The Scientist

The Trip

I woke up to an empty bed, Keanu talking somewhere in another part of the house. It was dark, early morning at most. I glanced at my phone: only 6 am. I crept out of bed, spotting Keanu on the phone in the living room. I wanted to give him his privacy, so I filled up the stove with wood and crawled back into bed, hoping he would join me whenever he finished his conversation. I waited for at least twenty minutes before dozing back off, waking a second time to the alarm clock. I could hear the shower running in the bathroom, which was odd. I wonder why he didn't come back to bed? Why didn't he wake me back up?

    I shook off the feeling I had. It was the first day we didn't wake up together, but I was sure it wouldn't be the last. I brewed a pot of coffee, dreading work. I wanted to nothing more than sit and lounge all day long, but that was a thought I had to shove to the back of my head. I worked a short shift, that I was thankful for. I heard the shower come to an abrupt stop, and within ten minutes Keanu was dressed, joining me in the kitchen. He delivered a quick kiss to my cheek, pouring himself a cup of coffee and joining me at the table. "How did you sleep?" He asked, staring me down from atop his coffee mug, waiting for my answer. "I slept fine, how did you sleep?" He shrugged, pulling his phone out to check it before he sat it on the table. "I slept alright. My relator woke me up entirely too early. I couldn't fall back asleep, so I let you sleep in." I smiled at him. "I appreciate it. I was so tired." He nodded. "I know, I could tell."

    We enjoyed our coffee, and I set off to change into my work clothes, ready to get the day over with. "I'm going to be helping John with some stuff today. He came by this morning. So after I drop you off at work, I'll be coming back here. Is that ok?" He asked from the doorway of the bedroom, and I told him that was fine. He seemed distant, or occupied. I couldn't decipher which.

    On the drive to work, he spoke up, turning down the music and taking my hand. "Is there anyway you can take the rest of the week off work?" He asked, sounding more hopeful than he had all morning. I shrugged. "I doubt it. We're understaffed as it is. Why?" We pulled into Pete's with a few minutes to spare, so I awaited his reply impatiently, curious as to what was going on. "I have to go to New York for a few days." He said flatly, his grip tight on the steering wheel. I nodded, not surprised. I knew something was up. "I figured you had something on your mind. I probably won't be able to tag along." I said, disappointed that we were going to be separated already. But maybe now that we were a couple, the incentive to come back would be a greater reward for him, and he'd wrap things up quickly.

    "I wish you could. I have to meet with my relator, sign some papers. I shouldn't be gone more than 4 or 5 days."

    That definitely put a damper on my mood. "That's a little more than a few days, but, I'll be here when you get back." I was trying to stay optimistic, but I was finding it rather difficult in light of the current situation. "When do you have to leave?" He sighed, turning to face me for the first time since we'd been talking. "I really should catch the red eye out of Atlanta tonight. If I can't get a flight tonight, I'll catch the first flight out in the morning." I let my disappointment show this time. He'd avoided telling me this while I was at home, somewhere I could be emotionally comfortable. But, I stayed calm, kissing him bye and telling him to keep me updated if he found a flight. He promised he would, and told me he'd be back to get me from work.

    The rest of the day dragged on, the rain coming in and the customers practically nonexistent. I was going to be leaving an hour before my shift ended because labor was high. As soon as I found out I texted Keanu, and he told me he'd head to the diner. I stood outside, mostly covered from the rain, smoking a cigarette and trying to gather my thoughts. I could handle 5 days. That was a piece of cake. What I couldn't handle, was him not coming back.

    Keanu arrived shortly and I stepped in out of the rain, the heat toasty in his car as we sped back to my house. Keanu's flight was to leave at 1 AM. I had roughly 4 hours left with him before he departed for the airport. I tried to talk him into driving him to the airport but he insisted on taking the Porsche, which was fine as well. He promised to facetime me as soon as he landed. His flight was only 4 hours, so I said I'd set an alarm to get up so we could talk before he went to bed. I helped him gather his things, trying hard not to show how upset I really was. He was positive and upbeat, and excited about returning back. He was planning to come back on Saturday, which meant I'd only really be without him for 3 and a half days. But that didn't matter to me. I just didn't want to be without him.