A Many Splintered Thing / Day 30: After he showed up in my kitchen to make tea.

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She managed to get them through their dinner and lighten the mood. Mostly by telling him gossip about the people who worked for the Days. And a bit about the Days themselves.
“So hot pink pajamas?”
Dahlia raised her hand. “Hand to God. Or whatever major deity, minor deity or universal force you might believe in,” she said. Then she snorted. Her hand flew up and she covered her mouth.
Caleb had never thought that sound to be adorable. Until now. And that sealed the deal for him that he was truly in trouble. It worried him some, in the core of himself, to be feeling such things so fast. On the other hand, he thought, watching her try and recover from what she considered embarrassing, he’d never felt this way before so there had to be something genuine to it.
“I’d heard about those sleeping pills making you a little wacky…” He shook his head, laughing.
“Poor Harrison,” she went on. “Wandering around the grounds in her pajamas examining all the plant life.”
“Is this where his bougainvillea obsession came from?” Caleb bundled all his trash and finished his drink. He stretched out his legs and clasped his hands across his stomach. Content to listen to her finish the story.
Content.
The word was like a brick to the side of the head. When was the last time he’d been content? All the way down into the quiet part of himself? The closest he’d come was living on the water with Bob and Belinda.
“We think so,” she laughed. “There he was, all over the property while Jas chased him. Most of the staff was gone for the night. I was there because, obviously…I live there. And it was a full moon. I helped her get him back in the house. After he showed up in my kitchen to make tea.”
Caleb chuckled, shook his head. “She’s lucky that’s all he did. I’ve heard of people driving cars, cooking meals and burning their houses down, having sex…Lots of different stuff.”
“Poor Harrison. I think that’s the last time he tried that medicine. He showed up the next day to apologize to me. For breaking, entering and making hot beverages.”
Caleb gathered their trash. “Should we shop now? Or did you want to just sit for a bit?”
“Let’s go and get the shopping done. I’m tired. I’m ready for some pajamas—not hot pink—“ She winked at him. “A good book or trashy TV. It’s been a long day. Jasmine’s getting all worked up because of the party this weekend. That kinetic energy sweeps through the staff and infects everything whether she’s around or not.”
“Party?”
“Ah, she never said?
“Said what?”
“Anniversary party this weekend. That’s what the painters are for up at the pavilion.”
“Their anniversary?”
“Yep. She didn’t want to celebrate. But Harrison did. And her daddy did.”
“And there’s the real reason,” he said.
“Anyway, I have to get my beauty sleep so I can face tomorrow. A tomorrow with a worried and frantic Jasmine.”
“Let’s get cracking, then. I too could go for some trash TV. I have a crick in my neck from being up on that damn ladder.”
Together they pillaged the grocery. She made sure to get Hain’s baking powder and then they chose things for the guest house. Frozen organic chicken strips, fudge pops, frozen egg rolls, dumplings and pizzas. Water, bottles of her beloved raspberry lemonade iced tea, tea bags and apples. Some grapes and Italian bread and zucchini at Caleb’s insistence.
“I can make zucchini bread,” he said. “Now that I see it, I’m craving bread. It’s the one recipe I know by heart. My boss’s wife made it for me. I went nuts, so she made it for me again. Repeat ten times. Finally, she showed up with ingredients and a big bowl and taught me how to make it. Said she was tired of making it only for it to be gone in an hour.” He laughed softly. “We do have flour at the
house, right?
She watched him, mouth open. “Um…yep. I think so. But if we are missing anything, Caroline will slip us a little something something from the kitchen.”
They finally got in line. Given the later hour it wasn’t nearly as crowded as Caleb imagined it would be during the day. They went out to the Wagoneer and loaded the bags. On the drive home it occurred to him that it all felt very normal. Eating out, grocery shopping, driving together.
He liked it but instinctively feared fucking it up. How long before he did? How long before he mangled this good thing? This good person?
He didn’t realize his mouth was set in such a tight, hard line until she tapped his knee and said, “What’s wrong? Why so gloomy?”
“Nothing. Just tired, I guess.”
“Does it bother you?”
“Being tired?”
“The whole Jas thing,” she said, looking out the window at the fleeing scenery.
“Yes and no,” he said. Surprising the shit out of himself by telling the truth. Caleb was very well aware he was normally an “I’m fine” and move along person.
“Yes, because…?” She looked very serious gazing out the window.
“Because I came here expecting one thing. And something entirely different happened. I guess it’s good though. When I really think about it, I can’t see me and Jas long term. I’d kill her. Or she’s smother me in my sleep.” He tried smiling at her but she was still looking away.
“And no because?”
“No because it shook my life up some. And things are…” He put his hand on her leg briefly. “Interesting, to say the least. It’s a new start, I guess. Maybe I was due this and the universe decided to shake up my cozy little snow globe of a life because I wasn’t going to change on my own.”
“Right,” she said. “I know that feeling.”
“Do we need to drop this at the main house?” he asked, pointing to the small bag she’d had the check-out girl package separately.
“Nah. We can take it up in the morning. Caroline is long gone. Her man is cooking her dinner. Lucky her,” Dahlia said, smiling.
“Hey! I can make zucchini bread. I’ll make it when we get home. I have to show off my baking prowess.”
“You said you were tired,” she said.
“I am. But I’m hungry too.”
“We just ate!” Her somber mood seemed to be lifting. He was glad of it. Only one of them should feel somber at a time and he felt he’d been there already. Maybe he’d influenced her.
“But I’m hungry,” he said. “I’m always hungry. I’m a growing boy.”
“Good God,” she said, eyeing him up and down comically. “I hope not.”
He laughed but caught an undertone of discomfort in her joking tone. He wondered about it. And realized, he was also a tiny bit worried.
photo credit: *~Dawn~* via photopin cc