Rick would do the research and Luis would help plan future expeditions, while Sofia would use her investigative skills and contacts to reach out to communities in need of help preserving their priceless treasures and history. They promised to send Diego postcards from wherever they ended up, and to come back for family dinners often.
But first, they were all going to take time to decompress and process their experiences, and to get some much-needed rest.
As much as Rick cherished the experience he’d been given in the metal library, it had also knocked the proverbial stuffing out of him. It had been a lot to take in. He knew Sofia, Luis, and Diego were feeling the same way. They’d talked about it for hours and hours every time they got together. Now was the time for reflection. Another day would be time for action...
CHAPTER 24
Three weeks later, Rick was home one evening when his door buzzer went off. He hadn’t been expecting anyone. He’d gone home after what was now becoming a weekly dinner with the Torres family, and had only been home a little less than an hour.
“Hello?”
“It’s me, Sofia.”
He was surprised. Pleasantly surprised, but surprised none-the-less.
“Come on up,” he answered as he buzzed her in.
He quickly tidied up some dishes he hadn’t gotten to yet. He’d never been the best housekeeper.
She knocked.
Rick opened the door. “Well, hey there,” he said, “come on in.”
“Gracias,” she said, giving him a friendly smile. She handed him a paper plate wrapped in tin foil. “Papa insisted I bring you leftovers from dinner tonight. He worries about you. The rest of us know how to cook.” She gave him a teasing wink.
Rick laughed as he took the offering. “Guilty as charged. I live on takeout.”
“We know,” she replied.
“Thanks for bringing this,” he said, grateful for the extra home cooked meal.
“De nada.”
There was a moment of silence between them.
Sofia crossed her arms.
Rick put the dish in his fridge. He turned back and looked at Sofia. “I know you well enough to know that there’s something on your mind.”
She let out a small laugh, tucking her hair behind her ears. “Yeah.”
“Well, alrighty then,” he replied, curious about what was on her mind. “Have a seat,” he said, motioning to his sofa. “Would you like some coffee?”
“Si, that would be bueno,” she replied. She took her jacket off, then set her bag down next to the sofa, and sat down.
Rick put a pot of coffee on and then joined her in his living room. He plopped down on a chair next to the sofa.
“So,” he said, his eyebrow raised, “since this unexpected visit isn’t just about kindly bringing me leftovers...”
She smiled, shaking her head. “I wanted to talk to you about... recent events.”
“Oh?”
“I can’t stop thinking about what we experienced with the metal library. It was so, so...”
“Profound?”
“Si,” she said, her eyes lighting up. “Exactamente.”
He nodded and rested his left leg over his right knee. “I know what you mean. I’ll admit it’s been on my mind constantly, too. How could it not be?”
“Right, of course,” she said, clearing her throat. “I know we promised to keep this discovery secret...” She hesitated, thinking.
He waited for her to continue, wondering where this was going.
She sighed. “I don’t know what to do.”
“About what?”
She leaned forward. “I have so much emotion and confusion welling up inside me all the time these days. I’m filled with thoughts, ideas, memories, questions... so many questions. I dream about it. I literally think about it day and night.” Her gaze drifted to the window. “Mi madre... the experience was so beautiful.”
“I understand,” he replied in a quiet voice.
A soft smile crossed her lips. “I know you do.” She paused for a moment, rubbing her hands together gently. “It’s like I’m going to burst with everything that’s rolling around in my mind, and in my heart.”
“Yeah, me, too,” he admitted.
“Really?” she asked, her eyes lighting up. “Still?”
“Oh, yeah! I mean, how could we not be utterly obsessed with what we just went through?” He shrugged his shoulders. “We got a glimpse of something far beyond normal human experience and perception. It’s changed us. That’s a lot to process.”
She pointed her finger at him. “A lot. Si. Too much. I don’t know how to begin...” she paused, trying to find the right words. “I need to find a way to cope with it all. It’s too much, frankly.”
He heard her. It was like she was speaking from his own mind. “It’s going to take a long time. It might take a lifetime, to be honest.”
She ran her fingers through her hair, sighing. She nodded. “I’ve been coming to that conclusion as well. Some nights I can’t sleep. My mind keeps going back over everything that happened to us.”
Rick leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Do you want to talk about it?”
She laughed. “We’ve been talking about it for weeks. Every time we all get together.”
“I find it helps,” he said. “It’s good to have people to talk to who understand what you’ve gone through.” He remembered a time before, when he had no one he could share his extraordinary, and at times, completely terrifying experiences with. It wasn’t a good feeling. It made it harder to process things and harder to cope with them. This was much, much better.
“Si, of course,” she said. “That’s not the problem.” She looked at him, her expression one of yearning
