I am an Original

“You’re living here with your girlfriend, right? Does she like it here too?” Addie nodded and grinned. “It’s taken a lot of research, but I’ve loved pretty much every minute of it. I’ve been very hands on with my research and I think that shows in what I’ve written.”

“Yes, she loves it. She has immediate family here, so she’s enjoyed connecting with that side of her family. And I like seeing her so happy.” He nodded; his work wasn’t the same but he had always enjoyed the research process. And he didn’t doubt that Addie had put a lot of work into hers. “I have no doubt it does. I should probably let you get back to your juice though,” he said, grinning as he gestured to the machine. “Maybe it’ll work better now that it had a break.”

Liana remained quiet as Callum kissed her forehead. She couldn’t help but be angry in the moment. It had been a long night and her nerves were frayed, and she just wanted to see her house. While Callum was inside she looked out the windows of the car and saw flooding and damage all around. She had a feeling she knew what he would find inside, so when he came out she exited the car. When he said it wasn’t good news she moved without thought; Liana ran inside the house and only stopped when her feet reached water. A low groan tore from her throat before she turned and ran to the backyard. She was shin deep in water when she stopped that time, shocked at the sight of her trashed greenhouse. 

Ami couldn’t help but laugh loudly at Callum’s surprise.  “Gaming is a separate night, but if you’re interested, I can invite you to that too!” they offered after enveloping their friend in a hug.  “But yea I invited all of you so of course I had to at least make my rounds and say hi to everyone!”

“I might take you up on that after I’m done wrestling with all the repairs to the house,” Callum said, running his hand through his hair. It probably wouldn’t hurt to have a distraction now but he wasn’t sure he had the mental energy to spare for it. “It’s a great party, I’m glad for the invitation. It seems like the place is hopping.”

“Just don’t make plans to leave Vannes quite yet. We’re just starting to get used to having you here,” she joked with a laugh. “In all seriousness though, you fit right in. I’m sure I can speak for the entire house when I say we’re glad you’re here.” Her smile was bright as she continued. “Thank you! My thesis. It’s on cross-culture communication despite language barriers.”

“I’m getting adjusted to staying in one place, so I’ll probably stick around for a bit longer,” he said, laughing as well. “Thank you though.” He didn’t quite feel as if he fit in yet but he enjoyed being here. “That sounds pretty intimidating but I’m sure that you’ll do a fantastic job.”

Liana knew that Callum was just trying to protect her, but that didn’t stop her from pouting. That was her house too and she wanted to see it. “But what happens if you get hurt in there and I don’t know about it?” She didn’t like the idea of him being alone, especially since the longer they sat there the more convinced she became that there was water in their house. Nonetheless, she sat back in her seat and crossed her arms.

“You have my permission to come in if I’m not out in three minutes,” he said, with a gentle smile. It wasn’t that he just wanted to keep her out here, or cause more anxiety, but until he knew better what to expect, he didn’t want to risk her getting hurt. He kissed her forehead. “Thank you, Liana. I’ll be back in a minute.” It became clear just as he walked up to the front door that there was significant damage, but he still went inside and made a quick round of the house and the backyard. Sighing, he rubbed his face and then turned to make the trek back out of the house to the car again. “I’m afraid it’s not good news, darling.”

“Ahhh!  Hell yes, I’m so glad you made it!  Open bar, of course, and there’s probably a line of shots in the back.  I think someone is walking around with tray of jello shots or something.  But ah!  Thanks for showing up!”

“Happy birthday!” Callum was a little surprised he’d found Ami at this thing, but he was glad to have been invited. “Honestly I only came to see if it would be a party or just a night of gaming.”

“I’m an expert at asking questions,” Addie said with a smirk and a laugh. She listened to his answer and imagined him in those places, though she had never actually been to Chicago herself. “Spain is really nice. I love it there.” When he asked her about her own work she beamed. “It’s going well so far! I’m heading towards finishing my thesis and I think it’s looking good.”

“Undoubtedly.” Spain had been an enjoyable place to live, but then Callum had really enjoyed all the places they had lived. “I want to go back to visit someday but my personal traveling has been put on hold for the time being.” Maybe he and Liana could go at some point soon. “Well congratulations on that. What are you working on again?”