Sunflowers and Ink

Part 1: Chapter 5

Josselin slowly dragged himself up the stairs, heavy feet clunking with each step. His day had been completely packed with clients and his shoulders and neck ached like they hadn't in months. It was 10:30 now and the shop was closed. Christian, Dante, and Sara had all gone home and the front door was locked, leaving Josselin in the big, empty building alone with Familiar, who was waiting for him when he opened the apartment door. He smiled when she rubbed up against his ankles.

"I'm glad you're not a runner," he said as he closed the door behind him. "I'd never be able to catch you like this."

She meowed and trotted into the kitchen to her food bowl. Josselin followed, where he made himself a cup of willow bark tea.

Why hadn't Meara stopped by the shop after he closed up? Josselin wouldn't miss the bag or the thermos overnight, and he could always pop over when he had a break tomorrow to pick them up. He wasn't concerned about that. But Meara had been so quiet that morning. Josselin had hoped that buying him lunch would help him realize that whatever he was worried about wasn't actually a problem -- Josselin didn't even know what it was! -- but as the day had gotten later and later and Meara didn't show, Josselin started to worry that maybe he'd been too forward with his note. He sighed and kicked off his shoes by the couch before he sat down with his mug. He looked over toward the small shrine under the clock, the one specifically for his mother. His workspace was in his bedroom where he could keep it private from guests.

"What do I do, Mom?" he asked. She was silent. She hadn't been talking back as much recently. It had been a couple of weeks since she'd said anything at all. He was starting to think her spirit had found another vessel and finally reincarnated. Some people got an instant turnaround, but his mom had apparently been put on a waiting list. He knew, though, that even if she had been, some essence of her was still around. He could feel it in the incense smoke every now and then.

"I really like him," Josselin said. "He's really sweet, and he's adorable! You'd like him, too. I think you'd approve of my choice this time. I know there were a few in the past you wouldn't have liked." He chuckled and put his tea down, stretching out his shoulders as he stood. He usually only lit incense in the morning, but if he was going to have a conversation with her, it was only polite to light her a stick. He did, blowing out the flame and waving out the match, dropping it in the bowl of used matchsticks he was saving to burn properly to make some protective black salt with in the future. He was just waiting until he had enough pieces to make the fire worth it.

The warm, comforting scent of frankincense and myrrh started to fill the room and Josselin sat back down with his tea. Occasionally, the streetlight in the alleyway caught one of the mirrors or pieces of colored glass hanging from his window, shooting a flash of color across the room.

"I think I scared him off, though," he sighed. "I'm not sure what I did. I asked him to stop by tonight and he didn't. Maybe he still just felt crappy. But I don't know." He took a sip of his tea and sat in silence. Familiar hopped up on the couch beside him, dropping her pink sparkle ball on his leg. He picked it up and turned it in his fingers, but didn't throw it. She mewed and headbutted his knuckles.

"I wish you were still here," he whispered. "I know you can hear me, but I miss hearing you talk back. And I could really use one of your world-famous squish hugs right now."

He finally threw the ball and Familiar darted after it, batting it around the room and down the hallway. There was a soft tinkling as she trotted back into the room. Josselin looked up. In her little mouth was his mom's silver necklace, the one his tattoo had been based on. She dropped it on his knee.

"How did you get to this?" Josselin asked. He picked it up and curled his fingers around it. "This was hanging up way too high for you to reach."

She meowed. Josselin smiled.