Dreamers [#Wattys2020]

38.

Rover.

I was up early this morning, just stuck staring at the ceiling of my hotel room thinking about her. Noah... I hope she knows I'm looking for her. I just want to feel her touch again, even if it's for the last time. I would do anything for one more minute with her. 

That dream, it felt so real, I could feel her walk by me in that hospital room. She was so close and maybe if I could have just reached out to her she would know that I haven't given up on her.

This can't be it, just like that taxi driver said.

I don't even know where to start looking for her. The hotel clerk recommended that I go to the market which isn't too far away apparently. Of course, I'm sure she assumed I was looking for a touristy kind of place, but it's all I've got.

As I make my way through the lobby, I stop to grab a cup of coffee to go and skip breakfast altogether. 

"Excuse me?" I stop at the doorman. "Which way to the market?"

"Just turn left when you walk out and follow the road down a bit, cross the street and walk another block to the left."

"Thanks," I say as he opens the door with his gloved hand.

I do as he says, but I feel like I'm rushing too much to the point that people might find me suspicious. My feet practically fly over the sidewalk, my pulse rising and my chest feeling like it might detach from me at any second.

I wonder what I'll say when I find her. Maybe I'll break down, or hold her tight in my arms, feel her lips on mine once again. I'm also scared that things might be different. Will we be the same people? Something didn't seem right that night that I dreamt about her. Maybe we're just both broken without each other.

When I get to the market, I'm surrounded by a block of little stores and restaurants with only a few people walking by as they stare down at their phones with their sunglasses on. None of them notice me and for once I kind of wished they did.

I've got to start somewhere, so I approach a passer-by and tap her on the shoulder.

"Sorry," I say, "I have this really weird question, but have you ever heard of anybody named Noah Reid in Ottawa?"

"No, sorry," she replies as she keeps walking.

So, I try again with someone else.

"Excuse me," I stop another woman, "do you know anyone named Noah Reid?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know anyone by that name," she tells me.

She walks away and so does the next person I ask and the one after that. About a dozen people I went up to gave me a funny look like they knew who I was, but wondering why in the hell I'm going around asking them if they know Noah. Even parents out walking with their children seemed to be actively trying to avoid me.

I didn't eat lunch today either. All I did was walk around asking people questions just doing everything I can on my own to find her. I barely noticed the time passing by. The sun was setting when it shined right into my eyes making me take a step back and think about what I needed to do next.

I thought of going back to the hotel to work out a new plan for tomorrow, but I don't even have the chance to move when I hear someone shouting right behind me.

"Hey, you!"

I spin on my feet to see who it is and who they're yelling at.

"You!" the woman points right at me.

"Me?"

"Yes, you," she says her face intent on facing me with anger.

This woman, she looks familiar.

"I know you," I tell her.

For the first time, I feel like I might be getting on to something.

"You don't know me?" she shouts more pointedly.

Of course, it comes to me, "I know exactly who you are."

"What-" she tries to retort.

I cut her off, "It's Diana, right?"

"What the fuck?!" she recoils. "How do you know my name? And what have you been doing going around asking if someone knows Noah Reid?"

"How did you know?" I ask her.

"The fucking radio, not to forget you just so happened to run into a co-worker of mine this morning," she tells me.

"The radio?" I question.

She raises her eyebrows at me, "Did you seriously not think people wouldn't notice who you are?" She starts waving her hands around radically, "Rover Baxton spotted in Ottawa! And why are you asking about my sister?!"

"Please," I beg her, "I just need to talk to her."

"Talk to her? You better be fucking kidding me," she goes on with her rant. "Who put you up to this? Was it my dad? That asshole doesn't need any more attention."

"I'm sorry," I tell her, "I didn't know things were-"

This time, she cuts me off, "Just leave us alone."

"I can't," I plead with her more, "I just need to talk with Noah. And your dad, he didn't put me up to this. No one did. I've just been looking for her for a while now."

"How, then?" she questions. "How would she even get a hold of you?"

I try to wrap my head around what she's saying. She's making it sound like Noah wants nothing to do with me, but this can't be true.

"Please," I continue once again, "I just need two minutes with her."

"No," she says. "No, you can not see my sister. No, you can not give me a message to tell her. So, fuck off."

"Can you at least tell me what I did to make you so angry?" I say. 

She just huffs as she starts to walk away, "We don't need your charity."

"Charity? What do you mean?" I try to follow her.

She stops, but only to say one thing, "My sister has been braindead since she was fourteen, so tell me what the fuck you're doing here?!"