Who We Have

Chapter 17

Andy shifted in place, reaching over and finding no one there. She opened her eyes, it was still dark, but some light came from the window.

“You’re awake,” said Adam.

She turned to look at him. He was standing by the window. Andy responded with a tired moan as she stretched, and Adam sat down next to her. He gently stroked her hair, getting some out of her face.

“Go back to sleep, it’s too early,” he whispered.

“I’m awake, though,” she replied. “How long have you been up?”

“Not long,” he replied, leaning down a little to hover over her as he kissed her forehead.

“What time is it?” she asked, covering her mouth as she yawned.

“It’s only five,” he told her.

“We must have fallen asleep earlier than I thought,” said Andy.

After a moment of contemplation, he smiled, “Do you want to get some coffee and go outside?”

“Yeah,” smiled Andy, getting up slowly.

They went downstairs quietly, the floorboards creaking under their feet.

“Should I get changed?” whispered Andy.

“You’re good, but maybe get some pants on. We won’t go far, but it’ll be cold,” he replied quietly.

He started making some coffee, and he waited in the kitchen while Andy went and got changed very quickly. When they were both ready, they headed out with a Thermos and two mugs. Adam made sure to get a coat from the rack before leaving and he gave Andy one of Lilly’s. They walked for a little bit, hand in hand, over to a hill just after the garden. There was one tree on the hill, and a wooden bench that nearly leaned against the tree itself. The sun was just above the horizon, barely visible behind the clouds. 

Adam quickly dusted the chair and they sat on it. He opened up the Thermos and Andy held out the mugs as he poured coffee for them. As he put it down, she shuffled a bit to sit closer to him and she took a drink.

“My god, this is delicious,” she said, inhaling the scent of the coffee as she felt its warmth in her hands.

“Would it be a surprise if I told you that my parents grow the beans?”  asked Adam.

“A little bit,” she nodded. “I hope I get to see the garden later, your family seems to be a big fan of growing things.”

“Yeah, they are,” said Adam, taking a sip. “After my sister was diagnosed, they tried getting her into hobbies, anything that could make her happy, when they didn’t know that she had already made peace with the truth, and that they were the ones that needed the distraction. Eventually, they took up planting as a passing fancy, but it grew on them – no pun intended. They became obsessed with growth and health, and it just became a family thing, and my sister did actually get into it, so that’s how we now have a garden.”

“At least it turned out to be a passion rather than a general go-to, a reminder,” said Andy.

“Exactly,” he replied. Adam smiled sweetly and said, “If any of us look for Lilly and can’t find her, we always find her in the garden. Most of it is full of her plants. While it’s a great haven for all of us now, if things don’t get better, I’m afraid it will turn into a reminder.” Just like that, his smile faded.

“It doesn’t have to be a sad reminder,” said Andy.

“How can it not be?” he asked her, seeming to believe that it was adamant.