doctor. "My fiancé here is clearly exhausted, and you've said yourself that you're keeping her for observation tonight."
The doctor, a short, round little woman who looked like a vaguely offended miniature pony, nodded grudgingly.
"Great," said Kyara, looping her arm through his. Jason blinked at her, though whether he was upset or confused she wasn't sure.
Kyara let him give his goodbyes to his still sleeping grandmother, then led him out into the parking lot.
Darkness had closed in, turning an already cold day into icy chill. Jason tried to pull away from her, but Kyara held onto him.
"Thank you again for being there," he said. "I ... it really helped."
"Of course," said Kyara, nodding up at him. Jason stared down at her arm, still firmly looped around his.
"My car's over there," he said, gesturing with his free hand. "And it will be hard to drive without my arm."
"Nonsense," said Kyara, doing her best to channel her mother at her bossiest. "I know what it's like to have family in the hospital. You're in no condition to drive home back over those mountains. I'll take you, and bring you back in the morning."
Jason looked at her, not saying a word. Finally, he pulled her arm to him, once, in a tiny hug.
Kyara led him to her car.
The drive back was long, and mostly quiet. Jason rested his head on the cold glass of the window, just staring into nothing. Kyara focused on navigating the twisting turns of the road in the dark. The pines along the road looked like huddled monks, leaning in to pray. What they were praying for, Kyara couldn't say.
When the lights of Main Street finally hit his eyes, Jason stirred.
"Can you drop me at my Grandmother's house? I want to bring her some of her things, and I'll be closer for going back in the morning." He sounded distant and lost. Kyara nodded.
"That's fine," said Kyara. "I'm pretty tired, too, and am not sure I want to find a new place in the dark this late. I can pick you up from her house in the morning, and we can go see her."
Kyara pulled up in front of her restaurant. The house across the street looked like a skull in the dark, its empty windows the staring eyes in the white paint bone. Jason studied it with miserable eyes. Kyara watched him, her own memories of loss looming large behind her.
He shouldn't be in that giant, freezing house by himself tonight.
"Hey," Kyara said before Jason could start to get out. "Why don't I come in and help you get the fire restarted?"
He looked at her quizzically.
"Do you even know how to start a fire?" he asked gently.
Kyara shrugged, looking away.
"I know it needs kindling." she said, trying to keep the tone light. Jason shook his head.
"I'll be fine. Come knock in the morning once you're up? I'd like to get back there as soon as I can."
Kyara nodded as he stepped from the car into the street, the wind whipping his hair out from the back of his head. Once he was inside, she got out of the car and went into her restaurant.
Her apartment was right above the kitchen. It technically had an outside staircase from the side of the building, but on nights like this Kyara always took the inside stairs up from the kitchen. The inside stairs opened into what she was pretty sure had been a closet at some point. The zoning laws on the business/home were dubious, but since it had always been that way, no one in town really objected.
Her apartment was cozy and warm. The smell of the food from downstairs was starting to seep into her house as a constant companion.
It's good to be home , Kyara thought. To her surprise, it was true. This place had become home.
She changed into the flannel pajamas she'd purchased on Caitlin's advice. Their warm comfort was a welcome relief after the stress of the day. She wanted to sleep, but she hadn't eaten since before the lunch rush. Leftovers called to her. She was almost done warming them in
The doctor, a short, round little woman who looked like a vaguely offended miniature pony, nodded grudgingly.
"Great," said Kyara, looping her arm through his. Jason blinked at her, though whether he was upset or confused she wasn't sure.
Kyara let him give his goodbyes to his still sleeping grandmother, then led him out into the parking lot.
Darkness had closed in, turning an already cold day into icy chill. Jason tried to pull away from her, but Kyara held onto him.
"Thank you again for being there," he said. "I ... it really helped."
"Of course," said Kyara, nodding up at him. Jason stared down at her arm, still firmly looped around his.
"My car's over there," he said, gesturing with his free hand. "And it will be hard to drive without my arm."
"Nonsense," said Kyara, doing her best to channel her mother at her bossiest. "I know what it's like to have family in the hospital. You're in no condition to drive home back over those mountains. I'll take you, and bring you back in the morning."
Jason looked at her, not saying a word. Finally, he pulled her arm to him, once, in a tiny hug.
Kyara led him to her car.
The drive back was long, and mostly quiet. Jason rested his head on the cold glass of the window, just staring into nothing. Kyara focused on navigating the twisting turns of the road in the dark. The pines along the road looked like huddled monks, leaning in to pray. What they were praying for, Kyara couldn't say.
When the lights of Main Street finally hit his eyes, Jason stirred.
"Can you drop me at my Grandmother's house? I want to bring her some of her things, and I'll be closer for going back in the morning." He sounded distant and lost. Kyara nodded.
"That's fine," said Kyara. "I'm pretty tired, too, and am not sure I want to find a new place in the dark this late. I can pick you up from her house in the morning, and we can go see her."
Kyara pulled up in front of her restaurant. The house across the street looked like a skull in the dark, its empty windows the staring eyes in the white paint bone. Jason studied it with miserable eyes. Kyara watched him, her own memories of loss looming large behind her.
He shouldn't be in that giant, freezing house by himself tonight.
"Hey," Kyara said before Jason could start to get out. "Why don't I come in and help you get the fire restarted?"
He looked at her quizzically.
"Do you even know how to start a fire?" he asked gently.
Kyara shrugged, looking away.
"I know it needs kindling." she said, trying to keep the tone light. Jason shook his head.
"I'll be fine. Come knock in the morning once you're up? I'd like to get back there as soon as I can."
Kyara nodded as he stepped from the car into the street, the wind whipping his hair out from the back of his head. Once he was inside, she got out of the car and went into her restaurant.
Her apartment was right above the kitchen. It technically had an outside staircase from the side of the building, but on nights like this Kyara always took the inside stairs up from the kitchen. The inside stairs opened into what she was pretty sure had been a closet at some point. The zoning laws on the business/home were dubious, but since it had always been that way, no one in town really objected.
Her apartment was cozy and warm. The smell of the food from downstairs was starting to seep into her house as a constant companion.
It's good to be home , Kyara thought. To her surprise, it was true. This place had become home.
She changed into the flannel pajamas she'd purchased on Caitlin's advice. Their warm comfort was a welcome relief after the stress of the day. She wanted to sleep, but she hadn't eaten since before the lunch rush. Leftovers called to her. She was almost done warming them in
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