gregory's bedroom, where Xenia was consumed by the man's scent, which filled the room to the brim.

Her mind was filled with him alone. Gregory took up that much space. Gregory was the healer. The one you don't expect but appears when you're one step from losing hope—the man who has you believing in love.

From the fun sex, they had traveled to the subtle lovemaking, far from the hunger and domination battles to the slow motions which embodied their desires to make things last longer. Staring into each other's eyes, Gregory loved seeing how Xenia's lips pouted with every movement releasing little gasps from time to time when hitting the right spot.

For once, it was Gregory who fell asleep first; Xenia watched him. His hair was a mess, he had long lashes, small lips, and this nose one could only dodge. Gregory's straight eyebrows gave him this stern look, and he had a few small wrinkles around the eyes. The man needed eye patches; Xenia thought as she traced lines on the parts she mentally enumerated.

"Sto-op, Stop, the children," Gregory mumbled.

"What, Gregory? Are you awake?"

"No, the children."

"Gregoㅡ."

Before Xenia could finish, Gregory's body shook. First, it was small movements, but then he began to convulse.

"Gregory, Gregory," Xenia said, trying to wake him.

The man's eyes opened, "Gregory, it's me," said Xenia and held his head with both hands.

"Ah, ah, Xenia," he gasped before wrapping her in his arms.

"Gregory, it's too tight you'll break my ribs," but the man didn't listen. He hugged her as if she was a lifeboat.

"It's okay, Gregory," Xenia said as she managed to free herself.

They stared at each other for a moment; now, it was Xenia who trembled in fright.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he regained his senses,

"You scared the shit out of me, Gregory."

"What did I do?"

"I thought you were having a nightmare, and then you started to convulse. You-you weren't waking up. You scared me," Xenia stammered on the words with her eyes shimmering with tears.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

"I know, but I was afraid, Iㅡ."

Unable to say what frightened her, Xenia returned the question.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, "Gregory replied; he thought he had got over the nightmares of war. Memories of desert villages and dead bodies sometimes came to haunt him—the famine, sickness, and suffering visions which made him gasp for air in his sleep.

"I'm here, Gregory," Xenia said, caressing his face. She understood it was something he could not explain now as she observed his still bewildered stare. There would be a time to talk, but what they both needed there was rest, and so they slept in each other's arms.

In the morning, Xenia woke up to face Sia's quizzical stare. The little girl stood in front of her while she was still in Gregory's arms. Xenia tried to jump from the surprise, but the man's embrace was tighter than she imagined.

"Sia."

"Mom, I want to pee."

Of course, they weren't at home, and Sia didn't know where the toilets were.

"Gregory, Gregory wake up," Xenia said, attempting to free herself.

"Oh, hello, Sia," the man said casually before letting go of Xenia, who took the little girl to the toilet.

"Mom, I want breakfast," Gregory heard Sia say.

"Wait till we go home."

"Why wait? I have everything here," Gregory yelled as he put on a pair of jogging bottoms and a t-shirt.

"Gregory, it's too much."

"I want to eat here," Sia added.

"Okay, what do you want for breakfast?" Xenia asked.

The guilt she felt of being caught in bed with Gregory by Sia made her surrender to the little girl's will.

"I want oatmeal."

"I doubt Gregory has got that."

"I do," said the man striding into the kitchen, taking out a box of Quaker oats from his overhead cupboards.

"Okay, Sia, I'll make it."

Eight minutes later, Sia was eating happily.

"Is it good?" Gregory asked.

"Yes, taste," the little girl said, stretching a spoon full to the man who tasted.

"You see, mom makes the best oatmeal. Do you like it?"

"I love it," Gregory replied with a wink.

For some reason, the conversation didn't ring all innocent from where Xenia was making scrambled eggs, feeling her ears heating up.

Gregory approached Xenia, "are you angry? He whispered.

"She saw us."

"Is it bad?"

"I'm just afraidㅡ."

"Shh, she's fine, Xenia, it's okay, "Gregory said, kissing her on the forehead before giving her a hug where he gently rubbed her back.

He comforted her so much, but at that moment, Xenia remembered his nightmare and felt Gregory was the one needing comfort.

As they ate breakfast together, Gregory recalled when Xeni asked him what he did to chill and relax. If she asked him at that instant, he would answer, being with both Sia and her.

Where others would rant about this ordinary everyday routine, Gregory was overwhelmed by serenity; it soothed just to be an average man in a daily situation.

Normality wasn't so bad, and being with them was worthwhile. For the first time in ages, Gregory connected to people other than work relations.