Taste of Honey

Honey, I'm Home!

     "Hey Cricket, I'm home!" Honey calls to her nine year old calico cat, which she adopted from the shelter when she moved into the apartment. She sat her purse and backpack down noticing that Cricket did not rush into her room and jump on her bed as he would normally do. Unusual silence meets Honey's calls, so she steps out of her bedroom and peeks her head into the hallway. She proceeds into her kitchen, where the light is on. Sitting on her marble counter petting Cricket is her sister, Mona. Mona hadn't changed much since the last time Honey had seen her adoptive sister. She still had short, blonde, bobbed hair, and a very vintage minimalist style, and of course her classic glossy lips. Mona had said in a letter she wasn't supposed to be back for another six months. Honey was shocked at the fact her sister, who was supposed to be studying abroad in Paris, was sitting on her counter. "Mona?" You're back?"

    "OH HONEY!! I am back! OH I missed you so so so so so much!" Mona exclaimed, jumping off the counter, her golden hair swaying. Speechless and shocked, Honey embraced her sister, relieved for her to be back. Last time she had seen her sister was... well, her parents funeral. She didn't tell anyone she was leaving until she landed in Paris. She has sent a postcard to Heidi, Sadie, and Honey, which explained that she couldn't stay in town, not after the death of Ester and Roman, and the string of events leading up to their demise. After what only felt like seconds, but what was really minutes, Mona stepped back, her expression softening. "How's Heidi.. and Sadie?" 

     Honey looks away, "They both moved away. Heidi went to somewhere in L.A...probably hooking up with beach dudes left and right.. but Sadie disappeared a few days after you did. She couldn't handle mom and dad being gone.. and then you leaving so suddenly.". Mona's eyes begin to water and she shakes her head, she was obviously regretting not keeping in contact with her sisters. 

    "I.. I didn't want for that to happen... at least you know where she is now... don't you?" Mona stutters, her breath beginning to hasten. Honey shakes her head and bites her lip. Tears begin to stream down her face, and she collapses to the ground. Ever since they were young, Mona did not handle grief well. Whenever their childhood dog, Buddy, died she didn't leave her room for days. Whenever her best friend moved to Texas, she wept and refused to eat. She coped with drawing and painting, and whenever she didn't have an outlet she shuts down.

     "It's not your fault, Mona. We can find her, we WILL find her, I promise." Honey murmured into her sisters ear. Helping Mona stand up, Honey leads her into the guest bedroom, where boxes still sit scattered across the floor, unpackaged. She lays her sister down and covers her with a blanket. She heads back to her room and grabs an old tee and some tacky green pajama bottoms, then she heads into the kitchen and grabs Mona a glass of water. When she goes back into the guest room, her sister lays sound asleep. Honey wipes tears off of Mona's cheeks, and brushes a strand of hair off of her eyes. Honey leans over and turns the lamp off, stands up, and leaves the room. 

    "Oh Cricket.. just as I thought things were going back to normal." Honey says to her cat as he sits himself down next to her. She pets him, and turns the TV on. She flips through the channels, unable to find something interesting. Sighing, she picks up Cricket and heads into the kitchen. Honey pours herself a bowl of cereal and takes it back to her bedroom. As she eats her cereal she gets an idea. She opens up her Facebook and finds 'Jake Baker'. She sends him a message, hoping that he has an answer she is looking for. She types out, " Hey when was the last time you have heard from Heidi?". She sends the message, satisfied by how it sounds, and finishes eating her cereal. Honey falls asleep, nightmares of her parents, Sadie and Heidi fill her.

In the morning, Jake had responded, ' Meet me at the Cafe on Main at 11, we can talk then '.