Normal | Rhekker

Chapter 11- Home

Ava had recovered from her embarrassment of getting a ride of Connor by the time their next shift rolled around. She had her hair in a short ponytail and sported the Mayo Clinic quarter zip for some extra warmth.

Her shift started a little later in the day today, she only had consultations and meetings. She dropped her bag of clothes to change into in her locker.
Ava did her consultations, sat in on a few meetings with the hospital and met with some  prospective patients to view their cases.
She had some pro bono work planned for the next few days that took some paper work. Paging Ini to see if she was one lunch yet she finally made her way down to the canteen for a break.

"Long day of meetings?" Ini asked as Ava sat down with her lunch.
"Oh terribly, I'm off in three hours. Going to view some apartments"
She opened her yogurt tub and licked the lid.

Connor walked into the canteen, he looked around, the guys from the other night waving him down. He looked around the room, meeting Ava's eye at her table with Ini and Owen. He moved forward, nodding to the guys he took his seat.

Ava watched him go, she furrowed her brows. Her eyes retuning to Ini as she sipped her coffee.
"Yeah, I'll be there" she agreed, relaxing, "Send me the address"
"Am I not getting an invite Ini?" Owen asked.
"Nope, girls only" she teased.

Ava left work that afternoon, she wasn't used to having free time. She was viewing apartments all week, not that she wasn't used to living in small spaces having grown up in a bungalow. But the lifeless hotel space was getting to her.
Today's one was more central but in a quieter area then yesterday's. It had a doorman and a nice lobby and was on the fourth floor. She met the realtor as she came in, taking an info packet on the rental.

It had big windows, she liked that. Their was a short hall into the place, with a closet on one side for coats and the kitchen on the other. It was Morden, with an island. There was no furniture and she struggled to image what things might look like.
It was a one bedroom that also had its down closet and half bath.

She stepped into the final room in the apartment- and aged bathroom.
"Connor" she smiled, not at all surprised to see another doctors here.
"Dr. Bekker, I was beginning to think I had this place all to myself" he turned keenly to her.
"The tiles a bit much, isn't it?" She said, looking at the mismatch of yellow, green and brown tiles.
"Just a bit" he agreed.
The realtor stuck her head in. This place would be great for couple, I'm around if you have any questions"
Ava watched her go before looking back to Connor.
"You could always retile" she said.
"That's if you get the place of course"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Of course you will, you could pay triple this if they asked"
"I'm not going to do that, I'll be fair. Only offer a reasonable amount above asking" he assured her.
"Okey" Ava agreed, "let the best applicant win"
She pushed off from the sink and out of the room.

*

Ava drove back to the hotel after putting down her deposit. The canteen was on loop in her head, had something happened? No. It hadn't she told herself. They had been getting along, he just wanted to talk to the guys.

Ava touched her chin as she pulled down the street, her mind wandering.
Ava stretched her back out, running her hands through her hair. Connor slid a plate in front of her, Ava stared down at it.
"I think your pancakes might be a bit raw" she poked it with her fork.
"Where" Connor furrowed his brow. Coming over to inspect them he placed his hand on her back. Ava pointed to the light spots on the pancake.
"There bananas Aves" he took the fork and cut into it for her.
He kissed her forehead, touching her head.
"Here" he slid a jar in front of her.
"Apple butter, they go well together" he scratched his neck, going back to the pan to make for pancakes.
"You can make butter out of apples?" She thought.

"Try it" he encouraged her. Thinking her look to be sceptical.
Ava spread a little of the apple butter on the side of her pancakes.
"Good?" He asked, taking a bite of his own pancakes.
"Good" she smiled sheepishly

Ava tried to recall when that was. It was early in their relationship. She knew that. She though it would end, that it was just the honeymoon stage with how he cared for her.

"Fuck" Ava swore as she missed her turn. Doing a loop around she drove to the address Ini had texted her. It was a single fronted house in a good Neighbourhood. There was a fence on all four sides and a large front yard. She got out of the car and closed the door behind her, Ini coming to meet her at the front door.
"Welcome" she threw her arms around Ava.
"Hi, I brought you a house warming present" she held out the bottle with a bow on the top.
"Thank you"

Ini brought her inside and Ava took off her shoes.
The place was already decorated, furnished and painted. It was a warm reception area that Ava was greeted with off the hall.
"Wow, it's lovely, Ini" she stood, taking in the place.
"It's big" Inu said. "Too big, I only wanted an apartment but my father insisted I get a house"
"He went off on a tangent on the phone about what would happen if their was a fire in the apartment and I was stuck on the twentieth floor" she waved her hand in the air.
"You haven't told him about the hotel?"
"What he doesn't know can't hurt him" she shrugged.
"He's far too involved for how old I am"
"I'm sure your parents were the same when you moved"
"My parents passed before I moved here" Ava said.
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't know" Ini apologised.
"Don't worry about it"

"I was out looking for an apartment today as well"
"I ran into Connor- Rhodes" she clarified.
"You too are awful friendly" she lead them into the living room.
"I heard you got coffee together" she sat on the sofa.
"We worked together for a few years when I moved here" Ava said.
"So you said"
"We dated, before I moved to New York" she admitted.
"I knew there was something more going on their"
"You two were awfully close for just friends"
"Thats all we are now"
"Mhm? You sure he feels the same"
Ava blushed, "let's order some food"

They we're having their takeaway dinner, Ini having a glass of wine with hers, and Ava having water since she was driving.
"So you and Connor" Ini took a bite out of her dumpling.
"Yes" Ava rolled her eyes, having heard this non stop.
"Last one, I swear. This morning was weird for you right?"
"The canteen, I know. I don't know what happened" Ava frowned, stirring her noodles in the paper tub.
"It was down right cold" she shook her head.
"What was he like at the open house?"
Ava bite into her spring roll, "fine, we where joking around like normal"
"I was the one that said we shouldn't be relying on each other too much" she shrugged
"Why would you say that?"
"I don't know, it's just took soon after Andrew, you know everything that happened their- and is still happening" she sighed.
"Maybe getting back out there is the best thing for it?"