In the morning, Daniel cooked her some eggs and bacon. It was a goodbye breakfast. Violet sat at the table, not sure what to say.
“Did you sleep alright?” Daniel asked, forgetting about last night.
“Yeah,” she mumbled. “You?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.”
“Good.”
The conversions were short and sad. They knew this was goodbye. They knew they would never see each other again. Her guitar case was on the couch along with his backpack.
“I’m sorry that I called your bag ugly. It’s sweet what you’re doing. Thank you,” Violet said. He didn’t turn around. He just went on cooking. “Make sure you don’t have any hair in my eggs, hippie.”
He turned around and smiled. “I’ll shake like a dog over your food if you don’t shut up.”
They both laughed. Then they both stopped, quickly. They knew the laughing wasn’t worth the hurt that was going to be among them in the next hour or so.
Daniel finished the cooking and plated it on a plate. She said her thanks, and he said his welcomes. They didn’t look at each other. They ate though.
“So, where will you go?”
“Not sure yet,” she said with a sigh.
“If you need anything, I’m here. You can come back.”
“Thank you, Doc . . . . But I’m not going to come back.”
Daniel nodded. “I understand. Do you want me to give you my phone number? Just call me just in case of something-“
“No,” she cut him off. “I mean, no . . . . it’s best if we just forget about each other.”
Daniel nodded and said nothing else.
They ate their food in silences. They turned on the news. The weather man told them that the snow was clear. Violet had wished it wasn’t. She wished the snow would just keep dropping to the earth forever, an army of snowflakes attacking the ground so she had a place to stay.
“Well,” he said. “Whenever you’re ready I guess.”
Violet took another bite of her eggs. That was a last piece to be eaten from that house. The last bite meaning she was done living there. Violet couldn’t eat it. She just stared at it for the longest time. She gulped. She found a lump in her throat.
“So, do you need a ride to a bus station or something?”
She shook her head and said, “No . . . thank you though.”
They both decided it was time to go. Violet picked up her bags, and Daniel made his way slowly to the front door and opened it up for her, and he could see most of the snow was melted.
Violet let in a long breath, held it for a moment, and then let it out. Daniel walked outside with her. She turned around, her back straight, confidence in her eyes. As if nothing in the world could knock her down. “Well, this is goodbye,” she said holding out her hand.
They both shook hands. “Yeah . . . well, good luck out there.”
She nodded, turned back around, and started to walk down the driveway. Daniel couldn’t help to worry for the girl. Before he could stop himself, he started to run after her. “Wait, Violet.”
She turned around, “Yes, Daniel?”
He was trying to put together some words, any words to say to her. “I . . .um . . .I am actually looking for a roommate. Um, about 100 bucks a week, um, I mean . . .if you know anyone that’s interested or maybe . . .you are?”
“I don’t have any money.”
He pondered about it for a few moments. “What about the 200 I gave you?”
“Oh, yay, but Daniel, I can’t pay you 100 a week.”
“I know a few people, and I can find you a job.”
Her eyes brighten up. “Wait, really?”
“Of course,” he lied. He couldn’t think of anyone. Maybe if he begged his brother.
“So . . . you want me to be roommates? With you?”
“I mean, you need a place to stay, and Boulder isn’t cheap, so . . . it’s not a bad deal-“
“Of course I will be roommates with you!” she screamed, throwing her bags to the ground, and opening her arms up to hug him. She squeezed him arm, and Daniel smiled. When she let go, Daniel could see tears in her eyes. “I have a place. . . . on my god, I have a place!”
“Yep, you’re officially not homeless anymore.”
“This is amazing!” Violet said, as she picked up her bags and started to walk back to the house.
“But, we do have to set ground rules,” he started as he followed her.
“Oh, yeah, of course,” she said, really not listening. “So, the room I was in, that’s my room?”
“Yes, of course.”
“I’m going to put my stuff in my room! Oh my god, I have a room! Daniel, I can’t believe it, I’m going to get a job, I have a place, things are looking great Daniel,” she said as she went upstairs. “And then, things from here . . ..” her voice trailed off as she entered her room.
Watching her running upstairs, Daniel smiled, and then grew worried. “Oh, what the hell have I done?”
Though he questioned what he had just said to a girl like her, one without a home or room to herself, he was happy for the words that strung themselves together to fall so perfectly. He looked to the black bag that Violet had last night, still in the kitchen and took the two thousand out. He hit his palm over and over again, thinking. He walked upstairs to find that Violet had been jumping up and down on the bed. She covered herself in the sheets.
“I am a burrito!” she screamed.
“You’re an odd burrito,” Daniel mumbled.
“I’m okay with that, because I have my own room!” she said jumping on her back, bouncing up and down. “I’m not homeless!”
“Hey, burrito, the roads are cleared,” Daniel said. “Do you want to go into town?”
“For what? Why can’t I enjoy my room for today!? Doc, I have never slept in till this weekend, did you know that? Of course, you didn’t know that! You just met me Friday,” she laughed. Then she paused. “Oh dear, we’ve only known each other for maybe two and a half days. You sure you want me to live here?”
“Yeah, I mean, just don’t try to kill me or anything. I do have a gun,” he said.
She looked at him. “You?”
“Yes. Now, you have a problem with the gun or not?”
“Oh, not at all, I am 100% okay with it. You just don't look like a gun guy. I like the feeling knowing we could protect ourselves from anyone. It’s not like everyone is crazy, right?”
“Right,” he said eyeing her. “Everyone?”
“I am a burrito!” she said standing up, but tripping on her sheets and falling onto the ground. Daniel couldn’t help but laugh.
“Here,” he said throwing her the cash from his pocket. She caught the giant ball and stared at it. “Happy birthday.”
“My birthday isn’t till April.”
“Early birthday then.”
She looked confused. “Idon’t have to . . .”
Daniel put a hand up, shaking his hand and looking disgusted. “No, no, no, and stop that. I don’t even want you looking my direction.”
Violet laughed to herself. He was one of the goods ones.
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