The Loving Silence

Chapter 43

Arlo left the car and walked ahead toward the old building, while the others followed him close behind.

Even though Penelope was only twenty-odd weeks along, she was carrying low and had begun waddling slightly when she walked. It might have something to do with her hips, but her pain wasn't too bad, she she didn't mind it.

Everyone at the restaurant thought it was rather adorable, but they were careful not to say that in her presence. She had never been okay being called cute, as she saw it has being belittled, even if that wasn't the case. What with her hormones now running the show, she was more likely to get upset and no one wanted that. Rick agreed with them, of course. She was strong, beautiful, adorable... In his eyes, she was a walking miracle right now. A goddess and a gift for carrying their child. He marvelled at every new thing they found out. Every new thing they experienced.

It was actually Rick that had made most of the purchases thus far. Penelope had had all day-morning sickness for weeks, and until she found a herbal medicine that helped, going anywhere in a car was out if the question.  Standing upright was enough to make her queasy. Today was a good day for her though, and for that she was glad. She would not have been okay with missing this.

Arlo was wearing an onyx v-neck with a brown, light parkas over it.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

They knocked on the door, but there was no response. They half expected someone to be waiting on the other side of the door, but that wasn't the case. Arlo was bold and opened one of the doors as the other was locked.
In front of them laid a long corridor, but no staff was seen.

"It's cold in here, isn't it?" Arlo pointed out.

"Well, it's not open anymore. There's no heating, no electricity. It's bound to be cold." A voice coming around the corner said. "Though this has always been a cold place, in every sense of the word. I'm glad they decided to tear it down."

An old man walked up to them. He had his hair pulled back with brylcreem with a few stubborn curls that had escaped on each side. The top of his head was still covered in hair, though it could have been a well-planned combover.

"Jeremiah Shaek" He said and nodded once to each of them. "Now which of you two would be mr Spring?"

Arlo's heart somersaulted in his chest. He wanted to ask the man what he meant, but he wasn't sure he should.

"Neither." Rick cleared his throat. "My name is Rick. This is my wife Penelope and this here is my colleague Arlo Best."

"Aha, I see. I was expecting a mr Spring and a... let's see here" he pulled out a note and a pair of reading glasses that he perched at the tip of his nose. "Ah yes, here it is. A mr Spring, a mr Loris and two gentlemen both with the surname... A father and son, I believe. Mica Aphelion and Skyler Aphelion."

The old man nodded to himself as he flipped through his calendar, trying to make sense of it all.

A woman walked down the hallway. She was wearing a tan suit jacket with a cinched waist and a matching pencil skirt, black pumps with a rounded toe and a low heel and on her finger, she wore a gold wedding band with a white crystal in the middle. Surrounding it were smaller stones, one black and one emerald green on each side. Her hair was silvery grey and put up in a tight hairdo that was unlikely to come apart even if she fancied running laps in the hallway to pass the time.

"Mr Shaek. Doctor."

"Mrs Wilkins." He blinked, as if her not so sudden appearance left him surprised. "Might I trouble you?" He asked and handed her the note and his small leather calendar.