Fireflies

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

“How do you know me?” Stratton asked, surprised at the woman’s comment.

“Your picture was sitting on the table on Kate’s dresser. She always said it was a picture of an old friend from high school. We never asked about it anymore. She never seemed like she wanted to talk about it much.”

“So where is Kathryn? Is she here?” Stratton inquired.

“She doesn’t live here anymore” said the man. “She moved out about two years ago. Kate had always said she had wanted to live closer to work, but seemed reluctant about moving. She said someone might come here. We didn’t ask but I’m guessing you were the one she was waiting for.”

Stratton was surprised at the man’s answer. Firstly, that Kathryn had moved, which Stratton had not even factored in. But the fact that she had been waiting for him made him happy.

“I don’t think we have been introduced.” Said the man. “I’m Russell Parker and this is my wife, Rachel. We met Kathryn when she first moved here. She had already called about living as a tenant with us. When she first arrived, she looked like a scared schoolgirl who had no idea what she was doing. She went up to her room for about two hours and cried and cried. We just left her be for a while, she seemed to float around like a shell of a girl. She went to school and came home. We asked her about her family and friends, but when we asked her if she had left someone special behind, she kind of just holed up and wouldn’t talk. I’m guessing that’s where you come into the picture.”

Stratton started to speak before Rachel spoke up, “Did you break her heart?”

“I think we broke each other’s heart, in a way.” Stratton said.

“Well, I suppose that happens sometimes,” Russell said.

“Do you know where she is now? Does she live around here?”

Rachel smiled and said “She lives closer to work, she works at a theatre close to Broadway.”

Stratton’s heart leapt. “Thank you so much. You really didn’t have to tell me all that.”

“We know, dear, but you seem like you really love her.”  Rachel said.

Stratton couldn’t bear to tell them differently.   Russell smiled at Stratton, almost in a fatherly way. 

“Here I’ll write down her new address. Today is Thursday so she will get off work about two hours early, if you want to go to see her. She would get home around three-thirty.” Russell said.

“Thank you so much.” Stratton replied.

“If you need anything dear, just give us a call.” Rachel said.

Stratton smiled, and then let himself out the door.  It was a beautiful day, and Stratton decided that since he had about three hours to kill until Kathryn got off work. He wandered down the street looking at the houses and listening to the traffic. He reached a small café, and when the smells of coffee and sandwiches reached him, his stomach remembered that he had not eaten breakfast that morning.

   After lunch, Stratton paid the bill and realized that he might need to go back to the hotel to clean up before he saw Kathryn. He hailed a taxi and gave the driver the address. When he got back to the hotel, he realized it was 2:00. Stratton hurried upstairs and took a quick shower. He changed his shirt and slapped some cologne behind his ears. He took a look in the mirror, took a deep breath and smiled, trying to get rid of that tiny knot in his stomach that filled him with nervousness.

“It’s just a friend that you are going to see, you haven’t seen her in a long time.”

Stratton ignored the thought that he had traveled all the way to New York to see a girl. He took one more glance in the mirror, picked up his wallet and room key and walked out the door.