Right Into Place

Fifty-Seven

Vannie told me she kept coming in during Thursdays, even before I came around. When I was gone, she hung around. I asked what she does and the answer was she buys dolls sometimes and that was it.

And no surprise that I did not know.

That's the thing with Taylor, I still don't know a lot of things about her.

A month ago I heard that she was in Nepal. Just a week after, I heard that she was in Russia. A few days ago, I heard she was back in Manhattan. Then time came and went, I heard a load of things, that she's dated someone, that she's seen carrying a baby girl.

I could only smile about how her life was going. She deserved a happy ending, and I know that. Regardless of our unhappy ending, I wanted her to have a happy one.

As time went by, I've gotten used to the life of being Queens. I was alone but it had been great. I got my old car shipped all the way and I could drive around town once again. I made a couple more adjustments so I could be completely comfortable. I asked Vannie to switch places, I take care of the counter, she goes with her brother on the second floor and the good thing about Vannie is, she's grateful and she doesn't complain.

The quick revolution of my life was rather enjoyable. Things were calmer than they were before and I enjoyed them. I'd play the music boxes on slow days, giving the toy shop a musical, tranquil aura.

I've never felt much more contented.

All the missing pieces are back. . . apart from one.

I've just gone out from a visit to Cara when I got back to my shop. I went to the basement immediately seeing as it was a slow Autumn day, children have school and adults have work. I read through my dad's journals, getting to know him a lot better with every word.

The '89 journal was special, I still crack up with dad's horrible jokes.

If back then, I would be considered ungrateful, now I couldn't leave the basement without telling my dad how grateful I am. He didn't give me the biggest business, the wealthiest shops and everything else. . . he showed me how he looked at this place, he left me the world and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

"Thanks, dad." I looked around the basement again and making my way out. Everything about this place has my father's name. Like he said, he's with me every step along the way. This was my place. I'm sure of that now more than ever.

I walked back to the counter, planning to fix a certain music box I got that was a bit broken when something else caught my eyes before what I intended to see did.

There was a coffee cup on my counter, it isn't hard to tell that it was black. My lips were into a thin line as I fixed my glasses and walked towards it. It was slightly estranging in a nostalgic way though I haven't even checked it. There was a blue sticky note attached. . . saying:

Nice to have you back

It doesn't take a genius to know it was Taylor.

I glanced at my watch, looking at the day and it's a Thursday, confirming that it was actually Taylor. No one else does this anyways. I looked up, my eyes scanning around the toy shop but she wasn't there at all. I can't see a drop of sunshine so I thought I should ask Vannie since she's upstairs.

"Thanks, love," I whispered as I took that coffee cup and made my way upstairs. Vannie wasn't there so I walked down again. It seems that the people I was looking for are missing today. I should be seeing them easier, the shop isn't even crowded.

As I walked downstairs, I saw her from the corner of my eyes. It took me a while but I knew it was Taylor, staring up at the shelves stacked with dolls. They were almost like the ones she used to buy.

Of course. I should have expected that.

I pushed up my glasses and placed the cup on my counter. I made my way towards her, she didn't know I was, her back was facing me. Yet, when I was already at her side, she heaved a sigh.

"You came back," she commented, voice serene as ever. The dreamy atmosphere came back and, well, it was nice to feel it once again.

Before, I never really thought we'd have a situation like this again. I thought I would bump into her from time to time but meeting her like this was sort of strange.

I nodded. "How did you know I did?"

She pursed her lips, I wasn't looking directly at her but I was sure she was. Even by facing the shelf, and just glancing to my side, I'd easily see her.

"The counter was full of music boxes."

I looked back on the counter. Oh. It was.

"Do you understand this place now?" She asked, never letting a second of silence come over us, lest I might remember that we aren't even supposed to be talking. Who cares? There's no universal law that says I can't talk to her.

I nodded. If she meant the magic, how it contained the world, I understood. Thanks to my dad. All the rest of the pieces I needed for my life was returned. I felt more contented with it.

"Yeah," I answered. Then I asked, "How are you?"

She took a deep breath. "Great, I guess. You?"

"Never better."

It was comfortable. Even with the silence between us, I never felt more comfortable in my life. Whether she was talking or not, things just seemed at ease.

"Thanks for the photographs by the way," I said, remembering about her photographs pasted on the window.

"It was nothing."

Silence again. I remembered her letter saying that she wasn't good with words when she's around me whereas I was not good with words at all. Silence was just too inevitable between us and it was strange.

I should just ask her questions, who she is dating, if she really already had a daughter, her trips outside the country but I didn't say anything. I was enjoying the silence between us because it was easing, it was almost like living in a peaceful dream and I loved every second.

Again, after taking a deep breath, Taylor said, "I want to take you somewhere."

In which, I genuinely responded, "What?!" I heard it right, I just wanted to know if I actually heard it right.

She didn't repeat her statement. She raised her hand slightly as if to say I should take it. I probably shouldn't. I didn't move, I looked straight but I knew what she was doing. I tried to distract myself, my heartbeat rising because suddenly, nothing is going the way I planned.

Then, Taylor asked one thing that brought it all back. . .

"Is your hand still open to hold even if I did let go?"

Here we go again, the charm in her voice, the sweetness, and the softness. That was my statement. It might have been years but I never forgot that, when I said it and how I did. Slowly, my lips formed the usual smile.

One heartbeat, two heartbeats, three heartbeats. . .four. . .

Checkmate.

∞