The Start Of Something New (WSSME Sequel)

Chapter 23

"There you go, Mrs Bardot," I smile at the elderly lady in front of me, she simply nods her head in acknowledgement as she picks up her usual Monday orchids. "Have a great day."

"Did she... move her head?" Soph asks the moment the door closes.

"She nodded."

"That's a crazy first, look at you gaining her heart," she smirks at me. "I've been going crazy just trying to get her to even acknowledge my existence, how did you do that?"

"Maybe it's because I'm not weirdly excited whenever she comes around, you're probably freaking the poor woman out."

"Yeah, I don't think that's the reason."

"This is definitely the reason," I chuckle.

"Whatever, my mom is making lasagna for lunch, are you coming along?" She lifts her apron above her head and throws it on top of a chair. "I'm starving, I'm sure we can close the shop earlier for lunch, it's not like we'll have a thousand clients in the 10 minutes we have left."

"It's fine, I'm not really all that hungry."

"You're not hungry?" she looks me dead serious in the eyes. "I know you've been going through a lot judging from everything you've told me this morning but now I know something is really off if it's making you not hungry."

"I'm fine, I just feel like taking a walk, I'll snack on something on the way, don't worry."

"Do you want some company? We don't need to talk about what's going on, I'm up for a walk if we stop at the shawarma stand."

"Go and enjoy your lasagna, Soph. I just feel like being by myself for a while."

"Alright, but don't think too much or that head of yours will catch on fire," she chuckles, ruffling my hair. "But you'll be missing out, you know my mom's lasagna is absolutely bomb."

"Then save me a slice for later, will you?"

"Will do."

I'm not sure for how long I'll have to walk to get to my destination. I guess this is what happens when you get a car, you suddenly forget how to get around on foot, even if you've been doing it for your whole life. And I've always been quite unlucky with the weather whenever I've had to walk long distances but today the weather is quite fine, the sun is partially covered by clouds and you can sense the taste of Autumn by the slight breeze, and sure, this is Arizona so you wouldn't expect it to rain but I'm sure it will, just because I didn't bring an umbrella with me. Who would anyway?

"This one is a bit nicer, don't you think?" I rest the rock on top of Ed's grave along with the few others I've been leaving whenever I visited. There aren't that many, five with the one I've just left — one of them was Daniella's, even though she didn't quite grasp the meaning behind leaving rocks to the dead instead of flowers, like the ones Lucia has been leaving. "I got this one near a river, it's really smooth," I say, feeling a bit silly talking to a grave.

"The color is nice," I hear from behind me, and I swear my blood pressure nearly went skyrocket.

I quickly turn around. I'm not sure what I was expecting, a ghost? Ed? My murderer? But it definitely wasn't Mrs. Bardot.

I look at her with wide eyes for a good second before finally finding my voice. "Huh?"

... sort of.

"It's bluish, it's a nice rock," she says simply, before turning around and continuing down the path. I want to go after her and talk more to her, it's the first time I've heard her voice after all but I'm stuck in place.