More time together (Grahamfield)

Seattle blues

October 9th, 12:11 p.m.

Max opened her eyes but didn't move; she was in that in-between state of being half asleep and half awake. As she slowly regained consciousness, fleeting snatches of dreams with Chloe, Nathan, Rachel and Jefferson swirled in her mind. The girl tried to remember the scenes for a while, but it seemed that the more effort she put into it, the faster it fled from her.

'Maybe it's just better this way', Max thought as she automatically picked her instant camera from the bedstand to take one of her usual morning selfies. Once she got aware of her action, she put the camera away and facepalmed herself.

With some difficulty, the girl sat on the bed, but it was only when she got up and stretched her arms and legs that she noticed how sore her body felt. Nothing beyond expected, considering how hard her night was.

She looked herself in a mirror, frowning at the reflection of her weary countenance. Luckily, before any self-deprecating thought arose in her mind, her attention was drawn to a knock at her door.

It was her mother, Vanessa: she entered the room to check on her daughter and to tell lunch was almost ready. Shortly thereafter, Max took a quick shower and went downstairs to join her parents at the family's kitchen.

....

The smell of steak and bacon sizzling in a pan filled Max's nostrils and made her stomach growl. Once she got in the kitchen, she saw her father, Ryan, by the stove, cooking lunch, as it was usual on sundays.

She hugged him from behind and asked with a hopeful voice: "Is that what I think it is?"

Playfully, he answered: "Yes, my favorite daughter's favorite dish!"

Max chuckled and approached her mother, hugging her as well. Vanessa placed a kiss on her daughter's cheek and gave her a small chunk of the camembert cheese she chopped for salad.

A few minutes later, lunch was ready.

....

During the meal, Max's parents sought to talk about light topics, such as the couple's recent trip to New York. Different than many would think, it's not that they were dodging Chloe's death subject; it's just that they knew their daughter well enough to understand she needed time to work things out by herself before speaking up with them.

After lunch, as it was traditional in the Caulfield family, each one dedicated some time to their hobbies. Ryan, an audio engineer, usually spent the afternoon composing music on an electronic piano at his home studio. Max often joined him, playing either the guitar or the bass; that day though, as predictable, she wasn't on the mood for a jam session, so she stayed at the living room with her mother.

Vanessa, a homeopathic practitioner, was fond of gardening and all sorts of handcrafting, especially sewing and embroidery. Although Max wasn't as skilled as her, for many times she joined her mother, even if it was only to choose themes and colors.

The girl laid on the couch, placing her feet on her mother's lap while she hand-sewed a tea-cloth. She turned her face to the TV, but didn't mind watching the movie on it; instead, she let herself ruminate about her time travelling power for a while. The more she thought about it, however, the more confused she felt.

For a few times, words almost came out of her mouth, but she restrained herself: she knew that behind her mother's seeming serenity was a deep concern about her situation. 'If I tell mom about my power, she'll think it's a coping mechanism I've created to deal with Chloe's loss... and that'll only make her more worried about me. Besides... I don't even know if I still have the power, since I didn't try to use it anymore...' Max pondered, deciding to not tell her parents about her ability - at least not for now.