I Was Holding The Bottle
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I was holding the bottle in one hand and staring down into the cold water, trying to focus on any sign of a reflection. My mind was racing. I had no idea what to expect or how long it would take for me to find her.
“What’s taking you so long? You said you’d have this done by now.” I heard the voice from behind me but didn’t turn around.
“It won’t be long now,” I replied. “Just give me a little more time. This is going to work.”
The voice came closer and then stopped directly behind me.
“You keep saying that, but we don’t know if it will actually work. How do you know she’ll come back?”
I turned to face him and he looked at me with those big blue eyes of his. It was the same innocent look I had seen when he first arrived here. He seemed a bit older now though. Maybe ten or eleven years old. He still wore the same white shirt and tie as always. His hair was a mess of curls, and his mouth remained full and pouty like a baby’s.
“She has to come back, Rolf. She just needs some time to understand everything that happened while we were gone.”
Rolf shook his head. “How can you be so sure? What if she doesn’t want anything to do with us anymore?”
I took another swig of the whiskey in my hand. “That won’t happen.”
Rolf stepped forward and grabbed the whiskey bottle out of my hand.
“You need to slow down and think about what you’re doing. You can’t afford to get drunk right now.”
I smiled up at him and shook my head. “I’m not getting drunk. Not yet anyway. But the spirits are helping me.”
He rolled his eyes and walked away towards the kitchen. I stood there watching him go until he disappeared into the dining room. The silence between us suddenly felt awkward.
“So, why did you come back?” I asked him quietly.
Rolf turned around again and stared at me for a few moments before answering. “I just couldn’t stay away from you, Jax. I needed to see you again.”
“And now you’ve finally returned. Has it only been a year already?”
He scowled at me. “Do you really have to keep bringing that up? I thought I made things clear last time.”
“But you didn’t say goodbye. We didn’t even say goodbye before we left. What does that mean?”
Rolf crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. “I wasn’t trying to hurt anyone. I was just scared, okay? I wanted to protect everyone. That’s all.”
“That’s not enough reason. You should have told them you loved them.”
His face softened and tears began welling up in his eyes. I moved to stand beside him and put my arm around his shoulder.
“I’m sorry, Rolf. You know how I feel about you. And I know you love me too. I wouldn’t have let you leave if I hadn’t realized that.”
He smiled and wiped the tears from his eyes. “I know. And I’m glad you knew what you were doing. I was afraid something bad might happen to us.”
“What did you think would happen? Did you believe she would kill us?”
He shrugged. “I guess I hoped…” He paused and then his expression changed to one of anger. “Well, never mind that now. Let’s go find her. If we don’t hurry, it will be dark soon.”
We headed up the stairs to my bedroom and I opened the door and led him inside. He sat down on the edge of the bed and waited patiently for me to finish. When I finished, he looked at me curiously.
“Why are you wearing that?”
“I’m not exactly dressed for company,” I answered.
“Company? Who else would be coming here tonight?”
I turned around and looked at myself in the mirror. I was still wearing my old clothes from the previous day. The jeans and t-shirt were wrinkled and stained. I had forgotten to change after our fight, but I had decided to wait until I found her to wash up. Now, it was too late. I looked down at myself and laughed.
“No one is going to recognize me anyway. Come on, Rolf, I’m ready.”
He stood up and looked at himself in the mirror. A thin layer of dust coated his clothes and he appeared much younger than me. He shook his head and walked over to me.
“Are you sure this is going to work? I mean…you’re not exactly looking your best.”
I grinned at him and winked. “Now you tell me. Why don’t you change and we’ll head downstairs? I’m sure they’ll understand. I’m sure they’re waiting for us.”
***
As we stepped outside into the cold night air, I could hear the sound of music playing somewhere nearby. The warm summer breeze blew through my hair and lifted it off my shoulders, causing me to shiver slightly.
Rolf smiled and pulled me close to him. It felt like I was wrapped up in a cocoon of warmth. I leaned against him and closed my eyes and listened to the soft melody of the song that filled the night.
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I noticed was the bright full moon hanging high above us. The sky was clear and the stars twinkled brightly overhead. In the distance, I heard laughter and the sounds of conversation as people gathered together in small groups, talking and laughing.
I smiled when I saw the familiar faces walking past us. They were all dressed differently, but I recognized many of them by their smiles or friendly waves. Some of the girls who worked at my father’s restaurant were carrying trays of food on their way to tables.
My mother was standing behind the bar, serving drinks to the customers. Everyone seemed happy and excited. The music drifted up from below. There was no sign of Sami anywhere.
“Where is she?” Rolf whispered in my ear.
“She’s probably in there with everyone else. She’s probably dancing right now. I’m sure she’s having fun.”
“I can’t believe this place has become so popular. I never imagined it would ever be like this.”
“It’s because of you. People love you, Rolf. And they love the food too. I’m glad you came back. I’m even happier that you brought me with you.”
“Me too. I wish we could have seen each other more often though. It would have been nice to see you grow up.”
“I’ve grown up. I’m an adult now. I can take care of myself. I don’t need you to look out for me anymore.”
“Don’t say that! I still worry about you. I worry that someday you’ll lose everything. I never want you to be homeless again. I won’t let anything happen to you, Katrin.”
I looked up at him and smiled. “Thank you. But I’m fine. I grew up fast. I’m stronger than most adults. You don’t need to protect me.”
“You’re just trying to get out of being my bodyguard anymore.”
I laughed and punched him lightly in the chest. “If I’m your bodyguard, then how come I’m not carrying a gun?”
He gave me a puzzled look and started to laugh. “I didn’t know you were a cop.”
“Maybe I should start wearing one of those badges on my shirt. Or maybe a bulletproof vest under my coat. Something like that might help.”
“Yes, something like that. Do you think you can handle a gun?”
“Of course. I’ve shot guns before. I used to hunt with my dad. He taught me how to shoot when I was really young. I killed lots of birds and animals. I even hit a deer once.”
Rolf whistled softly as we walked hand in hand toward the stairs leading down to the dance floor. He held my arm tightly and looked over at me.
“That’s awesome. So why are you telling me this?”
I shrugged. “I guess I wanted to impress you.”
“Impress me, huh? Well, I already knew you were special the first time I met you. Your father hired me to protect you, remember? That’s what I do. I keep people safe. I’m good at it, actually. I’ve kept a lot of people alive over the years.”
“Well, you haven’t protected me very well lately. What happened to your job anyway?”
He stopped and looked down at me. “Let’s talk about that later. Let’s enjoy ourselves tonight and see where things go.”
“OK. I hope we don’t run into Sami. I’d rather not have her realize I’m here. I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t approve of our relationship. I don’t think I could convince her otherwise either. She’s never been a big fan of mine.”
The End