Remind me of home.

She sat at her desk and tapped her pencil idly. She was bored to death. Angela hadn't mentionned any gigs in weeks. Her art was selling, but she hated lying around doing nothing. She didn't do imaginary or inspirational art works. She could, but just didn't want to. She loved it when her clients made orders, telling her exactly what they wanted. And she always delivered perfectly. That was the whole concept of customized art. For clients who didn't exactly know what they were looking for, that's where her imagination came into play. Her phone rang. It definitely wasn't Angela. She would have used the telephone line. She picked up on the second ring. "Hello. Is this Agnes Ramirez?" The voice on the other end asked. "Yes. How can I help you?" She said. "I'm calling from the general hospital in Vancouver. I'm afraid your mother just passed away". She hadn't spoken to her mother in a few months. They barely kept in touch but she made an effort. Her mother had disowned her because she had dared to become an artist. The first few years after she left home, her mom had cut her off completely. With time, things smoothened out a bit. But dead? The woman was as healthy as a horse according to Mrs. Gunther, the housekeeper. Mrs. Gunther had always kept in touch. "Uh... are you still there, Miss Ramirez?" Came the health attendant's voice. "Yes, I am". She said. "She listed you as her emergency contact.". "When did she die?". "This morning. Why don't you come down here and we can disclose all the details". The health attendant said. "I'll be there". Agnes said. "Than..." Agnes hung up, cutting her off mid-sentence. This was just what she needed. She started packing her things. The flight to Vancouver would take a while. She had to get there before it got dark. Her phone rang, it was Angela. "Hello?" She said. "Agnes, Valerie Henshaw just called. She wants a faceless". "She does? I'm afraid you have to turn down the offer". "What?! I don't understand you. You've been waiting for this opportunity for weeks and you're throwing it away?" Angela sounded pained. She took in a deep breath. "My mom just died." "Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" "I guess. I'm flying down to Vancouver right now". "Do you want me to arrange your flight?" Angela asked. "Please do. Take care of everything while I'm away". "How long will you be gone?" "Two weeks at most". "I know she wasn't the best mother, but, I also know that you loved her very much. Take all the time you need to grieve." Angela said. "Thank you, I'll do my best. I'll just go home and pack some of my things. See you soon". Take care, I love you". Angela said. "Ditto". Agnes said and hung up. She arrived in Vancouver around 9 pm. She boarded a taxi down to her mother's house. She saw the house from a distance. She hadn't seen it in twelve years. And when she actually got to see it was when her mom was dead. When she knocked, Mrs. Gunther opened the door. She immediately hugged Agnes and burst into tears. "She told me not to tell you that she was sick. She made me promise." Mrs. Gunther confessed amidst sobs. "It's okay. She's gone. There's nothing we can do now. We just have to take things as they come". Mrs. Gunther nodded and mopped her cheeks. "Let me help you with those". Mrs. Gunther said, stretching an arm to take Agnes' bag from her. "No, don't worry. I can do that myself. Besides, you're a free woman now." "Are you sacking me?" Mrs. Gunther asked, confused. "No. I'm allowing you to retire. You've been serving this family for years now. There's no one left to serve now. If you're worried about money, I'll be paying you a tidy sum monthly". The old lady was so grateful that tears filled her eyes. "Thank you, dear." "It's the least you deserve. Is there anything to eat here?" "Of course. I'll make you something while you freshen up". Agnes went upstairs with her bags. Her room was exactly as she had left it. This was her home for the first seventeen years of her life. Her bed was freshly made, there wasn't a speck of dust on any surface. They always cleaned her room. She opened her closet. Her clothes were exactly the way she remembered them. Her shoes were dust free. Did her mother keep all these things for her? The next day, she went to visit her favorite spot. The gazebo. There was a mailbox there that only she and one other person had keys to. She took the key out of her pocket and opened it. The box was filled to the brim with letters. She took them out and arranged them on the balcony overlooking the lake. For each year, there was one written during new year, easter, her birthday, thanksgiving and christmas. There were sixty letters in all. The letters were all from one person. Jeremy Watson. Her love back in high school. Anytime she thought of him, she was reminded of home. What had become of him now? Did he still live in Vancouver? He wrote a new year letter to her that year. Does he still love her? "I never expected to find you here". An unfamiliar voice said, making her jump. When she turned around, she saw a man dressed in a sweatshirt and sweatpants walking towards the gazebo. He had a nice walk. Having attended fashion runways herself, she knew when a man had poise. He had curly black hair. He was over six feet, had a lean, muscular frame, perfect body shape. Zeus, he was handsome. Her mouth felt dry. He reached her at last. "Good morning. How do you do?" She said, surprising herself. She thought she had lost the ability to speak sensibly. Her heart was beating faster now than a minute ago. "Agnes Ramirez, good to see you". He said. "Have we met before?" She asked baffled . "I can't believe you've forgotten who I am". He said looking disappointed. She looked down and noticed a key in his keychain. It was the same one she had. The key to the mail box. It was him. It was Jeremy. This was him? He was this handsome? "Jeremy?" She slowly said. "That's me". She rushed forward and hugged him. He hugged her back just as fiercely. They separated slowly. "So what brings you back. I never. thought I was going to see you again". Her eyes filled with tears. "Is everything alright?" He asked, sounding sincerely concerned. "My mom just died". She said slowly. He pulled her in for a hug. She didn't know how long she stayed in his arms but she never wanted to let go. "Come, I'll walk you home". He said and took her hand. She let him lead the way. "So, you still live here?" She asked. "Yeah. I own a couple of restaurants here and in Portland. My house is a thirty minute drive from here". "How're your parents?" "They're in Hawaii on a vacation". "Oh. Nice". When they got to the garden, he stopped. "Won't you come in?" She asked. He was grinding his jaw, contemplating. He shook his head finally. "I can't, but it was nice seeing you". He said, backing off. She held his wrist. "When can I see you again?". She asked. "You're unbelieveable". He said and jerked his hand out of her grasp. She watched him walk away. She was confused. Unbelieveable? What was that about? She walked into the house. She went straight to her room and began to read it.