“That’s probably a good idea,” she agreed. “Should I make popcorn?”
“Sure.”
They opted against a romance and settled on an action film, hoping it would be a better distraction while still allowing them to spend time together. When it was over, it was time for Amanda to get to bed if she wanted any hope of getting up on time for work the next day. She lamented the fact that she had to work at all but couldn’t afford to miss any pay so soon after coming back from vacation. Viktor offered to drive her to work so they could spend more time together and Amanda suggested they could also have lunch together if she wasn’t completely swamped with work. He kissed her goodnight and then left for his hotel.
Chapter 16
The next day Viktor drove Amanda to work and brought lunch for them to enjoy together in the courtyard of her office building. After work they planned to head straight for her mother’s home in New Hampshire. Amanda arranged for her mother to stay with her overnight since she was hosting the dinner party with her friends on Saturday.
While Brenda was well enough to drive herself, the 2 hour drive to Boston, not to mention the city traffic, was quite exhausting for her. Amanda wouldn’t let her make the trip alone even if she wanted to. She insisted on picking her up and driving her back home on Sunday.
Amanda was starving by the time she got out of work and declared her hunger as soon as she got in Viktor’s car.
“I thought you might be,” Viktor said as he reached in the backseat for something. He handed her a bag with two take-out containers, napkins and bottled water.
“What did you get?” she asked as she began to open one of the containers.
“There are two paninis. One is chicken caprese and the other is turkey and cheese. You can have your pick. Either is good for me.”
“Oh my, these smell amazing … I love chicken caprese.”
He smiled. “It’s yours.”
“Thank you so much. Do you want yours?”
“No, you eat first. When you’re done, you can drive and I’ll eat mine.”
“Don’t be silly. Just pull off and we can eat together. Yours will get cold.”
“Well, if you insist,” he agreed. He was just as hungry as her but hadn’t wanted to eat without her.
“I do insist,” she replied with a smile.
He pulled off the road into an empty spot and they ate their meals. Viktor got a kick out of how vocal Amanda was about her sandwich. She was enjoying it very much and was not quiet about it.
Amanda called her mom when they were back on the road to let her know they were on their way. For the next 2 hours they talked about nearly everything. They discussed their views on pets, kids, friends, social activities, manners and other random things that happened to pop into their heads. Before they knew it they were arriving at Brenda’s house.
It was a small cape with a little yard that was remarkably well maintained considering Brenda was recovering from cancer. Viktor felt a little nervous as he parked the car and the reality of what they were doing hit him. Although he had spoken on a couple occasions to her mom over the phone, this was different. This would be his first real interaction with her and while he got the feeling she was easy-going like Amanda, he couldn’t help but feel some trepidation of the unknown. Amanda sensed his unease and slipped her hand into his as they walked towards the house. She offered a reassuring smile. He reciprocated and then seemed to relax.
The front door opened before they even reached it, revealing a petite, 5-foot 3-inch woman with brown eyes and dark brown hair that was mostly covered with a scarf. Her bone structure was similar to Amanda and the family resemblance was unmistakable. She opened her arms and Amanda hurried to hug her. Brenda was clearly thrilled to see her daughter. She turned to Viktor next. He wasn’t sure what would be an appropriate way to greet her but thankfully didn’t need to agonize for long.
“I’ll take a hug from you too,” Brenda said.
She was so much shorter than him, he had to bend down to hug her. She kissed his cheek and welcomed them inside. Right next to the door in the foyer was her suitcase and pillow. The foyer opened into the living room with the dining area attached as one large open space. The kitchen was to the left of the dining room along the back of the house. Just before the kitchen, on the left was a hallway that led to the bathroom and 2 bedrooms on the left side of the house.
Brenda’s decorating style, like Amanda’s, was simple and clean, without a lot of clutter or knick-knacks. The only difference was Brenda’s style leaned more towards country while Amanda liked the modern look.
“Would either of you like something to drink before we get on the road?” Brenda asked.
“Sure,” Amanda accepted. She looked at Viktor. “Tea?”
He nodded. “Sure.”
“I’ll make it,” Amanda offered. “Would you like one?” she asked her mom.
“Yes, please,” Brenda agreed. “Viktor, have a seat.” She gestured towards the couch which ran along the wall.
Viktor sat on the couch while Brenda sat in an armchair that appeared to be her favorite spot, judging by the well-used blanket draped over the back as well as the bag of knitting sitting on the floor in front of the table and lamp that was right next to the chair.
“How long have you lived here?” Viktor asked.
“Oh, about 27 years,” she answered.
“Wow. That’s a long time.”
“Yes. A lot of memories. Amanda took her first steps in this living room.”
“Really?” Viktor tried to imagine what Amanda would have looked like as a toddler taking her first steps.
“Would you like to see her baby pictures?” Brenda
