Fall into you

Chapter four

It was a little before lunch hour by the time they arrived at the subway station, and yet the place was packed. Perspiration steamed off the bustling crowd, and drifted, like a virtual mist of urgency, almost palpably, above them. Cami hated crowds, small familiar gatherings pleased her, but there was something about a jostling mass that left her cold. Cami shivered feeling the cool air less than she might from beneath the warm wool of her borrowed clothing, but still the mindlessness of the rush chilled her to the core, more so because of the subject of their conversation .

"That must have played havoc with your family, how old was she?" Allie inclined her head towards Cami, proving that she was above average in her ability to voice her concern and sympathy.

Cami sighed realizing that she had, indeed made a new friend.  She looked directly at her allowing the connection."Ah... yes, it did it fractured us. Broke us up. Killed us all, actually. She was only fourteen-years-old." The raw truth brought tears to Cami's eyes unbidden.

It had been so devastating when Michelle died. True, it had been almost worse when she was first diagnosed. All normalcy ended on that day. Her parents had become walking encyclopedias on her condition. Options for treatment were pursued relentlessly, Cami had watched as Michelle had become de-humanized in the process. Yes, they had all loved her dearly, she had been so easy to love, and yet her parents had lost focus of her as a person. They had been so desperate to save her that they had not given her the affection she needed so badly in those final months. Cami hated how much she missed her, people believed that time alleviated grief, Cami found that as time passed she simply felt her loss more keenly.

"We'd better get a move on if we don't want a repeat of your escapades of this morning,"Allie interjected, chasing away some of Cami's morbidity. Bravely, she put on a smile and dove, alongside Allie, into the teeming mob.

The speedy train journey made short work of the balance of their discussion, they promised to call each other and arrange a get together. Cami waved Allie off, and was lucky to find a seat near the exit for the rest of her trip. To distract herself from her sad thoughts, she contemplated the dinner she planned to make for her neighbor, Mario. They had a standing arrangement to cook for each other twice a week, usually Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Fridays, they took each other to the pub treating one another, alternately. Cami adored him, and by all evidence the feeling was mutual. She had him to thank for her lovely new apartment with its lofty situation, and gorgeous view over the city. It even sported a roof garden with covered gazebo that was going to be fun, come summer. Above all else the place was ridiculously cheap, which was the main necessity considering the size of her pocket. As soon as the place became vacant in his building, Mario had vouched for her character with his landlord, and reserved the space for her. Lately, he was all the family she had. 

Dinner with Mario had become an event, they both enjoyed cooking and laying out a fancy meal. Mario, amongst many various other brief professions, had once been a chef. He was exceptionally talented in most artistic fields, and it was just as well because he had been forced to rediscover his working persona when his partner of fifteen years had up and left him to fend for himself. The love of his life had run off with a much younger boy. Mario had recently gained fair success painting murals, and doing artistic sign writing for creative businesses.

Cami, decided to put in extra effort that night. Before going home she stopped off at the deli, it was only a street away from the subway, which made the walking distance manageable. Cami bought giant black olives, sundried tomato bread, fresh tuna steaks and the most succulent asparagus heads she had ever seen. She was about to leave when she saw a decadent looking Chocolate Mousse, which she added to her trolley despite its price tag.  She rushed to her apartment.  Imagining Mario's pleasure at her effort, blew most the cobwebs from her mind, she caught herself smiling when she finally made it to her door.

Inside, she set about changing out of her 'Saviour's Coat', and starting dinner. As she slipped out of the coat a dangle of silver sparking in the light, caught her eye. She reached for it, un-hooking a delicate St Christopher from the fabric. Her immediate thought was that it must have belonged to the sweet woman who had kindly clothed her almost naked form earlier, but on closer examination she spotted an engraving on the back. 

"You, are the man worthy of this treasure." Odd words. Cami mused, deciding that the piece must belong to 'Mr Irritatingly Beautiful', the fragile script precluded a woman owner. She wondered if she would ever be given the opportunity to return it...