Moving On

Chapter 2 - Part 1

A solemn atmosphere enveloped and percolated through the Hayes mansion as Kate listened to all the condolences. Though she'd been at the mansion so many more times than the other guests, she couldn't help feeling out of place.

Tyler should be the one speaking to the late Mr. Hayes's friends, the one listening to their condolences, not her.

She scanned the room of unfamiliar faces for the umpteenth time and finally spotted Tyler.

Recognizing him was much easier than she'd expected.

He hadn't changed much from the younger version she'd seen in the photo albums.

His dark brown hair was shorter than it was in the photographs, and his bangs that nearly reached his eyes were pushed to the side.

She leaned against the wall and watched him move around the living room in a black suit.

It wasn't the time to notice how well the suit fitted him or to admire the broad shoulders that made him the perfect rack for any style of clothes.

Her foot inched forward, but she paused when she saw him brushing his fingers across the surfaces of the furniture in the living room.

She took her eyes off him and glanced around the room.

The late Mr. Hayes had kept the design of the house almost exactly as it was before the tragedy occurred.

The coffee-brown leather couch that took up the largest space in the room, the chocolate-brown coffee table that sat above the furry beige rug, and the bookshelf against the white wall had all been around even before Tyler was born.

Even the renaissance wall finishes were exactly the same.

The late Mr. Hayes had only added some new pieces of furniture to fill the space where the grand piano used to be. Besides that, nothing much had changed.

The whole place was like a time capsule.

It must be difficult for Tyler to see the house after so many years.

She walked over and asked as she neared him, "Tyler Hayes?"

His head snapped up, and he frowned the moment he laid eyes on her. "Kate Mitchell?"

"Yeah, that'll be me."

His head bobbed up and down while his eyes scrutinized her.

"Is something wrong?"

"I was expecting someone ... older."

She looked around and laughed softly. "I guess I'm pretty young among this crowd."

"You said you were his friend, so I thought ..." Then he shrugged, not bothering to complete his sentence.

Kate smiled. "He wasn't exactly my friend. He was sort of my grandmother's friend."

"Sort of?"

"It's complicated."

Tyler gave her a look over and turned his back to her.

She'd thought Tyler would prefer some company, but she supposed she was wrong.

She pursed her lips and tucked her hair back behind her ear. "I'll leave you alone."

"Wait." He turned back to face her.

She stood where she was, her brows raised, waiting for him to say something.

"Never mind," he continued after a moment.

Kate could sense his hesitation. She watched his eyes sweep the room, observing the different faces.

She understood his silent struggle; neither of them seemed to belong where they were.

Moving next to him, she said, "I don't know most of them either. I believe they used to work with your grandfather in the past. Some of them are from the senior home where he volunteered. He made some good friends there."

Tyler crossed his arms across his chest.

"I'm sure you have questions."

"How long have you or your grandmother known him?"

"Around five years."

He nodded, his eyes still on the strangers in the room.

In the few minutes that Kate had spent with Tyler, she realized he wasn't a man of many words. She glanced around and thought about slipping back into the crowd and away from him, but she didn't want to be rude. "Do you want me to introduce some of his friends to you?"

"No."

Kate noticed Tyler drawing in a long breath as if her mere presence was annoying him. She was trying to be nice, but it seemed he preferred her gone.

So she smiled and, with a light touch on his arm, walked away from him.

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