Fanfare

Promises

He dries the frail plate and puts it away, setting it carefully on a shelf. The cutlery is shining and has survived the ages in a far better condition than the plate; the fork and knife are a bright silver, the tines and blade sharp due to his care. He dries them slowly with a cloth and puts them away with the plate. He dries his hands. The cloth is old and a little threadbare. He'll have to buy a new one at the market.

He puts down the cloth, carefully hanging it so the corners line up over the back of a chair. He looks around the room for something to do. But the floors are free of dust; the remaining windows are clear; the dishes are clean; the bed is fixed. There is nothing for him to do.

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair; it's starting to get long again. It needs a cut. He wonders if Kina will do it for him. Her mother used to., but he's not sure if she has enough of her mind left to remember who he is, let alone how to cut hair. He'd rather not have an ear sliced off because she's forgotten what she's doing.

He sits down on the couch. It sags beneath his weight, and some stuffing bulges out of one of the corners. He stuffs it back in with a finger and tugs a loose string tight, pulling the stitching closed. He ties a knot with a quick twist of his fingers and tries to think of something to occupy his time with.

And then the door flies open. "Kina?" he asks, shooting to his feet. Her eyes are wide and wild, her hair a tangle, her cheeks flushed from running.

She walks into the house, the door slamming closed behind her, and begins searching through the rooms. "Is she here?"

"Is who here?" he asks, watching her walk from the main room to the bathroom and then back. .

"Trenna. Is she here?" She walks past him, around the couch, and then heads for the door, shaking her head.

Joss grabs her and turns her to face him. "Kina. What's wrong?"

"Trenna. She didn't come home last night." Her eyes are wide and searching, not looking at anything in particular.

"When did she leave?" She doesn't answer. Joss gives her a gentle shake, and she focuses on him. "When did she leave home?"

"The last time I saw her was when I was bringing mum to bed." When her mother hadn't recognised her.

"Then she came to get me. And she didn't come home at all after that?"

Kina shakes her head. "No. I was waiting for her, but I fell asleep. I need to find her." She tries to shrug him off, but he keeps a hold of her.

"Kina, calm down." She tries to shake him off again, but he grips her arms tighter. "Calm down. We'll find her. We'll find her."

She goes still. "Promise?" Kina asks. She looks solemn, and he remembers when they were little, when a promise meant anything and everything.

He nods. "I promise." He grabs a jacket for himself and one for her and locks the door behind them.