Seas Between

Chapter 2

I woke up bright and early. I brushed my teeth and combed my fine, brown locks of hair, letting it hang over my shoulders. I rushed downstairs, dressed in a silver flannel tank and light-blue skinny jeans. I hugged mom and dad out the door, telling them where I was going and quickly of the news from last night.

Mom was a short lady with straight brown hair framed around her face, stopping mid-neck. Her nose was lightly freckled, in the middle of her round face. She had a fair complexion, looking a lot like myself.

Dad was a tall, buff man, with salt and pepper hair and always looked like a big teddy bear. He wore an oversized t-shirt and shorts, it was his day off and he would likely spend his day doing yard work.

I put a leash on my adorable Ava and then quickly walked to Dawn.

It took me the better part of an hour of sidewalk speed-walking and crosswalk crossing. There was barely anyone on the sidewalk but plenty on the roads, most likely on their way to work.

By the time Ava and I got to Dawn, Alex was outside on the sidewalk, leaning on an electrical pole. He ran up to us in a dark brown t-shirt and blue jeans. His strawberry blond hair was shaggy, as usual, and his eyes were light green with glowing specks of electric blue. He hugged me. I had to lift my chin to rest it on his shoulder because he was over a foot taller than me. Of course, I wasn't all that tall. Then, he hugged Ava.

We sat outside, under a sun umbrella, and waited to be called on. The waiter came a short while later. He wasn't the tallest man alive and he wore thin, half-rimmed, grey glasses. We knew him personally from our many visits to Dawn. His name was Ivan. He plays guitar in the evenings and there are some tunes that he enjoys beyond the rest. He loves a group from eastern Canada, The Great Big Sea. He plays all their songs.

"What would we like to drink?" He asked and then petted Ava, smiling.

"Coffee," we said simultaneously and laughed.

"Mine is 2 cream, one sugar," I started.

"And I take mine with 1 cream and two sugar." Alex smiled. Ivan laughed and they did too.

"Sure thing," Ivan replied and went into the building. Ava barked at him and he turned around smiling on the way in the door.

"I wish I wasn't moving." Alex groaned.

"Same"

"You're moving?!"

"No, you are! And, I wish you weren't."

"Oh, right" He laughed.

"Just a few more hours until you're flight, huh?"

"Yeah... I don't know anybody in Spain. Do you?"

"Nah, just someone I talked to online once, but she could have been from anywhere. And, I can't really say I know her anyway; I basically said that she had a nice picture and that she should take more, we talked for a few minutes. Her biography said that she was living in Spain. So, the answer, no, I don't know anyone from Spain."

"Ha, well, maybe when you visit, I'll introduce you to some people."

"Sounds like a plan" I replied as Ivan placed our coffees on the wooden table.

"Thanks," I said to the waiter as he went back in.

We both sipped at our steaming hot drinks. "Mmmm, it's so good!" Alex exclaimed.

"Ahh, agreed" I replied after a refreshing sip of coffee.

Alex leaned back in his wicker chair and tilted his head up to look at the sun umbrella. He made his thinking face, easy to identify from his thin lips and creased eyebrows. "I will miss you like crazy, you know that?"

"Of course you will, 'cause I'm just so hilarious." I said sarcastically and laughed.

"You are!" He sat up straight again.

"Yeah right" I said doubtfully. Ava rubbed up against my legs under the table, startling me.

"Everyone agrees with me. It's a fact; don't deny it."

"As much as unicorns exist"

"It's not impossible." He replied.

"Sure, anyway, tell me more about Spain." I put my elbows on the table and leaned into my palms.

"Well, it's spelled S,P,A, I-"

"You know what I meant!" I burst out, laughing.

"Yeah, more about Spain, I'm telling you how it's spelled." He grinned and laughed.

Ivan came back with a notebook. "Ready to order yet?"

I hadn't replied right away. "Menu?"

"Oh! Sorry, you didn't get one?" He looked between us. We shook our heads smiling. "Sorry, I'll get them now!" He scurried back into the building. I laughed and Alex just stared at his feet.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm going to miss your laugh."

"Sure you will..." Dead silence fell over our table.

Ava jumped up against Alex's knees and licked his hands. He laughed and leaned over the table to rub the slobber off on me but I leaned away. He managed to get it on the tip of my knee and that was good enough. He grinned in satisfaction.

"Aw!" I exclaimed in disgust as Ivan came back with the menus. "Alex, did you have to do that?"

He nodded evilly. We laughed again, so easily amused by each other.

"Sorry, we were all out of menus, but I found some old ones. They are missing a few new items but I'll just tell you them." He passed a menu to me first, with a smile, and then to Alex. "The new items are lemon loaf, poppy seed muffin, onion bagel and French toast."

"It all sounds so good. Mmm mm mm. I think I'll have a poppy seed muffin and a vanilla porridge." I ordered.

"That does sound good. Hmm, can I have a bacon breakfast sandwich, please?" Alex asked politely.

"Sure thing, I'll be back with your food in a jiffy." Ivan said as he took the menus and left. Ava watched him leave from her comfortable position under the table, head on her front paws, back legs stretched out behind her.

Alex crossed his arms. "So, last time I'll ever see you and you do this to me?"

"Do what?"

"You know" He paused waiting for a reaction but all I had for him was a blank stare. "This!" He gestured to all of me. "You are being your same old self. You're not moaning or groaning. You're just stirring up so many good memories by... I don't know, by being yourself."