Fiction: "Beth?" Noah whispered. - A short story MADE long (part two)
"Noah?" she sighed.
"Hello Beth, how have you been?"
"Do you really want to know how I have been? Really, you want to know?" her voice digging her feet into the linoleum where she stood.
"I'm sorry Beth. I didn't meeeeean to ummm ..."
"Oh please" she growled. "Let me guess, hurt me?"
"Yes Beth, that is why I am here - I wanted to say that I was sor ..."
Before Noah could finish the sentence - she interrupted, stopping his voice from coming out.
"You wanted to say sorry? Sorry! What does that even mean to you, Noah? Sorry? Sorry for what? For giving me life? For giving me the whole universe and then ripping it back from me without any reason what so ever - is that why you are sorry? Or is it something else?"
Noah seemed to have nothing more to say as his head hung low while walking towards the door. The bell ringing brought her down from her high horse. She dropped into the corner booth right past the table. His table. Tears trickling down her mascara stained cheeks. What had she done? Sure she was mad at the guy but now that he really was a guy ... what was wrong with her? All she could think about was finding him. Running into his arms begging for forgiveness. But was there even a chance for them now? No, she thought. Questioning why he was even back again. Did he come back because he loved her or was it a come back for a finial goodbye? She didn't know for sure and at this point wasn't convinced she even cared. He returned. Her Noah was back and that is all that matter in her World.
She sat in the booth until a light snow started to come down. At first it was just a flake or two but then it picked. Soon the ground was covered in a silver glitter. She knew it was time to go. She had to get back home before it really came down. Thinking out loud - she didn't want to be stuck in the diner all night. Flipping off the last of the lights, backing her way out of the door, making sure it was securely locked behind her - she started for home. Sure, it was cold. The scarf she was wearing had little affect on keeping her throat from drying out. She wondered where Noah was. If he was safe. If he was okay. If he loved her. She thought about him all the way home. The walk seemed longer and more lonely this evening but the icy flakes hitting her face helped a little. At least she could pass those off as melting and no one would give a second thought to how much crying she did before arriving at the side door.
The house was dark but that really didn't mean much. She just wanted to get upstairs to her room. Her bed. She wanted to get undressed, wrapping herself in a favorite cozy blanket, pretending it was Noah's strong arms pressed against her. She knew what she had to do. Come daylight she would head into work early, maybe grab a coffee at the corner Café because after all she really did hate her job. She just wanted to be there in case Noah came back. She prayed he would come back. The hours ticked by at the speed of a turtle going up hill in a downpour. They didn't. All she could think about was him. Each time the diner bell would signal - her heart would jump then stop beating for a split second when it wasn't him waiting to be seated. "Noah? Where are you?" she said out loud confusing the woman with the twin girls she was waiting on. Soon it would be time to forge her way back home again and still no Noah. No sight of him anywhere. She had never been so sad in her life.
Home was dark again when she reached it. It was okay. She wasn't hungry anyways. Her stomach was in knots thinking about him. What was wrong with her? Why didn't she just listen to what he had to say when he showed up yesterday? Why couldn't she just bite her lip and get his reason before treating him the way she did? At this point - she started to cry hating herself again. The tears stung her eyes bad enough that she felt the urge to shut them. She must have been tired because the next thing she knew the light of the morning bouncing off the 4 feet of snow that fell last night awoke her. She stretched and thought of him again. Looking outside - a gasp formed on her lips. Please Lord, help him be warm and safe wherever he is and if it is ok, let him know that I am sorry. She really didn't believe much in prayer after all the ones she begged to come true the last time he disappeared but this was all she had so she was going to use it the best she could by believing. She knew it was a long shot but it was a shot and that was better then an empty gun.
After getting her shower out of the way, painting on her face which started to become something she could do blindfolded, she slipped on her boots to head out to work. Reaching the bottom stair she heard the phone ringing. Sprinting toward the kitchen - grabbing it before slipping, crashing to the unforgiving icy floor beneath her. It was Roger, her boss.
"No work today. To much snow. Don't bother coming in. Stay home. You aren't getting paid for this shift."
Did he ever just shut up, she thought to herself. On and on and on but never really saying anything. How much more annoying could one person be?
"Ya. Okay. Thanks, I guess?" she hung up the phone.
What was she going to do now? What if Noah didn't know the diner was closed? What if he was going to stop by? What if .... her thoughts trailing off. What if? She caught herself - what if - what if - was never going to happen? She knew she just couldn't wait around to find out. Grabbing her clutch she opened the door. The snow went on for as far as her eyes could see while squinting trying to block some of the powdery white glare, she slid catching herself before coming down on the sticks that once were roses blooming. Finding her composure she took small slow steps heading for the Café on the corner. She new Gary would be open, inviting anyone who wanted something warm to come inside, drink some freshly brewed Heaven and thaw in front of the fireplace. A 30 minute walk took her close to 2 hours but she didn't mind. It seemed like minutes while picturing Noah's smile. Arriving at Gary's she clutched her chest. This couldn't be - a closed because of snow sign in the window. He was kidding, right? How is the one place you can get warmed up in an icy cold World be closed? What was she going to do now? The only thing that came to mind was crying so she dropped down onto the curb in front of the Café and her tears dropped freely. The day turned colder but she vowed not to move. She couldn't. What if Noah came looking for her? What if she wasn't there? Dropping her head, she folded her arms in front of her. Digging her feet into the white stuff that was in a mound before her - she dug the heels of her boots in and prepared for the worse and no sooner then she thought of that word it happened. A huge truck barreling down the road didn't bother to stop as it got closer to her and there in that very second she was covered from head to toe in filthy dirty water - melted street snow. "Gross!" she screamed standing up. Now she would have to go home she needed to change and quick before she was a frozen statue or even more horrifying - Noah seeing how bad she looked. Her hair a mess - limp from the "impromptu shower" she just had.
Did it matter how she looked anyways? She was so in love with Noah. She just wanted to tell him. She longed for him to know. Did he love her back? She wished she had the answer to that as she started to take make her way back to her house. She wanted to run just incase he did make it to the diner but she was afraid if she did it would end up with her being in the ER getting a cast on her ankle. She couldn't chance that or could she? She knew the pain of a broken bone would hurt a lot less then her broken heart was and "probably mend a lot faster too" she whispered out loud. She continued to take slow steady steps until reaching her front door. Climbing the stairs to her room, she knew that Noah wasn't going to be at the Diner if she went back. Falling to the bed - still in her wet clothes, she sobbed herself to sleep. It seemed like minutes before a chill ran through her body waking her up. Grabbing for a blanket she felt a pang of hunger gnawing from inside. Maybe she should go down to see if there was any Grandma Soup left from the other night. The huge dumplings swimming in chicken broth was always a family favorite for helping everything that everyone was aching from. Changing out of the jeans and sweater that was now stuck to her body - not in a good way either, she finished peeling them from her redden flesh, with a fast jump into some hot water that cascaded over her itchy skin - she hurried and dressed into some warm footy pjs. She loved those. She loved how they made her feel. Like opening gifts on Christmas morning with everyone she cared about the most surrounding her. Glitter and lights twinkling. Walking down the stairs she wished for it to be Christmas again. Reaching for a cup - she realized it had just passed. There was a long wait for it to come around again - long wait like that she was willing to do for Noah. But where was he? Was he waiting for her too?
The coffee in one last gurgle finished brewing, the soup was piping hot - all she wanted was to serve herself, climb the stairs and get into bed under her warm blanket. That and to have Noah up there wanting for her when she arrived. Alas, he wasn't but would he ever be and if he would be - where would it be? she wondered. The next few days were a blur of laziness. Work was still closed. She was sure Gary's was closed too. The snow took its fine time melting. Late into the week it was gone enough that it was time to get back to the Diner. She got up, dressed and painted on her face for another shift. There was no hope being held out of even seeing Noah - her Noah again so on the walk in she thought of other things to distract her. It seemed to be working. It was busy. Maybe everyone in town forgot how to cook while the storm raged on? She didn't know. All the people meant more tips, more hustling but more money and that was something that didn't bother her at all. She enjoyed how packed the place had been all day. Her mind didn't have time to think. Her heart didn't have time to hurt. It was nice for a change because since the first time she laid her eyes on Noah that past Summer, her life was turned upside down. Sometimes in a good way. Sometimes in a bad way but spinning uncontrollably every place every minute.
She finished cleaning all the tables, the books were balanced. It was time to flip off the lights and lock up. Head home and snuggle down into her comfy, ever forgiving bed. How she looked forward to just that. Before locking up she need to set out the cinnamon rolls to rise before a.m. bakers came in and the crowd got rowdy - those early morning breakfast people were the wildest. She was back in the second room, kitchen wise when she thought she heard the bell out front chime. Shaking it off as being overly tired, she finished pulling the biscuits out of the fridge - pouring melted butter over each of them, sprinkling them with a sweet concoction of bliss. "Phew!" she said while wiping her brow. Finally. "See ya tomorrow my weight gaining little friends" she called as she walked into the dining area.
Her eye swelling with tears. Was she going crazy? What was wrong with her? The diner didn't give off the scent of Autumn spices but rather a faint smell of Noah. Her Noah. How though? How? He wasn't here - she told herself. It was only her. It was no doubt going to be only her for the rest of her life. She turned to walk out the door when there on the table in front of her laid a single pink carnation just like the one Noah - her Noah had given her so many months before. She reached out for it. Running her fingers over its perfectly formed petals - it was Noah. She knew it was him. He came back for her.
She giggled out loud at how silly she had been thinking he was gone forever.
Kazz 💋
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