"I want how it was before. I want it all with you in my life again... I'm asking you to stay."
Miles Cobain-Smith
An aloof and detached logician, he scrutinizes the simplest things through microscopic lenses. Academic validation, family expectations...
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"I woke up a while ago. I'm tidying up my room now. What are you doing?" Juliet says on the phone, brushing the pillows.
"I just came out of the shower. Uh... Juliet, I have to tell you something."
She frowns at the hint of hesitation in his voice.
"Yeah, what is it? Is everything alright?"
"I'm in Waterloo."
"What?!" Her eyes widen in shock as she stops what she is doing. "Are you joking, Miles?"
"No."
"How did you- Are you really here?"
"Yes."
"When did you come? Why didn't you tell me before?" She throws the questions one after another, dumbfounded by the sudden news.
"Well, I wanted to give you a surprise! I arrived like two hours ago."
"I can't believe this. You should have told me."
"It was kind of complicated. I couldn't tell you on the phone."
"Where are you now? Should I go there, or will you come over here? Do you want me to send you the address?"
"I will meet Maddie another day. Let's meet somewhere alone, not at home. I just want to see you now."
"There's a park near our house, five minutes from here. I'm texting you the address. I will be waiting for you there. Let me get ready quickly." Juliet says and provides Miles with the address before heading off to the bathroom in a hurry.
Putting on a long forest green sweater, she wraps a scarf around her neck and ties her hair in a ponytail. About to leave, Juliet turns around once more in front of the mirror and decides to wear some mascara and nude beige lip gloss, proceeding with her glasses.
She knocks on Maddie's mother's door and calls her,
"Aunt Shania?"
"Come in, Julie," comes from inside.
She opens the door a little to poke her head inside and finds Shania resting against the headboard.
"I'm going for a walk. It will be a little late. Don't worry."
"Okay. See you."
Juliet flashes her a smile before closing the door.
The cold atmosphere outside hits her face abruptly as she exits the warmth of the house. The air is covered in a sheer layer of fog, and the morning sun weakly breaks through it. As she starts walking at a slow pace, she finds leaves lining the damp sidewalks and streets, remnants of the colorful display marking the presence of autumn. Juliet remembers going for long walks in the hazy streets of Mahone Bay on autumn mornings with her father and sometimes alone in the afternoons. The streets would look like mountains of bright fallen leaves, and walkers would jog through the foggy pathways every now and then.
