WHO: Xo Valdez Munroe and Lochan Madan WHEN: Early 2013 WHERE: Lochan’s shop SUMMARY: Xo stops by to check up on an ex boyfriend. WARNINGS: Overbearing parents. Chill Exes. It’s all pretty wholesome
A small bell rang from the door as she stepped into the shop. It had been a while since Xo had stepped foot here, in Lochan’s domain. It had always felt more like that to her than his apartment. Which made sense, that a psychic’s shop would just have a sort of feel to it. Honestly she wasn’t entirely sure why she was here to begin with, it just felt like maybe it was time to stop by. And she had found herself with an afternoon where Olly was off with her parents being a doted on grandchild.
“Helloooo.” she said into the empty shop, looking around. Not much had changed. But then again things had too, little details she took note of.
Lochan had been finishing with a customer when he heard the bell ring from the front of the house turned shop. The woman’s coat in hand, he handed it off before pulling back the beaded curtain that separated the front parlor- which had been the house’s living room- and his private space. “I hope you can take comfort in this and I’ll see you next month, Darcy.”
Dark eyes rose to meet Xo’s as he stepped out with the middle-aged woman into the bright space of the parlor. Without much in the way of a nod, he walked over to one of the shelves that held various stones and necklaces for sale picked one up and handed it to Darcy. “This should help with cleansing your dreams,” he noted.
As the woman left, he finally greeted Xo. “Can’t say I’m not surprised by your visit.”
A customer made sense as to why he wasn’t up front. Right. Because it was a shop. Definitely a thing she knew. It just never really much felt like a shop. Which made sense in a way. A lot of people came here for an experience rather than a physical item. Comfort. Guidance. Some semblance of meaning for something.
“I’m very good at surprises.” Xo looked at a crystal and almost touched it before thinking better of it and pulling her hand back. “So. How are things?”
A smile pulled at the corners of his lips; not an entirely unseen occurrence, but not entirely common sight either. “They’re good. Steady.” He shrugged. “Did you come by for a reading? Or just for a visit?”
Of the few ‘relationships’ Lochan had managed in his life, he had separated on good terms mostly. He did not find himself in as much of a rush for a wife as his mother was, short terms were the better option with how out of the norm his life was.
“Uh, I mean, visit. You know I don’t think you ever did a reading on me.” Xo’s smile pulled tight for a moment because she wasn’t really sure why she was here. But they had been friendly before and nothing about how they broke up had been bad, just not right for each other. So she wanted things to be cool.
Chill.
Besides Lochan was an interesting guy to talk to. “I was in the area.” she motioned vaguely towards the door. “And figured I’d stop by. If that’s okay.”
“Of course, I don’t have any regulars for the rest fo the day.” Lochan gestured for her to follow him back into the reading/dining area so he could clean up.
A cool, uneasy feeling came with the low candle light in the back quick to be washed away as Lochan opened up the curtains to let the day warm the room again. “I don’t do readings on friends or girlfriends usually. It’s for the best in the end.”
Gathering the items off the table, he began to brush coloured sand into a jar from the cloth adoring it. “Would you like some tea or coffee?”
“That sounds like a good policy.” Xo looked around as she followed him back, pulling her sweater a little tighter with the slight chill in the room. It always seemed so strange to her but it was so drafty in certain places in this house. It was an old house though, she thought.
Or maybe it was ghosts. It wasn’t like Xo knew.
“Oh, coffee would be great.” she smiled bright at him at the offer.
Nothing separated the kitchen from the ‘reading’ area, yet something visually changed between them even in the light of day. The strong scent of turmeric in the house blocked the smell of coffee still hot in the kitchen, but as he set the cups down with flavoured creamer, the coffee won in the battle of culture.
“How long are you staying in town?” His smile- though not the bright, playful thing like in the presence of his best friend- came genuinely around Xo.
“Oh you know, forever.” Xo laughed, though there was a little bit of darkness to that. But it wasn’t the worst fate. It just wasn’t the fate she had expected for herself. “Thank you.” as she took the cup, adding creamer in.
“I got a job back at the station. I mean. It’s a better one. If you turn on the local stuff you see my face like almost every day.” she babbled.
“Forever?” Lochan could not help the surprise in his voice, though he did not expect an answer or explanation.. “I might have to start watching the local news again. I try to avoid it whenever possible ever since Ernie attempted to do a story on my ghost walks.”
“Yeah, well, for the foreseeable forever.” Xo chuckled over her cup as she looked down at it. She shrugged awkwardly as she took a breath. “I mean having a kid kind of does that whole... staying put thing. And I would like to think my coverage is way better than Ernie’s. And I look better in a dress.”
“That doesn’t mean forever.” Lochan sipped his drink before leaning back in his chair. “Kids grow up and can be moved around. Not that anyone in this town really does that, but still. And yeah, you definitely look better in a dress than he would. I’ll have to see about the coverage.” He teased.
“I’m surprised you didn’t bring the little one with you. Though I wouldn’t suggest bringing him here.” The notion of a child’s sensitivity to spirits and the like went unsaid.
“18 years sounds like forever right now.” Xo sighed and took a mimicking sip of her own coffee. It was good, Lochan had always made a good cup. “And I don’t know. Maybe. But it’d be very different from what I’d planned before.”
She couldn’t exactly take a kid with her to a warzone.
“Oh he’s with my mom right now. She’s super excited to be a grandmother again.”
“Yeah, but it passes quicker than most think. And it might not be what you had planned but I also think you would be one of those people able to handle the differences and still accomplish a lot.” While Lochan’s natural tone to his voice held rich, dark tones and often unintentional sarcasm, and delivering an kind of compliment came out as undefined or subtle, he still gave his friends- which he considered Xo even if they had not spoken since she left town- blunt honesty of how he viewed them.
“I’m sure. My mother is grasping at straws for marriage and children out of my sister and I. As I’m sure you remember.”
“That's sweet.” Xos smile turned up natural and easy, even if her cheeks felt warm. It was easy to forget how raw and kind Lochan could be, an honesty that really wasn't all that common. It was sweet, even if she wasn't sure she believed in herself as much as he seemed to.
“Oh I'm familiar.” Xo actually laughed, shaking her head. It honestly wasn't even that long ago. “Careful though, soon as they get that grandchild your chopped liver.”
“I think it’s better for the universe if I stay away from having children. Hopefully my sister will distract my mother on that front.” A creaking came from the second story of the house, but Lochan largely ignored it. “So what have you been up to?”
“Oh I don’t know. I think you’d be fine.” Xo shrugged slightly. Lochan was kinder than he thought, and always seemed to look out for the people he cared about. She imagined he would be a good father if he ever decided to be one. “But mostly just work and Oliver. What about you?”
“Just work. Though, I’m sure my dad would not call it that. He’s still trying to get me to finish up college, saying that the MIT online courses did not count.” Lochan paused, setting his cup on the table and standing up. “Give me a second.” He disappeared into the front room for a few before returning with a small charm and necklace in his hand.
“If you still have the one I gave you. Here’s a matching one for Oliver. It’ll protect him. Whether you or he believe in it or not.”
“They’re technically classes. Just not credit classes.” Xo added helpfully as she watched him get up and leave. Her eyes blinked wide as she held out her hand and looked at the charm with a small smile. “That’s really sweet, Lochan.”
“Right, and better than not doing anything at all. He still believes this is something that will pass.” Lochan shrugged at her reaction. “Hopefully it will also help both of you sleep.”
“I think it’s really brave that you’re doing this.” Xo nodded resolutely, because she believed that with all her heart. She might not understand everything Lochan did, but she could see how much heart he put into it. That was enough for her. But she laughed gently at the remark about sleep. “What’s that? Though honestly he sleeps pretty okay for an infant.”
“It’s not brave, Xo. It’s… better than ignoring it.” He shrugged. Not many people understood why he would put his shop in Fall City or have a shop at all with how much he complained about it all, but Lochan did not need to prove himself to the people of town and to ignore spirits when the Gods wished for him to hear and see them would have been going against his personal Dharma.
“I don’t know if sleeping okay for an infant really means much, but it still should help.” The bell over the front door rang. Lochan looked at the clock on the wall and sighed. “She said she would not be able to make it, and yet… I’m going to have to cut this short. I’m sorry, Xo. We should grab drinks soon though.”
“Sounds brave to me.” Xo chirped as she finished up her coffee. Smiling gently, she got up and reached out to take his hand for a moment and squeeze. “Drinks sound amazing. Just let me know, okay?”