| |
“THE END OF IT” ACTUALLY ended with me getting a headache. It was well worth it. Raiya cooperated with me, eventually, and I got to guilt her for a few hours as I complained about the bump to the head I sustained while wrestling with her.
And for what it’s worth, I had been telling her the truth. I loved Raiya and she was beautiful. But there was something even more magical about her once her hair was trimmed and I forced her into clothes that fit her properly, both in body and in personality. She seemed more confident, and I could tell she was more comfortable.
Which came in handy, since Lyra and Lucas had decided to tag along with us, and they were a handful.
“Ooh, I like that,” Lyra said, tugging on the new sweater Raiya had on.
“Careful, then,” I snapped. “You don’t want to ruin it by pulling on it.”
“I’m being careful,” she insisted. She stuck her tongue out at me.
“We can get you one just like it,” Raiya told her, which got Lyra excited again.
“I want a game,” Lucas whined. “Can I get one of those games so Adam and I can play together?”
“No,” I said. “We’re trying to get you home to your parents. You don’t know when Cheryl will find them.”
“She said she’s waiting on them,” Lucas huffed.
“It’s not our fault you can’t seem to get to them,” Lyra added.
“We’re doing the best we can,” I shot back. “In the meantime, you can get along just fine with Adam’s stash of games. I know he’s got a lot of mine in there, too, so there’s plenty to go around.”
“Some of them are pretty violent as it is,” Raiya added.
I nearly laughed at that, but wisely said nothing.
“I’m hungry,” Lucas said. “I want to go eat.”
So easily distracted ... it’s a good thing I didn’t give and buy the video game. I shook my head, though whether it was at Lucas’ inattention or at my frugality, I wasn’t sure.
“Are you ready for lunch?” Raiya asked the kids, and instantly they began hopping up and down with different suggestions.
I stepped in and stopped the argument. “Let’s just get there first, shall we?”
“I’m looking forward to seeing Rachel again,” Raiya told me as we made our way toward Rachel’s new café.
Recalling the awkward parting Rachel and I had reluctantly shared, I could only nod. I hoped Rachel was in a forgiving mood. I wouldn’t blame her if she wasn’t happy to see me. I knew I’d left her as much as I’d given up on Raiya.
Rachel’s new restaurant came into sight as we headed down the street. I was impressed; I had seen the pictures on the Internet, but I hadn’t really expected it to make my heart clench the way it did.
I still missed the old familiarity of her previous location. Rachel’s café—now titled simply, “Rachel’s,”—was a masterpiece of modern construction. It was nearly the opposite of the old house. The new place had simple, bold lines, with patterned glass windows that let in all the winter sunshine.
It might’ve looked different on the outside, but walking inside was the same.
As soon as I walked inside, the winter air disappeared and the feeling of finding home came rushing at me. The welcoming sensation warmed me all the way through, inside and out. I let it surround me for a long moment, as Lyra and Lucas immediately headed for the confectionary display.
“Dinger!”
I grinned as I saw Mikey approaching. Even the catcalls are the same.
I could feel Raiya’s hand tighten around mine anxiously; I supposed it had to be hard, reintroducing yourself after you had been declared missing and/or dead after so many years. I squeezed her hand back reassuringly.
“Hey, man,” Mikey said. “I was wondering if you would come around.”
“You know I couldn’t resist Rachel’s,” I said. “Especially when there are so many good things to celebrate.” I glanced over at Raiya.
It was then that Mikey noticed her. His eyes went wide, and then he glanced at me, looking for a confirmation.
I nodded.
“I guess my dad got a hold of you,” he said slowly.
“Yep. Several times, actually.”
“It’s nice to see you again ... Starry Knight,” Mikey said with a shy smile, which Raiya returned. “I hope Dante didn’t cause you any undue trouble.”
“He’s more of the messenger,” Raiya assured him kindly. “It’s nice to see you again, too. But please stick to ‘Raiya’ while we’re here.”
Mikey seemed to relax. “I’ll try to keep it as normal as possible,” he said. “Gwen and Tim are coming. Rachel’s giving us cake samples today, to see what kind of cake we’d like.”
“Tim?” I asked.
Mikey broke out into waves of laughter. “Oh, yeah,” he said. “Tim Ryder, your favorite. I forgot all about that. This is going to be hilarious!”
“Who’s Tim Ryder?” Raiya asked. I could tell from her expression she was trying to think of the exact memory when I gave her a hand.
“Tim liked Gwen when they were doing Romeo and Juliet,” I said. “He dropped out of school and went into the army, like, what, ten years ago or something?”
“About,” Mikey said. “He finished his tours overseas with the army and got the government to pay for his college degree. He’s got a double major in business and theatre from the city college. That’s why he’s a good business partner for Gwen.”
It wasn’t hard to regret my teenage immaturity from so many years ago. But it was really hard not to think that Tim had accomplished much more than I’d expected.
“Is he Gwen’s best man, then?” I asked.
Mikey surprised me by nodding. “Yep.” He laughed again.
“I don’t get why you think this is funny,” I said. “If anything, you’re the one who has to worry now.”
Mikey laughed. “No, he’s married. His wife is military, too, and she’s finishing up one of her tours in South Korea right now. But I’ve met her a few times, and she’s more than capable of keeping him away from Gwen. Not that she needs to,” he added vehemently, as he saw the teasing look on my face.
“Good to know.”
“I wouldn’t upset him if I were you,” Mikey said. “He’s pretty strong.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” I thought about my own forage into kickboxing and karate. I could take him.
“Hey,” Lucas called as he came bouncing up beside me. “Are we going to get food? I’m hungry, and I know what I want.”
I handed him my wallet, perhaps foolishly. “Well, then, go get your sister and order something. Make sure we can see you at all times, got it?”
“Got it.” Lucas barely nodded before he skipped away.
Mikey eyed me curiously. “Are those your cousins or something?” he asked.
“No. They’re lost, and Cheryl’s working on tracking down their parents,” I said. “The boy’s Lucas, and his sister is Lyra. You’ve got to be nice. And keep it clean. They’re minors.”
“Relax, Dinger. I’m better with kids than you are, remember? I’m the one who has to work with them.” He grinned. “I gotta say though, for a moment I wasn’t sure ... ”
“Wasn’t sure of what?”
He shrugged. “They look a lot like you,” he said. “I thought maybe they were related to you.”
“I don’t think so,” I sneered.
“Can we join you?” Raiya asked, turning Mikey’s attention away from me.
“Over here,” Mikey said, gesturing to a booth tucked into a more private corner. It was at the far end of the bar. “Yeah, come on and sit down. Rachel’s going to be finished getting all the cake samples ready.”
We started walking over when Raiya stifled a laugh. “That’s appropriate,” she murmured as we made our way over.
“What?” I asked.
“The painting on the wall, behind the table.”
I glanced up to see she was right; hanging up right behind the booth was the painting Raiya had given to Rachel for her wedding all those years ago, the one featuring the tragic lovers. I could still picture Grandpa Odd as he made his speech, telling the story of the Weaver Girl and the Herder Boy, and how they were forced apart, only allowed to see each other one night a year.
It was, I’m sure, pure coincidence that I gripped more tightly onto Raiya as we made our way over.
Another display also caught my attention; Rachel had a bookshelf display for Gwen’s Soldiers of the Stars series. I decided not to mention that to Raiya for a good while.
The bell above the door rang out once more, and almost as if I knew an awkward situation had arrived, I turned.
And there she was. Gwen came into the restaurant. I hadn’t seen her in several years, but she looked a lot like her high school self; her honey-brown eyes were wide with excitement, and her auburn hair was pulled back. She glowed in cheerful anticipation as she looked around for Mikey.
The cheerfulness went away the instant she spotted me. A defiant and guilt-ridden façade, a waterfall of different emotions, spilled over her expression, and I had to wonder if Raiya and Mikey couldn’t see it, too.
“Hammy.” She reached out her hand to me, like we were business colleagues or something. “Nice to see you again. I didn’t expect you ... ”
To come. At all.
The words were unspoken, but they were clear.
“So soon?” I finished, getting one little, innocent, barely noticeable strike in before I resolved to behave myself. (Raiya caught me and kicked me under the table.) I shook her hand and then turned to face the grown-up version of Tim Ryder.
He’d gotten taller, or at least he stood up straighter. He didn’t have acne anymore, and he seemed to grow into his face-shape; if I hadn’t known it was him, I might’ve assumed he was a normal person.
He hadn’t lost his instinctual fear of me though, despite all the other changes. Tim seemed hesitant as he waited on me to respond. I quietly decided Mikey had been right; Tim would easily be able to knock me out if he wanted.
I reached out a hand to him. “Hey, Tim, nice to see you again.”
He nodded. “Thanks. Nice to see you too, uh, Dinger.”
“So, you’re Gwen’s best man? Or is maid of honor the better term?”
Tim smiled. “Either or.”
“Cool. I’m Mikey’s best man,” I said. “But hopefully we’ll be going down the aisle separately. I don’t think we’ll both be able to fit, with your shoulders and my ego.”
I felt much better when he laughed. “Good point,” he said, already much more at ease.
Tim came over and I introduced Raiya to him. While I did so, I noticed the look exchanged between Gwen and Mikey. Gwen was clearly just as stunned as I had been. She was one of the few people who knew more of the truth of what had happened to me at the end of my junior year.
She continued to give us odd looks as we settled into our seats.
“So, Gwen,” Raiya said, “tell us how Mikey proposed.”
Clearly caught off guard, Gwen seemed to struggle to find words. “He proposed to me on the stage at my theatre workshop,” she managed.
“I helped with the lighting,” Tim said. “She never saw it coming.”
Mikey nodded. “I had to surprise her, or I wouldn’t have been able to get her to say yes.”
We chatted, some of it nervously, but for the most part we were able to keep it going smoothly. Raiya and Tim hadn’t crossed paths enough that it mattered, and Mikey and Gwen seemed to have a genuine understanding of each other. He was good at protecting her from her imagined fears regarding me, and she was good at letting him know when she needed help.
I kept an eye on Lucas and Lyra while we ate. For once, it looked like I wasn’t going to feel like a bad parent; they were eating their desserts quietly.
“Do you think we should make sure they order something healthy?” Raiya whispered to me.
“Ugh ... ”
Okay, never mind about that “bad parent” thing.
“They’re fine. We’re just getting dessert, too, aren’t we?” I turned back to Mikey. “You said Rachel was catering for free, right? Does that include the samples?”
“You know it. She’s finishing up in the kitchen, with Jason’s help,” Mikey said. “He’s her professional baker now, Dinger, so you don’t have to make that face. There’s no need to worry about getting off-tasting stuff.”
“What kind of cake are you thinking of getting?” I asked.
Mikey grinned. “Whatever which one tastes the best, of course.”
“Of course,” I said.
Before the teasing could devolve into a full-blown argument (which I would’ve won), Rachel came out of the kitchen.
She was carrying a full tray of cake slices, and I could just hear Jason’s voice behind her as he said, “I don’t think you should be carrying that—” before the kitchen door swung shut.
Rachel laughed, clearly still prone to cheerfulness. “My daughter can handle it,” she said, still talking to Jason, apparently, even though she’d shut the door, “just like she will for the next four months.”
As she turned to face us, I honestly didn’t know who had the more surprised expression; Raiya stared at Rachel, and Rachel stared back.
The tray dropped from Rachel’s hands.
Mikey’s cake samples smooshed across the floor, with several plates smashing.
Raiya and I hurriedly jumped forward. I could hear Jason calling, “Told ya so!” from the kitchen, before I assumed he ran to get a broom and dustpan.
Rachel looked at Raiya as she knelt beside her. “You’re back,” Rachel said. Her face, framed in braided pigtails, glowed with awe.
“You’re pregnant,” Raiya said back.
I saw the quick expression of grief on Raiya’s face. Is she going to be okay?
But before I could worry about it, Rachel reached over and grabbed Raiya, pulling her into a hug over the spilled cake slices. She was laughing and crying and babbling all at the same time. Raiya grasped her back and tucked herself into Rachel’s embrace more tightly.
People stared, and I just said, “Hormones, right?” (I don’t think they appreciated my humor on the matter.)
It was about forty minutes later that Rachel came out, cleaned up, and joined us. She sat with Raiya and me at a separate table, with our own selection of treats, as Gwen, Mikey, and Tim began tasting a fresh round of samples.
“I can’t believe it’s you,” she said to Raiya. “You look so good, too. Your hair, and those clothes! It’s perfect for you.”
I sent a smug look toward Raiya as I helped myself to another bit of cake.
“I can’t believe that Hamilton managed to find you in a hospital in a Jane Doe mix up,” Rachel said. Her eyes were sparkling with added excitement at my fake cover story. “It sounds just like a romance novel.”
I recalled how Letty, Rachel’s mother, had named Rachel after a character in a romance novel. I never realized before that moment how much that suited her.
I thought about telling her to name her child after a scientist, but decided against it. It was just as well that I didn’t; she already had a name picked out for her baby.
“Violet,” she told us, after Raiya asked. “I thought you would like it,” she said to Raiya.
“It’s less weird than my first name,” Raiya said.
I gave her a quizzical look, before she whispered, “Violet is my middle name.”
“Oh.” Did I really not know that?
“She’s due in April.” Rachel rambled on, telling us all about her business and her baby and her general complete happiness now that Raiya was back. I was glad she didn’t ask much about me; I didn’t have much worth repeating.
Mikey, along with Gwen and Tim, eventually slid out; they had to go back to work or something. I didn’t know what exactly, but I did remember that it was a legitimate excuse. I did remember, however, that they picked strawberry cake with white chocolate icing for their cake.
Something to look forward to, you know.
Rachel met Lyra and Lucas after a while, when they started getting fussy about being bored and having stomach aches from eating too much sugar. (Do kids actually get those?)
I got a chance to catch up with Jason, while Rachel and Raiya continued to talk. I could tell Raiya was busy keeping Rachel off more painful or terrifying subjects, and it wasn’t easy.
When I finally sat down again, Rachel had just mentioned Logan.
“You should go and see him,” she said. “He’s graduated with his doctorate now, and he’s become a part-time lead instructor at the college, alongside Jason’s dad.”
“I’d love to see him again,” Raiya said. “Hamilton and I were thinking about going to see him again soon, weren’t we?”
“Uh, absolutely,” I said. “We enjoyed the observatory a lot when we were in high school. Good date nights, you know.”
Rachel eyed me carefully. “So, are you two together?”
“Yes,” I asserted proudly. “And I’m never letting her out of my sight again.”
Rachel smiled. “I’m glad to hear it.” She turned to Raiya. “Will you be around in April? I’d love to have you come and stay with us for a while. You’ll be able see your new niece then.”
I know Raiya loved Rachel, but the thought of a baby right now was more than devastating to both of us. I could tell Raiya was having a harder time in replying, so I answered for her.
“Well, Raiya and I are helping Lyra and Lucas find their parents,” I said, before explaining who they were and how they’d wound up in my apartment one day. “Once we’ve taken care of that, we can certainly come visit more often.”
“You’re living in Pittsburgh?” Rachel asked.
“Yes,” I said again. It was better to keep the story simple. “I have a nice apartment in the city. It’s near some of their better museums.”
“Oh, really? Sounds lovely.” She reached out and took ahold of Raiya’s hand. “I’m so happy you’re back. I just can’t believe it.”
“It is hard to believe sometimes,” Raiya said. She smiled for Rachel, but I knew there was a darker truth behind her words.
Rachel laughed suddenly. “This must be the week for people coming back from the grave.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well, we got Grandpa’s final statements in the mail today,” Rachel said. “So the last of his money and assets have been accounted for and they’ve been sorted out to the recipients.” She shook her head. “He must’ve been losing it toward the end. I can’t imagine how he managed all of those accounts and all that money. It was a fortune. And to think, I was worried about paying your medical bills!”
“Grandpa did have his secrets,” Raiya said easily enough.
“I’ll say. Besides that, I also saw a woman walking around here who looked just like Grandma Rosemary would’ve, had she lived.”
Raiya and I exchanged uneasy glances.
The Matriarch is on the move.
“I don’t remember what she looked like much,” Raiya said. “Are you sure it was her?”
“Oh, I’m sure it wasn’t,” Rachel replied, dismissing it. “But the lady had the same haircut—really short, curled in at the bottom, with the one side covering her cheek. She had a similar facial structure, with that perpetually pinched look.”
“I remember that look,” Raiya muttered somberly.
“I still have the picture Grandpa had of her, the one that he kept on his bedroom wall. But, like I said, I know it wasn’t her.”
Raiya and I nodded, blandly, but I knew what we were both thinking, especially as I saw Raiya’s face, for all its lack of sunlight in the last couple of years, whiten, ever so slightly.
I cleared my throat and took another sip of coffee, trying to smooth over the situation. “Your barista skills haven’t changed at all,” I said. “Thank goodness for that.”
“Still the best of the best, right?” Rachel giggled. “I thought you still liked it.”
“I always did,” I said. “It was just hard ... after ... after everything.”
She nodded. “Let’s not talk about that again,” she said quietly.
“There is one thing I have to ask you, Rachel,” Raiya remarked. “I was wondering where all my stuff is? Is it packed up or put away somewhere?”
“I couldn’t do much,” Rachel admitted. “I packed up your supplies, and your clothes, and that was about it. I have a lot of it at my house, but there’s plenty more at the café still.”
“None of my paintings?”
While I was pretending to check my phone, I held my breath. We needed to know where Raiya’s painting was, the one with the fabric of Time hidden inside of it.
“I didn’t touch any of them. They were all too beautiful and sad. Sorry.”
“Oh.” Raiya glanced over at me, nervous. “It’s okay, Rachel. I was just wonder—”
“Well, I did actually send one to Hamilton,” Rachel said as she suddenly recalled. She turned to me. “Didn’t Mikey give it to you last weekend? I know he was going to see you when he had to go to that teacher’s union conference.”
I recalled the painting I had flung away in a moment of outrage and inner turmoil. “Oh, yeah. I did get that one.”
“I had it framed, because I thought Raiya would’ve wanted that to be done, but ... ” Her voice trailed off, before she shrugged.
“So it’s back at your apartment?” Raiya asked me.
“Oh, well, Lucas actually packed it,” I said. “It’s at my parents’ house.”
Before Raiya could chide me for my forgetfulness, Rachel laughed. “Well, it’s a relief to know you got it. I know Mikey’s excited for the wedding, so his head’s been all over the place lately. Last week, he ... ”
The time we had together went on like this for a long while before I knew it was time to head out. Rachel had to get back to work for the dinner rush, and we were likely driving Lyra and Lucas crazy by staying there for so long; either that, or they were going to bankrupt me for all the money they spent.
Rachel hugged Raiya as we headed out. “I’m so happy,” she said. “I’m so happy to see you, and I’m so happy that you and Hamilton found each other again.”
“Me, too,” Raiya said. As she hugged Rachel once more, she glanced over Rachel’s shoulder to look at me.
A rush of longing—not just longing, but belonging—ran over me. “We’ll see you at the wedding,” I said as I waved good-bye.
☼18☼