Mosdenea

Chapter 10--Home Isn't As Sweet As My Other Home

Aaron disappeared for a while. I didn't see him the rest of the week. When he came back, he was still ignoring me. Even though he was gone for a week, it didn't seem like he was "here" when he got back. He might as well have stayed wherever it was he went. He spent his time ignoring me and working. Some days he would come home in a suit, other days he would spend his time on the balcony working on his laptop while enjoying the view.

I thought he completely forgot I even existed, which actually hurt more than I wanted it to. However, the week he got back from his trip, I woke up one morning only to find Daisy's car keys on the key hook we have at the door. When Daisy had died, I simply gave Aaron the keys. I asked what he was going to do with her and he said he'd fix my car. After that, Pierce and Uber had been my main way to get around Miami.

I found Daisy in her usual parking spot. She looked clean but nothing special. I popped the hood of my car open and could already tell a few things were different. It was much cleaner and a little bit shiner. I think Aaron changed a few things about Daisy. When I sat in the driver's seat, she turned on without any hesitation. Even the inside of my car was cleaner. And hanging from my rearview mirror was a small finch ornament.

I couldn't stop the smile that seemed to take me over. When I said thank you to Aaron the night of, he didn't react. He just stared at me with his sad eyes and monotone face. He gave a small nod before looking down at his laptop and typing more information into an excel.

Pierce and I still carpooled to school—and I still split my gas money with him. But the issue was arising where I had to manage my time around him to get my shifts at work. So I was really glad—and so was he—to find that Daisy was saved.

Aaron still avoided me and I thought it was unfair that he made me feel the way I do. When I finally seemed to be ok with the fact he isn't speaking to me, he'll do something like fixing my car and although I'm happy, my heart sinks down into the pit of my stomach.

My parents were overly excited about me coming home for Thanksgiving. It's the first break I've had to come home, so naturally, my parents paid for my flight. They even said I wouldn't have to bring anything because it's snowing. As much as I was ready to see my family, a part of me was not excited at all.

It's been two weeks since Halloween. My life was filled with school, work, and weekends going to the beach with Pierce. The fact that it's still hot and humid and it's already November, made me happier than it should.

"So what are your plans for Thanksgiving?" I asked Pierce. He was driving me to the airport even though I argued with him because I could have drove myself.

"I'll probably make a cool dinner for Aaron and I," Pierce admitted. "We'll eat and laugh."

"So he actually laughs regularly?" I asked suddenly curious.

"He has to take small doses of laughter," Pierce said in an almost grave tone even though I knew he was kidding around. "His poor lungs don't understand what happiness is. And his heart is too weak for laughter."

I laughed as Pierce explained Aaron's incurable non-laughing condition. For some reason, I could actually picture Aaron laughing. Even though I have seen him laugh, it was so rare I was better off seeing an eclipse twice in one month. Half the time they weren't even laughs, just soft chuckles. I wonder what it would be like to see him give a full-hearted laugh. The image of Aaron and Pierce sitting around the table, laughing and joking around, I could actually picture it perfectly.

"You're not going to visit family?" I was trying to pry him open in attempt to learn more about his family.

"I already told you," Pierce gave me a crooked smile. "It's just Aaron and me."