Cardboard Hearts

#6: part 2

The man checks his watch and then pulls out his phone to text her. It's been long enough, he thinks. The plane will have taken off.

Hello.

hey

How is your flight?

going okay. Plane is kinda shaky tho, its getting annoying

You know how much I dislike your silly abbreviations, darling.

oh T, its just how people talk now. You wouldn't know.

god...

What? What is it?

its nothing i think. just turbulence

hows the project going?

Marvelous. All I'm waiting on is you.

we're landing in an hour so you won't have to wait much longer

god, T, this plane is gonna make me throw up

Don't act like a child. Just try and get through it.

you know how much i hate planes

Very well. Just keep messaging me, then. You'll get through it.

its getting worse

i'm worried, T

what if there's something wrong?

You'll be fine.

Victoria?

Answer me. This isn't funny.

Are you okay?

Vicky?

The man curses and throws his phone on the ground, fuming.

"Useless," he growls.

His breath comes out as white puffs in the frigid dawn. He turns on a heel and stalks away, leaving behind nothing but a cracked cell phone.

~•~

"Why are you so interested in who was here before you?" Monica isn't angry so much as amused. "It's not as if it matters now. He's long gone."

"You mean Mark."

Calum and Jacob are sitting on their sister's bed. Her room is small, but as they both know, it's better than having to share. She's standing in front of the cracked mirror she got as a 16th birthday present and braiding her hair. She stops for a second and turns to stare at the two boys.

"You really want to know?"

They both nod.

She sighs. "Fine. Mark was... Interesting. I was ten when he came. He was fourteen. He never talked about his parents, but I overheard Rachel telling Gabe that they'd been murdered in their sleep."