The World We Once Knew

by Trahan, Leeaja

  As she passed, Dane caught sight of Quinta's earrings. Surely, he would have noticed if she had them on before, right? The way she looked distracted him and he admired how such simple earrings enhanced her beauty.

  With an exasperated sigh, Addie grinned up at Dane before she lifted herself on her tip toes, “I think she really likes him she just doesn't want to admit to it.” She whispered in her brother's ear.

  Dane tried to wrap his mind around the possibility of Leon and Quinta. Even though the first time at the beach he noticed Leon's attraction did not settle right with him. Now, because he knew Quinta's disposition on this man, he found the pairing quite comical.

  Unable to hold back his thoughts, his tone was tight and on the verge of laughter, “W-wait, Quinta and Leon?” He muttered back to Addie.

  Dane pushed his fist to his mouth to stifle his laughter while Addie nodded, “Yes! Can't you see it? Don't worry, matchmaker Addie to the rescue!” She finished. Pulling away, Addie's mouth dropped and she hurried over to the television she'd overlooked, “What is this?! Oh, my goodness we even have vintage movies!” She sang out. “Now I know what we're watching tonight. A nice romantic tragedy.” Addie squealed out.

  She waved Titanic over in Leon's direction before she turned to Quinta and did the same thing. Addie's eyes gleamed as she looked between her friends. Leon was a strapping and handsome man even through the weird, fly-away hairstyle he insisted on. Quinta was physically pretty with a sweet interior beneath that hardened exterior. But beggars could not be choosers and they would be perfect for each other with a little push. Addie adored the thought of a “project” now and the desire to have this happen amplified now that they were all under the same roof again. Smiling to herself, Addie turned around and placed the movie away from the others. She wanted to make sure to save that one for tonight.

  Dane would simply watch and enjoy the catastrophe of Leon and Quinta being forced together unfold.

  Quinta, on the other hand, was not impressed to share tonight with someone who had so easily given her up for dead. A man she considered a friend at that. Rolling her eyes away from Addie, she shook her head and waited for Dane to see what they'd have for lunch. Leon took a glance to Quinta only to receive a dark and disdainful look from the islander.

  He deserved that.

  Leon sat straight and said the only thing he could think of, “Good afternoon, Quinta. It's nice to see that you're doing well.”

  In an instant Leon's lips went tense because he did not expect such pleasantries from the woman across from him. Quinta sealed the bowl of chicken with a pan top and made room in the fridge for it. Kicking the doors shut, the hairs on the back of her neck rose at the sound of Leon's voice.

  Stopping mid stride, she flicked her glance out of the window, “Yes, it's nice to see da light of day again. Especially when, in dif'rent circumstances, me would be a walkin’ corpse before blowin’ up in smoke and fire.” She started as heavy sarcasm dripped from her words.

  Addie rolled her lips in before she cleared her throat and released an airy, yet nervous, laugh, “O-oh Quinta, you have such a sense of humor!” She said.

  Quinta cut a glance over to Addie for a moment before she shook her head and tuned into Dane. Dane silently shook his head with a broad grin at Addie who tried to save face in the wake of Quinta's comment. Leon was a bit thankful that Addie decided to jump in and tell them what to watch tonight.

  Leon pointed to the pile of movies, “Sounds good, why don't we do Forrest Gump for now? I love that movie.”

  Addie popped in the movie Leon requested. Her eyes grew wide as she sat on her knees and watched the severely old, outdated previews of other movies. Though to them they were new, refreshing, and amazing. The sound was a little warped in the beginning only to correct a few moments later. But even that didn't deter them from the screen.

  Approaching Quinta in the kitchen, Dane pulled an oval loaf of bread from a bread box he'd bought and manually began to slice pieces off for them.

  Pointing to the fridge, he thought it was about time to distract Quinta from Leon, “Grab about two tomatoes from in there and the lettuce too.” He said to her.

  Dane oiled the warm pan before he began to toast the bread slices. Grabbing what he told her plus an onion, Quinta placed the vegetables on the wooden surface. She reached for the knife holster which was hidden behind one of the flaps of her dress, on the side of her leg. Rinsing the blade off, she cut through the tomatoes and onions with a speed that showed just how skilled she was in the kitchen. Looking to his side at Quinta, Dane felt a smile of belonging and comfort creep along his lips.

  “I'm sorry about lunch being vegetarian, I could only afford to please for dinner and like hell we were going to eat canned meat.” He commented to her in a playful manner to break the tension.

  Quinta reached over Dane's space to grab another metal bowl and pushed the ingredients together within before she began to hand-toss them together, “Yuh fine. Growin’ up on da island I would take food fresh like dis any day of da year.” Quinta replied to him.

  Turning her attention back to the fridge, Quinta glanced over the contents before she noticed lemons. Her hip bumped the door shut again before she cut and squeezed the juice of several into a small cup. Quinta's hands worked to mix olive oil, salt, pepper, and a dash of sugar before she whisked the sauce together.

  Once she was finished, she began to clean her mess, “Dere now we 'ave dressin’.” she said.

  While Dane finished, he sighed out to himself as he watched her make the sauce, “I've been eating the plainest meals for a while now. I feel pretty damn stupid.” He chuckled.

  With Quinta washing, Dane placed the tomatoes, lettuce, and onion on the first layer of bread He took the savory sauce, drizzled it on, placed the last slices of bread on top, and cut.

  Dane leaned over Quinta and washed his hands with hers, “Voila, we're completed.” He said.

  Leon was looking at Addie sit there and watch the movie up close and personal. He flicked his glance from the duo in the kitchen and back by the television. Shifting over slightly, Leon had gotten the hint from Quinta that she was quite pissed and he did not want to fan her flames anymore that day.

  Leon pat the cushion beside him, “Addie, why don't you come and sit on the couch?” He spoke up in his question.

  A second after he finished that last word Dane hovered over him with a plate held out. Staring Leon down, Dane was fully into protective, big brother mode. Leon's faded blue eyes slowly ascended to meet with Dane's glare that warned him that he'd die a painful death if he continued. Leon meekly took the food and shut up. All four of them gathered together on the couch. For two people, it was generous in size, but four caused it to be a bit tight. Dane sat on one end, Quinta beside him, Addie purposefully put Leon shoulder to shoulder with Quinta, and she took the other end. Leon was as tense as ever because he could feel the resentment that resonated through Quinta's body.

  How did this end up happening? How in the Hell did all four of them end up on the sofa when there was plenty of floor to go around? Addie rocked her shoulders from side to side while she grinned at Quinta and Leon.

  Addie's eyes were completely glazed over and her mind raced at the visions of their children, “This is cozy, right?” She asked while she took a bite of her sandwich.

  Addie wiggled her eyebrows at Quinta and Leon while Quinta's nostrils flared and she turned her attention back to the screen. Keeping the comment of making the dog get on the floor to herself, she proceeded to go through the long, long, war touched movie. Quinta turned her body in Dane's direction to place a barrier away from Leon and then, like everyone else, she became caught up in the movie. All in all, she was wowed by how different the world had looked, even under theatrical enhancements and appropriate camera angles, she was not short of amazed.

  Before long the credits of their second movie choice rolled down the screen and Addie hopped up to rewind the tape before she would plug in the next on
e. Having missed half of that movie, Quinta had already taken out the chicken, lightly seasoned it, and began to brown the meat silently. Water crackled in the skillet from the vegetables she'd chopped before she drizzled a light coat of olive oil. In silence, she stared down in the sink for a moment with a sigh. She still hadn't gotten the chance to talk to Dane and the way the night zipped by, time was not on her side. Even though she was enjoying the company and their time together the longer they went, the more anxious she'd become.

  Why couldn't she just be like Addie and take charge for what she wanted?

  Huffing out, Quinta shook her head as Addie appeared beside her, leaned over the pot, and inhaled, “Oh that smells wonderful!” Addie praised. She then leaned into Quinta's ear, “I'm sure Leon is going to love this.” She chuckled.

  Both men stood with Addie with arms stretched far over their heads. Dane felt great now and the fact that there was a homemade, Quinta prepped meal, made him feel even better. The smell that drifted from the kitchen was incredible and Dane knew in the back of his mind if he had cooked, it would have been a piss poor waste of mediocrity. With the plates collected, Dane wandered into the kitchen to wash the dishes for dinner. Taking a glance down to Addie, he found she was always most amusing and annoying when meddling in the lives of others.

  Dane caught Quinta's expression for a moment which caused him to shake his head. He waited for Addie to sit back down when he looked to Quinta from the corner of his eye. There wasn't a smile on her lips and no playful roll of her eyes. He helped Quinta dish out the food in even proportions but couldn't take his eyes off her. Dane took note on how different she had been in the last couple of hours and how sometimes, when she thought that no one noticed, she wore a troubled expression. He mulled the thought to question her and instead opted not to. At least not when “Matchmaker Addie” lurked in the corners.

  Serving the other two, they all ate together with a bit more comfort now that Quinta had made temporary residence on the floor. She sat cross legged with her back pressed against the sofa and Dane's legs on either side of her shoulders. Like hell she was going to sit through a three-and-a-half-hour movie stuck to Leon. The look of disappointment on Addie's face was one to remember.

  They sat in silence while the sad, tragic tale of Titanic played in front of their drawn in features. Even though emotions piqued in Dane he was never one to crack. Leon, on the other hand, had his head on Dane's shoulder with a tell-tale misty-eyed expression. Addie was curled in, half asleep against Leon's other side and by the time the credits rolled, they were out. Quinta's head laid on her arm with her entire petite body sprawled out on the floor. There was a sullen expression on her face because boats, no matter the size, always caused her to reminisce on that shaky part of her life. Dane was half out of it and determined to see this classic to the end

  Dane sighed out before he shrugged them both away, “It's late, you two go to bed. We'll clean up.” He whispered to them.

  Addie stirred awake at the sound of her brother's voice while she pat Leon's arm, “Mmmm I'll show you to Dane's room, Leon.” Her groggy voice whispered.

  In her dream-like state, she shuffled towards the small hall and entered Dane's bedroom. As soon as Leon followed her, there was practically a symphony of high and low-pitched snores. They were both just as horrible as Dane had remembered. Quinta pushed half of her body from the floor to see that night had closed in around them. She yawned to herself while she got to her feet and began to collect the dishes. Alone in the room with Dane with the only sound of water trickling from the faucet as she washed and he dried. With the food put away and the house in order, Quinta place a hand over her mouth to yawn.

  Quinta leaned against the counter and stared up at Dane, “I tink me goin to go 'ome now. It was fun. Tank yuh for 'avin me” She said.

  She really didn’t want to overstay her welcome, she had been there since morning and even though they didn’t once mention it, she truly did figure that the time to leave had come.

  Dane put the last plate in place before he glanced down at Quinta with confusion in his eyes, “Did you forget about the curfew?” He questioned.

  Quinta placed her hands on her hips and nodded, “Oh right, right. Sorry, me out of it.” She answered.

  Dane smiled to himself, “You have to stay here now and besides if Leon is sleeping over then you certainly are.” He replied.

  Rubbing his hands dry one last time on the cloth, Dane gave Quinta a relaxed, easy-going smile. The light in his features told just how happy he was that tonight ended in success. Even though there were a few rough spots between Leon and Quinta, to be able to watch television again was great. Dane found himself in an old state of comfort he hadn't truly felt in a while.

  Inhaling a deep breath, Dane pointed over his shoulder and down the hall, “Well uh, I'm going to wash up before bed. I'll see you when I get out.” He said with a warm smile.

  In a moment of sincerity, Dane stared down at this woman and couldn't fight the genuine expression that appeared on his relaxed features. She didn't have an obligation to come around or raise a finger to help and yet she did. From the moment they met, Quinta was right there, by his side, through thick and thin. That touched a deep part of affection in him that had once died even before the end.

  Before he knew it, the words spilled out, “Thank you...for everything that you've done. Our lives wouldn't be the same without you. My…life wouldn’t be the same without you.” He whispered.

  Backing away from her, he didn't know that she also had her own desire to express her gratitude and didn't give her the chance to respond. Turning, he casually disappeared into the bathroom to wash off. A sliver of light came through the small, open crack he'd left in the door to reduce steam. Soon she was met by the sounds of water pumping through the shower and Dane stepping beneath.

  Quinta's shoulders sagged a bit and she crossed her arms around her waist. He and Addie made it look so easy, so why was she struggling? Just like that he thanked her and left while she wasted a whole day in hopes to find the perfect time. There was none. She took a moment to lean back and cover her eyes with a hand.

  “What am me goin’ to do?” She whined out to herself.

  Her mother would have reddened her backside if she had known how much time her daughter allowed to pass. Quinta had lost hope that night. She numbed herself with the images of what they would do when they overpowered her in that small room. Now, she was constantly bombarded with thank yous and tokens of appreciation from the two of them and she had yet to open her mouth. Subconsciously, her hand lifted to rub across her earrings and Addie's tear streaked face flashed before her eyes.

  Rolling her eyes, she pushed her nerves away, and deliberately walked through the living room. It was now or never. She pushed the door open with her palm. Steam smacked her face, the sounds of water being wrung echoed around her, and she cautiously approached the tub. Her fingers wrapped around the curtain before her head peeked inside to see his toned, lean, and tall backside turned to her. There was a knot in her stomach, one which would occur whenever they were laughing or enjoying each other’s company. An indescribable feeling that she never wanted to let go of.

  The streams of water that tumbled across Dane's body always relaxed him and he was notorious to take long, hot showers back home. This luxury was confined to roughly seven minutes now but he would take what he could get. He pushed his hair back from his face when he heard a sound that was slightly off from normal. Tucking one dread behind her ear, Quinta slipped into the shower with him. She didn't care if she got wet or not. Biting down on her bottom lip, in a moment of weakness her eyes fell shut and she embraced him from behind. The sleeves of her dress became dotted with water and her hands held onto his slippery form. Dane's palms slowly slid down his face as he tried to take note of what was going on when her arms enveloped him.

  She pushed her body against his wet back, “Shh...” She whispered.

  She wanted him to be quiet before he had
a chance to protest or interrupt. Her toes clenched together tightly in the water and her forehead was pressed against his back. With her gentle shush, Dane's heart began to hammer in a second flat. He was taken aback in surprise because this was unusual, even for Quinta. He clenched his jaw because in an instant he thought that she was naked in all her glory for him. Yet, when he glanced down he saw those black, long sleeves soaked by the water.

  “Me 'ave been waitin’ all day to talk to yuh. Me tink it would be easier if me say dis when yuh nah lookin’ at me.” She said softly. There was a bit of time that passed before she huffed against his back and her fingernails dug into his flesh, “Dat last night when we were out dere with da walkers. Me thought me was goin to die. When me saw yuh face, yuh almost made me believe in Jah again. Yuh looked like an angel. Me know me 'aven't said dis in a timely manner, and me 'ope yuh can forgive me. But tank yuh. Tank yuh so much, Dane. Yuh mean a lot to me.”

  Her tongue licked the corner of her mouth to catch the saltine tears that fell from her eyes. She pressed her lips in a kiss to his shoulder blade. Her entire body was shaken because she was now even more nervous after the fact. Letting out a long exhale, Dane allowed what she had to say sink into his mind.

  So that's what bothering with her all day. She had been waiting and they were continuously in the company of others.

  Shutting his eyes, he focused on how she felt against his body, her warmth, and the way her small, feminine arms wrapped around his frame. He hadn't had anyone close like this to him in such a long time. Before her, survival was what he focused on first and foremost. His memories drifted back to the hospital and he recalled how hollow he felt inside when he first found her. Never had he been so thankful to be slapped.

  Swallowing hard, Dane was now glad that she had made the call not to look each other in the face. He didn't think he could handle her raw emotion so suddenly. Her fingernails pressed into his body caused a tense sensation to grip his chest. To have such sweet sentiments being melodically delivered in that sweet accent was too good.