ss for short [1 - 10-8-2020] - cliche

"was the road unsafe?" emilia asked.

"it was, but nothing we couldn't handle." I answered shortly.

it's been almost a month that we've gone like this, over this. the story that's been the singlemost thing she's shown interest in.

we were a good team.

"we still are." I held her hand as she stared off vaguely to the distance in the direction of a setting sun. among the many we've shared together. thirty years earlier and I wouldn't have believed it. what a cliche. she smiled.

I loved to see her smile.

"tell me more about that one time we've been at malborn... was it? john?" I've waited for her to become a bit more lucid before speaking.

"I miss my mother. it's been so long since I've seen her."

"your mother is always there with you emi. she's always been. you just cannot remember her now. but she loved you, and I love you too."

"I miss her john."

"she's gone by emi, don't worry, she'll be back soon. soon we'll go see her."

"I hope"

"you are a good friend john. even when she left, you always carried me around like some squirt. but I'm older now, we need to go find her, I can handle myself! you know that idiot ben has been nothing but causing trouble for me. so I dealt with him! you should've seen his face!"

"yes! he looked like he was bit by a giant bumblebee!"

"pfftttt! hahahaha! yes, that's right!"

"what a sorry ass he is. oh, you know he has grandkids now? and they all adore him too! he sent you a gift card last season, thanking you for getting his ass beat. haha! sure have taught him a lesson!"

she gave me a doubtful look.

"what are you talking about john? as much of a lecher he is I doubt he got anybody pregnant."

"sure did. and that beauty of his is real cute too. almost felt sorry for her, until I realized she gives him the same sort of trouble he gave you. bullying 24/7. real crazy one she is!"

she waited a bit before the realization hit.

"hahaha! a bloody gift card! haha!"

"you humbled him real good! got a sense to talk before trying to reach for where he shouldn't. ughh. gross motherfucker."

her vacant look in her eyes returned, and finally she remembered.

"malborn..."

"we went looking for your mother when it all went down..."

"we went looking for her?"

"yeah, we went on the road. there was some crazy spy shit, and some assassination. maybe even the occasional explosion or two."

"we actually went?

was the road unsafe?"

"yes, but nothing we couldn't handle." I squeezed her hand a bit more tightly. "nothing at all."