Premonitions | ✓

sixteen

"Come When You Call" -TV Girl

Anna did not say goodbye to her younger brothers or step-dad. 

     The day after the hospital visit, the couple had an early breakfast with Anna's family as a goodbye just before their flight home. Anna had made promises to visit during Thanksgiving or Christmas break in the next coming years. 

     She even offered to host one of the holidays. 

     Since Kat lived in California still, she promised to make the drive up to visit on sporadic occasions. Anna was optimistic about seeing her family again in the coming year, but she wasn't holding her breath. 

     They arrived home late. Having to splurge on a taxi ride from the airport. The driver dropped them off at Lars' where he switched out pairs of clothes for new ones and then drove Anna home. 

      When they got there, Darcy was waiting for them at the door, jumping in glee, scratching his nails into their legs unconsciously. Garbage sat on the recliner, looking unbothered by his human's presence. He probably didn't even know that Anna was across the country for two days. 

     The next few weeks, Anna had gotten ready for the spring semester, where she would be teaching creative writing along with children's literature. Lars had reopened the hardware store the next day they got back, seeming to always be in the garage where he worked.

       He slept at Anna's almost every night unless he had to stay late to work on projects. He didn't want to wake up Anna if he walked into her home late, guaranteed that Darcy was to bark loudly throughout the night. 

     The couple had got into a routine where they spoke all day every day, had dinner together every night, and slept in the same bed almost every one of those nights. One night, during the first few weeks of the spring semester, Anna had asked Lars the question that had plagued her since the day at the hospital.

     "Lars?"

     He twirled the spaghetti Anna had made him for dinner, not looking up at her from his plate as he scarfed it down, "Hm?"

     "How did you know about... about my photography?" The question left her timidly.

     She didn't know why she was so nervous asking. He only ever mentioned that he knew about her hobbies, but he never gave his opinion of the crafts she pursued. Maybe that was why she was nervous. 

     He never brought it up since the hospital, giving his opinion of her work, so Anna automatically assumed that he didn't prefer her art. She even went as far as to think that Lars didn't like it.

     The Swed seemed genuinely confused by her question as he chewed, "What, baby?"

     Anna groaned, "Can you stop shoveling food down your gullet and listen to me for a second?"

     It came out harsher than she attended, and the guilt washed over her instantly when he looked up at the tone of her voice. Anna closed her eyes, "I'm sorry, Muffin. What did you say?"

     She felt even worse when he apologized, "No, I'm sorry. I just haven't... I haven't been feeling myself these past few days." 

     Lars did notice she was more snippy, but he felt like she was always like that, always a little sassy, "You mentioned you knew about my photography, and I guess... I guess I just wanted to know-"

     "How I found out about it?" Anna looked away then, ready for criticism, "I googled you." It was so simple, the way he said it, and then shoved more strands of spaghetti into his mouth.