Lara

Chapter 9

The tea kettle sings and I remove it from the burner, placing it on a hot pad. Letting my breakfast tea steep, I munch on my toast, admiring the bouquet Jake gave me.

My mind drifts and I get lost in a memory....

*** I wake up on the couch in Jake's living room, his big comforter wrapped around me like a cocoon. Opening my eyes slowly to the light of the day, I sit up blinking. The apartment's quiet, and I'm glad - no one to force conversation with. And that includes Brett. We've been fighting a lot, more than normal, and I had to get out of my house.

My eyes adjust to the glare in the room, and I glance down at the coffee table. Sitting beside a small bouquet of sunflowers is a blueberry muffin, coffee, and a note.

The note reads:

Got called into work but will be back in a few – Jake

I look around absently at all the other bouquets throughout the apartment - all leftover from the memorial service. I pick up the coffee and see that Jake was his usual thoughtful self and got it from my favorite coffee shop. Reaching for the muffin I immediately put it back down, realizing I still can't handle food. 

Sighing, I move my fingers over the petals of the sunflowers and feel my eyes well up with tears. Shutting them tight, I curl back to a fetal position on the couch, pulling the blanket up over my head. I must have then fallen asleep because the next thing I remember is someone gently moving my shoulder.

"Sloan? Sloan wake up, you have to eat something."

I moan groggily, "Just let me sleep, Jake."

I hear him sigh and then I'm lifted to an upright position. "I need you to try and eat something for me ok? It's been two days and I need you to eat."

I can hear the fear and concern in his voice, but I don't care. "I can't," I say simply and lay back down, my gaze landing on the sunflowers on the coffee table. Why? I think with an unbearable pang in my chest.

Moving quickly, angrily, I swipe at the vase filled with sunflowers and watch as the glass shatters across the floor, the flowers landing askew.

I hear someone sobbing and my face feels wet. Jake pulls me into his arms, holding me so tight I can't move, running his hand over my hair. It's then I realize I'm the one the sobbing is coming from. ***

My phone rings bringing me back to the present, making me jump. I wipe the tears from my face and pick up when I see who it is.

"Jade."

"Hey, sis."

She sounds different. Like different bad.

"Hold on, Philippe is working on the roof again."

I bring my tea and breakfast with me to my bedroom to get away from the hammering.

"You ok? What's going on?" I ask, setting everything down on my nightstand.

"I'm fine. Just..."

"It's April," I respond sadly. Anniversary of Dad's death. I move to the window and push the curtains aside so I can see the ocean.

Jade continues, "Yeah. It's hitting me hard this year. You know me, I don't tend towards melancholy, but I've just been down in the dumps, to be honest. I've been doing my usual meditation and journaling and it's just not working."

Jade is much more honest with her feelings than I am. I've always had a hard time opening up, even to her.

"How are you?" she asks after I don't respond right away.