An Expert Patch Job

Status
Not open for further replies.
"Please to have..." she started, checking the menu again to make sure she remembered properly, "Belgian waffle? With, eh, fruit and sugar. Hash brown for side, and tea." She looked over to Joshua expectantly, quite pleased with herself for her reading.
 
Joshua gave her a proud, encouraging smile before looking up at the waiter himself. "And I'll have bacon, eggs -- medium, wheat toast, a short stack of pancakes, and some fruit." He smiled. Yeah. That sounded like a really good breakfast. Plus fruit, which apparently he needed to be eating more of, according to the ship's cook.

He turned back to his company for the day and smiled at her. "I hope the rain lets up." he said, turning to look out the window. "I mean, I don't mind it, but it might eventually make our trip a little soggy..."
 
"Ya, is nice to see through window, but to keep walk through, is get very soggy," she agreed. "Maybe if get wet, we are find nice place to dry?" she teased, resting her chin in her paw as she looked at him, and then out the window again, enjoying the sight of the rain pattering on the sidewalk. Then she remembered that she still had her shoe covers on and reached down with her free hand to tug them off.
 
He laughed softly and looked out the window. 'Drying off' put too many thoughts into his head that he couldn't comment on. He shifted a bit in his seat as he watched the rain. "Maybe we'll just have to take the bus to our first stop..."
 
"Ya, is good idea," she agreed simply, smiling up at the waiter as he brought her tea, offering Joshua some coffee.

After he left, she took a sip and gave him a serious look. "Can...I want to tell you...about Selim..." she said carefully. "I, do not get to talk about him, not for much time. Is hurt, but, am feel safe, with you. You are have children, you are know what is like, to have child, to be afraid for lose..." She didn't know why that would make sense for her to think that he would understand, but that was her reasoning, at any rate. He felt safe to talk to, and she had felt so lonely until he had come along. She wanted to have a real conversation, to really connect with someone beyond simple banter. She wanted to really know him, and to let him really know her.

But it was scary, offering up your old, worn heart to someone for the first time. So, she stared into her teacup and fiddled with the handle while she waited for him to answer.
 
The dog's ears twitched a bit, but were a bit too floppy to really convey any real emotion. Selim? That was her child's name? He reached out to put a hand on top of hers and gave her a kind smile. "I would be happy to listen, Ayla. My kids, they're my life...besides the Coast Guard...I think about them every day, wondering what they're doing, how they're feeling, if they're sick...I don't get to talk to them too often, and they're kids, you know, so they've got better things to do than write their old dad any letters...but the time I have with them...I can't imagine loosing that for good...forever...if you want to talk about Selim, I want to listen."
 
"Selim was...my husband..." she said carefully, opening the locket of her necklace and turning it for him to see. It was a miniature picture of herself and a handsome marmalade. "I, eh, I only meet him short time before we are marry. Our families, they are bring us together. But, after we are marry, things are very bad in Turkey. Many soldiers fighting for large countries are come through and make for much trouble. So, we are come to America to go out West to find farm for us. Selim is very smart, is know for speak English, and read and write. He is so kind for me. I am not know him well when are marry, but, we are love each other very soon..." Her voice was soft as she turned the locket back around to look at it herself.
 
Oh. Her husband. He leaned in to look at the picture a bit better, then looked at her face, watching her as she spoke. She still loved him. That put a bit of a damper on things. It was also a pretty sad story so far. He nodded, though, and he did listen. "What happened?" he asked softly, watching her face.
 
"I am find out I am pregnant when we are come to New York. We are move to South, to try to find warm place for live, but we are hear is better out West, so we are travel up the River. Was very nice on the river, but we are have bite from insect, and are get fever. I am not sure what was sickness, but we are very sick for long time. When boat is reach St. Louis, they bring us to hospital. I am...six month pregnant then. I only remember little of birth. Was still with fever. But I hold him. Was boy. He look..." She stopped and swallowed hard, forcing back the tears. "He is have Selim's fur. But was too small. He is not strong enough. I hold him, until he die. The next day, Selim is die as well. I am sick for many more day, but I am get better. But now, am alone..."

Ayla pulled out her handkerchief and twisted it in her paws before dabbing at her eyes. She looked out the window sadly. "Is over year ago now. Is not hurt so much, but is just as lonely..." She rubbed her cheeks, then looked shyly at him. "You are first person I am not feel lonely with..." she finally said, coming to her point.
 
Joshua stood up and walked around to her side of the booth, putting an arm around her shoulders and offering her his handkerchief as well. Good god that story was sad. "Ayla...I am so sorry..." he sat there helplessly for a minute before bringing his other arm around, wrapping her up in a nice, big, warm, safe, dog hug.

He felt really guilty for being attracted to her now. Apparently she had just seen him as someone who could be a friend. Well, by god, he was going to be the best friend to her that he could be. Loyal to a fault as always. He held her for a long moment before finally letting her go and giving her a soft, hopeful smile. "At least they're in a better place, right? And together...You know they aren't alone. They're with each other and with God." it was really the only thing he could think to say, and he did truly believe that...
 
Ayla nodded, hiccuping a bit with the effort to hold back more tears as she snuggled up in his arms. He felt so safe, like nothing could hurt her there.

"When I meet you first day, I am feel guilty for flirt with you. I feel guilty, like am start to forget Selim. But, after work I go to graveyard, talk to him. When am need to talk to somebody, I talk to him. And I think, he is not lonely, or is being hurt. He is not want for me to feel same. I am not forget him, is impossible. So, cannot to feel guilty."

She looked up at him with watery eyes. "Is not fair for you for feeling lonely too. We are help each other, da? For not feel lonely anymore..." With that said, Ayla leaned up and pecked him quickly and gently on the lips before snuggling down again, blushing furiously.
 
Well, that was sad and a little awkward, but welcome nonetheless. He smiled and blushed as well, hugging her close. "If he truly loved you, and I am sure he did, he would want you to be happy." And he wasn't just saying that for his own benefit. He knew that, despite everything, he wanted his ex-wife to be happy. Even if she apparently wanted him to rot in the bowels of hell.

"But yeah. We will help each other not feel so lonely." His tail thumped softly against the seat of the booth. He couldn't help it. She had kissed him! On the lips! God this was confusing! But he liked it! Well, not the dead husband part, but kind of the dead husband part because it meant she wasn't married, but it also meant she was sad but...yeah. He had no idea where his head was, but he was grinning like an idiot and wasn't sure whether or not he really should be!
 
Ayla happened to glance up and couldn't help but giggle happily at the expression on his face, driving away the rest of her tears. She finished drying her face and tucked her handkerchief away again. She stayed snuggled and content with him holding her until the waiter arrived with their breakfasts and looked a bit unsure as to where to lay their plates.
 
Joshua blushed and laughed a little. "Oh, uh...you can put mine back over there..." he looked at Ayla and smiled sheepishly. "I need elbow room when I eat...sorry." he bumped her cheek with his nose before moving back over to the seat he had previously vacated so he could start actually eating his breakfast.
 
Ayla purred at Joshua nosing her cheek, still blushing a bit as she uncurled herself from his embrace. "Is fine. Otherwise, we are maybe forget to eat, ya?" she joked. She took a cleansing breath and sighed it out. She felt a bit wrung out from crying, but much more comfortable and relaxed now.
 
He chuckled. "Our food would get cold." he said, starting to pile some bacon and eggs between two pieces of toast. Breakfast sandwiches were the best!

When they were done eating, and he had paid for both of them, he offered her his arm to get back out in the rain which had let up a little bit. "Ready to see the first apartment?"
 
"Yah, am very ready," she nodded, feeling very full and happy, and snuggling with him under the umbrella. "We are still take bus, or you are think is okay for walk?" she wondered, peering out at the weather. "You think maybe will stop soon?"
 
"Captain says it's supposed to rain off and on all day." he looked at her and smiled. "But I think we'll have to wait longer for a bus than it would take for us to walk...so why don't we walk to the first one and see how it ends up?" He got the door for her and opened up the umbrella to hold it for her, sliding his hat onto his head as he stepped out.
 
"Yah," she agreed, snuggling up to him under the umbrella. "At least, is not so heavy now. You are remind me of what is first one? Is one on floor three? With three bedroom, on corner of street?" she guessed, trying to remember what each ad had said. There had been about six or seven that she had clipped and saved.
 
He chuckled. Her powers of memory were pretty spot on. "Yeah." he said with a smile, tail wagging behind him. "Sounds good, and the rent isn't bad, either. It's pretty close to a bus stop on the line that goes by the docks, so I'd have easy access to that. I've thought about getting a bicycle, too...A car just doesn't make sense for me. There isn't much parking on base and it's just sort of easier to walk everywhere..."
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back