HOME | DD

Description
Sirse casually scanned the room before her, patrons moved in and out some grabbing a cup of coffee while others sought out a table to consume their dainty pastries. The café’s glass windows stretched from nearly floor to ceiling on the wall facing the street offering a view of the foot traffic that periodically flowed past the shop.
Tea in hand, Sirse raised the glass to her lips and took a small sip. The once hot beverage had long sense gone cold, and the croissant she had ordered lay untouched on her plate.

He was late.

Blowing out a breath of frustration, Sirse eyed her watch, she would give him five more minutes then depart. As though reading her thoughts the door to the café opened with a chime, and a fox clad in a worn blue suit and tinted glasses strode in. After scanning the room his gaze settled on her, and a hint of a smile touched his face.

Without ordering he snaked across the room and pulling a chair out, seated himself across from her.

‘Dearest Sister.’ He smiled.

‘Beloved Brother.’ Sirse’s hands flashed out the words, though her face remained could and impassive.

Pleasantries out of the way, the fox across from her relaxed visibly. ‘Its been a while.’ He offered conversationally.

‘What do you want?’ Sirse signed, cutting off the small talk with a wave of her hand.

‘Now is that any way to talk to a friend?’

Sirse’s hands came up, hesitated, then stopped. She knew how this game was played, and knew that it would be easier to get him to open up if she played along.

‘My apologies.’ She signed a little less stiffly. ‘Now, why don’t you enlighten me as to why we had to meet.’

For a long moment her brother stared across the table at her, his gaze a mask behind his shaded glasses. And then, slowly he reached up, plucking them from his face and set them down, lenses facing her, upon the table. Sirse’s eyes flickered between the glasses the now somber face before her.

‘I’ve always watched out for you.’ He began. ‘Despite what you may think, I keep your best interest at heart.’

Silently Sirse leered at him, leaning back in her chair she folded her arms, waiting.

Blowing out a weary sigh, the fox extracted an envelope from his inner suit pocket and placed it upon the table between them.

Sirse eyed the package, but refused to make any motion to touch it.

‘Always the stubborn one.’ Her brother mused, shaking his head. ‘Allow me.’

Taking the envelope in hand, he shook out several glossy sheets of paper and held them close in hand as though hesitating on his course of action. And for a moment, just a moment, Sirse was tempted to snatch the documents from him.

‘Sirse.’ He spoke, his voice controlled business now. ‘There is something you should be made aware of, though, you may not want to be.’

Her eyes narrowed, amber eyes burning behind her lids.

He placed the first of the photographs face up before her. A picture of a grizzly bear, tall and well built, a touch of smile found her lips. A smile that quickly faded as her brother placed the next photograph on the table, and all but vanished at the third.

…

Sirse had returned home early. Gus, she knew would still be at the office, working on one of his many contracts, and Aire was still at school.

Somehow the hose felt emptier than it had before, colder, as though some dark shadow had oozed under the door and sucked the warmth from the place she had come to call home. Without thinking her arms moved to embrace her, wrapping around her tightly as she paced from the doorway down thought the living room. She hesitated at the kitchen, the faintest flicker of a smile touching her face before she had to turn away.

Sirse hesitated at the stairs, the well worn steps leading up to their shared bedroom. Hand resting on the banister, she took a step forwards, hesitated, and then stepped back down, almost as though an invisible force had moved to block her path.

Slowly her gaze turned to the door, and her coat that now hung upon its peg there. Turning, she extracted the cell phone from her pocket and punched in an old familiar number, one she never kept saved in her contacts.

‘Can I come Home?’

… … …

The response came almost three heartbeats after she had sent it.

‘You can Always come Home.’

…

Slipping on her coat, Sirse vanished out the door.

Description
Sirse casually scanned the room before her, patrons moved in and out some grabbing a cup of coffee while others sought out a table to consume their dainty pastries. The café’s glass windows stretched from nearly floor to ceiling on the wall facing the street offering a view of the foot traffic that periodically flowed past the shop.
Tea in hand, Sirse raised the glass to her lips and took a small sip. The once hot beverage had long sense gone cold, and the croissant she had ordered lay untouched on her plate.

He was late.

Blowing out a breath of frustration, Sirse eyed her watch, she would give him five more minutes then depart. As though reading her thoughts the door to the café opened with a chime, and a fox clad in a worn blue suit and tinted glasses strode in. After scanning the room his gaze settled on her, and a hint of a smile touched his face.

Without ordering he snaked across the room and pulling a chair out, seated himself across from her.

‘Dearest Sister.’ He smiled.

‘Beloved Brother.’ Sirse’s hands flashed out the words, though her face remained could and impassive.

Pleasantries out of the way, the fox across from her relaxed visibly. ‘Its been a while.’ He offered conversationally.

‘What do you want?’ Sirse signed, cutting off the small talk with a wave of her hand.

‘Now is that any way to talk to a friend?’

Sirse’s hands came up, hesitated, then stopped. She knew how this game was played, and knew that it would be easier to get him to open up if she played along.

‘My apologies.’ She signed a little less stiffly. ‘Now, why don’t you enlighten me as to why we had to meet.’

For a long moment her brother stared across the table at her, his gaze a mask behind his shaded glasses. And then, slowly he reached up, plucking them from his face and set them down, lenses facing her, upon the table. Sirse’s eyes flickered between the glasses the now somber face before her.

‘I’ve always watched out for you.’ He began. ‘Despite what you may think, I keep your best interest at heart.’

Silently Sirse leered at him, leaning back in her chair she folded her arms, waiting.

Blowing out a weary sigh, the fox extracted an envelope from his inner suit pocket and placed it upon the table between them.

Sirse eyed the package, but refused to make any motion to touch it.

‘Always the stubborn one.’ Her brother mused, shaking his head. ‘Allow me.’

Taking the envelope in hand, he shook out several glossy sheets of paper and held them close in hand as though hesitating on his course of action. And for a moment, just a moment, Sirse was tempted to snatch the documents from him.

‘Sirse.’ He spoke, his voice controlled business now. ‘There is something you should be made aware of, though, you may not want to be.’

Her eyes narrowed, amber eyes burning behind her lids.

He placed the first of the photographs face up before her. A picture of a grizzly bear, tall and well built, a touch of smile found her lips. A smile that quickly faded as her brother placed the next photograph on the table, and all but vanished at the third.

…

Sirse had returned home early. Gus, she knew would still be at the office, working on one of his many contracts, and Aire was still at school.

Somehow the hose felt emptier than it had before, colder, as though some dark shadow had oozed under the door and sucked the warmth from the place she had come to call home. Without thinking her arms moved to embrace her, wrapping around her tightly as she paced from the doorway down thought the living room. She hesitated at the kitchen, the faintest flicker of a smile touching her face before she had to turn away.

Sirse hesitated at the stairs, the well worn steps leading up to their shared bedroom. Hand resting on the banister, she took a step forwards, hesitated, and then stepped back down, almost as though an invisible force had moved to block her path.

Slowly her gaze turned to the door, and her coat that now hung upon its peg there. Turning, she extracted the cell phone from her pocket and punched in an old familiar number, one she never kept saved in her contacts.

‘Can I come Home?’

… … …

The response came almost three heartbeats after she had sent it.

‘You can Always come Home.’

…

Slipping on her coat, Sirse vanished out the door.