“It’s been a long time, Brenna.” Jeff lowered his eyes and stared at the floor.
“I know.” Brenna felt her throat tighten at the memory of sitting in front of the television all those years ago. Her twelve years of life had not prepared her for the horrifying news broadcast interrupting the music video blaring on screen. Brenna could remember exactly what the reporter was wearing, (a blue blazer with gigantic shoulder pads that made her look like a robot, a gleaming white shirt that matched her gleaming white teeth, a pair of gold clip-on earrings, and bright red lips) who reported a small Cessna aircraft had gone missing somewhere over the mountains.
“Brenna…” Jeff brought Brenna back to the present.
“Oh sorry,” Brenna wiped away a couple of stray tears.
“It must have been hard growing up without them.”
“Yes. But Gran was wonderful.”
“Well, she was the only person your mother would have trusted to bring you up.”
“Definitely. She taught me everything she knew about witchcraft. It was a real gift living with her.”
“She said the same about you.” Jeff folded up his newspaper and placed it on the counter.
“I’m about to go out for some dinner, would you like to join me?”
Jeff’s face lit up and his eyes became as wide as saucers. “Really?”
“Of course. My treat.” Brenna put a hand out to Jeff and helped him up from his chair.
Jeff locked up the office and followed Brenna to her car. They drove until they reached a brightly lit restaurant called “The Hot Pot.” Brenna chose a park close to the door and escorted Jeff to the entrance.
The title of the restaurant was not lying, it was definitely hot inside. A strong peppery aroma hit Brenna’s nose, singing her senses. The kitchen was visible through a glassless window providing a view of busy chefs creating their fiery smelling dishes. Mini black pots that looked like little cauldrons had been set around the room, filled with flaming candles.
A white menu, stack against the red walls, included chili (of varying spice levels), other tasty dishes, and tempting desserts. Brenna’s stomach growled as she stole looks at what the diners were eating. The lighting was dark and soothing with the only light coming from the candles, a few dim spotlights in the ceiling, and flickering LED candles in the middle of each table.
A dark-haired waitress spotted them and approached.
“Hello and welcome to the Hot Pot.” Her sultry voice hung onto every word. She had plump lips painted the same red as the walls. “We have a table for two if you would follow me.” The waitress shook her hips as she guided them to a cozy table in the back of the restaurant. “Are you ready to order?” she pulled out a notebook from the pocket of her red apron and found a pencil behind her ear.
“Uh, sure,” Brenna took a look at the menu on the wall, “for starters we’ll have the bread with dipping sauces and I’ll have the chili con carne with rice for the main course.” Brenna turned toward Jeff. “What would you like, Jeff?”
“Uh, I’ll go for the volcano meal with a side of fries.”
“Would you like extra chili sauce?”
“Sure, why not?” Jeff put on a brave face and laughed.
“And for drinks?"
“I’ll have a cola please.” Brenna felt like bourbon after today but she had to drive.
“Same here.” Jeff folded his hands on the table as the waitress sashayed into the kitchen with their order.
Brenna looked around the room, tapped her fingers on the wooden table. Jeff broke the awkward silence they had fallen into. “Do you still think your parents could be alive?” he probed.
“The thought, the hope, hasn’t died. I hope they’re stranded on some tropical island all well, eating coconuts and doing the hula,” Brenna laughed and shook her head. “I know it’s silly. Really silly, but it helps to think that way, you know.”
“You have to accept it, Brenna.”
“I know. I have. I mean it was a long time ago. But I still like to dream.”
“It’s my fault you know.”
“What is?”
“Them dying.”
She took Jeff’s rugged hand. “I don’t blame you for anything, Jeff. Nothing at all.” She squeezed his hand, feeling the hurt inside of him. He didn’t show it but she could tell he missed Gran. She must have been his everything.
“If it wasn’t for the affair, your parents wouldn’t have been on that flight. Neither would your granddad.”
“No matter what happened, it was Jim’s decision to leave the country. A plane crash is pretty rare. I think fate had more to do with it than you did.”
“I don’t know.”
“Think about it. Both of my parents didn’t need to go with him. He only needed one of them. Why did they both go? One of them should have stayed with me.”
“Jim was distraught. Your mother was sad for him, your dad was supporting her. All because of me.”
“Don’t do this to yourself, Jess. I suspect you’ve been beating yourself up for enough years already.”
“You’re not wrong there.”
“Did Gran ever get the time to come and see you? She spent most of her time with me.”
“Aye, she did. She still does.”
“What do you mean?”
“She comes and sees me in my dreams. I live to sleep these days.”
Brenna smiled. “Did she move out here when I moved into the city?”
At that thought, he smiled. “She stayed with me in the hotel until she was admitted to hospital.”
“She would have liked being here with you. How come you didn’t live together before then?”
“She was still officially married to Jim. And like you, harbored the thought they could be alive out there. She felt obligated to be faithful to him after what had happened.”
“That’s sweet but silly,” Brenna said as she spotted the waitress carrying a tray in their direction. She placed their drinks and some bread on their table and fluttered to the next. Jeff took a sip of cola.
“We kept in touch, but she felt so guilty, as did I.”
“Let go of that guilt. You’ve more than paid your dues already.”
Brenna and Jeff enjoyed the rest of their meal, and each other’s company, in peace.
The sun shone through the open window and onto Brenna’s face. She woke from a dreamless sleep and squinted against the light. She didn’t remember opening the curtain, let alone the window.
Warily, she hopped out of the warm bed and shuffled into the bathroom. While brushing her teeth, she heard the door open then close. Brenna froze, walked into the room with a mouth full of toothpaste. Sun hit her eyes. She shielded them with her hand and made out a dark shape in the room. The shape closed the curtains, and wild red hair came into view. Brenna shrieked.
“Maggie!” Brenna ran to Maggie and hugged her, taking care not to get toothpaste in her hair.
“I wasn’t expecting you so quickly.” She drew away from Maggie.
“There was hardly any traffic and I didn’t stop for anything. Except for the obvious food stops and such.”
“I’m so glad you’re here.”