How She Came Home

Chapter Ten

Monday was Freen's first day of work, and they had dinner afterwards at a Korean barbecue restaurant while she skirted around the topic of her job, but was quietly pleased about something. 

Becca was content to let her keep her thoughts to herself, as unusual as it was for Freen, and chalked it up to excitement for her first day back after her break.

It was a busy week for Becca, and it made it harder to fit in moments with Freen, who was also exhausted from her long days and the commute out to the base and back, but they still managed to find the time. 

After Korean barbecue, there was pizza late one night at Becca's office, her eyes burning as she stayed glued to her computer screen, while Freen rewrote an article she was working on from the sofa. 

There had been a night spent curled up on Becca's sofa, watching a movie as they ate ramen and mochi from a takeout Freen had swung by on her way home.

It wasn't until the weekend that they really had much time, Becca's Saturday morning taken up by an important meeting with an overseas associate, before her afternoon and Sunday was freed up. 

Sunday afternoon, they walked along the bay wall, eating gelato as the sun left dappled shadows on the sidewalk as it filtered through the overhanging trees, their leaves so deeply green that they looked blue.

Becca was grateful for the chance to get outside and stretch her legs, breathing in the briny air as children screamed and laughed on the playground, dogs barked and chased after tennis balls or begged for attention from them - she loved to watch Freen sink to her knees to ruffle their fur under their chins as their tongue lolled - and seagulls wheeled about, their keening cry oddly comforting. 

It was a warm day and they walked and walked, occasionally holding hands, pointing out things of interest to each other and just enjoying the pleasure of company. They didn't even have to talk; Becca just enjoyed being beside her.

Freen didn't stay for dinner that night, grimly explaining to Becca that Abi and Kyle were moving into their own apartment together and she'd offered to help, and Becca assured her that it was fine with an odd sense of amusement. 

No one had ever worried that she might be offended at being left alone; Becca didn't know any different. Perhaps a part of her even craved the loneliness, until Freen came along, but she would survive a night on her own.

Besides, she already had plans.

She'd ordered four separate broken Polaroid cameras online while at work, and at the long table in her attic, she sat at the stool, surrounded by the disassembled pieces of cameras. 

There was an open tutorial on the laptop screen before her and Becca stared at it intently while she sipped her Aperol Spritz and followed the steps to reassemble it.

The evening was warm, the sky a gentle violet through the open windows as a sweet breeze brought in the faintly spicy smell of magnolia and heated tarmac. 

She had a record on downstairs that just managed to reach her on the fourth floor, and she was happy to sit there all afternoon as the hours dragged on, determined to get the camera working again.

Her paperwork was piled on her desk, forgotten about as the camera occupied her attention, and Becca picked at a light dinner of figs and soft cheeses as she worked, letting her mind wander as her capable hands moved of their own accord. 

It was slow work, and satisfying as each fiddly piece was slotted into place, and the sun hadn't even fully set by the time Becca had a fully assembled camera before her.

Pointing the lens of the camera towards herself, Becca smiled, her eyes crinkling as she cocked her head to the side slightly and snapped a photo to see if it was working. Her stomach soared with triumph as she let out a quiet laugh, black spots momentarily blinding her from the flash before the camera chugged out a square film.