THERE ...
Paige Page made herself comfortable under Sasha’s arm as soon as they got off of the bus. It was a place that felt like a long lost comforter. A place she absolutely belonged. There she was safe, as they walked through a somewhat seedy looking neighborhood early on Sunday afternoon. Over the last few days, she and Sasha had seen as much of each other as they possibly could, but they each had lives and families, so it wasn’t as much as it could be. She had applied for and gotten a job at a dressmaker in town called Platinum Pleats. For the first time in her life, she was being paid to sew for other people. She was going to begin on Monday and would have her evenings and weekends free for the summer. After that, she was promised part time work to accommodate her college schedule. Life on Alexandra was truly treating her right. But for now, she was heading to Coffee Ink, a bookstore new to her, but one of Seamus’s favorites. She loved books, although not as much as Iris did, if she thought about it. Apparently Seamus also loved books, which contrasted with the image he seemed to have honed for everyone else in the town. She thought about that as she watched him walking with her sister. The two of them made a great looking couple, she thought and they were as thick as thieves as well. She glanced over at her sister walking with Seamus and grinned, hugging Sasha even as they neared their destination. Her skirt today was a long handkerchief style of colorful patchwork. Every color was represented at least a little bit. Her blouse was a loose grey button up and on her feet were denim flats. On her shoulder was another of her handmade purses, this one patchwork which held various things including disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, tissues and other things. She had made masks for all of them and today was the first time they had worn them. Hers was a light shade of purple with an otter floating on its back. Just the look on Sasha’s face when they were getting ready to board the ferry as they started out made her glad of her decision and overnight mail was now her deity.
Seamus walked down the street with his arm around Iris, but he was also looking around the neighborhood he had not been in since he was 13 years old and his mother lived in Vancouver. The neighborhood had not changed much. It was still slightly seedy, although he felt safe enough. He was with the man who he had bonded with so swiftly it felt like they had been friends since the cradle. And he had a feeling of near invincibility in Iris’s presence. She understood him like no one else except maybe his family. The feelings he was experiencing were also like nothing he’d ever experienced. He was, admittedly a bit confused and even scared of the feelings, but he couldn’t keep himself away from Iris. She seemed perfectly happy to be seen with him on the streets of Alexandra as well, and he had noticed one or two odd looks from people even over the last few days. He’d never been seen on the street with the same girl for more than a couple of days in a row. But things had taken a drastic change and, scared or not, he wasn’t walking away from that woman.
As he approached Coffee Ink, he grinned and could feel excitement. It had been years since he had set foot on Coffee Ink and visited its owners, Armand and Diamond Severe. The Fog had kept him away and he had wondered if they thought he had simply outgrown their establishment. The last time he’d seen them it was to tell them that his parents were getting back together and he was moving back to Alexandra where he’d been born. He’d promised to return, but hadn’t been able to. So now, as he opened the door to the converted warehouse and stepped in, he worried only slightly, even as he looked around the plae. Since his last visited he’d found a love of architecture that made him love Coffee Ink that much more than ever before. For a warehouse, he thought it was beautiful. He double checked himself. Jeans and a black hoodie with black runners on his feet. His mask had been made for him by Paige and was basic black, matching his hoodie. When Paige had given it to him, he had been oddly touched that she’d made the effort.
As for Coffee Ink, it remained largely the same. Brick and glass. Fifteen feet from floor to ceiling on every floor. The floors were hardwood and on the first, second and fifth floor were polished. The third and fourth floors wood as dull and worn, but it fitted the books that were stored and sold there. While bright lights lit the first two floors, above that the lights dimmed and shadows loomed, especially on the fourth floor. Reading could still be done, but it was lighting that had been more popular in older days in older libraries. That floor felt as antique as the books it stored, mostly horror, occult and erotic works.
Diamond Severe was walking down the stairs and looking around the place. Being Father’s Day the place was actually relatively empty, not that that kept them from opening. People who loved books would always find them and they were opened every day with the exception of Christmas when it really wasn’t worth the hassle to unlock the doors. She scanned the floor below just as the door opened and four young people came in. One man with dirty blonde hair, to women with wavy black hair and a redhead. Stopping dead, she stared at the redhead as he looked around the place and then she began to jog the rest of the way. Her long broomstick skirt billowed out behind her, and her tight leotard type top clung to her full figure. On her wrist were bangles of both wood and metals and they sounded like a strange kind of music. Her hair was bushy and dark brown and her smile was nearly ear to ear. She wore a Coffee Ink mask, which was coffee brown with their logo of a steaming cup beside an open book.
“Seamus? Seamus Reinhardt?” she knew it was him and she walked quickly up to him. He had his arm around one of the small raven haired woman, but he removed his arm and hugged her. He’d grown over the years into a tall man.
“Hey Diamond.” Seamus hugged her tight, her greeting assuring him that he was welcome.
A voice called out from the back of the store. “Did I hear the name Seamus Reinhardt?” and from the back of the well lit rear came a man who was tall and painfully thin. He was dressed in a black suit with matching black shirt and tie. Of course, his shoes and socks were also black. From cuffs and collar came his incredibly pale skin. He didn’t get out in the sun to tan. On his head grew long straight black hair secured with a copper colored coil. He almost gilded but joined his wife, who backed away from Seamus so that he could offer his hand to shake. “The Runes said someone would return to us today.” he also wore a Coffee Ink mask.
Seamus took the hand as soon as Diamond let him go. “Hey Armand.” he shook his hand firmly.
Armand nodded at the firm handshake. “You’re a man now, I see. It’s been nearly four years .. you look good.” he looked around. “And an offering of new customers. Grand!”
Seamus smiled and motioned to the people with him. “This is Sasha Beaulieu. My best friend. His girlfriend Paige Page and my girlfriend, Iris Page.”
Sasha was loving everything about this double date already. The ferry and bus rides were full of hilarious banter with the four of them, despite having to have masks on. Paige had made masks for each of them though so theirs were extra nice. She had even made special ones with others for the two of them, their inside joke that they shared with their friends to a few groans and chuckles. Sasha noticed Iris had one with dark green satin or something like it with a black lace overlay. Seamus’s was more plain in a black that was the exact same shade as his hoodie as if it had been planned that way. He was standing now with Paige, his arm around her shoulder and hers around his waist. They fit so perfectly it felt cold when they walked apart. Sasha was wearing a dark blue grey t-shirt with the Manitoba Moose logo on it and a pair of faded jean shorts with his usual black and white trainers.
This neighbourhood was really interesting in every way. Someone had called it seedy and he could see aspects of that but he also saw its beauty growing through like the dandelions reaching for the sunshine from the cracks in the sidewalk. The Coffee Ink bookstore was like something from a Harry Potter film. It was just impossibly cool. As they went in Seamus was greeted by the owners and he introduced them, in fact introduced him as his best friend. Sasha beamed at Seamus. They hadn’t talked about it but yeah, that’s what they had become. They had shared everything from hockey catch ups to the secrets of their budding new relationships to deconstructing each of their theories about Star Wars. Now Sasha steps briefly away from Paige and extends his hand, in turn to the woman and then the man who Seamus called Diamond and Armand “Hello nice to meet you both. This shop is spectacular.”
Iris marveled at how much she truly enjoyed being with Seamus. And there was no catch so far. He wasn’t married and he knew her real name and her real life and she had let him in, completely, almost completely. He hadn’t met Lacey, her erotic fiction blog persona, officially. But she was ready to make that leap with him this week. She had just posted The Steamer story there she had written for Seamus so it would be an easy conversation in that way. She had introduced it with a different twist: Dear Eliza, today I’m going to share a story with you that I wrote for someone who’s become very dear to my heart. Our usual correspondence will resume post haste. Enjoy. Yours Truly, Lacey.
Iris’s work at the library had been fantastic, with the exception of yesterday but she was letting today shake that one off. And now she was being introduced to Diamond and Armand. They were a striking couple and both gorgeous and fascinating looking humans in their own delightfully less than common ways. Seamus also just called her his girlfriend. Her heart filled at that word from his lips. She was his by any name he wanted if she was being honest with herself. It was beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Iris was wearing a cropped black cardigan in a lighter knit today over a dark green velvety dress that was sleeveless to not be too warm. She had on a pair of black sheer stockings with a little lace design on them that of course were held up by black lacy garters that perfectly matched her underwear but the dress was to the knee so that wouldn’t be known by anyone but she and Seamus, although perhaps her sister suspected, knowing her well. Her shoes were simple black Mary Janes today as she knew she’d be walking lots. She had a small black purse slung across her body as well with her usual kit inside as well as her phone, keys and cards.
Iris watched Sasha step forward to engage with the proprietors first. She looked at Paige and smiled. She had never seen her sister so happy with a guy, in fact she wasn’t sure she'd seen Paige this happy since before the accident at the stove that caused her burns. She had underestimated Sasha Beaulieu as a cute but dumb jock and she had never been so glad to be wrong for Paige’s sake. As Sasha stepped back Iris followed suit and offered her hand to shake. They had all used the sanitizer at the door in the era of Covid and there were others around the store she could see.
She also reached out to Diamond first “I want to move into your shop and live here forever…..this is like something I’ve dreamed of. I can be useful. I’m halfway educated to being a full librarian.” She jokingly offers. But the bookstore was truly the stuff of her dreams. Iris was in heaven. She did of course shake Armand’s hand after too.
Paige stepped forward in her turn to shake hands with the Severe’s. “I love your clothes, Diamond.” she couldn’t help but compliment them. But she was also looking around the bookstore. “And this place is … amazing …” she stepped back to Sasha’s side, still taking in the place with wide eyed wonder.
Diamond shook hands and looked them all over. “Well any friend of Seamus’s is a friend of ours.” she proclaimed. “Times have changed, but this store is still basically the same.” she motioned about. “Modern, trendy, current books of all genres flood the 1st floor, along with a dedicated cafe with excellent coffee, fresh teas and pastries baked fresh. The 2nd floor holds older books. Pre 2000. Again of all genres. On the third floor are even older books, and mostly in the horror, occult or erotic genres. However the fourth floor holds the oldest books as well as a collection of rare, strange and a section dedicated to the erotic and occult.” she raises her brows above her mask to look at Seamus. “You’re old enough now to go up there now,” but her eyes were twinkling with unspoken words.
Armand stepped back with his wife and let her do most of the talking. But at the end, he chuckled. “And not have to sneak past us.” He finished for his wife. Then he turned to the group. “Please feel free to enjoy our store.” he tells them. “Any and all floors are open for you. Today is a light day, so it’s good to have some life in the place.” he paused and nodded. “We won’t keep you, but Seamus .. leave your current information. Now that you’re back, we’ll be wanting to keep in touch.” and he nods to his wife and they head towards the main check counter.
Seamus watched the whole group with a smile. He’d really missed this place, he realized as he stepped into it. When Diamond and Armand mentioned his love of the top floors, he had to laugh. “I was a curious kid … what can I say.” he didn’t deny sneaking up to read when he was a regular there. He nodded to Armand. “I definitely will. Thanks.” he turns to the others. “Um … This place is gigantic, but fun.” he grins at Paige. “Sewing books and stuff are probably on the first or second floor, but they might even have more someplace.” he shrugs. “If we get separated, we can meet back here in … two hours?” he suggests.
Sasha smiles gratefully at Diamond and Armand “Fantastique...thank you.” He grins at Seamus pointing Paige in the direction of sewing books and then looks at her “Can I tag along on your sewing research? I’m curious about that tea leaf reading thing but I’ve also never had one….” He looks thoughtful. “If they still do those…. And yes two hours back here regardless.”
Iris looks delighted that Seamus snuck up and read erotica and occult when he was younger in here. She remembered what he had said about the 4th floor and tried not to let the anticipation shine out from her face like a beacon. She wanted it all though, fun with Seamus upstairs and hours of browsing at all these books in whatever order it all happened. She chuckled at Sasha “You better go with her or she’ll just get lost in them all.” She teases her sister.
Paige sticks her tongue out at her sister as if they were kids again. Then she turns to Sasha. “I’d love to check out the books. See if I can come up with ideas for patterns or even patterns themselves. Well probably not because this isn’t a fabric store, but …” she reaches for Sasha’s hand. “We can start at the bottom and work our way up?” she suggests.
Seamus chuckled at Iris’ excitement and Sasha’s interest in the tea leaves. He puts his arm around Iris if allowed and will lean into her. “Bottom to top, or top to bottom?” he asks her how she’d like to tour the store. The top may involve a … delay .. in their tour, but he already knows that she knows that he will try something risky.
Sasha laughs at the sisters back and forth and agrees with Paige “Yes work our way up…” He holds her hand and will start winding with her through sections looking at things. Sasha will get distracted briefly by the humour section and read inane quotes to Paige and laugh and laugh and then stumble into the kid’s section and grin like a muppet as he holds up a story book about an otter. He’ll insist on reading it all to Paige out loud. The otter, named Otto swims around the river looking for a friend. He meets a girl otter named Octavia and they swim off together on their backs holding hands, mating for life. It’s a little kid’s book so they don’t use the word mating but it’s a sweet story. In the same section he’ll find a whole treasure worthy area of books and toys related to a pirate story series for girls “Hey Paige….does your family know about this? This strikes me as something Thea would like...unless she’s only a part time pirate. Pirate Annie and the Hidden Treasure…..Pirate Annie and First Mate Zuri….” He flips through the second book “Oh Zuri’s from Africa...that’s cool…” It’s books and dolls and full on playsets.
Iris waves at Paige and Sasha as they wander off and then answers Seamus “Well considering they just decided on bottom to top, maybe we should go top to bottom so we don’t, cross over before we’re ready to…” She leans back into him as well and gives him a light kiss “If that’s ok with you…” She whispers. And then if he allows she’ll spot the elevator and lead him to it.
… AND BACK AGAIN
Iris and Seamus have gone up and down the bookstore in all ways possible. As they got to browsing, she told Seamus the whole story of her awful day at the library with Mrs. Norris as a volunteer. To make her feel better, Seamus told her the story of Mrs. Norris going on about how Seamus’s brother Logan and his boyfriend Kurt were going to hell and then the most delightful part of it where his sweet little grandmother stormed up her front steps and punched the woman in the face.
Seamus taps his card to pay for his book. Armand puts it in a bag and hands it over. “Thanks, Armand. And I promise not to be a stranger .. if I can help it.”
Armand gives a deep chuckle. “I understand.” he tells the young man. “You just do your best. I put our card in your bag. Email or I can’t be responsible for Diamond showing up on the island looking for you.”
Paige walks up with her armful of books and a toy and sets them down. She looks at Armand with something akin to apology. “I get a little carried away.” she murmurs.
Armand shakes her head. “You’re fine, young lady. You’ll have to come back and finish your list. Give me your phone number and we’ll start an account for you keeping up with your purchases .. in case you accidentally try to make the same purchase twice.”
Paige blushes, giggles and gives her number.
Iris was about to line up with her 1920s lingerie picture book when she suddenly had a pained look on her face and her hand went to her abdomen “Dammit….Seamus could you hold this for a sec please. I just need the bathroom…” And she hands it to him before he can reply either way and takes off.
Sasha is lined up with Paige to pay for the otter book and does so after thanking both proprietors genuinely “This is a wonderful place you’ve got here. We’ll be back for sure. And thank you so much for the readings….they were amazing.” When his turn comes up he pays and takes his bag. Then he turns “Where’d Iris go?”
Diamond comes up behind Armand “I will Seamus...I will.” She mock threatens. Then she beams at Paige and Sasha “You kids come back too...I’d like to see how that reading pans out….”
Seamus takes the book and opens his mouth to reply. He watches her walk off, looking thoughtful, then laughing at Diamond. “I know you will. Diamond. But you don’t have to wait for me to fuck up to visit, you know.” he grins and looks at Sasha and Paige and their interesting books.
Paige looks at Iris’s retreating back. “Ladies room.” she explains, almost primly. “She’ll be back in a second. She looks at Seamus and shrugs. “Why pick a lane when you can drive all over the highway?” she laughs.
Armand adds Paige to the registry and checks Sasha out. “Now where’s the fun in that, Seamus?” he teases, and simply waits for Iris to return.
Iris curses herself in the bathroom stall and sends off a desperate text to her sister SOS I need some supplies please. Help.
Sasha just nods about Iris and then smiles at the rest of the conversation “You should come to Alexandra. It’s a wonderful place. So friendly.”
Diamond snorts “All over the highway. Well we’ll think about it for a day off.” She winks at Seamus.
Armand points at Paige. “I like how you think.” and he looks at his wife. “A day off? Well, you MUST have missed our young friend here.”
Seamus grins. “You had to miss me. I missed you guys. Man I missed a LOT about the mainland.” he doesn’t get into the Fog, just in case. But if anyone would understand, it would be the Severe’s.
Paige smiled at Armand as her phone chimed. She looked at it, then put it away. “I’m going to go to the ladies room too before we head back.” and she too is off without another word. She rushes in and picks the stall beside Iris, going in her bag and sliding over a neatly wrapped pad. Then she lifts her own skirt to pee. “So did you have fun … nearly two hours and only one book apiece.” She has a smile in her voice. “Or did you pick the first two you saw? No … the books seem to be you two .. so what happened?” the sisters could chat on a toilet as easily as a couch.
Sasha knew why Seamus hadn’t been back, the unbelievable but for him so believable story of the fog. The longer he lived on Alexandra, the more sense it all made. He smiled at Armand and Diamond and then his best friend, getting why he didn’t mention it. Paige’s phone had chimed and then she ran off to the bathroom after her sister. It was abrupt but he figured practical before the way home. He had gone part way through the end of their browsing and was still ok. Plus there were bathrooms on the ferry.
Iris heard the bathroom door open and hoped to god it was her sister. When the stall beside her had an inhabitant and the pad slid under the door she exhaled “Holy shit...thank you. I didn’t even notice the signs this month.” She took care of the necessary details while they talked. Iris giggled “Yes we had fun….a lot of fun.I swear mother nature is punishing me for it now.” She blows out a breath “Are we THAt obvious?” Then she revealed something that had shocked her to the core “Paige, Seamus knew. Seamus knew about Lacey. I didn’t tell him. He was already a reader. I had no idea. I posted that story I wrote him...and that was the tip off….what...the...fucking...hell?”
Paige chuckles. “You’ve been a little distracted this week.” she reminds Iris. “And you two haven’t seen you two look at each other, Iris. You both cover well, but I know you, at least.” and then she gapes at the Lacey revelation. “So … small world? He isn’t angry, is he? Of course he isn’t or you wouldn't have been up there all that time. Are you upset about it? I mean .. what did he say? It better not have been anything … stupid.” she knows now that Seamus isn’t the dumb jock, even if he pretends he is, but she wanted to be sure.
Armand watches as the guys are left at the counter alone. “They always travel in packs.” he murmurs and in advance ducks his wife’s swat.
Seamus chuckles. “Always better with a friend?” he quips.
Sasha snorts “Seamus, are you asking me to take a leak with you?” He pretends to look touched by the idea and then cracks up “That came out sounding bad…” He laughs some more.
Diamond just rolls her eyes “We travel in packs to plot how to continue our domination over the males in our lives.” She smiles sweetly at her husband and the two young men “Now you know.”
Iris sounds like she’s finishing up “Oh I know….” She laughs “How do we look at each other?” Then she exhales “No...he wasn’t stupid. He was brilliant and amazing and…..” She breaks off before she says loving and flushes the toilet before the stall door opens and she heads to the wink and washes her hands, her eyes for some ridiculous reason filling with tears again today. Maybe it was her damned hormones.
Paige finishes her pee, wipes and flushes as she listens to her sister. She comes out to wash her hands and shake them looking out the side and seeing Iris. “Oh …” she looks at her and opens her arms for a hug.
Seamus snorts at the reason they travel in packs. “I know. Mother, sister, sister's best friend always hanging around.” and then Sashs speaks up and he snorts. “You only have the one brother. I have two. That’s toilet, sink and bathtub … just don’t tell my mother. I just got out of the hot water with the parents.”
Armand looks at his wife. “Please don’t kill these young men, dear. They are valuable customers we would hate to lose because they know the secret.” he deadpans.
Iris hugs her older sister and dissolves into tears, which is truly uncommon for her. She’d creid over their mother of course, Devon for a while but then hardened but never a man she’d only known for a short while. She was not typically a crier. “Oh what is my problem Paige? I got all weepy with Seamus earlier too…..must be the hormones. Did you have fun with Sasha?” She lets go and wipes at her face, trying to pull it together.
Diamond cracks up and leans up to kiss her husband on the cheek before giving the cash desk and debit machine a little standard disinfecting.
Sasha looks at Seamus dead serious “You don’t want to pee next to Rene...his aim is terrible….” than he chuckles “What did you do? Was it the job thing before they said yes?”
Paige is pretty sure she knows the answer,but she also knows Iris might not be ready, illing or able to hear it. She hugs back, though. “I did. We got a rune reading and a tarot reading … and he found a new set of pirate .. everything … for Thea.” she gushes. “It’s funny … both of the readings were positive, but I don’t think that Diamond is a charleton. And man oh man did I get bowled over by those feelings for him. I mean I know we just met but it was so powerful .. like being hit by a train.” She says it both because it's true and because she knows her sister feels the same way for Seamus. Or it seemed like she did.
Armand watches these young men and looks curious at Seamus. “You? I thought you were the platinum child. Could do no wrong.”
Seamus winces at the warning about Rene. “If I have to take a piss with someone I’m not related to, it’s you, man. Every time.” he mock punches him in the shoulder and then sighs looking at Armand and Sasha. “It was more how I got the knowledge I needed to work at my job .. starting with the tree onwards …” he looks at Armand. “I work in a sex shop now. I’m not thirteen anymore.”
Iris lets go, doing better with Paige talking about her stuff now. “Runes and tarot? Nice! I’ll have to do that next time. Oh my god pirate stuff. Do you mean that girl series? I saw those too! I’m sure I’ve seen one of two of those titles in the library.” She listens to her sister talk about getting bowled over by feelings and the whole train reference and inhales and just nods “Sasha is a pretty amazing guy. I’m sorry I ever underestimated him Paige. I know it’s soon….but if you know you know.” Iris knew too, even if she couldn’t admit it yet to Paige, Seamus or herself. “OK I need to go buy my book and we better make that ferry.” She gives Paige a genuine look of affection “Thank you for the rescue. I love you.” And when Page is ready she’ll walk out and up to the conversation still in progress and take her book from Seamus with a little kiss to his cheek before she puts it up on the counter and finds her bank card “Sorry for the wait...I’ll take this one please.”
Diamond looks tickled pink about where Seamus works “Oh my….you have grown up. Good for you.” She just giggles now.
Sasha jokingly puts his hand on his heart at Seamus’s if I’ll pee with anyone not family statement and then nods about the sex shop. He knew all this but it was amusing to watch it be told. Then he notices Paige and Iris returning and smiles, ready to make his way home after a highly enjoyable day.
Paige sighs. "You have an unfair advantage working in the library." she laughs. "And it's alright. I underestimated Seamus. He really is great." and she dries her hands and heads out with Iris
Armand arches his brow. "Yes, I suppose he has." he grins and takes the book from Iris, ringing it up and bagging it. "You guys have a safe trip home."
Seamus rolls his eyes at all of them. He is rescued by Iris returning, taking her book back and kissing him on the cheek. He watches her take the bag and he takes his. "I'll keep in touch. I promise." and he'll certiainly try.
Diamond watches them all walk out of the shop and lets out a sigh “Been awhile for that boy. I like who he came back to us with. Good kids Armand. Funny how life brings them together…” She grins and then pulls her tall pale man to her for a tender kiss as the rhythm of the slow day in Coffee Ink gears down to a lovely lull for them.
The bus was packed but the ride was blessedly short. In no time at all Sasha was walking hand in hand with Paige and not intentionally leading his group to a section of seats together on the ferry. The masks were back on and they could only see each other's reaction from their eyes and eyebrows. Sasha turned to Paige as they sat down and wiggled his mouth side to side, making his otter do a little dance. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket but took it out slowly, in no hurry to check it.
Iris was looking a little worse for wear after the bus as her cramps really kicked in. They had all been standing on the bus and she had had to twist herself awkwardly to keep her hand hold on the bar above which had not helped the rolling pains in her lower back calm down at all. Now she gave a little grunt of discomfort as she settled in beside Seamus across from her sister and Sasha. Sasha was clowning around which she hoped would take the focus off her. She didn’t want to put a damper on things. She sat up tall and then rounded her back, trying to casually stretch things out without making a big deal of it. She gave a half hearted chuckle at Sasha’s antics.
Paige was mildly uncomfortable standing on the bus. Her period was annoying on the worst day, and she knew she was very lucky for that. She giggled as the otter moved, but had a half eye on Iris, knowing she was in pain.
Seamus enjoyed the outing. He’d never been on a double date before and even his single dates were less than mindblowing in his mind. But the day had gone well, he had surprised Iris with his knowledge and pleased her on a ladder. Twice. But now she seemed a little restless. He thought about it and her behavior reminded him of Fiona when she got her period and got cramps. Being her little brother he could do little more than walk around all the proper eggshells and pray he didn’t take the wrong thing out of the refrigerator. When she got with Vincent, he and Owen had warned him how Fiona could be and Vincent had explained that he would bring her tea and massage her lower back. Now he watched Iris and thought back to the words of his now soon to be brother in law. They were in the middle of the ferry, by the stairs and he didn’t want to leave her in pain for tea, but he could give her lower back a massage. As he laughed at Sasha, he turned his body sideways and motioned for Iris to turn away from him. If she does, he will use both hands on her back, using his strong thumbs to try and work away the pressure. If she doesn’t move he will only use one hand to massage her back.
Iris noticed Seamus motioning at her and gave him a mildly irritated look at the request at first but then complied. He had done a lot for her today, and really all week in so many ways and she was aware her pain was starting to make her a little grumpy. She wasn’t going to take it out on him. As she turned in the direction he motioned she felt his hands come onto her lower back and begin to massage her exactly where she was hurting. She could feel the strong thumbs of his magic hands and her eyes went wide before she had a look of visible relief and then she turned her head to look back at him, fighting tears again but mostly winning so far as she whispered “How did you know?” with a look of what could only be described as love and gratitude in her eyes.
Sasha noticed the scenario unfolding between Iris and Seamus and gave them a sweet look. What a nice boyfriend his buddy was. He was thinking maybe he should offer Paige a massage too and follow the trend when his phone chimed again in his hand and he finally read a string of texts from his mother. His face went from confused to truly weirded out as he leaned forward and scrolled “Merdre….(shit) you guys aren’t going to believe this…” He said with a breathy laugh. But he was still reading more before he explained.
Paige watched as Seamus began to massage Iris’s lower back and Iris’s look of utter relief and love. She looks over at Sasha to see if he is witnessing this wonderful at when he pulls out his phone and swears. “What is it?” she asks, confused.
Seamus sees her look, but only smiles as he leans forward to murmur. “My sister becomes a serial killer every 28 days. Before she got engaged to him, her boyfriend told me he survived by giving her tea and lower back massages. I didn’t want to leave you for tea, but I can do this much for you.” He never stops his attention to her back as he looks over at Sasha when he swears. “What’s up?” he wonders curiously.
Sasha shakes his head at his phone and looks between all of them “I wouldn’t trade this day for anything but it’s a tiny bit weird I’m missing the first one of these since moving to BC….Alexandra just had a little earthquake. Mere has given me a whole play by play…” He holds up his phone like it’s a novelty because for a kid from the prairies a minor earthquake is truly a fascination.
Iris kisses Seamus’s temple while he’s still close enough for her to do so “I like your sister already, and this fiance of hers.” She laughs out. Then she looks at Sasha and smiles between him and Paige “Oh yeah that’s new for you. We got them in Victoria too, just really the shoot hang onto your coffee cup ones….every now and then with a tsunami warning….but not like the big one…” She feels about ten times better from the magic of Seamus’s hands.
Paige looks at the messages from the phone. “Yes. They break a few dishes and that’s about it. Nothing to worry about.” she keeps watching Iris, who looks a hundred percent better already under Seamus’s massaging fingers.
Seamus smiles and makes a note to tell his sister about Iris when Sasha mentions the earthquake. His jaw drops and for a minute, there is panic in his eyes. “Fuck.” he grabs his own phone and looks at it. “Fuck, my battery’s dead. Shit.” he then turns towards the window, from which they would usually see Alexandra once they approached it. He seems to be looking for .. something. “Shit. How far out are we?” he wonders looking at Sasha, his blue eyes looking as if he's just barely holding it together.
Sasha’s eyes go wide at Seamus’s shift in demeanor “Hey man….Seamus…..you ok?” He offers him his phone “Do you need to call someone?” He’s not quite sure what;s going on but it seems the dead phone is part of the issue.
Iris feels Seamus move away from her and turns around to look at him just as he starts swearing. She forgets any pain she was feeling, and just focuses on him “Seamus?” He looks so upset suddenly. She reaches to try and take his hand “Hey…” She says softly.
Paige blinks when Seamus starts searing and scanning the windows. He looks upset, and he doesn’t understand why. An earthquake and not even a big one. “Seamus?”
Seamus grabs Sasha’s phone and stairs at it. “Fuck … I can’t remember anyone’s number.” iris grabs his hand and he hands Sasha his phone back. Again, he looks out of the window but the skies look clear. He looks at Sasha. “I told you about the Fog, man.” He reminded him. “Shit … Logan was the one cut off then … what if …” he can’t make himself finish that sentence. But Logan had spent three years almost thinking they might all be dead, his mother mourning her son. He squeezes Iris’s hand, trying to calm himself, but his hand is shaking.
It comes together for Sasha at the word fog and his eyes go wide “Oh shit….you don’t think…” He looks at his phone “K wait Seamus, you said no internet…..no texting right? No phones?” Sasha is scrolling through the timestamps of his mother’s texts. “This last one was like 4 minutes ago….” He moves to Seamus, squatting in front of him “Breathe ok? I’m going to text her and see if she texts back?” Sasha types away on his phone and then watches it. A few minutes pass and nothing happens.
Iris keeps holding Seamus’s hand and feels it shaking. She exchanges a looks with Paige like what the hell and then Sasha seems to be reacting too and comes over to squat by Seamus talking about phones and texting. Seamus had talked about Logan getting cut off. “Seamus, what’s going on?” She asks kindly.
Paige stares, incredulously when the talk turns to the Fog. She looks at Iris with a shrug and Sasha moves to try and comfort Seamus. He talks about what Seamus had told him and then looks at him. “Sasha, what's going on?” Seamus looks on the verge of a panic attack.
Seamus is trying to calm down and be logical. Sasha comes over and tries to text his mother. “Fuck.” he groans when his mother doesn’t reply. He looks out of the window again and suddenly can’t remember if the ferry approaches Alexandra head on or not. He begins to hyperventilate a little. He can’t explain anything right now.
Sasha looks at Seamus helplessly as his mother seems to be taking forever. This could be bad. He’s starting to feel a bit stressed out too but he hasn’t lived through what Seamus has so he’s keeping it in check. When Seamus sounds like he’s beginning to hyperventilate he stands up and pats him on the back “Shit….put your head between your knees Seamus….Iris….help him...I have to tell you girls something and it’s going to sound fucking insane….”
Iris looks at Paige in alarm now and then nods at Sasha and slides her hand up Seamus’s back to his neck trying to ease him forward. Sasha knew something something about Seamus….”OK, is this some kind of mental health thing?” She just outright asks. “Seamus it’s ok…..we’re here for you…”
Sasha shakes his head and waves his arms to indicate no at the same time “He’s not having a breakdown….well” He looks at Seamus “He could be but if so it’s justified….In 2017 Alexandra had an earthquake, a bad one, not like you had on Vancouver island….then there was this...they call it the fog. Yes this is the crazy part. The island got cut off from the whole world for three years...everything, no coming or going, no phones, no internet...like it didn’t even exist. Then….it came back just before Covid. Before you tell me I’m full of shit...think about how self sufficient Alexandra is...maybe you don’t know itm but they could survive without anything imported, because they had to….” He’s about to keep going when his phone chimes indicating a text. Sasha clicks and reads and smiles “Seamus, she texted back “Sorry my darling, you wouldn’t believe the state of some people’s molars…” He reads aloud. “She was just working on someone’s cleaning….” He shows Seamus the text and the time and then underneath it shows she’s still typing.
Paige watches in disbelief, which only gets worse when Sasha starts to explain the fog. She knows Sasha to be honest, even if it has only been a week since they met. “But how Sasha …” she blows out a breath. There was a greenhouse in the back of their house. It looked like most of the plants had died from neglect and her father was amazed at how cheaply the house sold. “I’m not saying it’s impossible but … Alexandra …” She slows her speech because Alexandra was different. It was hard for her to explain and right now she couldn’t really think.
Suddenly the P.A system cracked to life. “Now arriving at Alexandra.”
Seamus allows himself to be pushed forward and it does make him feel a little better. He hears Iris and Sasha and Paige. He sits back up a little when Sasha shows him his mother’s texts. He sits up more as Sasha explains the Fog. “It sounds crazy, but it’s true. That's why we’re so self sufficient. Solar power, wind power .. the Farm. Every restaurant damn near has its own greenhouse.” He tries to concentrate on that. “My mother and grandmother thought my brother was dead because he was stuck on the mainland. Hell maybe we all did.” Then he hears the PA announcement of Alexandra come and he sags in relief. “God …” he tries to stand. He wants off the ferry and on the island.
Sasha sees the looks of confusion as well as concern on both Paige and Iris’s faces “I have heard this now from more than one local….it’s weird but it’s all true.” He reaches to steady Seamus if he needs it. “Still deep breaths Seamus….” He looks out the window “I see it…...it’s ok.” He reassures like someone truly counselling a friend through a genuine trauma.
Iris takes it all in. What Sasha said, Seamus and even Paige’s hesitation. The library…..it had such an old school system. She had thought Zeno was a bit of a fossil sometimes but he was also so computer literate. It struck her as odd but she just thought he was a quirky guy. Plus Zeno had said some really intense things about the 2017 earthquake that made it sound like a way bigger quake than she would have assumed for this part of B.C. The greenhouses, Buni and all her local teas…..Seamus was trying to stand and Sasha was reaching to steady him. She jumped to her feet and put her arms around Seamus’s waist, sliding one of his over her shoulder if she could do it. Then Sasha said he saw the island and she saw it too, hoping this would finally calm Seamus. She had never seen him like this. He was stoic like she was.
Paige watches Sasha and Iris trying to calm Seamus and she joined in. “Look Seamus. There’s Alexandra. Look and then .. we’ll all be home. Together.” she stood and grabbed her bag.
Seamus feels the physical and emotional support of Iris and Sasha. He turns his head and sees the island. He blows out a breath. “I see it ..” his voice is gruff, but steady. “Come on … let's go…” and with their help, he starts walking towards the stairs. By the time they’re down the ferry has stopped and a couple cars are already driving onto the street. He hears a car horn blaring.
Kaitlin Reinhardt was watching the ferry dock and the second it did she began to scan the people disembarking. She sees a tall redhead and hands her phone to her companion, Father O’Keeffe and runs towards him. “Seamus!”
Seamus barely has one foot off the ferry when he is nearly bowled over. He glances down and sees his grandmother .. all five foot of her hugging him like she hadn’t seen him in … years. He hugs her back. “It’s OK, Gran.” he shifts into a soothing mode.
Kaitlin is crying hard and hugging him tightly. “I thought. We thought. Your mother … Oh, Seamus!”
Liam is standing nearby, looking at Kaitlin’s phone and thumb typing on it.
Seamus sort of duck walks his grandmother over to Liam. “I’m sorry Gran.” he tells her. “My phone died.” he looks up at Father O’Keeffe.
Kaitlin sniffs and looks up. “Your …” and she backs up and hits him in the arm. “Don’t let your phone die while we all think you're stranded on the mainland! We thought you were like Logan!” and then she is hugging him again as if afraid to let him go.
Sasha follows behind Seamus until he’s connected with his adorable and distraught little grandmother. Then he hangs back a bit and goes beside Paige and slips his hand into hers, hoping she just accepts all of this like he has. He exhales and looks at her and then over at Iris.
Iris is in Seamus’s wake but at a respectful distance when things start to happen with what she soon understands to be his grandmother. This woman is clearly distraught and acts like she almost lost him. The reality of everything she’s just heard starts to solidify for her and she understands why Seamus was so upset. She watches Seamus with his grandmother. Seh swats him even and gets mad about the phone charge running down. There’s another tall red headed guy in tow, another relative maybe? She can’t help but look at the island with a bit of new wonder. What kind of Twilight Zone had her family moved into?
Paige watched as the little old lady hugged, cried and chastised Seamus. It was both hilarious and heartwarming. She noticed another redhead nearby, but his hair was a different shade of red. She takes sasha’s hand and hovers nearby.
Kaitlin sniffs and pushes herself away a little to look up at Seamus, cupping his face in both of her hands. “Well, I guess you’re home, then.” she blos out a breath. “Father O’Keeffe, could you….”
The tall redhead steps forward. “I’ve sent a text to everyone in your family, Kaitlin.” he reassures her. He looks at Seamus. “Welcome home, son.”
Seamus laughs a little at his grandmother and, when she finally lets him go, he automatically reaches for Iris. “Yea, Gran I’m home.” he looks at Liam. “Hey father O’Keeffe.” His grandmother still looks shaken, so he decides to distract her. “Gran .. this is Sasha Beaulieu, my best friend. His girlfriend Paige and.” If Iris took his hand he will pull her closer and looks at her with love. “My girlfriend Iris Page.”
Kaitlin’s hand is at her chest and she is regaining her breath. Being introduced to people brought out the hostess in her. She began the rounds. “Hello Sasha. I’ve seen you round town I think. And Paige, what a lovely name.” she looks at Iris and suddenly blinks. “Your GIRLFRIEND?” She looks a little shocked and then smiles as if she’s won the Irish Sweepstakes. “Oh, hello Iris. Seamus’s girlfriend. Well now I can die a happy woman.” she looks between them. “Now could you make sure he keeps.” she hits Seamus on the arm. “His.” she hits him again. “Phone.” and again she hits him. “Charged.”
Daisy Dale is making the rounds with her little rolling laundry bin. There are a few places that have a regular contract with the laundromat for uniform services and such. She comes out of a shop right by the ferry dock, off to the side after exchanging clean for dirty and sees Seamus exiting the ferry. It’s the first time she’s spotted him from less than 2 blocks away and her heart stops. His grandmother runs up to him and hugs him and the two have an exchange, Behind Seamus are some other people, a boy with dirty blonde hair and to her great irritation, Iris Page and what looks to be the other sister close to their age. However the sister is holding hands with the other boy while Iris is waiting and watching her Seamus interact with his grandmother. Then the trio move forward and Seamus’s reaches back and takes Iris but the hand. She watches this part closely and sees Seamus look at her, with love. It’s the only word she can think of since he said he didn't love her and she’s never seen that look before. He loved Iris though. Daisy abandons the laundry cart at the sidewalk and runs the other way around the shops towards the beach in tears.
Sasha hovered with Paige until it was clear the conversation with the grandmother was calming down and then he steps close with Paige just as the taller redheaded man says he’s sent a text to everyone in the family, the Reinhardt family. Seamus introduces him again as his best friend to the grandmother “Very nice to meet you Mrs. Reinhardt. Yes I’ve seen you too.” He gives a respectful nod to the priest because he heard seamus call him Father o”Keeffe. Then Sasha has to crack up at the grandmother’s reaction to Iris and her repeated swatting and insistence about the phone.
Iris moves forward but a little timidly until Seamus reaches for her hand. And then she takes it and sees his look and it makes her melt a little. She returns the look. She had heard the grandmother call the tall man Father in the church sense and then he sent a text to everyone in Seamus’s family. Damn this fog thing was legit. His whole family. Then Seamus introduces her gain as his girlfriend to his grandmother. The shock is a little jolting but then the woman seems truly overjoyed and Iris can’t help but smile. She then starts hitting Seamus about keeping his phone charged, tasking her with the job of making sure it happens. She felt touched to be asked and vowed she would. When she's done Iris extends a hand “It’s so very nice to meet you Mrs. Reinhardt.” She recalled the story Seamus had told her earlier “I work at the library and had a very annoying day yesterday care of one of our volunteers trying to steer our storytime to ehr agenda...Mrs Norris? I told Seamus about it and then he told me a fantastic story about you and Mrs Norris and I just have to say...you are absolutely my hero and the bravest woman on this whole island. You, simply rock.”
Paige watched all of the interactions and smiled at Seamus’s grandmother. “A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Reinhardt.” she replied and leaned into Sasha, watching it all. The priest informed the whole family and the grandmother’s relief was so sincere it made Paige almost misty eyed. She leaned into sasha and put her arm around his waist.
Seamus both winced and smiled when his grandmother started hitting him as he told Iris to help him keep his phone charged. It meant that his grandmother liked Iris. Her reaction to his having a girlfriend at all amused him. Granted, he had never had one, so it made some sense. Iris talks to her with admiration, but Sasha laughed at him, earning a casual middle finger tossed over Seamus’s shoulder. “Am I forgiven, Gran?”
Kaitlin smiles at thes young people, but especially at the Iris girl. So pretty, but this girl was Seamus’s girlfriend. “Oh, thank you, iris. And oh that Ursula Norris.” she narrows her green eyes. “She doesn’t like my family one bit and the feeling is mutual.” she scoffs. Turning to Seamus, she reports. “Everyone is fine. Logan, Michael and your mother were all called in to their jobs. There were a lot of panic attacks. Your father is at the plant making sure that the quake didn’t damage anything. Oh it was so frightening. Father O’Keeffe was by my house when the quake hit and he’s been a godsend.”
Liam chuckled at the word choice. “Well, it sort of comes with the clerical collar.” He looks at the four of them. “I don’t know most of you. I’m Father Liam O'Keeffe .. I am not related to the Reinhardts .. I’m just another redhead. Jesuit priest living here on the island now.” he looks at Seamus. “I am glad to see you alright, Seamus.” he repeats.
Kaitlin is still looking at Seamus with a grin. “Well more than half the town is in an uproar. Now that I know Seamus is alright I should feed you kids over at my place. Father O’Keeffe, you too. I have corned beef and potatoes on the stove. I hope you kids didn't eat the food on that ferry.”
Sasha slides his arm around Paige’s shoulder. He snickers when he sees Seamus flip him the bird and fully laughs when Iris mentions the story about Kaitlin Reinhardt and Mrs Norris. He wasn’t sure how much Paige knew about the woman so he gave her the abridged version, leaning down to her “Seamus’s older brother has a boyfriend, there’s an awful old lady down the street, Mrs. Norris who’s every kind of bigot and homophobic. She said the brother and his love were going to hell so Seamus’s sweet little granny over there punched her. I think we should accept her offer of corned beef and then wash all her dishes.” Sasha made a mental note to connect with this priest and send him his mother’s way after greeting him kindly. He wasn’t french but he suspected his mother would still be delighted.
Iris instantly adored Seamus’s grandmother and even liked her friend the priest. She hoped she didn’t have to convert to make the woman happy one day. She shook her head around at the thought. She was letting her brain wander way into the future. She heard all the names of the family and how they were coping with the quake. People on this island would surely be shaken. In fact she did notice some other intense looking reunines on the docks. She held Seamus’s hand all the tighter. She accepted the offer of supper from Kaitin as did Sasha and her sister Paige. Alexandra was full of beauty and danger, so it seemed was her heart right now. As full and conflicted as it was she could be sure of one thing. It belonged completely to Seamus Reinhardt.
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