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A Ship in Harbor is Safe
nine
“Athena!”
Standing with her back toward the entrance of the kitchen, Athena clenches her eyes shut. Out of every moment that the entire night could possibly offer her, this moment is the one that she is loathing and attempting to avoid the most. She inhales deeply, opening her eyes and lifting her head up, “yeah?”
“Hey,” when he sticks his head in the kitchen, Athena freezes at the look on his face, “come in here.”
For a moment, she is frozen in place. Her feet finally start to move and she exits the kitchen, and enters the foyer to see a woman standing with a young man beside her.
The woman turns toward Athena, “you must be Athena, oh my goodness. It’s great to finally meet you!”
Athena is frozen in place when the woman wraps her thin arms around her, with her chest pressed right above Athena’s. “Yeah,” Athena says quietly, attempting to return the hug, “it’s nice to meet you, too…”
The woman pulls away, “my name’s Melanie. You can call me Mel, though. This,” she puts her arm around the young man’s broadening shoulders, “is my son, Jason.”
Attempting to be polite, Athena smiles at the young man standing awkwardly next to his over-enthusiastic mother, “hey, Jason.”
“So,” Walt chimes in after a heavy, awkward silence falls over the foyer, “Athena made hamburgers, and I’m sure they’re delicious.”
Melanie’s wide, light brown eyes widen even more and her dark brown hair moves slightly when she leans forward, “you cook?”
“Yeah,” Athena smiles. “The table’s set, if you guys wanna take a seat. I’ll bring the food out.”
“That,” Melanie says, standing next to Athena in the kitchen, “was honestly the best burger I’ve eaten in a very long time.”
Athena doesn’t turn around from hand washing the dishes, but nods, “thanks. That’s nice of you to say, Mel.”
“Who taught you how to cook? You’re pretty good at it,” Melanie comments.
Taking a deep breath, Athena finishes off the last dish and turns the faucet off. “My grandmother actually taught me a lot.”
“Oh, your dad’s mom?”
Athena shakes her head, “mom’s mom.”
“Was she from around here?”
Again, Athena shakes her head. “No. She lived in Las Vegas.”
“Wow, Vegas. Does she still live there?”
Looking away, Athena takes a deep breath. “Nah, she passed away two months ago.”
“I’m so sorry,” Melanie puts her hand on her chest.
Athena blinks, shaking her head. “Yeah, um, I think I hear my phone ringing. I should go answer it.” Before Melanie can answer, Athena is already to the bottom of the staircase, scrambling for her bedroom.
Once she is in her room, with the door shut, she switches the light on and immediately sits down on the side of her bed. The breaths that she is able to get are very shaky. Her eyes suddenly clench shut after her vision blurs with tears. With a trembling hand, she reaches for her phone and presses buttons that have become habit. Staring at the blank screen for a moment, with her blurred vision, Athena thinks of what to write. Finally, she decides on, What time should I get my plane ticket for?
Any time that’s good for you is Sidney’s timely reply.
The young woman nods, running a hand through her hair. Ok…
Just keep me in the loop. He doesn’t ask questions; doesn’t even ask if she’s okay, but she’s thankful for it.
This time, Athena doesn’t reply. She simply deposits her phone onto her nightstand, leaving the electronic for her closet.
“Athena,” the raspy voice coming through the earpiece of her phone makes the woman check the screen of the device to make sure she called the correct number, “it’s, like, two in the morning. What d’you want?”
Rubbing the back of her neck, Athena sits on the edge of her bed. “I need a ride, Jared.”
“Are you drunk?” He mumbles.
She shakes her head, “no, I need to go to the airport.”
“Why don’t you just call Jordan? He can take you…”
This time, she shakes her head violently. “No, Jared… I don’t want your brother to take me. Can you please just come pick me up and give me a ride.”
“Where do you need to go? Are you not home, or something?”
“How about I explain everything to you when you come over and pick me up?” She offers, gently.
Jared grumbles lowly, “what’s in it for me?”
“Jared,” Athena whispers, “please. I will figure out some way to pay you back when I can.”
The dramatic sigh that comes from Jared’s end of the phone call lasts for a few seconds. “Right now?”
“Please?” Athena bites her lip.
The youngest Staal brother makes a few obnoxious noises before speaking quietly, “when I get to your house, I want a thorough explanation.”
When Athena opens her mouth to speak, the distinct sound of Jared hanging up the phone interrupts her. Ending her side of the call, she slowly stands up to collect her suitcase and purse.
Standing with her back toward the entrance of the kitchen, Athena clenches her eyes shut. Out of every moment that the entire night could possibly offer her, this moment is the one that she is loathing and attempting to avoid the most. She inhales deeply, opening her eyes and lifting her head up, “yeah?”
“Hey,” when he sticks his head in the kitchen, Athena freezes at the look on his face, “come in here.”
For a moment, she is frozen in place. Her feet finally start to move and she exits the kitchen, and enters the foyer to see a woman standing with a young man beside her.
The woman turns toward Athena, “you must be Athena, oh my goodness. It’s great to finally meet you!”
Athena is frozen in place when the woman wraps her thin arms around her, with her chest pressed right above Athena’s. “Yeah,” Athena says quietly, attempting to return the hug, “it’s nice to meet you, too…”
The woman pulls away, “my name’s Melanie. You can call me Mel, though. This,” she puts her arm around the young man’s broadening shoulders, “is my son, Jason.”
Attempting to be polite, Athena smiles at the young man standing awkwardly next to his over-enthusiastic mother, “hey, Jason.”
“So,” Walt chimes in after a heavy, awkward silence falls over the foyer, “Athena made hamburgers, and I’m sure they’re delicious.”
Melanie’s wide, light brown eyes widen even more and her dark brown hair moves slightly when she leans forward, “you cook?”
“Yeah,” Athena smiles. “The table’s set, if you guys wanna take a seat. I’ll bring the food out.”
“That,” Melanie says, standing next to Athena in the kitchen, “was honestly the best burger I’ve eaten in a very long time.”
Athena doesn’t turn around from hand washing the dishes, but nods, “thanks. That’s nice of you to say, Mel.”
“Who taught you how to cook? You’re pretty good at it,” Melanie comments.
Taking a deep breath, Athena finishes off the last dish and turns the faucet off. “My grandmother actually taught me a lot.”
“Oh, your dad’s mom?”
Athena shakes her head, “mom’s mom.”
“Was she from around here?”
Again, Athena shakes her head. “No. She lived in Las Vegas.”
“Wow, Vegas. Does she still live there?”
Looking away, Athena takes a deep breath. “Nah, she passed away two months ago.”
“I’m so sorry,” Melanie puts her hand on her chest.
Athena blinks, shaking her head. “Yeah, um, I think I hear my phone ringing. I should go answer it.” Before Melanie can answer, Athena is already to the bottom of the staircase, scrambling for her bedroom.
Once she is in her room, with the door shut, she switches the light on and immediately sits down on the side of her bed. The breaths that she is able to get are very shaky. Her eyes suddenly clench shut after her vision blurs with tears. With a trembling hand, she reaches for her phone and presses buttons that have become habit. Staring at the blank screen for a moment, with her blurred vision, Athena thinks of what to write. Finally, she decides on, What time should I get my plane ticket for?
Any time that’s good for you is Sidney’s timely reply.
The young woman nods, running a hand through her hair. Ok…
Just keep me in the loop. He doesn’t ask questions; doesn’t even ask if she’s okay, but she’s thankful for it.
This time, Athena doesn’t reply. She simply deposits her phone onto her nightstand, leaving the electronic for her closet.
“Athena,” the raspy voice coming through the earpiece of her phone makes the woman check the screen of the device to make sure she called the correct number, “it’s, like, two in the morning. What d’you want?”
Rubbing the back of her neck, Athena sits on the edge of her bed. “I need a ride, Jared.”
“Are you drunk?” He mumbles.
She shakes her head, “no, I need to go to the airport.”
“Why don’t you just call Jordan? He can take you…”
This time, she shakes her head violently. “No, Jared… I don’t want your brother to take me. Can you please just come pick me up and give me a ride.”
“Where do you need to go? Are you not home, or something?”
“How about I explain everything to you when you come over and pick me up?” She offers, gently.
Jared grumbles lowly, “what’s in it for me?”
“Jared,” Athena whispers, “please. I will figure out some way to pay you back when I can.”
The dramatic sigh that comes from Jared’s end of the phone call lasts for a few seconds. “Right now?”
“Please?” Athena bites her lip.
The youngest Staal brother makes a few obnoxious noises before speaking quietly, “when I get to your house, I want a thorough explanation.”
When Athena opens her mouth to speak, the distinct sound of Jared hanging up the phone interrupts her. Ending her side of the call, she slowly stands up to collect her suitcase and purse.