Late Afternoon, Mocha, Icene and Adam, Closed.
It wasn’t so much that Icene was tired, as exhausted. The last twelve weeks had been her own personal hell, from that frantic phone call just before Christmas, right up until now, as she passed through the doors of the Manor and trudged wearily into the Mocha. Her father was now settled in a little cottage type house he liked, just across the block from Masai’s new three bed place, where Mas’ girlfriend was happily calling on Dad for decorating help and assistance with shopping for baby things. Of the four of them, Icene seemed to be the only one still looking back, still grieving, but then, they had each other, and a new baby for hope. For most of the last six or so weeks, Icene had been the one in control, leashing her temper with an un-natural (to most people) calm, her cool and unflappable self causing a few raised eyebrows.
Even Adam flying out for the funeral hadn’t broken that, even though she’d needed him desperately, and was almost surprised when he just arrived out of the blue. The only times she’d cried had been that night in his arms, and the one after he flew home and left her still raw and reeling. For all her mother’s faults, and how ever un-motherly she had been, she was still the only mother Icene had ever known, and now she was gone. It just made it harder to think about a future that Icene still wasn’t sure she had, even if Masai now seemed to have his secured.
She ordered a large black coffee, and an espresso, and for some reason she didn’t know, a cranberry muffin, before settling at a table. The muffin sat untouched, while she sipped alternately from the coffees, her eyes not seeing anything, her expression distant and cold. Sometimes, nothing mattered except coffee, but even coffee didn’t seem important right now.
There had been a lot of terrible experiences in Adam’s life, but as he lined them up and considered them against what the last three months had been like there really was no comparison. It was some, new, fresh hell to be home, to go off to work everyday, like nothing was wrong – like the woman he loved wasn’t across the damn country, needing him to be there for her.
Even managing to wrangle the time-off to get to the west coast to attend the funeral hadn’t helped. If it hadn’t been for the possibility of a court marshaling, for all the red tape that was guaranteed to land right at his feet, he’d have never left Icene that morning.
He could still see her face….
He’d never hated his job more.
Taking it out on his coworkers probably hadn’t helped, but it had been satisfying, in a temporary sort of way. The waiting at home was worse, but sometimes working out at the gym helped and that was where he had every intention of going when he arrived back at the manor.
At least, he’d intended that before he felt the familiar ripple of power – the familiar presence.
His head snapped up, eyes scanning quickly…and he found her. His Icene, bent over coffee in the Mocha.
He started toward her without hesitation.
Lost in the misery of her own thoughts, Icene didn’t really notice the change in the room, although there was a second when the ice churned within her and she slapped it down quick in case it got out of control. The coffee in the cup she picked up was cold, but she sipped it anyway, setting the cup down with the smallest of sounds, letting the hum of the Mocha wash over her without really hearing it.
He pushed through the queue and crossed to her table, reaching for her even as he said her name.
She looked up, and for one split second there was a massive spike of ice and a smile, then she just leaned into him, shaking slightly, “I’ve done what I can, I couldn’t stay away any longer, you have no idea how much I’ve missed you these last few weeks.”
Somehow she was not crying, which was a good thing in public, and she hung on to her control of the ice by a thread. She tipped her head up to pout at him a little, “It gets worse, I got this far, but, my coffees are cold and I don’t have a microwave handy.”
He sank down into an open chair beside her, chuckling hoarsely as he reached out to cup her face in his hands and brushed her cheeks with the pads of this thumbs.
“I can fix that.”
“It is so good to be home. I couldn’t believe it when the plane was delayed, but, then again, I’m here, it feels like it’s been forever.” She smiled, feeling the fire, the ice, actually feeling again and a little tension disappeared from her face, “I should drink these so we can go, but then again, we could just go anyway?”
It took little, barely even a full thought, to have her coffee steaming again. Adam just wished he could everything else for her just as easily. “It’s your coffee to waste, love.”
Whatever she wanted, wherever she wanted to go, anything in his power to give…he’d do, give, go.
Steam rose gently from the coffee cups, and she did consider it, but the last few months had given Icene a new appreciation for the value of the little things, and she wasn’t beyond a little tinkering herself. She picked up the espresso, almost automatically reducing the temperature to drinkable but still hot, then downed the coffee. “I need the caffeine, believe me I do, although the airport was awash with the stuff it was really foul.” She paused for a moment to let the coffee warm it’s way down her throat, then did pretty much the same with the black coffee. “I don’t think I needed coffee, all I really need is to be home, with you. I already feel better and we’re not even home yet!”
He laughed and reached to collect up her garbage with one hand, the other slipping down to take one of her hands, his fingers slipping through hers and holding tight. “Ah, but just wait until you get home. I got that new shower head – the one with the massaging jets? Doctor Adam thinks it’ll do wonders for jet lag. Especially if you get the water nice and hot and have someone who’s willing to help the massage along…” He grinned helpfully, as was his nature.
“Mmmm, that does sound good, that or a superheated hot tub session?” Icene grinned back, “We so need a bigger bathroom, you should see the one in Masai’s new house. Did I tell you his partner is pregnant? She’s going to be in charge on the West Coast now, she’s already pulling Dad along and Mas is entranced with her new blossoming curves.”
Icene grabbed her flight bag, slinging the strap over one shoulder and then hooked that hand through her suitcase handle, “It made it harder, but, it’s nice to see them getting along and managing just fine.”
“The wheels on the bus go round and round,” Adam sighed gently, lifting their joined hands so he could kiss her palm. “It’s up to us to hang on and enjoy the ride.”
“Yeah, or just suffer the bumpy bits before it flattens out again?” Icene stood up, moving round the table, “I do feel like I’ve been on a roller coaster of extreme proportions just lately, any chance you have a flat road lined up for the next ooh, eternity?”
One of Adam’s eyebrows lifted toward his hairline. “Us?” he chuckled. “I doubt it.” He smiled warmly. “But we can try?”
She pulled gently on his hand, “Come on then, because I have a feeling we’re going to need all the practice time we can get,” she grinned, “let’s go home?”
He smirked and tugged her gently, pulling her back so they walked side-by-side, together, out of the Mocha and over to the elevators that would take them home.