The Inside Diaries

Jasmine

Miasmic fog surrounded the tall, tumbling mass of garden, palm fronds higher than her own height, myriad pink blossoms dotting the path's sides as she attempted to make sense of her hazy environs. Where—and when—was she? Spider plants' leaves brushed up against her ankles as she ambled forth, eventually coming across a fork in the road.

Right or left?

Right or left?

She woke up, her knees weighed down by a familiar mound of meowing fur.

Catticus.

Taking several deep breaths to calm her racing heart, she remembered she was back—not in her suburban locale, but instead the tropical surroundings her writing had created. It was, like so many days before, another beautifully pristine day on this little lovely island, its dark coral reefs giving way to glassy aquamarine water, rippling and roaring in the distance, separated from rolling hills and dormant volcanoes by a single isthmus of peach-pearl sand, extending around the perimeter.

Recalling that Marcella had probably stopped by, she opened the balcony windows, her bare feet gingerly stepping onto warm brick. Could she see Epicenter Pico No. 23 from here? Yes, indeed. For it was a cloudless morning, crisp and cheery, the smell of cardamom and cinnamon floating forth from Matias' own balcony garden.

As for the duffel bags...she studied the doorstep. Definitely vanished. It seemed Marcella had employed them for her own use, likely transporting comestibles, clothing, and various odd objects from her old residence to her newfound property as she surveyed its interior, determining how to best go about repairs and making it her home.

Just as the last thought occurred to her, she heard a knock. Checking the peephole, she opened the door. Matias. Moments later, they sat down to a hastily prepared breakfast—fresh fruit, guava juice, and scrambled eggs with ketchup, melted Swiss cheese, and hot sauce.

"How's the new owner, Matias?"

He chewed thoughtfully, cutting his own scrambled eggs into tinier morsels. The author had never seen anyone take a knife to the dish but supposed there was always a first time. "She's settling in. The shower fixture's old though. I want to help her...she is family after all..." Matias' voice trailed off as he took a sip of guava juice.

"Not yet." Melanija pulled the melted cheese apart and took a bite. Delicious. "Matias, if she's anything like me, you have to let her come to you."

"Anything like you?"

"Used to being alone in the world. Smart. Self-sufficient. Needs to figure things out on her own instead of someone telling her the way. Y'know. Right?"

He nodded. "I guess."

Melanija reached for her guava juice, pausing to study the Epicenter Pico No. 23 doorway, which looked far more looked after in the past week than it had in the last few years combined, then turned back to the aged man. "You'll have to trust me on this—"

"Part of your story?"

"Exactly. And she's gifted in the way of 3D printing, so something tells me she'll come up with a prototype in no time. For the bathroom fixture," she hastily clarified. "And speaking of stories...and writing...is there a library or garden somewhere I can type undisturbed? Catticus keeps trying to bite my ankles. Super hyper."

"The Jasmine Garden, a few blocks down?" Matias offered. "Lovely lobby, Calla lilies, and an interior courtyard to get lost in one's thoughts."

Melanija smiled. "Sounds perfect!" As they made to clean up, her attention was diverted to a tall, elegant woman carrying those aforementioned duffel bags, two on each shoulder, packed to the brim with various household goods and cleaning supplies peeking through.

Said woman's fingers lingered on the duffel bags' straps. Melanija watched as the woman—Marcella, no less—teared up, sweeping her curls from her visage as she stared up at the condo's outdoor entrance. The writer imagined Marcella, like herself, was not accustomed to being welcomed—anywhere—and that the duffels were a surprise indicating that someone, even though a mere stranger, appreciated her presence here in this lovely locale.

Melanija's heart broke for this orphan woman.

I hope you find a home here.

A family too.