S E E K I N G
I forgot that you existed.
• • •
"Alright, here we are." Luke says in his best Aussie voice before hopping behind the wheel. "An earl grey for me, and a latte for you."
"Mate, I said I wanted matcha." Calum emphasizes, looking at the drink in his friend's hand.
"No, you said latte."
"When was the last time you've seen me order a latte?"
"Years maybe? But you said latte. I just assumed you started liking it again."
"Why would ..." He stops to think. Maybe he did ask for a latte: accidently of course. These days sleep deprivation was getting the best of his memory. Yet still he says, "I'm sure I said matcha."
"And I'm sure its just dad brain again." The blonde laughs. It's a term the boys had created since the day he accidently placed his phone in the freezer. Now they use the phrase when he forgets something or does anything relatively fatherly. "I'll go back."
"No, I'll go. I might get me a scone or something one time." He gets out, pulling on his cap and starting for the coffeehouse. He isn't even fully inside yet before —
"Calum!"
He wishes he was hearing things. Wishes his mind was playing some sick joke against him right now.
"Hey Calum." The voice is more desperate...and closer.
Unfortunately for him, it wasn't a joke. With a sigh, he turns around, and the girl comes into his line of vision. Her hair isn't blonde anymore; instead it's dyed some auburn color.
"Janice." He acknowledges her.
"How are you?!" He doesn't necessarily expect to be pulled into a hug, but doesn't make a big deal out of it. The action and her tone would suggest to anyone that they were good friends who hadn't seen each other in a while. One part was true at least. They hadn't seen each other in a while. But they definitely weren't friends.
"I'm okay. You?" He decided to go for cordial, but was honestly trying his best to keep his tone indifferent.
"Great, actually." She runs a hand through her hair. "Long time no see huh?"
"Yep." He nods. Praying that the conversation would end.
"What's it been? Like two years since we've seen each other....been together"
He ignores her last statement. "Roughly."
"Yeah, it has been a minute." It gets quiet, and Calum's partially happy seeing this it as a way to close off the conversation. However, she just stands there, taking him in; and her presence somewhat unnerves him. "So, I see you're a dad now. Congrats." She tries to keep the conversation going.
"Thank you." He tries to smile though it doesn't sound as if she was congratulating him at all. Something was off. He just couldn't put his finger on it.
"Yeah...It's unfortunate though." She not so subtly says under her breath.
There it is.
"Excuse me?"
"I just said it was unfortunate is all." She shrugs coyly.
He waits for her to explain the cryptic phrase. He's not entirely sure why he was entertaining her at all. But something boils in him at the phrase. The last thing he wanted was to let her of all people get a rise out of him. But when it came to his daughter? He wasn't having it. "Me being a dad is unfortunate?"
