Softened, Waves to Glass Shards

Her employers had apparently saw fit to surprise her when she returned to work, the mess having been completely cleaned and the front window replaced, with an old piano they had seen for sale online. The wood was aged and scraped, the children of the previous owners having scratched little characters and names into the legs, but it made her smile none the less. Damaged and aged, it was magnificent. "We haven't had a chance to arrange for someone to come and tune it yet, but we'll have someone stop by this week," Melissa assured softly as she stood next to Iris, her hand on the younger woman's shoulder as she smiled down at her softly.

Iris had mentioned time and again over the years that she dearly wished to own a piano at some time in her life—this was as close as she was probably ever going to actually get, and it made her heart soar to know that they cared so much for her.

"Thank you, both of you, so much," she gushed in return as she looped her arm around Melissa's shoulders in a one-armed embrace, then turned to her husband and did the same. "I think it fits in perfectly, too. Finally got the one thing that this corner needed." The piano was situated deep in the store, near the back corner where a few comfortable chairs were placed about sporadically, a coffee-table in the middle, and the new piano taking up residence in the corner.

"You'll have to test it out once it's ready, check out the acoustics," Gerald added a moment later, shifting over to wrap an arm around his wife as they gazed down at Iris as though she was a child they had raised; a prideful, parental glisten in their eyes. Iris thanked them again and once more when they were on their way out of the store. The others asked about her wellbeing as they arrived for work, each getting mostly the same answer. Jessica gave Iris a look that told her she knew something else was up with the older woman—she was much too calm, almost happy, after having been through someone attacking the store.

Returning to her work, Iris was somewhat relieved to have returned to the usual routine—even if a part of her desperately missed the time she had been given to spend with her soulmate. Barry had taken the day off of work the day after the incident, allowing her and Felicia to spend the day together, but he had to go back to work the next day while she was kept off of work to relax and recuperate.

She had read and cooked, spending the day in her apartment before she returned with BT to the zoo, the man having taken over the work-load for the day, and laughed as he ooed and awed over her soup that had been left-over from the day before. She had received a call from her employers, telling her that the surveillance cameras had caught the car driving away, but it was such an old system that it was too blurry to make out the person driving or the license plate.

Barry had already arranged for her to stay in his room another night, bowing to her affirmation that she would be returning to her own apartment in time for her return to work. She could tell he was reluctant to do so, and her email had been overwhelmed with the others trying to persuade her to stay longer as well. However, no one forced her hand and for that she was thankful. Not that she could ever imagine any of them actually forcing her into anything, but it was still reassuring to know that they were kind enough to care without being oppressive.

Jessica finally cornered her when Iris was in the office working on paperwork and it was the younger woman's scheduled lunch. She scooted her way into the room and put herself right next to Iris's peripherals, wearing an expectant look that forced a laugh from Iris. She tried to keep her composure, but Jessica's excited look of 'tell me!' was too much.

"I met another soulmate," she finally caved with a smile. Jessica squealed discretely, throwing her hands up in celebration.

"Iris, that's fantastic! Must've made all of this mess much easier to bear, huh?" Iris nodded along in agreement, wishing that she could tell Jessica just how much her soulmates were making everything easier to bear. She had confided in the woman with a fraction of her soulmates, a feat she never thought she would make, but she wasn't sure she could tell Jessica the full extent of her situation.

Not only the fact that her soulmates were all housed in one body, but also that there were twenty-four of them.

Felicia's presence in her life had made it easier, all of them had, but that didn't stop the nagging feeling that came to her stomach when she went to the front area of the store, or when a car passed slightly slower than the others. It was like the situation with her father all over again; not knowing who had done this or why. For all she knew, it was still her father deciding what new ways he was going to torture her. She wouldn't put it past him, or her mother, to vandalize property. Or she could have just been terribly unlucky to be somewhere that some kids decided to do something illegal.

"It'll still be nice to know what the police find. Who has something against a bookstore?" Iris wondered aloud, trying to derail her thoughts as she turned back to the computer and clicked on the items that she needed to print for their inventory.

Jessica hummed in agreement before she spotted the time on the computer and slipped back. "I'm going to run down the street for my break, but I promise I'll be back on time, okay?"

"Sure, I know you're always clocked back in on time," Iris assured with a calm wave of her hand. As Jessica turned into the adjacent room for her things, she called out again, "And take your jacket!"

"Yes, mom!"

Shaking her head with a smile, Iris collected the sheets from the printer and splayed them in front of her while recollecting her pen. At least with her first day back, there was lots of work that she needed to do and it kept her mind occupied and let the hours rush past without her even noticing. She was beginning to marvel at how much she had actually worked before she met Barry, and subsequently the others. Perhaps it was because she now had something to look forward to, but she couldn't imagine working so many days in a row anymore.

Knowing that she might have time to meet up with one of her soulmates at the end of a day was steadily becoming the driving force to her work-ethic. Some days were harder to focus than others, excited as she was to have her shift end, but it was getting easier and easier. She had found a dear friend in Felicia the past several days; it was nice to have another female to speak with that wasn't technically her employee. Jessica was a sweetheart for being there for Iris, but it was different when she could be completely herself and honest about her situation.

She desperately wanted to speak with Jessica, full honesty and disclosure about her soulmates, but there was something in her heart that made her want to keep it quiet. It was almost as though she wanted to keep it just between herself and her soulmates—and Dr. Fletcher—as something that was solely for them. She still wanted to prove to the world that her marks exposed the truth about the alters, they were real people, but she wanted it to be just them for a little while longer.

More than half of her soulmates were still unknown to her, so she was in no rush to expose them just yet.

Continuing to switch between her computer and the pages that were sprawled across her desk, Iris could feel a familiar cramping muscle beginning between her shoulders and rolled them with a sigh. Jessica poked her head back in when she returned, getting a soft hum from Iris as she was deeply focused on what she was typing out at the moment. They only had a short time before close so she was trying to finish her work for when everyone had left.

If felt unnatural to stay in the store alone after what had happened the last time; not that her employers allowed that anymore, even if it was completely dead at the end of a long day. Luke and BT had both sent her emails in all capitals that forbade her from working alone; the frown that had come over her face had Felicia muttering an 'uh-oh' before she started to laugh. When Iris had asked what was so amusing, she'd proclaimed that the guys may have put their foot in their mouths for the first time.

Iris did not take well to being ordered to do anything, or ordered not to do something in this case, and Felicia knew that from the hours they had spent talking. Iris had told her about her younger years and her childhood, unfortunate as it was, but skirted around some of the darker parts of her past that she wasn't quite ready to bring up just yet. None of her soulmates knew the same pieces of her past—Patricia and Barry probably knew the most, but even they weren't aware of some pieces that the others had been privy to.

Sitting back from her work, Iris flexed and stretched her fingers a couple of times to try and get the stiff feeling out of her joints—a few pops and cracks sounded as she did so, telling her in that instant that she had been working in one position for too long.

The tight muscles in her back gave a faint spasm when she straightened herself and rolled her shoulders backward, issuing a faint groan of discomfort. She was looking forward to a warm shower once she was home, and a tea to help her finally relax. Saving her work in Excel and closing the programs, she began the careful and meticulous process of cleaning up her papers and putting them back in the proper files and folders.

Leaving the office in search of Jessica, she found her already locking the front door and turning off the neon open sign that sat in the small window above the door. Iris busied herself with removing the cash drawer from the register, leaving the printouts to Jessica as she counted through the bills and change, writing everything out as she went. They had closed the store enough times that they didn't need to speak to one another while they counted and switched papers back and forth with a calculator sitting between them.

"And we're done," Iris sighed as she snapped the book closed, turning to tuck the receipts in their proper place. Jessica collected the drawer of the register as Iris snatched her keys, flicking the lights off as they passed the switch to head for the safe in the back office.

"So, what's this new soulmate of yours like?" Jessica finally asked, her patience having surpassed what Iris expected, as they were pulling on their coats. Everything was locked up, all of the paperwork for the day had been completed and both women were excited to be leaving for home.

Iris pursed her lips as she paused a moment before offering a shy smile, "She's amazing."

Jessica was still for only a moment before her expression brightened with a warm grin. "She? Well, what's her name? And please tell me she's the one that did your hair!"

Iris's cheeks warmed while she nodded along. "Her name is Felicia, and yes, she's always excited to do hair and makeup, which I never really did anything—as you know—so she's had a lot of fun doing mine the past few days."

Jessica did an excited wiggle as she followed Iris toward the back door, her purse over her shoulder and her scarf and coat wrapped tightly around herself. Iris's nagging seemed to have gotten through to her because Jessica was finally wearing appropriate clothing for the weather on particular days. Iris set the alarm and locked the door behind them, Jessica waiting outside in the chill before she helped the smaller woman to close the door and click the lock in place.

"Any plans for the evening?"

"A nice long shower," Iris sighed, rolling her shoulders again as she tucked her hands—and keys—into her coat pockets. Jessica hummed softly in agreement as they turned to leave the back alley, merging into the people already walking home for the evening. "You?"

"Meeting some old friends from school," she answered easily, almost swaying happily at finally being out of work. "Do…do you want to come?" she offered a moment later, glancing over to Iris as though worried she would scare the woman away with her offer.

Smiling in assurance, Iris shook her head 'no'. "Thank you for the offer, Jess. But I think I'm just going to try and settle in and sleep."

A small frown found its place on Jessica's usually happy expression. "Are you having trouble sleeping? Because of…what happened?" Shrugging one shoulder sadly, Iris confirmed the younger woman's worries without actually saying a word. "Oh, Iris."

Iris waved her off calmly. "It's okay, really. They're getting better, and I do sleep for most of the night. I'll be fine! Everyone's done so much after what happened, I honestly can't ask for anything more. This last bit is…for me to work out." Jessica smiled sadly before she saddled up next to Iris and looped her arm through hers, linking them together as they continued down the street. She asked rapid-fire questions about Iris's soulmates, gushing over how sweet her meeting with BT had been and looking forward to the chance of meeting the others. Iris wasn't sure how that would turn out, actually, since they all wore the same face.

She might be able to see the differences in them easily enough, but she was sure others struggled with it a bit more.

Finally, they came to the intersection that would separate them and they offered farewells and hugs before Iris jogged to reach the other sidewalk before the light changed again. The evening wind was beginning to pick up, causing her to duck further into her coat for warmth as she quickened her pace to get back to her own apartment. Barry had another staff meeting this evening, so he was going to be working a bit later than her.

Quickly scaling the stairs to her floor, Iris unlocked her apartment—looking anywhere but the section of her door that had once held her father's note—and slipped silently inside.

The smell of her morning tea still lingered throughout the small space, coaxing her to breathe deeply before she carefully removed her coat and hung it up in its usual place. Leftovers from the night before were already packaged and waiting in her fridge, needing to be reheated, but the thought of a warm shower to loosen up her muscles was much more appealing.

Leaving her dinner until later, Iris entered her small washroom and shucked her clothes off after turning the shower on to a decent—though slightly warmer than average—temperature.

The small space was immediately enveloped in steam, fogging up her mirror and making the air thick and humid. Stopping for a moment, Iris leaned her lower back against the cool counter and heaved a sigh. Her fingers swiped beneath her eyes tiredly. It did nothing to wake her up or relieve the fatigue that was weighing on her bones. She had returned to the habit of trying to drink a variety of calming tea before bed, but it was never enough.

She's slept better while staying with her soulmates, but she'd noticed that her best nights were when they were within reach. Her nights with Barry close by, or when Patricia had remained after her nightmare. She'd fallen asleep once when she and Felicia were sitting on the couch at her place, talking in quiet tones as they sipped at hot chocolate Felicia had made. She hadn't even been aware she'd begun to doze, but her soulmate had been watching her energy waver for a while and had been keeping an eye on her. The hot chocolate had been rescued from her hands before Iris had the chance to drop it and a blanket had been tucked around the brunette for warmth.

Iris wasn't the kind of person to normally nap, and she was shocked how often she'd fallen into an easy sleep around her soulmates. Felicia especially had a knack for soothing her to sleep, calmly playing with her hair and stroking fingertips with just the right pressure down against her scalp.

Slowly, Iris was being enveloped in comfort and warmth. It made going home to a cold apartment that much harder.

Inhaling the humid steam of the shower that had filled the room, Iris finally pushed away from the counter and slipped beneath the stream of water. Her skin stung momentarily as the hot water made contact, but it soothed away quickly and she could swear the heat penetrated right down to the muscle. The ache that had settled between her shoulder-blades finally seemed to melt, allowing her back to relax for the first time all day.

Pulling her elastic from the end of her braid, she carefully began pulling her fingers through her hair to undo the tightly bound plait. Tipping her head back under the water, she sighed in relief to finally have her hair freed. It wasn't until that moment that she'd realized the tightness of her braid had probably done her no favours. She'd had no headache, but the loosening of her hair made her feel like the last of the tension she had been carrying for the day finally let go and washed away down the drain.

Taking longer than she had for a while to wash her hair and scrub down her pale skin, she was left a pleasant pink from the combination of a soapy loofa and hot water. Turning her body this way and that, letting the water remove the last of the suds from her skin, she stroked her hand along the prominent scars left through her marks. The one on her right thigh suddenly felt substantially softer.

Leaning her back against the warmed shower tiles, her thumb continued to trace up and down the scar absently. She was sure that it had once felt rough; proud flesh that had been split and tortured back together with needle and thread. However, the silvery line seemed like it had smoothed out to better match the surrounding flesh.

Had it been in her head? Did the memories attached to the scar somehow make it feel rougher than it really was?

After taking one more turn around beneath the water to ensure all soap was washed away, Iris finally shut the water off in an effort to force herself from the comfort of the hot, steamy cubicle of her shower. She flinched as she remembered that she hadn't turned on the little heater out in the main room, meaning the comforting cocoon of warmth was going to be abruptly broken when she opened the bathroom door.

Towelling herself down in an attempt to remove as much water from herself as possible, the petite woman carefully wrapped herself in the terrycloth softness before her focus was drawn away by the familiar chime she had set on her phone to alert her of any incoming emails. She rarely received an email from anyone other than her soulmates, since everyone else she knew—even her employers—would either call or text her. Tucking the upper corner of the towel in as securely as possible, she opened the door in a rush and quickly slipped out into the main room in search of the phone she had left in her coat pocket.

"Oh!" she gasped against the shock of cold, quickly clicking on the heater as she passed, before she resumed her rush for her phone. Goosebumps almost immediately erupted across her damp, exposed skin. Pulling the aforementioned phone from her coat, hung carefully as it always was once she returned home, she brought the screen to life and looked at the listed notifications.

She must not have heard it, but her phone had gone off several times since she'd returned home. Emails from Patricia, Luke and BT were waiting for her, each only a few minutes apart. An uncontrollable smile softened her features as she read their names. Her little bubble of happiness made her momentarily forget how cold it was in the room. A small droplet of water fell from her hair and hit the screen, blurring Patricia's name for a moment, and brought reality back to Iris.

Tossing the phone onto her bed, she began pulling warm clothes out for the night. Dressing with haste and using her towel to twist her hair up and help it dry, she curled herself up on her bed with her legs crossed and feet tucked beneath her thighs for warmth.

The little heater was slowly doing its job.

Opening Patricia's first, she smiled at the older woman's motherly concern as she asked if she had enough food and hoping she was eating a good dinner. Do not overwork yourself, Iris. Please, promise me you'll take all the time you really need for yourself. I'm sure you are an amazing employee, but they can manage—your health must always come first.

Warmed by Patricia's concern, Iris typed back a response assuring her that she still had an additional day off a week and explained, in detail, what she had made herself for dinner the night before; which reminded her, she needed to toss her leftovers in the oven so they had adequate time to reheat properly. She also told her about the gift her bosses has surprised her with upon arriving at work. She was sure her excitement was palpable through her typed words.

BT was checking up on her in a similar fashion, as well as discretely slipping in the question about whether she would be cooking for them again soon. Apparently her soup had been a hit among those who had the chance to eat it, which made her wish she had made more; there had maybe been leftovers for six, so not everyone was able to have a bowl. She offered a promise to make more for everyone soon, the next time she visited their home, and wished him a good night.

Luke, unlike the other two, had an additional message at the end of his email.

Would you like to go out on a date with me? Dinner, tea, a movie? Anything.

Iris's heart felt as though it stuttered in her chest before a smile lit across her face until she was sure her eyes had laugh-lines creased at the corners.