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 Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 5:20 pm
No baking, huh? Maia nodded. He didn't really seem in the mood for anything. "Well. I'll buy things we need for breakfast, and maybe some other things, too," depending on what she saw that might assist in making her two favorite guys smile. Marshmallows were a given for the fire. Maybe hot chocolate?
"Could I bake you something, then?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 5:36 pm
"If you want to." Toby pulled into a parking space and nodded again for Maia to come with him. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad? God, but it felt like his shoes were made of concrete.
Some time later the pair returned home. Toby was actually smiling when he handed Dari a bag of marshmallows they had picked up. The desire to have a fire had sort of soured and died in his gut, but he'd been reminded how much Dari liked them. The alien smiled when he retrieved them.
"So, brunch?" Toby asked, entering the kitchen of his own free will. Getting out had helped a little, he supposed.
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 5:44 pm
"Right," Maia agreed, getting eggs and cheese out of the fridge. She set the milk on the counter and turned to face Toby. "Why have you been acting so unhappy lately?" she asked, walking over to give him a hug. She knew it was probably the wrong thing to do, she shouldn't pry. But maybe she'd know how to help, if she knew what was causing it.
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 5:50 pm
Toby froze mid-movement, eyes widening. Oh. Uh. Well then. He knew she had to have noticed, he'd just thought she might be more subtle in asking. Some part of him had hoped that Dari had just told her. At least he didn't shrug off the hug. He just let it happen.
"I'm sorry I've been so weird," he apologized, patting Maia's arm. He'd tried really hard to fight it this time. "We're just coming up on an anniversary. Not a good one. ...Some people I loved very much were..." A pause. "They died."
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 6:22 pm
Maia gave Toby another hug. Well. Words didn't help with death. She knew that from experience. She'd lost people too. "I'm sorry," She said. "Do you want to talk about it?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 6:25 pm
Toby sighed, but this one was different. It seemed like a release, not a sound of desperation. Rather than simply stand and accept this gesture, he returned it. Alright. Sometimes it was nice to have help. He was just used to finding it in Dari.
"Do you... want to know about it?" Some people did, some people didn't. It wasn't like you could go on and Google it. ...or maybe you could? He didn't want to know either way.
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 6:39 pm
The honest answer was a resounding no. Maia didn't want to know what'd happened to tear Toby's loved ones from him. But maybe it'd help him to talk about it? "I'll listen," she said. He'd helped her with her fear of thunderstorms. It was only fair she helped him in return.
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 6:42 pm
A soft smile crossed Toby's face. Maia's wording was unmistakable. No, she didn't feel the urge to know or at least didn't want to ask. For just a moment he touched her cheek and brushed away a bit of hair, and then he pulled away from the hug and motioned this time with a hand.
"Come on. I'll show you them."
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 6:57 pm
Maia followed Toby, blinking at his smile. Hm. Maybe talking about it was helping after all. "Alright," She agreed.
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 7:03 pm
Toby went to the stand in the hall with the home phone and crouched, pulling out a photo album. He knew the one. It was the most worn. He knew right where to look. He pulled the photo from the page and returned to Maia with it.
The photograph was one of four happy-looking folks on vintage paper. In the center was Toby, the same face, the same style, but a different haircut. To his left, the right of the viewer, was an older couple grinning. The man had Toby's jaw. The woman had his eyes. To Toby's right was a young woman with long, dark brown hair and a cheeky sideways sort of look. Posing.
Toby felt a little swell, frowned involuntarily, fought back the emotions and sighed.
"That's my mom and dad, Janine and George, and that's me, and that's my fiance Carolyn. My, uh..." His brow furrowed. Ex-fiance? They'd never broken up, but it had been so long. They were supposed to be ancient or dead with grandchildren by now. "My fiance. At the time."
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 7:20 pm
Maia reached for Toby's hand, meaning to give it a reassuring squeeze. She knew what it was like to lose family. "You look so happy," she glanced at the picture, then back at Toby. "And you haven't aged."
"We could go sit down," she invited him.
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 7:24 pm
"Well I've aged a few days," Toby reasoned, tilting his head at the photo. He still recognized himself like he did in the mirror. It was odd to think this photo had been taken nearly 40 years ago. The man who had taken it for them was almost definitely dead.
"Sure, if you want to," he said then, took a step and a half and then turned. It wasn't like they had started cooking. If she wanted to sit in the living room they could. Dari was there, but Dari knew more than anyone who hadn't been present on the night-of. Instead of continuing, he gave a sweeping arm motion that Maia may choose where they sat.
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 8:13 pm
Maia led Toby to the dining room and sat at the table. She was sure nothing she said would make Toby feel better; she gestured that he should sit next to her, rather than across from her. "Its hard losing people you love," she said. The hardest thing in the world.
Maybe it'd be better not to talk about it? Maybe it'd be better to cook and eat? She'd lost her family too. She still hated storms because of that night.
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Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2015 4:52 pm
Toby smiled in a sad sort of way and nodded. It wasn't a happy sentiment, but it was true. He took Maia's hand and gave it a little squeeze.
"And I know you know." They had her records. Her parents were long dead. "Do you still want to cook?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2015 5:04 pm
"Yes," she agreed. She thought Toby must have had it harder, though; he'd had someone he loved. Had that been the dream he'd mentioned? Toby wanted to cook now? That was progress, Maia supposed. She gave a nod, standing and releasing Toby's hand. "Let's go make brunch," she said.
"Later, we'll have marshmallows."
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