This Winter

Chapter 9

Present

I'm hungry by noon and driving to an IHOP to eat pancakes and sugar. I wish I could find a local diner or some hidden gem in the town, but unfortunately we have nothing. A superficial town lacking originality.  The whole city is littered with fast-food and generic shops.

My eyes stare blankly at blue dotted pancakes drenched  in sticky syrup. It's boring eating alone, I'll admit. Over the years I had overcome the embarrassment there is when sitting at a table for two, but I've never sought contentment.

I sigh, digging into blueberry pancakes. Leaning back in the seat and staring into the open restaurant.

The place is vacant, besides employees, me, and a couple at the counter. A little girl with blonde pigtails stands behind the mother's legs, peeking out at me, as the waitress chats lightly.

I chuckle, waving to the child and flashing her a smile. She grins back and then hiding behind her mother's legs again, playfully.

I've always enjoyed children. Children don't gossip, they don't see race or sexuality. All they want is attention and love... And then they grow-up.

The parents turn around, following after the waitress. Blonde hair, green eyes. It's Savannah.

She spots me, sitting at my table with a plate full of pancakes. Her brow quirks as she briefly tries to recall how she knows me. Her mouth gapes when she does, eyes wide as she excuses herself from her family and rushes over to me.

"Ethan?" she tests. Hand resting on her larger stomach. Her husband looking over at us suspiciously.

"Yeah, in the flesh."

I never thought I'd ever see her again. She's older for sure, slight wrinkles near her eyes and I wonder if it's from the stress of a mother. Her face slightly puffier and stomach large with pregnancy. She's still skinny, like she's always been, but carries some extra weight for the baby.

"I see a lot has changed for you," I tell her. She smiles warmly, her eyes glancing at her husband and daughter, subconsciously rubbing her stomach.

"His name is Chris. We've been married for five years." I follow her eyes to her daughter jumping up and down in her seat, bobbing her head as she scribbles on paper. "That's Chloe," pointing towards the pigtails and laughing softly.

"She looks like you." And she does. They both have the same blonde hair and green eyes with long dark lashes.

"Oh, and this is Ashton," she nods to her stomach. "He'll be born in January. We've just now decided his name and I keep forgetting to tell people, but this is Ashton."

I nod my head and ask, "Do you live here again?"

"Oh, god no," she says dramatically. "Were just visiting my parents for Christmas.. That came off  a little harsh. Do you still live here? I didn't mean it like that-"

"I don't live here anymore. I came, because of um.. Noah's father." Her eyes widen a little bit, taken back by my answer.

"Oh, I-"

"Savannah, what do you want to eat?" She's cut off by her husband, yelling from the other side of the restaurant. She turns her head towards him and recites her order as I take another bite of sweet syrup.

She turns her attention back to me, running a hand through blonde locks, "Sorry, um.. I didn't know Noah still talked to you?"

I look at her strangely, not sure if I heard her correctly. Noah still talked to you. The way she says it, it sounds like she does. It confuses me, because I didn't know they kept in contact all these years.