Cinnamon, Blueberries, & Other Subjects to fill a Book of Poetry

Chapter 7: Surprises

     There are only a handful of people who text me, Jean, Fran, and Reese. I'd be sorely lying if I said I wasn't hoping it was the latter.

u busy?

I withhold a gleeful shout, but I can feel my leg tapping rapidly and that feels just as accurate a portrayal of my glee. Like a dog's tail, I remember Fran saying. I realise I've been lost in my thinking for a bit now and hadn't even responded.

Not at all

-Sam

I wanna show u something

I grin. I must look quite the sight, grinning at my phone like a madman, but I can only withhold so much. Reese rarely texts me first, I think for a second about how dreadfully juvenile of a thing that is to be aware of let alone to worry about, and even rarer is it that he invites me out with him. I tell him that I'd very much like that and he says he'll pick me up. As I pack up my laptop and throw out my egregious amount of cups I let myself think about things. Reese, mostly, and what he might want to show me. He hardly talks about himself or the things he enjoys and I'm positively giddy that he has anything he wants me specifically to see.

     "Ready?" He asks, leaning against his truck, I think about how fitting his truck is. He must take good care of it because it's not nearly as rusted as the rest of the trucks everyone around town drives, then I mentally reprimand myself because of course he takes good care of his truck, he works at an auto shop. I attribute my momentary stupidity to excitement.

      "Where are we going?" I ask, climbing into the vehicle with what I can only imagine equates to the grace of a very small child. 

    "It's a surprise."

      "So I'd gathered, but I was hoping you might give me a little bit more than that."

      "Wouldn't be much of a surprise then."

He smirked and I couldn't help but smile in turn. In all honesty I knew I didn't even remotely care about where we were going, I was simply thrilled to be going anywhere that Reese had chosen. Chosen specifically to show me. We'd been texting and going to the coffee shop often enough together, but always on my offer. Reese proposing an outing was an altogether different beast. I'd been so thrilled by the offer that I hadn't even stopped to consider the fact that I had no clue where we were going or what we were doing. 

My previous giddiness was slowly being replaced by a growing dread and I suppose Reese must have noticed because he reached over and put a hand on my rapidly bouncing leg to ease it. "Don't worry. It'll be fun." He reassured me in a tone that reminded me a bit of a jockey trying to placate his skittish horse, but also was not altogether unpleasant. Regardless, it had the desired effect as I felt my worry unwind itself a bit.

I hadn't known quite what to expect from Reese's idea of a fun outing, but it certainly wasn't a run down antique shop on the East side of town. I didn't venture down here very often, I actually hadn't been since Fran left before my unfortunate care problems. It looked exactly how I remember though, which was to say dark and run-down and altogether unsavoury. Even the sidewalk we were standing on was cracked and misshapen. My thoughts were all leaning towards harshly critical until I remembered Reese mentioning he grew up here. 

I felt immediately guilty and thought it would be wise to apologise, but when I turned to do so it was abundantly clear he hadn't even noticed me sneering up at it, he was completely lost to the world as he stared at the shop. I took a breath, clearing away the guilt and preconceptions, then took another look. The shop itself wasn't particularly remarkable, painted a faded bluish colour that I noted was the same colour of his truck with a grey roof and a few flower pots lining the sidewalk out front of it full of wilting greenery. 'Mendoza Antiques' was written in faded red lettering on the big sign above the door. I frowned, Mendoza? I felt my leg start to bounce as I worked up the courage to ask,

     "Reese, is this-"

     "Was my tia Laura's shop." He confirmed for me before I even finished my question, finally snapping his stare away from the doors. We both went silent for a minute and I was acutely aware of the sounds of my foot tapping rapidly against the pavement. He finally broke the silence, coughing and rubbing his neck in a manner that was rather uncharacteristically sheepish, "I, uh, I remembered you talking about some article you were writing about architecture. Figured you could get some inspiration or whatever from downtown. Since, y'know, you don't see it a lot." I felt my face heat up and had no doubt I was turning red. I vaguely remembered mentioning the article to him sometime this past week, it had been absolutely infuriating me and I desperately needed to complain about it to someone before my head exploded, but I hadn't expected him to remember let alone try to help. I was jarringly reminded I'd been completely lost in my thoughts by him clearing his throat again,"I dunno, it was a dumb idea. I can just take y-"

     "No no, not at all!" I blurted out quickly, desperately trying to cut him off before he could ruin whatever this moment was. "I just didn't realise you remembered that article. Thank you." Reese gave me an odd look and I felt unusually aware of my own body, wringing my hands together, "Would you.. like to go inside?"

      "Can't." He said gruffly, the moment passing before my very eyes as he crossed his arms, "It's closed. It.. closed down a couple years ago. After my tia died."

I frowned. How stupid of me. He'd only ever mentioned her in the past tense, I should have known there was something there. I'd never asked him though, I knew he hated being pushed and, though I desperately wanted to know, I didn't want him to stop talking to me altogether. I'd been learning to hold my tongue when it came to personal questions.

     "I-" My apology was cut short, likely for the best, by a crack of thunder that nearly made me jump out of my skin. I heard Reese swear beside me as it started to pour and I couldn't help but think that this unseasonable weather was somehow the universe's punishment for my stupidity.

I should probably attribute it to global warming, but it's a nice thought, that I'm important enough for the universe to punish.