Beyond the end

The silent hour

London
JT picked up Brenda at the airport. The air was cold, twisted, sparkling. In full weather pre-Christmas.
"So?" He greeted her gently.
"Then, painful," she said, "but this time I did what I had to do."
"I'm happy," he replied.
SHe returned to her apartment which smelled clean and was perfectly tidy.
"You know I care," JT revealed to her, "I've come to fix it all the time," he smiled, "I missed you."
"Me too," she replied. They hugged tightly.
JT didn't even know how much Brenda needed that place, him, to take back her world that she had cut and sewn on herself.
SHe put down her suitcases but had no desire to get rid of them.
"So how is old and dear Los Angeles doing?"
"Never as old and dear as London," Brenda replied, "I have a lot of things to tell you."
"I have to review a restaurant this evening, let's resume the old habits?"
"Yes," she replied, "returning to what I built is only good for me."
"See you at eight?"
"Yes."
JT gave her a kiss on the forehead. She perceived Brenda's subtle pain, but also an extraordinary and new force that she carried with her and that fortified and walled any crack.
"Will he come back?" JT asked before closing the door behind him.
"I don't think so," she said.
"I meant Brandon," he smiled mischievously.
She lit up and threw a pillow behind him just in time for him to close the door. It was nice to go home. It was always nice anyway. SHe called his brother, warned him that she was fine and that she was in his apartment.
"I'm fine, I'm leaving too." Brandon Said.
"Kel?"
"Ahh little sister, don't ask me, the same answer you would give me."
"You should talk to her."
"Why?" He sighed.
"Because it doesn't make sense what you're doing."
"Are you preaching to me?"
"It may be, but don't leave without saying goodbye, it's not fair."
"You left without saying goodbye."
"I didn't say goodbye to you, because it's never a goodbye for the two of us, but Kel and Dylan I said goodbye to them."
Brandon was surprised and surrendered.
"I'm not like you."
"It's true, you suck," Brenda laughed.
He laughed too.
"Do what you want but sooner or later you will regret it if you don't say goodbye."
"I don't know what to tell her."
"Yet you're good at words."
"Not that good, of course."
"You'll find the way. Now I'll leave you, I'm going out with JT..." she said.
When Brandon hung up, he held his phone in his hand for a little bit. Open on KEL. She had called a couple of times but he didn't answer. A pretext in those days. A losing war with himself.
He changed the name on the address book. A quick finger gesture.
"Hello?"
"Dylan."
"Hey, you're resurrected."
"Do you want to go out tonight? Me, you, Steve and David."
"Fantastic."
"Good."
Before returning to the hotel and getting ready for the evening Brandon enjoyed the fiery sky on the beach. He was waiting patient. He watched people throwing sticks at dogs. People dived into the rose of the evening that they kissed.
He missed that place. Those afternoons had filled his lungs. He felt his belonging. Mute. Stainless. Deep.
When he turned around, he saw her walking towards him.
Blonde hair uncombbling by the wind. The kind smile. The urgency of being with her.