AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I can see how disappointed she is, and I put a comforting arm around her shoulders. “We could meet in my room or Kate’s later and spend the evening together. What do you say?”
Max looks at me for a moment, then she nods and smiles. She gives me a quick hug. “Thanks,” she says in a husky voice.
Chapter 5
Ican’t wait to meet him,” says my mother, putting the cake on the table and checking one last time that everything is in place. “It’s wonderful to be able to meet one of Frida’s friends. We know so little about her, and we have so much to thank her for.” She glances around the kitchen and smiles.
The doorbell rings, and Mom goes to open it. I follow her and see her shake Charles’ hand. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Ackles.”
“Please, call me Charles,” he replies with a winning smile.
“Maggie,” she says and invites Charles in.
“It’s been so long since I was last here. Obviously, it’s changed a little. It’s nice, really homey.”
He greets me with a wink.
“Thanks,” says Mom, leading our guest to the kitchen table.
His eyes widen when he sees the cheesecake. “Oh, my favorite. But you shouldn’t have gone to the trouble of baking for me.”
Mom laughs. “I’m glad you like cheesecake. But I’m afraid to disappoint – I didn’t make it, which you can be thankful for. Baking is not one of my strengths.”
Charles smiles and takes a seat. “Being resourceful is all that matters.” He gazes around the room again as Mom pours thecoffee. I can see pleasure and gratitude in his eyes, but also melancholy. “This brings back so many memories.”
“I can imagine. We can’t wait to learn a little more about Frida.”
“As I was telling your daughter, Frida was a really kind-hearted person who loved life. There was never a dull moment with her, and she was an incredibly good friend.”
“You knew each other a long time?” asks Mom, serving him a slice of cake.
“Yes. Although I have to admit, we lost contact in the last few years.” I can tell it’s not easy for Charles to say this. “I guess there are highs and lows in every friendship. In the end, the important thing is to work through them together, but I didn’t do that. I didn’t realize in time that Frida could have used my help.” He sighs sorrowfully. “I didn’t even know about her illness, so I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.”
That just goes to show how much they drifted apart over the years. A dark shadow passes over Charles’ face. He appears to be dwelling on a very unpleasant moment in his life.
“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” says Mom. “Maybe revisiting the past like this can provide some closure.”
Charles looks at her, considers this for a moment, and nods. “You’re right. I shouldn’t look at everything in such a melancholy light. I should think of all the wonderful times I had with Frida. And there were many.”
Charles is recounting one of these times when my phone beeps. I take it out and immediately feel an incredible sense of relief. Finally, a message from Noah.
“Sorry, away on a mission, not in the city. Can’t really talk about it. I’ll contact you again as soon as I get a chance.”
I raise my eyebrows in surprise, stand up, and mutter, “I’ll be right back.”
Noah’s out of town on some mission? Images flash through my mind of him fighting the Tempes. Or is he out collecting the lastbreath of a dying person? A shiver runs up my spine. It must be a pretty serious operation judging by the cageyness of his message.
“Are you sure everything’s OK?” I write.
I’ve never known him to be so distant, and it’s not his style to write in such clipped sentences. He’s normally so honest and open. But I guess he’s never discussed his missions with me before. And I can’t be sure he would always tell me about them. Still, I have a feeling something’s not right. I stare at my message for several seconds, but he hasn’t read it yet.
A peal of laughter brings me back to the here and now, and I return to the kitchen to find Charles and my mother apparently enjoying each other’s company.
“Come on, I’ll give you a tour. And you can tell me a few more anecdotes about Frida.” She turns to me. “Get this, Charles almost set fire to the kitchen one time. He wanted to make Frida and another friend – what was his name again? Arthur?”
She looks to Charles, who nods.
“It was late, and they wanted to make omelets. But he put a kitchen towel down on the stove. It caught fire and voilà...” She points to a small burn mark on the kitchen counter. “...that was the result.”
