Page 43 of Wandering Souls

Their waiter appeared with a large, oval-shaped plate and set it in front of Ray. When he’d said afullEnglish breakfast, Abi hadn’t realized the plate would be entirely hidden under the mounds of food. As she eyed his slices of crispy bacon, the waiter set a large bowl of porridge in front of her. Filled with an array of juicy berries, a second, smaller, bowl appeared.

“Thanks,” Ray smiled up at the kid.

With a tip of his head, the young man bent to set a bowl down for Bruce, then left them. Abi immediately lifted a bright red raspberry and popped it in her mouth. The succulent fruit burst, it’s tart yet sweet juice tingling on her tongue.

“They look delicious,” Ray noted.

“So does your bacon.”

He chuckled. “I’ll trade you.”

Now that was a deal she couldn’t pass up. After securing a piece of the bacon, she dropped more berries into her porridge, smashing some of them against the side of the hot bowl and then mixing them into the oats. The swirl of red from the raspberries, blue from the blueberries and purple from the blackberries through her cereal made her mouth water.

“I’ve never ever before been jealous of porridge,” Ray hummed. “You look well practiced at that.”

Abi filled her mouth with the hot, gooey mess and closed her eyes.Delicious.Memories of her childhood with Margery at the stove stirring a big pot of oats in milk roused nostalgia in her heart. The woman had a talent for cooking. She could make anyone like something as mundane as porridge.

“It was something my mother taught me,” she explained, opening her eyes and offering him a spoonful. Watching him enjoy her concoction made her smile.

“That is good.”

In response, she snapped the crispy bacon into two pieces and ate one. The salty tang caused her belly to grumble. They laughed and got serious about finishing their meals.

“This,” she said, motioning to their comfortable, leisurely atmosphere, “was never really something we had. There was always the threat of insurgents, mortar rockets and suicide bombers. Being hyper vigilant takes its toll.”

Ray leaned against her. “This must feel like a dream.”

“It kind of does. This might sound bizarre, by I almost miss the sounds of choppers flying in and out of the base, the constant radio chatter and the daily briefings. It’s like there’s a purpose. There are chores to perform every day, routines to carry out and threats to assess. You forget that’s not actually normal.”

“I suppose it is, for that part of the world.”

His perspective impressed her. “It’s also hard to stop.”

Ray nodded, set down his knife and sipped his coffee. Staring off into space, he seemed to be remembering something from his past. A desire to know gripped her hard. He said he’d come from the city. What had made him choose a small, isolated country town?

“Ray?”

He blinked and came back to her. “Some police stations are non-stop chaos. Controlled, but still hectic, where there’s never a dull moment. Between organized crime, gang violence and gruesome murders, there’s no sitting around twiddling your thumbs. Wills Crossing isn’t one of them.”

“You sound glad about that.”

With a nod, he smiled. “I am. I’m not saying it’s like a war zone or anything, but it can trigger PTSD, encourage insomnia and fuel nightmares for years. Stepping out of those stations and into family life can be quite a challenge.”

“Is that why you came here? To escape the sleeplessness and trauma?”

One of his shoulders lifted in a half shrug. “I was assigned to protect a ten-year-old boy. I stayed because I found a community I wanted to be part of.”

She thought back to the townsfolk who greeted Ray on their walk from the Showgrounds. Their smiles and kind eyes welcomed and accepted. He’d become one of them simply by doing his job. She felt a spot of envy bloom inside her, recognizing her own need to feel wanted and to be needed. Such needs weren’t met on military bases, at least, not beyond her required skills and acquired knowledge. Only Marco called her Abi. To most, she was simply Second Lieutenant, and to a select few, Winter. Anything more personal than that was frowned upon.

The defense force formed its own community and while there was a sense of comradery, it was laced with ever-present danger, which did nothing for her emotional wellbeing.

“Abi?” He studied her with curiosity. “You okay?”

“This is a very different world, Ray. One I’m starting to like.”

~

“What was she like?”

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