Like Real People Do - Jill Roord

Just This Once

Hunter's POV

Katie was the one to eventually convince Nana to get back in her wheelchair, coaxing her down with the promise of speeding off to the bus ahead of everyone else to get the best seats. Of course, they did exactly that. 

Once the rest of us had gotten to the Arsenal bus, which Joe had insisted we took, Nana and Katie were sitting smugly in the favorite section; I'm not sure why it was so heavily preferred, it just had a good energy. 

It wasn't long until we arrived back at the house; it had been Nana's request for the game night and finally, for the first time, she would be involved in the actual games. 

I dryly chuckled as we pulled into the driveway, Jill just looked at me, asking what was so tiringly humorous, "Haven't seen this place in forever," I sighed, being away from my own house for so long had been strange, to say the least. 

Jill looked down, sending me a small smile, "Tonight will be nice," she told me, completely diverting the topic from the idea of that disgustingly soulless hospital to the brightness of tonight. Jill had a knack of pulling us from the darker roads, she seemed to follow the blue sky and then the sun would always shine through.

I nodded, "Yeah, it will be."

Right as I opened the door, I could smell something in the air, a familiar yet unknown sweet smell.

"Am I truly going insane or can everyone else smell that?" I asked, peering back to everyone who was following in behind me.

They all nodded their head, furrowing their eyebrows and trying to pinpoint the smell; none of them could.

Alexia had this knowing smile on her lips, playful almost, "I think it might be coming from the kitchen," she suggested.

I rolled my eyes, "Well you'd think that, wouldn't you?" I replied sarcastically.

Alexia narrowed her eyes, "I do think that," She assured me.

I chuckled, "It's sarcasm Lex, maybe you'll get used to it one day," I patted her on the back.

From the corner of my eye, I saw her and Jill make eye contact, I looked to Jill and saw her shaking her head slightly, warning her that she never would understand the beauty of British sarcasm.

"I don't like you two being like friends," I told them, feeling ganged up on. 

"Aw she's just teaching me about everything I'll never understand in England," Alexia laughed.

Jill nodded, "It's true."

"Now go and check in the kitchen," Alexia told me as everyone else trailed into the living room.

I huffed, turning around and making my way to the kitchen, the smell only getting stronger until I finally put my finger on it. 

Torrijas.

I furrowed my eyebrows slightly, wondering how fresh torrijas had ended up in my house until I opened the kitchen door, stopping immediately in my tracks as saw that unmissable half died hair. 

"Mapi?" I questioned, wondering how she was here. My entire body and mind sort of paused, trying to process the facts but they still felt like fiction, the line between proving reality from fantasy wasn't quite clear.

Mapi turned around, looking a little wide eyed until a grin fell upon her face and a laugh from her mouth, "It's me!" She announced with those childish jazz hands.

"I can see that," I chuckled, my lungs feeling chocked, pulling Mapi into a hug, yet still unsure if she was there or not, "Just how are you here?"

"Seasons over and I promised Alexia I'd fly over soon as the final whistle was blown," Mapi told me, she always sounded so genuine and open that I couldn't help but feel at ease. Mapi was my best friend, she always would be, and whenever we were together, the world didn't feel so big because now everyone that mattered to me was here, in England; I didn't have to dream across the oceans and think of other countries because there was no one more to keep my mind on. My mind was quieter.