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“Let’s just… Exist together.” Tabitha said with a tired smile, and half lidded eyes. You don’t know if it was the excitement and worry of spending the whole day looking for Stella, almost dying at Doctor Kelly’s home, or maybe it’s been there since the day Tabitha picked you up from the bus station, but you leaned forward, closed your eyes, and softly pressed your lips to Tabitha’s lips. Your mouths were a little cold, both from the ice cream you were just eating, and the autumn bite. They were also a little sweet. You always wanted to poke fun at the fact that Tabitha, a woman who was so bitter, enjoyed something so sweet.
You pulled away, smiling from the thought, and when you opened your eyes, you saw that Tabitha’s smile was gone. She looked shocked, but not upset, not entirely. Her wide eyes darted around the kitchen, trying to find a place to look at that wasn’t you. You blushed, and you could feel your heart pounding in your ears. You were terrified that Tabitha was going to scream at you, kick you out, ban you from the funeral, the only reason you were here at all, the only reason you knew about Tabitha. You were about to apologize, but before you could, Tabitha stood up.
“It’s late. We should go to bed.” She said quickly as she rushed through the kitchen, leaving her empty ice cream carton and dirty spoon on the counter. “Good night. I’ll see you in the morning.” Tabitha added before she left the kitchen. You heard her hurried steps up the stairs, and then a door slamming shut. Now, it was just you, alone, with the buzzing of the fluorescent lights up above to fill in the void Tabitha left.
You were finally doing it, you were getting to know Tabitha. You were actually bonding. You wondered if maybe you ruined it, ruined your last chance to know and connect with someone from your family who wasn’t just your mother, may she rest in peace. Though, maybe you didn’t ruin it, since you’re still here. Tabitha’s words of ‘I’ll see you in the morning’ still hung in the air, and that gave you some hope that Tabitha didn’t hate you.
Ruined or not, you still grabbed Tabitha’s freshly used spoon, and slid it into your mouth.