Glass Hearts || Noah Sebastian

16.

My hands flip through the old plastic pages of the album. The smell of age in the air as the dust kicks of and floats around Noah and I, who sit on the end of my dads bed. Going through old boxes he had stored in the back of his closet for god only knows how long. The plastic sleeves filled with decades worth of memories. I can hardly recognize the faces photographed, grandparents from generations back memorialized in a single shot. A life I haven't the slightest inkling about, captured on film for me to gawk at years later.

   "Who's this?" I ask my dad, who's across the room sorting out a shoebox full of old papers.  He cranks his head to look at me as I hold up the open book and point at a picture of a young girl with long hair, it's breezy. You can tell by the way her golden locks move away from her body ever so slightly. Her deep brown eyes are fixed on the camera lens as she holds a puppy up against her face. Smiling ever so slightly as the young Canine presses against her cheeks. As soon as my dads blue eyes land on the photo in question, his face falls. Eyes glimmering with somberness as she drops his task at hand and walks towards us. Mouth fallen open slightly as his hands come up to grab ahold of the book in my clutches.

  "Oh my god" he whispers. Shaking his head and pulling the photo album closer to view it more properly.

  Noah and I both stay silent as we watch my dad take in the picture. Unreadable emotion playing on his face as he stares, a whole different lifetime flashing through his eyes.

  "This" he begins, turning it around so we can see the photo again "is your mom"

  I nearly gasp at the revolution, hand coming up to up over my mouth. This is my first glimpse of my mother; not being able to pull any recollection of her from when I was but only two. Noah scoots closer to me, placing a comforting hand on top of my own that's pressed against my dads blue duvet.

He knows just how to be there for me, even if in only the smallest ways.

  "She was about 16 here. I got her that puppy as a birthday slash first year anniversary gift. I didn't even know I still had this" he's breathless by the end of his statement, clearly taken aback.

  "Woah, that's your mom? She's kind of hot" Noah remarks from beside me and I can't help but roll my eyes at the hormone filled 14 year old's comment.

  I give him a swift elbow, chuckling as he grunts at the impact.

  "I haven't seen her face in years"

—

   Noah and I sit in the otherwise empty booth, side by side. Waiting for Robyn to arrive. It took me two full days to actually respond to her, and a few more after to come up with a clear plan. A few more days followed until she was able to catch a plane out here. It's been a grueling week, and now that we sit here anticipating the woman of the hour to arrive I debate just leaving.

  "You okay?" Noah questions from beside me, head dipping down to my ear so I can hear him properly over the music that plays loudly through the drive bar.

  "I don't know" it's vague, but honest. I can't tell if I'm okay or not and it's even harder to put those feelings into words.

  "Fair" he responds as the waiter approaches our table.

  We give him our drink orders, Noah getting a jack and coke as I order a vodka soda. Double.

Our refreshments arrive quickly, only a matter of ten minutes as we continue to wait for her to approach. I down my drink faster than I want; nerves burning with eagerness. I debate on leaving by the time I order my second drink and it arrives to our table. Just when I am about to tell Noah that I am ready to go I catch a glimpse of long dull blonde hair in the corner of my eye.