Slow Farewell (Reprise)

Neighbors

It was nice out- usually was around this time of the day. The sky was a pretty shade of orange, fluffy clouds adorning it. Mauve was too buried in her thoughts to notice the kids running around the street, the music blasting from a party nearby, or the sun that had begun to set, as she left Mango's house.
What did I get myself into? She couldn't help but think. When she went to look for Mango, this was the last thing she expected! It was supposed to be a quick friendly hello but... 

Mauve opened the door to her house. It was relatively fancy, with clean, expensive furniture, marble counter-tops, and pristine wooden floors.

..this man seems to be in much worse condition than she originally thought! Should she call an ambulance? His physical and especially mental condition seemed to be awful! Mauve paused as she was searching the cupboards. That way Mango cried in front of her earlier... 

Mauve had never seen that man often, let alone talk to him, but she had always seen him in a much healthier, confident state. What on earth could have happened to him, that caused such a change like this?! 

..She proceeded to put a coffee pod in the coffee machine, pulling a tray out of the cupboard and setting down some food on it. She finally took a moment to breathe, sitting down on a chair.

Mauve doubted her decision to not call for other help, but she was the one who walked into his home, so she felt it wouldn't be right. It's strange to be taking care of your neighbor who is your age, but clearly he needs it. Mauve could never leave someone alone in this condition.

Still, she doubted it. Mauve was certainly not qualified to take care of him.. or maybe she was..? Mauve wasn't a therapist, not by a long shot. She was merely an accountant at the nearby bank. That's like, the last thing that would help. All she did there was count numbers and sort files. To give her credit, though, she has a child so she knows a thing or two about caretaking.
And yet.. she hasn't seen her son in such a long time. It's all because of--

Actually, let's not think about that right now. Mauve runs a hand through her hair and sighs. 

After a few moments of silence, she glances at the digital clock on the microwave. Crap. She's been wasting her time for almost twenty minutes already, the coffee has been done for a while. Mauve rushes to get all that on a tray and hurry it back over to Mango's house before it gets cold. She didn't mean to leave him for so long. It may only be a couple minutes, however she didn't know what sort of things he would do in that time. 

She carefully made her way back to his home, making sure she didn't spill anything. It almost seemed quieter as she walked. The sun had dipped below the mountains already and the kids had gone inside for the night. The only things illuminating the street were the lights from houses or street lamp. Not to mention the sole sounds were Mauve's footsteps and crickets, creating a strangely calming atmosphere.

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(I'm sorry for the super short chapter! There will be better ones to come soon! -Raspberry)