Page 108 of Dark Room Junkie

“Yeah ... uh ... Merry Christmas,” I replied somewhat awkwardly and watched her leave the apartment.

All of a sudden, I was alone in my new home. The living room seemed much smaller than I remembered. In the kitchen to my left was a fruit bowl and next to it a plate of homemade cookies. The scent they emitted awakened a feeling in me that I thought I had lost.

Family.

Shit, man! Don’t get sentimental now.

Famished, I opened the fridge. Luzia hadn’t lied. It was almost overflowing, and I was completely overwhelmed at first. Eventually, I just wanted to eat something. Then I remembered the ravioli Alex had made once. So I prepared myself a portion of those.

It was just noon when I sat in front of an empty plate, scrolling through messages, and one from Alex popped up.

“Hello! How are you? If you’re awake ... I’m still at a shoot. Will be home in the evening.”

“Risen from the dead,”I wrote back.

“The fridge should be stocked. Help yourself.”

“Already did. Thanks.”

“See you tonight then!”

I hesitated, but then I replied,“Looking forward to it.”

I sat at the table for a while, gazing out the window. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, and the sky was steel blue. Although my body still felt tired and sluggish, the weather tempted me outside.

I strolled along the river, inspired by the fresh air, and got an idea for a new melody. I hopped on the next bus and headed to the rehearsal space.

***

It was already dark when I got back home, and I felt a bit guilty. I hadn’t noticed how quickly time flew by; I had been so engrossed in my songs. And when I checked my phone at six o’clock, I more or less dropped everything.

Alex’s jacket was hanging in the wardrobe, and his shoes were there too, but there were hardly any lights on in the apartment. The lamp next to the darkroom door glowed red, so I went over and knocked.

“Come in!” Alex called out, which brought a smile to my face.

As I entered the room, I closed the door behind me and pulled aside the black curtain. Alex was standing behind the light console, appearing a bit awkward right away. Memories flooded back from the last time I was here. There were still three pictures of me sleeping.

“How are you?” he asked, coming around the light table.

“Good,” I replied, beaming. “Sorry, I was still in the rehearsal room and lost track of time.”

“No problem. I just got here.”

We approached each other, and I felt my heart beating faster. Was I nervous? After all, he seemed to be feeling the same way. And then there was that look of relief on his face.

“You’re looking at me as if I’ve been seriously ill.”

Alex forced a smile as he nervously ran his hand through his hair. “You were in horrible shape. You can’t imagine how glad I was that Luzia was here.”

Without much thought, I reached out and touched his cheek. “You’re cute when you’re nervous.”

His features contorted, and he paused. “Cute? I ... I’m not cute.”

“Oh yeah? But I am when I’m clueless?”

“You remember,” he muttered, feeling embarrassed as he tousled his hair again, which thankfully didn’t stay where he wanted them to.

Before he raked his fingers through his hair again, almost reflexively, I reached for his hand. “I like it when your hair is like this.”

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