Finding Her

Eight

Zev showed up at Gregory's house at nine am as they had agreed. The porch light was on. He groaned to himself. Leaving the light on, incase she came home. He knocked on the front door and waited through the sound of Greg finding his way through his clutter.

"Sorry that took so long. I'm glad you're here." He wiped sweat from his brow and yawned. "Come in. I haven't been sleeping and I forgot you were supposed to be here today."

Zev nodded and entered behind him. "It's alright. It can't be easy."

The muscular man coughed to cover a sob and shook his head. "No, it's been the toughest week of my whole life. Including my time in the military and Charlotte's mother passing away just after she was born."

They were quiet for a few minutes. Zev avoided eye contact to keep from breaking down. He started tidying and clearing the sink. He set up the coffee machine and put on enough for a thermos that he found in a cupboard.

"I have to go to work." He went to his room and came back out clothed. "I'll be back around ten tonight." He shook his head. "You didn't need to know that." He ran his hand down his face and grabbed a rag from the counter to wipe his eyes. "It's a reflex I guess."

Zev made a coffee for him and washed a mug to put it in. "Take this, it's black. I'll learn how you take it for next time."

Greg's jaw fell. "Thank you." From the look of the coffee pot he hadn't had any since she left. "Three milk, two sugar. Please."

He grabbed it back and put in the sugar. "You're out of milk." He handed the thermos back. "That's a long shift you're working today."

Greg grabbed the coffee and sighed. "Yeah, work is my only escape. Listen, Zev, I really appreciate this. I'm a grown man but since she left—"

Zev nodded. "It's too hard. We aren't built to live alone. You miss her and other things aren't as important as they once were. She is in God's hands."

He smiled at the wise young man and placed a twenty on the kitchen table. "In case you need to buy any cleaning supplies."

Zev heard the truck pull out of the yard and scrubbed the caked dishes with admiration for Greg warming his heart. He finished a load and swept the floor. He would have to get on his hands and knees to clean the tiles but he could handle that.

It had been an hour and a half when there was a knock at the door. At first he was unsure about answering. His friends and family knew he would be there but what if it was someone else?
What if it was her? What if Charlotte had come home? He snapped out of that fantasy when he asked himself why she would be knocking at her own door. Thirty seconds later, another knock came.

"Zev!" A female voice shouted. "Are you in there?" It sounded like Lynn, but he would only know the truth when he saw her.

"Yes, hang on!" He looked down to, the area once known as, the floor. It was now just mountains and laneways of paper plates, plastic utensils, beer cans and liquor bottles. Worst of all were the newspapers, from Welbloom and the surrounding counties, on every table and counter in sight. Each visible issue was highlighted in different colours, and there were red circles around articles that contained female victims.

"Hello!"

He jumped. "Yes. Yes." He leapt through the debris.

Gregory was falling apart, breaking to pieces. He was a self aware meteor, seconds from impact, he couldn't stop it so he was letting it demolish him.

He kicked back some of it and opened the door. "Laura." He squinted from the brightness of the the outdoors and covered his eyes.

"We came to help."

His eyes adjusted, Shara smiling face came into focus. "I finished my chores and Lynn doesn't work until later. We thought it might be hard—" She put her thumbs in her backpack straps and twisted her shoe on the walkway stone. "You know, being here." She looked into his eyes. "Because you loved her," she said in a squeaky voice and flailed her fingers.

He accepted their offer and they worked for three hours. Lynn left for work. Leaving, Shara and Zev, alone, together.