A Long Way Home

My Home is Your Home

Max and Mia went back to their room and despite their best efforts to go sight-seeing, fell asleep within minutes of each other.

Three hours later, Mia raised her head from her pillow bleary eyed and confused. She rolled over looking for Max only to find an empty bed and an empty room. She propped herself up. She needed to get a grip on the current reality. She had run into Drew. Drew who was the bane of her existence. Drew who she was now going to have dinner with.

But the bigger issue here is that Max expected Mia to be meeting with the realtor. To see the mystery house. The house that didn't quite exist yet. Mia had promised Max she would call the realtor when she woke up. But now that Max wasn't around, what was the point of pretend? She could easily say she had called and in fact they were unavailable today. Let Max channel her frustration into an unassuming stranger than into Mia as per usual.

Mia heard the door unlock and watched Max enter carrying a tray of coffee, a bouquet of peonies and a map of the town. "Hey I got us coffee to help wake up. I went to go look for flowers to bring to Drew's and got to talking to the shop owner. She was kind enough to give me a map so we know where we are.

Max leaned down so Mia could grab the map out from under her arm. She unfolded it on the bed and began scanning it.

"Apparently there's a new and an old part of town. The map has stuff landmarked with the stars which is the old part." Mia scanned the map and immediately focused in on Cavendry Place. She had no idea why the name stuck out. But her entire body radiated with excitement when she read it.

"Hmm Cavendry Place sounds cool." She said out loud. Max nodded in mindless agreement. Mia could tell she wasn't listening.

"Everything okay?" Max ignored Mia's attempt at connection. She tried again for old times sake.

"Max? Are you alright? You seem kind of out of it." Max looked up from where she had zoned out. Flowers and coffees still balancing in her hands.

"What? Oh yea. Everything's fine. Just thinking about what I have to do at home when we get back. I can't leave Mike with Julia for more than a few days. You know men are useless." Mia inwardly cringed at how Max spoke about her husband. Once upon a time they had been madly in love. Now it seemed more often than not that Max made Mike out to be some kind of bumbling fool. The man ran a hedge fund. He had to know at least something.

Mia couldn't let Max know she disagreed so she shifted the conversation. "I'm sure it's hard to leave Julia for so many days. But I really appreciate you coming with me. Plus what a coincidence we're seeing Drew. Do you know what you're wearing yet?" She gestured towards Max's open suitcase.

"Mia. We're almost thirty and I'm married. I doubt Drew cares what either of us are wearing." Mia felt chastised by Max's tone. Years ago in their early twenties, Max would have jumped at this commentary. She would have eagerly opened up her suitcase and displayed the options regardless of the fact she had a boyfriend. Max didn't dress for men. She dressed for herself and Mia missed that side of her.

Right now, Mia felt like Max was her mother and she was the petulant child who always missed the mark.

"Right. You're right sorry. Of course Drew doesn't care what we wear. I more just meant what did you think temperature wise. I imagine it gets a little cold here at night." She hoped playing off the question as a temperature inquiry would seem normal to Max. But nothing about Max seemed normal these days. Sure they had drifted. But even with all the distance Mia could still tell when something wasn't right. And something with Max clearly wasn't right.

Max's tone seemed to soften. Either she had noticed Mia's hurt or simply reverted back from cagey to calm. "I mean. I'm probably going wear jeans and bring a sweater. I would imagine it's cold down here. Plus knowing Drew, outdoors are involved." Mia nodded in silent agreement and moved to her own suitcase. Drew was always full of unexpected surprises. She knew that better than anyone.