Chapter Eight
783 Words
By the time twelve hit, I couldn't feel my legs and every part of my torso ached. It was the whole town had resolved to come into the diner at the same time during our shift. There had to be something else this town could indulge in except idle gossip.
"Are you okay?" Ben asked holding a mug of hot tea to me.
"I'm fine," I took the mug and set it down next to me. I'd never bothered to come to the back of the diner, I usually just ran back into my cave after my shifts. I was missing out. The view of the light snow falling against the dim light of the sun was beautiful. It was like tiny diamonds being poured generously out of the heavens. "This is so beautiful."
"You like the snow?" he sat next to me, placing a thick blanket on my legs and then he placed another one around my shoulders, "Don't want you catching a cold."
"Thanks," I said with some reservation, "I'm just used to the heat."
"What, it never got cold where you're from?" He asked rubbing his hands together.
I turned back to the falling diamond, a sudden tightness in my chest. "It did, I just managed to stay warm." Whenever I felt cold all I had to do was crawl into Ash's embrace.
I smiled at the memory of being cradled like a little girl in my father's arms as he sang lullabies I used to struggled to remember, just to have a piece of my mom again. When I was five, I didn't think I'd get to do that again, sleep in my dad's arms again. But I did and I'm glad I did before he died the second and last time. And now, I had to be content with thick blankets and potential hazardous space heaters.
"What, you and your other buddies used to stand around tanks you lit fire inside?" he joked.
I laughed, "I wasn't homeless. I had a home and a family." The tightness was back again.
"Then what made you leave?" he approached the question very carefully. He was probably wondering if I would shoot him down. I would wonder the same thing if I was speaking to a closed off person, in fact, I wouldn't trust her at all. It's a wonder he trusts me, probably because I don't partake in the local gossip.
My throated suddenly felt swollen; the answer to that question still tormented me. "I needed... to get away." My voice was down to a whisper as I slurred out the words.
He watched me for a while, the look in his eyes full of concern while his face stayed hard like he was holding a debate in his head. "I should stop asking questions now, ha?"
I laughed. The question sounded so ridiculous and yet so very sincere, "Yes, you probably should."
One side of his lips rose in half a smile. "One more question."
I cringed. "There is no guarantee I'll answer it."
"You will." the other side of his lips rose to a full smile, "My gift?"
I laughed, "Of course, how could I forget," I took the diary out of my jacket pocket. I'd kept it close throughout my shift just in case someone got a little curious. I bit my lips anxiously as I handed it to him. "I hope you don't hate it."
He chuckled taking it from me, "That's a new way to put it." He flipped open the cover and then like dominos, his expression dropped. His face hardened and his jaw tightened.
I waited for a blowout, wishing I hadn't over stepped with my good intentions. "I thought you might like everything together," I rapped quickly hoping to save myself, "I have one just like that with my family in it..."
He took my hand in his and squeezed it gently. When he turned to stare at me, I saw something I'd never seen before, a tear rolling slowly down his cheek. He was vulnerable, unshielded, his emotions very visible on his face. I felt my own emotions well up inside me.
His lips parted like he was about to say something but he choked back, the words unable to make their ways out of his full throat. Instead he nodded at me, and then raised the back of my hand to his lips, kissing it with his warm lips.
A short laugh escaped my lips as I stared at him with tears in my eyes. "You are very welcome." He put my hand on his warm cheek as he flipped through the pages, each met with different but sincere emotions.
- Writer
