Tomorrow is another day

A full stomach makes for a happy heart

When we got home almost dawn, I prepared a room for Anna and we went straight to sleep. If there was one thing we needed more than a good feast, it was our eight sacred hours of sleep.

By the time we woke up, it was already nightfall.

"Good morning," she said shamelessly stretching and with her hair made a plover's nest.

"Good night I'd say. Are you hungry?"

"Does a piano have two pedals?"

"Yes? I don't know, there weren't three?"

"Three? That's nuts!"

I shrugged. Not that I had ever seen a piano in person.

"Anyway. I am hungry."

"Alright, so spruce yourself up and let's go. I have a pending conversation with a bartender."

"Do they have good food?"

"They don't have a lot of variety, but what is there is acceptable. Homemade food, you know."

"All food is homemade..." she said with a mix between a snort and a laugh.

"You'll tell me when we do the shopping tomorrow..."

Anna spent some time in the bathroom which I suspect was almost all dedicated to tame her hair. Afterward, we left home and got back to the elevator.

"I'm going to need you to stop making that touristy face every time you see a light bulb."

"Oh, sorry. It's just that I still find it fascinating."

"Alright. From the moment we leave the building, you are an actress preparing a role for a period play."

"So fun! And how is the play called? And my character?"

"As you want. Probably anything you say would sound like from another century."

"Great!"

Her enthusiasm was really funny. I certainly liked her energy.

When we got to the bar we sat at the most cornered and hidden table that I found in front of the incredulous gaze of everyone.

"Looks like you've been making the most of the time since you left your job, blonde."

"Haldis, get us some burgers and something to drink, please."

"What do you want to drink, ginger?"

"Water will be fine, thanks."

"You're not from around here, are you?"

"Uh... More or less. I'm from a little more towards... there," Anna said pointing in the direction of the castle as I rubbed my forehead between amusement and frustration.

"Fine..." the bartender replied, looking in the direction in which Anna's thin finger continued to point. "Be welcome."

"Thank you!"

Haldis gave her an almost fatherly smile, looked at me a little mockingly, and shook his head.

"Water for the lady from around there, a beer for my favorite blonde, and two hamburgers. Anything else?"

"That's all. But, Haldis!"

"Tell me."

"Do you have something for me?"

"Sorry boy. Nothing new. I haven't heard of any available jobs. Maybe you should have gone along with Unne. By now you could have one."

"No, thanks. I've gotten better than a job ever since."

"I have no doubt about it."

Haldis winked at Anna and went for our command.

"What is what you've gotten?"

"Ehrm... faith?" I said looking for any alternative to the most obvious answer.

"No big surprise. We're seeing incredible things these days, huh?"

"Yeah..."

It was curious how in her mouth the expression "these days" covered just a few days as for me but hers were divided over the last two hundred years.

We ate until we wondered how to get out of there without rolling on the way and then we went to walk off our food around the town. When we reached the area of the bridge towards the castle, Anna slowly stopped and looked at every detail of it.

"Is exactly the same as then..."

"It is?"

"I don't know if I miss this place or if I hate it..."

"I think I can understand."

Anna looked at me critically.

"That's unfair."

"I know."

"No! It's not fair that you know so much about me. I know almost nothing about you."

"You are free to ask, but there's not much to tell. You know, no powers, no castles, no assassination attempts... nothing too remarkable."

"Okay. I go for it!" she said walking to the dock. "What do you like to do in your spare time?"

"Robots..."

"What's that?"

"Sven, for example. They are... machines that do... things. I'll explain you better later."

"Okay, another one. How is your family like?"

"I have no idea. I have been an orphan from a very young age and grew up in an orphanage."

"Oh... unfortunate question then."

I laughed at her reaction.

"It's okay."

"What did you work on?"

"I worked in a furniture store."

"Foot size?"

"Does that matter?"

"Do you have many friends?"

"One, if Sven counts. It's not that I don't get along with anyone though."

"Whoa, you already have one more than me. And why don't you have friends?"

"Lack of time? I don't know. I've never been very interested in it. I like more to invest my little free time in learning what I like."

Anna looked at me with obvious pity.

"You feel lonely?"

"Hmm... not in a bad way. Perhaps I felt emptier than alone. There was nothing or no one really important in my life. I'm not good at trusting people; I feel more comfortable alone."

"And yet, do you like being with me?" let fly with a shy and bright look.

"I thought you were going to drop the subject," I replied when I felt my cheeks make it clear what the answer was: she was special.

"Actually, I never agreed."

"Next question."

"Favorite food?"

"Pizza."

"What's that?"

I sighed between laughter and stopped walking.

"I have another plan for you: we go home and study a little history of the last centuries and some general culture so that tomorrow we can go out to do the shopping and look for a job without too much trouble. What ya think?"

"Study? But it is night already..." she objected.

"You just woke up!"

"Fine, but I want to taste that pizza thing."

"Be patient."

"Seriously? More?"

I burst out laughing and her laughter accompanied mine. Then, overflowing with energy, she clung to my arm and again, together, we went across that city that had never seemed so beautiful to me, on our way home.